February 27, 1888 — Quidditch Pitch

Quidditch practices was always the best way to relax after a long day of schooling... but then some days, MacFusty thought it was a good idea to set them up for early-morning practice. With his NEWTs upcoming and classes getting more strenuous every day, he really wanted all the sleep he could get. On top of that, quidditch practice usually included getting quaffles pelted at him, so he couldn't just idly fly around until his dorm-mate yelled at him.

An hour after he'd taken to the skies, Handsome found himself sitting on the benches beside Gryffindor's seeker while the chasers did their rounds. "Not feeling it this morning either, eh? Too early for you, too?" he joked, trying to rest his head on his hand.

Miss Browne was one of the newest members of the quidditch team. He knew her as a friendly, upbeat, and adventurous—definitely an entertaining sight both in conversation and on the quidditch pitch. "What made you try out for the team this year? Most people don't start late in their school years. Definitely harder to get scouted," he questioned.

  

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— set by MJ —

MacFusty and his damned morning practices. Why? Clearly, MacFusty wasn't a woman who knew the length of time it took to get ready in the morning. Quidditch practice left everyone sweaty, tired, and red-faced, including Pru. Not only would she need to bathe so she didn't feel sticky and smell awful, but she'd have to style her hair into something manageable, redress in her too many layers of clothes — including lacing her corset ugh — but today she'd also started her monthly. Naturally, she felt even drained and achy.

She'd thought she could manage for the morning practice, take a tonic for the discomfort at breakfast and carry on throughout the day as planned. It was after a quarter of an hour of flying around that she realized that this had been a terrible, terrible mistake. Irritable and crampy, she'd been forced to sit out for most of practice. When questioned, she'd outright told MacFusty what was up, which left the captain scrambling back to the sky as quickly as possible.

Handsome joined her on the bench some time later. She didn't know much about him outside of quidditch, aside from his being Head Boy. With her feet tucked up on the bench and her arms wrapped around her knees, she wasn't sitting at all like a lady, but at this point in time, she didn't care. It gave her some respite from her discomfort and that was all that mattered. Besides, the quidditch team had to expect her to behave in non-lady-like ways. They wouldn't at all be surprised.

"Mmm," She responded non-noncommittally to his first question — even she wasn't going to announce to the head boy that it was her time of the month. His next question was met with an offended nostril flare and a flick of her eyebrow, "I've been trying out every year since third year. I wanted to be a beater, but seeker was what I scored highest in." Like she'd just tried out on a whim! She'd worked hard to make the team. She tossed the hair that had come loose from her braid behind her shoulder, "Regardless, I'm going to be a Harpie."

  

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set by Bee

There were three groups of people Handsome tried to be especially friendly with: the other prefects, his dorm-mates, and the members of the Gryffindor quidditch team. Last year he'd grown acquainted with Gryffindors from first year through seventh, and this year there were many new players—and many new younger players at that. MacFusty, for some ungodly reason, had decided to fill their team with first and second years, so a fifth year was a welcome sight.

"The Harpies haven't - er - done very well this past season. Maybe you could bring some fresh talent to the team—though it would be a few years at this rate," he commented casually, his eyes on the players who were still fooling around on their brooms.

  

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— set by MJ —

A few years at this rate? Pru wasn't quite sure what he'd meant by that... was he saying she wasn't any good? Yes, she'd only just made the team this year but still! She'd been playing club quidditch for several years. It wasn't nearly as competitive or as brutal as the house teams — a fact that she'd discovered with a mix of shock and glee.

Her cheeks flushed with heat, "It'd have to be a few years at any rate. My family would never let me leave school before I get my NEWTs. They don't even want me playing quidditch, much less having it is a career." He likely wouldn't understand. As a male and head boy to boot, he likely had the cream of the crop when it came to occupations - if he was even going to have one. She didn't know much about the background of his family. Pru didn't pay attention to such things as money and status, which had gotten her into trouble on many an occasion.

  

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set by Bee

Handsome, despite having no need (nor desire, if he was really being honest with himself) for a career, was expected to get a NEWT-level education. All the men—and women, for that matter!—got them, and many went on to do things with them. While he could play quidditch for a living without much fuss, he didn't know if he honestly had enough skill to play professionally. He always enjoyed being a keeper, but those positions were harder to come across than, say, chaser.

"Just make sure you focus on school, too. It's just as important as this," he said, motioning to the entire pitch with his hands. He'd learned that when joining at the beginning of his sixth year, and definitely something he'd struggled with since.

  

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— set by MJ —

Pru wrinkled her nose, "Hardly. I doubt a future husband is going to care whether I scored an O or an T in divination. My sister married a Potter and she's a junior librarian at Crowdy Memorial, so I suppose it could still be done." Not that she wanted to marry a Potter (technically there weren't any left that Pru could reasonably attach to anyhow), but a career and marriage were doable. It was 1888 after all! Advancements were being made every day!

"Honestly, I don't think I even want to get married," She added thoughtfully. Odira was a terrible example for what marriage could be like. Pru wanted no part of that. She'd be an old spinster and fly around on broomsticks all day. That was the life!

A sharp pain in her lower abdomen caught her by surprise and she crumpled into herself, putting her face on her knees and biting her lip as she tried not to cry out.

  

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set by Bee

Handsome cocked a brow. Gryffindors had terrible reputations for not caring about their academics, but he'd never seen anyone — especially a young woman who desired a career, even one such as quidditch — completely write off the importance of their education. Did she even know how OWLs would influence her future?

"You'll hardly have a chance to made the Harpies if you flunk out of school at the end of the year. This is your first year on the team; you're going to need more experience — years, even — on the school team to get signed to the pros," he pointed out, continuing to gaze up at the skies where the chasers continued their rounds.

His eyes snapped to the other girl when she began hissing, prompting an expression of concern. "Do you need anything, Miss Browne?" He didn't even know what was wrong, really; girls' bodies did the oddest things!

  

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— set by MJ —

The Head Boy made a fine point, but Pru was (thankfully) far too occupied with more pressing concerns. She grunted and shook her head. When the pain subsided, she uncurled herself, straightened her braid and decided to pretend as if it hadn't happened at all. It was better to gloss over it than explain to Handsome Whitledge that she was having her monthly.

"What about you, Mr. Whitledge?" She raised a brow skeptically, "What are your plans after Hogwarts?' He had to have had some inclination, what with his being a seventh year and pro-schooling agenda.

  

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set by Bee

She seemed to completely ignore his questions about her pain, which he wisely took as a silent shut up in itself. She also seemed to ignore just about everything else he'd said, instead choosing to question him. "Me? I'm not exactly sure. Quidditch, Ministry, nothing. I don't really need a job, but it would be nice to be useful," he responded nonchalantly. Firstborn sons, especially ones set to inherit after graduation, had no need for jobs, right?

  

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— set by MJ —

"You could be useful without a job," She pointed out. Pru hadn't meant to be quite so blunt, but she couldn't help it. She lacked the ability that others seem to have naturally - the one that allowed you to run your response through a non-offensive filter before you spoke. She was at least able to keep herself from admitting that she was jealous with how open ended his future was. He could do anything in the world that he desired and be just fine. She was constricted to a box - become a wife and mother and/or have a "womanly" profession.

She glanced up and caught a golden glint at the edge of the pitch, "There's the snitch. I'd better get back out there." Hopefully her cramping would subside long enough for her to catch the thing and not knock her off of her broomstick.

  

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set by Bee

Handsome considered her words, but didn't respond to them. Everyone seemed to be telling that — "you don't have to have a job" — yet his experiences over the last seven years had led him to believe a career was the obvious answer in the end. Could he really be happy just doing... nothing? What would nothing even entail? Parties? Quidditch? Women?

Luckily, Miss Browne didn't feel the need to push the topic further and decided that it was time to return to the pitch. He offered her a smile before standing up himself. MacFusty would probably want him back out there at some point, even if he could keep brainstorming excuses for being on the benches in front of the skies.

  

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— set by MJ —