Over the Fence PV Victoria Blythe

interaction: @Gabriele Ricci-Armani wc: 557 dialogue thoughts

Having grown up in a household with strict rules and strong prejudice against Muggles, Victoria had become overly excited to learn anything about them ever since starting at Hogwarts. Whether it was technological headphones, new snacks, or unfamiliar games—she did everything she could to learn more. Among the games she’d discovered was one played with a ball, called football. She had first learned about it in her first year, when a student wearing a football jersey explained the game to her. Intrigued, she later had a Muggle friend show her some sample matches, which helped her grasp the basic rules. She wasn’t too familiar with the more advanced or professional terms, but she knew enough to be able to play.

Though she’d memorized the basics and even practiced mimicking the moves in her dorm room when no one was watching, she had never actually played—not on real grass, not with another person. There just hadn’t been a moment. Or perhaps, somewhere deep down, she was afraid that when the moment came, she’d fail at it. That she’d look clumsy, foolish. She hated being bad at things- still, her passion for trying and learning outweighed everything else. Maybe that was the reason she got so excited when she saw a boy juggling a football ball while she was wandering around Hogwarts. Perhaps now she could see how the game worked in real life—and if the boy allowed it, maybe even try out a few moves she’d seen before.

Victoria ran downhill, not quite able to see the boy’s face from afar—she just hoped he wasn’t in a bad mood. Her wavy hair had become slightly tousled from running and the breeze, and her cheeks were tinged with pink. Yet she was far too excited to think about how she looked in the moment. When she got closer to the boy, she hesitated. What if she disturbed him? For a few seconds, she silently watched him juggle the ball—her eyes widened a little. To someone like Victoria, who had only seen a few games, juggling a ball seemed hard- and the boy actually looked really good at it.

“Hey,” she said—quietly, hesitantly. When she saw the boy’s face, she tilted her head slightly—wasn’t he the one who organized the Rules Breakers thing? She hadn’t expected to see Gabriele juggling a football here, but the fact that it was someone she knew eased her nerves a little.

“…I hope I’m not disturbing you—are you playing football?” she asked. The question felt ridiculous the moment it left her lips—the answer was obvious. but Victoria, unsure how to start the conversation, asked anyway—and mentally kicked herself right after. Still, she couldn’t help it; this was the first time she’d seen someone physically play a Muggle sport she was genuinely curious about. There was a small sparkle of excitement in her usually calm and distant blue eyes.

But how could she even offer to play with him? Asking outright would be strange—she’d never played before—and maybe Gabriele wouldn’t want to waste time with a total beginner. So she decided to keep a light conversation. "So, is this a professional thing, or just a hobby?"

Date. 1/10/2025 | Dialogue. #1E361C | Tag. @Victoria Blythe
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This time, Gabi reached 15 kicks in a row before he got tired and accidentally kicked it too far away. That was his longest streak yet, though, so he was in a pretty good mood for seeing some progress. Then he noticed a girl running down the hill towards him. It was too far away for him to see who it was, but it was a girl. Pretty by the looks of her long hair fanning in the air and delicate frame, but regardless of how pretty she was, Gabriele didn't want any girl to think he was a loser who couldn't even kick a ball right.

Oh fuck, he thought and scrambled for the football and quickly tossed it in the air to continue where he left off. Just to show off, he acted like he wasn't a complete noob - like he knew exactly what he was doing. From the corner of his eyes, he saw a blurry shape come to a stop a few meters away from him - watching. Playing it cool and unbothered, he continued like he hadn't even seen her, though secretly putting in even more effort to bust a few cool moves.

Next time the ball bounced into the air, he ditched the knees and went for broke. Biting his lip in concentration, he did a dramatic twist with his whole body and kicked it with the back of his foot, trying to add some curve. He had no idea if it looked as cool as it felt—but he definitely felt cool when he nailed it. His only way to gauge if it was a success or not, was if the ball didn't fly away out of his control. However, he had no idea if he could do that again, so he proceeded to use his more trusted method (knees) after that freestyle. He hadn't seen Antonio or Stefano ever do something like that before. Too bad Antonio wasn't here to see it. That would have shown those bitches...

It must have worked, because the girl came closer and struck up conversation with him. At least he imagined his cool moves being the reason. At her greeting, Gabriele caught the ball with his hands, turned towards her like he just noticed her for the first time. His face dropped, internally. The Italian had expected… well, he didn’t know exactly who he’d expected, but the mental image had included a stranger: a slightly older, smoking hot girl… who oddly resembled his uncle’s blonde, haughty bitch of a wife, Victoria. At least they had the name in common. But this Victoria was far from haughty. Or bitchy. Or blonde.

"Hey," he said, feeling a bit sheepish. "Yeah- Well, I'm just fooling around for now. It's hard to play just one person." Gabriele suddenly felt a little bit stupid that he'd tried so hard (as much as he would deny it) to show off for (not his uncle's) Victoria. He was not disappointed to see her, per se. But it was kind of cringe to show off for someone who knew him. Fucking great. Now she probably would laugh at him or something.

Victoria didn't seem to have noticed, wondering if he was doing it professionally or just for hobby. Gabriele raised a bemused eyebrow. That she even considered that Gabi could have been a football pro told him that she either knew nothing of football, was trying to be funny, or... maybe he was actually a natural born star? Obviously he wasn't that delusional, but it made him feel a bit better about the situation.

"Do I look like a pro?" Gabriele asked a bit incredulously, sweeping his hair out of his face. Could he realistically pull it off that well? It wouldn't be completely out of character for Gabi to pose as a pro anything, if acting like he was a football pro wouldn't just come back and bite him in the ass later. "Because if I do, I’m flattered. I'm just kidding, though. I'm new. I picked it up from my brother just last week. Why, do you play?" If she thought he was pro, probably not.

interaction: @Gabriele Ricci-Armani wc: 605 dialogue thoughts

When Gabriele noticed Victoria, an expression appeared in the boy’s pretty brown eyes—one that Victoria couldn’t quite name. They locked eyes for a few seconds, but something about it left a strange unease in her chest. It was as if he had been expecting someone else—or maybe he hadn’t expected anyone to be there at all. Perhaps he didn’t want anyone there. The brunette girl tilted her head slightly to the right, unconsciously, as if trying to decipher the meaning behind his gaze. Maybe she should just leave him be... let him have his space. The silence lingered for a moment longer. Victoria wasn’t entirely sure what to do, but she decided she would at least try not to disturb him. Before getting swallowed by the quiet, she felt like she had to say something.

“...Ah, yeah. I know football's a team sport,” she said when he said it was hard to play alone, her voice thin and slightly hesitant. Just for a moment, the idea that maybe they could play together sparked a flicker of warmth inside her. But she quickly pushed that thought down. She wasn’t sure if Gabriele was even okay with her being here. Maybe he just wanted to be alone. Victoria reminded herself to respect his space, even if that little hope still glowed quietly inside her.

“I didn’t really get to see how you were playing, but it’s pretty rare to see anyone playing football at Hogwarts,” she added calmly. “So I figured maybe you were practicing because you’re, I don’t know… kind of professional or something.”
She tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear as the breeze blew them into her face. When the boy mentioned he was new to football, she bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling too eagerly. Maybe he wouldn’t mind that she wasn’t any good at the game either. That was a relief—at least he wouldn’t judge her. Maybe they could even laugh together at their failed attempts. That thought eased some of the tension curling in her stomach, giving way to the tiniest glimmer of courage.

“Oh—I know the game,” she said, her blue eyes still calm as she tried to hide her nervousness, with a slight distant look, though if someone paid close enough attention, they might notice the subtle glint of excitement. “I learned the rules and how it works from a friend—and I got to watch a few matches, too.” Her gaze drifted briefly to the ball. She was choosing her words carefully, aware of how awkward she felt talking to someone she wasn’t close to. Deep down, she was nervous. She didn’t want to embarrass herself—in fact, she was fairly certain that if they ended up playing, she would absolutely humiliate herself. Still, she did her best to keep that anxiety out of her voice.

“But I’ve never actually had the chance to play,” Victoria continued, her voice steady despite the nerves tightening her chest. “...And I’m definitely not a professional, of course.”
The truth was, she wasn’t even sure if she could manage a simple juggling trick with the ball. At the very least, the boy already seemed ten steps ahead of her—he could keep the ball up and pull off a few moves, that much was clear.
“That’s actually why I asked if you were professional—you looked kind of familiar with some of the movements from a distance,” she added gently, softening her tone deliberately so it wouldn’t sound condescending. The last thing she wanted was to make him feel uncomfortable or like she was mocking him with false praise.

Date. 1/10/2025 | Dialogue. #1E361C | Tag. @Victoria Blythe
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“No, I’m not a professional,” Gabi admitted. “But it’s not that hard,” he lied, playing it off cool, like he hadn’t been struggling to kick the ball in intended direction for a week. The one time he hit the goal was by sheer luck, and anytime he actually tried to score, it missed completely or Antonio had saved it without much struggle.

Anyone with eyes could tell he wasn’t on the level of actual football players. Granted, pros probably had years of training ahead of him to get to that level, but it was still a bit embarrassing to shatter Victorias assumptions: that he was actually not that good yet. Better than she was, presumably, since she’d never actually played with a real ball before. And he was a guy; since he’d only seen guys play, he assumed he had his gender to his advantage. Were there women’s football? Gabriele didn’t know. His knowledge didn’t go much further than what Antonio and Stefano had shown him, and most of that time had been spent pestering them into teaching him how to play in the first place.

Victoria mentioned she’d seen a few matches and learned about it from a friend. “Really? Who else likes football?” Gabi asked, curious. If it was someone his age that he didn’t hate (and wasn’t currently beefing with), or someone outside his annoying family, maybe he could play with them. Perhaps they could start their own team. Unless, of course, they were better than him.

An idea struck him. He glanced at Victoria with new determination. Casually, Gabriele held up the ball with one hand in offering. “Hey, you could give it a try, if you’d like. Show me what you’ve got.” Smirking in challenge, he tossed it in her direction. Kicking it around was nothing compared to an actual match — like that time he’d chased Antonio across the field trying to steal the ball — but it was a start. "If you're any good, we could try to play together." Two wasn’t a real game, but it beat kicking the ball alone. Secretly, he hoped she’d want to stick around and play with him.

There wasn’t a goal nearby, but they could probably makeshift something with a pair of sticks. Or the pasture fence. If she was loads better than him, however, he rather not be made a fool of by having her win over him. And if she turned out to be way worse, Gabi could feel a bit better about himself.

interaction: @Gabriele Ricci-Armani wc: 432 dialogue thoughts
mention:@Mikey Forville

Victoria felt a quiet sense of relief upon learning that Gabriele was not, in fact, a professional. It was comforting to know she was not the only one stepping tentatively into unfamiliar territory. Yet when the Hufflepuff boy remarked with casual confidence that the game was not especially difficult, she could not help but arch an eyebrow. For someone who had just confessed to being a novice, it was a rather audacious claim.

“…Ah—actually, you know him,” she said gently, when Gabriele inquired about other players. “Mikey. He seems to have considerable experience.”

The suggestion that she might try the game herself startled her more than she cared to admit. Her eyes widened, and her heart leapt with nervous urgency. This, after all, was precisely what she had wanted: a chance to play. And yet, now that the opportunity was before her, she felt the sharp edge of doubt. She could already imagine herself faltering, clumsy and conspicuous.

Still, Gabriele’s easy reassurance—that if she proved capable, they might even play together—ignited a fragile spark within her. Excitement flickered in her blue eyes, almost in spite of herself. Perhaps she was nervous, perhaps her pulse was quickening beyond reason, but the desire to try outweighed the fear of humiliation.

“…I wouldn’t call myself good,” Victoria admitted softly, her voice carrying the careful balance of honesty and hope, “but I do hope I’m not so dreadful that we can’t play together.”

She stooped to retrieve the ball, weighing it briefly in her hands before setting it with deliberation upon the ground. For a moment she lingered, uncertain of the proper technique. Yet she remembered watching Gabriele earlier, the way he had juggled the ball with practiced ease, and decided to imitate what she had seen.

Her expression tightened, pale features marked by a small crease of concentration. With a cautious flick of her foot she lifted the ball, coaxing it upward. Her heart raced, the sound of her pulse filling her ears as the ball descended. She struck again, then once more, finding a rhythm—fragile but present.

One… two… three… four… five—

It ended there. On the fifth touch the ball fell awkwardly, striking the earth with an ungraceful thud before rolling aside. Victoria exhaled, folding her hands behind her back in an effort to conceal her disappointment. Five. She had no sense of whether it was a respectable first attempt, but she was certain Gabriele’s performance had far exceeded hers.

Determined not to betray her embarrassment, she kept her gaze lowered, her voice subdued when she spoke again.

“…I believe that was five.”

ooc: i wasn't able to check grammer so let me know if there is a mistake or smth nonsense. thank u.

Date. 1/10/2025 | Dialogue. #1E361C | Tag. @Victoria Blythe | Note. sorry if it's not good
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Gabriele was pleasantly surprised to hear that someone he knew, and didn’t hate, shared his newfound hobby. Victoria and Mikey must be close then, since he knew that fact about him before he did. Quietly, he wondered if there was more to their relationship then she was currently letting on.. But ultimately, he didn’t care enough to ask for details about their love lives. Not yet, anyway. Though his brief suspicious expression revealed that he had questions.

“I didn’t know Mikey played football. Interesting…” If he had known, he would have asked to play with him instead of his stupid brother and cousin. For a Ravenclaw, Mikey was pretty cool. Granted, Gabi didn’t even know his blood status, because he didn’t give a shit about trivial things like that, but that also means he had no idea about his muggle interests. Or interests in general, to be honest. They weren’t that close. However, the Italian made a mental note to bring it up to the boy later.

“So, he’s good, or what?” Gabi inquired warily, trying to sound nonchalant. If what Victoria said was true, he must be loads better than Gabi was at this point. He would totally humiliate him if they played together now! He probably needed all the practice he could get, even if he wouldn’t admit it, before he let him join their games.

Victoria herself wasn’t too shabby, starting off strong with her kicks. The Hufflepuff watched her, Gabi's cocky bravado slipped just a little when she passed four without much struggle. Better than he’d managed the first time. Thankfully, she dropped it after five, and he exhaled subtly. Phew. Not as many kicks as he’d managed previously, which meant his ego wasn’t totally busted, but good enough that he was impressed by how quickly she got a hang of it. Maybe there was a football player in her, after all. Clearly, Gabriele had no idea what was truly required to become a football pro.

“That was pretty good,” he said, genuinely, having expected worse after she claimed to not be very good. “Obviously, playing on the field is not the same,” said like he had ton of experience he did not actually have. “But I think we should give it a go. You can go for the goal first, and then we switch?” He would have wanted to play with her regardless, but now he had a good reason that didn’t sound like a simple desperate call for friends. Gabriele had friends… Kind of. Actually, don’t ask.