Errand Oh Worm? PV Freya, Peri closed

1st of February

Unlike Dealla, Freya had been looking forward to this event since she had heard about it, building up its potential to such levels that it could only lead to disappointment. She had heard about flobberworms in passing; once, she had sat next to some third-year students who, freshly into their new studies of Care of Magical Creatures, had seen flobberworms and adamantly declared that they were "dull" and "worthless." Freya's twelve-year-old brain, however, reasoned that these foolish children were not to be believed. Hadn't most wizards at Hogwarts also thought that Muggle things were boring and a waste of time, as well?

Freya knew the truth: Muggle life was, in many ways, more magical than Hogwarts could ever be. She missed it every day, pining for the thrill that was a pipe that busted out of nowhere. If a worm-like creature was the closest thing that she could get to being back in Rye, England, she would take it.

To make things better, the whole errand was as though Freya just a normal girl in a normal school: they were to take care of the flobberworms like babies! Freya had never taken care of a baby nor had she ever attended a traditional school (as she was homeschooled), but she had heard people talk about both, so she was certain that she would be fine. Besides, she had a better attitude than Dealla, who was complaining about her similarly-wrapped baby as though it wasn't the cutest thing she'd ever seen. Freya had only signed up with Dealla and Pericles because they needed a third, and she figured that, with a prefect in the bunch, it would be an alright experience. But Dealla was, quite simply, ruining her mood and her her brilliant plan, complaining like that.

Freya reckoned that if this was her baby, she was going to raise the flobberworm like she would her own infant, bestowing all of her hopes and dreams upon the little guy, or at least, as much as one can in the few hours that they would have the flobberworms. That is, of course, why she suggested that she, Dealla, and Peri venture to the abandoned toilets - that way, they could show their wormies what life was all about. But their experiences were going to be tarnished if Dealla didn't shut her mouth about it. For the sake of her baby, Freya tried to mask her annoyance so that the experience wasn't made worse, furrowed her brow in concentration as she determined how best to address Dealla, and finally retorted, "You're doing this cause we can get house points, of course, but also this is your baby! And she needs to see the world, that's a parents' responsibility to help them grow and learn and live! So I figured what better way to help them than to bring them to the toilets and show them the most magical thing in this school: pipes! We gotta do this Dealla, we gotta do this for Jeffrey and uh..." she nodded her head towards the other two flobberworms, her crease in her brow growing deeper as she realized that she did not know the names of Pericles's and Dealla's worms. After a momentary pause, she continued, "your two children! They gotta get big and strong before they go back to Mr. Céspedes so they can be the best wormies they can be!"

Freya, of course, revered Eliseo Céspedes more than most Hogwarts staff, as he had the most mundane, Muggle job of them all: groundskeeper. If Eliseo knew this, he would perhaps be offended, but Freya respected him so highly that she would never refer to him as anything other than Mr. Céspedes: a respectful Muggle name for one of the most Muggle-seeming professors. While she wanted to raise her baby worm, Jeffrey, to uphold the prestigious Thomas legacy, she also wanted to make Mr. Céspedes think she did a good job. It was, in part, with hopes that she would finally feel a connection to someone at Hogwarts, rather than bumbling around, longing for Pipeline Plumbing and her life in Rye.

Freya was about to get off her metaphorical soapbox when she remembered one more thing: they needed how to raise their worms well! With one more puff of her chest and a small squeeze to Jeffrey, she added, "Now, what should we do first here? I have a few ideas, if you all want me to give them..."

WC: 744/800

@Dealla Prince | @Freya Thomas

Pericles had, in contrast to his duelling captain, intended to participate in the errand. The lad could not claim an immense amount of love for flobberworms. He did desire house points, and despite their inherently boring nature, a chance to interact with some sort of magical creature- no matter how blasé- was a rare opportunity he could not easily pass up. Had he seen the haughtiness with which Dealla watched the other students, smirking as they cringed and cradled their slimy charges? Was this a conscious, mischievous effort to rectify her lofty observing? Maybe. Or, perhaps it was with nothing more than innocent amicability that he had approached her with "Well hullo, Dee! No doubt you've come to participate in the errand? We've proven ourselves to be fitting partners in the duels, so I'd suspect caring for flobberworms together will be an easy enough feat." He coaxed her along, smiling kindly as ever.

Serendipitously, Freya had already arrived where the worms were to be collected. Ravenclaws are better off as a flock, or so Pericles had claimed, and he was plenty happy to have her along. The more Eagles, the greater credit they'd collect. When it was declared that the abandoned lavatory was to be their destination, he agreed without hesitation. The toilets weren't in use, students seldom visited this room (unless they came to cry or blow up toilets, he had heard), and it was easy enough to Scourgify a clean zone on which to set their worms. Dealla, evidently underwhelmed, asked why she was participating and why they were there. Pericles nodded sagely to Freya's mention of house points before tacking on: "And because you are an outstanding citizen, happy to represent Ravenclaw and aid our newest groundskeeper." Another of those knowing smiles that only grew more cheeky insistent in the face of her displeasure. The "coincidence" of his invitation was becoming less believable by the moment.

Pericles carted the worm under one arm, a head of lettuce under the other. They were lethargic creatures, not particularly energetic nor bright, and were to be hand-fed in cautious amounts lest they overeat and die. He was in the process of trying to decide what end of the thing he was supposed to feed- as both sides featured a toothless mouth- when he chimed in "We are watching over them in the abandoned toilets because it is unpopulated, because their slime will do less harm here than it would in a classroom or common room, and because we have ready access to water. Soaking their blankets now and again will prevent dehydration. They do ooze an awful lot, you see." He wasn't sure how relevant Freya's admiration for pipes was, but ultimately decided it to be unworthy of questioning. During her pause when it came to names, he answered without so much as glancing up: "Francesca." Eyes lidded sleepily, ghost of a grin haunting the edges of his lips, Pericles solidified "Francesca the Flobberworm." Well, at least two of them were having a good time.

In fact, the more Freya spoke, the more it seemed Pericles was having as much fun as someone babysitting a worm could be having. There was more to Ravenclaws than being "smart". They were strategists, intellectuals, and abstract thinkers. This particular batch appeared to overlap these categories on different ends of the diagram. Pericles blended book-smarts with abstractism to justify their location. Freya was an abstract strategist, though Dealla's capacity as a rational tactician left her wondering why she was there at all. The combination was, in a word, delightful to behold. There seemed to be a simmering sense of amusement to the Ravenclaw. Freya offered to share her plans, and his gaze practically gleamed with preemptive entertainment as he encouraged "Oh yes, please." All in good fun, Dee. Peri wasn't at all sure what to do with a worm, besides feeding it and preventing others from stepping on it, though he suspected the plunger-wielding witch possessed a few choice ideas.

WC: 666/800

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By SK

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Half an hour after being surprise-steamrolled into playing adoptive parent to a worm, and Dee was starting to suspect that Pericles's whole sensible kind prefect facade was just an act and her duelling partner was, in fact, evil incarnate. He'd had her completely fooled, too, which was likely the only reason he'd managed to drag her along, with his kind smiles and gentle but insistent words. But now that she knew, she would not be tricked again, next time she'd be prepared.

That just didn't help her any now.

Both of her companions had apparently taken her questions as a serious invitation to explain to her why she was doing this, although Peri's words were so impressively insincere that Dee for a moment couldn't think of a response beyond making a silly face at him while he was focused on his... baby. "I think I can represent Ravenclaw just fine with things that don't involve oozing," she muttered, prodding the worm in front of her gently with one finger. The fingertip came away wet. Things like duelling. Or being generally awesome. Although... her first duel had involved quite a lot of uncomfortable oozing as well. She pushed that thought away.

Freya's tirade had her blinking up at her, confusion overtaking her moping and self-pity. Magical... pipes? Helping them grow? They were to make sure they didn't die for this one day, but as far as Dee was concerned, that was where her unwelcome responsibility ended. Although at least Freya's enthusiasm offered some potential at the entertainment she had been looking for in the first place.

But be that as it may, she was not going to name her worm. No way. She hadn't even named her childhood plushies. Her eyes turned flat at the half-expectant pause after Freya had shared that her wriggling charge was named Jeffrey, then shifted to stare down Pericles, who had called his Francesca with out so much as a second of hesitation. "No," was her only response, resolutely. She might have to suffer through the rest of this, but she was not going along with this ridiculous business, no sir. (Mostly because it hadn't been her idea. Things were always different when they had been her idea.)

Squatting was turning to be increasingly uncomfortable, her thighs starting to ache, so she just flopped down on her behind, pulled the worm a bit back towards her - effectively destroying all the progress it had made in the past minute or two - and then crossed both arms and legs in a pose that was as petulant as it was demonstrative. She was about to add a pout for dramatic effect, but couldn't really help perking up a little at the mention of ideas of what to do with the worms.

Yes. Please. If she had to be here, at least let it be entertaining.

Word Count | 448 + 478 = 926 / 800

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Freya beamed at Pericles's enthusiasm about her statements. She didn't know him at all; otherwise, she might have noticed his tone, laced with sarcasm. All she knew about the boy, other than the fact that he was a second-year peer, was that he was a prefect. Prefects were perfect magical beings to Freya, crafted into people who perfectly represented the school and everything that magic was about. This fact was why she never envisioned herself as a prefect, though it would certainly make her mother and father proud. She did not have the grades, the will, or the desire to follow all those pointless magical rules enough to want to be one. Pericles, on the other hand, certainly must have fit this description quite well; why else would he have gotten the title?

"Oooh, Francesa!" She squealed with delight when the name was declared with a bemused, yet sleepy, tone, after having nodded to his previous declarations with vigor. "What a good name!"

Dealla, on the other hand, continued to disappoint and frustrate Freya to no end. No? Well, fine. Freya and Pericles could have fun, and Dealla, the party-pooper (pun intended) could continue to have her attitude, though it would only affect her. Freya wouldn't let the girl ruin the task that Mr. Céspedes had entrusted upon his most dedicated students. After a small pause, which was given in hopes that Dealla would change her mind, Freya boisterously declared, "I think your wormy looks like an Angus. A shy worm, but still a bit quirky. Whereas Jeffrey over here dares to be brave, I bet. And Francesca just has style. With all those F's in her name, you know?!"

Alliteration. The term was alliteration, but Freya did not know what that word meant, as she was quite behind in both magical and Muggle education. What she did not have in traditional academics, however, she did have in creativity and passion, and she continued with her ideas upon Pericles's blessing: "Well, I think we should treat them like real babies. As Pericles said, they are kind of oozy, which means they're stinky. Babies, whether they're worms or humans, they need baths, right? So let's give them a little wash in the toilets, and teach them how to swim too since they kind of are like pools for the worms, and we can talk to them about how awesome pipes and sinks are in the meantime! What do you both think?"

She looked eagerly at Pericles, avoiding eye contact with Dealla, for she knew that the girl, now reclining on her butt, as though they didn't have an errand to complete, would reject anything that had to do with her baby. Freya hoped she never had any real children, for they would probably be gross to her, too. If Pericles approved, Freya would begin her way over to one of the empty stalls and begin to ease her worm into the basin, still cupping it in her hands as she let it adjust to the slightly-tepid water.

Word Count: 744 + 507 = 1251

@Dealla Prince | @Freya Thomas

Since becoming partners on the Ravenclaw Duel team, Pericles had become fond of Dealla. He admired her strategies, enjoyed their practices, and respected the vigor with which she fought. He liked her, though that was not to say he was above sticking her in this situation. It was for her own good, anyhow. Wasn't it? She made a face at him, to which he smiled back with contrite entertainment. Though the boy may be sorry for her discomfort, he found it silly, and could only attempt to hide that fact. He hummed an unsure note at her retort, truly grateful when Freya chimed in with the distraction of names.

"Thank you." The second-year allowed himself a modest flicker of pride at the compliment, beaming back warmly at his eccentric errand partner. A small pout was directed at Dee when she refused to play along. Wouldn't it make the matter of bonding easier? Who didn't want to bond with a worm? Francesca the Flobberworm was truly growing on him now that she had a proper name. Aside from poking limp lettuce down one of her gooey throats however, he had no idea as to what else they ought to do with them, so he goaded Freya on with an encouraging nod. The first half of what she was proposing left him looking thoughtful, approving, up until toilets were mentioned. At that his eyes fluttered open from their lidded state, eyebrows arching in perplexity, surprise drawing his lips into an inexpressive line. Oh, dear.... She wanted to know what they thought. Uncertain gaze sliding first to Dee, then on to the stalls, he started slowly with a single "Well...." Time to put on that eagle thinking cap to decide how they might make this work. For a prefect, he had a hard time when it came to telling people what they shouldn't do.

"It may be alright... though, you could consider Scourgifying the bowl first, in case it contains any ah, residue, that might make your worm sick. I would advise against letting it go, in case it wriggles up the pipe, and because I think-" a dubious glance at either identical end of the worm "-they may need to breathe." He wasn't about to stop her, but Pericles was in no rush to put his worm, or hands, or anything really, in these toilets. He stood, scooping up Francesca in both palms, looking awkwardly between the back of Freya's head and over to Dee. The lad wore the same expression he had when seeking her strategy. He subliminally sought her help- was this normal? was it okay?- conveniently forgetting the fact that he had dragged her into this.

WC: 1,113/800

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By SK

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Well, finally, this whole thing seemed to take a rather interesting turn.

Although fully ignoring the name that Freya had chosen for Dee's nameless worm - Angus, please, at least name it something interesting... and how exactly had the worm's shyness been determined? - she couldn't help straightening up a bit while the girl continued talking, her crossed arms loosening and slipping to her sides as she watched, head curiously tilted to one side. Her amusement grew with just about every word spoken. What Freya said made little sense, however. For all that could be said about flobberworms, they didn't stink. Didn't smell like much at all, really, from what Dee could determine. Also, they still weren't babies.

Even if they had been, Freya's ideas seemed adventurous at best, dangerous at worst. Would she wash an actual baby in a toilet and then attempt to teach it to swim through the pipes, then? An interesting question. Dee kind of hoped the answer was no.

It did bring up a different, almost as interesting question, however: Could flobberworms swim? Dee wasn't actually sure they needed air to live. Really, she wasn't sure about much at all about flobberworms, and she hadn't cared to learn. Still, it didn't seem like the best idea, but... it wasn't her worm Freya was attempting to drown.

Pericles seemed to be sharing much of her thoughts and concerns, speaking them out loud instead of being content watching disaster unfold like Dee had been, but it was when he met her eyes that it finally pushed her into action. Oh, now he wanted her input? He'd probably regret that in approximately five seconds.

Pushing herself up from the floor, Dee picked up her worm - Angus Casper Tabaluga III seemed like a suitably ridiculous name for him - for the first time not caring about the spreading dampness that crept through the blanket, and sauntered over to stand next to Freya. "Oh, I think that sounds like a splendid idea," she agreed brightly. "You can never start teaching kids how to swim too early. It's good for them." Was it? "And poor," uh, what had the name been, "Geoffrey does seem to be in dire need of a bath." Not really. "I'm sure Mr Céspedes will appreciate how much you care for your wormy child." At least if she brought it back in one piece. And still wriggling.

The sabotage was finished with a brilliant and encouraging smile, and then a rather spiteful glance into Pericles' direction. Adjusting her grip on her worm, she took a step back, assuming safe distance... just in case. Who knew what would happen?

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