SWIMMINGGEDDON.

[wwistful]

WHO: Murdoc Donoghue and YOU
TONE: Fun, WHIMSICAL, horrifying
RATING: PG-13 and onward
WHEN: September 7th
WHERE:  The Lake.
WHAT:  After this Murdoc realised the children (and staff) of Hogwarts were in dire need of swimming lessons.
STATUS: Ongoing

[GATHER AROUND CHILDREN it's a warm summer day and the lake is perfect for diving into your sudden but inevitable deaths. You should all be dressed in your swimming trunks (which you clearly have don't even lie) because Murdoc sure is. He's determined to conduct this in the best manner he can, though he wasn't quite expecting the turn out to be so large. People who can swim are welcome to become his assistants because he could probably use the help.]

Comments

[rule_britannia]

Heh.

[There's an idle shrug at that, and he brings a hand up to rub the back of his neck]

I never did learn how to swim.

[di_intraining]

Not keen on learning either? I mean, it's not very useful if you're never going to go near water, but it won't hurt to learn either.

[rule_britannia]

Pft.. not where everyone can bloody gawk, no. If I fancy learning I'll wait until I go home.

[di_intraining]

That's what your cousin told me actually. I just helped her into the water awhile ago, and I think Professor Donoghue's teaching her now.

[He looks back out to the lake, a small frown appearing on his face.]

Hope she's alright; she didn't seem particularly happy to go into the lake, and you know what Donoghue's like. He's the kinda bloke who'll throw you out into the middle of the sea and let you learn yourself or drown.

[rule_britannia]

[Arthur's eyes narrow slightly, and he's suddenly scanning the lake, looking for his cousin. He sounds distracted when he speaks again]

Hmn. I'd sincerely hope he doesn't behave that way in a situation like this.

[di_intraining]

He's tough on the lads, but I reckon he's a bit of a gentleman to the girls. I think he'll go about it easier with Victoria.

Still, he's a tough teacher. How's he doing in class these days? Hufflepuffs are with the new teacher now, Professor Coulson.

[rule_britannia]

Same as ever. He doesn't tolerate fools, you know that. Tough, yes, but certainly fair. I can't say I've ever had any complaints about his teaching methods.

[He shrugs]

What's Coulson like?

[di_intraining]

A bit like Donoghue. I mean, he's not as hard on us as Donoghue is. He's a little more lax on the rules, but he deals with trouble-makers very firmly. He really knows his stuff though; I'd say that he's as good as Donoghue is. I think we might be having a practical class soon too, so that might be interesting.

[rule_britannia]

If I hear screaming and smell smoke I suppose I'll know exactly what the outcome of that was.

[di_intraining]

Ha ha Arthur, that's real funny. I'm cracking at my sides.

[Still, Greg can take a joke. And he can dish them out too.]

It might be a good way for me to meet new friends, at the very least. You think they'll be alright with the bloke who burned off their eyebrows?

[rule_britannia]

...

[Groan]

Alright, I deserved that. You were lucky I was too stunned by what happened back then to hex you into oblivion.

[He had been such an angry young teen, after all]

[di_intraining]

We were both lucky there was a prefect nearby who could cast Aguamenti, or you'd be in the Hospital Wing for worse.

But yeah, thanks for not hexing my legs off or something.

[rule_britannia]

That may have been a slight overreaction on my part.

['Slight'. It hadn't been like he was furious or anything..]

But you're quite welcome, I'm sure.

[di_intraining]

Nah, I'm pretty sure I would've been pretty pissed at the idiot who set my eyebrows on fire. But yeah...at least I haven't set blown anything up in ages, thanks to your help in Charms.

[rule_britannia]

I'll admit I entertained the idea of returning the favour for a while, but I decided it was more trouble than it was worth.

[Idly, he kicks a stone into the lake]

And I think I'm going to have to stop denying I've been of such help to you, because you're not going to let me believe it, are you?

[di_intraining]

You can bet your broom I won't.

You don't give yourself as much credit as you should Arthur.

[rule_britannia]

Hmn, probably not.

[He shrugs slightly]

I suppose I make a rather poor Slytherin, don't I. Ah, well.

[di_intraining]

I wouldn't know. I've never thought about the houses that much.

[rule_britannia]

It's surprising, how that attitude is becoming commonplace. Though, I suppose it makes things somewhat easier for my House.

[di_intraining]

Sorry, I don't think I quite follow you. What do you mean by your House?

[rule_britannia]

Oh, come off it, Greg. I'm not about to go all 'woe is me' but you know that when it comes right down to it, it's always going to be everyone else versus Slytherin. 'There's not a wizard who went bad who didn't come out of Slytherin', you know that's what they say, don't you?

[He lifts one shoulder in a small shrug]

I'm rather sure some of them enjoy it, but I don't much like the sidelong looks I get when people realise what House I'm in. It's bloody irritating.

[di_intraining]

I dunno about that. You should've seen the amount of sniggers I get when I say I'm from Hufflepuff. It's almost like I'm some sort of second-rate reject wizard that neither of the three houses wanted. You know what they say, "Kind-hearted Hufflepuff took all the rest."

[He idly picked up a stone and flicked his wrist, sending it flying across and into the lake.]

I don't let it bother me though. Fat lot they know about me. I say that you and I are both fine as it is, and anyone else who thinks otherwise can shove it up their arses. They just don't know us.

[rule_britannia]

[He gives a bit of a crooked smile at that, and picks up a stone himself, skipping it across the water once-twice-three times before it disappears under the surface]

Seems to matter less these days. I suppose it was only a matter of time.

[Arthur shrugs]

I don't know, do you think the Founders would have preferred it, rather than having us be aggressively competitive?

[di_intraining]

I don't let them decide how I'm going to live my life. No offence, but if Salazar had his way I wouldn't even be in this school.