andromeda b. black (androsmedomai) wrote in madworldrp, @ 2008-02-05 01:21:00 |
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Another Tuesday evening. Yet another round with Andromeda Black. Ted rarely minded her presence much albeit the nervousness he felt around prominent Pureblood families. But since she'd been prodding him into joining the choir -- and then actually convinced her to join the choir -- he'd felt a bit more wary of her. The only other person who knew of his singing was Kevin. He also knew of his horrible stage fright as well. And as nice as Andromeda was to him, Ted didn't really feel comfortable in her finding out of his own stage fright. Strangely, all the while he was waiting for her to show up for their prefect rounds, Ted had been staring intently at the flyer they'd, as in the USO, had put up around the school. He probably wouldn't admit it to anyone but he couldn't help the reverie of him on stage with a guitar and a microphone. Impossible dream, of course. Sure, he could sing. But if he ever got over his fear, there was also the little fact that he didn't know how to play a guitar. Andromeda was not late. Sure, if one were to look at their watch and compare it to just when she was supposed to have shown up to start their rounds, but Andromeda Black was never late. It was something that was just a given and that came with her last name, she was quite positive. However, that didn't keep her from speeding up her walking pace a bit more than usual as she approached Ted. "Hello, Theodore," she greeted, her tone easy and fluid. She'd never admit it to anyone else but herself, but she'd come to enjoy her prefect rounds with the Hufflepuff. It wasn't terribly often she had the opportunity to spend time with people outside of her house, therefore it was a good change of pace. Having caught himself staring at the flyer, Ted immediately turned around when he heard Andromeda approach. "Hullo," he said with a smile. It was quite rare that he actually feel comfortable around many girls. He'd gotten used to his team members and other Hufflepuffs but Merlin, his social skills were shot with other girls. Despite the wariness mentioned earlier, he usually felt lax around Andromeda. It was just the singing bit that had been getting to him lately. "Ready to go?" "Yes, of course," Andromeda answered, but didn't actually start in the direction to begin their rounds. Instead she gazed behind him for a moment, her eyes scanning over the flyer that he had been looking at. She'd seen them around the school, naturally, so it wasn't a surprise for her to read the words. Nonetheless, she took a moment to review them with curiosity. Was he thinking of trying out? She took a step to the left before starting the rounds, not asking permission or asking if he were going to follow. She'd grown up with a confidence she'd noticed that not many teenage girls happened to possess, which was something she was incredibly grateful for. She didn't understand why some girls might giggle or blush around a bloke or why they might go quiet and not speak up. Yes, there were circumstances when such things were not to be put into practice, but now was not one of those times. "Are you going to be trying out?" Andromeda asked bluntly, with the slightest of looks back over her shoulder at the flyer. Ted didn't really notice her move her gaze to the flyer because his own was already down the hallway where they were supposed to walk. She didn't need to ask permission, and he was well aware of this for quite a while. Ted was a fast learner, even when it came to knowing other people's habits. So, of course he was in tune to how their walks usually went since a month after they had started. He followed quietly, shoving his hands into his pocket, one in which he kept his wand. His head was bowed down, staring at his feet, but when she spoke, he jerked his head up. "Oh.. me? Oh, ah.. no. No, I don't think so." Damned if the woman hadn't been taking him by surprise lately. And a surprised Ted usually equalled a flustered Ted. "I don't... have a guitar." And he mentally smacked his own forehead for that. When did he start giving hints to anyone on what he was thinking of? "Well, I'd have to say that that is quite a silly excuse," Andromeda stated in a matter-of-fact tone. "I'm more than willing to bet that there are more than a few guitars floating about this school that you would be able to use. In fact, I seem to recall that one Gryffindor talking about his own at some point in time. What is his name? Stabby? Stuffy?" She looked thoughtful for a moment before waving her hand in a dismissive manner. "I'm sure you know the one I'm talking about." Andromeda paused for a moment, before continuing easily, "Anyway, I'm sure that if he was unwilling to allow you to borrow it there are others somewhere." "Stubby," Ted quickly corrected, but smiled at her to show he didn't mean for it to sound bad. Not everyone could remember names easily... no, not even after seven years, he supposed. But that thought was replaced with one of him borrowing an instrument that he didn't even know how to play. Yet. "I don't really know how to play, but I would love to learn. Stubby's a good bloke. I don't see how he would say no to--" Realizing that he was only digging himself a bigger hole, he stopped mid-sentence. He was not going on stage with a guitar on his own in front of a crowd of so many students. The thought itself was enough to make him want to run back to his dorm. "But you know, I'm sure there are going to be plenty of talented people on stage. So I think I'll be better off now going on there." Kevin was right before -- Ted was a horrible liar and he realized it. "Oh, that's just silly," Andromeda waved her hand again, shaking her head and having to fight the urge to roll her eyes. It wasn't that she thought he was stupid for thinking it, it was just that it didn't occur to her that people wouldn't want to advertise their talents. If he was talented, why wouldn't he want to let everyone know it? It didn't add up in her mind. "Now, how can we go about this," she said thoughtfully, bringing a hand up to her chin to tap a finger on it as she mused. "Perhaps someone will be willing to accompany you? After all, I don't believe there is nearly enough time to actually learn the instrument." It never really occurred to Andromeda when she got like this that it might be unwanted by the other person. She was used to trying to fix her family's problems and finding solutions where there might not otherwise be one. The fact that he might not really view this as either a problem or something to find a solution to didn't even cross her mind. Oh, bloody Merlin, she wasn't going to quit, was she? Ted wasn't offended. It wasn't entirely unwanted -- it's not like she was forcing harm on him. In fact, he was surprised to find it a little flattering that she was so intent on getting him on that stage. But still. No was no, wasn't it? He listened to her talk and as he did his footsteps slowed until he stopped. And after a second or two of a pause, he finally blurted out, "I have stage fright." Andromeda didn't actually stop walking until he spoke, which was when she turned and looked at him with an almost questioning look. She wasn't terribly surprised at this. At first she'd thought that the main reason he hadn't wanted to join the choir was because he was just a typical teenage boy, but combined with this it really started to make sense. For a fleeting moment she felt guilty, having spent so much time badgering the poor boy to do this or that. That didn't last long, though. "Oh, that's nothing to worry about," Andromeda shook her head, stepping in toward him. He was really shaping up to be almost a project for her. She hated to think of him like that, but being able to focus on these things and perhaps fix them? Oh, it almost made her tingly inside. "That can be rectified." Ted blinked at her several times after her reply. And gave himself another mental palm-to-the-forehead. Well you had to admire her persistence, he told himself. Why he was always so intent on finding good qualities in people, even in her, he had no idea. But this rationalizing-thought of his needed to quit now. "I freeze up," he admitted, shrugging a bit, his face turning slightly red in embarrassment. "Sometimes I just panic. I don't know. I can perform fine in Quidditch games because I'm not focused on the audience but just not in... anything else." Andromeda nodded, but wasn't about to give in to that. She honestly didn't see this as a problem. "Well, that's nothing that can't be worked on." She thought silently to herself for a moment before taking off to walk down the hallway again. Whether or not he was going to follow her didn't quite matter. She had a plan brewing in her head and she was going to make it work in the end, either way. "This is what we will do. You're already in the choir, so that will obviously be able to help you in getting over this stage fright business. In the meantime, I'll help you practice." She paused before plowing forward, "We'll talk to Professor Flitwick and find you some music and I'll go ahead and accompany you - at least for the audition." For the first time since she started hatching this plan in her mind, Andromeda turned to give Ted a raised eyebrow in question. Even if he turned down her plan, she'd make sure that they went ahead with it either way. After all, she had gotten him to join the choir, hadn't she? When she started to walk again, Ted hurried up behind her, walking silently with his bowed down once more, but this time, listening carefully to her plan. Yes, this is where any normal guy with a bit of a backbone probably would have given her a simple "I don't think so". But when she turned around to look up at him, the words melted out of his mind. She had pretty eyes, he noticed for the first time, and he was slightly taken aback to realize exactly what the questioning look was for. Damnit. "I-- uh. Sure. Okay." "Wonderful," Andromeda flashed him a smile, showing her teeth to him before thinking back to her plan. "What we can do, then, is go ahead and talk with Professor Flitwick. I'm sure that he'll be more than willing to give us the proper resources for the music and such. Then, we can practice until the day of auditions." As she talked, it flashed in her mind slightly that she was going incredibly out of her way to help a Muggleborn. She knew that her family would disapprove of this, even if Ted was a very nice bloke, she'd come to find. It made her stomach churn a bit, knowing that if they were to find out she would probably get lectured, but she had a hard time stopping at this point. In fact, she didn't completely want to. "What time are you free tomorrow?" she asked, her voice a bit quieter and unsure than it had been previously. She cleared her throat and flashed him another smile, though, hoping that it would go unnoticed. Ted's stomach was churning as well, but probably for different reasons. Hopefully for the rest of the round, they'd be able to talk about something else. Then he'd be able to go back to the dorm and lie in bed thinking of what he just put himself into. And then someone was going to tease him that he was being such a "girl". He had a weakness for pretty smiles, and Andromeda was no exception. At least he was able to continue to talk to her, whereas with complete strangers, he usually took even longer to open up to them. "I have Quidditch practice around six thirty, but my only class that day is Potions anyway. So I'm free after lunch." "I have Potions as well, and then Ancient Runes in the afternoon," Andromeda thought over her schedule quickly in her head before giving a nod. "What we'll go ahead and do, then, is drop by Professor Flitwick's office just after lunch. I'm fairly certain that he's in his office hours at that time, so we won't be interrupting any of his classes." She paused again so that she could give him a questioning look. "All right?" At least if she kept asking she didn't feel as though she was making all of these decisions. Even if she so obviously was. By then, Ted had already dug himself much too deep into it, that all he could do was nod and go "all right". He didn't have a plan of his own, and Andromeda seemed much too excited with this that he didn't think he had the heart to back out of it anymore. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, he thought. But he mostly was hoping it wouldn't be. "Good," Andromeda gave a final nod, happy with the progress she'd made. After all, he'd gotten far enough into this that he'd actually verbally agreed to it all - it couldn't fall back that she was just dragging him through it too badly. There was a slight smile on her face as they continued down the corridor. This would be fun. Even if he was apprehensive about it, she was fairly certain that fixing him would at least prove to be enjoyable to her. There was nothing she liked more than a good project. Even as she thought it, she could have sworn that she could feel those tingles again. Oh, it was so much better than studying for NEWTs. |