Tweak

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Tweak says, "4 sweater vests..."

keeper_captain (keeper_captain) wrote in quaffle_rpg,
@ 2009-09-01 19:58:00

RP: Interviews
Who: Oliver Wood and Lavender Brown
When: 1 September 2004
Where: The Leaky Cauldron
What: Lavender is interviewing Oliver about the upcoming season
Status: Closed/Incomplete
Rating: PG

Oliver sat at an empty table at the Leaky Cauldron and drummed his fingers against the surface. He knew that interviews with the press were part of his job with Puddlemere, but he was always afraid they would steer the conversation away from the game and towards his personal life. He worked very hard to keep his son sheltered from the media, and tried to give him a normal life. He hadn't dated since Colin's mother died eight years ago. He was starting to entertain the idea of dating again, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to subject some woman or his son to the attention that would cause.

He gave in and ordered a pint, just to calm his nerves. He vaguely remembered Lavender Brown from school. She was significantly younger and bubbly if he recalled correctly. Hopefully she would be a fair journalist. That was all Oliver really wanted. A nice article talking about the upcoming season and quidditch. He might even plug the upcoming Men of Quidditch calendar for St Mungo's. He did get a kick of posing in his kilt, even if the photographer insisted he be shirtless.

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-02 01:53 am UTC (link)

Lavender smirked a little. "I think that had more to do with the dreams of fangirls everywhere than anything else." Not that Lavender was one of those girls. She could appreciate a fit bloke, sure, but that was different. The idea of two fit men together wasn't exactly her cup of tea. Although it wasn't beyond the realm of possibilities.

"Honestly, I can't stand the way Skeeter reports. She's brilliant at finding out the dirty stuff, but rubbish at reporting it right. Most people think she's a joke." Lavender wanted to report the gossip without being seen as a joke. That wasn't her angle here, though. Not yet anyway. She wanted to get some good personal interest pieces. The gossip could come later, after she'd established herself.

Taking a drink of her ice tea, Lavender looked up with a little bit of smile. "You ready to go on the record?" Lavender picked up her wand and held it at the ready to tap her quill and get started.

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keeper_captain
2009-09-02 02:08 am UTC (link)

"I'm hardly the fangirl ideal. An old bloke with a kid, that drives all the girls wild." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. He was just a bloke who played quidditch in his mind. Sure, he had money, but it wasn't that big of a deal with him.

"I have no idea how Skeeter keeps a job. She just seems to write and write and no one seems to follow up on her rubbish. If I was to have as poor of a record, I'd be kicked off the pitch." He shrugged, "But enough about her..."

He took another sip of his pint and looked at Lavender, "Of course, what would you like to know?"

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-02 02:20 am UTC (link)

Laughing a bit, Lavender shook her head. "Oh no, you're a dreamboat, Oliver." He was fit and talented. What was there not to love about Oliver Wood? Add to that the fact that he was obviously good with kids and he was a top choice in the hearts of young women everywhere. Lavender had gone through her period of swooning over Oliver, but that was years ago. She had definitely moved on.

Lavender tapped her quill and it stood at attention. "Okay, well, Oliver..." She smirked, glancing at the quill to be sure that it was working properly. Yes, exact quotes. "I'm going to stray a bit away from your career, to start. We may touch back now and again, but I want to start by getting to know the you that isn't on a broom. Kay?"

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keeper_captain
2009-09-02 02:31 am UTC (link)

Oliver actually flushed slightly, "Thanks, Lavender. I am sure you know more how birds think than I do." Now to hope she didn't bring up the fact he'd been single since before the war. One tabloid called him the quidditch monk. That didn't make him feel so good.

Oliver nodded, "I'm afraid you are going to be disappointed. I am a very boring bloke off the pitch." He was. He went home, he took care of his son. He might occasionally get dragged out for a pint, or show up at some fundraiser, but always alone, except that one time he took his cousin, Mira.

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-02 02:55 am UTC (link)

Oh! Now he was absolutely adorable when he blushed. Lavender couldn't help but notice that Oliver was even more attractive than he'd been when she was still in school. But of course she didn't need to be thinking like that right now. Focus and be professional, Lavender! This is no way to conduct an interview.

"Now don't call yourself boring. I don't believe a word of it." Lavender smirked, sitting up with perfect posture as she watched him. "But just to humor you, how about I start with the qudditch questions and spring the dirty stuff on you when you're more relaxed?" Lavender actually winked at him. Was she flirting? No! Lavender hadn't actually flirted in... well, it was a long time. Since the war, probably; since her scarring made her hide from society and her social butterfly routine.

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keeper_captain
2009-09-02 03:08 am UTC (link)

This wasn't completely unpleasant. Oliver was always a bit anxious around women, except maybe Shelly and Katie. His luck with women was rubbish after all. Still, Lavender seemed like a professional and a nice girl. He was sure this would be fine. If not, he'd sick his assistant on her.

"You can start where you want, I just ask you don't get too personal about my son. I don't mind talking in general about parenting or any of that, but I try to keep Colin away from the press. He deserves to be normal as long as I can let him." He finished his pint and signaled for a glass of water. "But quidditch is good."

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-02 03:18 am UTC (link)

"Well, I think the birds that read Witch Weekly are more interested in your love life than your son." Lavender smiled reassuringly. "Although when we're done here, I might bug you for pictures. I love kids." Lavender was a lover of anything little and cute. She loved puppies and babies and even little scaly lizards. But then she grinned a little and nodded at her quill. They probably needed to get on with the interview. "But for now let's keep it focused, yeah?"

"So tell me, Oliver, how do you get pumped up before a game? Any special rituals or special music that you might listen to?"

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keeper_captain
2009-09-02 10:50 pm UTC (link)

Oliver rolled his eyes slightly. Love life, that was a joke. He listened to her question carefully and considered it for a moment. "I use the broom cleaning kit on my broom before every game. My mum and dad got it for me when I made captain back at Hogwarts. And I always have to have my lucky necklace." He pulled out a silver chain with a small Gryffindor charm on it. "I always do well when I wear it."

He shook his head, "And we usually try to have some loud music in the locker room, just something to keep us in a good mood."

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-02 11:20 pm UTC (link)

Lavender nearly rolled her eyes. Nearly. How was she supposed to get a better position at Witch Weekly if her first interview was completely devoid of scandal?! It was just the beginning though. Perhaps Lavender could draw some of the more interesting details out of him. He did have a kid with a fangirl after all. He couldn't be all boring.

Leaning across the table, Lavender slipped her fingers around his pendant. As she pressed against the table to get a closer look, her boobs squished up, giving her far more cleavage than she normally had. "That's gorgeous. Where'd you get that? Some adoring fan?" Lavender smirked a little before sitting back.

"Loud music, sure, but what kind? What's your favorite kind of music, Oliver?"

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 12:04 am UTC (link)

Oliver couldn't help but glance down at Lavender's rather ample assets when she leaned over. He could certainly appreciate a pretty witch, especially considering he'd not had one in years. "Colin picked it out when I went back to playing for Puddlemere." Nothing scandalous, unfortunately for her.

"I like Lorcan d'Eath, Thundering Hippogryffs. I'm really fond of wizard rock, loud and hard music. It really gets you pumped up and gets your heart going." He grinned, "Best concert I have ever seen was Lorcan d'Eath back a few years ago. That bloke can sing."

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 12:19 am UTC (link)

"That kid's your whole world, huh?" Lavender grinned, getting comfortable again. It wasn't that she didn't want to hear about that part of his life. It was a part of the whole circumference of Oliver, so it had to go in the piece. But if that was all there was, her first article was going to be kind of dull. Even if he hadn't done anything interesting lately, there was more to him than just being a dad and playing quidditch.

Lavender though for a minute, trying to figure out a different way to direct this. "So tell me, Oliver, if you weren't a pro-quidditch player, where would you be right now? What are you off-pitch hobbies? What do you plan on doing when you retire?"

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 12:35 am UTC (link)

Oliver nodded, "Being a parent changes you. Your priorities change and it's all about your child." He loved his son, and he was proud of what he had done to try to be a role model.

Her next question caused him to pause a moment, "I suppose I would probably have tried to be a professor at Hogwarts. I loved charms in school, and it would be fun to teach and work with kids. I think that's what I'll do when I retire. Work with kids. Maybe with the summer youth quidditch leagues." He smiled. That was a good idea. "And off the pitch? I go out for a pint with friends on occasion. I like to travel, and I love the beach."

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 12:49 am UTC (link)

Well, Lavender was just going to have to spin this article a completely different direction. Oliver Wood, Quidditch gentleman. She could pull that off. He was to sweet to smear or cause a fangirl riot over. So Lavender was going to have to redirect her questions. Wouldn't be too hard. Lavender was the gossip queen, after all.

"What's your favorite place to travel, Oliver? I'm sure all the fangirls are dying to know where to stalk you." Lavender giggled, yes giggled. And she winked at him. "I'm kidding. I'll be very discreet. Where do you like travel?"

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 01:27 am UTC (link)

Oliver laughed and thought it was funny that fangirls would put that much effort into following him. "Well, the Wood family has had a home in Hawaii since my parents married. I try to go to Japan at least once a year to catch a game. Their teams are amazing, and I love playing against them in the world cup. I like the beach, and sometimes if I can take a weekend away during the season I might go to Cyprus." He was very big on travel and giving Colin new experiences.

"I really want to go to Egypt sometime, maybe even to South America. There are so many things that I'd love to explore." He was starting to get to the point he wouldn't mind someone to travel with, especially when Colin went off to school in a few years.

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 01:43 am UTC (link)

"Sounds like you have rather large aspirations, Oliver." Lavender grinned a little. She propped her elbow on the tabletop and dropped her chin in her hand. "Japan, South America, Egypt; those aren't just weekend trips to the country. You're very lucky to have a career that can cover those sorts of trips. I hear you're raking in a pretty high salary." Lavender had the statistic somewhere, but she was pretty sure she had left them at the office.

"So besides expensive trips around the globe, what else do you splurge on?" There had to be even a little tiny thing that she could turn into something scandalous. Nothing to ruin his life, obviously, just something to make him seem more interesting. "What's the most expensive thing you've ever bought for yourself?"

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 03:07 am UTC (link)

Oliver nodded, "I am lucky I have a good manager and a good financial adviser who help me ensure I can afford those trips. Granted several of them are going to be after I retire. Hard to spend a long time away when you have a job to do." He really didn't like talking about money. Even without quidditch, he was well off, and he knew how lucky he was.

"What do I splurge on?" He chewed that over for a moment. "Brooms. I collect antique brooms. I have one of the original firebolts in my collection. I also have a decent collection of guitars, even if I am rubbish at playing them."

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 03:25 am UTC (link)

Lavender took another sip from her ice tea, getting comfortable again. She idly brushed her hair more fully over the left side of her throat, moving to try and cover her still non-visible scars. She nodded, though, smirking at him with that all-knowing reporter look. "So you're a novice guitar player, huh? Well that certainly something you failed to mention earlier. Tell me more about that. That's certainly something most fans would be surprised to hear about."

Pausing, Lavender shifted in her seat, crossing one leg over the other and smoothing her dress down again. "In fact, I bet that's not the only surprise in your life, Oliver. What other passions do you have that might shock and bewilder your fans? Any special talents that we are as-of-yet unaware of?" Lavender licked her lips, an unconscious think that she hadn't done that way since before her scarring. Almost flirting, as close as she ever got anymore.

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 04:14 am UTC (link)

"Novice is putting it nicely," he said before taking a sip of his pint. "I'm rubbish, but I love guitars. One of my mates, Kenneth Towler? He's a brilliant musician. I am jealous of his talents." Oliver always took whatever chances he could to plug Kenneth's career. He knew he struggled sometimes, but he was incredibly talented.

"What would shock my fans?" He really did have to ponder that one. Did he do anything shocking? The fact he'd not even kissed a girl in eight years that was shocking but not something he wanted to talk about. "I can cook, and cook quite well. I've got elves, but I tend to be the one who cooks if I am home."

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 04:32 am UTC (link)

"Towler? He broke his hip, yeah? Can't fly anymore, if I'm not mistaken." Lavender glanced at her notepad for a second. She remembered Kenneth, but just barely. He had never really stood out when they were in school. Although Lavender vaguely remembered that he and Oliver had been pretty good mates. Lavender had no idea Ken had taken up the guitar since his double failures.

A surprised smile crossed Lavender's features and she sat up a little straighter. "A bloke that can cook? Now there's a surprise." Lavender propped her chin in her hand again, blue eyes sparkling. "What's your favorite things to cook, Oliver?" Without even realizing it, Lavender bit the corner of her lip as she watched him. A bloke that could cook was probably top of any woman's fantasy list.

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 04:46 am UTC (link)

Oliver nodded, "Shame, he was a brilliant player. But that's the danger of the game. Always a chance your next game is your last." He always felt bad for and worried about Kenneth. He wasn't sure if he could survive not being able to play.

"I like to cook almost anything. I love grilling, steaks, chops, lamb." He smiled, "I make an excellent cottage pie, and a pretty good pineapple upside down cake." Now, that was going to help his image. No wonder people thought he was gay. He sounded like it.

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 04:55 am UTC (link)

"Do you worry about that? That perhaps one day you'll end up too hurt to play?" Lavender didn't mean to turn the interview down that road. But that was a part of Oliver, too. She was trying to get the big picture so she could narrow it down where it would do the most good for the reader. And hearing his take on a life without quidditch would help her find something interesting to write about.

Lavender's smile widened a bit as he started talking about his skill in the kitchen. She took a drink of her iced tea and put it down, trying very hard not to giggle at the image of Oliver baking a cake. She glanced at her notepad again, just to make sure she wasn't missing a word of it. "Now what in the world is more sexy than a bloke who can bake a cake and has one of the best records in quidditch? That is fantastic, Oliver. Any other secret skills your fans might be interested in hearing about?"

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 05:09 am UTC (link)

"I don't think there is a player alive who doesn't worry about that. It's a high risk sport, but if you love it, it's in your blood and you can't give it up." He knew he was lucky his career had lasted this long. "It's why you make wise investments, and plan for the fact you can't play forever."

He liked her smile, she was cute. Too cute for him. "I took four years off after Colin was born. I had to do something with my time. I wasn't going to learn to knit." He grinned, "I don't know. I really think I am just a normal bloke who got lucky and gets to do what he loves every day. I have a wonderful son, a job a love, a nice home, what else does a bloke need?"

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 05:24 am UTC (link)

"Nothing lasts forever." Lavender herself had doubts about her career. Although she still hadn't broken in to the reporting business yet. Not entirely anyway. And Oliver was obviously great at his job. "Tell me, besides the obvious career ending injuries, what other weaknesses are there? Surely you've run into something terribly worrisome or horribly embarrassing in your career. It wouldn't be fair not to dish."

Natural instinct kicked in and Lavender's flirting kicked up a notch. She brushed her fingertips across her collar bone, grinning at him with the tiniest of smirks. Although her eyes probably spoke volumes more at this point. "Well... as far as I was aware, a bloke needs a girl, yeah? Tell me about your love life, Oliver. All the birds are just dying to know that."

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keeper_captain
2009-09-03 10:11 pm UTC (link)

She was starting to venture into uncomfortable territory. "I'm not a very fast flier over long distances, to be honest. I'll never win a broom race. But a keeper only needs to be a sprinter, not a marathon flier like a chaser or a seeker. But my mates like to challenge me to races to show me up." He was usually good natured about it, unless they really rubbed it in.

He actually blushed when she mentioned his love life. "My personal life is that, personal. My focus is on my son, and dating's not been a priority for me. I wanted to wait until he was older, able to understand." He shrugged, "You can't shelter kids from the tabloids, no matter how hard you try. I don't want him to be embarrassed by his dear old dad."

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bright_n_bubbly
2009-09-03 10:34 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, but I've seen you take hits from a quaffle that would knock most men off their brooms," Lavender replied. There had been times during her first year that she was afraid he was going to die. Of course she was possibly the most over-dramatic first year to grace the halls of Hogwarts, but that didn't change the fact that he was an ace keeper. "I suppose none of them ever bother to challenge you in front of a goal or three." Lavender knew how blokes could be. It was all a pissing contest as long as they knew they could win. Women were much more devious in their competitions.

Laughing a little, Lavender gave a nod as if she agreed with his statement about keeping his personal life personal. And then continued with the questioning because, well, she wouldn't be a good reporter if she didn't. "Oh, I'm sure there's nothing you could do that would embarrass him. Loads of kids would love to have a dad as famous as you are. So tell me, Oliver, when you do start dating, what is it that you're looking for? What sorts of women are you attracted to?"

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