Anger management - who says I need it? (open)

[lucychiang]

Today on this Hogsmeade trip you'd find Lucy getting some lunch in the three broomsticks. Michael was also in the village even with exams looming but you couldn't work all the time.

So wearing a mid length black and white tartan skirt with a white blouse, her house cloak and flat black shoes she ate the stew looking annoyed and angry. Quite a common occurance these days since she was punching or hexing more boys who bothered her. She knew very well they only wanted one thing. Something the lesbian Lucy wouldn't give them willingly and which made her distrust most males as a result. Quite a change from the Lucy who started as a bright eyed first year.

She couldn't wait to graduate, get her own place and live the way she wanted to. Her preferred profession would be pro-quidditch but few made teams even if they had talent.

[Delilah Nickols]

Delilah made her way into the Three Broomsticks alone. She'd left James in Zonko's having asked him to follow her to the Three Broomsticks when he was finished. Knowing James, that would most likely be a while so Delilah figured she'd better find someone to talk to.

She spotted Lucy and made her way over to her. "Hey, whats up?" she asked, flopping into a chair beside her. "You look pretty annoyed?"

[lucychiang]

Seeing her room mate and friend flop into the chair beside her Lucy left her wooden spoon in the bowl and wiped her mouth with the napkin. Delilah had some idea of what Lucy had been through but didn't know all the details even now. She had however seen what she'd done over the past two years and the mood swings she had. Few people seen the real Lucy and Delilah was one of them having seen both the caring Lucy who'd do anything for a friend even if she felt down herself as well as the Lucy who got angry, hit or hexed boys and still had the occasional nightmare about that dark year.

"Hi Delilah. Its boy trouble as usual. Why won't they get it through their heads I don't like most boys?

So where's James?" she asked knowing the twins were never that far apart during a Hogsmeade weekend. James was part of the small percentage of boys she liked and could tolerate. Even call a trusted friend.

[Delilah Nickols]

'Its boy trouble as usual. Why won't they get it through their heads I don't like most boys?'

Delilah grimanced in sympathy. "They're too thick-skinned to even consider that a girl wouldn't like them. They'll get it eventually though" she reassured. "Who was it anyway?" she asked, curious.

'So where's James.'

"Zonko's" replied Delilah, grimancing again. "I swear, you've got to drag him out'a that shop lately" she frowned. "He's going to end up failing his end of year exams this year" she sighed. "And then I'll be lectured about not looking after him. I mean, I'm not his feckin' keeper! I can't make him study!"

[lucychiang]

"Who was it anyway?"

Lucy sighed and replied shaking her head. "Hammond, that thick skulled 3rd year Gryffindor. I haven't got the stage of punching him yet but if he keeps this up its coming to him. I swear he's obsessed and its probally him crushing. I just want some space."

Lucy nodded in sympathy hearing what Delilah was expected to do. Something that was frankly impossible given her friend also had to pass her exams too.

"We'll drag him out together if you want. I'm sure he knows if he fails his exams he'll have to re-sit his 4th year again. I had two goes at being a first year but that was completely different circumstances.

I'm sure we could both talk some sense into him to make sure he passes. I'll even tutor him if you think it'll help" she added ready to do this even with her own workload and list of activities.

She also added a supportive look to show she meant this. Being the oldest student in a class was no fun and she knew that already. Even a year could make a huge difference in how a person matured as a child.

[Delilah Nickols]

'I haven't got the stage of punching him yet but if he keeps this up its coming to him.'

"I could do with some hex practice if you want?" offered Delilah with a grin. "That'll stop him soon enough.."

'I'm sure we could both talk some sense into him to make sure he passes. I'll even tutor him if you think it'll help.'

"I don't think there is any talking sense into him" sighed Delilah. "He doesn't seem to think he'll fail-he's convinced he can cram everything the night before.."

"Maybe he would listen to you though" suggested Delilah. "I mean it's worth a try.."

[lucychiang]

Lucy smiled slightly then chuckled. "If you think you need the hexing practice then feel free to hex him good" was her reply. A practical response to a situation she'd have to deal with at some point of the school year.

"Anythings worth a try to prevent him messing up that badly. With the work getting harder scraping a pass gets harder the longer you're here. I'll talk to him and at least get him away from the 'one night of cramming idea'. The more time he revises the better his chances will be" she thoughtfully added. There was quite a range of subjects to consider and you were stuck with so many of them for a long time.

[Delilah Nickols]

'I'll talk to him and at least get him away from the 'one night of cramming idea'. The more time he revises the better his chances will be.'

"Thanks" replied Delilah gratefully. "Anything to make him pass" she sighed. "I've told him that I'd tutor him but he just gets annoyed and thinks I'm trying to insult him!"

"The thing is, he's smart enough to pass with only a small bit of work but I'm afriad he'll get too cocky and do too little."

[lucychiang]

Lucy nodded hearing this. She'd seen Raven's that could coast though a class and get high grades. Yet she had to work hard for the good grades that she got. James did fit the former category of students but you always couldn't count on pulling through with little work.

"Deiliah he might listen to me and I'm glad to help. We both want him going through with us into our 5th year" replied before eating another bit of lunch.

"The exams aren't that far away but most people are so focused on them theres so little happening. I'll be glad to get home after these exams and catch up on things" she added. There was so much she missed while here it was unbelieveable.

[Delilah Nickols]

'Deiliah he might listen to me and I'm glad to help. We both want him going through with us into our 5th year.'

"Hopefully" she replied, though Delilah wasn't sure he would. James just wasn't bothered about school at all anymore. Delilah couldn't understand it cause he was clever enough to pass everything with only a small amount of work-hardly too difficult.

'The exams aren't that far away but most people are so focused on them theres so little happening. I'll be glad to get home after these exams and catch up on things.'

"I know, it's been so quiet around here lately" she replied. "It's getting pretty boring actually" she sighed.

[James Nickols]

'It's getting pretty boring actually.'

"Well I know how to change that" grinned James as he appeared behind the two girls, with an overflowiing Zonko's bag in his hand. He flopped down into an empty seat next to the two girls with a satisfied grin.

"So what are you two up to anyway?" he asked, looking around to see if he could spot anyone else interesting enough to talk to.

[lucychiang]

Hearing James enter with his hoard of pranking gear and looking like a cat who'd gotten cream Lucy gave him a little smile. He was one of the few boys she trusted but she did worry for him academically even with Delilah's reassurances.

Glancing back to Delilah she replied "just getting lunch James, and you look like you've enough there to start a major pranking war. Delilah, exams are so close its unreal. I really want to do something other than look at books."

She meant this only really having her running as an outlet right now. When the exams were out of the way she could do so much more at home.

[Delilah Nickols]

'Well I know how to change that.'

Delilah spun around at the sound of her brother's voice. "Your ideas normally involve detention" she accused. "So I think I'll pass!"

'Delilah, exams are so close its unreal. I really want to do something other than look at books.'

Delilah nodded in agreement. "Yeah I know what you mean, everyone, bar James" she added, shooting a glare towards her brother, "is so hung up on passing their exams that it's no fun anymore." Delilah seriously wished that they'd had this conversation before James had entered, because knowing James he was going to spend the rest of the afternoon persuading them to break the rules to have a bit of fun-and Delilah had to admit that the idea was more than tempting.

[James Nickols]

'Just getting lunch James, and you look like you've enough there to start a major pranking war.'

"That's the plan" grinned James. "As long as it's not confiscated before I get back to the common room."

'Your ideas normally involve detention.'

"There's always a first" he replied hopefully. "You know you want to! What bout you Lucy? You in?" he asked turning to Lucy.

'Yeah I know what you mean, everyone, bar James.'

James responded to Delilah's dig by sticking out his tongue. "Come on, you know you wana have some fun..my plan doesn't have to involve detention."

[lucychiang]

Lucy heard this exchange and giggled. James knew her too well by now as she turned back to look at him. "We'll only have detention if we get caught" she chuckled back and added "I'm in James. Oh and Michael's in the village too. I left him in the bookstore and he's probally lost track of time."

While James liked to be a regular patron of Zonko's you'd find the bookwormish Michael exercising his mind as well as his upper body.