Title: So, why do you want to play Quidditch?
Characters: Adrian Pucey, Draco Malfoy
Forum/Challenge: The Golden Snitch 'Tiggerific Times' challenge / The Golden Snitch 'Prompt of the Day' challenge / HPFC Friends Challenge
Prompts: (character) Adrian Pucey / taking or preparing for an interview / Write about a job interview.
World: Post-Hogwarts
Word Count: 598
"So, Adrian, why do you want to play Quidditch?"
Adrian sucked in his breath.
"Well, sir, the Ballycastle Bats are one of the best teams in the league and I really think I could be an asset to the Chasers. I mean, you've got a great team together already, but you could use someone with a little more speed…"
"Stop." Draco held up his hand. "The question was why you want to play Quidditch, not why you want to play Quidditch for the Bats. You're telling me if this interview was for Puddlemere or the Arrows that you wouldn't take it? Pucey, you would play Chaser for the Cannons if it meant you got to play Quidditch professionally. Plus, you don't want to indicate they suck or anything—you're not looking to coach the team. So, try again.
"Why do you want to play Quidditch?"
The dark haired wizard paused. "Well, since my years as a Chaser on the Slytherin team at Hogwarts I've always thought about playing professionally. I never had the opportunity to be captain—Marcus Flint, he plays for the Tornadoes, was our captain and in my year—"
"Stop." Draco held up his hand again. "You did two things wrong. One, you mentioned Hogwarts which means you mentioned Slytherin, which you do not want to do in this post-war climate, and two, you brought up Flint."
Adrian rolled his eyes. "So what if I brought up Flint? Doesn't it mean something that I know another professional player? Doesn't that give me an 'in' or whatever?"
Draco brought his hand to his head and rubbed his temple. "No, Adrian. Merlin, how did you get sorted into Slytherin anyway? There's not a cunning bone in your damn body; what other Slytherin needs help preparing for a job interview? You go in, you tell them what they want to hear, and you get the job.
"Bringing up Flint does two things. One, it highlights that he was the Slytherin captain, not you. You're in the same year, you play the same position; they'll wonder why he got it over you? Which brings us to the second issues with Flint: he's already playing professionally."
"So?" asked Adrian.
"So, they're going to wonder why they're thinking about bringing you on the team instead of trying to steal Flint from the Tornadoes! How are you going to stand out?"
Adrian narrowed his eyes. "My tryout, that's how."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Sure, you're a great Chaser, but they'd a dime a dozen. Hell, the little Weasley girl could fly circles around you, even in school, and she was a fourth year!
"Now, one more time, why do you want to play Quidditch?"
Adrian took a deep breath. He blocked out all the expectations of his parents, of his friends, and just focused on the feeling he got when flying. When he scored. When one of his Beaters blocked a Bludger. The high of winning. The disappointment of losing. The way everything else faded away when he played.
"Quidditch is this… impossible game. We're flying and there's three different balls and no breaks—not even for defense. There's constant movement, constant awareness of your surroundings, and when I play I feel like I enter this, I don't know, nirvana. And when that translates to everyone on a team—when we all achieve that zen experience—that team becomes unbeatable. I want to play Quidditch so I can be a part of something impossible, something I'm good at, and kick a little ass along the way."
Draco smirked and nodded. "You're hired."