Match Madness

"No, Henry, you can't-"

"Of course I can. I'm the one that got them in here."

"But they don't know you. Why couldn't you wait there and let us talk? Or - or at least let me introduce you since you're already down here. Did you know you're a git?"

Henry Tross let out a loud, entertained laugh, but nodded fervently. "Of course I am. That's why I'm in the position I am. That's why I'm in charge."

Maude frowned deeply, but it was really more of a pout. He was ruining her fun completely by forcing his presence on her day with Maddie's and the kids. Sure, she saw them during summers, but that wasn't at all the same. And as nice as it was of him to give up his tradition with his best friend, Declan, she had hoped for a day without him there to embarrass her. Now they were walking around the Quidditch grounds at the home of her loyalty, and she had no idea how to explain his being there or staying to watch the game with them. But he was insistent.

It irked her, mainly because - as friendly as Maude had always been - she was very good at being very nice to very many people, but not at making genuine, deep friendships. Maddie's time was so highly valued by the commentator that Maude was afraid of ruining something. Luckily, she had always been rather great with children, and it had granted her a chance to find a lovely, true friend.

"If you aren't on your best behavior, I swear to Merlin I'll quit."

Henry looked over at her with a lifted eyebrow and a disbelieving half-smile. Although his lips didn't part, she could practically see the way his tongue slipped across the gap between his upper and lower teeth, telling himself to keep quiet. Color rose in her cheeks so she turned away, looking for Maddie or the children.

They came around the corner, aiming for the refreshment stand, when Henry finally turned his chin forward again - but too late. He walked directly into one of the kids darting across the pathway, scaring both him and Maude. Using their long-since honed Quidditch reflexes, they both reached out - Henry for the child in question and Maude for him. They were both too late to stop the collision, but hoped they could keep any pain or damage away.

Maude released him as he crouched down, passing a worried, caring gaze over the child's face. "Are you alright?"

[ooc: I didn't want to assume anything so if you don't want it to be one of Maddie's kids or something that's fine! Interpret this however you'd like!]

Henry felt Maude crouch down beside him, but he leaned away when the boy called out her name and moved to hug her. Well, he couldn't have been that injured, then, Henry determined. He pushed himself up to standing as other children started calling out their hellos for Maude, figuring that these must be the kids that they were spending the day with. So that meant that their mother had to be around here somewhere-

Right. He nodded and started to extend a hand, but then the kids turned towards him and pulled his attention for a moment. He hadn't really spent a lot of time around kids, but in the department he ran, working with children in an outreach sort of way was something that seriously mattered. So he had learned a bit, and was trying his best not to be sarcastic or crude.

Really, Maude should be thanking him.

"Not to worry," he assured them, his Welsh accent heavy enough to be noticeable, but of course not enough to be difficult to understand. "I've had much worse," he teased, shooting a wink Maude's way.

She tilted her head but merely looked at him, clearly unimpressed. "Yes," she said, picking up where Maddie had left off. "This is Henry. He's in charge of the Regulation of Magical Games and Sports department at the Ministry, and was nice enough," she said pointedly, crossing her arms and leaning towards him, "to let us use his box to watch the match."

He did hold his hand out that time, offering a closed-lipped smile as he caught Maude's quiet disapproval. Was he not supposed to be friendly and fun? Kids loved that!

"Henry, this is Maddie and her kids," Maude added, gesturing to each one. "Charlie, Casper and Kathryn."

Henry smiled at each of them, properly that time, before giving a firm nod. "You all set with your snacks for the match? I can show you around if you want?"

Maude sidled up to Maddie, trying to hide her exasperation with Henry, and just shook her head. "I thought he was going to let us  watch the match on our own, but he's decided to stay. Hopefully he isn't too obnoxious, today."

Maude caught what Charlie started to say, but Henry apparently did not. Or, if he did, he was a very good actor. Perhaps she should suggest he consider being on the telly as she was. But then again, that would require that Maude gave the overly-confident git an ego boost he so clearly did not need. Still, his smile at Kathryn's interruption was something she felt guilty about almost ruining by speaking up.

Plus, Maddie's reassurance was one she didn't feel comfortable arguing with. How terribly rude would she look if she said something about it, besides? Regardless of if she thought Henry was a bit of donut most of the time.

She perked up at the Harpies question, though, a smile pulling at her cheeks. That died, though, when Henry spoke.

"Oh, absolutely not. Prichard certainly is, though. Can't say I know why."

He glanced over his shoulder as he led the way towards the entrance to the stands, smirking back at her as she fumed. Maude lifted an unimpressed eyebrow at him but he just grinned. "No, it's all about the Welsh National. And if not that lot, Caerphilly Catapults better win."

"The Harpies are a Welsh team as well, you know," Maude pointed out petulantly, her temper apparently deciding to show itself.

"Over here's the old photos and trophies," Henry pointed out, stepping aside and catching Maude's elbow to hold her back. "Welsh, yes," he conceded. "But not the right one."

Maude stopped beside him but only reluctantly, glaring at him. "Do you have any idea how sexist that is? Besides, your team hasn't won anything since fifty-six!"

Henry frowned, apparently offended by the fact that she had pointed out the truth. Maude tilted her head to the side, shaking it slightly, daring him to challenge her. In the end, he just said, "I never said I had a problem with who played for them. Everyone has their own favorite team for their own reasons."

Bristling though she was, Maude registered just how terrible of an example she was making herself out to be. Turning her chin away, she frowned and crossed her arms, effectively yanking her elbow away from him. Henry continued to frown at her, though, and she refused to turn back.

People didn't always grow up properly, apparently. At least, not when around those who knew how to press their buttons.

Raising his voice again, Henry looked over at the others again and suggested they head upstairs so they could go into the commentator's box. Maude turned her head at that, though, surprised.

"You lot ought to see what Maude does when she's not on the telly. It's quite exciting."

Henry turned to lead the way again, his excitement no longer there in a particularly genuine manner. Maude rolled her lips inwards as she tried to decide what his angle was with the day's events. She didn't quite have it in her to believe that he was just trying to be nice. With him, there was always something.

Henry knew that Maude had reasons enough to believe that he could be a proper cad, but she didn't seem to realize that almost every single time he made a point to act that way, it was in jest. It irked him, mainly, that she couldn't tell the difference. Clearly she didn't know him well enough, or just didn't care to know. But the day was meant to be for Maude's friends. So once the tour was over, once the game began, he would just politely take his leave.

Once of the boys seemed to think that Maude needed some reassuring, and it apparently worked, because she hesitated only a moment before relaxing and reaching to pass a hand over his hair as she cracked a smile.

"I'm glad you think so," she told him. "Means I may not lose my job any time soon."

Maude sent the boy a good-natured wink, then stood up straighter and lingered next to Maddie while Henry and the others started up the stairs. He didn't bother waiting.

Of course, he probably should have, considering he actually tripped up the stairs when Kathryn spoke. Not to the extent that he fell, but that he ran the toe of his shoe into the next step up, his body jerking to regain balance as he gave the step another try. He glanced back, only to find a wide-eyed Maude Prichard staring right back at him.

He suddenly found himself with the opportunity to twist the conversation in several differing directions. He could insult her thoroughly to assure that the topic was dropped and confirm for himself that she wasn't or wouldn't be interested in him. He could suggest that they were, to rile her up even more. Or, he could be nice, and improve her mood while deprecating and embarrassing himself. Which he imagined she would appreciate in some way, just because it was him.

"Ah, no," the Welshman responded. "Maude's much too good for a git like me."

Her mouth snapped shut, probably audibly as far as Maddie was concerned, but Henry only saw it happen. Days from now, he would hear from Safiya Jordan about the dunce of a man that Maude was more or less seeing. Less being the more realistic way to define the situation. And Merlin, would he tear into that bloke. Because as much as it was true for himself, Henry would be entirely sure that Dylan was way worse. Perhaps because the idiot wouldn't care that Maude was too sweet to see someone without the other person feeling anything. Henry, on the other hand, knew better.

He turned, walking more carefully up the stairs, but Maude hung back. "What in Merlin's name was that?" She asked herself in disbelief, glancing towards Maddie and shaking her head. Her arms had crossed themselves at some point, apparently, because she had to put them back at her sides to look more casual. "..Mental..."

"Oh, Merlin, no. I didn't mean her. I meant... him.."

Maude frowned, completely lost but unwilling to let her friend think that she had just insulted Kathryn. "I mean... He's just always, always like this. It's absolutely impossible to tell when he's serious, and half the time when he seems it, he's saying something that makes him sound like a complete and utter cad. But... sometimes he isn't entirely dreadful and when he isn't, it's almost... pleasant. There's no one way with him, you know? It never stays the same long enough for me to figure him out."

She shook her head just as Henry turned to stare at the children as they discussed, well, him. His eyebrow started to lift until Maude's name came into it again, and really he didn't know what to say or do, so he just watched as they bolted back to look for Maude or their mother or something. But then he heard the question.

It was a miracle that Maude couldn't see him, because she felt assured that she wouldn't have gotten a single word out. Still, she tried to keep her voice low enough that he might not hear her.

"...No, I don't. Not all the time. But anyone can be a git part of the time."

Her fingers reached up to her hair, pushing a section of it behind her ear even though she knew it would bother her in a moment or two. The feeling of it tucked there was distracting somehow, but it felt better to do something with her hands.

Just then, Henry came up to the top of the stairs to look down at them all questioningly. "Did... you not want to head up? I can just show you which box is mine if you'd rather."

Maude's hand reached across her stomach, knowing full well that either he knew what they were talking about - him - but he was just pretending otherwise, or he had heard it and was trying to change the subject. Either way, she didn't have an answer for him, instead looking to Maddie and the kids for a reply or preference.