Warnings: abuse of HP characters, "Hints of Slash," math..
Day 33 Sunday, Challenge Day
Morning routine requires a bit of adjustment, since Lupin and Blcak are now in the men's bathroom again. Dumbledore still wakes up early, but Draco's schedule keeps moving back. Now instead of dragging himself from bed at 8, he gets up at 825, and makes enough noise to wake the other three.
Draco: (accidently closes dresser drawer too loudly) agh.. hate mornings
Snape:nrggg! (opens eye)
Draco: Are you awake, Professor? (inspects) I'm beginning to think you don't actually sleep. You just lie there waiting for an excuse to scare people.
Black(chuckles): You know, Remus - if Draco lives with us any longer he is really going to start talking sense!
Lupin: hmrg
Draco: Someone had better talk sense with those two around - they're not even talking English! (takes towel, exits with flourish)
Black: agh.. can't he move rooms?
Lupin: .. move in with girls..
After breakfast, Big Brother makes the expected announcement.
BigBrother: ATTENTION, HOUSEMATES! IT'S SUNDAY! Today's Challenge is a simple game of artistic skill and speed.
Tonks: Playdough sculpting relays?
BigBrother: No, Miss Tonks. Today's challenge is a team sport called Pictionary. You will see supplies in the living room. We know you are not terribly familiar with the muggle world, so we have altered some aspects of the game for you.. mostly the cards.
Black(frowns): ..since when do they help us..?
BigBrother: Winning team has the privilege of hot shower water whenever they want it. Teams were randomly selected; Team One: Tom Riddle, Hermione Granger, Nymphadora Tonks, and Draco Malfoy. Team Two: Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, and Albus Dumbledore. Good luck, housemates. That is all.
Voldemort: Let's forget about throwing challenges, Miss Tonks - perhaps there's something better you can do-
Tonks: No, no, I only shook on the challenge, but if you want to just forget about the bet-
Voldemort: Just for this Sunday..
Once assembled in the living room, the housemates read through the rules and organize the game. Voldemort immediately takes the sofa, Draco close behind. Tonks and Hermione sit on the outside ends. "Team Two" pulls up the arm chairs around the coffee table. Sirius and Lupin sit on the floor next to it. Dumbledore takes the large black crayon and steps up to the canvass.
Dumbledore: So I just draw whatever's on the card?
Black: Yep. (Voldemort takes a card, hands it to Dumbledore, flips timer)
Dumbledore: Hm. Ok. (slowly, but competently sketches out a small roundish shape with sticks below-
Black: Ahh hh - CIRCLE!
Lupin: grindylow!
Snape: This is not a magical game, Lupin.
Lupin: Oh right.. ahm.. balloon??
(the circle has grown a long neck and a pointed head)
Black: Ahhhh - DUCK!
(Dumbledore shakes his head)
Voldemort: No gestures or aid to your teammates, Albus.
Lupin: TURKEY!
Black: Goose?
Lupin: gander?
Dumbledore: (draws feathers)
Black: CHICKEN!
Dumbledore: Correct!
Lupin: all right.
(Snape sits back in his chair, arms folded)
Dumbledore: now we go again? This could be amusing..
The game gets more intense as the afternoon progresses, and the words become more challenging as well. Especially the muggle words and abstract nouns. 7 rounds into the game it's Tonks, Hermione, Voldemort, and Draco at the go.
Tonks holds the crayon; Dumbledore passes her a new card and starts the timer.. Tonks scowls at the word ("compassion").
Hermione: Uh oh - can you do it, Tonks?
Tonks: (nods - draws a stick figure lying down)
Hermione: hm.. sleeping?
Voldemort: Death!
Hermione: exhaustion?
Draco: Termination!
Voldemort: sleep apnea?
Hermione: What - how do you know what that is?
(Tonks has added another stick figure - standing in the background. it has a frowny face)
Hermione: ah - this is one of those abstract nouns, isn't it?!
Voldemort: Morgue? Autopsy!
Draco: let sleeping dogs lie?
Hermione: that's not a dog - that's a person!
(Tonks has added a large stick through the heart region of the person on the ground. another stick figure stands by looking frightened)
Voldemort: VAMPIRES!
Draco: SILVER STAKE THROUGH THE HEART!!
Lupin: shhhh!!
(Tonks glances apologetically to Lupin)
Hermione: uhm.. funeral??
(Tonks sighs, and sketches a new stick figure frowning, then another next to it, its hand on the other's shoulder.)
Hermione: ah.. brotherly love?
Black: that's what I was thinking.
Voldemort: Betrayal!
Draco: physical abuse?
Tonks(hands in hair)
Voldemort: Stab in the back!
Dumbledore: Time's up.
Draco: aw, what was it?
Tonks: COMPASSION!! COMPASSION - something you two have never heard of before!!
Draco(haughtily): That looks nothing like compassion.
Tonks: AGH! (sits in a huff)
Soon it's the guys' turn...
Black(fist wrapped around black crayon): Ok, ok... pass me the card, if you will, Draco. I'm ready!
Draco(sighing): yeah, it's an Object.. (hands him card. Black flips it over confidently.. stares.. scrunches brow in consternation...bites lower lip...)
Lupin: hm.. Sirius?
Black: I .. don't know this - can I give it to someone else?
Tonks: as long as you don't guess again.
Black: Obviously since I've seen the card. Here, Remus- (hands it to Lupin)
Lupin: uh.. (stands, goes to board).....................(grimace) ah..
Snape: Don't either of you know it?
Lupin: It must be some muggle product... Here, Severus (stuffs it into Snape's hand)
Snape: What - I. (looks at word, scowls) I have no idea.
Dumbledore: I guess we forfeit then!
Hermione: What was it?
Snape: "tampon"?
Hermione(goes red): AGH!
Black: What is it?
Hermione: Some muggle product.. nevermind!
(Black and Lupin shrug.)
Three rounds later, it's the guys turn again - they are way ahead in the game, but have become very competitive nonetheless. Dumbledore is ready to draw again for this last time; Black and Lupin are leaning forward; Snape, arms still folded, even looks more alert than usual.
Dumbledore(takes card from Hermione): Ah... It's an "abstract noun/object"... Ready?
Black: Yep!
Dumbledore: (turns to board; draws a sloppy circle)
Black: CIRCLE!
Lupin: you always start off with that.
Black: Because it always starts off as a circle!
(Dumbledore draws a ... random boxy shape beside it, and a less complicated one next to it)
Lupin: uhhh..
Snape: trapezoidal decomposition
Lupin(chuckles): I don't think that's going to help, Severus.
Snape: I was being facetious..
Black: Clouds!
Dumbledore(draws another squiggly shape, then a form resembling a popcorn container)
Lupin: hm.. snowflakes?
Black: No, Moony - those would be symmetrical!
Lupin: buckets?
Black: ghosts?
Snape: plasma..?
Dumbledore(grins, draws another shape)
Black: bubbles?
Lupin: hair care products!
Draco: Funny. Your time's almost out.
Snape: varieties of slime mold?
Lupin: blobs of... paint?
Snape: .... stuff?
Dumbledore(nods at Snape encouragingly)
Black: THINGS!
Dumbledore: YES! (balls crayon hand into a victorious fist)
Black: ALL RIGHT! (jumps to feet, hands in air)
Lupin: good job!
Snape(ironically): "Things." May I see the card? (Dumbledore passes it to him; he smirks, but it does indeed read "Things.")
Voldemort: I object - what kind of nonsense is that?
Dumbledore: ah, nonsense would have been a good guess too.
Tonks: Well, can we pretend I threw that Challenge?
Voldemort: no...
BigBrother: That is the end of the game, housemates. Team Two wins.
Draco: Too bad, they'll all get to sleep in while I still have to wake up early.
Black: That means you'll be extra noisy, does it, Malfoy??
Draco(smirks): Yes.
Lupin: no rest for the weary..
Dumbledore: I do enjoy these little amusements.. Muggles certainly know how to pass time, don't they?
Voldemort: ...(unintelligible mumble)
Hermione: we can play again later..
Black: I.. don't think.. Maybe we should.. rearrange the furniture in the sun room?!
Tonks: Excellent plan, Sirius- (they dash off)
Voldemort: no NO! (follows after)
Dumbledore: Although... we don't even need muggle games to entertain ourselves, do we?
vote (voldemort, hermione or sirius)