If there was one game Amy understood, it was poker. As soon as she’d been old enough to understand, Spike had taught it to her. Her father hadn’t been particularly pleased, but he wanted her to be the perfect lady. And a perfect lady did not play poker. Oh, no. They had to play bridge and tennis, and swan around daintily holding their skirts up so they didn’t get muddy. But, as Amy was sure her father knew by now, she was no perfect lady. She could swear like a trooper, and fight even better than one. Hilly mightn’t know how to play, but there sure were a lot of girls around here who did. Some enterprising person had organised a poker competition, and Amy was currently the undisputed champion. So far, she’d won twenty-one dollars and five cents, three jars of nail polish, a Mickey Mouse key ring, some hair clips, and a couple of pieces of jewellery. All in all, a better haul than the kittens Spike used to play for. And, could she just say, ew? How could he do that to those sweet little kitties?
Amy stretched her arms in front of her and smiled broadly. “Any challengers?” she called out, as her last opponents threw down their cards in disgust.
“Who’d want to challenge her?” one of them muttered, and Amy smirked.
“I’ll have a go,” the familiar but unwanted voice of Lovegood answered her, and the crowd circled around the players moved back to allow the petite Lovegood to step up to the table.
Amy looked at Lovegood with a raised eyebrow, and said deprecatingly, “Are you sure you’re willing to play? I mean, I did kick your ass at fencing.”
Lovegood glared at her for moment before shrugging the comment off. “I think the question is, can you manage to cheat your way to a win?” She pulled a chair out and sat in it as regally as a queen.
Amy scowled, “I wasn’t the one who cheated,” she bit out, before gathering up the cards. “I’ll shuffle,” she told Lovegood. “No wild cards.”
Lovegood smiled rather serenely. “Makes no difference to me.”
Amy glared at her under lowered lashes, the cards making a flicking sound as they brushed against the palm of her hand. Prepare to go down.
~~~~~
“I think I’ll make you a little deal,” Lovegood said suddenly, her voice even.
Amy raised her eyes from her cards and looked at the other girl curiously. “What kind of deal?” she asked suspiciously. She wouldn’t trust anything the slimy Brit said. She would probably use every chance she got to try and get back at Amy for that fencing incident, and anyway, it wasn’t as if she’d meant to do it one purpose. It was a true accident.
“Loser jumps into the lake,” Lovegood elaborated, and after a moment Amy nodded. That didn’t seem too bad.
Lovegood’s face split into a grin that could only be described as pure evil as she finished, “Naked.”
Amy thought it over for a moment before nodding again. With her hand she couldn’t lose.
Lovegood’s grin broadened as she revealed her hand. “Prepare to unzip.” She crowed victoriously, revealing four nines and an eight.
Amy pretended to look upset. “Oh no!” She said loudly, biting her lip worriedly. Suddenly she stopped and her upset look disappeared to become one of smug triumph. “You’re really good, Lovegood, but I’m afraid you’re just not good enough.” She placed her own cards on to the table and watched as Lovegood’s face got even paler than it already was. “In your honour, a royal flush.”
Lovegood didn’t seem to believe it. “You-you-“
“I what? I won?” Amy said without pity. “You were the one who suggested the loser jump naked into the lake.”
“But I didn’t think I would lose!” Lovegood said at last, finally having gotten her voice to work.
Amy shrugged. “That’s the way the cookie crumbles, hon.”
Lovegood’s face was still pale. “I refuse,” she said flatly.
“No can do,” Amy answered back, gesturing to the curious girls around them. “You all heard her, didn’t you girls?”
There were nods and enthusiastic shouts of yes. Lovegood looked around miserably before pushing her chair back and getting up. “Let’s get this over with, then,” she said curtly, brushing past the girls and opening the door. Amy got up too and walked cheerily to the door. “Remember, Lovegood, you bought this all upon yourself.”
Lovegood didn’t answer, stepping out into the chilly night air and walking quickly towards the wooden jetty. Amy walked next to her. “It’s not like we’ll be able to see anything anyway. It’s pitch black out here.”
Lovegood didn’t answer.
The jetty loomed up out of the darkness and Amy stopped. She gestured out towards the black water, “You’re on your own from now, Lovegood.”
The laughter of the girls drifted over to the two blondes standing at the edge of the jetty. They looked at one another for a moment before Amy cleared her throat and stepped backwards. “Good luck,” she said quickly, surprising both Lovegood and herself.
“Why do you care?” Lovegood replied icily, stepping on to the wooden planks of the jetty. “All you give a damn about is embarrassing me.”
“Strong words from Princess Priss,” Amy said, struggling to keep her temper in check, and said nothing else.
Lovegood snorted and rolled her eyes, even though Amy couldn’t see in the dark.
Hilly walked up to Amy’s side. “Ready to roll?”
Amy nodded. “Let the fun begin,” she answered, turning to give Hilly a smirk.
Amy heard the steps of Lovegood as she walked towards the edge of the jetty, her feet tapping against the wood. There was a minute’s pause as she slipped out of her clothes. There were a few giggles from the numerous girls standing on the shore.
“Ready, Lovegood?” Amy called out into the darkness. There was no answer, so she presumed the English girl was ready. “On the count of three. One, two, THREE!”
Everyone joined in loudly on ‘three’, but over the sound of their yelling Amy could still hear the shriek of Lovegood and the splash as she entered the water.
“Let’s take her clothes!” Someone whispered, and Amy laughed. Princess Priss would love that.
~~~~~
Ceridwhen got out of the water shivering. That girl was beyond belief. She crawled up the rungs of the ladder, expecting to see her clothes in the middle of the jetty where she’d left them.
They weren’t there.
“You have got to be joking,” Ceridwhen muttered to herself, staring dumbly at the empty jetty. That girl…”
Ceridwhen pulled herself up, and stood dripping on the jetty. She needed to get herself under control. After a moment, a sly grin spilled across her face. Sure, that girl might be good at poker, but she didn’t have Fred and George Weasley, owners of Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes, as honorary uncles. Amy Wyndham-Pryce would not know what hit her.
