Writing Challenge - Prompt Three

Prompt 1

[[OOC: I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SORRY FOR THIS JAKE (and Finley). I promise you this IS NOT CANON. Maddie really truly does love Finely.]]

Life was good. She had a fun job, with customers practically begging for ‘appointments’ by the dozen, many of which she had the liberty of simply ignoring; a nice house, with everything she could need and want available to her; all the money and more that she would need; and a husband. Finley had been everything she wanted, a Ravenclaw that started as a game and turned into something so much more - someone to love. To care for. To want. To call her own.

And yet…

And yet, there was this nagging feeling in Madison that she was missing out, that there was more out there for her than all she had. She was quickly finding out that the married life was not all it was cut out to be. Dragon training was what her husband had gone for, and with his days spent chasing, tagging, and whatever-else-he-did dragons, it felt like it was all he ever talked about. Whereas she… Well, she was everything she ever dreamt of being - in charge, with men (and the occasional woman) all but throwing themselves at her, and earning money for it, too.

But that wasn’t the exact truth; she held herself back most of the time, never going further than kissing, because she was loyal to Finley. There would be so much more to blackmail with if she could take things further, store information on them that they truly wouldn’t want to be seen instead of ‘almosts’. She had chosen to settle down instead, marrying a male that she was now realising was not what she once thought.

Laying awake in bed one night, she puzzled over her latest victim. He was some high-ranking Auror official, over-confidant in his skills and appearance, and she had been slowly working on him over the past couple months, ‘accidentally’ bumping into him a few times in his favourite pubs - not so often that it was suspicious, but enough that he would recognise her and marvel at the ‘coincidence’. They had gotten to conversing the last time, small talk that told her he had access to many a confidential information that she could very well use against him more than once, and he had invited to his place for a party he was throwing.

There was just one problem - he was rather straight, tight-lipped about most things. Everyone had weaknesses, though, and buttons to push; she just needed to figure out his. It would take time, but that was part of the fun.She continued mulled over all the things she had gotten from him so far, beginning to piece together a plan of action.

And as she lay there thinking, the quiet breathing of Finley could be heard, and she quite suddenly found that the once comforting sounds were now nothing but an annoyance. Simply put, Madison had come to the realisation that she was not satisfied with her life, as good as it was and as much as she had once thought she had the world. No, the world had her, and it was about time she regained control.

Slipping out of bed, she moved quickly but silently, lest she awoke her husband, and made her way to the closet. Taking her clothes, she shoved them in the nearest bag, then slipped into the bathroom to get changed, putting on a loose t-shirt and shorts. Giving herself a once over in the mirror, she carefully dabbed some peppermint oil just under her eyes, making them go red and watery at once. Slipping off her wedding ring, she placed it beside the sink, leaving no note and no explanation, just the symbol of what she once thought was her undying love.

The lure of the chase, the knowledge of a challenge, the promise of money…  It was just too tempting to the witch, and she knew there was no way she was giving any of that up for the dull thud of normality. Finley had been fun, and he had been nothing but nice, but he had also been predictable and straightforward. After she had taken care of the Nirek issue, there hadn’t been anything interesting surrounding the ex-Ravenclaw, and Madison had been slowly growing bored with the whole situation. Love wasn’t all it was advertised as, and she had come to learn that there were just some things she wasn’t meant for - and marriage was one of them.

Or, perhaps, love wasn’t the right word.

She had been intrigued. Captivated. Misled. What she did love was the thrill of playing a mark, the excitement that came with a score, and the satisfaction when she got her pay. She loved her sister, and money, and being in control. But Finley? No, she had thought it was love, but she had been proven wrong, and she was finally doing something about it.

Apparating to the street from the address she had been given, she walked down the rows of houses till she found the right one. Allowing her fake tears to stream down her face and clutching her suitcase tightly, she rang the doorbell with her free hand. A timely sniff was taken as she heard the front door open and she looked up at the figure standing there through blurry vision.

“M-my husband just b-broke up…” she stuttered, shaking her head and allowing her hair to cover her face. “I… I d-didn’t know w-where else…” Again, she trailed off, then gave another sniff. “I-I’m sorry to disturb you. I’ll… I’ll just go,” she concluded, ending in an almost whisper.

As expected, the auror placed an arm around her. “Why don’t you come inside?” he said, gently, and she nodded, allowing him to usher her in. The game had just kicked off into high gear, and Madison couldn’t have been any happier.

And Finley?

Well, he was already but a distant memory, someone she would always remember with fondness as her first real game.

PROMPT 2

(OOC: I'm not really all that proud of this, but Im going to post it anyways. This is not cannon and it's just a bit of experimentation because I'm not really used to writing romance from a male perspective. Its super bad but I tried ahaha)

Joshua ran his hands over a letter that he had just received. The Hufflepuff boy never received letters, seeing as he hadn’t talked to his parents in years. There were no ideas running through his usually abundant mind as to what the Abbotts might have to say. Slowly but surely, he brought his fingers to open the letter. As the letter unfolded, he instantly recalled a memory from the last time he was home.
It was the Summer holiday and he had most likely been a third year. His parents had still been rather uncomfortable with the thought of their precious son being a wizard, so Joshua had spent most of the holiday on the beach. Their small town in Massachusetts had beautiful, rocky beaches. He enjoyed wandering around the land, simply exploring his surroundings. It felt like home.
On one particularly sunny day, Joshua was making his way down a bridge known as The Boardwalk. As he walked, he heard a familiar voice calling to him.
“Josh Abbott?!” He heard repeatedly.. As he continued to walk closer, Joshua realized that these words were coming from someone by the name of Robert Shae. Robert had shaggy blonde hair and deep chocolate brown eyes. Joshua had only just been able to forget those eyes. Those eyes had made his heart do things that he could not afford for his heart to do. Robert had been the most confusing person in Joshua’s life before he went away to Hogwarts. His barren feet dragging along in the sand, Joshua casually made his way over to where the the boy stood.
“How have you been?” He asked, detached.
“I’ve missed you, Josh,” Robert smiled warmly. “Where have you been?” A flood of cold came into Joshua, counteracting the warmth of Robert’s smile.
“It’s a long story,” Joshua responded. “My parents couldn’t deal with me not being perfect.”
“So you came out?” The blonde haired boy asked, eyes widening by the second.
“I’m not gay!” Joshua fought back. That was the last thing he needed in his life. His parents were already ashamed that there was a wizard in their family. How would they feel about a sexually confused wizard?
“I like girls,” he said, calming down. This was true. His jaw dropped at the sight of an attractive woman just as much as the next guy’s did. He had never had a girlfriend, but he knew that he may like one someday.
“But you also like guys,” Robert responded, bringing his face closer to Josh’s. All at once, Roberts soft lips collided with Josh’s and he was taken. All that seemed to matter was the two of them and this very moment. All that mattered was Robert’s deep brown eyes that seemed to suck someone in and never let go.
“Robert we can’t,” Joshua pulled away, darting his eyes from the boy.
“Josh we can,” Robert laughed, trying to get closer once again. Joshua took a step back.
“I can’t be this person. I can’t be confused. My parents already act like I killed their real child and took his place. I can’t bring this kind of revelation to them.”
“Then don’t,” Robert smiled. His white teeth flashed in the sunlight and he dragged Joshua back into a prolonged kiss.  

That was the day that Joshua realized that he was never going to be the person whom his parents had raised him to be. He had failed at being their child. That was the day that he left and finally never returned home. That was also the day that he realized that it didn’t matter who you fell for, as long as you did.

As he opened the letter from his parents, he turned his head away. He folded the paper back up and tucked it into his pocket, never for it to be seen again.

The last few weeks had become an internal struggle for Layla. There was the chance of this awesome record deal and Ethan was all for it, however he didn't realise that it meant less time with him and that would eventually lead to them leaving each other. The woman twisted the small emerald ring on her left hand. They were supposed to be getting married in another five months but she would never get another deal as good as this. She was certain of it. Yet, she found herself debating the situation, not wanting to leave Ethan and her future with him, the future he promised her when her parents kicked her out for loving him back in her fourth year of Hogwarts.

There was a protection, a sense of security that came with loving him. He had been her security guard for years until he got his Quidditch signing just this past year. It meant they were stuck there, bound by a legal contract; or at least he was. She frowned, he'd be home any moment now, wanting to hear her final decision but she couldn't do it, she couldn't look into his eyes one last time, she couldn't give him one last kiss and one last hug. She couldn't tell him how much she loved him because if she was doing this, then she must not love him very much anyways. He wouldn't see how broken her heart was but she would see exactly how bad her actions would crush him. He would never move on, he would never have a miniature him and he would likely never trust her or another woman again.

Could she really do this knowing the weight of burden it would cause her? She envisioned him, his smile and smell, the way his lips felt against hers and the warmth his body granted her. A look of disappointment snuck up onto his face and Layla rushed the threat of tears away. The door downstairs closed, a reminder that she was no longer alone, that Ethan was now home. His smell flooded the house, intoxicating her as his footsteps echoed down the hallway, the sign that he was headed up the stairs to their bedroom. She took a deep breath and stood just as he pushed through the door.

She twisted the tiny ring off her finger and held his hands, her face tilting up towards his. Placing the ring in his hand and closing it, she gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered, "I love you," before the sound of a small pop filled the air taking her to the signing company. She had made her decision and now, there was no turning back. Her career came before him and now she knew that, she knew that she would always chose her career, her fame before anyone else in her life.