Now I know why I can’t get over Diego's hairstyle or facial hair 😭 He’s becoming more like Veruca's father, Elroy 😭
New headcanon:
Veruca didn’t see anything wrong with Diego's hair until someone, probably Penny because of course she would, pointed it out and now Veruca can’t unsee it.
Let me break it down for you
Now that I’ve embarrassed myself in front of all of you, listen here.
Elroy and Diego are both Hufflepuffs. Both married to Slytherin women. Both married to rich Slytherin women. Both these women aren’t afraid to get into a fight if they have to. They clearly have a type. And now they have a similar hairstyle and facial hair. Veruca and Diego are becoming her parents!
And because someone said something, Veruca can’t unsee it anymore. But to avoid making it weird Veruca just tells him she prefers the long hair and so Diego doesn’t cut his hair short anymore.
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DieRuca is a ship between Diego Caplan, a Hufflepuff who is passionate about dancing and duelling, and Veruca McQuaid, a Slytherin who takes pride in both her duelling and flying skills.
In this post, you'll get to know how Veruca and Diego are within the AUs I ship them in. To find more DieRuca content, you can look through the #dieruca tag.
It took quite a while to write out since there was a lot I wanted to add in here. But I thought it was best to keep the main AUs I like to hyper-fixate on and imagine about. Also, I used DeepL for the translations for the quote. If I’m wrong, please let me know and I'll fix it.
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"You are the music of my heart"
A phrase often shared between the two in place of 'I love you.' Usually said in their native languages.
CANON
The two meet during their first year but aren’t officially acquainted until they both join the dueling club. Veruca mostly ignored Diego’s attempts in making conversation due to his constant flirting both during duels and outside of the club. After many duels ending in draws, Diego became part of Veruca’s circle and joined their adventures.
Throughout their last three years of Hogwarts, the two have gotten close to one another since the dancing competition hosted by Madam Rosmerta.
In 1993, Diego and Veruca officially started dating. The lead up to their relationship was slow with Diego taking the initiative in breaking Veruca out of her shell. Most of their dates involve picnics under the stars or walks in the parks. In 1995 they had their first child, Marisol, out of wedlock and got married some time after. In 1997, they had their second child, Carina.
Both Diego and Veruca take part in the Battle at Hogwarts alongside their friends and former professors while their children are at the McQuaid family home with their grandparents.
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GENDERBENT
Veren McQuaid, the strong and silent, intimidating boy has a soft spot for the flirty, and flamboyant girl, Doria Caplan.
Unlike his female counterpart, Veren appears to be much more intimidating. He's a boy of a few words as he struggles to express himself vocally, he believes his actions will speak for him. He is self conscious of his stoic visage since it often frightens others and causes unwarranted misconceptions of his integrity. His moments of poignant silence and his tall stature scares many away from him, causing him to suffer from loneliness. The closest he has to a friend is Carly (female Carson) since they grew up together. While he doesn't mind Carly's company, Veren gets grumpy when the girl tries to make him bond with others or try to speak for him. When he can't verbally express himself on most occasions, he usually shows simple hand gestures. When he does have the courage to speak, it's usually in the form of short one liners.
Doria would be described as flamboyant, farsighted, a bit egotistical and dramatic. In smaller doses though, those traits are often spoiled by habits of being crude and impatient. A little worse than her male counterpart. She entertains people with 'high-class' etiquette and shameless flattery. While she openly expresses romantic interest, she appears to be oblivious of her own romantic feelings towards Veren. She was completely unphased by his intimidating aura. She constantly showered him with compliments and sometimes even considered him to be her 'bodyguard' due to how easily he can scare people away.
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FLIPPED!
Flipped!DieRuca is a ship you might want to be worried about for Diego because Veruca is very clingy when it comes to her friends and lover.
While original Diego is a flirt, an excellent dueller and great at dancing, Flipped!Diego is quite the opposite. Flipped!Diego typically lacks self confidence. He's not as charming or flirty as the original, he is shy and sensitive and not much of a strong dueller. Flipped!Diego is always caught off guard whenever Flipped!Veruca shows up randomly. His affection for her might be questionable as he does care for her but sometimes finds her to be a bit exhausting to handle. Despite that, he appreciates how she treats him, with so much love and affection even if he's shy to openly be affectionate with her.
Flipped!Veruca is openly friendly, overly energetic, and bubbly until someone disturbs her happiness and triggers the creepier side to her happy personality. She can be extremely clingy, giving lots of hugs and holding hands. While Veruca is perfectly fine with her small circle of friends, Flipped!Veruca appears to be obsessed with making plenty of friends. A bit of an unhealthy obsession as she will force herself to be their friend by clinging onto them till they submit. She once locked herself in her room for a few days to make friendship sweaters for her and Carson. When she became close with Diego, she did the exact same thing but instead of five sweaters she made fifteen matching sweaters for the both of them.
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CARDVERSE
Veruca as the Acting Queen of Spades is no damsel in distress, and is in fact a strong and independent woman. She puts her duties as a queen before anything else and has no time fooling around with trivial matters. As a dominant ruler, romance is the last thing that comes to mind for her, if not ever. Her country and her people come before her and anyone else.
Diego as the King of Hearts retains most of his original counterpart's personality. Loyal, charming, passionate and understanding. He finds Veruca's high walls as a challenge to break down, and he often interacts with her more than the rest of the officials within the other regions. He likes to tease the Queen of Spades whenever he gets the chance, and enjoys the progress of seeing her open up more to him.
Veruca at first found his antics as a nuisance more so than anything. He was always distracting her from her duties and seemed to never take his position as the King of Hearts seriously. She started warming up to him after he showed concern when she was overworking herself. Her feelings for him started showing but since they were from different regions, she tried to deny any thought of being together. She does eventually enjoy his company more openly, and a misunderstanding involving a hand crafted gift starts a few rumors within the Kingdom of Hearts. Their relationship, though starting off as a secret, is easily noticeable by the public.
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MAFIA
In this AU, Diego and Veruca’s personalities are kind of changed. While Diego still retains his charming personality, it is mostly reserved for Veruca, his children and younger siblings. Around others, Diego is more serious, looking at everyone with a cold gaze as if he was staring right through them. When it's necessary, he can resort to ruthless violent acts. With Veruca, she keeps her witty remarks and plays off Diego's advances in the beginning of their relationship. When they get together, Veruca shows her more sentimental side. She's also aware of what Diego's family business truly is and turns a blind eye towards it, after all her family didn’t gain their wealth and fortune through legal ways either.
Veruca and Diego first met at a banquet at the Caplan residence when they were younger. Diego and Veruca’s fathers were friends so they were always invited to parties and other gatherings. Though they met when they were young, they didn't see each other again until adulthood. While Diego is slowly taking on the ropes of the family business, Veruca is a ballet instructor/administrator for a performing arts school. The two meet when Diego was late to pick up his younger sister, Mireya, after a lesson. Diego is aware that Veruca has no involvement in her family’s business and tries to keep her out of it when he’s with her. Unfortunately Veruca gets attacked by a rival gang and she’s in Diego’s care and protection.
The two reminisce about their past and enjoy they’re times together, however Veruca is often left confused and frustrated with Diego constantly switching between being sweet to distant with her. Their relationship deals with a lot of hurdles testing their trust and loyalties, but in the end they both overcome the obstacles.
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QUOTES
Veruca: "Would you stop me, if I ever tried to leave again?"
Diego: "I would. But if you truly want to leave this place behind, then I'll follow you wherever you go."
Diego: "I think peridots have become my favorite gem."
Veruca: "Oh? What makes you say that?"
Diego: "Your eyes, love. They remind me of your eyes."
Veruca: "Goodness, you can be so corny sometimes."
Veruca: "I'm sorry, how many kids did you say you want?"
Diego: "Aha, as many as we possibly can!"
Veruca: "Yeah, we're not competing with the Weasleys. I'll settle for three, but no more than that!"
Diego: "Three is fine by me!"
Veruca: "This is the fourteenth scarf you've gotten. Are you starting a collection?"
Diego: "Oh absolutely! I'm collecting scarves made with great material and style. Here, feel this one sweetheart. The fabric used for this is quite soft and the color would look great with your skintone."
Diego: "You're as gorgeous as ever, Ruca."
Veruca: "Oh stop it—, you spoil me too much. I don’t need all these jewelry."
Diego: "You should get used to it. I plan to spoil you for as long as I live. Nothing but the best for you."
Diego: "Mi cielo, I know you wanted to teach them young… but did you really have to blow up the wall?"
Veruca: "Our daughters are naturals! But, I guess I can start training them outside by using those old trees as training targets."
Diego: “Eres la música de mi corazón”
Veruca: “Is ceol mo chroí thú”
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FUN FACTS
❧ Their song is Stand By Me covered by Seal.
❧ Diego and Veruca get married on November 23rd 1995.
❧ They had their first child, Marisol on June 26, 1995. Their second child, Carina was born on July 28, 1997. Their third child, Ruairí was born February 4, 2003.
❧ Diego and Veruca enjoy slow dancing in their kitchen or garden after dinner.
❧ When Diego was traveling for dueling competitions, he would send Veruca souvenirs from the places he's been to.
❧ In both the Cardverse and Mafia AUs, Veruca is more passionate about dancing and pursuing a career in it rather than law or politics.
❧ Diego has a scarf for every occasion. His collection is big, he and his children often have little fashion shows with them. Veruca would join in by providing her brooch and pins collection.
❧ Diego had given Veruca a carnation that was enchanted to never wilt.
❧ Veruca's necklace she wears after their marriage has Diego’s initial, while Diego has a bracelet with Veruca's initial.
A/N: So this is for an event going on in Amino, the theme is May Flowers and we have to make an entry involving a flower. Of course I had to use Diego and Veruca since they’re the only ship of mine that I know has their own flower. But also because other than picnic date nights, flowers are a staple in their relationship! Specifically carnations.
❌ NO REPOSTING ❌
• ･❀･ ｡ . ⡀｡⠐❀ ･ ｡ ⡀･ ✿ ･ ｡ . ⡀｡⠐❀ ･ ｡ ⡀･ ❀･ •
Carnations, one of the oldest cultivated flowers in the world. Carnations are a symbolism of devotion, love and admiration.
When they were still in Hogwarts, Diego spent an entire week gifting Veruca flowers hoping to gain her attention. Sadly for Diego, Veruca rejected every bouquet and even gave her classmates the gift to show Diego she wasn’t interested in his advances. That was until the last day where she received carnations, pleasantly surprised yet bashful, she accepted Diego’s gift as well as his offer to take a walk within the forest. Seeing that the carnations were the only flowers Veruca accepted, Diego made it a routine to always give her a carnation whenever he had the chance. You can say though that Diego’s charm slowly worked on her.
On the night of their engagement, Diego proposed not just with a ring but also an enchanted carnation to never wilt. This enchanted flower is to represent his undying love and devotion to her.
Diego thought it was a good idea to impress his crush by teaching her how to sword fight. But then he’s equally surprised and impressed that Veruca is already experienced in it (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)
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Lively chatter, music, and laughter play throughout the ballroom. Many from all over Cinderhaven had attended the Passion Ball, an event Hearts hosts every winter.
It had been a while since Spades had attended an occasion such as this one. While it wasn't Bill's first time attending the masquerade, it was definitely Veruca and Rowan's first time attending. The Queen simply admired the scene, while the Jack was ecstatic about her surroundings.
The Spades officials were off to the side of the room, having a conversation with a few familiar faces from past interactions. Jae Kim, a connoisseur of "uncommon" and suspicious merchandise, surprised the Spades with his presence, as he wasn’t one for fancy occasions. Despite that, they were happy to see him again after his last business trip within Spades.
And there was Andre Egwu, heir of his family's clothing brand, Aura Spectacle, a brand Veruca very much enjoys. He was currently telling them how Jae tried to leave his shop with a plain mask to go with his red and gold suit. The stylist was appalled and refused to let Jae leave until he found a perfect mask.
The group continued chatting amongst themselves until the Master of Ceremonies announced the Hearts' monarchs King Diego's and Queen Carewyn's (@carewyncromwell) entrance. The audience was silent as the monarchs addressed the crowd with their announcement on the second floor balcony.
After their speech the pair descended the stairs, greeting guests as they made their way through the ballroom. Diego's eyes lit up when he noticed the Spades officials. The pair made their way over to the group and said their greetings. They all exchanged pleasantries, discussing potential business and trading plans. Andre was requesting to open a branch for his clothing brand within Hearts. Carewyn was discussing Spades' improvements after the civil war with Veruca, Rowan and Bill.
Their conversation went on when the slow melody playing for the waltz smoothly transitioned to the tempo for tango. "Ah, that music," Diego listens closely to the distinctive style. He turns his attention back to Veruca, "would you care to dance, your highness?"
Veruca crosses her arms, scrutinizing the King before her. "Hmph, you expect me to dance, in a dress not suitable for this type of music?" Diego opens his mouth to speak but is silenced when Veruca holds a hand up. She gestures for Rowan's assistance as she unties the ribbon belt to her dress. Rowan quickly grabs hold of the skirt, keeping it from falling to the floor as Veruca twirls out of it, revealing a shorter dress underneath.
Andre stood proud at the dress reveal. As someone who personally designed the Queen of Spades' gown, Andre was ecstatic that she chose this design.
Veruca turned back to Diego, "Well, your majesty." She looked at him with expectancy, bringing a hand up to her face and twirling a lock of her hair. "Are you going to ask me to dance? Because if not, I'm sure I can find someone else who would be interested." She motions to the three other gentlemen, Bill and Jae had grins on their faces while Andre boasted about Veruca's dress.
Diego shook his head, that charming smile returning to his face "Apologies, my lady," he bows, extending a hand out for Veruca. "Would you do me the honor of dancing with me, your highness?"
A faint smile appears on Veruca's face. But as quick as it appeared, that smile disappeared. She places her hand in Diego's own, allowing him to lead her to the center of the dance floor. Many of the pairs have decided to sit out the current song, clearing the floor of the few pairs that remained.
Their first steps fell in line to the first beat of the music. Diego led Veruca with sharp movements, both showing off impressive footwork as they danced. Their dance had a dramatic flair to it, their movements though improvised were synchronized well. Strides were short and smooth, the movements intimate, expressing an element of romance in there. Tango has always been a vibrant and spontaneous dance, with its expressive music to go with it.
They moved around the floor, in their own world as they danced, not caring about their surroundings. The tempo of the music would go from its medium tempo to a sudden drop where the pair would follow with a dramatically slow movement, before the song goes back to its original pace and the pair follows.
Their dance ends along with the music, an abrupt stop with the pair finishing their dance in a striking pose. The pair kept their eyes locked, chests heaving as they caught their breath. No words were spoken between them, simply forgetting everything around them. Until the sound of applause slowly brought them back to reality. Diego let Veruca out of his embrace, he gazed around the room keeping a smile on his face.
"You're a magnificent dancer, Veruca," He praises, "and I'm not saying that just to flatter you. I genuinely mean it." He bows to her once more.
Veruca lets out a hum, "thank you. I must say, you were also splendid." Diego chuckled and held out his hand for her. "Well, we should head back to the others. I'm sure you would feel out of place continuing a conversation in the middle of the dance floor."
This time, Veruca gave him a genuine smile and took his hand. The pair make their way back to the group, having their own conversation as they pass by other dancers and guests. "I must say though, I'd be more interested in a dance without so many prying eyes."
That sweet smile on the queen's face quickly morphed into a mischievous one. "I must apologize, your majesty. But you'll need more than music and charm if you want more of my attention." Veruca lets go of his hand and saunters off to rejoin her friends, leaving Diego astonished.
"The Queen of Spades is an interesting woman, isn't she?" Carewyn joined her partner, snapping him out of his daze when she spoke. "It's actually quite amusing to see you get a bit tongue-tied around her. And I thought you've improved since our first meeting with Veruca." She chuckles and Diego had to roll his eyes before dragging his hand through his hair.
"I thought we agreed to never bring that up again."
"I never agreed to such a thing."
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I'm trying to write more and practice the dancing scene for when it's time to write the dance off in Diego's quest rewrite.
I was inspired by the Valentine Dance scene in Another Cinderella Story. It was perfect for Diego and Veruca 💜 Especially for the Passion Ball!
Originally I was gonna use the actual dress for Veruca, but drawing it out was very awkward. So I made it into a two in one gown kind of dress where the big puffy skirt was detachable. At least Veruca was able to dance much more easily.
I'm thinking of also drawing some characters that would be into the events for the AU. Like I think Diego would love harpastum. Orion, Veruca, Charlie and Skye would like abraxan derby since it shares similarities with quidditch. I don't know if I would add Andre to it though, maybe for harpastum or the steam cart race 🤔 actually the steam race would be a good opportunity to show off his style with his outfit and vehicle 😆
Coby, and maybe Jae would also do the steam cart race. Badeea, Carson, and Rowan would join the Bizarro Scavenger Hunt and most of them would attend the Passion Ball.
But that will be for when I don't have so much to do! December is a busy month.
After the many attempts at flirting with Veruca, and getting lectured by both the Queen and Jack of Hearts for his silly attempts, Diego has finally managed to win the elusive Queen of Spades' heart.
DieRuca is like my comfort ship, and I must make a drawing of them once in a while or I'll go crazy 🥺
As for Carson and his ship, I'm not sure which one should I go for. There's Tulip and she's a Joker and most likely would not be interested in being with an ordinary person. And there's Chester. They can be the Diamond boys. 😅
This has been in my drafts since last year in November or September.
This is part of @carewyncromwell’s Rewrite A Sidequest Challenge! She also tagged me to rewrite the side quest involving Diego, well because he's my favorite and I'm biased towards him (//w//) By the way, I’m so sorry this took me so long to make .°(ಗдಗ。)°.
This was originally going to have all six parts in one post, but it was already long enough... I also need to rewrite them because I've changed up a lot of things since this was first made. I'll try and post the others in pairs too. For now, enjoy what I have so far (ง ื▿ ื)ว
I don’t call myself a writer. My writing style is based on how I used to roleplay back in 2013-2014. So I’m very sorry, if my writing doesn’t make sense. Please don’t roast me too hard, I’m sensitive. I was actually very scared to share this here. (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥｀)
It's not that great, but I think I did okay for someone who is trying to get back into writing!
The group headed down to Hogsmeade, with Jae and Carson going to Zonko's while the others headed to the Three Broomsticks. Normally, Diego would have joined the boys, but he's heard from a few members of the Dance Club about Madam Rosmerta's special announcement. So he decided to skip out on the trip to Zonko's.
Upon entering the Three Broomsticks, Madam Rosmerta greeted them with a warm smile. The inside of the tavern was warm and cozy as usual, with students and other patrons occupying many of the tables within. Returning their usual greetings, Veruca leads the group to their usual spot in the tavern, passing a few tables to get to the booth in the back. The four take a seat, Rowan and Chiara taking up the spaces inside the booth while Diego and Veruca take the outer seats. As they waited for their orders, the group chatted amongst themselves.
"Finally," Rowan says as she sinks deeper into her seat, "a day to unwind after all that studying. Any longer at my desk and I would have merged with it."
"Like how you are right now?" Veruca nudges her with a grin on her face. Rowan looks completely relaxed, a lazy smile on her face. "Hey, give me a break! I aim to be the youngest professor at Hogwarts; I need to do what it takes to achieve that goal." The two Slytherins laughed and continued to joke with each other. Chiara watches them with a small smile on her face before turning her attention to Diego.
"I'm surprised you skipped out on joining the boys, Diego. "You usually join them to see what Carson gets so you know what to expect when he tries to prank you."
The male Hufflepuff leaned back in his seat and said, "Oh, I'm still worried about what Carson's buying. I'll take a peek in his bag later, so I'll know. But I heard Madam Rosmerta has an announcement to make." This caught the attention of the other girls.
"An announcement?" Veruca perks up: "That would explain why the place seems more crowded than usual. I thought Madam Rosmerta had something special going on today." Looking around the establishment, there were some people that were standing around their tables.
"Excuse me, may I have all of your attention!" Madam Rosmerta stood at the front of the pub, signaling everyone to focus their attention on her. "I would like to announce that the Three Broomsticks will be hosting its very first dance contest! Contestants will form a team of two and perform their dance here in the pub."
After Madam Rosmerta finished up her announcement, the pub was filled with excited chatter. Diego looks over at the girls with a big grin on his face. "A dance contest sounds like an exciting event! I'm definitely signing up for it."
"It does sound kind of fun. What do you think, Veruca?" Rowan nudged her friend, prompting Veruca to hum in acknowledgement.
Veruca shrugs, taking a sip from her butterbeer. "Eh, I guess it's okay. It's not really for me." The other three looked over at her; she didn't seem particularly interested in the competition; in fact, she appeared completely bored as she sipped her drink. Chiara was about to ask if she was okay until Jae and Carson finally arrived.
As they joined them at their table, Carson handed out some snacks and treats he got from Honeydukes. "Honeydukes was having a sale, so I bought a bunch of stuff!" He pulls out some sugar quills for himself, and Rowan makes a grab for them. As she and Carson fight over the sweet treat, Diego takes this time to tell the boys about the dance contest.
"A dance contest! Sounds fun. Hey Veruca you should aah!—" Carson let out a high pitched yelp when Rowan jabbed his side before taking the sugar quills. He glares at Rowan happily munching on the sugar quills. Rubbing the sore spot to soothe it, he turns back to Veruca, "As I was saying, I think you should join Veruca. It’ll be nice to get back into dancing."
Upon hearing this new bit of information, the others were surprised to hear of Veruca's talents since she never mentioned or showed any interest in dancing. Veruca frowned, "It’s not like dancing was something I planned to do forever; it just wasn’t for me."
"What dance did you practice?" Despite the lack of interest on his face, Jae was curious. Veruca didn’t share much about herself other than what people usually asked about. When asked about quidditch, she’ll talk about how her father got her into the sport. If it was about dueling, she'd tell the history of her family’s top duelists and some of the spells they created that she uses today. Realizing it now, Jae noticed that Veruca never really shared these interests as her own; it was always about her family having an influence on her.
"I used to do ballet but gave it up. Like I said, I don't see myself pursuing it," Veruca shrugged, leaning back in her seat. She spoke with an uninterested tone, dismissing any questions the group kept asking. It was clearly obvious that she didn’t want to talk about it. Chiara saw the glint in Diego’s eyes, and she knew from that look that Diego had something planned and was determined to get it done.
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Part 2 • A Bet Between Duelist
Diego doesn’t see Veruca again until the next day, when he finds her in the Dueling Club room. She was in the middle of a duel with another Slytherin, who looked to be in her second year. Diego recognized her to be Elora Dunn, one of the few Slytherins who enjoyed Veruca's company and usually sought out her help. Veruca wasn't using any of her usual destructive and aggressive spells, so Diego assumed she was training the younger Slytherin.
Elora was holding her own pretty well despite the slight delays in casting some protection spells or countering Veruca's attacks. Meanwhile, Veruca was barely breaking a sweat. She cast spells with ease; she was in her element, easily countering Elora's spells. Veruca took advantage of Elora's delayed reaction, using Expelliarmus to knock the wand right out of Elora's hand, ending the duel.
"Good job, Elora. You lasted much longer than the last time." Veruca gave her a small smile, patting the young girl on her head. Elora lets out a sigh and picks up her wand, "Yet I still lost."
"How many duels you win or lose shouldn't matter. What really matters is that you've been improving, though you still hesitate when you're about to counter." Veruca casts a glance at Diego, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He gives her a light wave and his usual grin. Veruca returns the gesture with a pointed look before turning back to Elora. "I'd say we can continue, but let’s call it quits for today. You can go, I’m sure your friends are waiting for you. Someone else needs my attention." Elora lets out a small laugh, "Okay! I’ll see you later, Veruca. Thanks again for training me!" She grabbed her stuff before rushing out of the club room.
Silence filled the room a bit before Diego spoke up, "How charitable of you, Veruca. I always knew you were selfless. I mean, why wouldn't you be? You were willing to help Rowan become a prefect. You even helped Ismelda when Emily was bullying her, despite your past interactions with each other. And then there was—"
"Alright, what do you want?" Veruca cuts him off before he can continue droning on. Knowing Diego, he'll go off on tangents just to praise anyone worthy of it. "Quick to the point, too!" shrugged the Hufflepuff. "Well, I'm genuinely curious why you'd give up dancing. Especially with how you're quick to dismiss anyone's questions about it."
"Diego, why are you so insistent on knowing? Everyone else dropped the topic, yet you can't seem to do the same."
"Because I can tell from the look in your eyes that it's more than just you losing interest in it." He paused for a moment, letting his words sink in for Veruca. He can see the internal battle going on through Veruca's eyes. While it's true that Veruca doesn't usually talk about herself, it's kind of easy to see right through her if you knew her well enough to get past her high walls. Diego steps closer to Veruca, placing a hand over her shoulder for comfort. "Did something happen that affected your passion for ballet, that it would make you quit altogether?"
Veruca remained silent, staring into Diego's eyes for any sign of... something. But what? What exactly is she looking for? Diego is a genuine and sincere guy; he hasn't done anything that would hurt her. Veruca's hands feel sweaty. How long have her hands even been clasped? Sensing no deceit, Veruca lets out a heavy sigh. "When I was still attending a school for ballet, there was a classical ballet that I wanted to play in. It was important to me that I get in, even if it was a background role."
"What ballet was it?" Diego inquired. Veruca doesn't usually like sharing her problems with others. It might be because of her pride, or she just genuinely doesn’t want people to get involved with her issues.
"Sleeping Beauty. My nana loved the fairytale so much, I wanted to get in just for her to watch. But I couldn't."
"And what happened? Were all the roles taken?"
Veruca shakes her head, "I failed..." She shifts her weight, leaning on one foot. Not knowing what to do with her hands as her fingers kept clenching and unclenching, she wrapped her arms around herself, her hands grasping onto her upper arms. "I didn't stick the landing. I lost my balance upon landing and fell over. I almost got hurt in the process."
"Sleeping Beauty is one of the hardest classical ballets. One mistake though shouldn't stop you from that. There's nothing to be ashamed about."
"Diego, I'm more ashamed that I couldn't do something nice for my nana after telling her I'd get a part. I practiced that dance every day, only to fail in front of everyone at the audition. My nana… She was upset when she heard the news."
"Are you sure she was upset that you didn't get the part, or because you were dancing for someone else's enjoyment and not yours?"
Veruca didn't answer. In truth, she actually didn't know how her Nana really felt. She had been so caught up in her emotions that day that it may have felt like her nana was upset at her. "It doesn't matter now... I've given up dancing altogether. I don't plan on getting back into it."
Diego was silent. He knew something bad must have happened to Veruca to cause her to quit. But he never expected her to feel so much shame from it. His gaze on Veruca never left; he saw how her face was scrunched up, the many emotions clashing in her eyes, and her arms wrapped around her as if she were protecting herself. He's never seen her look so vulnerable before.
"I have an idea!" Diego loudly proclaims, causing Veruca to flinch from the sudden outburst. "How about we duel? And not our usual duel—a bet, so to speak. I think it would do good for both of us if we put some stakes on the line."
When Diego insisted on a bet, Veruca was skeptical of him. Having already experienced the intense glare of a McQuaid and feeling the absolute dread that the gaze evokes, Diego immediately gives his reason for challenging Veruca before she can use her glare on him. "Look, you like a challenge, right? Obviously, I'm not going to get a direct answer from you, so how about we place bets? If I win the duel, you have to be my partner for the dance contest."
"And if I win?" Veruca asks. "If you win, I'll find someone else to join me, and I'll never bring up your dancing history again," Diego simply shrugged.
After a moment of contemplation, Veruca agrees to duel. After all, Diego was right; she loves a challenge and wouldn't turn one down. She takes pride in her dueling skills and her family’s history of spell creation. Dueling is just a family hobby for her, something she can handle with ease.
After a long, hard duel with aggressive and destructive spells being cast left and right, it ultimately ends with Diego being the victor, leaving Veruca completely surprised. "It looks like I've won, Veruca." Diego strode toward the girl, a proud expression on his face. "And now, you'll have to be my partner for the contest." "I promise you, you will have the time of your life," he says as he clasps his hands over Veruca's. "And you won't ever feel the fear or shame of performing again."
Veruca rolls her eyes, pulling her hands away from Diego's. "Yeah, yeah. So what now? When do we start?"
Diego shakes his head and says, "It's not when, but where and with whom." We are going to head to Professor McGonagal. Before we can start practicing, we need to help you build up your confidence."
"My confidence?" Veruca raises her brow. "What does Professor McGonagal have to do with that?"
"Professor McGonagal is the advisor for the dance club. Who better to seek advice and encouragement from than her?" Diego happily says, taking Veruca's hand again and leading her out of the Dueling Club room, heading towards the Transfiguration Class. Veruca doesn't say anything but lets Diego drag her along.
