| Details for Runes, Half-Bloods, and a Challenge |
| Summary: | Eilona, Variel, and Lucretia talk about half-bloods, Ancient Runes, and Variel's relationship with Elizabeth. Lucretia is upset that Variel would date a half-blood, and Eilona leaves determined to prove that half-bloods are just as good as anyone else. |
| Date: | 1939-01-02 |
| Location: | The Leaky Cauldron |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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Eilona wanders around the Leaky Cauldron rather aimlessly, occasionally glancing at a middle-aged couple at a table. She has a slow, whimsical step, and she eventually stops and looks at a lantern hanging on the wall. She stares at it for about a minute, and then she pokes it.
"You'll burn yourself. Are you stupid or something?" The voice that cuts across the room to where Eilona stands comes from the dark-haired girl sat at a table about ten feet away. Lucretia has a book open in front of her and there's a plate of sandwiches and a butterbeer set by her left elbow. Diminutive in both height and build, the third-year Slytherin looks more like a first-year, though the confidence with which she carries herself and speaks should make her a fourth-year at the very least. She scowls at Eilona. "Don't do that again."
Eilona turns her head and grins, seeing a reprieve from her boredom. "Yes. I am most definitely stupid. Do you know why?" She pauses long enough to inhale. "I forgot to bring my diary. Anything could happen, and I wouldn't be able to write it down! Or even worse, I could be bored and have nothing to do!" She takes a deep, calming breath. "But enough about me. What's your story? What brings you here on this fine day, insulting me and looking out for me, all at once?" Eilona grins again.
Lucretia closes her eyes, sucks in a breath, then opens them again, her focus pulled completely from her reading now to center on the other other girl. "I'm sorry. Do I know you?" There's a cool, assessing regard given Eilona from the top of her head to the tips of her toes, eyes travelling down and then back up to lock upon the other girl's face. "I'm Lucretia Black. Slytherin. No story, and you shouldn't be so nosey anyway."
Eilona feels a chill in Lucretia's gaze. She relishes in it. It's better than being ignored. "I'm Eilona. Eilona Rosenberg. Ravenclaw. And I'm not nosey, I'm curious." She looks the Slytherin girl up and down, taking in every detail. A reader. Excellent. "Watch's your book about?"
Variel steps into the pub and glances around, taking stock if the patronus. Er, patrons.
"Its a book of ancient runes," Lucretia says, flipping it shut immediately the other girl shows an interest in it. It looks expensive, rare even, leather-bound with an intricately tooled front and gilding to the edges of the pages. "Curiousity killed the cat. You should know that." So terribly mysterious, the girl lifts her butterbeer to take a sip, a finger-tuck of a few loose hairs to neaten them behind her ear when Variel's appearance gets noted. Oddly, she doesn't greet him with her usual warm smile, instead a rather tight look pulls her mouth into a line. She chews on her lip. "Hello, Weasley."
Eilona was about to ask whether Lucretia would recommend taking Ancient Runes next year (she'd heard the new professor was very smart) but upon seeing her reaction to the older boy, she immediately shuts her mouth and looks down. It wouldn't do to interrupt… whatever was about to happen. She wishes desperately for something to write with.
Variel slings himself down beside Lucretia with a grin and a wave for the Ravenclaw. "Black- you were gone when I got back. I heard what you said, me not saying goodbye and all- one doesn't go to farewells if one isn't going anyplace. I AM sorry you felt I'd scampered improperly, though- was important. Needed those flowers to be a surprise."
The tips of Lu's fingers just rest on the cover of her book, her eyes focusing on them a moment before regard is given Eilona from behind a thick frame of lashes. She doesn't invite the girl to sit, though if she does decide to do so she won't object. Shoulders rise and fall, and with Variel's greeting she twists slightly in his direction, a mask of friendliness shuttering her emotions. "Ah. The way you walked off with Elizabeth in tow had me thinking you were off somewhere and not returning. I expect she adored the flowers."
Sitting down slowly, trying not to draw attention to herself, Eilona watches the pair carefully. Was the Slytherin girl jealous? Were Variel and Elizabeth an item? At least the Weasley boy was gracious enough to apologize. She considers introducing herself to him, but decides to wait a moment, instead admiring Lucretia's textbook.
Variel says, "She did, a bit. Helped make a proper apology out of things." Variel watches Lulu's face a moment before deciding her eyes didn't warm. "…But. That's not what's bothering you. Is it?" He lifted a hand and placed an order for a glass of butterbeer. "You should relax, Lulu. We're spending time together, not betrothed. She's a proper witch, and unless we get engaged, it isn't as though her blood comes into play."
Lulu lifts her chin and exhales a breath. "So what Rowle said last night was true then? I was hoping he'd got it wrong." There's a small scrunching of her nose and her smile falters. "I know that dating isn't the same as marrying, I'm not stupid. I just…" Voice cracking in her chest, she dips her head away, picks up her own mug of butterbeer and takes a long, calming sip of it. "I'm not judging you. I'm just a little disappointed I suppose." Fingers curl around her mug and she just catches the intent observation focused her way by the girl opposite. "Is something wrong? You're staring."
Eilona blinks. "Sorry! I didn't mean to stare." She hesitates for a moment, and then says, "I don't think you have anything to worry about. Most half-bloods turn out perfectly normal. Myself excluded, of course." She grins, hoping to set Lucretia at ease.
Variel says, "I can get that, I guess. Or at least, I'd understand worried. I still think you ought to relax. She's a good friend, loyal to a fault, and we're both aware it's a bit silly. She knows it'd be selfish to ask me to do much more than spend time together. She's more reasonable than you might think, Lulu. Have a little faith that I've thought out my future a bit more than all that?"
"Worried. Yes, worried is a good word to describe how I feel about one of my friends dating a half-blood." Lu tries a smile with that, her eyes lifting to meet with Variel's, but her usual ready one just isn't there for him today and her knuckles show white where she grips her mug overly hard. And then, of course, Eilona mentions her own heritage and the admission of that causes Lucretia to exhale loudly. She turns to the Ravenclaw, expression hardening once more. "Next time I'll let you continue poking or prodding at something dangerous so you learn the hard way."
Eilona smiles slightly at that. However, she decides that prodding Lucretia might be a little more hazardous than necessary, at least for now. "She rescued me from poking a lantern out of sheer boredom," she explains, turning to Variel. "So I hope my parentage hasn't antagonized her too much," she continues casually, glancing at a middle-aged couple at another table again. "I'm Eilona. I didn't catch your name."
Variel reaches over and loops an arm around Lucretia companionably. "I get that you can't relax yet. But trust me? When all is said and done, I doubt youll be disappointed." Eilona gets a grin for the lantern. "Well, good thing Black was feeling charitable! I'm Weasley, Variel Weasley."
Lucretia's lower lip juts forward, though she doesn't shake off Variel's arm. If anything, she seems to take a degree of comfort from it and scootches just a little closer so she can lean into his side. "Trust you, you say. That's a big thing to ask of someone." A sip is taken of her butterbeer and she scowls across the table at Eilona. "Its very rude to talk about someone like they aren't here; she this and her that. I do have a name, you know. Unless you're so lost without your diary to write things down in that you've forgotten it already?"
Eilona doesn't look annoyed until the 'lost without your diary' comment. That hits home. She opens her mouth to make a smart retort, and then she remembers something her mother said: Every enemy is someone who's less likely to give you information, less likely to share their story with you. She inhales and decides, instead, to change the subject. "Lucretia. Lucretia Black, of the Great and Noble House of Black." She recites the title playfully, but not mockingly, as if it's cool to have such a prestigious family. "Hey—" she glances down at the ancient runes book. "Are you related to Professor Black?"
Lucretia gives a small nod of her head. It might be that Eilona's refusal to rise to her ill-tempered bait has earned her a reprieve from further snarkiness. "Professor Black is my grandfather. Yes. He is my inspiration insofar as my love of studying ancient runes goes." That the young witch is already leaps and bounds ahead of others in her year in her study of them would go without saying and she sets her beer down and generously nudges her book a fraction of an inch Eilona's way and opens it to a beautifully calligraphied page. "You can look at it, but you can't touch it."
The scooch closer gets a gentle squeeze. Lulu gets a sideways glance when she makes the diary comment, but he chimes in anyhow. "Grandfather, if my genealogy serves. Love his classes, an absolute treat. Working on my NEWT with him! But Black's right- best to keep names ready, and only use last names unless given permission to be more personal.""
"Well, feel free to call me Eilona, then," she says casually, looking at Variel and then Lucretia. She feels a rush of excitement as the girl offers to let her look at the runes book, and she scoots a little closer to look over the elegant writing. "It's beautiful! I am /so/ taking Ancient Runes next year." She points to a rune at random, careful to hold her finger a few inches away from the page. "What does that one mean?"
"It means that should you accidentally touch it and get a greasy fingermark on it, you'll be eating slugs for a year," Lucretia says, promptly pulling the book back and out of the Eilona's reach. "Also, you shouldn't take a subject just because it looks pretty, you should take it because you have an empathy for it." A judgmental look is given the Ravenclaw and Lu shuts up then, which is probably a good thing since she's not one for normally holding back.
"You sound like Professor Mopsus," says Eilona. "You should have seen his face when I said I wanted to take Divination because crystal balls are sparkly. 'Now, Miss Rosenberg, what could you /learn/ from these courses?'" She sighs. "You're both right, though.
"You sound like Professor Mopsus," says Eilona. "You should have seen his face when I said I wanted to take Divination because crystal balls are sparkly. 'Now, Miss Rosenberg, what could you /learn/ from these courses?'" She sighs. "You're both right, though."
Lucretia stares at Eilona, disbelief playing across her expression. She tips her head up, the movement designed to pull Variel's attention down to her. "See? This is a perfect example as to why half-bloods, mudbloods and everything in between need to be excluded from our world."
Variel gives Lu a vaguely exasperated look. it isn't too harsh though, and hr squeezes her again. "Not much for politics, Lulu," he sighs dramatically. "You'll find that a lot of the pure blooded families have little patience for people who don't have familiarity with things we take for granted. Black is more vocal and rather honest about her feelings, as you've noticed. Possible separation is a constant debate."
This time, the hurt is obvious in Eilona's face. She looks angry at first, but after Variel's words, the fire in her eyes changes to determination. "Fine then. You think I'm no good as a witch because my dad's a Muggle-born? Or what, you think I'm going to turn traitor and tell the Muggle world about magic?" Well, I'll tell you what, /Black/." She leans in, looking Lucretia in the eye and standing. "I'm going to prove you wrong." She walks towards the doorway to Diagon Alley, taking long, determined strides. Well, as long as a twelve-year-old girl can take.
"Doubt it," Lucretia calls after Eilona, not bothering to respond more than that before she lifts a sandwich from her plate, breaks it in half and offers the larger half to Variel. "I can see we're going to have continual clashes on this, but I don't mind. Its good for the brain. Also, I'm aware that I'm not the most diplomatic, then again I hate deceit of any kind."
Variel takes the sandwich with thanks, then grins. "Wouldn't call that conflict. I could see your point, and its one Rashley has made. I know there were lessons I hated because they should have been obvious. I just shared the background so she'd be better prepared. Didn't say you were wrong."