(1939-01-26) Beauty and Pride
Details for Beauty and Pride
Summary: Dante and Elizabeth bump into each other and begin talking about the importance of inner and outer beauty, society's view of half-bloods and muggle-borns, and whether or not Elizabeth really has some Gryffindor blood in her.
Date: January 26, 1939
Location: Study Area — Hogwarts
Related:
Characters
Elizabeth

It is a winter night. The weather is cold and snowing.


A very small library that can be used as a place to study that is both out of the main library and also not the Great Hall that usually acts as the home for study hall. The walls are all sone and the floor is oak hardwood that is designed to the wood looks like interlocking open books. Cheeky students in the past have scratched stories onto these books. Several throw rugs are placed here and there over some of the more inappropriate stories. Of course as well wood fill was used as a censor here and there as well. There are a few bookshelves in the room. Each bookshelf is dedicated to a Hogwarts Subject and every shelf is divided up by year with first year on the bottom and seventh year on the top. All the books in the study area are donated by students so they are in varying degrees of disrepair. Flanking each shelf is a couple of large tables. Every table is centered with a book holder and simple quills rest in black ink wells ready to be used by a studying student.


Even on a Saturday, it's difficult to find somewhere quiet inside the castle when there is no Hogsmeade. Students are constantly streaming about, hanging out and conversing, pretty much enjoying themselves on the few days of reprieve that there is. It's probably this reason why the Study Area is deserted, with the exception of Elizabeth. Having snuck in some breakfast pastries from the Great Hall, she now relaxes by herself in one of the chairs, looking over a book that rests in her lap with the top edge leaning at an angle against the end of the table. Every once in a while, she picks off a piece of pastry and lightly pops it into her mouth, chewing absently while she reads.

Dante slips into the room rather quietly with a charms textbook under his arm. The blond boy looks about the empty room with a frown. But upon spotting Elizabeth sitting alone he makes his way over and settles into a seat across from her with a grin. "Hello agian Dweedle. What are you reading?" He eyes the book curiously as he cracks open his own book scanning the table of contents breifly. Most of his attention though remains on the girl across from him.

Once more the boy seems to catch her off guard, her pale blue eyes blinking up at the sudden appearance of another. A familiar face. Her soft lips part absently, wordless for a moment before she gently shakes her raven head, as if to clear it momentarily. "Um, Egyptian…" she begins. "Ancient Egyptian texts. I… have a bit of a flair for languages, and this is the next one I'm attempting to learn." For the moment, it looks as if she's trying hard not to glance up at his eyes.

"Ancient Egyptian? That sounds like it would help with Ancient Runes at the very least but its probably hard to learn though…" Dante studies her carefully and smirks at her rather tense reaction to his presence. "Now Dweedle I don't bite just anyone you know….and certainly not so soon after meeting them. You are cute but you need to relax. I'm harmless…mostly." He chuckles and leans back in his seat crossing one leg over the other and flipping through his charms book idly.

Elizabeth loosely rolls her eyes and very faintly, shakes her dark head, a hand smoothly reaching up to brush back a few locks from her cheek to tuck behind her ear. "I have an eidetic memory, so I pick up on languages rather quickly." she murmurs, pausing a longer moment before glancing his way. "And it isn't that. You just… seem to be the type that would rely a bit more heavily on appearances than most. Not that I couldn't understand being swept away by them, but it also does a disservice to you as well." There's another pause before she looks back to her breakfast, plucking another piece of the pastry. "And I don't mind if you call me Elizabeth."

Dante looks confused and slightly curious at the comment about appearances. "What do you mean by that Elizabeth? I look perfectly handsome as is don't I?" He flashes a charming grin at her and then chuckles. "I'm comfortable the way I am is that so bad? Should I slick my hair back and dress like a rich snob then? Thats not me…I do my own thing." He studies her a moment longer and then offers. "Oh and you may call me Dante as well if you wish." Another grin is given.

Her cheeks brighten with a flush. "I'm not saying that you aren't…" Elizabeth says carefully, "But, I would hope that you are more than just your… good looks. Inner beauty and all that? And… I also have to wonder just how much of that bravo is just for show." A small smile twitches on her soft lips. "To answer your question though, it isn't bad to be confident. I wish I had some of that sort of self-confident too at times."

"Inner beauty? I don't know if I have any of that or not…I hope so. I wouldn't want someone to like me just for my money or good looks after all.." Dante smiles playfully but his tone remains rather serious. He smiles gently at Elizabeth as she mentions wanting more confidence. His head tilts as he studies her a moment before speaking once again. "You are very pretty Elizabeth and obviously smart and insightful too so why wouldn't you be confident? Like yourself as you are thats the first step."

It takes a moment, but just after the smile blossoms through her expression as she chuckles. "Well then, we both wish for the same thing. For you I mean." she chuckles again. "If someone likes me just because of my father's little bookshop, well then you must really be a Ravenclaw now, hm?" The playful teasing is gentle, but comes naturally. His next question gives her a thoughtful pause. "I suppose I've been through a series of events that have left me questioning the balance of inner and outer beauty. If that makes any sense." Elizabeth meets his gaze. "Liking myself is half the equation."

Dante chuckles softly. "Me a Ravenclaw? I don't think so I'm nowhere near driven enough…I do enjoy reading from time to time though." He studies her curiously when she speaks those next words. He nods. "Liking yourself is important after all how can you expect others to like you if you can't like yourself. And in my opinion outer beauty and inner are two separate things…you can have one or the other or you can have both…It depends on the person." He almost looks thoughtful now.

Elizabeth watches his eyes quietly, listening, and at one point her expression softens. "That right there, what you said. So far that's been the most handsome part about you." Though admitting that out loud seems to make her a little shy again, after just being able to open up. She looks to her breakfast pastry thoughtfully, taking a small bite from it and chewing thoughtfully. "The reason why I think that liking yourself is half the equation, is because I'm also beginning to believe that if the person you fancy also finds you beautiful, wouldn't that makes you all that much more so? On the inside at least. Or maybe I'm just over-thinking it." Elizabeth chuckles quietly, trying to shrug it off.

Dante looks at her with an expression of faint surprise at that admission. He chuckles softly and then listens quietly as she continues. His smile is soft as he watches her and nods slowly. "Someone else finding you beautiful can help your confidence as well. But yes if someone can see the inner beauty in you that offers even more proof that it is there. Liking yourself is the first step but being comfortable around others and allowing them to like you too is another." He smiles playfully and laughs softly. "Perhaps I should have been in Ravenclaw after all hmm?"

"Not just anyone." Elizabeth murmurs. "Personally, I really don't care what other people think about me. Society will always have their opinion of be because I'm not pure-blooded, but the person I might fancy… well, their opinion means so much more because their worth is much more. If they haven't proven themselves to be total twats I mean…" A small hand absently brushes her raven locks from her face, habit it seems as she lightly bites at her bottom lip, before meeting his eyes again. "I suppose I'm still working on that next step, hm? But I think I'm making progress." Elizabeth chuckles quietly again, joining in with him. "You are where you are meant to be, according to the Sorting Hat. Maybe it just means you have a little bit of Ravenclaw blood in you." she smiles.

"I don't care much at all for what the pure-bloods think of me. I shouldn't be considered second rate because I'm a muggleborn. I don't care for public opinion as a whole either…friends and family…maybe a significant other at some point too. Those are people whose opinions I will listen to and I still reserve the right to disagree with them." Dante grins and listens as she explains further. "I hope you continue to make progress then." He chuckles at the Ravenclaw comment. "Oh I'm much to brave and bold to go anywhere but Gryffindor. Still I think I may have some Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff traits to me as well. It makes for an interesting combination I think"

Her pale eyes seem to sparkle from behind her wire frames. "Exactly. And it's that narrow mindset that gives us all that much more reason to strive for what we want. Not because we think we deserve it, but because we know we'll outshine everyone else." There's a little bit of relief in her shoulders, knowing that she had someone on her side for once. Someone she didn't have to constantly explain her side or point of view without also bruising a sensitive ego. His words though make her smile. "My father was a Ravenclaw, but my mother was a Gryffindor, so I know for a fact that I have some Gryffindor in me."

Dante meets those sparkling eyes with his own deep blue ones and nods unable to help the grin from spreading across his face. "Yes we can and will prove them wrong…they may not want to see that muggleborns and halfbloods are just as good if not better than purebloods but they will eventually. Its not blood that makes you great its skill and determination to better yourself." He chuckles softly as she mentions having Gryffindor qualities. "I'll have to test just how Gryffindor you are at some point then."

Elizabeth blinks her powder blue eyes once at him, curious for a pause. "Now I have to wonder just what sort of test this would be. Or how it would be administrated, rather." Though after another moment, she does smile. "And don't think for a moment that I'm not suspicious either. Gryffindors can give Slytherins a run for their money sometimes."

Dante smirks and chuckles at her. "Don't worry I will find the perfect way to test your Gryffindor courage and I promise it will be completely painless and not too dangerous either." He winks at her his eyes shining with mischief as he rises from his seat. "I need to go now. I hope to see you around Elizabeth. I'll test you when you least expect it okay?" He grins and her and then turns to head for the door offering a little waves before he exits out into the hall.

"Oh, Merlin's beard. Why do I feel like I've stepped into your web then, hm?" Elizabeth asks, giving him a playful, mildly accusing look that only seems to last but a moment. The mischief in his eyes and that wink is enough to give her a pause, one she knows is so completely unfair. "I'm sure we'll spot one another in class. And it is rather difficult to overlook you after all." A simple fact. Yes, a fact. In the end, she pauses just briefly before lifting a small hand to wave back at him.

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