| Details for Remorse and Compliments |
| Summary: | A calm talk about how things have turned out. |
| Date: | October 21, 1939 |
| Location: | Gardens, Hogwarts |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
   |
The day after the raid is a quiet one. To the prefect sitting against the wall half hidden by shrubs it is. Elspeth isn't looking at the journal open in her lap, or even drawing in it. Her head leans back against the wall, and a piece of paper is slipping from the book towards the ground as she stares off into space. It's lunch time, but, for the first time this year, Elspeth Rosen is missing a meal.
Angelus isn’t much up to hanging around his commons. He’s on his own as he makes his way around the greenhouses, strolling through the gardens. At breakfast he was a little subdued, eating a little, but while he was in the Hall for lunch he ate a little more. A glance is cast back over his shoulder to the castle, and as he walks through the gardens he draws out the pieces of his wand. The youth doesn’t notice anyone is about as he finds a bench to sit down at, lowering his head as he fixes his eyes on the two halves, the vanity handle gone, of course. The Gryffindor seems to be trying to fit them together.
The arrival of Angelus brings Elspeth out of her reverie. She looks over to him, and bites her lip considering whether or not to speak up. Finally, she quietly pulls back the page that was sliding from her book and takes a breath. "I am being sorry," she says quietly.
Calista steps into the gardens and seems to have come seeking something. Angelus was not around when she checked the Gryffindor tables at lunch to speak with him. The pictures directed her outwards. Her tread is even but her right hand is tucked into her sleeve.
Angelus stops fidgeting with the broken tool, letting his hands rest in his lap as he blinks and lifts his head. His eyes scan the gardens, sliding over to the voice and tilting his head. A small flick twitches against his lips, a thoughtful hum escaping from him. “It’s a bit annoying,” he murmurs bitterly, shrugging his shoulders lightly. His gaze slides way before he lets out a sigh, turning to look back towards Elspeth. “Thank you, by the way. I - heh - I might have been wrong about you, Rosen.” A faint smile manages to pull at his lips, but it fades as he glances briefly down to his wand halves. He lifts his eyes to the arrival, and offers a greeting by lifting his head to Calista. “Good afternoon, Flint.”
"It is not being annoying. It is being wrong," Elspeth counters quietly. "I am knowing you are believing we should be respecting the Headmaster, but I am finding that even more difficult, now." She pauses at his words, and looks at him, her brows furrowing together. "I am… not being sure what for what you are thanking me, but you are being welcome." Pushing her back against the wall, she manages to slide herself onto her feet, her arms wrapped around her book, and the weight of her satchel pulling her shoulder strap tight across her body as she rises. She turns as well, and nods her head. "Hello, Flint," she adds, tipping her head curiously.
Calista finds the pair at Angelus' greeting. Seeing a Muggle-Born, she almost takes a defensive posture, but relaxes. Pure-Bloods cannot live in fear of Muggle-Born bullies, despite the many attacks. She tucks her wand back up to the sheath. "Eibon, are you alright?" She asks, her head shifting and turning to study Rosen, "Good afternoon, Rosen."
Angelus arches a brow, giving Elspeth a thoughtful look. A hum escapes the youth, and his head comes up. “Wrong? I wasn’t forced to sign anything,” he says defensively, shaking his head. He stands up from the bench, tucking away the two halves of his wand into his robes. “Whatever I feel about things, what I’ve seen is that you’re a good prefect, regardless of status.” He offers Elspeth a soft smile. He turns his head to look to Calista, regarding her for a second before he nods his head in answer. “Certainly.” He tilts his head and regards the seventh year for another second. “Are you, Flint? I- I don’t really understand what happened. Were people duelling?”
Elspeth shakes her head slowly. "Breaking a person’s wand is being a punishment for crimes of a heinous nature, of using too much dark magic, of killing people. No one should ever being asked to sign a contract that is going to be a breaking a wand," she explains. "That is what I am thinking." Finally stepping from the bushes, she inclines her head once. "Thank you, then, Angelus." Her attention turns to Calista as she converses with the Gryffindor, she sighs. "Considering how Cavanaugh was behaving, I am thinking the answer to that question is being yes." And, incongruously, a smile crosses her face. "And your brother would be saying, 'I told you so all along'," she muses with a tinge of reluctant acceptance.
Calista nods her head slowly, "Yes, I was attacked delivering my charge to the library. Lowe cast a spell on me completely unprovoked. He locked my feet to the ground, well, my shoes. Shine hit me with a disarm spell. With the force, and my feet bound.. I am lucky I didn't break a leg." Calista explains, surprisingly she doesn't seem worried about discussing this or being relaxed around Elspeth. "Malfoy was attacked in the dungeons." she takes a second and a slow sigh, "On behalf of the House of Flint, I offer my apologies about the wand, Eibon." she states and gives a nod to Rosen. "It had to happen, we never meant for it to get violent, but we worried it would."
Angelus’ eyes slide back to Elspeth to regard her with a touch of uneasiness at the mention of dark magic. That’s what he was worried about, and he bites his lip, glancing towards a plant in the distance as he lets out a sigh. He wasn’t going to get mixed up in dark magic. He simply nods to Elspeth without another word, frowning more deeply as she turns from her to look to the Slytherin. “It’s all gotten out of hand,” he murmurs out, turning to kick the toe of his polished shoe against a brush. “No one was supposed to get hurt. It wasn’t supposed to be violent.” The fourth year turns his gaze up to Calista again, and he lets out a quiet, but humourless chuckle. “I made the choice, Flint. I would feel far guiltier turning my back on you and the rest of our members if I wasn’t punished for it. But…” He lifts a hand to brush his fingers over his lips, sighing softly. “I just want to prevent more injuries.”
"Lan was predicting that it was going to be coming to this on the day the Mud Club was being formed," Elspeth says sadly. In the moment of reminiscing, she is actually unguarded, and the reluctant pride also reveals her feelings for the Slytherin Eibon. She pulls herself together and straightens a bit. She twitches a half smile towards Calista, and nods. "I am knowing that… but Lan was being right… it was being inevitable. I am hoping that this is going to the worst, although I have a feeling he would be saying differently." Reaching down to her satchel, she steps forward towards Angelus drawing her wand. "Here," she says, flipping it around, the handle towards Angelus. "It is not being as expensive or as fancy as yours is being, but you will not be falling behind in your classes while you are waiting for your father to be receiving permission to take you to buy a new one. You can be putting your fancy handle on it and no one will be knowing it is mine unless Flint is telling them."
Calista knows what she has done as well, and she feels no remorse. She is no dark wizard, she did nothing wrong or illegal. She straightens her posture. "You did nothing wrong, Eibon. You believed something, you stood by that. None of us will blame you for any of it." She cuts off her words, brows knitting a she looks at Rosen, "A spare wand? Why would you offer him your wand?" she asks in a perplexed tone, it is enough to confuse her.
Angelus can’t help it when his jaw tightens, but he watches Elspeth quietly. All this talking about his brother and all, Angelus lets out a sigh and slides his gaze away, looking elsewhere in the gardens. A manages a gentle smile as he brings his gaze back to Elspeth, smirking and letting out a ‘heh.’ “My brother has good intuition,” he comments simply. He turns to look at Calista and a smile tugs at his lips, offering her a dip of her head. “Thank you, Flint. You have my full respect, as always.” But he still turns his eyes to the ground, looking remorseful as he shifts uneasily on his feet. He blinks, lifting his head up suddenly to stare at Elspeth with a look of surprise. “What?” Gel takes a couple steps back from Elspeth, eyeing her wand. When he manages to shake the surprise, the youth lets out a chuckle, giving his head a heavy shake. “Oh no, I don’t need your wand, Rosen,” he says, his head coming up proudly. “Nor do I think I could ever successfully use your wand.” He lets out a sigh, and adds in after a pause. “But thank you.”
"I am not having enough money to be having a spare wand," Elspeth responds to Flint mildly. "It is not being as grand a gesture as you are thinking," she admits in the same mild tone. "I am being miles ahead of Professor Burke in the MUD text, and as I am being forbidden to study for NEWTs, my wand is hardly being used at all. If Angelus can be making use of it, than there is something that I can be doing." Somehow, as in the rest of her conversation all semester, her voice does not hold the anger of many of the classmates who rail against what is being done. There is only the acceptance of the way things are currently tinged with a hope for change. When Eibon asserts that he doesn't need her wand, she raises one eyebrow, but when he mentions that he probably couldn't successfully use her wand, she can't help the little laugh that bubbles up. "Perhaps not," she agrees. With a little flip she reverses the handle back into her hand, then stows her wand away. "Lunch will be ending soon, and I must be rounding up my Ravenclaws for our class. I must be going. I am being truly sorry Eibon. You are not deserving of having your wand broken. Afternoon, Flint." Her hand resting on her satchel, she turns and walks back towards the Castle.
Flint watches Angelus curiously, her lips curling to a soft smile as she listens to him speak. She rocks on the toes of her shoes a little bit as she replies, "You have my complete respect as well, Eibon." The Slytherin is not certain by any means she trusts Rosen's offer to be genuine. Still, the potential counter point is maybe surprisingly not wasted on Flint. "That will change, soon, Rosen. Also, this meal thing will be sorted out. I have been opposed to you having different meals from day one. This was never.. intended to be like this by the students. Good day to you." she says and turns her gaze back to Angelus. "If I can help expedite your new wand, let me know." She steps a little closer, "And if." Her voice dropping, "You need to have someone explain why yours broke.. I will do so, so your family does not think wrongly of you."
Angelus turns to watch Elspeth as she speaks, nodding slowly, but he chooses to say nothing in response. There’s nothing he can do about it. “Thank you, Rosen,” he returns politely. “Good day.” A smile flicks momentarily across his face. He watches the Ravenclaw depart, a slight tilt of his head, following her until she’s at a distance and then shaking his head as he heaves a sigh. Looking around the gardens, the youth brings his gaze back to Calista. “Like I would accept a wand used by a Muggle-born,” he comments with a smirk, head lifting proudly. “I’ve still got my principles.” A smile flickers against his face. “Thank you, Flint, but my father will pick me up as soon as he can. I’ve already written to him.”