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Post by belisma on Aug 11, 2007 22:32:06 GMT
Daydreaming of fighting dark wizards, Bella flipped idly through the pages of her text book, pretending to study as her mind wandered through all manner of scenarios. Of course, Bella knew she should actually be studying, but that was so boring! What they should do is actually take us out into the real world to fight! her mind cried in excitement. It's the only real way to learn. Again arranging an imaginary war between the light and dark, she slid her wand out of her pocket, flicking it as her mind cast spells she hadn't even learned yet. Ah, the innocence of youth.
Hearing a noise, Bella slid her hand down, slipping her wand back into her pocket, feeling her cheeks heat. She knew if she got caught acting like a magic-obsessed child she would be embarassed beyond all recovery. Again, hiding redhot cheeks with her hair, she began flipping the pages of the text as quietly as she could, trying to tell if someone was really coming or not.[/font]
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Post by Elijah Ellerby on Aug 11, 2007 22:45:25 GMT
Elijah walked along slowly, completely oblivious to his surroundings as he concentrated on the mammoth, yellowing book balanced in the crook of one arm, his free hand tracing along line after line as he muttered under his breath, reading.
Being a NEWT student in Defence Against the Dark Arts was usually worth the while just for the books one was allowed to retrieve from the Restricted Section alone! Time and time again Elijah was both horrified and tantilised by what was still left in there to be peeked at by any innocent first year, and right now he strolled along, completely absorbed in a detailed description of how to brew the Plague Potion.
Letting out a laugh of surprise to see rose petals on the list, Elijah sat down at the first table his legs bought him to, completely unaware a Gryffindor girl was sat watching him on the opposite side...
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Post by belisma on Aug 11, 2007 22:53:26 GMT
Peeking up through strands of curly, silvery blonde hair, Bella watched as a seventh year sat down across from her, talking to himself and laughing as he read. Well, he was cute, but looked to her as if he was downright nutty. She knew they were in the same house without even looking at his robes, she had seen him about the common room now and again, but, being a fourth year (ahem.) had never expected him to notice she existed. And here he was, completely oblivious to her, just as always. Bella, feeling she deserved more attention than this, huffed out a breath, then inhaled to speak.
"Hello," she said brightly, a clear, white smile breaking across her porcelain face. "I'm Belisma Miu. You can call me Bella if you like." Being sure to keep her voice low, but loud enough so that he at least heard her, she awaited his response, toes twitched exctiedly under the table.[/font]
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Post by Elijah Ellerby on Aug 11, 2007 23:21:55 GMT
Elijah's eyes snapped upon the girl as her voice drifted out of nowhere. She had seemingly materialised in front of him - or he had invaded her table without even acknowledging her presence - and he quickly sat up straight, startled. He must've looked quite rude. 'Lord, sorry, I was in a completely different world!' He said with an apologetic frown, closing the heavy book shut with a thunderous slam, dumping it on the table next to him. 'No ones ever in here this time of day, although...' He spied the girl's book, which were all closed. He huffed a laugh.
Belisma? Sounds like some sort of rice. 'That's a lovely name, Bella. Very... unusual.' He said with a plastered on smile, the girl's fierce, hypnotic stare making him realise she had not appreciated being ignored, and that she now demanded some degree attention. Elijah felt strangely happy to give it. Scary.
Of course, Elijah was beginning to wonder how he had missed her in the first place, for he had seen her rather pretty head bob past plenty of times in the common room. With curly, almost glowing white-blonde hair, Belisma had always reminded Elijah of white lightening. 'I'm Elijah Ellerby, by the way. It's not quite so fantastical but it serves me well. Again, sorry about the intrusion - would you like me to move away?' He gestured to pick up his book and go, but secretly hoped she would save him from the walk of shame.
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Post by belisma on Aug 11, 2007 23:32:55 GMT
Bella's smile quirked open more as she let out a lofty laugh, as she had heard once described as 'like the ringing of a bell'. But she was pretty sure that was just some boy falling for the Veela in her. She got that more often than she liked. The attention wasn't bad, but she wanted people to love her for the right reasons, not because of what she looked like. Not like they can really help it, she thought sadly. A Veela's looks were bewitching.
"I know your name," she said softly, hoping the librarian didn't come to give a scolding hush. "I think I heard it in the common room once, or something." Eyes widening in surprise, she shook her head, really hoping he wasn't trying to leave because she was annoying or something. "No no," she whispered, "stay, if you like. I wasn't really reading anyway... If you're in the mood for company, I'd love for you to stay."[/font]
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Post by Elijah Ellerby on Aug 12, 2007 11:33:48 GMT
Elijah nodded slowly, thanking Belisma. For a couple of seconds he had trouble blinking - the prospect of not being able gawk at her dumbly for even a second seemed far too depressing - but his manners quickly overcame this bizarre desire and he rubbed his eyes, thinking it must’ve just been the low light making his brain slow. Two Ravenclaw boys walked past now, their talking dying out as their heads turned to stare at Belisma, one of them smacking into a shelf before rushing off in embarrassment. ‘Do you get that a lot, by any chance? You do seem a bit…’ He trailed off, wondering.
He frowned now. Lots of girls used them, of course, even though they were banned to all years – Beautifying Potions. Some of the most expensive ones even used extracts of Amortentia in their perfume. Despite still feeling spellbound Elijah breathed a sigh of relief to know that it wasn’t love at first sight he was dealing with. He didn’t think Belisma really needed them though. He could tell she was rather pretty already – she had a glow about her that was definitely natural.
Elijah smiled, having already guessed she wasn’t really studying. ‘Yeah, lots of people come in here just to sit. My friends think I’m book nuts but I don’t actually read half the time – you’ve caught me on a rare day.’ He patted the Dark Arts book, eyes bulging in surprise as it growled indignantly at him. ‘I suppose you like to get away from those type though, don’t you?’ He added, referring to the Ravenclaw boys. For now he would pretend not to know her potion-orientated secret, and play along.
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Post by belisma on Aug 12, 2007 18:33:23 GMT
Listening to Elijah talk she watched the Ravenclaw boys goggle her as the walked past. She wrinkled her small nose in distaste, clasping her hands together on top of the desk and looking back to him, forcing a smile. Behind the smile though, she actually felt rather stupid. Why did those boys have to walk by now? Feeling her cheeks heat slightly at his question, she lifted her hands to hook her hair behind an ears, giving her hands an excuse to do something.
"Er, yes, I do get that a lot," she said quietly, trying her best to not have to meet his eyes. She didn't like to see people's reactions when they found out she was part Veela, especially men. They seemed to deem the word 'Veela' the signal to start a competition to win Bella's heart. Which never quite worked, because Bella tried her best to stay away from relationships. This was more or less because walking around with your boyfriend could prove to be very difficult when you're getting wolf-whistled and stared at. "You see, my mum was a Veela, so... Well, I got her looks."
Her flace flushing, Bella lifted her eyes cautiously to his. Taking his last few sentences as a chance to escape questions about her mum and dad, ahe smiled. "Yeah, the library is like my sanctuary. Besides the girls dorms." At that she gave a small laugh. "None of those boys would dream of bothering me here, and it's certainly good to get away."
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Post by Elijah Ellerby on Aug 12, 2007 19:20:00 GMT
VEELA?!
Elijah’s eyes widened, immediately fixing Belisma with an exasperated face. She’d begun inspecting the table to hide a sudden bout of bashfulness, and so Elijah took the opportunity to stare at her with as little tact as possible, his mouth hanging open and looking gormless. He felt ridiculously foolish now – her heritage was so obvious, how had he managed to assume a few potions had made her hair like that, or her skin so luminous? As Belisma finally looked up at him, her eyes caught him off guard and he let out a soft huff, forgetting to hide his astonishment.
He cleared his throat loudly. ‘Well, I must look like an idiot. I thought you were using potions!’ He shook his head, laughing, taking a moment to turn his expression – which was probably greatly offending her after everything she had just told him – and fixed her with apologetic eyes.
‘You’ve probably had a very unusual upbringing then, I imagine. So you’re a half-breed? It must’ve been interesting growing up with a mother who wasn’t the same species as you… well, almost.’ He spoke with a tone that told her he didn’t mean to be tactless. He was genuinely fascinated and wanted to talk about it intelligently. ‘What’s your mother like? She must have been so different to other mothers, surly? Your father must've counted himself very lucky!’ He knew he was prying, invading her with dreadfully personal questions… but she had said, and he could tell she would’ve normally been reluctant to.
All shock had left his face now, and he was watching her thoughtfully, totally captivated by the person he had accidentally sat in front of.
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Post by belisma on Aug 12, 2007 20:11:22 GMT
Bella lowered her head and giggled at his eagerness to know about her. He was like a little child just finding out about magic, firing off random questions, curious, unafraid. Well, it definetely took a strong mind to be able to ask questions, not just blubber out useless garbage, staring with eyes wide open. She had to give it to him, he was different than other boys. She wondered how he had come to the conclusion she had been using potions. Bella supposed other girls would use that if they were desprate, but she would rather sleep in the same bed with a blast-ended skrewt. If she were a regular girl, she'd want to be herself more than anything, even if it meant being unattractive. ...Not to mention Bella had never been talented at potions.
"My mum loved me," she said simply. "I was probably the only female she ever so much as gave second glance to." She decided to elaborate in case he didn't know much about Veelas. "Our kind don't take well to other girls. Even I have difficulty making friends with girls at this school, since sometimes jealousy gets the best of me. It's in my blood, I don't have much of a choice."
She scratched her nose for a moment before continuing. "My dad... He thought he was the luckiest man in the world. He really loved my mum, but mum didn't care as much for him as she did for me. Dad barely even knew I existed, he was so obsessed with mum. It nearly killed him when she died."[/font]
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Post by Elijah Ellerby on Aug 13, 2007 12:47:08 GMT
Elijah watched Belisma carefully as she explained about her mother’s nature, and the complexities of her own genes. For a moment he felt like judging her, suspicious that perhaps her incompatibility with other females was just her way of making excuses for being a typical territorial girl, but he instantly regretted thinking it. It was roughly the same attitude people had to werewolves – the idea that they were in control, and that they were just bad people anyway. It was ridiculous.
‘I can’t exactly pretend to understand how you feel,’ he began, shaking his head. ‘It mustn’t be very nice having no choice over how you feel about someone.’ Elijah said apologetically, frowning. Of course, in his own way, he did. That was exactly what Veelas did after all – force you to like them. Then again, it wasn’t written into his DNA permanently. That was another matter entirely.
‘But then… all you have is boys for company?’ He looked away for a moment, thinking of the two Ravenclaws and how they were only interesting in staring at her. ‘Do you have any real friends?’ Elijah was feeling intensely sorry for Belisma – so much so he worried it was just her Veela charm drawing him in, the magic of her appearance bewitching his emotions. He felt ashamed.
So Belisma's mother was dead? He nearly asked her how she had died, but thought better of it. Veela's lifespans were different to humans, and the conversation was saddening enough already.
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Post by belisma on Aug 13, 2007 18:00:35 GMT
Remembering yesterday by the lake and how she was able to keep her cool by finding flaws and not looking at the girls, Belisma interjected. "I can befriend girls," she said, her voice no longer quiet because she was in the library. "I just... can't look at them if they're pretty, I can't listen to them if they're articulate, and if they're both I have to find a flaw to focus on. If I can't do that, usually something bad happens, so I tend to just... stay away from girls in general."
Looking again down at the table, studying it intently, Bella let her hair fall like a curtain between them. Shame and anger, directed towards herself, burned like angry flames at her cheeks. She could hear the pity for her burried in his voice, and she cringed at it. She hated having pity addressed towards her. Bella was a happy person, despite the obstacles she had to overcome.
"Yeah, all I really have is boys to befriend," she said, a little louder than before because she was facing downward and she wanted him to hear her. "And you can imagine how true those friendships are."
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Post by Elijah Ellerby on Aug 14, 2007 12:43:16 GMT
A twang of guilt pulled on Elijah's guts. It was these sort of moments that he always failed miserably in. There wasn't anything truly helpful of revealing he could offer Belisma - her situation was steadfast, after all - and since when had strangers, unless absolutely extraordinary, been able to help one another? He was most likely being far too harsh on Belisma. She had been this way all her life, and people always learned to compromise. This was probably a rare moment for her - to actually talk about any of it and let herself feel sad.
Elijah thought about making a joke about a group plain, dim Hufflepuff girls he knew that Belisma could perhaps befriend, but thought better of it. He wasn't that shallow. 'How old are you, Bella? Fourth, fifth year? You won't be here forever, will you?' Elijah reassured her. 'People our age make terrible company anyway I've always thought. Half-Veela or not, you probably wouldn't find any true people to talk to, not in children anyway. I barely have any friends.' He said with a sort of comfortable, accepting grimace. His thoughts drifted for a moment to Aurélie and the Red Rose League, wondering if they counted as friends. They're adults, he reminded himself. And they're hardly there to socialise. Mother you, maybe. He smirked at this.
He looked at Belisma with hard, honest eyes now. 'I'm not arrogant enough to pretend I'm immune to your magic, Bella, but I can promise you I'm not talking to you right now because it's an excuse to stare at you.'
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Post by belisma on Aug 16, 2007 1:47:29 GMT
Well, he was right, people here age didn't make the best company. Childish manners really shone through in situations she had seen where people chose to be overdramatic, making mountains out of molehills. If anything, Bella saw herself as at least slightly more mature than most people her age. Losing her mother, and basically her father as well, she had been forced to see the world in a different manner than many people who were fourteen. Smiling at him, she lifted her eyes back from the table, meeting his cautiously.
We could be friends, Bella thought, but for some reason couldn't seem to open her mouth to let the words out. Something seemed to be.. almost fluttering around in her stomach, making her throat close up. She was almost afraid that if she opened her mouth to speak, a bird would find it's way out. What a weird feeling. Bella thought, worry only making the feeling worse. Maybe it's the flu. If it doesn't go away, I'll see the school nurse.
"Ah, I'm fourth year," she answered finally, grabbing her nearby quill to fiddle with it. Bella was finding it hard to keep his eyes as calmly as he was keeping hers. What the hell is wrong with me? her mind cried, even though it couldn't seem to come to any answer but the obvious. She liked him, and the last words he said sent a single shiver down her spine, confirming that fact in her mind.[/font]
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