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Tweak says, "Wanna Bikkit!"

Lucy Elkins is not your mother. (lucyelkins) wrote in wished,
@ 2010-01-05 01:36:00

Entry tags:

!1998: 01, !complete, lucy elkins, nikolas vaisey

Who: Lucy Elkins and Nikolas Vaisey
What: Some awkard talking. Woo!
Where: An empty classroom, fourth floor
When: Evening
Rating/Warning: TBD!

It had been a rather long couple of days for Lucy Elkins. After finally exposing the truth to her father and brother, she had been on edge since her return to Hogwarts. She had no idea what her father planned to do or if he planned to take her advice at all. To make matters more complicated, she wasn't sure if her relationship with Nikolas was going to get better or worse. She had been happy to see him come back early but she still felt awful about their earlier conversation.

She had wanted to tell him. She hadn't ever wanted to keep her blood status a secret but with the way things seem to be going, it was probably in her own best interest. And probably is. But after seeing him at dinner, she knew they eventually had to talk.

Thankful that curfew wasn't for a little while later, Lucy ducked into an empty classroom on the fourth floor. She and Nikolas had planned to meet there. She couldn't hide that she was slightly anxious about the whole thing.

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besserwisser
2010-01-05 07:45 pm UTC (link)

Nikolas nodded, trying to show he knew exactly what she was referring to. Perhaps he ought to ask what her family had done after all. Or that might not be the most comfortable topic right now. For all he knew, she didn't want to dwell on that. This was uncomfortable enough as it was.

"Good." he said shortly, looking up at the front of the classroom before turning back. Might as well get to what he'd wanted to talk about. Whatever that was.

"Listen," Nikolas began, trying to meet her eyes. "Lucy, I don't want you to think I was angry. Well, I mean, I was, and I guess I am. But it's obviously not something that was all your fault."

That hadn't come out quite as he'd hoped.

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lucyelkins
2010-01-05 07:54 pm UTC (link)

But he was angry. Lucy found she couldn't blame him, really. A friendship was supposed to be built on honesty. Unfortunately, Lucy found that in the time they were in now, she wasn't sure how honest she could be with anyone. But she didn't want her friendship with Nikolas to be like that.

"I could have told you," she said, her voice quiet, if only due to the nervous feeling she had fluttering in her stomach. "I should have. I don't like to lie to people you know."

Even if it wasn't exactly a lie. It was more an exclusion of the truth.

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besserwisser
2010-01-05 09:13 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah. I know," he agreed.

She was right. It wasn't exactly something people mentioned when they introduced themselves, and it didn't always come up in conversation. Nikolas wasn't even sure he'd assumed she was pureblood, or halfblood, or what. She was just a girl he'd talked to a few times in class and had been spending more time with lately. Eventually it probably would have come up, and he'd have had to deal with it then.

"Wasn't really a lie, I mean," Nikolas continued, his brow creased slightly. He looked at his knees. "We never talked about it."

Because it wasn't such a big deal.

He looked at her. "It's weird. My family doesn't exactly have...you know...'views' on blood status the way some people do. But, it's still important, you know? To us?"

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lucyelkins
2010-01-05 09:26 pm UTC (link)

"I understand," she told him.

And she did. In a pureblood family, blood status meant something whether you wanted it to or not. It had never meant anything to Lucy. She found she was blessed with her abilities and that she was just very lucky to be apart of such a world. But now she was thinking more and more about her own blood status. She wasn't sure she was very proud to be a Muggleborn.

"And it should be," she continued. "Just not in the same ways the Ministry is trying to make it. That's wrong. I just wish some people would understand that."

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besserwisser
2010-01-06 05:19 am UTC (link)

Lucy was right, Nikolas thought. He did think the things that had been sanctioned by the Ministry of late were ridiculous and out of line. His parents felt much the same - it was one thing to believe that it was important to maintain the integrity of the pure wizarding bloodlines. Still, Muggleborns and halfbloods were far more common these days, and would only continue to become moreso. It was impractical and foolish to attempt to deny such a thing. The majority of the Vaiseys clients and family friends were not of pure blood, and private prejudices were just that - private matters to be discussed in the home.

"It is. You're absolutely right," Nikolas said quietly. "And it's not like I don't want anything to do with you anymore because of it. I was just...not expecting that."

He didn't feel so angry anymore, not frustrated. Maybe starting to be a bit more sorry for Lucy's situation. Moving to sit atop the desk, he thought it wouldn't be horrible to inquire about the situation at home. "What's your family doing?"

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lucyelkins
2010-01-06 05:53 am UTC (link)

A weight that she didn't quite realize was there lifted from her shoulders when Nikolas told her that he still wanted to be friends with her. She had been harboring a small anxiety that the Ministry decrees and her blood status were going to cause a lot of trouble for her. But thankfully, Lucy seemed to be surrounded by good people. Her blood didn't seem to sway their opinions of her.

At least at the moment, she felt safe among the people in Hogwarts castle.

"I'm afraid I don't have to best timing," she mused, a small smile forming.

She watched as he moved from chair to desk. Running a hand through her long hair, she sighed slightly as she thought of a proper answer to his question.

"Hopefully leaving," she said. "I haven't heard from them yet. Not sine I left."

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besserwisser
2010-01-06 06:11 am UTC (link)

"Well that's good," he observed. "Though I gues you'd feel better if you knew for sure."

Thanks to his background, Nikolas knew he wouldn't have to worry about his family going in to hiding, or having to be subjected to registrations and..well, whatever else. And he was glad. But he couldn't imagine being in school right now and trying to concentrate on class while knowing his freedoms were being taken away one by one and that his family could be in real danger.

He leaned forward. "You're...I mean, it's sort of incredible that you're managing here."

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lucyelkins
2010-01-06 06:26 am UTC (link)

Her head was bent, her eyes studying her trainers once again. She wished her father would write her that minute and let her know what their plans were. She knew that Grayson would probably put up a fight, it wasn't fair to take him out of uni for something he had no control of. But she knew that their disappearing from London would be the best thing for them.

She wondered what would be the best thing for her if things got worse. She found that she wasn't that keen on the idea of hiding. But she could at least defend herself against things her family couldn't.

She looked up at Nikolas, an unreadable expression on her face.

"I'm trying to," she corrected, a small laugh accompanying. Though it wasn't really funny in the slightest. "We all are, the rest of us Muggleborns. We don't want to lose what we have here. If it wasn't for McGonagall calling us back early, well.."

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besserwisser
2010-01-06 10:55 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah," he said, for what he felt like was the millionth time by now. Nikolas wished he could offer more than nodding and monosyllabic responses, but he didn't know what to say. This whole situation was just so difficult, and while Lucy certainly had the brunt of it, Nikolas didn't think his end of it was exactly easy.

He'd never had much issue with being friendly with those of a lower bloodstatus, not did he tend to put much stock in the tripe a lot of his housemates ascribed to. Still, with things going as they were now, it would only be a matter of time before the student body itself was split. People were already choosing sides, had been for years. Only now, it seemed that a catalyst was just around the bend. It meant a lot more now.

"I guess I'm just getting worried," he explained. "About a lot of things, now. About you, too. As far as I know you're the closest friend I have who's...Muggleborn."

He wanted to say that he didn't think it would be safe for her even here, soon. But he didn't.

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lucyelkins
2010-01-07 07:36 am UTC (link)

She looked at him. Something started to feel funny inside of her stomach. Nikolas has said, inferred as much, that he was beginning to worry about her. She tried to manage a smile but the severity of the situation kept gnawing away at her. She was worried too. Not just about herself, either. This wasn't something Lucy had expected to happen. This was a road block in her life that she wasn't prepared for.

But she hadn't been prepared when she first received her Hogwarts letter, either. She somehow fared alright in that circumstance. She hoped this would prove to be the same.

She leaned forward. "This certainly isn't going to be easy, being here. Tensions are high enough as it is. That third decree, well, that's something that's going to put a lot of pressure on us."

She was just glad her lineage was not common knowledge.

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besserwisser
2010-01-07 08:01 am UTC (link)

At his last words, Nikolas had almost managed to surprise himself. He was worried about a lot of things, and he was worried about Lucy. It had been that last bit that he wasn't really expecting to think, much less say. But it was true nonetheless. He may have been angry when he'd found out about her, but looking back at it he realized part of it had been because he realized she might have a lot of trouble to come. It was going to affect him, if indirectly, if they really were friends.

Saying things felt stupid, and pointless. But what else was he supposed to do? He usually didn't see much point in sugar-coating these matters, but maybe that was wisest right now. Lucy didn't appear to be delusional about everything - she was facing the facts bravely enough, thinking rationally, not getting too emotional.

"You're right," he said, pathetically. "But I think you lot are safer here. Right now."

Nikolas hadn't felt so useless in a long time, and it was an annoying feeling. In an attempt to offer more than repeating himself ad nauseum, he reached over and patted her hand. That felt stupid, too.

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lucyelkins
2010-01-07 08:25 am UTC (link)

When the Daily Prophet had landed on Lucy's bed, the second decree glaring up at her in bold faced print, Lucy hadn't been so rational. The article had ruffled her to her core, her blood had nearly been boiling by the last sentence. She hadn't even begun to let the reality of it set in. In fact, she was sure she'd never been angrier before in her life. But after explaining the situation to her father, her grandmother, Grayson - things began to settle down. She was beginning to face the gravity of what it all meant.

"As long as McGonagall is around," she told him. "But I've got a feeling that she won't be for much longer. Merlin knows she's trying to do the best she can with what she's got, but the Ministry is going to take control eventually."

And that was the scariest part of all. Her brows furrowed and without even thinking a second thought, she grabbed his hand. It had seemed logical at the time.

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besserwisser
2010-01-07 08:38 am UTC (link)

Lucy grabbed his hand, just as he'd been about to pull it back, and Nikolas wasn't sure what to do. For one thing, he hadn't been expecting her to do that. If anything it made him feel a little worse. Still, he didn't feel like it was really a bad thing. So he let her keep it - when, if, she let go, the gesture had served its purpose.

He sighed heavily, his eyebrows raised as though he were only just now realizing how serious it was. Which wasn't at all the case. Still, to hear someone say that McGonagall couldn't hold off the Ministry forever - in a tone that wasn't rife with derision for the Headmistress' abilities or sanity - was very frightening. There was a tightening feeling in his stomach.

Even if he was pureblooded and had the family history to prove it, Nikolas didn't support the Ministry's actions by a long shot. He had no intention of living under it again, not after that Umbridge debacle in his fourth year. The faded mark on the back of his hand was a reminder of that. This could only be worse, he knew.

"I wish that weren't true," he muttered. "But to say otherwise would be stupid. She's only the Headmistress. I'm surprised they haven't done it already, to be honest."

It felt good to say that finally. To not feel like he had to be careful not to upset her. His eyes stayed on his and Lucy's joined hands.

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lucyelkins
2010-01-07 09:11 am UTC (link)

Lucy chewed on the inside of her cheek, her eyes looked toward their hands. She had done it on an impulse, a feeling that she just had to hold on to something at that moment. It had been Nikolas that she quickly chose. But she found herself content for that moment, the touch of another human enough to calm her senses.

Her first real question was in regards to the Headmistress. It seemed to be a long time coming, her expected dismissal from the school. How could they let her stay? Not after their new quest of registration. There were more than enough Muggleborns at Hogwarts. She'd been a witness to how many when she had popped in via Portkey. It still bothered her that the Ministry couldn't see what a damage in their population they would be risking.

She sighed, the breath of air nearly escaping from inside her.

"Too much, too soon," she said, her shoulders sagging. "My grandmother said something along those lines. She said that maybe they were waiting until the initial scare wore off."

Lucy's words were so cut and dry. It almost bothered her to hear such a lack of emotion coming from her. But she had already cried enough over the ordeal. She didn't want to do so in front of Nikolas.

"But who knows what they've got in store for us now."

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besserwisser
2010-01-07 09:30 am UTC (link)

"Hmm."

It was sort of eerie, how she could sound so indifferent about it. Nikolas couldn't imagine that she'd reacted this way at first. Admirable. But eerie. But the supposed the other option could be to be a mess of tears and emotions, and he felt much more comfortable dealing with Rational Lucy than Weepy Lucy. This was already uncomfortable enough, the last thing he needed was to feel like he was supposed to try to make her stop crying.

"Maybe. That is true. They're not exactly subtle but they haven't been completely idiotic. Even this took months to work up to," Nikolas commented. It sounded like Lucy came from a rational family in general. People on both sides of this situation were overreacting, getting up in arms - Nikolas just didn't see the point. Not now. It was too soon. Now was the time to be careful, be prepared, for whatever it was that was going to happen. "I just keep thinking it's going to be like the last time the Ministy interfered here, only it's a lot worse. Students are going to be set against each other."

He thought about that Inquisitorial Squad they'd had. Someone had suggested her join it, last time, and he couldn't have been less interested. Actually, Nikolas had called the person some sort of name, he couldn't remember what now, but they'd not liked it very much. There was no way he was going to become part of something like that this time, especially when he expected that there would be the possibility of real violence now.

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lucyelkins
2010-01-08 08:06 am UTC (link)

"We're already set against each other."

Lucy dropped Nikolas' hand in slight aggravation as she raked both her hands through her hair. Tendrils of shiny blond hair fell across her shoulders. A strained look fluttered across her face before a slight breath escaped from her lips. She remembered the Ministry's last interference very well. Umbridge had been rather terrifying. A sweet, woman masquerading all of this pure, uncontrollable hatred. Lucy would have been much more content with knowing it was coming first.

"You've seen the journals," she told him, her hands sitting in her lap. "Because the Ministry is taking sides, everyone thinks it's alright to do the same. Some people think it's funny."

She didn't want to add that those people generally tended to be of the Slytherin variety.

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besserwisser
2010-01-08 05:07 pm UTC (link)

Nikolas gave a short bark of a laugh - it had more derision than humor behind it.

"Those people are fucking idiots," he blurted out, followed by an apologetic look at Lucy. He settled his hands back in his lap, loosely laced his fingers together. "And they've on that 'side' forever, just now they can be even more obnoxious about it."

Happening to glance down at his wrist, Nikolas saw that they'd been here rather longer than he had expected, and that it was getting close to curfew. If they stayed here much longer there was a good chance a Prefect or patrolling professor would chide them. Normally Nikolas would had just shrugged such a thing off, but given that tensions were already so high around the castle, he didn't particularly want to deal with that.

He hopped to his feet, hovering near Lucy. "Listen, it's getting to be a bit late. I've got...a few things to take care of, still?"

Well, that was technically true. He'd been working on some new plays for the team to try out next practice, and there was the matter of the Quidditch retrials this weekend. When he'd posted that advert he had forgotten it coincided with a Hogsmeade weekend - well, at least that might keep some people away, considering he'd really only done it for Millicent's sake.

"If you need to talk, I guess, you know," he continued. Nikolas wanted to be helpful, he really did. This was just a difficult spot to be in. Automatically, he reached over and moved his hand across the top of her hair and down the side of her face. To him, it was something he might have done to comfort Astrid, but he realized too late it might be a bit too familiar for this situation. He took his hand back quickly and shoved it into his pocket. "Tell me? I did mean it when I said I don't want us to not spend time together anymore."

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lucyelkins
2010-01-09 01:58 am UTC (link)

Lucy hadn't really expected an answer along those lines. Perhaps she had been a bit too sheltered during her time at Hogwarts. She hadn't always paid very much attention to what other people said, unless it of course, involved her in some way. Considering Lucy Elkins was probably the least talked about person at Hogwarts, she really didn't pay attention much.

She smiled briefly, slightly surprised at the curse flying from Nikolas' lips. He was always reserved around her. It was almost nice to see him loosen up. As he stood, she too, looked at her watch. A slight breath escaped from her lips as she realized the time.

She had been about to jump off the desk when Nikolas took a step toward her. As his hand brushed across the side of her face, her eyes fluttered shut for the tiniest of moments. It could have been interrupted as a blink. But it wasn't. Surprise lingered as his hand dropped. She managed the friendliest smile she could muster as she slid off the desk.

As they stood face to face, or well, face to neck considering the height difference, she couldn't help but feel relieved by their talk.

"I will," she told him. She reached up on her toes at that moment and let her lips graze the side of his cheek. It wad friendly enough, even if it took all the willpower in the world for Lucy to do it. "Besides I'd still like some company for my studying sessions."

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besserwisser
2010-01-09 03:56 am UTC (link)

Had Lucy just...kissed him? Well, not kissed kissed, but it definitely qualified by the definition he knew. It was thoroughly unexpected and for a moment he didn't know how to react. So he just stood there with a fairly neutral expression, one arm slack at his side and the other hand still in his pocket. Luckily he recovered fairly quickly - it was probably akin to what he'd just done to her, unthinkingly. They were both stressed out.

He offered a small, lopsided smile, and a quiet but nervous laugh. Not how he'd wanted to respond, but there it was.

"Well..." Nikolas said. He felt very stupid for suddenly not being able to formulate a sentence. For Merlin's sake, she hadn't done anything to him. "Good. I'd feel like I'm missing out. No one else I know studying that."

Of course, she knew that. With that, Nikolas strode towards the door, feeling a bit lighter. At least this aspect of his life wasn't going to be thrown through a loop.

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