cauldrons | meet me at my window

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meet me at my window

[ In the wizarding community, the name Salvatore is practically synonymous with Slytherin. So it comes as no surprise when the youngest son and heir apparent of one of Britain's oldest and most celebrated pureblood families is promptly sorted and joins his brother at a table decked in green and silver to the sound of thunderous applause. It's only Damon that casts furtive, worried glances his way throughout the night. Neither boy shares their father's prejudiced ideology but as the elder son, Damon had already tried stepping up to the plate long ago, pledging himself to a cause he doesn't believe in, in order to spare his brother the atrocities of the coming war. But when that leathery old hat first settles to rest on Stefan's head, its obvious desire to put him into Ravenclaw (like his mother before him) is outmatched by Stefan's own staunch determination to follow in Damon's footsteps. And Giuseppe, who has always clearly favored Stefan, couldn't be more proud. ]

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[ in the spirit of school unity, is what they said.

the experiment is tentative and the first of its kind, but most of the higher ups have hopes that it will prove fruitful. the insularity, and at times downright animosity, between houses has been nothing if not alarming. steps are now being taken to rectify the situation before it gets (further) out of hand. they are all a part of hogwarts, regardless of the colors they champion, and their professors intend to encourage inter-house friendships. it's now included as a part of their curriculum.

elena doesn't know stefan salvatore. she knows of him and his brother, the now death eater, because who doesn't?

she's the only one of her friends who was paired up with a slytherin, and all of them made faces when that little tidbit was revealed. elena has never told anyone that it was suggested she belonged in slytherin. if it wasn't for the hat taking their own desires into consideration, elena would be donning a green scarf instead of purple.

they've agreed to meet up after stefan's quidditch practice, so elena is sitting by the bleachers, admittedly curious as she watches him.

~~oh no, he's cute~~. ]

Edited 2016-06-01 17:25 (UTC)

[ Stefan is tall and slender but obviously muscular beneath his quidditch robes. The ideal build for a Chaser. He's assured victory on the pitch for Slytherin on more than one occasion by being able to help rapidly score enough points to negate the inherent advantage that catching the Snitch creates for the other team.

Today's session is focused on improving maneuverability at high speeds and Stefan has spent the last hour and a half dodging Bludgers left and right. It's absurd how he has no trouble playing in a match in front of a noisy screaming crowd but the lone presence of quiet, unassuming Elena Gilbert is wreaking all kinds of havoc on his ability to concentrate. There's a couple of different times where he's almost unseated off his broom because he's too busy sneaking a peek in her direction to find out if she's actually watching.

But fortunately, his impressive dexterity pulls through for him and practice doesn't end with him getting sent off to the hospital wing. ]

Hey. Thanks for waiting.

[ He offers her a tentative smile once he emerges from the locker room, freshly showered and back in his school uniform. ]

If you're not too cold already, I was thinking that we could take a walk down by the lake.

[ elena cradles her books to her chest and offers a ~~flustered~~ smile as he emerges. she tucks a strand of her long, pin-straight brown hair over her ear and meets his gaze. this was a lot easier when he was otherwise occupied and she could watch from a safe distance. ]

Oh! No, I'm not too cold. I'm not warm, but that's hardly the lake's fault.

[ she inwardly cringes. ]

A walk down the lake would be fine.

[ gj elena ]

[ At this point, to say that he's charmed by her is a total understatement. Whatever reservations he may have had initially about the viability of this unlikely partnership have all but vanished into thin air. ]

Great.

[ His smile widens a bit before he finally averts his gaze toward the path ahead of them. ]

[ elena had her own reservations, but she's often scolded her friends for not being fair and open-minded; she might as well lead by example, right? she falls into step beside stefan, quieting those telltale nerves. ] I saw you out there.

[ she motions to the quidditch pitch behind them. ] You were good.

[ Stefan feels warm in a way that has nothing to do with his scarf and sweatervest. ] Thank you. I've been riding a broom almost since I learned how to walk. But I actually never saw myself playing quidditch until a couple of years ago.

What about you? Do you like to fly?

I like it. [ her voice is soft. ] I'm nowhere near as good, though.

[ elena's gravitated toward bookish pursuits. she'll be seen with a journal far more frequently than a broom. she risks a glance in his direction, before turning straight ahead. shh, you didn't see that. ] What changed? You said you never saw yourself playing before.

Klaus Mikaelson tried recruiting me in fourth year after he caught me flying laps around the pitch one night. I resisted him for the longest time. Nerves more than anything else I suppose. But once I finally agreed to started practicing with the team, I knew I didn't want to stop.

[ she tries to hide it, and fails: the facial olympics her expression goes through at the mention of klaus. ]

Oh.

[ she should say something else, shouldn't she? give her a moment. ]

We're not friends. [ Stefan doesn't owe Elena any kind of explanation but he wants her to know this. Maybe once upon a time, he had thought Klaus could be his friend... Maybe once upon a time, that had been possible.

But circumstances, like people, change. ]

But he was good at what he did and I respected that back then. Now, I respect myself.

[ elena's gaze softens and her smile warms. something tugs at her chest, and she lets it. ]

Sounds like you're doing it for the right reasons. [ it also doesn't take an expert to notice stefan is effortless out in the quidditch field. ] I think I know what you mean. How you feel about flying is how I feel about writing.

[ Stefan steals a glance at her from out of the corner of his eye. Yes... He decides that he can easily picture her, quill in hand, pouring over a journal or some parchment paper. ]

What sort of things do you like to write?

[ He wonders if she writes fact or fiction. About other people or her own experiences. ]

Will I be copping out if I answer a little bit of everything?

[ she glances to him with a tiny smile. it's not in her nature to be so divulging. elena is open while simultaneously reserved with many of her thoughts. she doesn't give them away easily, but there's an earnest interest she senses in him. whatever the reason, she finds herself answering honestly. ]

I wanted to be a novelist, but these days it's mostly journaling.

It's not copping out if it's true. [ Stefan decides.

They're getting close to the lake now. The surface looks to be as smooth as glass with barely any ripples; the Giant Squid must currently have other matters to attend to. ]

I've been writing in a journal every day since I came to Hogwarts. [ He admits. ]

Edited 2016-06-14 02:51 (UTC)

[ it's elena's turn to decide, swiftly and certainly, that she can picture him pouring over a journal himself. she only brings herself to a stop once they reach the lake proper, her eyes roaming back to him. ]

You have? What do you write about? [ a smile twitches at her lips. ]

[ Stefan deliberately catches her gaze and allows himself to smirk a bit in response. ] My darkest, most brooding thoughts. [ He's obviously teasing. But there's some distinct truth to it as well. ]

Ah! A tortured soul.

[ a teasing lilt reaches her voice, elena's expression shifting into a warm smile. despite this playfulness of hers, his gaze so fixed to her own means there's a flutter in her somewhere. please see icon. ]

Right. Exactly. [ It's absurd that he should feel this comfortable around somebody he just met. And yet, he already finds himself wanting to open up to her in a way that goes beyond the scope of their first assignment. ]

Can I ask you something? And... Be totally honest. [ There's a short pause before he proceeds with his question. ] What did you think when you first heard I was your partner?

Honestly?

[ she pulls in a steadying breath. ] I was a little worried, and I didn't know what to expect. But I don't think it's fair to judge everyone based on the colors they wear. I like to make up my own mind about someone. [ beyond what house they belong in. ]

You know... The Sorting Hat almost put me into Ravenclaw. [ Stefan glances at her quickly out of the corner of his eye as he turns to scan the ground around them, picking up a smooth-looking stone from the bank near the edge of the lake. ]

We could have been friends. [ The stone goes skipping over the surface of the water before finally sinking out of sight. ]

[ elena turns to him, a muted sort of surprise taking over her features. stefan watches the grounds, and elena watches stefan. in that short span of time, a decision is made, and she has a feeling she won't regret it. ] We still can be.

[ she clears her throat exaggeratedly, and sticks a hand out for stefan to shake. to make it official-official. ]

Elena Gilbert. Avid journaler and treacle tart enthusiast.

[ Stefan grasps her hand, squeezing gently as he shakes it. ]

Stefan Salvatore. Butterbeer addict and healer in training.

Butterbeer, huh?

[ eventually, elena's hand slips away from his. she picks up a stone to mimic him, but the end result is nowhere near the same: there is no skipping, the stone just sinks gracelessly. she frowns. ] That's harder than it looks.

[ Stefan doesn't mean to poke fun at her failure but her comment, combined with the completely adorable pout on her face, causes a burst of tinkling laughter to escape from between his smiling lips. ]

It's not just about how you hold it. It's the kind of rock you use too. [ He rummages around for one to show her as an example. ] Like this. [ It's as large and as flat of one as he can find. ] I never thought about it before but I wonder if you could spell it to come back to you instead of sinking.

[ rude.

except he's cute when he laughs. she moves to step beside him, examining the flatness of the rock as though her o.w.l. scores depend on it. she is ravenclaw. ] We could always try a summoning spell. I'm sure the rocks would appreciate your conservation efforts.

It just sucks when you finally find the perfect one and then after you throw it, it's gone forever. But I think you're right about that summoning spell.

[ The rock he's currently holding is far from perfect but it's the closest they've got right now. ]

Do you want me to walk you through it or do you need another demonstration?

[ ooh, that's a tough question.

in truth, what elena likely needs is another demonstration. then there's what her girlhood wants, and it's the former. she clears her throat. ] I think ... in this case I might need a more hands on approach? For observational purposes.

[ for science. ]

[ His mouth curves up a bit at the corner. ]

Alright, then you hold onto this. [ Stefan gently presses the rock into her hand and moves to stand behind her. He's close enough to catch a whiff of her shampoo. ] First we have to work on your stance.

[ it's a helpless thing, but elena grows impossibly still as she becomes aware of their growing proximity. her head turns sideways to catch a glimpse of his face, inevitably paying more attention to it than the rock in her hand. it's only until stefan mentions her stance that elena looks forward at last, positioning herself in front of him.

her back nearly brushes his chest, but not quite. ]

Is it really that bad?

Not at all. [ He assures her, nothing but kindness apparent in his tone. ] It isn't really about "bad" or "good" but knowing what works best for what you're trying to do. May I...? [ She can probably sense his hand where it hovers above her hip, not wanting to touch or maneuver her in any way like this without her express permission. ]

Yes! [ okay, maybe that was answered too quickly.

note to self: when asked by a genteel and cute boy if something is okay, keep enthusiasm at a moderate level.

let's try this again. elena clears her throat, a dignified reply: ] You may.

[ Again, he can't help but to chuckle, warm and throaty, at her response as the weight of his hand finally allows itself to settle on her hip. His other hand does similarly on the opposite side. ]

Alright... So... You're actually going to want to stand sideways, with your shoulder to the water like this. [ Gently, he uses his grip on her waist to help direct her movement. ] Now... Plant your feet about shoulder-width apart.

[ elena mentally prepared herself for this. two point five seconds is totally enough time to prepare, right? but she isn't anticipating how it will feel. so the moment stefan's hands begin to steer her in a certain direction, elena startles: the pebble springs free from her hand, sinking into the lake with nary a ripple. ]

... Oh.

I think this means I'm a hopeless case and you should probably save yourself the headache.

Too bad we didn't go for the summoning charm. [ Stefan teases.

There's a few more moments that pass before it occurs to him that he's still holding onto her and he rather abruptly lets go, although he doesn't really move all that far away. Reaching into the pocket of his robes, he pulls out a small handful of Honeydukes' salt water toffee. ]

Consolation prize? [ He offers. ]

[ elena's embarrassment doesn't last long. stefan carries them away from it with enviable ease, and elena's face brightens with an amused grin. her own hand rummages inside the pockets of her robes, and it's only a moment later that she lifts up a sugared butterfly wing. ]

Better yet, I'll trade you. Now you can't say I never gave you anything.

[ Stefan graciously accepts the sugary confection as it's handed over to him, carefully liberating the wing from its clear wrapper and eagerly popping it into his waiting mouth. ]

No take-backsies.

That's true with almost anything, isn't it? [ her smile falters a bit, though she doesn't mean to turn this into a serious conversation. but once you let something go, or once it lets go of you, it's gone. ]

[ His own expression sobers into one that's much more thoughtful. ] I suppose you're right. [ He traces his bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, removing any evidence of sugar that was left behind. ]

Should we keep walking or did you want to hide out here for a bit longer?

[ elena pops the toffee into her mouth, allowing the honey to melt on her tongue. ]

Let's keep walking. [ she gives him a smile that's almost self-deprecating, but not quite. ] It'll help with the cold and we should probably answer at least some of these questions. I don't know about you, but I like to avoid Professor McGonagall's disapproval face.

[ you know the one. ]

[ Oh yes, he most certainly does if his own slight grimace is anything to go by. ]

Alright. What's the first question?

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meet me at my window

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the sad thing is i rolled for this

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