[Not So] Welcome Home (Jacques)

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Caramarienne had mixed feelings about the upcoming year of her life. She knew what was to happen; she was to attend Hogwarts with Jacques, like her older brother had too when she was his age. That didn’t make it any less terrifying; if anything it made it more terrifying. She felt completely and totally terrified of attending Hogwarts with Jacques because the months he was gone were the best of her life. She liked the Charm School she attended for young girls; she was apart of the popular girl group, known as the Nerdy One, but she was never bullied. And Elenore went there so the younger girls thought that Cara was a darling girl because Elenore liked her.

But Jacques?

Jacques and her weren’t on… well let’s just say equal footing.

Being a Florelle surrounded by Clement’s never really affected her. For one thing, Adelisa and Elenore made her feel like she somewhat belonged, and Louis didn’t vocally object her being there. She got the feel that he tolerated her, and maybe deep down if it were possible (perhaps not) he had an ounce of affinity for her. She felt silly but she held a secret fantasy that one day Louis to tell her he was proud of her. But that fantasy also went alongside the one where she was in a room full of people laughing at Jacques for doing something silly. So both fantasies were almost literally impossible.

Speaking of Jacques, Cara thought with a dry mouth, trying her hardest to not show the inner turmoil erupting inside her, he was to appear at any moment. The staff had been bustling about preparing for so, but Cara faked being sick so she could perhaps go one more day without seeing him. That had been hours ago though, and the bustling had died down. She bit her lower lip and tried not to whimper at the idea that she’d see Jacques if she left for supper that was bound to be in a few hours. Currently she was sitting in the window seat of her way too large bedroom, her knees pulled up to her chest. Even if she said she was sick, one of the maids came in and saw her reading in the window seat, not looking at all sick like she’d said so earlier; the maid was stupid and could clearly not tell that Cara didn’t want to go to dinner, so the maid happily exclaimed that Cara was feeling better and able to make supper. Cara was left to hopelessly mope about the fact that she’d be seeing Jacques soon and decided that she needed to get ready.

She was dressed in a light blue summer dress with spaghetti straps, it hugged her upper body and when it hit her waist it poofed out like an umbrella, and she had Mary Jane’s to slip into when dinner rolled around. She let the silence of the room flow over her, and reveled in it. Until she heard footsteps approaching. She felt her stomach clench at the idea that it was a maid telling her they were having dinner early because Louis had some kind of business. She tilted her head to look out the window, bottled up all her fears to not show she was utterly fearful of having to eat with the family already.

"Do you need something?" She announced as she heard her door creak open, her tone utterly bored. "Unless it's time for dinner, I propose you leave."

Subject: Re: [Not So] Welcome Home (Jacques) Fri Aug 14, 2015 10:32 pm

In Jacques opinion, his first year at Hogwarts had been a complete waste of time. Yes, he had been awarded with the Slytherin Student of the Year award, but he hadn't done anything of note. Apart from... well, making Ellie Brennham fall on her backside around Christmas had been amusing. But he'd come to the realisation that no one there had anything to offer him.

So much so, that he'd been considering going to Beauxbatons next year.

Though, that would first mean admitting that he'd been wrong about leaving France in the first place. Which was not something Jacques was willing to do. Oh no.

Stepping out of the hearth as his father Floo'd back with him from London, Jacques shrugged from his father's hold, making a beeline for his room. Elenore and his mother could wait to be greeted, because he was not in the mood for either of them. Of course, what Jacques wanted, and what happened were two completely different things as his nine year old sister fell in to step with him almost a moment after he'd stepped from his father's study.

"How was Hogwarts, Jacques?" She asked in her annoying little voice that Jacques had not missed.

"Go away, Elenore." Jacques replied to the witch without looking in her direction. Elenore didn't relent though, instead following him up the stairs without so much as flinching.

"You could pretend to be happy to see people everyone once in a while, you know." Elenore replied, following him only to the top of the stairs before turning off to her own room. Feeling glad of the relief, Jacques moved along the corridor, stopping only when he noted Caramarienne's door was open.

Doors were not to be closed in the children's rooms when they were in there, a house rule that had been in place for as long as Jacques could remember for a reason he did not know. With a small frown on his features he moved to the door.

Caramarienne's voice greeted him only a moment later, and a smirk touched his features. Not speaking to start with, Jacques simply waited for a moment for her to realise who it was, but when she did not look, he decided to correct her.

"You were supposed to be downstairs to greet me home. Mama is out on an emergency call, but you have no excuse." Jacques told her, his tone neutral enough, but still flickering with the authority of a Clement heir.

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~ Clement Heir ~ 24 ~ Athletic ~ 5'11" ~ French Accent ~

Thanks to .V0ldiemort @ TDA for my signature!

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Caramarienne had chosen to go to Hogwarts next year. Except it wasn’t exactly an option; it had been almost obvious that she’d go to Hogwarts. Like Jacques, she’d received a letter of acceptance from Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, not Durmstrang like he had though; all of which welcoming her to join their school with open arms. So she’d been asked what she’d wanted to attend, by Adelisa. There was a level of tension in the air that she understood, although Louis hadn’t said anything and although Elenore encouraged her to pick which one she dearly wanted to go to; she had a reputation to uphold. Jacques hadn’t been there when she’d received her acceptance letters which she counted as a blessing. If he’d been there, she might have just cowered her way into choosing Beauxbatons. If anything she was going to Hogwarts to show to the other Clement’s and the rest of the pureblood world she was a proper Florelle like her parents, following the Clement’s lead as was expected.

She loved Joubert, truly she did almost more than anyone else, but his decision to take over the orphanage was totally unacceptable. She knew her place in the world as a pureblood woman, even if silently she wished she’d find love and marry for it. She was expected to one day marry a pureblood, and to follow his stead. She could do these both easily. She just hoped she’d have enough time to find herself before she met someone she was going to marry. Marriage was, well, like a good business deal. The way Louis and Adelisa handled it was professionally, and she could only hope she’d find a marriage like that in her cards one day.

She knew that other marriages were rockier - terser. She’d seen women in Diagon Alley being gripped tightly and scolded publicly for doing something unladylike by their husband. Then again, Cara thought as she flipped another page in her muggle fantasy book (Bridge to Terbithia was getting morbid, she thought as read about Leslie’s unfortunate state), Adelisa was a good ladylike woman. Elenore was probably going to be like Adelisa, and if Cara wasn’t such a klutz she probably would be too. The thought perked her up a bit before she heard the voice that answered her call.

Immediately she jumped and dropped her book to the side, completely startled, she cursed herself for messing up like so. Determined not to do so again, she kept her eyes utterly impassive as she turned her head to him. But when her eyes met his, she visibly shrank and authoritative tone.

“I-I-I’m sorry, I was sick this morning a-and I didn't want to risk anyone else catching it,” she said looking down at her lap, praying that he wouldn’t hear the tremble in her voice. “I hope the trip home was pleasant,” she added, folding her hands in her lap to stop themselves from fiddling.

Subject: Re: [Not So] Welcome Home (Jacques) Sat Aug 15, 2015 11:42 am

The stutter from the witch before him made Jacques smile to himself. Knowing he was getting to the witch was always amusing to him, it showed he had power. That he was feared. And secretly, Jacques revelled in the feeling this gave him. Raising his eyebrow at the witch's reply, Jacques simply shook his head, not believing her for a moment.

"Of course, you did." He replied sarcastically, taking a step in to her room and taking in the changes over the year. Mostly it looked like an older person was living here, which was true, Caramarienne had grown by a year, and he could see it.

The comment on getting home in a pleasant manner made Jacques shake his head for a moment. Not because he had had a bad trip, but because of how the witch was pretending to care. "Don't pretend you care, Cara." Jacques replied, turning his attention to her dressing table. Moving to the table in question, Jacques ran his fingers through the dainty necklaces hung carefully on the jewellery stand.

"You know, at some point, you'll have to learn to cover your lies better, it's a little obvious that you're avoiding me." Jacques told the witch, picking up a locket from the stand and surveying it.

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~ Profile ~
~ Clement Heir ~ 24 ~ Athletic ~ 5'11" ~ French Accent ~

Thanks to .V0ldiemort @ TDA for my signature!

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Cara wondered, for a small second, if it was a good thing that Jacques knew so much about her. It was good because if she was ever in a situation where she was being forced to lie, he could be the only one to tell that she was lying. That was a singular theoretical time in which she’d feel grateful for Jacques understanding her. Any other time, then it was definitely a bad thing that Jacques knew her so well. He didn’t give her a lot of reason to be scared of him, and she certainly wasn’t scared for him.

But Cara wasn’t stupid either.

She could see that Jacques had the potential to be a not-good kind of guy and she didn’t know him half as well as he knew her because he could very well be a not-good kind of guy. And Caramarienne did not fare well with the knowledge of what Jacques was capable of.

Cara didn’t have anything to say to his sarcastic tone, just cringe and wish for a hole to swallow her whole. “I-I was.” She said weakly, but when he stepped forward she stepped back and took a gulp and pressed herself against the window. Desperately she wanted to question his authority, but thought better of it.

“I won’t anymore,” she murmured, shrinking in on herself. She felt nauseous at the prospect of having to spend the whole summer with him, already looking for a way to get to Joubert. Tonight wouldn’t work because she’d been sick, but if she makes the plea that it was an orphan’s birthday it would work. She looked up at him to see him touching the jewelry. Her eyes went wide; most of it was her own, but a good portion of that belonged to both Adelisa and her mother. She felt her stomach lurch at the idea that he break something from her deceased mother. She wanted to lunge for him and push him out of her room, out of her safe space.

“No-No I’m not,” she stumbled, shaking her head, “I-there’s- why - I wouldn’t avoid you.” She tried to lift her head high like she did in public, but it looked wobbly and weak. And then his fingers grabbed a locket, one of the four things from her mother.

“Put that back right now!” She exclaimed, sitting up straight The words came out all of a sudden, and she lifted her hand to her mouth to cover it as if i it would fix things.

Subject: Re: [Not So] Welcome Home (Jacques) Mon Aug 17, 2015 9:46 pm

Jacques ignored the weak response he'd earned from the witch, not caring for a battle of wills. Whatever each one of them believed was fine, but Jacques was more than certain he'd been right in that moment. The same way that had been taught to him through the years, that he was a Clement, and a Clement's word was final.

Whether that was good practice for a boy of eleven was still to be seen.

"Good." Jacques replied without looking towards his family's ward. "Otherwise I would have to speak to father about your tutors not being good enough to teach someone of our family." He explained, making sure to emphasise the point his mother made about Caramarienne being one of them. Only a fool would believe that the younger witch was one of them, but then... Yes, Jacques believed his mother to be a fool anyway, which is why she pretended - or even believed - Cara fit in to their household.

And it was proved a moment later as Cara stumbled over her words. Really... what were her tutors teaching her?

However, the moment Caramarienne's voice raised, Jacques' eyes moved to the door, only briefly before looking back at the witch. Technically, technically, he wasn't allowed in the rooms of the girls. Another of the stupid rules that had been set up ages ago that made no sense to Jacques. "Don't talk to me like that." Jacques hissed back at the witch, taking the locket from it's place and placing it in the palm of his hand, balling it slowly in to a fist.

"This is my house, and you will be grateful you're here. Until then, I'm keeping this." Jacques told the witch, a triumphant smile on his lips in that moment.

Jacques had thought, for a moment, to turn away, but a thought struck him. Turning back towards the witch, he raised his other hand, finger pointed slightly up toward the ceiling. A thinking gesture. "You..." He started, eyes full of amusement. "Need to remember to breathe. It's unladylike to stutter. Though... I suppose when you come to Hogwarts, I could introduce you to the idiot. Yes, you'd get along well with him. Just as much as an outcast as you'll always be." Jacques finished moving toward the door.

He paused again when he'd gotten there.

"Do remember to come to dinner, won't you, Caramarienne? I would miss you awfully if you were to miss it." Jacques finished.

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~ Profile ~
~ Clement Heir ~ 24 ~ Athletic ~ 5'11" ~ French Accent ~

Thanks to .V0ldiemort @ TDA for my signature!

Guest

Cara knew that there was always the slightest possibility that Jacques a good kid. But there was also the higher possibility that he wasn’t and this was for three reasons, reasons that she’d evenly ratio’d out too: 1) He was from a prestigious name, he couldn’t afford to look weak to anyone, 2) He was never around, and there were so many secrets cloaking who Jacques really was, 3) Despite her acknowledgement by the rest of their society as an attachment of the Clement’s there was a clear distinction between the way Jacques treated her and everyone else. Alright the third one wasn’t as solid since he tended to be detached from everyone around him, but still… It was his cold behavior that made her feel chilled and unwelcome. Even then perhaps it was just a clear contrast from how Adelisa and Elenore treated her so warmly and loved that made her feel like she belonged.

She kept her head down and her mouth shut as he addressed her tutors, she winced, and tried to bite back the vile that was climbing up her throat and the mean words she wished to spew at him. How could he manage to address her as a family member yet make her so feel inadequately not one of them? It hurt her heart to feel so unsure of herself, but she kept her heart hardened and her crass words shut behind iron cages. Jacques was the heir of the Clement’s and if he were to decide to cast her out as a reject or an insufficient Ward to the Clement’s she would be devastated.

Sure Joubert would remind her she was still a Florelle and the Labelle and Florelle names held enough pull in the Italian Wizarding Community, but there was something utterly enchanting that she loved about being apart of the Clement’s and there was a hunger she had to continue to thrive on being a Florelle claimed as a Clement.

When he told her not to talk to him like that, the way he hissed it was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She watched in horror as he pocketed one of her most prized jewelries. Her mouth hung opening inject horror as he started to turn away, her lower lip trembling just in the slightest as tears got stuck in her throat.

Caramarienne had nothing more to say as he lectured her in the lightest of ways, but she was terrified. Who was the idiot? Would she ever see her locket again? What sorts of horrors could he do to that locket her mother had for her? She bit her lower lip. If she said anything more she’d risk stuttering and embarrassing herself. She took in shaky inhales and even worse exhales until they solidified and she felt okay again once he reached the door.

“I will be down for dinner,” she said softly not looking at his retreating back and refrained from saying ‘sir’ mockingly, afraid that he’d get used to the idea of her calling him such a thing. Miss me? She thought bitterly as he left, he wouldn’t even realize I was gone until he got the restless in his bones to torment me. Sullenly she closed her door after his footsteps faded and cursed the wretched possibility that was to be dinner.

Especially since she couldn’t let any other Clement see she was struggling; when anything disagreeable happened, pureblood women didn’t start a fuss or make a raucous, they merely followed the steed of their leader and that was what she was to do. She wished in spades for a savior to expose her to her own abilities, but hopeless wishes weren't for girls like her. She knew better that to hope for someone so courageous or daring. With that thought shut she lifted her book back into her lap and counted the minute before doom.

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