We need to talk {Jacques and Michelle}

The Palace had been completely off key since the night that Elenore had lost her... self to the destructive beast that lived inside of her. Jacques had not made a single effort to seek out his sister since he'd taken Mimosa from her clutches, and he had no interest in changing that, either. Jacques' time had, instead, been spent with Mimosa, keeping her entertained, making sure she knew that there was nothing wrong with her (though it was inadvertent) and otherwise enjoying his break.

There had been a couple of events that the eighteen year old had hosted on behalf of his Maman and Papa, but as of yet, very little had happened of note during the summer. Each evening, though, his mind had mulled over the vile words that had left his sister's lips. Mimosa's condition that none of them had spotted in the nine years the child had been coming to the castle.

Whilst the child may not have been Jacques' problem, Mimosa was family, and no true Clement allowed a family member to be left behind.

Which was precisely why Jacques had written a very short, to the point note to Michelle Roux shortly after both his and Mimosa's birthdays. He needed to understand more of what the witch was doing with Mimosa, he needed to ensure Mimosa's work was going to have better focus on her reading and writing. To become more fun so that Mimosa stayed engaged. Whilst -- to Jacques knowledge -- there was no cure for dyslexia, they could help Mimosa through this as much as possible, and ensure she got everything she needed.

Plus, Jacques noted as he flicked through the file in his father's study about Michelle, it would give him a very good reason to test out his new birthday present from his parents -- though, Jacques was quite sure his Maman had not approved the gift. The bike was a beautiful piece of Muggle technology, and Jacques had yet to find a use for it.

But, the morning of the 27th had provided him with a good reason. After saying goodbye to Mimosa -- he had not told the young witch where he was going, because Jacques was sure Mimosa would insist on going with him -- Jacques had headed out to the garages and started up the bike that was gleaming from it's newest polish. The roar of the engine sent a tingle up Jacques' spine as he brought it around the back of the Palace.

Another small roar -- and a valet running after him with the helmet that matched the bike impeccably -- and Jacques was off out in to the city, enjoying the rush of the wind on his face as he headed for the part of Versailles that Michelle lived. The motorbike was loud, making the people of Versailles turn to watch as the gleaming bike drove down the streets. The white J.L.P.C. on the side was the declaration of Jacques' ownership of the vehicle, and he loved it.

His enthusiasm for his present would be relayed to his father that evening, along with the news to his Maman about how they were going to resolve the problem that had arisen over a month ago.

As Jacques pulled in to Michelle's street, he could see the older witch waiting for him already, a small smile graced his lips as he pulled up in front of her, turning the engine of the machine off, and removing the helmet he'd been wearing. "Madamoiselle Roux," Jacques greeted, running his fingers through his hair to put it back in to place in that moment.

Offering the witch the helmet, Jacques motioned to the bike behind him. "Come, I want to take you somewhere." Jacques insisted. He wasn't leaving much room for argument, granted, but if Michelle truly did not wish to climb aboard the bike, he would send for a car instead. Though, of course, Jacques was truly hoping this would not be the case.

Jacques' lips curled up in to a smile as Michelle let out a small cheer as they moved away. Apparently the witch was quite easy to please -- of course, Jacques would never make such a comment, but he tucked the information away for later use.

And, of course, the laugh that escaped the witch when she dismounted from the machine.

To think, Jacques thought to himself as he followed the witch to the library, I hadn't even put the bike to good use. Still, it was not the heady reaction Jacques had made the arrangements to meet Michelle, no, there was a much more serious, and infinitely more important reason for Jacques' insistence of a meeting that morning.

Michelle confirmed that she'd been to the Bibliothèque before, and Jacques gave a small smile at that knowledge. Beauxbatons... Jacques still deeply wished to have been able to see the school, but, as with any Clement, duty came before self. His duty had not been in France for the seven years of his schooling, it had, instead, been in England, out of the way of his Maman and Papa. "Assuming it was a project on the twelfth to seventeenth century, you had the best resources, then." Jacques replied with a small smile. Though, why Michelle had been to the Bibliothèque before was not the reason for this conversation.

The offer of more information came freely. In the Roux household it seemed that reading to a younger sibling was a welcome thought. Jacques could only try to compare that with his own experiences -- remembering with some kind of fondness about how Elenore had always rebuked his attempts to help her. She never wished to play with his toys, instead throwing them away when she was small, or else insisting they do something else that she deemed to be more fun. Jacques remembered how he'd taken the 'problem' to Maman, who insisted he needed to learn to be patient with Elenore, and soon enough she would open up to him.

And he did, but Elenore was nothing short of stubborn, and preferred the company of Grandmere to spending time with anyone else. Except Papa.

"You may," Jacques replied to Michelle's question of why he was asking of her like for books. The young woman had, inadvertently, put herself in a corner with her response, but Jacques couldn't blame the witch for that. By this time, they'd moved deeper in to the library, the quiet of the place consuming all within it.

"I wondered if you read fervently, it is something encouraged in our families." Jacques explained, he knew the Rouxs, though they were not very influential, they were a French family of some substance. "But, I also wondered how someone who would read so many tomes, books, varying literature... could possibly miss when her étudiant struggled with such things."

There was a small pause.

"Or, perhaps you did." He offered, to allow her a route out. "Your letters to Papa have offered little and less on Mimosa's practicing of both reading and writing. Which... I would imagine would be due to you seeing something in her work that you thought you could work around?" It was a loaded question, verging very tightly on anger, but held back enough to still be polite. Jacques was, without a doubt, questioning Michelle's methods, there was no two ways about that point.

Michelle's continued talking was digging herself a hole she was very much going to struggle to get out of. Add to that, though, that Michelle was currently talking about a child that Jacques was very fond of and would protect at any cost. The slights to himself, and the rest of the family, whilst not ignored were not the most important part of this conversation, though, and Jacques simply tucked those away for later use.

It was as Michelle went with the stupidest answer she could give that Jacques' usually patient demeanour slipped away in favour of his father's anger. Nobody was doing what was needed in that moment, nobody was addressing the issue as it needed to be, and Jacques was growing tired of it all.

His hand moved to the witch's stomach, pushing her sideways in to the large bookcase, his hand staying in place as he held her in place. There was enough force to show he was no longer playing around with her games, but not enough to ever leave a mark on her.

"Enough." Jacques told her, his voice very firm in that moment, letting Michelle know that she had very much overstepped in that moment. "You do not dare to question a Clement, Ms. Roux. Not on a subject as important as this, especially when you, yourself, have done very little to aid the child you knew to be struggling with something like this. Instead... you've done what? Nothing.

"Papa might have believed you to be a capable body in all of this, but I can assure you I do not agree with that. I have never agreed with that." Jacques told her, tone icily cold now. His hand released the pressure on the witch, and Jacques straightened himself slightly.

"Forcing Mimosa to read and write won't aid her in any way, which confirms you have done nothing to research this, despite knowing." Jacques finalised, shaking his head to finally denote his distaste for this fact.

The amicability of the situation was gone now, and Jacques turned away, heading away from the witch in that moment as he thought about what he could do next. Had Michelle not have known, he could have attempted to sort this out with the French witch, but she was inept, knowing and doing nothing about it showed the Clements were entrusting the teaching services to the wrong person.

And yet, Jacques couldn't even bring the problem to his Papa.