Living Up to Expectations (Open)

Subject: Living Up to Expectations (Open) Wed Mar 21, 2018 10:50 am

May had rolled in to the castle with the nervousness that floated around with the topic of O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S. each year. Being in her sixth year left Elenore with something of a nothing feeling. Yes, there were the year end exams she would have to face, but they didn't account for anything, and the Clement heiress had no desire to make the effort with the exams. School, after all, was not going to account for anything in her life.

The work from her teachers had been cast aside by the youngest Clement as she poured over the numerous tomes denoting the history of Italy, recent and older, the change in the economy in the last ten years, the fluctuations in different accounting areas. There were books open before the Hufflepuff witch as she looked to reference book after reference book trying to understand all of the information before her.

The trouble with all of this, though, was that whilst Elenore was a clever young woman, and capable of decoding everything that had been forwarded from the Palace for her upcoming trip to Italy.

This, Elenore had told herself, was the real test of the year.

One her Maman had given her with the intention to...

Elenore had always come unstuck at this point with her Maman's reasoning. Why would she have given her such a huge task for the summer? Did the older witch trust her to do this well? Elenore doubted that much, after the stinging accusation of her being a disappointment in her Maman's eyes, Elenore doubted there was any trust being harboured by her Maman. So then, was this a ploy to see Elenore fail? It would have felt as such, except for one thing, the Lady Clement's precious son was going with her. There was no way in the world the Lady Clement would allow her son to fail on the world stage.

Finding the logic was almost impossible, so Elenore had given up.

Instead, her eyes focused upon the words before her again, and the witch looked down upon them with a knot of anxiety building in her stomach. Her eyes were not concentrating on the information, because once more she had become stuck. The thought of failure weighing heavy upon her and drowning the enthusiasm and progress she was trying to make.

Elenore let out a soft sigh, placing her quill down.

How was she going to succeed in a task that was clearly set for her failure?

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Elenore may not want to talk to him anymore, but Alexei felt that he needed to right a wrong and even if she snubbed him and refused to acknowledge his words, he would feel much better with himself. Losing her friendship hurt but it had been nothing new to the Italian-born wizard. He had been losing friends for all of his life and losing another one was just something that he had grown used to.

Snooping around and questioning Elenore's housemates led the Slytherin to the library where he found the Clement witch buried beneath books -not literally of course-, deep in thought and clearly working out through something. Keen eyes caught the titles and his brows shot up in surprise.

Why was she looking into Italia of all things?

Shrugging, Alexei walked forward and peered over her shoulder before he flipped one of the books to the right page. "You're looking at the wrong page." He commented politely as he moved around to take a seat opposite her, eyes watching the brown-haired female without any emotion what so ever. "And not all of those books are correct." He added softly, eyes roving over the titles.

Subject: Re: Living Up to Expectations (Open) Thu Mar 22, 2018 2:30 pm

Elenore had not seen the approach of the boy who had hurt her before Christmas. Elenore had, in truth, missed Alexei in her life, even though she would not admit that much out loud. The questioning nature of the boy had not been acceptable to the youngest Clement. She had wanted his support, and he had hurt her by claiming to be disappointed with her.

The hurt of those words had left Elenore collapsed on the floor of the Astronomy Tower, crying in to her knees that had been hugged up to her chest in that moment.

So to hear Alexei's voice once more around her, it made Elenore want to reach out to him and pull him in to a hug, to apologise for the mess she'd made. But, Elenore realised, it was not her who had to apologise, it was the male who had caused her so much pain.

As the page turned to another one, Elenore took in the information upon the page, trying to make sense of it, but no longer concentrating on the book but the male who had interrupted her.

"I never thought they would be, but they're of use." Elenore replied shortly to the boy, only looking up to him fleetingly before she turned her attention back to the book. No, she would not relent to the boy's will just because he was here, before her.

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The fleeting look from the girl made Alexei smile slightly even as he was ignored by her. She looked lost and he doubted that she would ask for his help. Yet, even though he knew she wouldn't, he wanted to give it to her. It was the least he could do.

A long silence overtook them and Alexei wasn't going to break it just yet. He didn't want her angry at him for breaking her concentration after all. It was only after he saw the fleetingly lost look that he sighed softly and leant forward.

"Italia is hard to understand from books that were not written by Italians." He tapped his fingers on the table. "Tell me what you're stuck on and I'll give you a hand. There's no need for you to fail whatever it is that you're doing due to wrong information from idiots."

Subject: Re: Living Up to Expectations (Open) Sat Mar 24, 2018 2:15 pm

"Then it is a good thing that the Palace saw fit to send my books on Italy, written by Italian authors, in Italian, isn't it?" Elenore responded to the boy before her who was trying to make her feel small when he obviously did not have the first clue as to whom he was dealing with. As if Elenore would be researching Italy from a book written by an Englishman who had never so much as left his study.

Honestly, the witch thought to herself, still not looking up to Alexei because he was not helping the situation in the slightest with his superior persona he was trying to pull off right now.

Just because he was Italian, it did not mean he knew everything she needed to know.

But as Alexei mentioned failing, Elenore paused in that moment. Counting to ten mentally because the Slytherin was truly trying to push her. "And what, pray tell, monsieur, leads you to believe that I would fail in anything I do?" Elenore asked him, eyes finally coming to rest on the boy with an expression that showed she was not amused with his lack of tact in that moment.

And Merlin knew, if this was his attempt at reconciliation, his people skills left a lot to be desired.

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Alexei was feeling very awkward at this moment in time. This wasn't what he wanted to say and he knew that he was making everything worse between himself and Elenore. Huffing and leaning back on two legs of the chair, Alexei let out a long breath, eyes falling closed.

"I'm sorry." He finally said, his voice soft, quiet and so broken that no-one would believe that it was Alexei. The male just didn't do broken. He did cold and haughty but he pretty much never did broken. The falling out with Elenore had hit him hard and while many people could tell not many wanted to point it out to the trigger-happy Slytherin. They didn't want to be on the male's wrong side after all.

"I'm not expecting you to accept my apology, I certainly won't blame you for it." The chair thumped back onto the floor and the Slytherin cradled his head in his arms, his hands shaking as he curled them into fists. "I... I'm so sorry. I was just shocked with everything and I spewed things that I didn't mean or even want to spew out..." His voice was muffled by his arms but the words were as clear as day. "I really am so sorry Elenore..."

Subject: Re: Living Up to Expectations (Open) Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:58 pm

The boy before her came back with nothing when she pointed out her sources were more than adequate. And, nothing came from the boy when she pointed out just how she did not fail at anything she did. Elenore Clement was a lot of things, but she did not fail when she put her mind to a task. Such as this one that had been laid out by her Maman for the summer.

But, what Elenore had not been expecting was the apology that came a moment later from the Italian's lips.

Thankful that he had buried his head in his arms, Elenore was able to mask the surprise that had touched her features temporarily at the admission that he was sorry for what he'd said. Alexei had never come across as a man who would suggest he was wrong, but that just went to show how well Elenore had known him before he'd thrown such horrible words in her direction.

Even though she wanted to hurry towards accepting the apology, though, Elenore would not look so weak. No, she did not need Alexei, she had learned that much from his absence. But... he was a suitable companion, when she needed someone to talk to that she could... not trust, Elenore did not trust the Slytherin any longer. But, she knew he would listen.

A few moments panned out, in which Elenore considered the older student's head that still laid buried in his arms.

"Well, for one Mr Blackthorn, addressing a lady in such a manner is the height of rudeness, so, I think you should start your apology again." Elenore told him, but the smile that was threatening her lips showed too much in her tone, and ruined the idea of her succeeding in teasing him a little for his childishness when it came to doing the right thing.

"For another, you're forgiven." Elenore told him softly, though, if the male were to be looking to her in that moment, Elenore's eyes would be upon the page. She would not, in the slightest, give him the satisfaction of trying to read her in that moment, because she was not yet ready to fully let him back in. But... the door was slightly ajar.

Only slightly.

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Alexei flushed in embarrassment and pointedly looked at anywhere else but Elenore. "I apologize Miss Clement." The surname felt foreign on his tongue, after so many months of referring to the woman as Elenore when chatting with her. It was weird and he didn't like it but he did not have any choice what-so-ever in that. He would not utter her name unless she gave him permission, he wouldn't fuck up once more. Once was bad but if he did it twice then it wasn't a fuck up but stupidity.

"...Thank you." He breathed a sigh of relief and closed his eyes, a small, soft smile on his lips. Hearing those words lightened his heart and made the tension in his shoulders disappear as they dropped slightly when he sat back correctly on the chair. "Thank you, Miss Clement." He let out a jaw-cracking bone, rubbing at his eyes; he hadn't slept well since his fall out with Elenore and the bags under his eyes were a clear tell-tale of it.

Subject: Re: Living Up to Expectations (Open) Sat Apr 21, 2018 11:27 am

Watching Alexei for a moment as he incorrectly addressed her in what he thought to be a polite manner, but fell down on, Elenore couldn't help the soft smile that touched her lips in that moment. For a moment, she thought of letting it go, but she decided against it. He had hurt her for his words, so she had the right to make him suffer a little bit longer.

"Don't let my Papa hear you speak of me in such a manner, Monsieur Blackthorn." She warned him, though the smile was only growing on her features as she teased him. "I am a Lady, so you should address me as such if you feel the need to use my last name to address me. Miss Clement is horribly inaccurate." With that, the youngest Clement would let it slide, allowing Alexei to relax.

The yawn that came made Elenore raise her eyebrow slightly.

"Please, don't let me keep you if you're tired. I will be here for quite some time yet." She told the boy, turning back to her work. She did not wish to keep him here, even if his knowledge of Italy might be of use, she could not burden another person like her Maman did.

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