Unexpected Meetings [Jacques & Neri]

Modeling.

A profession that Nerisei had never thought she would find herself doing, especially after her mother's various attempts to recruit her. Janna Gerber had never been particularly good at persuading her daughter, so no matter the means she used, Nerisei had not been swayed into modelling.... Until she met Kit Harrington, in that god awful event, and her whole way of thinking was altered. If her mother had done one thing right, it was this one.

Kit had discussed with her alone, asking her why exactly she had found modeling so... revolting. Nerisei had explained that it wasn't the profession, but the way her mother had repeatedly tried to force her into it, causing her to rebel against the mere idea. The man had explained that he was not going to force her into making a decision, because it was unlike him, and had instead gave have a few cards - invitations to parties that would help her make acquaintances into the modeling world, that could potentially help her.

The witch had thanked him and taken his offer, attending these parties and actually seeing for herself, what being a model felt like. There were many demands on her, but Nerisei found out that being a model was not that bad. It was actually really fun, and she was learning to enjoy herself. Therefore, she had contacted the American wizard, telling him that she was sure about her decision, and that being a part-time model would not be that bad. Kit had been glad she had come around, and so had her mother, who couldn't stop reminding her how happy she was that the witch was now pursuing a career.

This was the reason why Nerisei had found herself away from Hogwarts, one weekend before the Christmas Holidays, in order to attend another party, on behalf of Kit's company. After her 'Christmas' themed photoshoot was over the witch had returned to her room, in one of the luxury hotels in Italy, in order to change. Truthfully, the young woman was kind of bummed that she had not been able to visit the city and look around much, but she had promised herself she would come back, at some point. Now, she had to get dressed and go to that bloody party.

Dressed to impress, the young witch checked herself in the mirror, smiling at what she was seeing. It had taken her a while to get her confidence back, but after everything that had happened with Dimitri, she didn't know what to do. She had been devastated, broken, but Anne had been by her side to cheer her up, every second of the day. Dimitri had tried, was still trying to get her to forgive him, but this time it wouldn't be as easy. Was this his third? Fourth chance? Neri was not going to hand out any more.

Sighing, the witch left her hotel, and got in the car the company had provided for her, telling the driver the address for the party. From what she had heard, the party would be taking place in some great Mansion, that the young witch had no idea of. When she had arrived, though, her eyes had gone wide. The place was huge, as huge as Dimitri's Scottish Estate, for sure, and Nerisei felt herself gulp nervously. This is worse than being photographed, the young woman thought, slowly making her way inside.

First thing she did, upon entering the Ball Room, that was decorated accordingly, was grab a glass of deliciously looking wine and sipping some. No one knew her age here, or most of them, at least, so the witch did not have to worry about someone taking her glass away. Models were everywhere, both male and female, and Nerisei, despite being quite comfortable into her own skin, felt quite intimidated. She was obviously not as beautiful as them. "Excuse me, you must be Nerisei!" A man spoke, causing Neri to jump and almost choke on her drink. Her eyes landed in front of her, where a man was smiling widely at her. "My name is Alexander Ricci, glad to meet your acquaintance." He spoke again, softly taking her hand and placing a small kiss on her knuckles.

"Yes, I'm... Nerisei. H-How did you know it was me?"

"Your... photoshoot, of course?"

A nervous giggle escape the young woman, who felt like dying at that specific moment. She was a model now, people were seeing her face every day, it was natural for the man to know who she was, especially if he was part of the modeling world too. "Yes, I apologise. I am kind of busy these past few days, and my mind stopped working for a moment."

"Are you a model too?" Nerisei found herself asking, her eyes trailing over the man's features. He had dirty blonde hair, deep brown eyes --that reminded her too much of Dimitri's--, and was dressed in a dark blue suit that made him look very professional. He could be a manager, even though he looked slightly old. Thirty? Thirty-Two? A chuckle escaped the man, and Nerisei smiled at him. "Oh no, I could never be a model. I am a manager, actually. And I was very, very interested in you."

Nerisei's eyes narrowed at that. Even though she had not been in the modeling world for much, the young woman was smart enough to figure out, when something was wrong. If that man was truly a manager, he would have known she was working for Kit Harrington's company, and he would not dare approach her. She had a manager, she did not want a new one.
"I am afraid I can not help you." Nerisei said, turning away from the man, but his hand reached out to grab her arm and --rather forcefully-- pull her back to him. "I did not say you could leave."

"Let me go. Now." Nerisei all but growled, her eyes locked on the man, who didn't seem very keen on letting go of her arm. "I can make you twice as famous as you are currently, Nerisei. All I want, is your company. I could turn you into a star!"

"Get away from me!" The young woman whisper-yelled, pushing against the man and finally freeing herself from his deadly grip. Inhaling sharply, Neri made a bee-line for the balcony, buffet, where lots of people were busying themselves with food. As long as she was around people, she would be safe, right? Her eyes scanned the crowd, though, and unfortunately, luck was not on her side. Those brown eyes that used to remind her of Dimitri's, were now dark and threateningly moving towards her. "Fuck!" Nerisei whispered, turning to run away once again, but instead, finding herself against something hard. Her fingers gripped the first thing she could find --which happened to be a shirt--, in order to steady herself, before her eyes looked up, finding another pair of brown eyes looking down at her.

"I-I am sorry." Nerisei blurted, but her body was still in a state of shock, from trying to run away, that refused to let go of the guy. "There you are, darling. Now, let go of the man and come with me." Alexander said in a calm, but threatening voice, causing Nerisei to, involuntarily, push herself more into the guy, in an attempt to stay as far away from Alexander as possible.

She was royally fucked.

University had always kicked out just before Hogwarts did, and Jacques always returned home to his Maman first. Catching up with the older witch and his Papa was always the first thought of the future Lord Clement. He might be twenty but Jacques Clement was not the usual twenty year old who longed to be away from his parents, no, spending time with his parents was something Jacques enjoyed deeply, and would always put first.

Of course, much like many twenty year olds, Jacques did have his own life and his own interested, which was precisely how Jacques had ended up in Italy with a group of his university friends. Of course, he was also on official Clement business, checking in on the progress of the Valentino family after the take over in the Summer. Jacques had asked, and been granted, to oversee as much of the business in Italy as he could in and around his studies, and thus far he'd been keeping on top of it.

This was a good way of understanding how to rule over a country, but at the moment, Jacques had the back up from his parents should he ever need it. Thus far, he'd only asked for advice when he'd grown stuck, and the advice had come with more than one solution, not denoting which was the right one, and Jacques had had to work through which one would be the best route forward. It had been far from easy in the last few months, but upon arriving home and seeing the smile upon his Maman's features when they discussed the progress, Jacques' nerves had been phased out.

He was doing well, and the pride in his Maman's features was enough to settle the nerves of the twenty year old.

After checking in with the Valentinos' for the last few days, Jacques had returned to the mainland to join up with his friends. They'd found out about a party containing a number of current models, they were all men of money, all men of an age where dating models was on top of their agenda in life. Jacques might not have been a normal twenty year old male, but he was partial to an evening, or two, with a beautiful woman at his side.

Jacques Clement, though, was a gentleman, and never, ever, made the first move in such a place.

The party was as Jacques had expected. Models of varying degrees of beauty from all across the world, dressed in the various manners of the country of origin, or their personal taste. Despite it being winter in Italy, a number of them had decided to show a lot of skin, and though Jacques was a gentleman, he couldn't help his eye being caught by the various flashes of skin.

Champagne was flowing throughout the place, and the group of young men had made quite a few of the models head their way, talking with them, flirting with them, and in some cases, being quite direct by asking the women whether they wished to head back to the hotel with them later. Jacques had been talking to a young lady from Panama, Jasiel, who had found it quite surprising when Jacques had not moved forth with the direct route, but instead enquired about how her career was going, who she was working for, what kind of shoots she did, and how she was finding Italy.

The surprise had turned in to ease with the woman, though, and Jacques and the witch had conversed far past anyone else in the group. Where some of the boys might have convinced the woman they were talking to to meet them later, they had not worked well in keeping the girl interested in them as a person. Jacques had that advantage, he supposed. It was only as Jasiel realised that she'd been talking with Jacques for more than an hour, and that her agent had insisted she talk to a number of other people to get contracts, sponsors, etc, that Jacques found himself free of company.

The male had turned towards the food, feeling both hungry and in need of another drink. His eyes roamed the room, finding little and less of interest for the most part. Well, as little interest as models could ever bring a man such as himself, of course.

His eyes only focused on his immediate surroundings when something moved in to him, and Jacques' eyes focused on the woman who had just walked in to him.

"I-I am sorry."

"It's okay no ha-"

"There you are, darling. Now, let go of the man and come with me."

The words, followed by the conscious move of the woman before him moving closer to him brought forth an uneasy feeling in Jacques in that moment, and his eyes turned to the man trying to instruct the woman in what to do.

"Sorry, I need to talk to her for a moment. I'm with her modelling agency." Jacques replied to the man calmly, not even worrying about the lie. Try to call him out on it, Jacques would find a very good way of smashing the man. "Jacques Clement, and you are?" He offered to the man, waiting only a moment for the name to be placed, and another for the man to forget his previous qualm with the woman now safely tucked in Jacques' left arm. Another moment and whoever had been pursuing the young woman had left.

Making sure, though, Jacques waited for the man to disappear before he turned to the woman before him.

"He's gone," he told her softly, not moving to push the witch away from him. If she was comforted in being that close to him, Jacques was not uncomfortable with the situation. "I'm Jacques," the Frenchman added, hoping that she would understand he was just trying to help her out in that moment, and not scare her, or push her in any shape or form.

Jacques' attire

The young witch had no idea how she had managed to get herself into such a situation. Nerisei was an intelligent woman, but it seemed like her lack of experience in the modelling world had got the better of her. Her attempts to run away from Alexander had been futile, since he had found her, no matter where she ran, but the hide n' seek stopped, when Nerisei collided with someone else. Her instincts had kicked in immediately, grasping onto the man's shirt and steadying herself. Some would have thought that the appearance of another male would make matters worse, since most men in these parties were interested in the models in more ways than one, but this time, the Ravenclaw witch found herself to be rather lucky.

"Sorry, I need to talk to her for a moment. I'm with her modelling agency."

Nerisei's eyes widened a fraction, as she stared up at the man she had run into. Of course, he was lying, because the young woman had no idea, who that man was, but his lie seemed to be so good, that Alexander had seemingly turned stiff and... slightly scared? Of course, the guy was helping her out of the situation, but if Nerisei had learned anything so far, it was that no one helped you for free. What was he trying to get out of this? A night with her, just like all the men in this party expected from other models?

"Jacques Clement, and you are?"

The man spoke, extending his arm to Alexander, who gladly shook his hand, awe written all over her face. It seemed that her savior was a man of importance, and as Alexander introduced himself back, Nerisei spent a good amount of time, staring up at Jacques, and try to figure out where she had heard the name before. A few moments passed, with the men exchanging a few more words, and Nerisei still trying to figure out why Jacques seemed so familiar, when he finally turned to look at her. Only then did she realise that Alexander was long gone --thankfully-- and that Jacques attention was now on her.

It took the witch a moment to understand that she was still in the man's arms, rather comfortable, to be honest. As he announced that Alexander was gone, and once again introduced himself, Nerisei offered a small smile, ready to give him her name, when it hit her.

"Of course! You're Elenore's brother!" Nerisei exclaimed, her eyes going wide once again, as she understood she had said that out loud. The slightest of colour touched the woman's cheeks, and her shock became even bigger, when she finally put the pieces together. He was a Clement. He was the next Lord Clement. The heir to the, currently, wealthiest family in the whole world... And she was, rather comfortably, standing into his arms, after making a fool of herself.

Nerisei groaned inwardly, allowing herself to take a deep breath to calm herself down, before she ended up on the floor, before taking a small step back, not necessarily leaving the man's arms, but putting some space between them. It was not appropriate, and Nerisei did not want to come off like the rest of these models. She had no intention to seduce anyone, especially a Clement. Dimitri had made sure to show her that it would be wiser, if she stirred clear of all Purebloods.

Offering her hand, Nerisei smiled politely at the man. "I'm Nerisei Gerber. Pleasure to meet you, Lord Clement." The title might have been too much, but she had to break the ice, somehow. After all, she had not truly made a good first impression, and the man was... important. "I'd like to thank you, for getting me out of that dreadful situation. He approached me, and I thought he was interested in a professional agreement, but he... wanted much more than that. Therefore, I had to flee, but he followed me and in my panicked state, I seemed to have run into you. I apologise for the incident." The witch explained, biting her lip nervously. Explaining was the least she could do, at this point.

"What brings you to the party?" What else could she have possibly asked?

With Aleksander gone -- the male had stayed long enough to supply his name before realising staying was no longer an option -- Jacques had time to assess the situation. The woman, despite being a little shaken, seemed otherwise unharmed, and Jacques was relieved with that much. He did not necessarily wish to spend the rest of the evening seeing to it that the woman who had found safety in his arms filed complaints where necessary and got back to her hotel safely. Both of which he would have to do in good conscience.

The exclamation from the witch, though, made Jacques' brow raise slightly. Of all the ways he thought someone might take his name that evening, 'Elenore's brother' had not been a method in which he thought he would be introducing himself. Still, the mention of his sister brought a smile to his lips, and Jacques nodded. "Yes, I am Elenore's brother." He agreed, hoping whatever connotation that brought with it was a good one, because otherwise Elenore would have done something wrong outside the Palace, and Jacques did not need another moment of trying to rectify his sister's mistakes.

She'd outgrown them now, hadn't she?

As the witch stepped back -- only a little way -- Jacques gave her a small, reassuring smile, hoping that it would convey that she was in a safe place, that he meant her no harm in that moment. She didn't step far enough for his arm to fall away, and saving the witch from feeling uncomfortable, or embarrassed, Jacques left his hand where it was, politely around her back. If she chose to step back anymore it would fall away, but without the woman moving any more... well, his arm would likely provide the security she needed until she got her bearings back.

At her offered hand, Jacques took it, but instead of shaking it like the more modern man might have, Jacques lifted it carefully to his lips and pressed a gentle kiss upon the woman's knuckles. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Gerber, though, I'm not Lord Clement, that would be my father." Jacques gently corrected the witch, making sure that the mistake did not come off as such as he rectified it. "Please, just call me Jacques, formalities are not needed here."

The thanks that followed brought a smile to Jacques lips once more, and he waved it away. "You don't need to thank me, anyone in distress should never be left to deal with it themselves. I just wish Aleksander would have gotten the message when you told him the first time. Alas, some men believe themselves above such things." The Clement heir said softly, showing he understood. It would not be the first, nor, Jacques guess, the last time he would have to intervene in a situation where one party was uncomfortable.

"Would you like to get a drink?" Jacques asked, before quickly adding. "No strings attached, I was heading to get myself a drink before we ran in to each other. Or, something to eat? I'm quite hungry, myself..." He explained, showing that there were options if drinking wasn't on Nerisei's agenda.

"My friends brought me here. We have a little time to use before we each have to return home for the Christmas festivities, and... well, this party wasn't my choice, but I'm glad we came here tonight." Jacques explained his reasons for being here. "Garrett's father owns one of the modelling agencies here in Italy, so he gets to know these parties, and the others like to meet as many models as they can. I... well, I can't say I don't admire the work you do, it's quite the art, but I can't pretend that it is a very big interest of mine, I hope you don't mind me saying so...

"How long have you been in modelling, Miss Gerber?" Jacques asked, because she didn't look much older than Elenore. Though, of course, makeup and the right attire could work wonders in fooling the naked eye.

As Jacques confirmed that he was Elenore's brother --not that it really needed to be confirmed, since the similarities were obvious, plus, his last name--, Nerisei smiled brightly, hoping that she had not been rude. Nerisei had managed to develop some sort of a relationship with the witch, since they shared a passion from music, and had oftentimes studied together, and Elenore seemed to be a very charming young lady. She was intelligent and compassionate, and had never made a fool of herself, unlike other ladies --including Nerisei, herself.

As he took her hand and softly kissed her knuckles, the young witch felt her heart skip a bit. How long had it been since Dimitri had done something like this?
His comment about her use of such title, brought the smallest of laughs from the witch. She had called him a Lord, despite knowing that this was a title his father currently held. Though, it would be Jacques, who would be the next Lord Clement, and Nerisei wanted to be polite. Once again, though, he insisted that formalities were not needed here, and that reminded her of Dimitri, and how he, too, had insisted on that matter. Dimitri was the first Pureblood heir Nerisei had the chance to meet, that did not wish to be called by a title. But now Jacques...

"You don't need to thank me, anyone in distress should never be left to deal with it themselves. I just wish Aleksander would have gotten the message when you told him the first time. Alas, some men believe themselves above such things."

A small smirk touched the witch's features, as she heard Jacques speak those words. A man with manners seemed to be a rare sighting, nowadays, and even if she had been in Jacques' presence for a little bit, it was obvious that he was... a true gentleman. He was handsome, knew how to speak to a Lady, and it made Nerisei wonder why Dimitri was finding this so difficult. He did not like to speak about thing with her. He was uncomfortable with everything, and the only thing he knew how to do right was walk away. But Nerisei had learned her lesson, and she was not going to surrender to his cheap excuses that easily.

Tonight, though, was not the time to think about Dimitri. She was here on behalf of Kit's company, she was building a bright future for herself in the modeling world, and she was also doing great with her lessons at school. She was handling way more things than what a normal teenage girl would, and she was proud of making it this far. Pushing Dimitri out of her thoughts, Nerisei turned all of her attention on the man in front of her.


At his question of whether Nerisei would be interested in grabbing a drink, or perhaps something to eat, with him, the witch nodded allowing the man to lead her towards the buffet. Truthfully, she was quite hungry herself, the photoshoot had been a tiring one, and another drink would calm her nerves. She needed some well deserved relaxation, but life seemed to want the opposite.
"Oh, I am rather hungry, myself." Nerisei admitted, as she grabbed a plate for herself, and handed one to Jacques.

Whilst she observed the glorious buffet that was laid before them, Nerisei listened carefully as Jacques explained why exactly he was here. Having important friends was not unusual, especially for a man like himself, but she had no idea that one of the modeling agencies here, was owned by one of his friends. Neri could not hide the smile that graced her features at the mention of men, trying to seduce as many models as they possibly can. Men will always be men, and Neri found it rather funny. What surprised her though, was the fact that Jacques had openly admitted he was not truly interested in this party and the models. And that was... interesting.

How long have you been in modelling, Miss Gerber?"

"Not for long. I am fairly new to all of... this." She admitted, glancing at him, before taking a bite out of the little sandwiches that were being offered. After swallowing, the witch wipe her mouth carefully with a napkin, before speaking. "I am glad I ran into you. I am here alone, and I am not really interested in being seduced at the moment." A giggle escaped Neri's lips, before she took another bite out of her food.

The laugh of the witch before him was quite beautiful, in an unfinished manner of speaking. Where the ladies of the Pureblood world had very soft, very quiet, gentle laughs, finishing in exactly the same length as one another, Miss Gerber's was different. It was not refined, it wasn't even a polite laugh, meant to make him feel good, it was a natural one, and Jacques had always liked that in the women he'd met away from the Palace. The short, stifled laughs of upper class women were just... unnatural.

Finding this much put Jacques at ease with the woman before him, he was glad she wasn't uptight around him.

The acceptance of getting food together was further proof that Miss Gerber was not like other women either. She was happy to eat around him, in front of a group of models who likely watched every carb they ever ate like it might do them some personal injustice. No, this was suiting Jacques quite fine, and so he led Nerisei across to the food, thanking her as she handed him a plate, before helping himself to the buffet food. The young man was beyond hungry, truthfully, but he only put half a plate of food on to the china wear as was acceptable in any public gathering. As they reached the end of the buffet, Jacques flagged down a waiter, and got Nerisei and himself another flute of wine before they moved off from the buffet table and stood to the side whilst they ate and spoke.

Nerisei's admittance that she was new to all this brought a fond smile to his lips. That much he could tell, the other models were all quite keen on getting round as many people as possible, or else latching on to the rich and famous men in the crowd. Nerisei didn't seem to be that kind, despite her attire, she still seemed to be quite new to the pool of modelling. "It's okay, you're doing a great job, I'm sure of it." Jacques tried to settle her, taking a bite out of the voulet vant that had been served to them at the buffet. He chewed thoroughly before he swallowed, making sure his mouth was clear before he spoke again.

"I assume you're not with Garrett's father's company -- good choice by the way -- but to be here you'll have a good sponsor, so congratulations. If you ever need help with contacts, though, let me know. I have a million and one people I can put you in touch with." Jacques assured the witch, even if this wasn't his interest, the Clements could easily find the right people in any industry they so wished.

"How come you're here alone, though? Your maman doesn't come with you, or... I don't know, a friend?" Jacques enquired of the witch. "Or... boyfriend?" He prompted because the last of Nerisei's sentence had alluded to the idea she didn't wasn't interested in being hit on. Jacques could respect that, but he did wonder if there was a reason to her wishes.

"You know Elenore, too?" Jacques added, wondering how she would know Elenore. The obvious one was Hogwarts, and if that was the case, perhaps Jacques could find out how old the girl before him was without directly asking her. After all, models didn't have to be adults, and it was always best to know what you were dealing with. Especially someone like Jacques, he was always being followed by a photographer, and the Palace did not need a scandal on their hands. Even if Jacques' intentions were not ones that would lead to a scandal, the press liked to twist every scenario they could get their hands on.

Being around a Pureblood, an Elite Pureblood nonetheless, was a new experience, Nerisei had to admit. She had learned from Dimitri, a couple of things that would potentially make a Pureblood feel uncomfortable, and was trying to refrain from speaking about them. Though, for some reason, Jacques seemed to be less... stuck up. Dimitri had always been stiff and hard to work with, but Jacques seemed more... laid back. Open to discussion and way more fun that Dimitri had ever been. Maybe, just maybe, the young witch had fallen for the wrong Pureblood...

"It's okay, you're doing a great job, I'm sure of it."

The small reassurance brought forth a big smile from Nerisei, who looked up at Jacques in surprise. Dimitri had never been that supportive of her choice, and had refrained from cheering her up or reassuring her. On the contrary, he either remained silent or... avoided her for days. Perhaps it had been her fault all along, but... Jacques didn't seem to be bothered by her at all. Why would he pretend? He didn't have to pretend. There was nothing for him to win, yet he seemed to be so keen on making her feel relaxed and calm, it was... refreshing.

"No, I am not with his company. I represent Kit Harrington's Company." Nerisei admitted proudly. Kit Harrington was a famous man, who had built an incredible company. He was the one that had reassured her about the modeling world, and had given her a chance to test her limits. His offer to get her in contact with powerful, important people though, made Nerisei's eyes widen. Bringing her glass to her lips, Nerisei sipped some wine, swallowing down her shock. "That is very generous of you, Jacques. We could, perhaps, keep in contact, if you'd like." The witch said, biting her lip nervously. Was, asking to keep in contact with Jacques, a good idea?

"How come you're here alone, though? Your maman doesn't come with you, or... I don't know, a friend?"

Nerisei gave Jacques a sad smile, ready to answer, before he added something more to the question. Something that made Nerisei uneasy and slightly mad.

"Or... boyfriend?"

"No. No boyfriend." Nerisei spoke, making sure to keep her voice steady and calm. She did not need Jacques to think she was lying, or that there was something going on. And after all, she wasn't lying, was she? Dimitri had never asked her to become his girlfriend, so she was still single. Not to mention, that he had been avoiding her most of the year, and after all the sacrifices she had made for him, he had still managed to make her feel like trash. He did not love her. Hell, she wondered if he ever liked her.

"I do not have many friends, and the ones I have were not available. My agent... he's busy with two blondes at the moment, and as for my mother, she is quite busy managing her Galleries. We are not... very close." Neri admitted, clearing her throat and taking another sip from her glass. She did not want to go into details about how her mother had been ignoring her for most of her life.

"You know Elenore, too?"

"Yes, we usually study music together. I am just a year younger than her." The young witch admitted, glad that there had been a change to the subject. "Do you enjoy dancing, Monsieur?" Neri asked, in an attempt to learn more about the older wizard.

If there had ever been a time to be grateful for not having a mouthful of food it was upon being told that Nerisei Gerber was here with Kit Harrington. Had he of had a mouthful of food in that moment, he was almost certain he would have choked on it in surprise of finding that the woman before him was acquainted with Mimosa's grandfather. As it was, though, Jacques simply nodded, his features showing that he was impressed with her capabilities. There was, after all, no denying that Kit Harrington was a talented man, Jacques simply wasn't overly fond of him past the point he had to be.

"We could do that..." Jacques replied, pulling out his phone and swiping past the security features that were akin to the ones that had been put on Mimosa's mobile phone. Once it was unlocked, Jacques clicked the contacts button, and then turned it to Nerisei. "If you want to put your phone number in, and text yourself so that you have my number, then we can keep in contact." Jacques explained, though he did not point out that during his time at home he would not have the device on him. No, what happened within the Palace was not of Miss Gerber's concern, and he doubted... really, that she would text him very often, if at all. But the offer was there, if she ever wanted it.

The notion that the witch before him, the beautiful young woman, was single was something of a surprise to Jacques. How she had managed to escape the arms of someone he would never know, but that didn't mean that the woman before him was off limits, or that he was wasting his evening completely. But, the mention of everyone else the woman did have not being available at this moment, Jacques couldn't help but feel that Nerisei was a little... secluded in that moment. "Well, if you'd like, I can introduce you to my friends that are here, so that you don't have to put up with just me all night, and I can introduce you to a few of the other beautiful ladies here? That way, it's less of a feeling of being alone?" Jacques offered, because he could only imagine what it would feel like to be alone in a room.

A luxury he'd never been afforded.

And, it seemed, Nerisei was not comfortable enough with the people she did have, so she needed more people in her life. That much Jacques could most certainly help with, he had an abundance of people around him almost permanently -- and not always because he wanted them there.

"You play the piano, too? Elenore is a beautiful pianist, Maman adores her music, but she doesn't play often enough at home." Jacques explained, sounding very much like the proud big brother, but realising he'd said too much. Hopefully Nerisei would miss it, because Jacques had not meant to talk about Elenore like that.

Nerisei had booked herself with a safe passage, though, for both of them. She was seventeen, sixteen at worst, which made this meeting, their friendship, whatever this would turn out to be, legal in Italy and in France. The papers could not hound him for it, and any worry in the Clement heir was gone in that moment.

With the question of dancing, Jacques smiled at the witch. "Of course! Though, I will warn you, my more modern methods of dancing probably need a little work, but I am more than happy to have a go. Though, I seem to note that in these situations, it's not about dancing perfectly, it's about having fun, so I am more than sure that we can dance, if you would like to, tonight." Jacques told her, knowing that this would bode well with them going forwards as he finished up his food and deposited their plates on a tray heading past, collecting another drink and offering one to Nerisei. If she refused it, Jacques wouldn't mind, but it would be rude to leave a lady without a drink.

Nerisei hadn't truly believed that Jacques would want to stay in contact with her, but as he took out his phone and unlocked it, before handing her the device, Nerisei's eyes darted from the wizard before her, to the mobile, then back to him, before softly taking it out of his hands and typing her number. Making sure she had typed the correct number, the witch pressed save, before clicking her number to create a text. Typing a 'Hi', she sent it, and waited for her phone to vibrate, before handing him his mobile back. Biting her lip, Neri took out her phone from her small bag, unlocking it with her fingertip and quickly saving his number under the name 'Jacques Clement'. "There. Now we're even." Nerisei spoke, smiling politely at him. They might have exchanged numbers, but Nerisei wasn't sure that they would be texting each other much. After all, why would a man like him want to text a woman like her?

Deciding not to think about that much, Nerisei finished her drink, taking a good look around. Her agent had disappeared, something that did not surprise Nerisei at all, who rolled her eyes, more to herself than anything else, before turning back to the French wizard. At his offer of introducing her to his friends, and perhaps other models in the room, was answered with a small shake of her head. Nerisei had never been overly social, and that had proved to be a good things, sometimes. "You company is enough, Monsieur. Unless... I am boring you. Then, by all means, you are free to go find your friends. I'd hate to hold you here against your will."

But the wizard didn't seem to want to leave, and instead kept talking to her, something that brought a smile on Nerisei's face. Dimitri would have left, if she had told him to. Dimitri had left, instead of fighting, instead of telling her that he wanted to be there, with her, because he wanted her. Jacques, though, did not move an inch, proving that he indeed didn't mind her company. Actions spoke louder than words, and Jacques' actions --contrary to Dimitri's-- proved that he liked her. Liked her enough to stay.

As the subject shifted from her to Elenore, the Ravenclaw witch found herself smiling widely, at how Jacques talked about his sister. Elenore was indeed, an amazing pianist, and it was a shame to learn that she did not play enough back at the Palace. Nerisei was not playing for her parents, because they were never there, but if they wanted to listen to her, she would have never turned them down. "She is extraordinary, indeed. I play the violin, but I do know how to play the piano too. I just.. prefer the strings." Nerisei said with a small laugh.


"Of course! Though, I will warn you, my more modern methods of dancing probably need a little work, but I am more than happy to have a go. Though, I seem to note that in these situations, it's not about dancing perfectly, it's about having fun, so I am more than sure that we can dance, if you would like to, tonight."

A giggle escaped Nerisei, that was soon drowned as she sipped some of the drink Jacques had offered her. Most Purebloods seemed to be distant with the modern dances, Dimitri had been very distant, but he had agreed on trying. Until... until something happened and he ran away from her, again. Jacques, though, didn't want to run away. "Well, we don't have to dance anything modern. I've been trained to the Waltz, you don't have to worry." Nerisei said with a smirk, not mentioning how she had learned to waltz. Jacques did not have to know.

Downing her drink, Nerisei closed her eyes and cracked her neck, before glancing back at Jacques. "I just noticed... we're matching in colour, Monsieur." The Ravenclaw witch said, accompanied by a small giggle. The alcohol was making her slightly tipsy, causing the young woman to relax and enjoy the night even more. When was the last time she had felt so.. free?

"Well, I think I would like to get some air. Care to join me?" Nerisei inquired, hoping that the gentleman would accompany her.

Watching Nerisei enter her number in to his phone brought forth a small smile on Jacques' lips. The phone book on that phone was full of numbers. Some of them of young women he'd been with, others genuine contacts he'd made for himself in many different countries, friends littered the list, and then some big names. But, there was only one number in his phone that truly mattered.

Thinking of Mimosa right now was not necessary, though.

"Oh, non, non, you're not boring me. I thought it to be more polite to invite you to meet others than to insist my presence on you." Jacques replied, alleviating the worry of the witch before she thought he didn't wish to spend time with her.

"Ah, the violin. Beautiful instrument!" The Frenchman complimented. "I, alas, was never gifted with musical talent. That was Elenore's gift from our Maman." He explained, a fond smile upon his lips. His Maman and Elenore were the best musicians to him, and Jacques could listen to them both playing all day, if they had the time. It was never of any doubt that a Clement witch was talented, and both of them had not fallen short on that score.

Nerisei's explanation of her own knowledge of dance brought forth a smile. The 'waltz' was much too broad a statement, there were many variations of that dance, but the Frenchman assumed that she meant the traditional waltz in this context. "A fine choice, indeed. Though, honestly, waltzes are so formal..." The Clement heir let the rest go unsaid, whilst impressive to know, the waltz didn't have much use in the wider world, away from the Palace. At least, not to Jacques, anyway.

The next move of the witch before him would have caused Jacques to blink had he not been somewhat used to being around ladies not in the higher ranks of society. The crack of her neck was something Jacques didn't comment on and instead looked down at his attire, and hers, which matched. "So we do... what are the chances? And, if I may, that dress is exquisite on you! Which designer did you use?" The man asked, wondering if it was perhaps one that Elenore would have been interested in. Though, of course, not in the cut Nerisei was sporting, the Clement heiress would not be seen in such items of clothing. Ever.

"Some air sounds good, the staff have put the heating up just a little too high." Jacques agreed, finishing his drink and placing the glass on the side. Offering the witch his arm, Jacques moved off outside with the witch, on to a balcony that oversaw the city. Another two drinks came in to the man's hands, and when they came to the balcony, Jacques offered the glass to the witch beside him. If she didn't want it, Jacques wasn't going to press, as always, but it was polite to get a lady a drink.

"So, how long are you in Italy, Miss Gerber?" Jacques asked, leaning against the stone balcony and looking out across the city. Italy was quite beautiful, but not quite as beautiful as France. Nothing would ever compare to France. "Do you plan on going site seeing?" He added, because everyone should take time to explore when they were abroad.

Sipping his drink, Jacques turned to the witch beside him, letting her know she had his attention, and that he was, truly, interested in what she had to say.