Bombs Away (Lilac)

Jurian had heard that there was going to be tryouts for the Slytherin team. Knowing that Lilac was interested in joining, he had made sure to run down to the quidditch pitch. Leaping the stairs he found himself a good seat and sat. It didn't seem there were many people there and he had to wonder why one of the professor's was there if he was going to read a book. You would think that reading where there was a game going on would be distracting! Shrugging, the boy refocused on the people on the pitch. Seeing his friend he grinned and edged closer to the end of the bench.

The one that was into sports was Jasper, but Jurian had been at Hogwarts long enough and been around enough people to pick up a few things about quidditch. Even still, he wasn't quiet sure what the captain was doing with his tests until the last one. He had no idea where the gold ball went but it seemed Lilac did. Keeping his eyes on her instead, he wanted to cheer her on but knew that if she got distracted it would be all his fault. He really didn't want to be the reason she blew her shot to be on the team. Crossing his finger he kept muttering under his breath, "C'mon, you got this."

When Lilac held the snitch aloft, nothing could keep Jurian in his seat as he leapt up with a great shout. Grinning from ear to ear, he dove into his bag he'd brought out and began to jab the fireworks with his wand before tossing them into the air. As they exploded he whooped.

Full of excitement and happiness caused Jurian to just laugh as he released his pent up energy. So used to the French witch admonishing him it didn't even phase the Ravenclaw as he just grinned unrepentant of his actions. It helped that it seemed this time she didn't mind as she questioned him. Shrugging, he stated, "We're celebrating, obviously." Lilac getting onto the team was something worth celebrating in Jurian's books. Not only was it something she wanted, but as far as he knew, his friend had worked just as hard as Jasper did when it came to practicing. Lilac getting onto the team as a Seeker (the most important player next to the Keeper, from what he could recall being told) was something to be excited about. Lilac had achieved one of her goals and Jurian was happy for her and wanted it to show.

The boy grinned. "Congratulations, Lilac! I knew you could do it!" He really did. If there was one thing he had learned was that the French girl was just as stubborn and determined as he was when it came to self-appointed goals. Whenever Jurian was involved in a project, he wouldn't stop until he was finished to his satisfaction. Jurian also believed though that his friend needed to learn to forget herself and the Clement standards she fussed about. She needed to learn to have fun. Hopefully, quidditch would help her with that, but in the mean time... Holding out a handful of fireworks he gave a mischievous smile. "Want to help set these off?"

"We're celebrating, obviously."

They were celebrating... her? The idea was so alien to the young girl that she stopped a moment to ponder it. No one had ever celebrated her before. She was more used to having all her achievements ignored. Being celebrated was a long term goal, once she was with the First Family.

But Jurian was doing it now.

"Merci, I knew I could do eet too," she grinned slightly. Though it was just one goal of many that she had achieved. "i am on ze teem... at leest for now. Until ze old Seeker is able to ride 'er broom again and zen I weell no doubt be keecked out." It wasn't doubt that made her say that, it was pure fact. Mimosa would never tolerate Lilac on the team no matter how well the younger Slytherin flew or played the game.

"Want to help set these off?"

The blonde contemplated for a moment. Most of the team had returned to their lives by now. Even the captain as gone, probably to put away all the equipment. And though she had a sneaking suspicion that Jurian hand't actually bought the fire crackers, they were already here.

"Go on zen," she smiled openly fr the firs time that day, unable to resist his excitement. Pulling out a long cylindrical shaped one from his bag, she ignited it expertly with eh wand and sent it whizzing up in the air. It exploded about fifteen feet above their heads in a bright chorus of color and sound.

"And now, we run," she laughed, taking hold of his hand and dragging him along before the blatant display of color and sound got them caught by a prefect or teacher.

Jurian made a mental note to ask Jasper to take up French for his language elective so that he could slip his twin notes. Either that or find an adult wizard who could copy the text book for him to practice. He only knew a few words and wanted to learn more so that he could understand Lilac when she spoke in her native tongue.

At the Slytherin's confident reply, he thought he should have known better. Lilac seemed to be confident in all she did. It was good though and he was happy that it got her the Seeker position. He knew despite his lack of enthusiasm for the game, he would be there for every Slytherin game to cheer his friend on. It was a bit like cheering his brother on so he felt confident himself that he would be enjoy the experience; if only the excitement was contagious when in a crowd.

"Maybe not," Jurian tried to argue and cheer up his friend. He didn't like that Lilac sounded so sure as if it would be unthinkable to keep the younger witch on the team. "Maybe they'll see that you're better and keep you on. Worst case, you're on the reserve team but only for a year or so until the old seeker graduates."

He counted it a win and he stared for a moment when she actually smiled with her whole face! She didn't do that much from what he could recall. Oh, she would give a slight one, condescending, or even indulgent when she was obviously just putting up with Jurian. This though? It was rare and he treasured it and his own smile softened and grew as he gazed at Lilac. The boy was immensely cheered and it showed when Lilac had decided to join him in his antics. He nearly cackled at the firework she chose and let the colors wash over them as it exploded overhead.

Jurian almost didn't have time to snatch up his bag as his hand was taken. The boy in his shock and surprise at Lilac's laughter allowed himself to be led as he gaped dumbly. Twice now she had taken him by surprise in just as many minutes. That caused him to start laughing joyously feeling as if he was floating on air. When they were far enough away to not get immediately caught and to catch their breath (or at least Jurian did after that sprint) he couldn't help but blurt out with admiration, "You are amazing!"

"Maybe they'll see that you're better and keep you on. Worst case, you're on the reserve team but only for a year or so until the old seeker graduates."

Lilac didn't respond to the boy's sentiment. At best, he was being his usual, optimistic self at worst, he had just confirmed her life's biggest truth. That she could only ever have things if Mimosa Harrington was out of the picture. Neither deserved acknowledgement.

Instead she decided to join him in his celebration, letting the fireworks off before taking his hand and bolting from the scene. They both ended up laughing as they ran, Lilac just as surprised at the sound of her own laughter as jurian was.

"You are amazing!"

"I am?" she looked at him quizzically. Of course, the blonde had always known she was extraordinary. All her life she had longed to hear it too. But now that someone was actually saying it to her, it felt unreal. She had waited to long to hear those words from anyone worth anything to hear that when the moment finally arrived, the girl had no idea how to handle it. Modesty was not her forte and accepting compliments not her experience, which left her pondering on the Ravenclaw's words.

"Well, zen you can be amazing too," she added matter of fact-ly. "Zen you weell not feel enviouz of me."

They had ran straight through the Quidditch Pitch and were now behind the greenhouses, finding themselves all alone. Lilac moved to sit on a log that had been recently felled and tied up, probably to be used later in the week. "I saw my Maman at ze palace in ze summer," she confessed simply, not quite looking at Jurian as she spoke. "She waz walking wiz ze 'eir Clement. They looked very comfortable togezzer."

"Of course!" it was stated emphatically. Jurian had always been impressed with the Slytherin from the first day he'd met her in the strange room where she'd been making a dress. She continued to amaze him with just who she was. Today was another part of the girl that he'd never seen before and wanted to see more of.

Mouth twitching, Jurian's eyes shined with amusement as he tried not to laugh. He could have played this two ways and he chose one that he would enjoy the most. Puffing out his chest, he pretended to buff his nails on his shirt. "I'm already amazing, thank you. Together, we're outstanding." He was unable to keep the smile off his face. "As for envious, weeeeell," he pretended to think. "I am envious that you a talent that you taught yourself."

Rocking back and forth on his feet Jurian glanced around them before he joined Lilac on the log when her mood seemed to change. Taking a seat next to her, he listened and tried to recall who the Clement heir was. He didn't keep track of any kind of hierarchy from celebrities to the wizards, or even the school. He did remember their last serious conversation. Giving a nod, he wondered, "The Deputy Headmistress? So what happened?"

Jurian leaned forward, his hands braced on the log with his legs in front of him. Instead of looking at Lilac, he kept his gaze on the plants around them. He wasn't sure if she wanted him to look at her or not the way she avoiding looking at him. "And, are you okay?"

"I'm already amazing, thank you. Together, we're outstanding."

Under normal circumstances, Lilac would have rolled her eyes at the Ravenclaw. Today however was turning out a little better than normal, so she settled for merely a look of amusement in her eyes. She doubted she would ever be as free to express happiness as Jurian was. But expressing her joy through him... was not a bad alternative.

"I am envious that you a talent that you taught yourself."

"I 'ad leetle choice," she stated simply. "All ze things I wanted to learn, no one wanted to teach me so I 'ad to teach myzelf." When she had been four, she wanted to learn horse riding like the Lady Elenore but Artemis had said the horses were not hers to practice with. As a result, Lilac had stolen into the stables and tried to teach herself. The resulting fall hadn't been pretty, but it had made her all the more determined. Now, she could ride as well as any girl who grew up with access to horses.

The same went with stitching, flying, swimming. All the things I lady should know, Lilac knew.

Now she just had to wait to be acknowledged as one.

Jurian listened to her talk about Professor Harrington quietly, very unlike him. And when he did ask his question, they were very unexpected.

"She stayed for a long time," the blonde nodded, tucking a lose strand of gold behind an ear. "Maybe zree weeks or a month. I don't know when she arrived but she always zeemed worried." The girl had tried her best to sneak into the guest chambers to have a closer look but because of the occupancy, there was added staff around, making it impossible for her to see into her mother's temporary living rooms. "She deedn't talk to Artemis once," Lilac scoffed. "And 'oo would blame 'er."

His next question was tougher to answer. No one had ever asked her how she felt about things before.

"I'm... unsure..." she confessed, a strange look on her face. Lilac didn't like dealing with the abstract. Doing was always preferable to fleeing. "A beet angry, maybe annoyed. She waz right zere. I could 'ave gone to 'er and told 'er. I don't even care if she doesn't want to be wiz Artemis, I would leave 'im for 'er in a second." Fury flashed momentarily through her gaze. It was probably Artemis's fault that her mother had left them. He was a weak, pathetic and useless man who could never give anyone what they wanted.

"I zink ze 'eir Clement likes 'er," she added a little thoughtfully. "Zey walked togezzer a lot and he hugged 'er many times. 'E even took 'er out in 'is favorite car."