Reading Amongst Flowers

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire was pleased the term had come to a close, it had been strange to say the least, but she was looking forward to going home and just being able to relax for a little bit. While she was unable to go back to Belgium as her family sometimes did during the holidays she was still looking forward to spending time with her brothers at home, they meant a good deal to her really and she was looking forward to just being able to be muggle for a bit. As much as the girl loved magic she was looking forward to just being able to do things that were muggle that had nothing to do with this magical world she was definitely learning more about. She loved being a witch, but occasionally she was reminded that in this world, to a good handful she was bad, her blood was bad, she couldn't always believe that people thought that, but they did and she lived in their world, she no longer lived in the one she was used to, so Victoire admitted to wanting badly to conform. Going home would give her, she thought the prospective she needed before being able to move forward. Knowing that she would need to take all the time she needed to figure where she now stood in this world.

However as the few days dwindled before she was heading home, the gryffindor had taken a break from packing and being indoors and was out amongst the flowers. She loved the way the garden was at this time of the year, it was pretty amazing she thought. She loved being able to sit amongst the flowers and enjoy the company of something simple. She had a book under her arm, and she was dressed for the summer weather, her shoulder length strands of wavy blonde hair cascading over one shoulder. There was no wind, she didn't have to worry about it blowing her hair in all directions. She had been wandering the gardens for a little while, trying to pick the best spot for this, but none seemed to work. Eventually, Victoire just sat down on a bench leaning back and relaxing in the warm summer sun, the book placed on her legs as her pale, sun-lacking sun cream covered skin took in the warmth. She sat like that for a few moments, before looking down at the book on her lap. She had come out here to read, read something that she'd not had the time to during the term. Picking it up, she casually flicked to the last page she'd been on, and with a small wince at the brightness of the sun reflecting on the pages of the book, she began to read.
​

 

[Perseas Stratis]

There wasn't really an inappropriate time for Perseas Stratis to pull a prank. He just needed the right stimulus and his resourcefulness could be spent on how to spread chaos around the castle. The right kind of stimulus arrived early that day from Gambol & Japes via owl. He wasn't expected anything to arrive the very last day of the semester but it was a nice surprise to find out that the package was one of those products that were contributing in his usual prank orchestration. He had made that order over a month ago and for some reason it was delayed. As his wise grandfather liked to say, it was never too late for anything. Perseas quickly stuffed his clothes an belongings untidily within his trunk and stormed out of the common room along with his order and a sardonic grin on his face.

The best location to test this new item was the gardens and their benches. He could have tried it in the castle but there the chances of being caught were higher. He walked casually with the package in his hands, trying his hardest not to give up his real intention. He wandered away from the students who were enjoying the nice weather and finally found a secluded bench away from prying eyes. He checked around him to make sure that no one was watching and unwrapped his package. A paint can was stripped off the paper cover. It wasn't an ordinary one. It was the last arrival at Gambol & Japes. A special paint, invisible when applied on a surface, turning visible only when someone was stained. He just couldn't wait to see how this was going to work out.

He dipped the brush included in the package into the can and with quick strokes applied the invisible paint on the bench's surface. He put back the lid when he finished his dirty job and retreated, taking cover behind some bushes. After a quarter lurking there he grown sick of waiting. He moved slightly to stretch his legs as it was tiring to remain squatted for such a long time. He got distracted for a moment as he stepped on something soft. He sighed relieved when he found out it was just the moist mud from the plant that was watered earlier. When he shifted his attention back at the painted bench, someone had already been sitting on it. The paint remained invisible both on the bench and on the clothes of the unsuspected girl. It was going to show up once she was up on her feet again. He decided to expedite the unpleasant revelation and left his hiding spot and the paint can behind, to go and make the girl in some way to stand up. As he was approaching her from behind, those golden locks started looking familiar. At the time he had a good look of her face, his wide smirk was wiped by a guilty expression.

"Victoire!" he made known his presence for it was too late to step away. He wouldn't anyway when one of his friend was unlucky enough to fall for his prank. She was the last person he wanted to prank and now he had to fix his goof in some way. "No time no see." he flashed an even more guilty smile and folded his arms behind his back as he did when he felt uncomfortable. Silence lingered for a moment. He didn't know how to tell her when he felt so bad about it. When he thought he had found the right words to say to her that she had just sat on a freshly painted bench, he cowered and asked something else, completely out of his character. "What are you reading?" he nodded at the book she was holding while he remained stood and tried to reconsider how he was going to tell her the bad news.

 

[Victoire Fontaine]

Victoire was silently reading her book, the only sound being the odd turning of the page, but she was engrossed in her book, and therefore not paying that much attention to the things around her. She wouldn't have noticed any sounds or movements unless they were far closer and she definitely wouldn't have noticed anything out the ordinary, for despite this being a magical world, and her having lived in it for three and a half years, she still always assumed that things were exactly how they seemed. She turned the page of her book, and then looked up, which just happened to be at the same time as a friendly and familiar face entered her vision. She gave Perseas a warm smile, she hadn't seen him in a while and Victoire was always happy to see old friends, after all of the fall out with Jean and his twin, it was nice to see Perseas. She'd crushed on him pretty bad for the better part of a year, but had thankfully grown out of it, he was a friend first and foremost. Victoire nodded at his words, before then noting his smile seemed different, almost guilty like, though Victoire wasn't sure what it was directed at, "It has been a while, I imagine you've been busy though with your OWLs and NEWTs," Victoire said, hoping she was remembering those exams right.

She motioned to the space next to her on the bench, inviting him to sit with her, as he asked what book she was reading. Victoire turned the book over in her hands and glanced at the title, before holding it up to him, Magical Moral Perspective she then marked her page and placed it on her lap, "It's about wizarding law and morality, it's pretty interesting, the school does a lot on defensive magic and explaining the consequences of dark magic but it doesn't really talk about wizarding law, or morality," Victoire shrugged, back home she'd always done at a class a semester based around morality or philosophy, so it was strange to not have to do that, she was taking a large amount of interest in magical law, she enjoyed it and had begun thinking that perhaps that was what she could do after she left school. Right now it was too early to think about, but she was considering it, "What brings you out to the gardens?" she asked him, since she couldn't tell if he had a book, or was with someone.
​

Sorry this is so late!