Echoes Through Millennia ** (SIMONE)

[Deleted]

@simone
<3

The next task was a month away. One entire month, and Elias wasn't sure how prepared he was. With the last task still lingering in his brain, Elias needed to try his hardest to do this task perfectly. He had come in third in the first, and with the Beauxbatons champion coming in first practically unscathed, Elias was worried. So today was spent in the library, hoping to relax, but he only managed to grab a large pile of books that he was beginning to read.

Elias was flipping through them crazily, hoping to memorize as much as he possibly could. What exactly he was looking to memorize? He wasn't sure. He was never sure. While putting his name in the Goblet was one of the strongest thing's he's ever done, it was also the scariest. And going along with these tasks, having no idea what exactly he was in for, was incredibly daunting.

[Deleted]

@jill6

Even though the term had just started but already the workload was piling high. That's what happened when you were in NEWT level classes. Sure, Simone wouldn't be taking her NEWTS until next year, but the professors had a lot to cover in the time. So, while Simone thrived in the outdoors regardless of the time of year, she was finding herself spending more and more time in the Library. Trying to get whatever headstart on homework she could before she had club responsibilities to do. Today she'd been working on a long and complicated essay for Defense Against the Dark Arts. She'd been sitting alone, in a back corner where she knew the only possible interruption might be a couple trying to find a romantic spot (her presence would deter them from staying.). After several hours, and making a good dent into the report the girl leaned back and stretched, her arms high above her head and eyes closed as she felt her body loosen from sitting for so long. She wasn't done, but at this pace she'd definitely finish today. But, she needed to take a break before she got any stiffer. With ease she pushed her chair out and away from the table and stood. She'd leave her stuff back here and maybe go walk around the library a few times.

She was mindlessly wandering the aisles when she spotted a giant stack of books, with a dark mass of hair sticking out over the top. Whoever it was, they were desperately trying to study. But something about the person made her stop. She could almost feel the emotion, as crazy as that sounded. This person... They were searching for answers, as if their life depended on it. "Are you okay?" She found herself asking, still unaware of the person's identity.

[Deleted]

@simone
<3

Elias peeped his head up above the book he had in front of him, and saw a girl standing there, looking at him with worry in her facial expressions. His hands fell, letting the book rest on the table and Elias tilted his head slightly, giving her an obnoxious grin. This was him faking being okay, and if anyone had enough common sense, they'd be able to figure it out. "I am." He shut the book and placed it next to his large pile of other books and sat up more.

"I'm Elias." He held his hand out to give her a hand shake, but he blushed slightly. This girl probably knew that. Everyone in this school probably knew that. Why was he always so awkward? Elias truly wished for a day that he'd be able to just speak to others, strangers, normally without making a fool out of himself. "I-I'm sorry. You can sit if you'd like."

[Deleted]

@jill6

Elias Greyback.

That was who she'd spoken to without even knowing their identity. Of course she'd recognized him the moment he lifted his head and dropped the book onto the table. He was the Durmstrang champion, and Simone had never spoken to him before now. She smiled back at him as he grinned and spoke. He must have been studying for the next task. As he held out a hand and introduced himself though, she smiled a little brighter and took a few steps closer, so she was on the other side of the table and reached out to shake that offered hand. "Simone. It's nice to meet you." She introduced herself cheerfully.

"Oh, it's alright. I've been sitting for hours already. Need to stretch my legs a bit." She answered as he offered her one of the chairs at the table. Sometimes you just needed a break from all the homework, which was exactly what she was doing. "What are you studying?" She asked curiously as she peered at the titles of books in front of him.

[Deleted]

@simone
<3

The girl's smile got wider and he let out a small sigh, his own smile becoming a bit more genuine. New people always made him nervous, especially now that he was the Champion for his own school. Sometimes Elias felt like everywhere he turned someone was going to attack him. Maybe it was from his traumatic experience as a child, but so far so good. No where had he gone that he was getting attacked. Except maybe that maze in the first task. He grabbed her own hand and shook it, nodding to her. "Nice to meet you as well, Miss Simone."

She declined the offer to sit, and he found that fine. Some people didn't like sitting, especially like she said if they had already been doing so for a long time now. And since Elias was so damn tall, he practically reached her standing height while sitting anyways. "I completely understand." Elias shut the book that he had placed down and moved it closer to the pile, sitting up straighter. She asked what he was studying, and he looked down at the books, and back to her with a weird look of amusement on his face. "Everything."

[Deleted]

@jill6

Simone couldn't help but notice that Elias seemed a little.... well nervous. But he also seemed to be relaxing a bit. It couldn't be her, she was sure of that. Maybe he just didn't do well with strangers in general. Despite his slight anxiousness, she had a good feeling about him. Usually when she met people she was able to make a good first judgement call on them. If they were someone she wanted to associate with or stay clear of.

She nodded and her smile returned to a normal but still genuine size. "How long have you been here studying?" She found herself asking after he said he understood. When he answered what he was studying though both eyebrows rose. Everything? That was vague. The titles though... Well, he wasn't kidding. She didn't see any sort of pattern to the subjects. Really. Everything. "Just to pass time or..?" She didn't ask if it was for the Tournament specifically, but that would be her guess.

[Deleted]

@simone
<3

"Uh..." Elias bit his lip, tapping his fingers against the table as he thought. How long had he been here? He looked up at the clock on the wall then back to Simone. "A few hours, that's for sure. I came right here after I ate breakfast." Elias was sure he'd probably spend the whole day here, but that was okay with him. It was too cold to go outside, and he still got the beautiful view from the window next to him. This tournament was going to be crazy, and he had a lot of things to study for.

"I wish it was just to pass time." He laughed. "Trying to get more knowledge on, well, everything. They didn't give us many hints for the first task, and you saw how well I did in that one. I need to do better." The last sentence he spoke was more so to himself, but it was out loud that he said it. He deeply hoped that those who run the tournament might give them some type of leg up this time; the first task was an embarrassment to himself.

[Deleted]

@jill6

Simone chuckled softly as he spoke. Since breakfast. He'd been here just as long as she had. Her doing homework, and him doing research. "And you're still able to keep going? You're more dedicated then I am." She answered. She'd have to go back to her own table eventually to plow through the rest of her homework, a thought that made her shudder, but a necessary evil. The sooner she got through it, the sooner she could go somewhere a little more comfortable. Like outside. Heaven's above she wanted to go outside...

So it was the Tournament. But as he mentioned his first run, Simone frowned for a moment....then smiled. "I think you deserve more credit. The amount of things you faced in there... Well you proved more then capable." Just because he'd finished last didn't mean he'd done poorly. "You were really great." She added. He'd just been handled a stack of bad cards. And he'd handled those cards extremely well.

@jill6

[Deleted]

@simone
<3

Elias smiled gently. "Well, mine isn't homework like yours is. It's something one might find more interesting. Yet...it's completely aggravating." He really shouldn't complain. Elias put himself in this position, he wanted this. But still, it was very difficult. The first thing he had started out with was studying all the other tournaments and their tasks diligently. As much information he could get out of them, and then he went on to...everything. Different charms, transfigurations, creatures; anything he could get his brain on.

The girl's attitude about the first task made him smile, a small blush reaching his cheeks. Elias ran his hand through his hair awkwardly and shrugged. "Well thank you. I did hear the other two didn't get as much bad luck as I did, but I feel bad for Anna more than I do Emile. He's quite annoying." Elias laughed quietly. Hopefully Simone was rooting for Anna or himself and not Emile.

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@jill6

More interesting but aggravating, Simone could see that. After all, he was trying to find things to help him gain some sort of advantage in the next task, and ultimately win the tournament. "It must be stressful." She commented, at his own response but also just the whole situation. He was the champion for his school after all. That was a lot of pressure. But no doubt he'd heard it plenty of times before from his classmates.

Ah, Emile. Simone lost her smile at the mention of the french boy. Despite having never spoken to him he'd stirred up quite a storm in her own life through her good friend and crush, Lyla. Lyla had no idea how Simone felt towards her, a fact Simone wanted to keep a secret, but it was completely frustrating to watch her friend love someone as horrible as him. "You have no idea." She answered quietly. He was more then annoying. She'd gotten a bad vibe off of him the moment she laid eyes on him. "Anna had a hard time too, but you could hardly call Emile's victory a win compared with what you two faced." He'd practically skipped through the whole task. It'd proven almost nothing about his merits as a champion. Simone really didn't like how Emile seemed to bring out the mean side of her.

[Deleted]

@simone
<3

Elias let out a small laugh. "It definitely is. But nothing I can't handle. I hope." He smiled. It was awkward at times speaking to others about the first task. There had been a large screen for the students and faculty to watch, and unfortunately, when the boggart Elias had encountered had taken shape of his father, it gave everyone insight into what his biggest fear was, who it was, and how Elias would react if that person was ever around.

He noticed the immediate frown at the mention of Emile and his eyebrows lifted slightly. Elias wasn't one to butt into other people's business so he didn't really say anything, but as she spoke more, he realized she really disliked the boy. Though he wondered how she knew him exactly; it seemed like Simone must have known him either much more before the tournament or had gotten to know him quickly. "I can imagine. From what I heard he really only had a bit of frost bite correct?"