Tossing Rocks | Cece

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Sav MacMillian sat by the lake after his last class was out for the day, he still had a bit of time before dinner and the spring air called to him far too much to ignore. He had taken off his robe but still sported the typical Gryffindor uniform and tie, which he reached up and pulled loose shortly after sitting down. He often found the tie restricting, possibly because he had a slightly thicker than average neck, but he'd always get written up if it wasn't properly tied during lessons.

Sav sat with his bag next to him and just watched the water. A part of him wanted to take a swim, just a quick lap, however, he couldn't risk his uniform, he was sure his mum wouldn't be thrilled if he ruined another one. It was official, Sav was bored. As exciting and fun as the tournament was, Sav missed Quidditch. Quidditch was his life and his future career, he found it somewhat unfair that it was canceled for the year, even to accommodate a traditional, multi-school tournament. The young Gryffindor picked up a rock and tossed it into the lake, it sunk right away without even one skip. He hadn't really been trying to skip it, though, more he wanted to throw something to let out a little of his frustration and boredom. 

@cecelia

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Cecelia chose to be out of doors as often as she could these days, which still wasn’t often at all. There were some people that she only felt comfortable being seen with in the confines of the Gryffindor common room, where there was less of a chance that who she was talking to would find its way back to Elaine. Still, whenever possible, Cecelia liked to spend her time under the open sky. She had decided to take a stroll around the grounds that day, not really for any purpose other than getting fresh air. She was planning on just making a circuit around the grounds and coming back in to finish her homework and double-check to make sure she wasn’t on patrol that night, but as Cecelia walked by the lake, she saw a familiar figure sitting by it. Cecelia altered her course slightly so she was walking towards Sav. It wasn’t strange to see them speaking together, she decided, since they were both beaters for the Quidditch team and therefore had a lot to talk about, strategy-wise. Just as Cece approached, Sav tossed a rock at the lake. “Angry at the water?” She asked as she took a seat beside him, but a polite distance away. Cecelia wasn’t much for skipping rocks, but it was a good way to start a conversation.

@sav

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Sav turned his head and glanced over his shoulder when he heard the woman approach him. Angry at the water? He gave a single chuckle and then shook his head, "No, just bored and lacking purpose." he admitted, maybe being the smallest bit dramatic. He hadn't seen Cece in a while which was fair given that they no longer had Qudditch practice regularly. He saw her in their shared classes of course, but he rarely paid attention to much in classes, he had even considered trying to learn how to sleep with his eyes open. "Do you miss Quidditch as much as I do?" he asked keeping his glance turned towards the lake. Cece was someone who he'd consider a friend, not a best friend like Hugo, but a friend, someone he didn't mind spending time with, a girl that he could honestly say he had no romantic interest in, which freed him up to build a relationship with her on honorable thoughts, unlike his friendship with Madison, which was a strong friendship but was built around romantic/flirty feelings and encounters. He didn't find it weird that she sat a distance away from him rather than right next to him. 

@cecelia

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Cecelia had to stop herself from laughing at Sav’s rather melodramatic response about being bored and lacking purpose. There was a philosophical debate to be had there, but it wasn’t one that Cecelia wanted to delve into. Purpose was a bit too complicated for a casual chat like the one she was intending to have. Sav asked if she missed Quidditch as much as he did, and Cece managed to keep her face carefully neutral despite the smirk that was tugging at her features. “I’d guess not.” She responded. Quidditch was nothing more than a hobby for Cece. Ever since telling Grey that she wanted to be an astronomer, Cecelia had considered that her official career plan, which meant that she didn’t intend to play Quidditch after she graduated that year. It seemed that Sav was a lot more intense about the sport, and while she hadn’t asked him specifically, Cecelia was fairly certain that going professional was at least a consideration for him. “I’ve got plenty else to occupy myself.” Cecelia explained. “Did you go to the carnival? That was fun.” Offering distractions was about as much as Cece could do to remedy the situation.

@sav

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Sav would realize later how dramatic he sounded in the moment, but he was fairly dedicated to his angst for now. All he had ever wanted to do since he dad took him and his twin to their very first Quidditch game was play Quidditch. He wanted to be one of those players with people chanting his name. He wanted his name on a jersey and fans lining up to buy one. He felt himself loosing practice and it bugged him, he was a little angry at the school for taking away Quidditch, some people's career aspirations, for a tournament that not even everyone could participate in. While a part of him genuinely couldn't think of much that was more important to him than Quidditch, he nodded with Cece said that she had other things to occupy herself. "I'm still working on that." he admitted. The year was coming to an end, he had ended his previous relationship during the summer before and now he was considering entering another, but had some doubts. She asked about the carnival and he nodded, "yeah, I went. I took a girl on a date, actually." he said. It had been their only date to speak of and it had been almost 2 weeks. "The food was awesome." he added, thinking of that pretzel.

@cecelia

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Sav said that he was still looking for other things to occupy him, and Cecelia nodded. It was a bit much, to be a prefect and a captain and a Quidditch player. In all honesty, she was looking forward to summer and the end of all of those responsibilities. There would be the adult world and bills to worry about, but her schedule wouldn’t be as overcrowded. At least her conversation starter about the carnival seemed to have resulted in something that she could talk about. “Who?” Cecelia asked curiously when Sav said he had taken a girl on a date. She knew most of the other Gryffindors, but if Sav had taken someone from another house, she would be at a loss. “I went with Andromeda Lestrange.” Cecelia said. Since she was inquiring so much about Savtaj’s own carnival experience, the Gryffindor thought it was only polite to say a little more about what she had done at the place. “The food was pretty good.” Cecelia said with a small smile, thinking of the cloud of cotton candy she had hidden behind when she had been talking about one of the subjects she wasn’t fully comfortable with. In some ways, Cecelia felt like she was still a child, new to the world and all of the wonderful things it held – including love.

@sav

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Cecelia asked who he took to the carnival and a soft smile spread across his lips just thinking about it, "Jessie Meadows. She's in my year, Gryffindor." he told her. He had been the perfect gentleman and created the perfect first date. He took her to the carnival and on the farris wheel, where he held her and eventually where he kissed her after she seemed to have a small anxiety attack about she liking him more than he liked her and everything else that she went on about. The Gryffindor wanted to prove that he wouldn't have asked her out if he didn't want to be an equal part of their date and he kissed her to calm her down. Looking back, that might not have been the best way, but it did calm her and assure her that she was worthy and alright. "It was fun, rode some rides, played some games, I won her one of those stuffed animals." he added. She said that she also took a date and Sav gave a nod, "Like as a date or just as friends?" he asked to clarify.

@cecelia

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Cecelia nodded when Sav announced the name of his date. She knew of Jessie in the same way she had to know of all of the Gryffindors due to her being a prefect. She couldn’t recall ever having a conversation with the girl, which was probably a good thing when it came to finding Sav a suitable partner – most of the people Cecelia had associated with probably weren’t the kind of people that Savtaj wanted to date. The other Beater continued by giving a small rundown of the date. It sounded rather stereotypical, but that didn’t make it bad. Riding rides and playing games were the reasons people went to carnivals in the first place. “What a perfect gentleman.” She teased lightly when Sav finished by saying that he won his date a stuffed animal. It all seemed so… simple. Cecelia almost wondered why she was making her own love life so complicated by worrying about what dating her could mean for Grey. They could never be quite so simple – Cecelia had a lot of baggage, and she assumed that Grey had just as much, just of a different kind – but they could be simpler. “As friends.” Cecelia said with a snort when Sav asked if Andy was a date date. “I doubt anyone could get Andy to break up with Phil.” And honestly, Cecelia wasn’t sure she ever wanted to see the two other Gryffindors break up. They were perfect for each other.

@sav

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It had been a great date, by his standards at least, but nothing had happened sense and April was right around the corner, he'd soon be 17. Not that he had an age limit on finding love, but he did want to know where the two stood. Should he plan to spend his birthday with her or was he free to party it up with the best of them? They had been at the Room of Requirement party together, and they had a great time, though Sav admittedly had a little too much to drink and was sure he had other things on his mind than trying to define the relationship. Maybe it would just stay casual, Merlin knows how good he is with casual; oh god, he thought, I'm turning into my father. "I try." he gave a playful shrug and a laugh. He had had more adventurous dates in the past full of passion and excitement, but maybe he was ready to calm it down a bit. then again, maybe not. He nodded when she told them they had just gone as friends, he had assumed as much because he thought that they were both seeing other people, but he didn't want to assume and then make anyone feel awkward. "That's about what I thought." Sav agreed. "So, have you figured our your life after graduation yet?" he asked. It was only a little more than a month away, after all. And then she would no longer be a student, he, however, had another year here.

@cecelia

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Cecelia just smirked at Sav when he said he tried to be a gentleman. It was funny, how most teenaged boys seemed to think they were much suaver than they actually were. They had nothing on the boys in France, as far as Cecelia was concerned… but then again, she had been barely a teenager when she had moved, so maybe it was the nostalgia (and the accents) that made the foreign boys seem more appealing, even if they weren’t actually foreign to her. And in the end, Cecelia hadn’t needed a boy from France to make her heart feel strange, unnamable things. He had been just around the corner the entire time. Goodness, why was Grey crossing her mind so much? She didn’t want to become one of those girls who was only capable of thinking about her boyfriend, so Cecelia forced her mind on a different track, which made Sav’s question rather convenient. “I’ve decided I want to become an astronomer.” Cecelia responded when he asked about life after graduation. “I’m still trying to figure out how to make money off of it, though.” She said with a laugh. She was thinking right now the only ways to do that would be to write a book or make star charts that were good enough that they were worth selling. Cecelia was sure that she’d figure it out. And even if she didn’t, it wasn’t like she would be destitute. She was now the sole heir to the Rousseau fortune, with Desirae dead and Braelynn presumed so, which meant that Cecelia stood to come into a lot of money, and her parents would gladly give her whatever she asked for.

@sav

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It was true, Sav believed a lot more of himself than there actually was. He did try to be a perfect gentleman, but he often found himself fail. Like when, during the party, he found himself growing jealous that Madi, his friend was dancing with another guy while Sav was standing with Jessie next to the punch bowl that he had just spiked. That was an odd feeling, and he felt like he covered it up well, but a part of him couldn't help but feel guilty for not paying all of his attention to Jessie. They hadn't gone to the party together, they simply bumped into each other while they were there, but still. Madi and him and always had a flirty relationship, as he had with a few others, but with a girl that he didn't have a casually flirty relationship, but maybe a serious romantic relationship nearby, he felt like an awful person. "An astronomer huh?" he asked with a nod, fairly impressed. "What made you ultimately make that decision?" he asked, not to mock her or anything, he thought it was a very cool profession, he always admired the sky. "You could teach maybe." he suggested. "If not at a magical school... muggles like astronomy too, don't they?" he asked with a shrug.

@cecelia

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Cecelia nodded when Sav repeated her career decision, wondering whether he was ridiculing the choice or was just surprised by it. Given the next question that he asked, Cecelia was going to guess the latter. “It was the farthest thing from the Ministry and politics that I could think of.” Cecelia said with a small smirk. After her sister’s horrible reputation with the law, Cecelia doubted that the Ministry would look kindly on her involvement in it, which was just fine by Cecelia. She didn’t like bureaucracy or politics anyways, so staying away suited her. She was half-tempted to tell Sav about what Grey had said about astronomy – how it represented hope and persistence – but she had just told herself that she wasn’t going to make everything about Grey, so Cecelia remained silent. “My parents would disown me if they knew I so much as discussed the idea of working with Muggles.” Cecelia said with a snort. And then she wouldn’t be as assured about her career choice, because the unlimited financial backing wouldn’t be so unlimited. “They learn about it, but in a different context.” She said with a shrug. Muggles did everything with a different twist than wizards – Cecelia was still trying to remember that different didn’t always mean worse. Sometimes the vestiges of blood purism weren’t hard to shake.

@sav

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"That's very similar to why I plan on going into Quidditch." Sav admitted, leaning back and propping himself up on his elbows in the grass, "I want to have the freedom to do my own thing without politics getting in the way... well, I guess there are politics in Quidditch, but not to the same extreme." he pondered. "Plus, I'm pretty good at it." there he was, the infamous cocky Savtaj MacMillian, back at it again. He really did think highly of himself, but at least he thought that he had just cause to do so. He gave a chuckle and a nod when she said that her parents would disown her, it wasn't a world or a view he understood, but he was well aware that it existed. "Right, just kidding. Forget I mentioned it." he smirked, covering his tracks just in case, but anyone who knew Sav and his family knew they were very pro-muggle and muggle-born. "Write a book then, I'd read a book by you." he shrugged, he didn't really read, but he would at least buy it. "Or you could tap into astrology, aim the book towards pre-teens, 1st and 2nd years, a fortune telling book based on the night sky, you could make millions, whether it's truthful or not." he teased.

@cecelia

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Cecelia was surprised to hear that Sav thought about going to Quidditch as a similar alternative to the Ministry. “So why do you have a hatred of politics?” Cecelia asked. She was pretty sure her own reasons were clear, but if Sav decided to ask, Cecelia decided she would just stare at him until he remembered that her sister had been on the Ministry’s most wanted list, and that Desirae had been killed by a Ministry official. Even if the killing had been justified, it was still sometimes a hard pill to swallow. Sav explained that he wanted to have freedom to do his own thing, and Cecelia had to hide another smirk. She thought Sav was going to be rather disappointed if he found out how many people he had to answer to in the Quidditch world – his captain, the team’s owner, and any coaches being only the beginning of a very long list. Cecelia’s only opponent in getting what she wanted was going to be the weather, and she was used to there being cloudy nights – they were just a fact of life. “You are a stellar friend, Sav.” Cecelia said with a teasing smile. “I think I’ll put that on the cover book. ‘I’d read a book by you.’ Maybe I’ll even attribute it to you.” If only it was that easy. “I’m not going to be a sellout, Sav.” Cece said with a shake of her head when he suggested a dubiously truthful fortune-telling book. She didn’t want to do anything that would make her money, especially if she didn’t need the money in the first place.

@sav

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She asked why he didn't have an interest in politics and he shrugged, "My dad kind of ruined our family name." he admitted. He knew it was fairly public knowledge that his father had an affair and he and his mother were separated, but not everyone knew the full story. Not everyone knew that he had two children, another set of twins by another mother and ruined that family as well. Sav hadn't even began to deal with it yet, he hadn't spoken to either of the girls he now knew as his half-sisters, he actually avoided them and avoided the whole thing. It wasn't all that easy to avoid given that his mother worked at the school, but it was easy enough to avoid those girls. He didn't hate them, and he knew it wasn't their fault, but talking to them meant he had to accept it all, he had to give into the reality of how awful his father was. It was bad enough that he cheated on his wife, it was worse knowing he had another family, another set of kids with another woman that he kept secret for most of Sav's life until recently. "I want to give the MacMillain name some good press again. I know at the ministry I'd be seen as Ernie MacMillain's son. But the world of Quidditch has been untouched by the MacMillians, it's a new trail to blaze... maybe it is still politics." he gave a nod. He hadn't been thinking of it that way, but saying it out loud it really became clear, he was playing a political game, not one that was quite as serious or involved the entire wizarding world like ministry politics, but family politics were still politics. She said he didn't want to be a sell out and he couldn't blame her, he was mostly being sarcastic. "Suit yourself. Maybe I'll do that if Quidditch doesn't work out."

@cecelia