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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 24, 2016 12:29:53 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Oct 24, 2016 12:29:53 GMT -7
@jill6
They were walking now. Where? She wasn’t really sure, but it was apparently to get food of sorts. It was a bold move on her part, seeing as she never really agreed to go off and do something with a complete stranger. As she had just said too, she didn’t even know the boy’s name, yet she was still tagging along regardless of that. Holding on to her camera tightly so it didn’t bounce around too much as they walked, she wondered where this was going to end up. She didn’t want to think he had any ulterior motives, but there were so many boys that seemed nice at first and then…well, from what she had heard from McKenna, that was only the start of it.
Trotting along the rest of the way to the business section of Hogsmeade, they eventually made it to where most of the restaurants were. Cordelia nodded her head as he said his name was Elias and that he was from Durmstrang. That was funny, so was their Triwizard champion. Or at least something similar to that. Looking over at him again, she stopped mid stride. She had heard that correctly, right? Now that she put the name to the face, this was definitely the boy that was Durmstrang’s champion. She had been so focused on taking pictures the entire selection process that she hadn’t really paid attention to what name went to who. “W-w-wait….you-you’re the ch-champion right?”
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last online Apr 18, 2024 0:41:57 GMT -7
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Oct 25, 2016 18:08:10 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 18:08:10 GMT -7
Ah there it was. She finally realized. Elias smiled and nodded his head at her. He smiled gently. "Yes, I am actually. Thought you would've missed that part." Elias was joking of course, but he didn't want Cordelia to feel upset or offended about anything. She seemed to be a nervous wreck most of the time anyways, from what Elias had seen. But then again, maybe she just had a stuttering problem. He was genuinely curious to ask her about it but decided against it.
They finally ended up at the place Elias planned to eat, and they sat down in a booth. He ordered a pumpkin juice and allowed Cordelia to order whatever she pleased, before grabbing a menu. Elias glanced over it a bit and tilted his head slightly. "Why don't you tell me about yourself, Cordelia?"
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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 25, 2016 22:52:49 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Oct 25, 2016 22:52:49 GMT -7
@jill6
The joke didn’t go over her head completely. She felt a little silly for not recognizing him right away. At least when he said his name, it all clicked together. But still. The anxious movements of her hands around the camera lens didn’t stop the entire time they walked, but she was sure that she looked normal otherwise. She had gotten better over the last few years, trying to mitigate her nervousness to something other than her voice. Of course it wasn’t a one-hundred percent guarantee that it would work. For the most part though, it seemed to help a little here and there.
She followed Elias into a restaurant without any hesitation taking a seat across from him in a booth, finally ordering a tea as the waitress left to get their drinks. She copied his motions to get a menu and stared at it blankly for a few seconds, not sure what to get. The Elias spoke up again, asking her to tell him about herself. Placing the menu down without deciding anything yet, she took her camera from around her neck and set it on the table off to the side, thinking about where to start. She knew she’d have to talk quite a bit here so she took a deep breath before starting. “I-I’m a sixth year Hufflepuff. I have a s-s-serious stuttering problem and don't like attention. I like cameras, m-m-muggle movies, doing puzzles and…” she trailed off, not sure if she should add the last thing. There were only a few people that knew this last factoid, and if Elias didn’t press it, there was no way she was going to tell him.
(totally have him press that last one that she won't give up xD )
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last online Apr 18, 2024 0:41:57 GMT -7
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Oct 26, 2016 12:39:36 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 26, 2016 12:39:36 GMT -7
She ordered a tea, then put down her menu. Elias rose his eyebrows and let his own menu rest slightly so she knew he was listening and not ignoring her. The food could wait. As she spoke, his smile brightened a bit more. So she was a year below him, and a Hufflepuff. Just like Jamie. A rush of anger ran through him but he let Jamie go from his mind and listened to Cordelia more. Cameras, yes of course. Elias had never watched a muggle movie, though, maybe she could offer him advice on some good ones. She mentioned the stuttering problem and he made note to ask of that after.
Cordelia hadn't finished her sentence, so Elias gave her a funny look. He closed the menu and sat up straighter, giving her a calming grin. "Doing puzzles and...?" The drinks came over and he nodded in thanks, letting the waitress know they needed a few more minutes. Cordelia was...different. And a good different. A different that Elias wanted to get to know and wanted to help.
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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 27, 2016 10:41:04 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Oct 27, 2016 10:41:04 GMT -7
@jill6
Elias started to ask her what else she was about to say but the drinks interrupted him. She felt a wave of relief pass over her as her tea was set in front of her, assuming that they were about to order food and the question would be forgotten. But that didn’t happen. For once in her life, Cordelia was about to speak up and ask the waitress to come back so they could order, all to avoid answering Elias. She had even gone far enough to start raising her hand to motion that they were ready, but Elias beat her to it and bought a few more minutes. He was smart, a champion, there was no way someone as ordinary as her could wiggle away from him like that. Turning back to face him, she wrapped her hands around the mug her tea was in. It was boiling hot but felt nice on her cold hands. That was the one downside to taking pictures in the cold. Gloves made it very difficult sometimes to actually operate the lens and dials on it.
Back to the question at hand though. It wasn’t like the last thing she was about to say was embarrassing by any means, more that it wasn’t really relevant to their conversation. At least it wouldn’t have been had she not made a huge show out of purposely stopping at it. Squeezing down on the mug a little bit, she started to talk. It was easily one of the hardest words to get out with her stutter, the sheer irony of it all was sometimes found hilarious by other people. “And l-l-l-llamas…” That was as straightforward as she could say it, zero hesitation, yet the stutter still got the better of her.
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last online Apr 18, 2024 0:41:57 GMT -7
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Oct 27, 2016 18:49:06 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 27, 2016 18:49:06 GMT -7
Uh...llamas? Elias' eyebrows ruffled together and he tilted his head at Cordelia. He knew what llamas were, a type of muggle animal he believed. Elias wasn't sure he'd ever actually encountered a llama, let alone seen one in person. It was definitely an unusual animal for someone to have a favoritism for, but he wasn't one to judge. At least, he tried not to judge. Elias tended to keep to himself anyways, which is what it seemed like Cordelia did as well. "What's so special about llamas?" His eyebrows now rose, genuinely curious to see what she loved about them so much.
Elias realized the waitress had now come back, and he ordered a club sandwich with chips. Simple yet delicious. He also gave Cordelia the courtesy to order her own food and he waited a few moments to give her the time. She was definitely an interesting girl, much different than anyone he's met yet, but he enjoyed her company. She seemed quite sweet. "If you don't mind me asking, have you...always had a stuttering problem?"
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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 30, 2016 11:55:39 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Oct 30, 2016 11:55:39 GMT -7
@jill6
She could tell she lost him in the llama part. It was kind of a strange thing to like, as a magical person. There wasn’t too much need for them to have llamas around anyways, so she could understand his confusion a little bit. But then he said it. What was so special about llamas? What wasn’t? They were amazing! They were fluffy, so that was one thing. And their wool was warm. And… and then she realized, she didn’t really have a way to combat his question, because even she wasn’t sure why she liked them so much. Opening her mouth to try and defend herself, nothing came out. She tried again. “I-I don’t know…I just like them…” Cordelia picked up her cup of tea again, taking a large sip to try and avoid having to come up with a reason.
As she did so, the waitress returned once again. In a moment of panic, Cordelia realized that she had completely blown off looking at the menu. Elias took his time ordering (that was a lie, it was really fast), and Cordelia flipped through the menu, pausing on the first page that caught her eye. She ordered a hamburger. That was probably too much for her to eat, but it was the only thing she knew she would like without having to think about it too much.
The waitress left, and Elias started his questions again. She didn’t mind. There weren’t too many people that were that intent on learning about her, even if it was kind of embarrassing. He asked about the stuttering. She realized it was probably really apparent at this point that it was more than just being nervous. Usually she was able to get through a conversation and chalk it up to nerves, but it wasn’t always like that. She nodded her head a little. “B-but it has gotten b-better. Being nervous and uncomfortable m-makes it worse though…” He was smart enough to realize that was the difference between earlier and now, right? She thought it had gotten a little better the more they talked. “It’s what m-makes me, me I guess.”
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last online Apr 18, 2024 0:41:57 GMT -7
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Oct 30, 2016 18:17:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2016 18:17:05 GMT -7
Elias held up his hand at her comment about the llamas. He didn't want her to think that he was making fun of her, or that she needed anything specific to be able to like llamas. Yes that's exactly what he had asked her, but that didn't mean he necessarily needed an answer. Elias took a sip of his coffee and grinned at her. "Well that's nice. A lot of people aren't comfortable with the things they like or are comfortable with. It shows you have a lot of confidence." Cordelia ordered the hamburger and Elias smiled as the waitress walked away to put in their orders.
She continued on about her stutter, and his eyes widened slightly. That is what he assumed at least, that is was worse and better depending on her circumstances or feelings. Her last comment made him smile, though. He knew how that felt; knew that the things about you, were what made you who you were and what you grew up to be. Elias slowly nodded his head. "It does make you, you. Have you ever tried any techniques to help it? I've...well, I've heard that reading poems out loud tends to help."
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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Oct 31, 2016 10:50:19 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Oct 31, 2016 10:50:19 GMT -7
@jill6
Elias raised his hand as she continued to sip her tea. She took that to mean he hadn’t meant to push the question that much, at least the way that she had taken it. There her brain went again, overthinking that there was something more to his question about llamas than there actually was. Cordelia wasn’t sure if she agreed with him on the part about having a lot of confidence. Certain things, like photography and charms maybe, but everything else fell short by a long shot. She had worked on talking to others, so at least that was coming along. If she had been in this same situation two years ago…well, she wouldn’t have been in this situation because she would have ran away the minute Elias offered to help her off of the ground. As she mulled over his comment again, the more and more it started to become clear that he was right.
She gave a small smile as Elias agreed that her stutter made her who she was. It had become easier over the years to turn that flaw into a positive, so it was nice to easily talk about it now. That and everyone knew her as the quiet, stuttering Hufflepuff. She just had to be the last one to accept that.
Techniques to help the stutter? Her parents had her try lots of things, but they also weren’t aware that it was a lot worse at school than it ever had been at home. She was sure that had to do with nerves and comfort levels as well. As far as she was aware, they didn’t think it was really that big of an issue anymore. Unfortunately they were wrong. They just liked seeing good grades and that she had a friend or two, anything else didn’t really matter to them. “N-not anymore. Photography and art take m-my mind off it.” Mostly because she wasn’t required to talk to others while doing either of them.
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last online Apr 18, 2024 0:41:57 GMT -7
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Nov 1, 2016 10:00:33 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2016 10:00:33 GMT -7
Elias smiled back. He had never really been in the position of helping others, but he would always try at least. In general, Elias wasn't around others much anyways. Not with Maria around; she was incredibly jealous and she'd probably have a hissy fit if she saw him with Cordelia right now. Thinking of Maria made him shake his head with a chuckle. Everyone had a crazy cousin, right? Maybe not one that could set you on fire, but at least a crazy one.
"Well that's good. I'm glad you are taking the differences about you and turning them into positives. Not many people have the bravery to do that, especially myself." He smiled. Being a werewolf had always been a difficult thing for Elias to deal with, and even being a Greyback was hard. Not that Cordelia would know that, or how it felt, but he had a similar understanding to her stuttering. And while she may be made fun of for that, he was also made fun of because of who he was and his name. However, he wasn't so sure she knew his last name.
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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Nov 1, 2016 14:49:22 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Nov 1, 2016 14:49:22 GMT -7
@jill6
At first, she thought his laugh as he shook his head was directed at something she had said, but that wouldn’t have made sense. Ignoring it and chalking it up to something else, maybe a funny thought he had about her llama obsession, Cordelia glanced over at the waitress station to see if their food was coming out yet. It wasn’t. Even though she had thought earlier that she wasn’t hungry at all, it was starting to become rather apparent that she was. Just the process of ordering food had been enough to make her hungry.
Nodding her head again in response to Elias saying that taking her flaws and turning them into positives was a good thing, she held onto the thought a little longer. She wouldn’t call it being brave, or even necessarily confident, like he had indicated a moment ago. Unless being happy with who she was fell under those parameters. She could understand what he was saying if that’s what he was trying to say. But then he said not even he was brave enough to do that. “B-but you’re a champion. Aren’t you supposed to be b-brave?” That seemed like one of the requirements needed for it, among a few other things. She never would have been caught dead entering, had she been old enough to do so. There were far better people suited for those positions, like the Weasley girl that was for Hogwarts and Elias.
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last online Apr 18, 2024 0:41:57 GMT -7
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Nov 1, 2016 16:04:28 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 1, 2016 16:04:28 GMT -7
Elias saw Cordelia glancing behind him to where he assumed where the kitchen was. Well, she must be hungry. He smiled at her and looked as well. No waitress, no food, but he was sure it would come out soon enough. "It'll be out soon, promise. You can even get dessert if you'd like." Elias took a sip of his coffee. The place they were at wasn't terribly busy, so he hoped it wouldn't take much longer.
Cordelia's question made him laugh, but it was true. You'd assume that the Champions were extremely brave, but at the same time, Elias had a feeling that there was a point that all three of them were no longer brave. A point where fear just overcame them. But, he could be wrong. "I guess I'm supposed to be brave, but that doesn't mean I always am. There are certain situations where I am not brave, for example, not being proud or open of who I am and accepting it." He smiled, hoping that was a good enough explanation that she'd understand. Their food came out and he thanked the waitress and took a bite of his food. "It's good."
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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Nov 1, 2016 21:43:43 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Nov 1, 2016 21:43:43 GMT -7
@jill6
She nodded her head absent mindedly as Elias said that the food would probably be there soon. This was a first for her, sitting in this restaurant and with a boy she had only just met. Even the fact that it was someone who was pretty much a complete stranger only half an hour earlier was mind boggling. For whatever reason though, Elias wasn’t scary. Sure, he was really tall and mysterious; but most of the Durmstrang students were like that. The difference between him and the others though was that he was gentle and seemed to understand her without actually knowing too much about her. From the other foreign students she had met, they only cared about themselves or their school. They were only at Hogwarts to win the tournament. Elias was a champion and was even bold enough to say that he didn’t think he was brave. That seemed more admirable from her point of view. Much more than what she had heard about the Beauxbatons champion. According to what she’d heard, he was a jerk.
“D-dessert?” Cordelia stuttered out as their food was brought to the table. The hamburger was huge, there was no way she could manage to even eat that, let alone having more afterwards. If she had skipped breakfast that morning and dinner the night before, maybe, but she hadn’t, so there was no way she could eat anything immediately after this meal. Elias continued to explain his reasoning behind why he didn’t think he was brave, in the sense that he wasn’t always when he should have been. It kind of made sense, but he was being really vague about it. He was a champion after all, so Cordelia felt that because his life was already out in the public, it wouldn’t hurt to press a little more. “What do you m-mean by not being p-proud of yourself? Like being a champion?” She took a bite of her food as she waited for an answer, nodding her head again as Elias said it was good. It was understandable if he might regret being chosen. The other two schools sent their best students to enter. It was possible that maybe he didn’t want to in the first place but went with the flow and was now stuck as the Durmstrang champion.
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last online Apr 18, 2024 0:41:57 GMT -7
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Nov 2, 2016 16:04:16 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Nov 2, 2016 16:04:16 GMT -7
His eyes widened at Cordelia. She seemed to be shocked that he offered dessert, but as Elias thought about it, and took a good look at her, he realized how little she was. She had this huge burger in front of her, and he grinned, laughing slightly. She probably wouldn't even be able to finish it, but who knows? Maria ate like a horse. He supposed it just depended on the girl. He himself always blamed his appetite on the wolf part of him, but he was positive Cordelia wasn't aware of that. She didn't seem to be, at least. "Don't worry, I won't force you to have dessert, darling."
Elias took his own bite of his food as Cordelia asked her next question. He scrunched up his eyebrows, swallowing. Elias shook his head at her, "No, not being champion. I'm very proud of myself for doing so. It's a bit more...complicated than that." Elias took a deep breath and studied Cordelia. She seemed like a sweet girl, one who was non-judgmental. But Elias thought that of a lot of people and it just ended up being the complete opposite of what he had thought. Oh well, he'd take another chance. She'd find out eventually. Elias sat back, eating a few fries. "My full name is Elias Greyback...I'm the son of Fenrir Greyback, the famous werewolf?" He started slow, waiting to see her reaction to the man he named. "I-I'm also...a werewolf. It's, something I'm not proud of, I'm not proud of the father I've got, but I've got to live with it..." This was the first time Elias had really told anyone this, other than Maria and his mother. It was nice to get it out.
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last online Apr 16, 2024 20:29:37 GMT -7
WIZARDING ADULT
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Nov 3, 2016 22:42:25 GMT -7
Post by cordelia regan smith on Nov 3, 2016 22:42:25 GMT -7
@jill6
So it didn’t have to do with being one of the champions. That was good. He seemed to fit into the mold that the champions were supposed to be made out of, at least from what she had heard. Yet it was still complicated? Cordelia took another bite of her food as she muddled over what he had just said. It kind of made sense. There was something else in his life that he wasn’t confident or brave about. It was starting to sound like a lot of people were like that; not just her. She did fine in charms and photography, but her social life was next to nothing and she had no confidence in herself outside of the few things the two of them had already talked about. And still, she was somewhat relieved by the fact that she wasn’t the only person out there that was having issues with confidence.
Chewing slowly as she tried to pay attention to Elias as he continued talking, Cordelia’s eyes widened as he repeated his name again, and this time with the surname included. That’s right. That had been announced during the champion selections. She hadn’t really thought much of it because there were plenty of Greybacks in Hogwarts now; she was pretty sure there was even one in Hufflepuff, if her memory served her correctly. Elias continued talking though, explaining who his father was, and that he was a werewolf as well. It took a few seconds for the words to register in her brain, as chewing her food had taken priority throughout the conversation. Swallowing hard, she forced the remaining food down her throat. Elias was a werewolf? She had heard that some of the Greybacks in the school were, but hadn’t been aware that there were more family members out there too that were the same way. “B-b-but that wasn’t y-your choice to make. You did just say turning m-my differences into positives was good. Can’t you do the same?”
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