September 06th, 1887 — Divination Classroom
Monet Brown

Although Divination class had no clear purpose in Eldin's mind, it was one of the classes he'd always enjoyed—so much so that he endured the teasing from the male population with little more than a smile in response. No defensiveness. No bitching. Nope, he just flicked tarot cards at their heads every now and then.

Fifth year meant that his 'free trial' of the class was almost up—he'd have to get serious if he planned on taking it at a NEWT-level, which admittedly was something he hadn't really thought through much. His interests were so varied and ambitions so scattered that the thought of having to narrow down his class selection was equally terrifying as the prospect of having his classes narrowed down for him due to poor grades.

That was precisely why his third day of class came with a newfound sense of determination to make every day, every assignment, and every study session count, even if the sentiment was bound to fade as the school year went on. And that meant giving his full with this assignment, which for some reason was...entertaining the third years?

Well, the real assignment was giving them readings with tea leaves—likely some method of 'learning by teaching' that some of the professors had used on more than one occasion. He reluctantly picked up his material and wandered the room until he found himself seated with a third year girl, mostly because the third year boys (what few of them there were, for that matter) had been claimed by the other students.

"Forgive me if you were hoping for someone..." He glanced around the room. "...female, but I'm afraid you're stuck with me for the morning," he apologized, a wide smile on his face as he sat down across from her.

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Monet wasn't entirely sure why she'd opted to add Divination to her class schedule but it had seemed like an interesting course selection to add. Of course, it was far too soon to tell what it would be like but it was proving to be interesting enough. However, she wasn't quite sure when her teacher had said that they would be paired with the oldest of the OWL students to see what a tea leaf reading could be all about. They third years would learn first hand what a reading could be like while the fifth years had to read the leaves for the younger students. Her first thought had been to ask Claude to work with her but that had quickly been dashed when he'd reminder her that he hadn't taken Divination. That had thrown a kink in her plans.

It had also caused the rest of those in her house that had taken Divination to be paired up rather quickly. As a result, she'd found herself without much of a choice in the matter. And while Mr. Bones may not have been her first choice, she could hardly object as he sat across from her with a wide smile and an apology.

Returning the smile, she shrugged slightly. "I'm sure I can make do," she answered, a faint smirk playing on her own features. She'd grown up with three older brothers so working with a boy hardly seemed daunting to her. Though, truth be told, some female interaction wouldn't have been bad.

"So.." she started, glancing at the tea cups and pot of tea, "Are we supposed to share a cup of tea first and then go from there? The instructions were a bit vague." Truly, she hadn't been paying much attention. It had only been the third day of classes, after all. She'd still been trying to take in her surroundings so it had been hard to focus solely on the lesson at hand.

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#NolanSet

She seemed more sure of herself than some of the others—which was good, as he wasn't equipped to talk a barely-thirteen girl through her insecurities and give her a pep talk before they could truly begin their assignment.

Smile still on his face, he leaned across from her, an almost mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"I haven't a clue in the world; just go along with it and we'll make this work," he teasingly whispered as if it was some important secret. He glanced down at the teacup, noting that it had not yet been filled with tea. He sat back in his seat, and with an absent-minded shrug he took to pouring it, closely watching for all the signs he knew to look for. "I suppose I'm the one who's got to drink it. You can - well, you can just tell me about yourself, I guess. We're going to be sharing a classroom for a year at this rate."

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Monet certainly was a fairly confident young girl and she was used to being around boy, even if the boys she was used to were her older brothers. They had, however, always treated her as an equal of sorts and didn't pamper her the way she knew some girls with brothers had been. She could hold her own, that was for sure.

The mischievous twinkle and whisper, however, weren't something she could have been prepared for and as a result her cheeks to flush a faint crimson hue. Hopefully it wouldn't be too noticeable, however, as she watched him with a simple nod being given in understanding. She could talk about herself easily enough she supposed.

"My father's a jeweler," she started, figuring that was easy enough, "He owns a shop in London. My oldest brother will take over, surely. Claude, you likely know him, is somewhere around her. Fifth year Slytherin, is probably the one brother I get along with most. Pierre's a fourth year but in Ravenclaw. He's a bookworm. My mother and I are the only girls." Pretty basic and simple really but she seemed to focus more on her family than herself in specific.

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#NolanSet

He kept his eyes on her as he drank the tea, not paying much mind to the contents of his cup. They'd used these things so many times that he'd just about memorized how much he could drink before he had to pull away—and the tea was still hot enough to where sucking it down would be a decision he'd likely regret.

"Claude's your brother? Claude Brown?" he asked as he pulled away from the cup momentarily. He wasn't oblivious to his dorm-mate's family, but he hadn't had the thought to actually ask him to point out his siblings in a crowd. "I suppose that makes you—" He put on an over-exaggerated French accent. "—little Monet."

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Monet watched him as he sipped on the tea, quiet as she watched. A brow raised over those pale blue eyes when he echoed her brother's name back to her. She should have known, probably did, that her brother knew him. Quidditch was a similar passion between the two. Her brow furrowed slightly at his fake accent when he said her name. As if that wasn't a joke she'd heard before.

"It does," she responded but her tone was still calm at least despite the slight glare she was giving him, "Apparently it was the only artist name fitting for a girl. Mother collects art so we're all named for one artist or another. Claude and I simply share the same muse. I suppose it makes sense we should both be Slytherin." It had always seemed an odd twist of fate, that the two siblings who were named for the same artist were quite similar.

"I'm also not little," she added, that brow raised again as if almost daring him to deny it. She was actually just as tall as most of the boys of her year, even taller than some.

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#NolanSet

He flashed her a silent smile before placing his teacup back on the table to examine its contents. Holding it in his left hand, he mindlessly twirled the leaves and remaining liquid around the appropriate three times, hoping that there would be something for them to converse about—something that would get her interested in Divination. While he waited for something to appear, he glanced back up towards her, a response to her words on his tongue.

"As someone named after an artist, I'm sure you have a decent knowledge of the subject," he commented, the corner of his lips tilting up into a smile once again. "Artists know everything is about perspective—and from my perspective, you are little. I enjoy art myself. Just a bit."

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Monet nodded, conceding to his statement. He had a point. Compared to him, she was little. Though, she was certain there were others who were far more little to him. That was just the way of the world though. Girls were often smaller than boys. Simple and true.

"I'll give you that point," she said with a smile that only seemed to widen further as he mentioned enjoying art himself. She'd long ago gotten over the fact that her front teeth were a bit larger than was perhaps normal so she no longer held back with smiling. "Do you just like to look at art or are you an artist yourself?" she asked, interest evident as she leaned forward some waiting to hear his answer.

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#NolanSet

Eldin averted his glance at the question. He liked talking about art—except when it was his own. He never considered himself an artist by any means, but to deny that he enjoyed it would be a complete lie.

"If I have the time and see something worth sketching, I'll do so. I'm not very well-versed in my tools; a sketching quill is my instrument of choice," he explained almost dismissively. "Do you? I mean - are you an artist?" She seemed interested enough, he thought, so maybe he could humor her for a few.

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A curious sort of look crossed Monet's features as his gaze was averted at her question. That was a bit interesting but she wouldn't push the topic. He answered easily enough but she had a slight inkling there was more to it. Perhaps it would be something for her discover at another time. As it was, he had turned the question back to her and she had no issue with admitting she felt she was a bit of an artist herself.

"I'd like to think I am," she answered, "I like to sketch jewelry designs. I suppose I take after my father in that sense. He's actually used some of my sketches as guides for some of the pieces he's made for the shop." There was a bit of pride there, clearly, as her eyes brightened at the admission.

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#NolanSet

Eldin's brows shot up at her admission. He supposed having a knack for designing jewelry wasn't too strange for someone whose family ran a jeweler's business, but it still something he'd never considered before. He momentarily pondered the skills necessary to do that—surely knowledge of the cuts, colors, etc. was needed to do it correctly.

"I must confess: I'm not too big on jewelry myself. I wouldn't know how to do that if I tried," he chuckled, his gaze shifting back to the teacup to see if he could make out any distinct symbols and then—

"You ready for your reading then? I'll show you how it's done," he teased.

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Monet shrugged simply when he said he wouldn't know what to do if he tried. She'd grown up around jewelry so it was almost like a second nature to her. It would probably make all the difference in the world. And though she was quite accustomed to jewelry, she rarely wore anything beyond a simple pendant around her neck. It was a small thing with a B etched on it but it was rarely seen by anyone. A simple family heirloom or sorts that she'd had for as long as she could remember. Otherwise, she preferred not to wear jewelry. Perhaps seeing it all the time had already jaded her to it at the ripe age of thirteen.

Attention drawn back to the tea, she nodded. "Yes, please," she answered, "I must say I'm a bit intrigued how it even all works. Or if it's even accurate." Slightly a skeptic, she was trying to reserve judgement until she had spent more time in the class.

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#NolanSet

He flashed her a smile before his gaze dropped down to the teacup.

"Think of the cup as a canvas of your life, the leaves representing all your little memories—past, present, and future," he began, tilting the cup towards her so she could get a look.

"The rim represents recent happenings and the ones nearer the bottom represent what's more distant. The left side points to the past; the right the future," he explained, his eyes finding hers every so often to ensure she was following along.

"What lies nearest the handle are nearest in time—or in some cases, physical distance." His eyes examined the leaves as he tried to make out any of the symbols he'd committed to memory. "In your case, I see new friends in your future. You will be faced with obstacles overcome—decisions will need to be made— but support from those who care for you will lead to happiness. Success."

He stopped for a moment, quirking a brow.

"No word on what kind of success; I suppose fate's left that for you to decide."

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No matter how much Monet had fought learning in her earlier years, she was a decently intelligent young girl. She had started to enjoy the prospect of learning new things, especially when she'd gotten to Hogwarts. So when they'd turned their idle chatter to the assignment at hand, she'd easily melded into an ever attentive student. She listened quietly as he spoke, nodding here and there when necessary as she committed his words to her memory. Laying it all out for her helped her to understand more as he described the different places.

New friends certainly made sense, she had already been making friends with the start of school but it seemed as if it was a never ending process, especially when she looked up to the older boy. Would he be a new friend as well? She found herself thinking she wouldn't mind that at all. He was cute. The very thought made her blush just slightly over the fact her mind had trailed to such a thing. She tried to focus on his words instead, examining the leaves as the cup was tipped in her direction.

Smiling up at him as he finished, the blush likely gone from her cheeks, she nodded. "Hopefully the new friends are ready to help then!" she said with a bit of excitement to her words.

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#NolanSet

Eldin smiled up at her. "You must beware: new friends can be both a blessing and curse," he started, tipping the cup back towards himself so he could examine it. "Don't lose sight of what's truly matters in your life—don't let the unimportant become the important. Surround yourself with those who encourage you to follow your passions and bring out the best in you."

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Monet was a bit surprised as he added more to what he was saying. It was starting to sound a bit.. confusing. How was one to know what was truly the important things and what wasn't? But something that stuck was the mention of new friends being one thing or another. "And where would you fall in that category?" she asked, not really thinking about the question, "Are you to be a blessing or a curse of a new friend?" Because apparently working with her put him suddenly into the category of a new friend.

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#NolanSet