What defines different? ((Jack))

[elizabeth]

Beth layed back on one of the comfortable chairs in the student lounge. The room was empty and warm, a perfect place for her to sit and draw. She pulled out her sketchbook and pencil and started making a shape somewhere between an almond and an oval. She was remembering how they looked, warm and inviting yet cold and harsh at the same time. She wanted to try and capture the icey blues that had once captivated her. She continued to draw, stopping only to look at the fire roaring in the corner fireplace. She shivered as the warmth ran down her back, it felt so comforting. She reached in her bag and grabbed a butter bottle, one of her favorite candies. She let the warm taste of butter bear run down her throat from the tiny bottle shaped candy she had just placed into her mouth. She turned back to her paper and continued her masterpiece. It was coming along quite nicely, she was proud. She popped another bottle into her mouth and grabbed her wand then used her favorite charm to sharpen her pencil. It wasn't until she heard the potrait hole creaking open that she stopped drawing and tried to stuff her sketchbook into her book bag. She looked over catiously and then continued stuffing her book into her bag. It was him, she didn't want him to see that she was thinking of him, even if it was only a little. She watched him enter the room, hoping he hadn't noticed her drawing.

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack was having a boring day today. Ever since the fireworks incident, he had been afraid to see Filch or Mrs. Norris. It seemed likely that he would have to run into them sometime soon. His blue eyes searched the hallways critically. No one here, that's a pointer. Jack thought as he listened to his footsteps echo down the deserted corridor. He smiled in satisfaction and decided to go to the Student Lounge.

It was almost deserted also, except for three Hufflepuffs laughing in a corner and someone else sitting near the fire. It was the Raven that had help him out in his exploit. What was her name? Beth? He strolled over to her, Ravens were much better than Hufflepuffs. Of course, he had just got in a huge fight with a Raven, Brooke, and he hoped he would never have to talk to her again. She was a dirty pure blood, a mutt, as Dixie Holden called them. Jack noticed that Beth was putting something away in an extreme hurry. Curiosity got the best of him and he stopped near her chair. "Hiding something?" He asked with a smirk.

[elizabeth]

Beth turned as she noticed the boy coming towards her, she didn't want to draw any attention to herself. Maybe he hadn't seen her sketching she thought but realized she was wrong when he asked her about it. She looked to her book and debated whether or not to tell him. If she did he might want to see, that could be bad seeing as she just drawing a picture of him, well his eyes really.She pushed the book deeper inside the bag and began zipping it. " Well, it's nothing really," she sighed, avoiding any eye contact. It was a well known fact that she couldn't lie to anyone, whether she knew them or not. She broke concentration and look over to the boy, seeing that he wanted a better answer. She pushed her hair back, "It's just some sketches, drawings of mine." She pulled her feet up and tucked them under he robe, praying that he would leave it at that.

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack listened to her so called explanation of what it was. Sketches? Jack never enjoyed drawing anything, so it was one of his downfalls. He had given up trying to draw anything when he was a young boy. He smirked at the girl, trying to guess what she had been drawing. Nothing came to him mind immediately, like he was hoping it would. He sighed and just decided to ask anyway.

"Sketches of what?" He asked with a malicious smile on his lips. Beth seemed reluctant to show him, and that meant that it was either a bad drawing, in her mind, or a drawing of him. He gagged the thought of her drawing him, so the only thing that was left was that she drew a picture that she thought was bad. Jack wanted to see it so if it was really bad, then he could laugh. He always enjoyed laughing at what people do, it was just some of his hobbies. He started tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for the girl to show him.

[elizabeth]

Beth reluctantly pulled out her sketch book to show him, she knew this was going to happen. She turned to the first page hoping he wouldn't look at the last drawing, the one of him. She hoped he didn't laugh at her drawings, they were her prized possessions. She had been entered into many art fairs but she always pulled out due to her nerves. Her hands shook a little as she handed the book over to Jack. 'Please, Please, Please..... don't let him hate them' she thought. He was the first person, her art teacher aside, that she actually let look at her drawings. It was most because she knew that he wouldn't drop it if she didn't let him look at them. As he grabbed the book from her arms she turned away, she didn't want to see his reactions when looking at them. 'well, you really can't tell that the picture of the eye is his eye, maybe he won't notice,' she prayed. Curiousity got the best of her and she looked over to see his reaction, hoping that it was good rather than bad.

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack smirked as the girl held out her drawings to him. He grabbed them quickly and took a glance at the first one. He was surprised at first how good they were. They were in great detail and although they had no color since they were in pencil, held great value. He ran his finger over the first one and then he flipped the page to see the next one. Each one had the same impressive art value but he couldn't bring himself to tell Beth. That just wasn't his way of doing things. He looked at them all critically, trying to find something to laugh at. Nothing was there.

"These are...rather good." Jack admitted. He didn't add that he was terrible at drawing. He looked at the last piece which seemed to be a drawing of an eye. Everything was in vast detail, and Jack eyed the painting with great liking. He handed the sketches back to her and sat down in an armchair near the one Beth was sitting in.

[elizabeth]

Beth studied him as he studied her drawings and she was relieved when he didn't show a face of disgust. She blushed a little as he got to the last page but gave a sigh of relief when he confirmed he didn't know it was his eye. She took the book back and opened to the last page, it would be easier now that she had him as a model. "Thanks," she said when he complimented her. She really hadn't expect4ed it, him being a slytherin and all. She watched him sit in one of the nearby chairs, 'perfect,' she thought, 'now I can use him as a model.'

"So, hows it going," she said casually, trying to strike up a conversation. She waited for his answert as she continued to sketch his icey blues. She reached into her bag and decided to pull out her color wand and add some color to the sketch of the boys magnificant eye. She set it to blue and began working, waiting for him to respond.

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack looked at Beth as she started drawing again as she talked. What is she doing? Drawing something behind me? He shook his head. She was drawing something that was near him, or...she was drawing him! The absurdity of the thought almost made Jack laugh out loud. What was it with Ravens? He smiled a bit at her question. At least she's trying to make this interesting. Trying but not succeeding. Jack thought bitterly.

"Nothing much." Jack said, looking around out of boredom. A sudden thought came to his mind, all of his problems.."Well, actually, there is something up." He added hastily. "Do you know a girl named Brooke Davis? She's a third year in your house. She is really annoying and won't leave me alone. She gets on my nerves so much it's not even funny." He gazed at Beth.

"I guess some people are like that. Did you know that some people consider Slytherins mean? Sometimes even cruel?" Jack laughed at the thought of it. "As if!" He laughed again about his own joke.

[elizabeth]

Beth continued to color as she listened to Jack. Her picture was coming along nicely with the perfect shades of blue and tan. Suddenly she paused, "Brooke?" she said a little annoyed, "yeah, you could say I know her." Beth took her wand and set it aside with her sketch book not caring if Jack saw the picture of the eye again, even though it did resemble him a lot more. She pushed her silky brown hair from her eyes and continued to talk, "Brooke, well, she is a complicated person," she said. "Actually, who am I kidding, she is just a shallow and conceited little girl, who obviously doesn't get enough attention at home," Beth huffed. At first she felt bad but she realized that Brooke never showed remorse when hurting other people. "If I were you, I would just pretend like she doesn't exist, if you don't acknowledge her, she'll give up." Beth sighed and a stray strand of hair blew in front of her face. She looked over at the boy with a smirk on his face and smiled a little, "As for the Slytherin thing, I know it isn't true. Slytherins are pretty cool people, when you do what they want. It's not a rudeness thing, just a wish for respect and as pure blooded rich witches/ wizards of society, I for one believe they deserve it. However, I don't think that means any other house deserves worse treatment," she finished, proudly, thinking she had summed it all up. She had nothing against Slytherins, in fact they had always gotten along. Beth just understood people, showing someone respect went a long way and Beth understood that. She looked over at Jack and continued her questioning, "So, I am really curious about you. What is your favorite color, activity, food," Beth stopped realizing she sounded a little stalker-ish, "I don't mean to be noisy, or stalk you, Im just fascinated by you," she hoped that didn't sound weird either. She picked up her notebook again and turned the page, she began sketching the outside lake and waited for Jack's answer, pretending as though she didn't care.

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack smiled and listened to what Beth had to say. She had some pretty good advice, actually, and it didn't sound like she liked Brooke much either. He was glad that he wasn't the only one, besides Mack, who had hard feelings against the girl. He smirked at the thought about Slytherins wanting more respect than normal.

"Sounds like you've got it together. You're a true Raven, unlike that Brooke character. She just doesn't understand what people want, and that's why people have a grudge against her." He grinned and flipped his hair like a model. He had only joked around like this with Mack, but he was in a good mood, so why not a Raven that he could trust?

"Curious about..me? Well, my favorite activity is swimming. It's the only mugglish thing I do. My favorite food..erm....probably steak...I like butterbeer too, favorite drink...uh....My favorite color is blue-green. The color of the ocean. I always wanted to go to the ocean." He paused, hoping Beth wouldn't ask a question about his family. "So, what have you been up to?"

[elizabeth]

Beth listened to Jack interested in all her had to say. She wasn't quite sure he was going to respond to her interest in him. She heard him talking about the ocean and a bit of excitement ran through her veins. She picked up her drawing pad and began to draw an ocean scene, in front of it a young boy. He was handsome and spirited and his eyes seemed to match the color of the water bed behind him.

"My brother and I used to go to the beach everyday of Spring Break when I was younger. I love the smells and the sounds of the ocean water rolling in and falling out of the sand," she smiled slightly remembering the last time she saw her brother. She really missed him, they were always so close. "He's most likely coming to Hogwarts next year," she thought out loud. It was unfortunate that her older sister was not at Hogwarts, but then again they never really understood eachother anyway. However, Beth still missed her. Especially the fun they would have around Christmas time, it seemed to be the only time they really got along.

She turned back to Jack and smiled, "Do you have any siblings?" She winced a little noticing pain in Jack's icey blue eyes as she brought up family, maybe it wasn't such a great conversation piece.

[Jack Rendel S5]

Jack smiled slightly at all Beth had to say. She seemed close to her family. "So, you're a pureblood?" Jack asked with surprise, he had thought that this girl was a halfblood or lower. He shifted a little in his seat as the conversation turned to family. She asked if I have any siblings. An interesting question, I must say. Something I just found out.... Jack looked at the wall in front of him, not wanting to make eye-contact with her.

"Yes. Yes, I do." He said slowly, his gaze turning toward Beth, his blue eyes blazing. "Padme's her name. She's coming to Hogwarts and is going to be in Slytherin." He paused, knowing that no one knows what house they are going to be in till the Sorting. Jack knew that Padme would be going into Slytherin. It was definite. "She's worse than me, I can tell you that. She has an acid tongue, as Mack calls it, and has a way of bringing out the worst in people." Jack slowed down and then decided to turn to his father.

"My dad's awful to me. I don't belong with him. My mother isn't with him anymore, and Padme's with my mother while I'm with my dad. It all works in the wrong way, you know. It's all...lies." Jack stood up abruptly; why was he telling this girl about his life. He walked over to the window and noticed that it was raining. Jack sighed slightly, but didn't make a move to go back to his seat next to Beth.

[elizabeth]

Beth winced a little as she realized that what she had said made Jack think she was a pureblood, she wasn't, not by any stretch. She sighed slightly tucking her hair begind her ear, "I... Im.. Well, Im not a pureblood," she choked out. She had never had a problem telling people that before, but suddenly it pained her. The thought of him hating her was almost more than should could bare, it was now that she realized just how much she liked this boy.

She smiled as the boy talked of his sister, he seemed to be very proud. The smile didn't last for long though because she could sense his pain with his words about his father. She watched him get up to the window and slowly set her sketch book aside.

She got up and walked over to the window, placing her arm on Jack's strong shoulder. "Im sorry," she said, "I didn't know..." She looked out the window at the beautiful Hogwarts grounds below and continued, "I know how hard it is, living somewhere that you don't feel welcome. Techinically, I am a muggleborn," she felt her knees give a little, not wanting him to know, "It is because of my father that I am even here, he won't admit to that though. It wasn't until my letter came that I even knew about the magical world," she felt a tear begining to form in her eye but held it back as she contiued, "My father's side of the family, they were all purebloods. Until my father, that is. He never got an acceptance letter, and in my grandfather's eyes, that made him unnacceptable. He threw my father out at 11 years old and since then my father has had to fend for himself. My father was furious when my letter came, he told me that I was just as worthless as the rest of his family and he never wanted to see me again," tears began to roll down her cheek, she was ashamed of herself, for the first time ever at hogwarts. "My mother had to make him a deal," she sighed, "If I made it into Slytherin they were going to pull me out. All of my ancestors were in Slytherin... My father didn't want me to be like them." She sat in the window sill and looked up at Jack. It was hard to read any expression from him, so she just sat looking at his handsome structure, waiting for a response, trying to stop her tears.