The negative aspects of boredom ((Jeremiah))

[cleo]

Cleo yawned and stretched raising her head from the Transfiguration book she had been bowing over. While Cleo understood that the subject was necessary – why on earth did it have to be so utterly boring? And McGonagall was an old batty prune as well which didn’t make the class any more interesting. Cleo valuated the class to be at the same level of boredom as History of Magic that she would be dropping next year. The biggest difference was that the results would be bones-breaking if someone dared to fall asleep in Transfiguration. Oh well, at least she had most of her Transfiguration done already. She could crash the 6th year Ravenclaw girls dormitory later on a badger Dana for help with the rest later on. Even if Dana wouldn’t be able to give her much more meaningful text, she was awesome at sending out nice pretty meaningless bubbles of speech that didn’t appear to be that meaningless at first glance.

Closing the book Cleo grimaced at a small piece of nail-polish that had been scratched and therefore the smooth cover was a bit harmed during the time she had spent in the library today. And she had spent so much time with her nails as always. At least it wasn’t one of the most complex designs she used for her nails. This time her nails were simply a clear blue with white birds drawn to fly on it. Simple, quick to get done as the birds were only drawn in the distance while soaring in the air. Glancing outside Cleo grimaced. Sunday evening and there was something falling down from the sky. From her view-point Cleo couldn’t exactly even see if it was rain, snow or slush. Maybe all three mixed together. But it did cut off Cleo’s chances for going outside and travel to Hogsmeade to spend the evening dancing away with someone cute. Even Kris didn’t appear to be anywhere where she could find him. So who could blame Cleo for being in a bit of a bad mood.

Scowling darkly Cleo snapped a ball of crumpled up paper away from the table before her. Watching carelessly as the paper bounced off and rolled on the floor Cleo picked up her wand and torched the scrap of paper with a careless flick of her wand. One more swish and the remaining ashes flew up in a ball before Cleo magically opened a window on the other side of the library and sent the ashes flying out from there. A moment later as madam Pince came scurring angrily from behind the corner Cleo’s wand was already tucked away and raising her eye-brows Cleo returned her stern look curiously the quill in her hand raising a bit higher from her parchment where she had been scribbling down her name. “May I help you, madam Pince?” Cleo asked with a lazy drawl making the librarian decline the offer as she swept back to her thrown in the library while Cleo smirked behind her back. Being a Ravenclaw did pay up sometimes. Madam Pince always seemed to think that Ravenclaws would never break any rules, especially not in the library. Oh well, maybe she had been spending a bit too much time with Kris if she was already feeling this reckless about rules and regulations. But she was bored! What else could she be doing? Tilting her head back as she closed her eyes Cleo balanced the chair she was sitting in on it’s two legs while trying to figure out something fun she could be doing right now.

[Jeremiah Baer]

With his mini wireless blasting in his ear, Jeremiah sang to the song as he made his way down the hall toward the library. He had a few books tucked under his arm, ready to be returned. They hadn't provided much use for his latest report as he only found small chunks of relevant information, but at the same time, he hadn't tried too hard due to his apathy toward his studies. Doing enough to get by had always been his form of approach. He knew someday it would catch up with him, but Jeremiah lived too much in the moment to let it bother him.

As he entered the library, he received a few disgusted glares and then realized his music was still turned up loudly and he was still singing. With a large smirk, he lowered the volume and winked at those who were still starring at him. Their looks of annoyance persisted, but he turned, heading for the circulation desk. About to greet Madam Pince, Jeremiah opened his mouth just as she darted from her desk and disappeared around a book shelf. Curious, he followed and peeked his head around the corner to see what had caused her to scurry away so quickly. He noticed Madam Pince looking awfully confused and aggravated as she stood near a red-headed girl whom Jeremiah knew only has 'Hardwick.' He knew she had a reputation for not necessarily trouble, but she was good at 'stirring the pot,' from what he'd heard of her.

As Madam Pince turned to return to her desk, she passed Jeremiah, and he stopped her, handing over the two books he wished to return. "Here you are," he said, happy to get rid of them. "If you ask me, I don't recommend them," he added with a look of seriousness, "unless of course you are low on fire-wood. Then, they might be useful," he finished, watching Madam Pince's face turn to a look of shock. He flashed a smile, and turned to the girl who was leaning back in her chair with a look of total boredom.

"So," he began once Madam Pince was out of earshot. "What could you have possibly done to cause the little lady to rush over here so hurriedly? It must have been something naughty," he commented, anxious to hear the girl's response. "Whatever it was, you seemed to have gotten away with it," he added, with a grin. Jeremiah was often very curious- even nosy at times. Most of all, he was always in search of things out of the ordinary, anything that might stir up a little drama or excitement.

[cleo]

Madam Pince left her again as Cleo pretended to work on her homework. In reality she merely scribbled down the same point she had mentioned previously in the essay in a bit different wording. It was sure some better pieces of work would be handed in to McGonagall. But why bother over your abilities in a subject you didn’t like nor were good at? Cleo knew that her homework was good enough to get a good grade and it satisfied her. She didn’t want anything better. If she wanted something better, she’d work on Charms. Taking out her wand Cleo measured the length of the essay with a quick spell being pleasantly surprised to find that the essay was already half an inch longer than it was supposed to. See? She even did a litlte extra-work. McGonagall shouldn’t have anything to whine about unless she decided to start take points off for the callipraghic beauty of hand-writing. After a bit closer inspection Cleo decided that her hand-writing was even then neat enough. Smooth, perhaps a bit small, but proper with all the letters tilted the same way.

Cleo raised her eyes at someone started talking glancing briefly at the boy standing before her before calmly dipping her quill into her ink-well. So? The boy started the conversation with a so, with no introductions, no polite phrases about disturbing her and wanted her to admit what she had done? Who was he, some kind of a snitch? Filch in disguise? A bloody Gryff Cleo decided mentally as she wrote her name and house at the corner of her homework being deliberately as slow as possible while not looking like delaying just yet. Tapping her quill at the edge of the ink-well twice to clean if off excess ink Cleo rolled the parchment up and only then did she lean back in her seat and with mock-innocence look up at the boy.
„Oh, were you talking to me? I didn’t realize. It pretty much sounded like you were talking to someone else,“ Cleo looked around and raised her eye-brows in feigned surprise, „Oh my, but there is no one else here? Were you talking to air then? Oh, pardon. You must have been having a conversation with yourself.“

What, didn’t she look innocent? What made everyone – well, Pince and this boy – think she was anything but guilty? Cleo sneered slightly wondering if the boy got the rather straight-forward pointing to his lack of manners while arching a sarcastic eye-brow once again. „I beg your pardon, but what on earth MIGHT have I done that I would have to get away with?“ Cleo asked. Reall,y what was the point if you shared tricks of trade with just anyone? No use and everyone stole your copy-right ideas. Besides how was she supposed to know that this guy wouldn’t run to Pince at her very first word that might indicate any sort of guilt.

[Jeremiah Baer]

A bit confused, Jeremiah watched as the girl seemed to show no awareness of his presence. Eventually, she acknowledged him, but he sensed a hint of sarcasm in her sharp words. He didn't think that she was a Slytherin, but her cold attitude could have easily placed her as one. Shrugging it off, he proceeded to converse with her. It would take more than a cold shoulder and a few snide remarks to turn Jeremiah away.

"Well I don't know what you MIGHT have done," he echoed back, "that's why I asked you. Something sure caused Madam Pince to rush over here in a hurry." Jeremiah walked around the table and sat down across from the girl. "You can play dumb if you'd like. I won't beg you to tell me," he remarked. Glancing down at his bag, he groaned at the thought of all the work which awaited finishing. Sometimes he felt that ignoring it would make it go away, but he was always left with the pressure of finishing it at the last minute.

"Are you finished with your work for the day Miss Hardwick?" he questioned, noting that she had hurriedly packed up whatever work she had been doing. "I'm Jeremiah by the way," he added while pulling out his potions book, "and I'm sorry that I seemed to have forgotten your first name if it was even ever revealed to me." Now expectant of a smart remark, Jeremiah waited to see if the girl was actually going to be considerate of him or continue with her proud behavior. He was willing to hold a friendly conversation with her, but not if she didn't seem to want him around. He preferred not to do his homework though and he was looking for any excuse not to.

[cleo]

„Well, I think you will have to ask Pince what brought her over. As I do not know what you are thinking about,“ Cleo asked pursing her lips and blinking with mock-innocence towards Jeremiah as it turned out. In a way she wasn’t even lying. Because while she knew what caused Pince to hurry over and glare to her, how could shek now for certain this was the same occurance Jeremiah was referring to? Cleo smirked and clicked her tongue lazily arching a sarcastic eye-brow at his words. Play dumb? Why, most people didn’t say this to Ravenclaws. Besides the boy wasn’t that much older than she was. None the less as Cleo didn’t know him, his opinion didn’t matter to her either. Gliding the Transifguration essay into her bag Cleo measured the boy with a cold look as he took a seat uninvited. Really, where was the youth of nowadays going to?

„I’m relatively sure I have never revealed my last name to you, Jeremiah,“ Cleo responded with a quick smirk not making any notion towards introducing herself right now as well. After all the boy knew her somewhat – even if only her last name – but Cleo couldn’t place him anywhere in her head really. Cleo noticed the not-so-pleased glance the boy was giving his own homework and her smirked widened a little. Sometiems it paid to be a Ravenclaw. Even while you might want to laze off – if anyone around you were studying, you in the end didn’t have a choice but do the same. „I’ve finished my homework for the next week,“ Cleo said with a smirk glancing at her schedule to be reassured of this fact, „The only thing yet to finish for me is to add an ending paragraph to History of Magic essay.“

Cleo tilted her head and leaned back lazily in her chari twirling her quill slowly between her fingers her eyes almost challengingly looking into Jeremiah’s: „However, may I enquire what on earth brought you over and made you decide to sit at my table? A change in the wind-direction?“ Cleo ased with an ironic rise of her eye-brow.

[Jeremiah Baer]

The coolness didn't die completely, but Jeremiah could tell that the girl wasn't as mean as she portrayed. "I'm impressed," he commented, referring to the fact that she was well ahead of schedule unlike himself. "As far as your last name is concerned, the school is small enough that I am aware of most people- at least those who are important enough to have their name known." Jeremiah thought she should view it as a compliment since he knew her last name without ever meeting her personally. At least he would have assumed from what he had discovered about her that she would be the type to want her name known to others.

The next comment of Cleo's was more along the lines of a remark Jeremiah expected. Although he had decided to simply ignore her and work on his homework if she chose to let her patronizing ways persist, the thought of work made him cringe and answer her question. Smiling, he decided that this may be fun if he played it just right. "Actually," he said with a faked look of confession, "you have a mysterious glow of beauty that I couldn't help but investigate. I was curious and anxious to meet such an intriguing being." He fought a smile that was dying to surface, all the while maintaining his sober expression. He doubted the girl would believe his fabricated response, but at least it provided him with a good laugh. What was he supposed to say? Shouldn't' she have figured out that he only approached her, curious of Madam Pince's sudden distraction? Most likely though, he knew she was only looking for a common response or some measly reply which would make Jeremiah seem less welcome or deserving to sit at a table with her.

[cleo]

Cleo arched a cold eye-brow at Jeremiah’s responce. He knew most of the people at the school? While Hogwarts had hundreds of students? Didn’t the guy have any pride or frends at all? Didn’t the guy have any social life besides lurking in corners and eaves-dropping on conversations? Cleo herself usually didn’t know half of the students in the same classes as her! True, he didn’t often seek their company either, but that was still beyond the point. „I pity you,“ Cleo said eyeing the boy the idea of maybe the boy being an annoying snitch raising into her attention yet again. This kind of people were the worst. Even blond bimbos who used too much make-up and talked about boys and nail-polish were better than snitches. At least the bimbos might show a little bit of spine if you threatened to take away their beauty-products or wint the heart of the guy they had chosen to be the guy they set their sights upon for this week. Snitches and traitors who they would most likely grow up to be... they would most likely deserve to be thrown into Azkaban.

Cleo blinked dumbly at the boys next comment. Wait, had he tried to give her a compliment with the knowing of her name? Cleo sneered. Really, louzy compliment. It might have been a bit better if he had at least known her first name. Even if it had been a bit more stalker-ish that way.
„I choose the people who are worthy enough to learn my name from me,“ Cleo said with a pointedly raised eye-brow. She hadn’t introduced herslef to Jeremiah, so he could draw his own conclusions from the fact whether or not Cleo counted him worthy. From Gryffindor who were good? That Salah boy seemed half-way tolerable. Sapphire’s sister is the twins were anything alike personality wise. Caitlin Martinez might have potential though Cleo wouldn’t have given her head about that. And well, with growing up with 6 brothers, Ginerva Weasley deserved some respect. There were the only Gryffindors so far Cleo would willingly give credit right now. The rest of that bunch just seemed to cross their fingers and blindly bounce of to danger, where they would pass out and let everyone work to save their worthless skins.

Leaning closer her arms resting lightly on the table-top as she caught and held Jeremiah’s eyes for a moment Cleo lowered her voice for her next words, „That mysterious glow of beauty I have – you sure you won’t get burned by it?“ Cleo flicked a small piece of paper she had somehow missed when she burned the rest carelessly at Jeremiah as she leaned back against the back-rest of her table yet again her quill starting to tiwrl between her fingers yet again. „And are you really that you aren’t trespassing someone else’s property while trying to „investigate“ it closer?“ She and Kris were in no terms a couple. Cleo would be the first to assure everyone of this. They were just friends with benefits so to say and if Kris preferred notto have dates and spend time with ehr instead, then she wasn’t about to complain while her mood might be a bit wretched had Kris gone on a hot date with someone else. No, they most certainly weren’t a couple. Yet for some reason there was something between them that made her last words sound so completely right for her own ears. Frowning slightly at this thought Cleo brushed to the back of her mind to ponder about it in privacy.

[Jeremiah Baer]

This girl really was full of herself, and Jeremiah couldn't help but laugh to himself. If she really thought that her words were actually intimidating him, she had picked the wrong person. It was hard to anger Jeremiah, or intimidate him for that matter. Often, people who used their words as their main form of attack never had the actions to back them up. This was most likely the case with this girl, especially since she really didn't have reason for acting so coldly toward him. Regardless, he took it all in and then answered when she finished.

"Well I really don't want you to pity me," he said, "I would hate for you to be wasting your time and energy doing that, as there is really no need. Also, I'm really not searching for your approval of worthiness, so you can keep your first name from me as long as you'd like. I will just keep calling you Miss Hardwick in that case." The whole time, Jeremiah kept a kind voice and didn't once stop to think on his words. "And as far as being burned or trespassing on another's territory, I am well aware of what I can and cannot handle, so again, don't you worry about me."

Before allowing the girl to come back with what he expected to be another earful of arrogance, Jeremiah included one last statement. "By the way Miss Hardwick, I was just curious to know if you treat all of your new acquaintances as you are treating me now. I wouldn't feel so hurt if this is a normal thing for you, but if this really is personal, I'm dying to know what I may have done or said to deserve such treatment. Of course, from what I've gathered so far, I really don't expect you to tell me anyways- I'm probably not worthy of knowing." Resting his chin on his folded hands, Jeremiah gave a look of intent, anxious to hear the girl's response.

[cleo]

Cleo arched a cold eye-borw at Jeremiah: „Calling me miss Hardwick has been the only polite thing you have done so far. Rudeness isn’t very becoming you know and quite frankly evidently your upbringing has been less than adequate. Who am I insulting now? Your mother or you for not learning when you were supposed to?“
Cleo grinned and placed her quill lazily on the table turning her wrist to glance at the watch. She had agreed to meet with someone here later on, but there was still quite some time before she should even begin waiting for the always punctual date.
„And yes, this treatment is personal. And I do take pity and educate those less fortunate than me. So sure, I’ll tell you in details what brings on this treatment,“ Cleo gave Jeremiah an almost wolfish smirk.

Cleo eyed Jeremiah thoughtfully wording the statement and reassigning them in her head. Before smirking and lazily drawling as she locked her gaze with Jeremiah’s her eyes bright and large and innocent: „Now you prance over and questions me about what I was up to and what I spoke to madam Pince with. Very nosy. And then you sit down at my table uninvited. Really, I can’t stress the lack of manners you have enough. What else is worth mentioning? You know my last name and I’m relatively sure you dind’t just read it from the corner of my home-work, so what are you? Stalkerish much? Lack of a social life as well as lack of manners? Really, those two put together make you look like one those annoying little snitches who will carry every word I say to the nearest professor to make yourself appear good.
All of this put together we get a stereotypically hotheaded Gryff who doesn’t appear to think at all nor care who and how his actions influence and hurt as long as they have someone to entertain themselves. Maybe even help with that homework you obviously don’t want to work on, so partially to making others do your work?“
Cleo let the long pause stretch out as her second eye-brow rose to meet the first one as Cleo smiled as pleasantly at Jeremiah as if they had been discussing their favourite ice-cream flavours.

„This is exactly the impressions you have left on me during the few minutes you have been here. Does that description sound like someone you would like to make friends with? Or even be good acquintances with? Now, did you fully comprehend all that or do you wish me to explain the meaning of something even more closely?“ Cleo asked lazily. This was exactly what made Cleo respect Slytherins more. They were at least honest that much that they didn’t know hide their itentions to use others to get their way. They displayed what they believed in and stuck with it, even if it was hating muggle-borns which in it’s own wasn’t a positive thing at all. While Gryffindors were... fickle almost. They moved where the wind blew them. Potter was a good example. They were friends with him when things looked good for him. They stayed away at the first hint of trouble. While Slytherins hted him publically. Cleo dind’t like him at any time, so her behavior even was a lot fairer.
Suddenly Cleo find herself comparing Jeremiah to Kris and she felt a burst of laughter escape her. She couldn’t exactly imagine Kris backing up from the boy or loosing to him. „Well, if you’re so sure in yourself.“ Was the only remark Cleo offered about it however waiting with almost curiousity to see how Jeremiah would react to her words.

((*shrug* Please don't take any offence, but Cleo has never been overly friendly. And that is pretty much everything she IC has read out of Jeremiah's behavior.))