|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 12, 2007 13:07:09 GMT -5
Lilianne was leaning forward as Nicholas spoke of his father, obviously interested in tales of heroic wizards. Her impressed smile died however as Nicholas sat back, and she put her hand over her mouth.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry! What happenned to... oh... I'm prying too much, am I? I'll understand if you don't want to talk about him..."
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Dec 12, 2007 14:59:30 GMT -5
Nicholas shook his head, ligting up a hand. "No, no. It's alright. I've gotten over the shock, Lilianne. It happened well over ten years ago. I still miss him, but I've come to grips with it. Besides, he died as he lived; never ignoring evil and trying to fight for those who couldn't defend themselves from people like that. I've done my best to make him proud, and I can't do any better than that."
He leaned back, looking at the picture once more. "He's the reason I became an Auror. I try not to be sad about his death, but try instead to celebrate his life. It makes things a little nicer that way. Anyway, there's no need to worry about it, Lilianne. What's done is done. And you're not prying too much. I wouldn't have hung a picture of him here if I was ashamed, right?"
Nicholas smiled slightly as he looked back to her. "Most people don't ask much about me except if I'm really a knight or if they could see my sword. Not many people ask about me, and it's kind of nice just talking, you know?"
|
|
|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 12, 2007 21:09:48 GMT -5
"Oh, well, I'll be the first to admit that stories like yours are pretty facinating, and uh, I guess some would be pretty easily struck in admiration over aurors and what they represent... I guess you can end up forgetting there's an ordinary person in there. With lives outside of their jobs..."
Lilianne laughed somewhat nervously.
"So uh... How is your family? Isn't it rather unusual to have an entire family living in the castle?"
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Dec 12, 2007 21:30:33 GMT -5
Nicholas gave Lilianne a comforting look. "There's no need for you to stay if you want to leave Lilianne, or to make idle banter at my expense. If you wish to leave, the door is open. If you wish to stay, I'll keep talking and offering you hot chocolate." he said, his offered dismissal as kind as his smile. He hadn't meant it in a mean way, just as simple options.
"My wife is fine, and my children are as annoying as any, but I love them all the same." he said, his smile growing wide. "Vincent's up to trouble, Isabelle is curious, and Edward, well, once he can walk properly no one will be safe."
Nicholas beamed with pride as he talked about his family, his eyes flickering to a portrait on the wall of himself and his smiling, waving family.
|
|
|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 12, 2007 21:50:32 GMT -5
Lilianne stiffened up again. "Oh no, nonono I'm not humoring you! I just, uh... I guess I might have been a little guilty of not looking past the auror job myself, even if I didn't ask to see your sword..." She put her mug back to her lips and muttered: "...yet..."
Lilianne looked at the picture of the waving family and, as she often does with wizard photographs and paintings, waved back at them.
"I haven't met Dr. Lannsman yet, I've only seen her at the Great Hall. I haven't managed to blow myself up so far after all... Does she keep your children at the hospital wing? Don't they, uh, get in the way?"
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Dec 12, 2007 22:08:30 GMT -5
"Oh good lord, no. She doesn't even like having me around there when she's working. I don't want to get in her way, should I have my wits about me. The children are usually watched over by the house elves in our room in the castle, whenever one of us can't be there. And besides, she general likes to meet students and people when they aren't broken, whether you believe it or not." he said grinning as he sipped some cocoa.
"What about you? What's your family like? I've only met your sister, and that was only when she was still attending my class before it was 'useless'." he asked eagerly.
|
|
|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 13, 2007 9:21:35 GMT -5
"House elves! I haven't met any yet. I hear they're really nice people. I bet they make good sitters too!"
Lilianne looked puzzled at the tone of Nicholas when he mentionned her sister. She mentally shrugged it off and took a picture out of her wand pocket on the inside of her cloak, handing it to the Professor.
It was a recent picture of Lilianne and Isabelle, standing together with a tall, energetic blonde woman and a stocky black haired man wearing horn rimmed glasses standing behind them. They were laughing together, waving. Lilianne had an hedgehog currently sitting on her head, and a bat could be glimpsed flying in and out of the frame.
"That's my dad. His name is Harvey. I already told you he was a librarian, he works in the wizard's wing of the Public Library in Manchester... It's a really nice place. You have to go through the muggle children book section and walk through a big painting of The Chronicles of Narnia on the wall to get to the Wizards Wing."
"And that's my mom of course. You might have heard her name if you follow Quidditch... Andréa Lévesque, she's a chaser for the Québec Clabberts team."
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Dec 13, 2007 21:00:10 GMT -5
"Sounds like a lovely workplace for your father. He also seems like a nice man." Nicholas said warmly.
Nicholas' eyebrows shot up in pleasant surprised when she mentioned her mother's name. "Hey! You're right! I thought that name was familiar! Wow...that's....well that's awesome!" he said, laughing. "Tell me, would it be too much of a bother to get an autograph from her?"
He looked as giddy as a school boy.
|
|
|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 14, 2007 8:57:37 GMT -5
"Yes, it really is a nice place. I've spent a lot of time in there while he was working. My dad's job isn't as glorious as the one of an Auror or Healer or Minister of Magic, but I'm still glad he does it, since I got my love of reading from him..."
Lilianne giggled softly at Nicholas' reaction about her mother. "Wow, that doesn't happen often! Most of the people I talked to about her don't really care since she's not in a european team... I'll write her about it, I'm sure she'll be really pleased!
So you're a Quidditch fan, eh? I can't wait for the season to start here, I hear the teams are pretty good!"
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Dec 14, 2007 19:48:13 GMT -5
Nicholas looked to Lilianne with a smile. "Come now, Lilianne. Being a librarian is just as important as an Auror! Whereas we Aurors would defend you from dark wizards, books open so many doors, lead you on adventures, or teach you something new. Books are very important to people. I love reading." he said, smiling as he waved a hand at his full bookshelves.
"And european or not, she still plays Quidditch. I used to play a lot when I was in school. I was a on the Gryffindor team for about 4 years, actually. Those were some fun times." he said a tad wistfully. "This years matches should be good too. Althea and I never miss a game."
|
|
|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 15, 2007 11:05:03 GMT -5
"Oh, I agree, sir. Books mean a lot to me. They never let me down. I can forget my worries by immersing myself in a good story. Live another life for a bit. When I close the book down and go back to my own reality, often my own problems don't look so big anymore..." She said, looking over at the bookshelves a little sadly.
She took the picture of her family back and looked at her parents, and let out a little laugh. "It's sortof funny, how different people my parents are, yet they get along so great... My dad says all the time that he's got his feet on the ground, and his head in the skies, while mom has her feet up in the air, with her head on ground. Isabelle says she's proud of having all body parts in the same place, firmly on the ground."
Lilianne took another sip of chocolate. "I don't think I've figured out where I want to be in that picture. I'm not sure what I can do, yet..."
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Dec 15, 2007 13:06:42 GMT -5
Nicholas laughed. "Well, your parents are lucky. I've always been told that I have myself firmly planted on the ground, should I remember to put my head on my shoulders. Should I forget it, I kinda stumble around."
He smiled and looked out to Lilianne and offered her an uplifting smile. "You move forward." was all he said. Somehow, it came out complimentary.
|
|
|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 15, 2007 14:06:35 GMT -5
Lilianne took the last sip of her chocolate and stared down at the ring in the bottom of it for a while. She looked as if she was struggling with herself.
Finally she raised her and stared hard at her head of house, saying hesitantly: "Professor... What if... What if I turn out to be a squib?"
|
|
|
Post by Nicholas Gawain Lannsman on Dec 15, 2007 14:21:50 GMT -5
Nicholas returned her hard gaze with the same uplifting smile on his face. "You move forward." he answered simply.
He set the mug down and looked back at her. "I know you have it in you to be a witch. Practice, a little confidence and guidance, and you'll be a capable one too. And if you don't, what does it matter? You can't cast magic. Wow. How many people on this planet can't cast magic? Do you think any less of them? Your still Lilianne Wesker. I'll still think your a nice person. So will your friends. Your family will still love you."
His expression changed to one of concern. "Please, just don't start thinking that people who can't cast magic aren't people, or people worth caring about. That's a very silly and dangerous notion to keep in mind."
It changed a little more into a more sympathetic look. "You know, I had trouble in all my classes until the end of second year. Did you know I once accidentally turned my teachers pants to stone when I cast a body binding curse on him? To this day I have no idea how that happened. I lit a teacher's beard on fire, turned myself blue for an entire week, destroyed my cauldron in potions class because I added to much imp gall and the acidity ate away at the bottom, and got tricked into casting the wrong spell to removed spilled ink on an essay and instead wiped it completely clean after I spent the whole night writing it."
|
|
|
Post by Lilianne Wesker on Dec 15, 2007 15:21:52 GMT -5
Lilianne looked down again. "No, sir... You don't understand. I know there's nothing wrong with being a Squib. That you can lead good lives even without being able to do magic. That it doesn't make you less of a person. I've got one to look up to after all. My dad is a Squib, and I don't love him any less because of that. In fact, I probably owe my life to it, since he wouldn't have met my mom if it wasn't for it."
She looked at the picture again, and her father smiled at her lovingly. "But he hasn't lied to me about how it has been for him either. He's been often cast aside and bullied as a kid. He's had a falling out with his own family, and I barely know them because of it. Even wizards who mean well will often make him feel as if he had a disability. Not to mention how frustrating it is to live in the wizarding word and having to see, everyday, what he's missing. Muggles are luckier."
Professor, I love my dad, with all my heart. But I'm afraid I'll turn out like him...
She finally looked back up at Nicholas, her eyes watering up again, and her voice broke off as she said: "...and I think that makes me a horrible person."
|
|