Blasphemous Rumours (Cleo/Adara)

[Cleo Frost]

Cleo noted Adara's changing moods but did not comment on them. "Before I started here I was tutored." She started to explain. "My family move in very elite social circles and I was trained with the sons of daughters of other families in the same position as us." she said. There had not been many of them, twenty five at most and they had all been very close, sharing the same interests and background.

[Adara Snow]

Again, Adara's interest was peaked. "I was tutored as well, though my lessons were private," she admitted. "I had met few people near to my own age before. Hogwarts seems a world entirely of its own." Even if, in truth, it had been her life before Hogwarts that was a world unto itself, Adara did not discern the difference.

[Cleo Frost]

Cleo nodded, "It does seem like that, although my old world was similar. We moved in very limited circles, and were not exposed to the outside world that often" she said thoughtfully, although she declined to mention that the outside world often had a way of creeping in when your back was turned.

[Adara Snow]

"It seems we have much in common, then," Adara said, surprised and pleased by the fact. "I have met others who were tutored or home schooled, but it seems that so many of them are...well, quite social, actually." Emilian, for one, had been schooled at home for most of his education, yet, though she chose not to think about the details, she knew that he preferred the company of others to his own exclusive company.

[Cleo Frost]

Cleo smiled, she was drawn to the girl, and thought that if she hadn't been asked to then she would still want to be friends with Adara. "I grew up going to balls and social evenings. There are not many families that enjoy the privileges that I grew up with, not in England anyway. Very traditional, proper society" Cleo said, her distaste obvious if closely observed.

[Adara Snow]

Adara nodded, though her past was somewhat different. "I was allowed at very few such events, and never without proper supervision. I will admit that I am still only beginning to learn and understand the ways that people interact with one another, though I have come quite far in the months since I came to Hogwarts." Mostly through Emilian. Adara nearly sighed at that. It seemed she could not put him out of her mind, and though she did not truly want to, it was difficult resisting such distraction.

[Cleo Frost]

"You didn't miss much going to them. I enjoyed myself through entertainment not officially hosted at the event" she said, smiling as she thought about all the empty corridors and shadowy rooms where she had often disappeared to. "It is very important to know how people interact" she said, nodding. "Especially the different types of relationship, friendships, rivalries, love" Cleo threw in the last one casually, but she was watching Adara closely.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's gaze dropped to her hands, lying placidly against the cover of her cloth-bound journal. "It seems that the more I begin to understand, the more complex things become," she said softly, her mind taking each of the words that Cleo had listed and applying them to instances in her memory. "Things are nothing like they seem in books." An understatement, to be sure.

[Cleo Frost]

Cleo nodded sadly, books made you think fairytales came true. "Wisdom, in my opinion, is just knowing that you will never know everything or enough" she said softly, smiling sadly at Adara. "Books are little worlds to escape into when our own gets too much" she said. She picked at the grass by her side absently, sighing.

[Adara Snow]

Adara agreed wholeheartedly with both of Cleo's statements, and tucked them away in her mind. She watched Cleo a moment, her smile that seemed somehow sad rather than happy, and the absent motions of her hand. Adara's head inclined in concern. "Are you unhappy?" she asked, wishing that, if it were so, she could know how to help.

[Cleo Frost]

Cleo paused for a moment, weighing up the situation, was it really a good idea to tell Adara of her problems. After making her decision she nodded and sighed. "I have been happier" she admitted, looking up at Adara. She bit her lip, not knowing how to explain her situation, Leven's offer was awkward and Larten's behaviour embarassing at times.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's brows knitted ever slightly at Cleo's words, and at the obvious discomfort she saw. "Did I say something I should not have?" she asked. It seemed that they had been having a lovely discussion until the subject of love had come up and Adara had become distracted with thoughts of Emilian. Had she, perhaps, been so lost in thought that she had said something wrong?

[Cleo Frost]

"No, no" Cleo said quickly, assuring Adara it was nothing she had said or done. "It's just life hasn't been that easy recently" she said softly, starting to explain her situation. "My father is pressing me to marry and I was even given to someone in marriage" she continued, drawing breath as she tried to keep her voice even.

[Adara Snow]

Adara's brows rose, the situation so painfully close to her own that she could not help her surprise at hearing it. It was difficult to think past that initial shock, and Adara found herself, rather than politely offering her sympathy, asking, "Are you married, then?" It was a rather blunt question, but then, Adara seemed to forget herself when curiosity reined, and she had spent so much time with Emilian, who seemed to delight in her curiosity, that the reflex was too strong to resist.

[Cleo Frost]

Cleo shook her head. "Thankfully not" she answered. "The boy involoved, as he attends Hogwarts, did not want to force me into the marriage, so he relinquished the right." she continued, shuddering slightly as she remembered all those conversations. "But it gets worse. As I tried to escape the marriage, the boys father offered to protect me, to give me anything I wanted if I agreed to become his mistress." Cleo was shocked to find that tears were sliding down her cheeks. She was never one to show her emotion, but recently everything had been so raw and such a struggle.