[Fontvieille, Monaco] Killing three birds with one stone (Lijsbeth)

"Okay, I'm trying the anise tomorrow then. Though I'll have to find something else it goes with if I want to get through all the flavours...did I see there was a rose flavoured one listed on the board? Do you think those two might go together?" Rose was probably similar to lavender, she supposed.

She tilted her head to one side thoughtfully. "Apart from wine, not really" she said after a moment "though we only have it watered down at home, and not every night. Mum only opens a bottle at weekends when we're not at school." Naturally, at Beauxbatons it was perfectly normal for the professeurs to have wine each evening. Secretly one of the things Lijsbeth was looking forward to about her sixth year was being allowed to choose whether she had a glass of wine with her evening meal, something she'd always considered a mark of maturity when thinking of the older, most sensible students. "Beer's okay I suppose, but I don't really like it either. I ahve to admit, the pastis sounds quite nice, though."

Lijsbeth stretched her arms above her head, finally beginning to relax and feel as though she was really on holiday. "Okay, but you're not allowed to laugh" she said, turning her head to look in her friend's direction "but really, whenever I look at an old, musty tent I feel like it's summertime. Ours used to belong to my grandfather and it's pretty old, but it's got five bedrooms and well, there used to be 11 of us all going away together when my grandfather and his friends came along too" When she'd been a little girl, Lijsbeth had assumed everyone's family holidays were like hers - noisy, chaotic, and evening spent sitting with her grandfather and his friends listening to them tell stories of when they were children. Even thinking of those times made her smile. She still saw her grandfather regularly, but he said he was getting too old to camp these days. "This, too..." she gestured to the beach, and the people nearby, laughing and chatting. "When I see people having a good time, it always makes me think of summer."

"No, no more ice cream today. Well...not until this evening, at least" she amended "Don't forget I've got brothers and sisters back at the hotel who will want to try it as well and they won't forgive me if I'm already two ice creams ahead of them!" Then she accepted Honoré's assistance in getting to her feet (though she didn't really need it) and at his suggestion kicked off her shoes and stuffed them into her shoulder bag. They stuck out a little, but they wouldn't fall unless she was particularly careless and this way both her hands were free. Her smile widened as they reached the water and she felt the first lapping of the waves around her toes. "ohh...it's warm!" she exclaimed unnecessarily, wading further out even as she felt a little uncertain. Maybe she should have put her bathing suit on underneath her clothes? Honoré reassured her though, so she hitched her bag a little further up onto her shoulder and followed. Looking down into the clear water she could see shells and the occasional bit of seaweed rooted in the sand.

"Where are we going?" she asked, running her hand through the water and making little ripples as she did so.

 

“Good choice,” Honoré said as Lijsbeth mentioned that she'd try the anise flavour the next day. “Yeah, they do have rose flavoured ice cream too and I think it would work well with anise. As would licorice, actually.”

Honoré listened as his friend told him about her experience with different kinds of alcohol. “I don't like wine much,” the boy admitted. “I've only ever got to try a sip but I cannot really imagine drinking more of it.” He paused briefly, wondering if it would be embarrassing to voice his take on beer. He decided that he trusted Lijsbeth enough to share this tiny little secret with her. “I've never tried beer,” he said quietly. “My parents think it's a… lower class drink.”

As he didn't want Lijsbeth to have a lot of time to think about his remark on beer, he decided to talk about pastis more. “We should see if we can get pastis at the hotel. Maybe we could sip one tonight at the swimming pool?” he suggested tentatively.

It felt great to talk to Lijsbeth and he felt honoured that she told him what summer meant to her. The boy smiled encouragingly at her as she asked him not to laugh. “I promise,” he said and really meant it. He felt certain that no matter what his friend would say he would be able to stop himself from laughing.

In the end he did not find any of what she said laughable. On the contrary, he found that it all made perfect sense and sounded rather romantic. He wished his family was a little more down to earth, a little more like the Westbroeks who clearly had their own fair share of sad history and problems but who were kind and loved each other.

“That actually really sounds nice,” Honoré admitted. “I guess my sister would rather die than sleep in an old musty tent but I actually love the sound of it. It sounds like great fun.”

He nodded as Lijsbeth said that she had siblings who'd also want to try the ice cream. He totally understood. His friend obviously enjoyed the company of her siblings more than he enjoyed the company of his.

They walked through the water and the boy grinned as Lijsbeth mentioned that the sea was actually warm. “We're almost there,” the boy answered to her question where they were going. “Do you see that rock there?” he pointed his hand at a rock that lurked out of the water not more than a few steps away. As they reached it, he climbed up there quickly, holding out a hand to Lijsbeth so she could join him. “See,” he explained, “it's like my private sofa in the sea. Its 'backrest' prevents us from being seen from the beach and it's like a front row seat to watch the boats.” He smiled at her nervously, hoping that his friend appreciated the fact that he showed her his secret hideaway and that she loved it as much as he did.

Lijsbeth frowned thoughtfully, though she didn't feel annoyed by Honoré's comment, just a little confused. On the one hand, she sort of understood what his parents meant, but on the other, she knew her father had enjoyed the odd beer, purchased from a local magical brewery, and she certainly didn't consider her family to be lower class. Sure, they weren't exactly well-off, but what family with six kids did have spare galleons to throw around? Besides, if his family really thought that, they would hardly be the sort of people to offer discounted holidays. She was still trying to work out what an appropriate response might be when he changed the subject. Maybe his family weren't quite as friendly as Honoré himself? Lijsbeth supposed it didn't really matter unless they all got together for dinner one evening or something. Personally, she kind of hoped that wasn't going to happen, the Bellefeuille herself much preferring picnics and relaxed buffets than a formal sit-down sort of meal (Beauxbatons feasts excepted).

Okay, she could wonder about what it might mean later on. "Swimming pool? Ohh, I forgot the hotel had a pool as well!" she exclaimed, delighted. Good thing she'd packed both her bathing suits. At this rate, she wouldn't even have time to go running but would spend all her time swimming...though the idea of a dawn run along the each was something she was determined to do at least once while she was here. Then she remembered he'd mentioned pastis for a second time. "Sure, let's try it...though I can't promise we won't have company if my sister and brothers find out" she added with a wry grin. Truth be told though, Lijsbeth thought that four or five of them (well, probably not Askeladden given his age) passing around a glass or something forbidden would be even more fun, but she wasn't about to say as much.

"Your sister's the dancer, right?" she asked, trying to remember what Honoré had said while they were still at school "Is she excited about starting at Beauxbatons?" Lijsbeth wondered whether the girl would be sorted into her brother's house or Papillonlisse - it seemed unlikely that a girl who apparently disliked the outdoors would end up in her own house and thus she proably wouldn't get to know the child that well. "She really doesn't know what she's missing. Late-night hikes, midnight feasts, singing around the camp fire...actually, scrub that. Don't ask me to sing. Ever. You wouldn't enjoy it" Lijsbeth giggled as she stumbled slightly in the sea and let out a small high-pitched squeal before steadying herself again.

She glanced back at how far out they'd come, telling herself firmly not to ask questions about when the tide come in or what would happen if they were stranded. Honoré clearly did this all the time (well, during the summer anyway) and besides, she had her wand with her. Getting stuck out on a rock would definitely be an acceptable reason to breach the underage magic guidelines, she decided. But anyway, her friend said they were almost there. "Sure, but I..?" Lijsbeth had expected a cave or perhaps a small beach, not just a rock that...oh!

"I thought this was going to be...how did you find this?" she asked he she scrambled up, a little awkwardly on the rocks given that she was still barefoot. Moving far less fluidly than Honoré she seated herself beside him and looked out into the distance "This is amazing...and literally nobody knows that we're here!"

“Yeah,” Honoré said, feeling slightly embarrassed by the fact that he was living at a hotel with a swimming pool. He was quite aware of the fact that his life was pretty different from the lives of most of his school mates. His family was really rich and they liked to show it. He did not feel like this made them any better, on the contrary. The boy felt that his family was quite superficial and judgemental and he didn't want to end up being just the same.

“Well,” the Ombrelune said, “the swimming pool is big enough for your whole family and many more.” He chuckled softly. While he'd like to have Lijsbeth all to himself he understood that these were also their family holidays so she could not expect her to exclusively spend time with him. “And we certainly have enough pastis at the hotel to share it with your siblings, too.”

Why again had he mentioned Antoinette? Now Lijsbeth asked about her and Honoré felt like changing the topic already again. He loved his little sister but he sometimes also hated her. She was a spoiled kid with a bad attitude, after all. He had quit dancing mostly because of her.

“Yes,” Honoré said and although he had tried to sound casual he knew he sounded bitter just saying this one word. “I'm not so sure. I don't think she'll enjoy sharing her room with others. In fact, I think she'll have a hard time getting used to the school,” he smiled mischievously. Somehow it served her right to get a bit of a damper sometimes.

The Ombrelune had almost said something in response to Lijsbeth mentioning singing around the camp fire when the girl continued saying that she couldn't say. His smile faded slightly. “You don't enjoy that?” he asked, sounding slightly disappointed. Well, he had no camp fire to offer but rather an illuminated swimming pool or the beach but he had already considered bringing his guitar out for the evening.

As they reached his rock, Honoré felt terrified that Lijsbeth would be disappointed with his personal hiding place. He felt like he was offering something really private here and it would be hurtful if she found this silly. While initially the boy thought that the Bellefeuille wasn't exactly excited she soon said that it was amazing and he relaxed a little. “I just explored and found it one day,” he said with a shrug. “None of my siblings know about it which is perfect. I sometimes sit here for hours...” he smiled and stared at the horizon.

There was a big difference between the two of them, one that Lijsbeth hadn't really noticed while they were at school. It wasn't just the money, because that could kind of be ignored. It was more that she was realising for the first time that not everyone had the kind of family life that she did. Even with the grief they'd had to deal with, they were still close, even her eldest siblings who had graduated and were now living away from home. Honoré said that the swimming pool was big enough for everyone as if they'd all want to swim lengths or something, or if they'd all want their own private part of it. Maybe that was what he and his sister preferred, but Lijsbeth knew that as soon as her family had the opportunity to swim in a big pool they'd start making up games. Brecht would do something crazy like dive into the pool from the highest board there was, Katelijn would yell at him for messing up her hair, Askeladden would try the dive as well because he always wanted to be like his big brother and there would be giggling and shrieking and splashing...

She found herself smiling. Maybe Honoré deserved to find out exactly how her family behaved when they were on vacation. "Okay, I'll let them know. After all, we're here for several days. Though of course they might have discovered the pool already" she added, not knowing what her brothers might be doing in her absence. She trailed her fingers in the water again as she spoke, though her relaxed air slipped a bit when her friend spoke about his sister.

Clearly they weren't close. Or...there was something going on there she didn't know about. Oh, the words were normal, just the sort of thing anyone might say about a little sister before she started at boarding school. But it was the way he said them...Lijsbeth wanted to ask more, but decided the best thing to do for now was pretend nothing was wrong. Coward! she told herself mentally. But she didn't want to spoil the day, so she just said "Yeah, a lot of kids struggle when they first start. I guess the best thing will be if she's in a different house to you, then she'll have no option but to make new friends quickly. I'm sure she'll be fine". She stopped short of saying she would keep an eye on the girl if she happened to be sorted into Bellefeuille, however. 

Thankfully the topic of conversation changed again. "Oh, I might enjoy it but honestly, you wouldn't! I can't sing at all" she grinned. Oh, she joined in with songs on the radio sometimes, but if she tried to sing something alone, the listener would only be able to figure out what the song was by recognising the lyrics... "I love listening to music, though. I'm just no good at it" she explained as they climbed onto the rock and admired the view, She could see why Honoré would sit out here for hours. "If I'm known where you were bringing me I'd have brought a book...sorry, I didn't mean that how it sounded! I just meant...I could happily sit here for the whole afternoon as well" she explained hurriedly. She didn't want her friend to think she didn't want to just sit and talk.

"Have you got any other surprises in store?" she asked, watching a small boat making its way across the gently rippling water.

“Indeed,” Honoré said, nodding and smiling. They were here for several days. They could have a nice evening with all her siblings tonight and maybe the two of them would get the chance to spend time alone at another time. They had it now anyway and Honoré appreciated this time a lot.

“I'll see if I can arrange it that we have the pool to ourselves tonight,” he muttered, thinking that he could talk to some employees to help him with that. “I mean, it would be a shame if some stuck up old people turned up and took offence from us having fun.” He shrugged, unsure if Lijsbeth appreciated the well meant gesture or would dislike it that he wanted to deprive other people of having fun at the pool.

“I guess you're right and a lot of kids struggle when they start at a boarding school...” his voice trailed off as he wondered if he wanted to confide in Lijsbeth what he thought about his sister. He could tell that his friend was fiercely loyal to her family and he wasn't quite the same. He knew he'd go out of his way to protect Antoinette if she needed his protection. He was quite convinced, though, that the girl would struggle at school and it both amused and concerned him. Truth be told, he thought it served Netta right to share a room with others and just learn that the world wasn't just a large ballroom but he also worried that she would be unhappy and unable to make friends.

“Netta is not like most kids, though,” he offered, but decided against expanding on this comment and he was grateful that Lijsbeth was more intrigued to talk about different things as well.

Honoré laughed as his friend told him that she might enjoy to sing but that he wouldn't want to listen to it. “I don't believe that!” he said, but he was a little afraid that it might be the truth. He had entertained the thought of them sitting somewhere and sing songs together while he played his guitar but maybe Lijsbeth wasn't the right person for that.

When Lijsbeth said that she would have brought a book if she had known where he'd bring her, he wondered if his conversational skills were really that bad. Fortunately Lijsbeth attempted to clarify and he self-consciously looked away, wondering if she only said that to make him feel better. He decided to take the positive interpretation, that is that she liked the place and wanted to spend more time here, and smiled at his friend.

Having regained his confidence, the boy laughed. “You want more surprises?” he teased. “A bit greedy are you, aren't you?! Honestly though, I'm sure the hotel will be full of surprises. There's a lot to discover and, well, the town has nice spots too.” He shrugged. For him this was all so normal but he assumed that for any visitor his home was full of wonders.

Lijsbeth was glad she'd finished her ice cream earlier, because she was sure she would have choked with laughter now. Of course, when she'd thought of playing in the pool she hadn't imagined they'd be alone, but her fantasy had included other cheerful people of their own age, maybe a couple of families with little ones who would remain in the shallow end of the pool. "That would be great" she agreed "Can you imagine if the Marseille over-90s swimming team were also on holiday here and had decided to practise swimming lengths this evening?" In her minds' eye, she could see seven or eight elderly witches in identical costumes and waterproof hats, making their way sedately up and down the pool.

There was definitely something strange in the way Honoré spoke of his sister. Lijsbeth almost wanted to ask him about it, but on the other hand, that topic of conversation didn't give her the same fizzy, happy, excited feeling in her stomach as she had when they'd been choosing icecreams and making their way down here. I'll ask about her later she told herself, and then promptly stopped worrying.

"Believe it!" she said "You know when professors say stuff like 'you can do anything if you put your mind to it'? I get that they mean well and they say it because they want us to succeed but...I really don't think I'd ever be able to sing and make anyone happy. Their cats, maybe..." she was making a joke about it becase actually Lijsbeth did like to join in with songs. She knew that Honoré owned a guitar and she would love to hear him play, but she couldn't just come out and say that, could she? What if he laughed at her? Besides they could hardly do that here and she was enjoying herself too much right now to want to move.

"Totally. I am completely greedy and starved for excitement, and I want more. More!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands into the air in a sudden gesture. Lijsbeth knew she wasn't behaving at all the way she did at school, where she was quiet and paid attention to her classes, and felt anxious when she feared she might not have done her best. She turned slightly to look at her friend. "Not yet, though. For now I'm just happy to sit here and watch the ocean, and talk, and..." she paused and turned her head, something having caught her eye. "Hey, look at those people waterskiing" she said, changing the subject yet again as the small figure trailed behind a rapidly-moving boat.

Honoré laughed as Lijsbeth mentioned the Marseille over-90s swimming team. “Not sure they're staying at the hotel but there are sometimes these rich old people who are little fun,” he explained. “They act as though the whole world was theirs because they have the money and are old. Students, in their opinion, do not belong in the hotel as they deem us loud and I don't know… rude? I'm not sure what their problem really is.” He shrugged, thinking that Lijsbeth's comment had sounded fun while he was killing the happy mood with his darker thoughts on the elderly people.

“I'll make sure we have the pool to ourselves anyway,” he promised although he wasn't quite sure how he'd achieve that. If his parents found out that he deprived guests that left half a fortune at the hotel of their right to use the pool that evening he'd be in trouble for sure. He tried to tell himself that it was worth it, though, if he could thus make it a perfect evening for Lijsbeth and her siblings.

Honoré smiled as his friend told him that no matter if she put her mind to singing or not she would not be able to give a performance anyone would want to hear. “That's a bit sad, though,” he offered, trying to hide his disappointment. His singing voice wasn't anything special but at least he did not make people run away when he sang. “I'd still like to hear you sing,” he offered, but wasn't sure if that was really a good idea. In fact, he would have loved to play Lijsbeth one of his own compositions but if she wasn't into making music herself it might be a little awkward.

The boy laughed out loud as Lijsbeth dramatically exclaimed that she was starved for excitement. “Well, I'm sure we'll find some more excitement for you,” he said, already trying to think of something special he could offer when she said that for now she was happy to sit there, watch the scenery and chat.

Her attention was caught by the waterskiing people and Honoré grinned. “Have you ever tried that yourself?” he asked curiously. “We could do that. Should be exciting enough for you, right?” he teased. He knew that there were offers at the beach where tourists could pay and more or less immediately try things like that out. He was happy to spend all his pocket money on it if his friend actually wanted to try waterskiing.

"I know the kind of people you mean" Lijsbeth said quietly, her mind briefly far away "There are four or five old ladies like that at home. They seem to think that kids shouldn't be allowed outside unless we're being watched by a parent at all times..." Actually, she hadn't seen them for a couple of years now, but remembered all too well how they sat outside the cafe in the village centre, glaring at anyone under the age of twenty who dared speak above a whisper and smoking the most disgusting cigarettes. It had put all the Wstbroek siblings off the idea of smoking for life, but Lijsbeth wasn't consciously aware of this. She just remembered how uncomfortable she felt under the steely gaze of the witches-who-clearly-weren't-grandmothers.

But! They were going to have the pool to themselves later! That was going to be great - though Lijsbeth wondered if she should mention that their mother liked to swim as well. While she obviously wanted her to have a good time as well, the siblings would be a lot more relaxed if they didn't feel like they were being observed...and suddenly, Lijsbeth's mind went back to something Honoré had said earlier. "Um...you know you mentioned you could arrange for my mother to have a spa treatment or a massage? Do you think we could fix that for tonight? You know, so she doesn't feel left out while we're all swimming..." she didn't quite manage to hide the conspiratorial grin that crept unbidden across her face.

Even her friend's persistence in wanting to hear her sing didn't dampen her spirits now. "Okay, I'll sing for you" she promised "Tomorrow, though. And you have to promise not to laugh. And we have to be somewhere nobody else is listening...and you have to buy me another ice cream!" that last part was cheeky, flirtatious even, and she knew it, her cheeks colouring as she finished the sentence a little too quickly. It would be embarrassing, and she doubted she'd get through much more than a single verse, but maybe if they came and sat out here, it wouldn't be too bad. At least Honoré would be happy to just sit and talk afterwards.

She sat back against the rock, but only for a moment. She had only commented on the waterskier because it had caught her attention, but she had to admit, it did look fun. It was a hot, sunny day and out there...it would be cool, and the seaspray would feel refreshing, and it would be a view you wouldn't get any other way. At the same time, her heart began pounding faster because she had no idea how to do it, and she was a bit afraid of falling off and making a fool of herself. But it wasn't as if Honoré would be able to organise that, she reminded herself innocently. "It looks amazing, I'd love to try! I've tried a lot of sports, but mostly ones that involve running or flying, and nothing like that...it must be great" she answered, sounding enthusiastic but assuming nothing would come of the conversation. They'd all but agreed to sit here and relax for a bit, right?

Nodding slightly, Honoré thought that the people he was thinking of would not even want to see kids at the pool even if there was a parent watching. However, there was no need to say so. Lijsbeth understood what he had meant anyway. There were these kinds of adults that did not approve of kids per default. It did not matter if they behaved well or not. They would not accept them either way.

“Oh, of course,” Honoré said, trying to sound quite confident when he was really slightly worried that he was making too many promises that would be hard to keep. Well, he could rely on some of the hotel employees to be on his side. However, none of them would risk their job for some favour he’d ask. He’d have to treat carefully so that the staff members would think it was totally acceptable to help him and that his parents would never hear about it.

“I’ll make an appointment for her as soon as we’re back at the hotel,” he said, going through the employees that he knew had a shift tonight in his head and wondering who’d be his safest option to approach.

“I promise,” the boy said and looked at Lijsbeth. He really meant it. He would not laugh. He knew he had enough self control to keep himself from laughing even if Lijsbeth was a terrible singer. Besides, was there a reason to laugh at all when someone couldn’t sing? If anything it was sad. “As a reward I’ll buy you as much ice cream as you can eat.” He grinned at her now, thinking that they’d have ice cream either way and lots of it.

“Right!” Honoré slid off the rock and held out his hand for Lijsbeth to take. “I’m glad you agreed. It’s great fun. I have tried it a couple of times as a former hotel employee is working for that company over there,” he gestured towards the beach. “He’ll probably make it possible that we can waterski right now. Now come on, their boat is already returning to the beach. Maybe, if we hurry, we can be the next ones to have a go.”

[out]

Oblivious to her friend's concerns, Lijsbeth relaxed and continued to watch the boats. There was a group of kids a few years younger than them playing in the water, diving under the surface and grabbing each other. They were far enough away that their shrieks of excitement were muted by distance. Maybe tomorrow she would suggest everyone go swimming in the sea. The pool sounded amazing, but she wanted a tan to show off back at school and they were only here for a few days after all.

Besides, if she came up with enough interesting activities, she might not have to embarrass herself by trying to sing. Really, she wasn't at all self-conscious joining in when something came on the radio, but singing because someone asked her to? Honoré really didn't know what he was letting himself in for. The offer of more ice cream was enough to convince her, though she made a mental note to get up early and go for a run before breakfast in the morning. Actually she should probably skip breakfast if she was going to be dining on ice cream again...

"You've got a deal" was what she said though, laughing and leaning her head back to watch the few white, fluffy clouds in an otherwise clear blue sky drift by. She had just settled herself into a more comfortable position when...what? Lijsbeth sat upright, a quizzical grin on her face.

"Today? Now?" she asked, her heart beginning to beat faster with anticipation "are you sure..." then she stopped speaking and held out her hand as she carefully got off the private rocks, not wanting to slip and make a fool of herself. Not that it would matter if she would be getting wet soon enough. "Okay! This is amazing, I'm so glad we came...oh, but if you're paying for this, I'm buying the ice cream tomorrow, no arguments!"

[out]