[May MP] La mer (Lijsbeth)

Honoré liked the idea of a Knowledge Tournament where he could prove himself. He had read up on various seemingly absurd topics, trying to prepare himself best he could. However, when the day of the Tournament came closer, he suddenly lost interest. He didn’t want to be among people all day. Didn’t want to have to listen to the undoubtedly stupid answers some of his peers would give.

At breakfast he approached Lijsbeth and asked her if she, too, wanted to go to the beach and when the girl agreed he was relieved. It was odd how he couldn’t stand 99 % of people but with Lijsbeth he always felt at ease. She didn’t judge him and she didn’t annoy him. She was his best friend. Sometimes he wondered if he had romantic feelings for her but the thought scared him a little. What if she didn’t like him that way and he’d spoil everything? He didn’t want to lose her as a friend.

When the time to go down to the beach came, Honoré was already waiting in front of the castle for his friend and smiled at the Bellefeuille student as she approached him. He was wearing cream coloured shorts over his trunks, a navy blue shirt and a pair of expensive trainers for the lack of an alternative. In one hand he held his guitar, in the other hand a bath towel.

“Salut,” he said, “glad you didn’t want to attend the Knowledge Tournament either.” He paused. “I actually thought I’d go but…” he shrugged, “then I didn’t really feel like spending the day with a crowd of people. I prefer just having a relaxed day at the beach with you.” He appreciated that Lijsbeth never tried to push him, never tried to change him although he had been rather gloomy and difficult so far this year. After his parents had died, Honoré had been even less sociable than before and had focused mostly on his music and his studies.

@Lijsbeth Westbroek

Three of Lijsbeth's friends were entering the knowledge tournament, but the sixth year had no intention of doing the same. It was bad enough knowing that she had to do exams and demonstrate what she'd learned in front of some stranger, but trying to recall spell facts and potions in front of an audience would surely be ten times worse. This was one occasion in which she was not going to display house pride but wanted to just slip away unnoticed.

Honoré had saved the day, asking if she wanted to go down to the beach instead. The Belle was so relieved she could actually have hugged him, but settled for a beaming smile and enthusiastic agreement. Now she had a legitimate reason for not attending the tournament, and if her friends assumed this was more than just meeting a friend...well, she might not discourage them from thinking that. She'd put on a light blue knee-length dress (not that dissimilar to her school uniform, but Lijsbeth was one of those fortunate people who actually suited it) with matching sandals, with her swimming costume underneath. She wasn't sure if they would be swimming but didn't want to go unprepared. Then she packed a small shoulder bag with a bottle of pumpkin juice, some suntan lotion and her towel which she'd charmed to fit into the bag, before stowing her wand in there as well.

At the last minute she tied her long hair back, and added a pair of sunglasses in the same style as the glasses she wore in lessons. Then, naturally she panicked a little and worried that she'd taken too long getting ready, so she ran down the stairs and through the corridors to arrive at the front of the castle, glad that she took part in so much sport that she wouldn't get out of breath from running.

"My friends wanted me to take part, but..." she shrugged too "it's really not my idea of fun I'm afraid. I was really glad when you suggested the beach" she said, and then felt her cheeks colour a little so took a few steps ahead in the direction of the beach before she managed to collect her thoughts. Then she turned back "Hey, you're bringing your guitar? Are you going to sing for me later?" she grinned, remembering the previous summer holiday and how much she'd enjoyed it. Hopefully Honoré wasn't going to try to persuade Lijsbeth to sing as well today!

“Yeah,” Honoré responded thoughtfully. “I guess I could have rocked that competition but…” he shrugged. “I just didn’t want to talk to many people today. Spending time with you seemed a lot more relaxing anyway.” He offered a small smile and looked at her some more.

“You look pretty,” he said, and, feeling how his cheeks reddened, looked away quickly. He didn’t like her because he thought she was pretty and he hoped that she was aware of that. He’d have liked her even if she was ugly and really fat. He appreciated that she wasn’t one of these thin girls that starved themselves just to look like what they thought was beautiful. She was a natural beauty in his opinion and part of this natural beauty clearly came from inside.

They were heading towards the beach now and Honoré shouldered his guitar just at the moment that Lijsbeth mentioned it. He grinned at her a little sheepishly. Was he intending to sing for her later? Well, he had considered it, had, therefore, chosen to bring his guitar but now that she asked him about it, he felt awkward. Was this really more a date than just two friends spending time together at the beach.

“Well, ugh… I…” he stammered, his cheeks turning an even brighter shade of red. “I don’t know yet,” he said evasively as they walked past some other students. “Would you… like it?” He glanced at her briefly, wondering why he suddenly felt so insecure when usually Lijsbeth just made him feel calmer.

“I have been working on a new ballad,” he said, not really giving her time to answer his earlier question. “It’s a sad song but if you’d like to listen to it…” His voice trailed off. He was only just starting to compose songs and write his own lyrics. It wasn’t all easy but it was his way to express his true feelings and, therefore, it was very personal. If he’d play this song for anyone it would be Lijsbeth. She wouldn’t judge him, after all. She’d understand the background of the song about loss and sorrow.

Lijsbeth smirked a little but turned her head away quickly. Actually, she was quite sure that Honoré would have placed at least in the top five of the contest, but the way he said it amused her. It seemed to her that boys were so often boasting about how capable they were that even a completely innocuous comment sounded that way. "Yeah, I know" was what she said though, and then, because his words made her stomach flutter she added "It would have been awkward anyway. I mean, I'd have been cheering for you and my housemates wouldn't have been impressed with that..!"

They walked a bit further, and then her stomach did a while somersault. "Thanks" she said, barely audible and unsure how to respond. Lijsbeth was fairly happy with how she looked, but she knew she didn't and never would resemble the girls she most admired, who looked like they ate a mint leaf for breakfast and had a portion of grilled air for their dinner. On the other hand, she did love puddings and ice cream, and she was as healthy as anyone. Thankfully the subject changed quickly so she didn't embarrass herself by telling her friend he looked good as well (he did) but rather they could talk about their plans for the day.

"I would, if..." she began, but then he spoke again and Lijsbeth fell silent. She nodded, but didn't say anything immediately. Something told her that nobody else had heard this song and that she was very fortunate to be on the receiving end of the offer. A sad song...was it about his family, then? Or something veiled but still dealing with the events of the past year? Despite having lost her own father and grieved deeply for several years, Lijsbeth still sometimes found it difficult to know what to say. They walked in silence for a short while.

"I'd love to hear it. It sounds like a very special song" she said in the end, glancing sideways and smiling "and of course, anything else you feel like playing. It would be a shame to disappoint your guitar by carrying it all this way and then not playing it..."

They rounded a corner of the path and came within sight of the sea. As always, Lijsbeth's heart gave a little leap and she felt like a small child again, wanting to run until she reached the shoreline and then paddle her toes immediately in the sea. She settled for a happy sigh as they got closer. A small group of younger girls were already playing in the waves, but apart from that the beach was deserted for the time being.

Not noticing Lijsbeth’s smirk, Honoré felt that his friend simply agreed with him that he’d have done a great job at the contest. He was doing so well in school this year. It was almost funny how obsessed he was with studying. He had read all of his textbooks from cover to bottom and had spent countless hours in the library, reading up on more things that had been either mentioned in class or that seemed interesting to him. It was a good distraction from his emotions to keep his mind busy.

“Yeah, I guess,” he said. “Your housemates wouldn’t have liked that. I think Solange Poulard would have been furious.” He grinned at the thought of the fifth year Bellefeuille girl who was very much into house rivalry and seemed to think that she was very clever.

He smiled as Lijsbeth thanked him for the compliment. He was tempted to add that he really, truly meant it but felt that this would be overkill and make the compliment rather less than more believable.

It took a while until Lijsbeth said that she’d like to hear the song and Honoré almost felt a little self-conscious about it already. However, his friend continued to speak and he offered a grateful smile at her next words.

“Yes,” he said quietly, “it was a special song, to me at least.” He looked away now, feeling how his smile faded as he thought about the song and, respectively, about his parents’ death. Lijsbeth said she was happy to listen to anything he’d like to play and the boy nodded. In the past he had even taken requests and accompanied whichever song his schoolmates wanted to hear (and sing), but these days there were just sad songs in his repertoire.

He took a deep breath as they reached the beach. He had always liked the scent of the sea and the fact that they could see the horizon here. It was so nice to be at the sea and quite inspiring.

"Please don't. She terrifies me!" Lijsbeth said, not entirely joking. While the girl was a year younger, there was no doubt that she was one of the most desperate to win the house cup, having even tried to offer Quidditch tips despite not playing the game herself. Lijsbeth wasn't about to mention that she had actually snuck out of the common room while one of her dormmates kept watch rather than risk encountering the competitive girl. By contrast, Lijsbeth had to be the most laid-back Quidditch captain ever, much preferring that her team had fun and enjoyed the game to forcing them into four practises a week and throwing a fit if they lost a match. as far as she was concerned, it was the taking part that was important, not winning.

Not that this philosophy extended to public displays of intellect, she thought as they walked. There were some things she would go to great lengths to avoid - thank goodness she hadn't needed to today. They were almost at the beach now and she felt nicely relaxed, not minding whether they swam or talked or just sat and looked out to sea. They had the whole day and she was happy just to spend some time with her friend.

At times it occurred to Lijsbeth that maybe they could be more than friends, but she did her best to ignore those thoughts. For a start, she was a year older than Honoré and it was quite likely she was reading too much into their friendship. Then there was the fact he was still grieving, and it would feel too much like she was taking advantage of that. And, of course, she wasn't sure of her own feelings - what if she were to say something and it ruined their friendship? It wouldn't be worth that. Then there was the fact that she was taking her owls in the next few weeks, and the last thing she needed was that sort of distraction...

So they were friends, and that would be enough. Lijsbeth took a deep breath in through her nose and wondered why some people claimed they couldn't smell the sea. "What did you want to do first?" she asked as they reached the edge of the beach. Then, without waiting for an answer, she leaned down and unfastened her shoes, stepping onto the same in bare feet. "Ohh, I feel better already" she exclaimed happily.

“Okay, okay, I won’t,” Honoré quickly said, surprised by Lijsbeth’s reaction. Okay, the other Bellefeuille girl was scary, there was no way of denying this. Her obsession with house rivalry was going way too far, people like her made Honoré wonder if the system was really a good idea, but it wasn’t his choice and he decided not to talk about this now. A discussion like that might be interesting but it would ruin the fun of a day at the beach.

Honoré shrugged indecisively as Lijsbeth asked him what he wanted to do first. He was happy to let Lijsbeth choose and so she did. Just an instant later she was standing with bare feet in the sand. He offered her a small smile at her happy exclamation and kicked his shoes off as well. Then he picked them up and nodded at an empty spot a few steps away.

“Shall we sit there? I have a towel we can sit on and if you want to go and swim you can do so and I’ll watch your things.”

He wouldn’t leave his guitar behind alone. So he figured they could either go into the water in turns or ask a trustworthy student to watch over their belongings, a prospect which he didn’t like very much.

“We could also get some ice cream later,” he offered, knowing that Lijsbeth loved ice cream, “it’s on me.”

Lijsbeth pushed her toes into the damp sand, then quickly bent down and picked up her shoes. They were summer ones and it wouldn't really matter if they got wet, but she didn't want to see them floating away on the waves - or to made a sudden undignified grab for them that would result in her tripping over and falling on her face. She could barely remember a time when she'd been shy and awkward around Honoré, but the sixth year was still somewhat uncoordinated on occasion.

Honoré mirrored her movements and now they were both barefoot in the sand. It was warm from the sun and deliciously cool at the same time, a paradox she never tired of. She followed happily as he pointed out a spot for them to sit and nodded her agreement, dragging her toes through the sand as she followed to the spot he'd mentioned. "I've got one too" she said, pulling it out of her back and restoring it to it's proper size with a quick shake. It was a spell she'd only recently perfected and she felt a small thrill of pride that she'd done it correctly. If only that was likely to come up in the exams, she thought...and them quickly banished the idea before she could start worrying about her future yet again. She'd resolved not to do that today.

Quickly she spread her own towel out on the sand. The spot Honoré had picked was currently bright and warm, but later on the shade from a couple of trees at the edge of the beach would dapple the sand and cast some shade. "Maybe later?" she said, though she did hope to swim at some point today. It wouldn't be as much fun if they weren't able to swim together though, and she cast a quick glance at his guitar. Then, because she didn't want her friend to think she regretted him bringing it along, she said "did you want to put the guitar on the towel too? So you don't get sand in it?" Lijsbeth didn't know much about instruments but it didn't seem like getting sand in a guitar could be a good thing.

"Later..? You mean I have to wait for my ice cream?" she asked, with a mock sad face. Once she might have been embarrassed about her sweet tooth but Honoré had previously seen her eat her way through practically a whole kiosk of flavours (and joined her with a good number of potions himself) and seemed to like her just the same. She giggled as she sat down, rummaging into her bag and pulling out the suntan lotion which she opened and poured a little into her hand to rub into her nose. "Did you need any of this?" she asked, holding out the bottle towards her friend.

Of course Lijsbeth had thought of a towel as well. Honoré smiled at her warmly as she enlarged her towel after she had taken it out of her bag. They both spread out their towels next to each other. Honoré tried his best not to get any sand on either of their towels and flattened his nicely before sitting down on it.

“Yes, that’s a good idea,” Honoré said, moving closer to Lijsbeth and putting the guitar on the towel at his other side. His guitar had already gone through a lot. He liked to take it with him everywhere and he felt certain that, at some point, it had got some sand inside, too. He looked at the wooden instrument fondly. Just like a person it had aged. It had some scratches that Honoré didn’t bother to restore because he somehow liked it as flawed as it was.

“If you prefer, I can hurry to get us ice cream right away,” Honoré teased. He knew that his friend loved ice cream and he quite liked it himself, too. They’d surely have some today - sooner or later.

“Oh,” he said as Lijsbth offered him her lotion. “Yes, thank you.” He used some of the suntan lotion on his face but, as he had poured too much into his hand, he frowned. “Do you still need more?” he asked. “I could… use it on your back if you like?” He felt how he blushed as putting the lotion on her back meant that she’d have to get out of her dress and would just sit here with her bathing suit or bikini or whatever swimwear she was wearing underneath.