Is a smile his response to everything? Amelia’s mind immediately questioned as Elijah’s blindingly bright grin spread across his face. Even in the low light of the candles, his pearly whites flashed at Amelia. At least it seemed she had been successful in making a joke, because he hadn’t gotten angry with her or stared blankly at her. As these were the typical responses to her “joking” – which, to tell the truth, was usually sarcasm in disguise – Amelia decided to consider this one a win. As usual, she couldn’t explain Elijah’s response nor the thoughts behind them – Seriously, legilimens is looking better and better every bloody day – but she didn’t mind the smile that they provoked.
Elijah’s sidestepping of her question impressed Amelia, thinking this was a talent she alone had mastered to such perfection. His answer was accompanied by a smile, a perfect distraction considering Amelia’s attention seemed always diverted by his displays of emotion, and he provided just enough of an acknowledgement to the subject before tacking on something else meant to get the inquirer thinking along another vein so as not to realize that the actual answer remained unclear.
Bravo, Amelia thought, raising her eyebrows at Elijah in genuine surprise. Usually, when she asked a question of someone, it was disguised in such a way as to be non-chalant, instead of the quest for information that it really was. Either Elijah had recognized her prod for something more about him, or he had some of the same permanent guards in place that she did.
Having recognized his diversion for what it was, Amelia allowed her mind to wander in the direction he had indicated. She was not surprised that Elijah’s past was less quaint than was usual, for everything she had heard about him indicated as much. His aversion to Veritaserum she could understand, though she was not sure it was for the same reasons. Of course, Amelia feared the truth serum because she never exposed herself so thoroughly as to allow anyone complete disclosure to her secrets. She protected her thoughts and emotions, which would certainly come out in the wash if the right questions were asked of her under the power of Veritaserum. But when it came to her past, there wasn’t much to hide; on the whole, Amelia had lived an unexciting life. She did was she was told, spoke when it was required of her, and allowed her parents to live vicariously through her. These things did not exactly add up to skeletons in the closet.
In fact, many others would likely be worse off than she if the truth serum were ever forced on Amelia. While she did not hold many secrets of her own – at least none of the incriminating kind – she knew much about those around her. A quiet, but observant girl with a knack for remaining unnoticed tended to gain a lot of valuable information that would never have been disclosed directly to her, but was often whispered when people did not check behind them for a set of grey eyes, which were watching and taking in all that was happening. Truly, if Veritaserum ever threatened Amelia, it would be in nearly everyone’s benefit to prevent it from reaching her lips.
Amelia had once again disappeared into her own world, but Elijah’s voice was the summons it always was and brought her back to the present. His words were ominous, but they had a ring of truth to them. There was little point looking for trouble nowadays, seeing as trouble seemed to find just about everyone all on its own. Although the wealth and renown of her parents had shielded Amelia from much of the darkness Elijah spoke of, but all the galleons in Gringotts couldn’t overcome the will of the world. Things were changing, and although Amelia knew there was still much to come, she knew that anyone who thought the wizarding world was still what it used to be was either living under a rock or a very strong delusion.
“Everyone confuses me greatly,” Amelia said, lightening her tone to match Elijah’s smile, his change of subject jarring but acceptable because Amelia didn’t want to dwell on the gloom any more than he did. She was being honest, too. For all she knew about people, the way she studied their interactions and motivations, without a working knowledge of emotions and their role in humanity, the puzzle Amelia was trying to solve was most of the time left unfinished, just a few critical pieces missing in an otherwise complete picture.
“People fear what they do not understand,” Amelia said quietly, holding her empty goblet between both hands, although she already knew it to be empty. Just something to look at instead of Elijah while she spoke, knowing that what she was saying was a step backward against his attempts to pull them out of the shadow of the impending upset that seemed to press from all sides. It was also a way to keep Elijah from seeing in her eyes the truth that the words held for her personally, instead of the more general interpretation she hoped and anticipated he would make.
“When someone points a wand at your head, you know exactly what you’re up against,” Amelia continued, her eyes still focused on her fingertips, though she could tell Elijah was listening to her, “Things become a lot more of a threat when you don’t know what lies around the next corner, or what your options are.”
Like when a boy lays siege to the fortress you’ve been building for years, somehow scaling the walls and causing collateral damage to the ice and stone that has kept everyone else at bay. When you don’t know how to stop him because no one has ever bothered after the initial cold shoulder; you don’t know how to block his attacks. When that boy intoxicates your senses and makes you feel when all you really want to do is recede back into the safety of rationality and logic… except that isn’t all you really want. You want more than you’re allowed. You want more than you should. I want…
But even in her own mind, Amelia stopped herself from finishing that sentence. Because she was afraid of what the ending might mean.
by Mariana Diggory Mon Dec 28, 2009 1:06 am
