Ineffable Serendipity [Tess]

Posts : 33 Join date : 2017-10-20

"Beauty?" he repeated, amusement in his tone. "Yes, she had that; but is beauty all there is to marriage?" If he picked his partner solely on how they looked, he would've been married a long time ago. But Jesse had, by some stroke of luck, realised early on that physical and even sexual attraction was the least of his worries. What he needed was someone who he could be proud to introduce as his wife. Love as another matter; he did not kid himself to believe, even for a moment, that he would find what some called 'true love'. Care, fondness, these were attainable. Love was not. Not for him, in any case. It wasn't his duty to love; it was his duty to preserve his family line. "I date," he added a moment later, "With the intent of marriage. Old fashioned, I suppose, but..." He smiled again. "It's a family tradition. And beauty alone would make an awful wife."

He followed her gaze to the cliff, raising another eyebrow as he saw Delia up there. His suspicions were confirmed in that moment, and he shook his head once. "Well, I suppose there's not much we can do now, is there?" he asked, humour in his tone. "Unless you're able to climb up the cliff face without assistance; or did you not think how you would get out of the water?"

Jesse could see, almost at once, that the idea of corals had piqued her interest. "Pink ones," he added, a moment later. "The ones we're famous for. It's a ten or so minute walk, back the way you came and through a path that only locals know. Delia can come with us, if she wants." He hesitated at the mention of popping up. Were there pop-up books of corals? He knew what they were, of course. But it seemed an odd thing to have, especailly for one her age; weren't those books for children? "Pop up," he said, popping the first word. "I see. That sounds... interesting. I have yet to see a book that does that."

This comment, however, made him falter entirely. "Have you never been to an ocean before?" he asked, judgement out of his tone. A very light frown creased his eyebrows. That couldn't be true; she'd mentioned currents. "Snorkeling is what you do with a mask and a snorkle," he added a moment later; maybe she was just really sheltered. "A snorkle is like a tube, so you can breathe. If you've never done it before, it's a great way to see the corals clearly, without needing to keep coming up for air."

Posts : 41 Join date : 2017-10-04

Tess' drowned deepened. "For Merlin's sake of course a person's value lies deeper than skin deep. Your twisting my words, for I was not the one on the date. I was the one trying to salvage it." She did not comment on the mention of dating for marriage for it hit too close to home for her.

In pureblood society you met, then an hour later for all you know you could have gotten engaged. It was a scary thing and for her the biggest fear after disappointment. Love would never come that was a given, but the least you could request was respect.

His teasing about Delia made her a slight bit annoyed. Turning over to look up she murmured "I could definitely get up without assistance, don't you worry about me" She murmured something that sounded like "hex her" under her breath.

It was obvious now by his tone that he was not fond of whatever she mentioned about snorkeling. At his mention of ever being in the ocean she nodded. Still, as he dumbed it down she knew she would use the one thing she knew:

"Apologies, snorkeling, I-in France it's something totally different" she looked embarrassed. "That's all, but yes, I've been in the ocean multiple times and I would like that yes."

And she really did. Even if it meant spending the rest of the day with a muggle, so long as she saw the coral and maybe snuck into the grotto she would mark that off of her list. Tess knew she was doing wrong by hanging out with a boy unsupervised, but she'd done worse things right? Her mind reminded her of when she made out with a waiter to spite her family. 'Not the time, not the place, and you know better' her mind reprimanded her.

Posts : 33 Join date : 2017-10-20

"For Merlin's sake of course a person's value lies deeper than skin deep."

His breath momentarily caught, and he pretended that it was one of the waves that were constantly pushing and pulling him. Was she a...? Was there a chance that his instincts had been right? They usually were, of course, but Jesse was not someone who followed them from the get go. Instincts could be wrong, and impulses were not always right. There was nothing smart about blindly following your gut, although there was nothing smart about ignoring them altogether, either. So far, he'd not heard a single muggle use that phrase, but he didn't want to get it wrong and have to obliviate someone, either. "Merlin's sake? That's an odd little phrase; wherever did you learn that?" he commented, his tone taking on a mild dryness, hinting that he knew the exact answer to his question.

"You said she was beautiful; I did not disagree. She was -- is. However, I had spoken with her for the past hour, and her mind was not sharp. She is a product of her society, with thoughts and opinions the same as every other female I've met from her... our ... world," he replied. There was no point hiding this; he was not ashamed of wanting different than most would. "If I married her, it would have been for her beauty alone; Merlin knows she did not have much more to offer, other than the traits of a wife I am told to desire after." The slight emphasis he put on merlin would, hopefully, show her that -- if she were a witch -- he was of her world, too. If not, she would merely think he was teasing her.

"Oh?" he inquired, his mind taking him back to his French lessons in Beauxbatons. He could speak it, no doubt, but was there anything in France that could be called 'snorkelling'? Not in the times he'd been there, and definitely not in French. "What is it in France?" he asked, genuinely curious. She was either lying or not. His question would soon prove which, and, in the case it was the truth, he would learn something new. There was never an end to learning, not that Jesse minded. It kept him from becoming idle.

"I think you will like snorkelling, if you like the ocean. There are better ways to see it, of course, but snorkelling is fun. You get to wear fins that almost make you like a mermaid."

Posts : 41 Join date : 2017-10-04

"Merlin's sake? That's an odd little phrase; wherever did you learn that?"

Her lips parted and she looked a bit wide-eyed. 'Fuck' she thought. What if she hexed him, would what even work? No she wasn't allowed to do that. The real and most painful part of this was that she was a terrible liar. Delia always made fun of for stumbling over her words. Would running be bad? Well...she wasn't in a house meant for the brave.

But as he continued to talk about the poor girl, he made it explicit that this was a serious thing, an idea of a date did not exist in his mindset. And she wondered if that's how all muggles were, that is until he siad "If I married her, it would have been for her beauty alone; Merlin knows she did not have much more to offer, other than the traits of a wife I am told to desire after."

Genuine surprise rose within her at him repeating it. The teasing was clear but the searching look in his eyes made her realize that he too was a wizard. Relief flashed within her and she felt her shoulders finally relax a bit. Slowly her cheeks reddened a bit more wondering how long he knew she was a witch, and if he knew for a while was he simply teasing her. Did Delia know?

But when all was said and done it was obvious that she wasn't a muggle, and she was actually just an ignorant witch on anything that slightly had a connection to the muggle world. And worse off, if she was perfectly honest, there was no word in her French vocabulary for something such as a snorkeing mask.

"You...you mean the bubble charm" she eyes brightened a bit curious as to what he would say. "Or gillyweed?" she swam closer to him to judge his reaction and more importantly to keep her voice down. "Unless..snorkeling is your desired method. What would you want?"

Posts : 33 Join date : 2017-10-20

The look on her face confirmed it for him. There would have been no fear, no near-panic, if she'd merely been repeating a phrase she'd heard, only explanation or a shrug. His smile twitched bigger, and he ran his hand through his wet hair, pushing it back. This was an interesting development, and he ran through everything that had happened so far. From the way she spoke about beauty and didn't question him talking about society or marriage, it seemed that... But surely not? That was the bit that confused him. If she were, indeed, a Pureblood, it would explain the uncertainty about muggle terms, but why would a Pureblood be there, alone, without someone following after?

And for her to not have left the moment he joined her in the water was, well, another intriguing point. He supposed the other girl -- Delia -- was a halfblood or muggleborn; she seemed to be more relaxed in general about things, and the language that came from her mouth was definitely not something a Pureblood family would condone. It was Tess that made him think the most.

He supposed she could have been from a sheltered halfblood family, one that never ventured to the muggle world, but the way she spoke didn't suggest that. She was eloquent and fluent, speaking as though trained in the art of, well, talking to people. It was a Pureblood trait, that much he knew.

At his comment, she relaxed, and he let out a laugh. "Well well," he commented, dryly. "I suppose we both thought we were dealing with muggles. We magical folk should really have a way to reveal ourselves to others. A code word, for example." He was outright teasing, now, eyes glittering in humour and posture relaxed. He needn't be so careful with his words. "Although I suppose that might not be necessary soon," he added. Politics was in his blood, and while they were trying to stay out of it as much they could, it wasn't an easy task. Breaking the statue of secrecy would be a devastating change to the Pureblood world -- to the wizarding world at a whole -- and Jesse wasn't sure he liked the idea.

Her comment made him laugh again. "Yes, that, too, although I was refering to the muggle sport of scuba diving. I have no idea how to describe it, for I have never partaken in it myself, but it's a sight to behold. Perhaps we may make a detour after, and I can show you the sights." He paused, considering something for a moment, and then flashed her a deep smile. "If -- that is, since -- you are a witch, I suppose I could take you to a better spot. It's too rough for snorkelling; however, a few simple charms and that won't be an issue. The corals are practically untouched there, and visited by nobody but a select few; it's located on private property. My family helps to guard the corals used by our wandmakers, but it won't be an issue to bring two guests to view it."

Posts : 41 Join date : 2017-10-04

"I suppose we both thought we were dealing with muggles. We magical folk should really have a way to reveal ourselves to others. A code word, for example."

And for the first time since meeting him - Tess laughed. A genuine happy laugh where her eyes glittered in amusement. She didn't expect to meet a wizard where Delia promised her a muggle time. She briefly wondered if he was a muggleborn, as he was very comfortable with muggle lingo. Still...it was nice.

"Although I suppose that might not be necessary soon,"

Ah yes, the statute. She shook her head at the thought. "Once that occurs, I will surely know nothing of this world, though I should not be talking about politics." her tone was a bit self-deprecating. Being a female meant your voice was nothing when it came to it. "But you can only move forward I suppose"

As he explained scuba diving, she grew even more confused. Did muggles not have figured out something like gillyweed. Looking up she realized Delia was no longer looking down. Did she want to be alone with a boy? She had done that before, with Jacques at the stores, nothing too dangerous. But here no one knew her...she didn't even know him.

"Where are my manners" she laughed softly and moved her hair back to face him properly. "I should know the name of the young man who is offering a trip to the coral reefs." Swimming forward she stretched her hand to properly greet him. No matter what his blood status was, she could not push away her normal behavior. "My name is Tess and you are?"

Posts : 33 Join date : 2017-10-20

His smile froze a little at her comment, although he kept it in place and didn’t let it drop; unless one was looking for it, there wouldn’t have been any noticeable changes from when it had been real. “The world is a confusing place; I strive, rather, to know a few places very well rather than a little of everything, which comes to nothing,” he said, letting his guard down a little more now knowing she was a witch. It was harder to explain things like that to a muggle; they didn’t always seem to grasp politics outside their own country. It wasn’t that that had made him pause though, but rather her second statement. That was a very Pureblood ideology, one that he wasn’t sure he agreed with entirely. Perhaps not out in the open just yet, but Jesse saw nothing wrong with women having an opinion, and being able to partake in discussions — at least, behind closed doors. The last thing he wanted was a mundane wife who couldn’t hold her own.

And pray tell why ever not? he wanted to ask, the question on the tip of his tongue. But he bit it back in case she was a Pureblood. He had, after all, an image to maintain — one of tradition and pride. He may have been looking for slightly different in his choice of a wife, but that did not mean he was vocal about it. No, Jesse was far too smart for that.

Instead, he fixed his smile into a more natural one. “Moving forward; isn’t that what they say this is? A new era where muggles and wizarding folk come alongside each other?” He let out a very soft, dry chuckle. “They forget history is doomed to repeat itself, if the same erroneous ways are dug up and followed. I do not think muggles will take well to the news — not all of them.” Talking politics like that with a female was, admittedly, somewhat of a slight risk. If she didn’t understand, it was fine. If she did, and went back and reported his thoughts, it would be another thing altogether. Still, he hadn’t said anything he wouldn’t at any of the balls he attended. The only difference was the audience. And besides, he could always lie about it later, if it came to it.

The question of manners seemed to solidify, in his mind, that she was a Pureblood. He took her hand, raising it and pressing it to his lips, holding it there for a count of two quick beats, as trained, before releasing it. Whether done in other countries, Jesse wasn’t sure, but the Valentino family had some rather old fashioned ways, at times; this was one of them. “Jesse,” he replied. “Lovely to meet you, Tess.” He notes the lack of last name, which made him doubt his initial certainty of status. Most Purebloods, whether a casual setting or not, offered their last name in introduction. It was a way, perhaps, of subtly letting the other know of their status.

With one corner of his mouth twitching into a smile as he noted that he himself hadn’t done this, he once again settled into uncertainty of her blood purity. It didn’t fully matter to him — he’d be friends with her whether muggleborn, Pureblood, or even ‘tainted’ like a werewolf — but he was curious nevertheless. “Have you ever apparated directly from water?” he inquired, glancing towards the cliff where Delia had been moments ago. “It’s the quickest way up, unless you’d rather attempt to scale the cliff itself.”

Posts : 41 Join date : 2017-10-04

Tess was admittedly nervous about the fact that she was voicing her opinions on the politics themselves. She was never meant to know more than necessary, and yet her brother...he would write her owls of the proceedings and she would try to make due with what little he could give her. She did not want the statute to be removed; she could only imagine how power hungry and vicious people would get from both sides. The thought of being overtaken by muggles, she shivered at the thought.

His words, while a bit vague were comforting and she found herself smiling softly. "I too share that same ideology. This is the first time I've been allowed to be away without a lady by my side." she looked a bit mischievous when she couldn't help but add "as you can see Cor is no lady. But...one day, if I could ever be given permission, I'd like to visit all the oceans, rivers and all quaint lagoons in the world. I'd think that'd be grand." Her smile softened to a wistful one. If only she'd be born a muggleborn or halfblood, at least then she'd have no one undermine her opinions, but she knew very well her husband would mandate where she went one day and the closer to eighteen the fear of her fate was becoming realer.

When his humor was clear regarding the statute, she took his comment as a sarcastic one. There would be no peace. "Even at my age, I know that many families, my own included, will be seeking out more power. There is never enough land, never enough dominion in this world to soothe souls. I only can imagine muggles are the same way."

It was scandalous the way she was speaking so freely about politics, but it seemed natural to do so. She was on vacation admittedly alone and without supervision, she jumped off a cliff without anyone worrying, and now she spoke with a wizard who had no shame in his ideologies. 'Halfblood' she decided. A pureblood male would have treated her more of a porcelain doll, to delicate for such commentary.

But as he took her hand and kissed it, she made eye contact with the new acquaintance. Jesse her mind mulled over the name wondering if she knew any pureblood family. No halfblood would have known, to do that would they? Still, a genuine pleasure rose to her face as she reiterated his name. "Jesse...it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. You're the first wizard that I've met in the island, unless the others also allowed me to make a fool out of myself."

“Have you ever apparated directly from water?” he inquired, glancing towards the cliff where Delia had been moments ago. “It’s the quickest way up, unless you’d rather attempt to scale the cliff itself.”

She shook her head. "Not really no. I've recently received my permission to do so, and I've never apparated if not from one land mass to another" she admitted a bit embarrassed. She'd rather be honest that spliced she supposed. "And as for climbing? As you can see" she paused to signal herself, "I'm not made to make such a climb"

Posts : 33 Join date : 2017-10-20

Pureblood, he confirmed, mentally. No other wizarding family would have a lady for a female, and the way she was speaking proved this. He let out a chuckle at the mention of her friend, and then hid a frown as she went on about permission. That was one aspect of the whole Pureblood marriage thing Jesse had never been certain of. Perhaps it was because he was raised with two older sisters, but Jesse had always wanted his wife -- and other Pureblood women -- to be able to have their own opinions, wants, and desires without their husband controlling them. Of course, that didn't mean they did whatever they want and taint the family name, of course, but he saw nothing wrong with allowing his wife to travel, should she wish, so long as it didn't clash with any meetings or balls they might have. In fact, he'd probably be the first to suggest going on a vacation; he'd love to show his wife the world.

"Start in the Maldives," he said, instead of anything he'd thought. He was, after all, with a Pureblood female. "They have sand that glitters at night, and water that glows-in-the-dark. Even I found beauty in it." He gave her a half-smile, showing he was teasing himself, in a way. "If you're not afraid, head to the Philippines next; they have a lake full of non-stinging jellyfish you can swim in. Unimaginative in name, but Jellyfish Lake in Palau is one of my personal highlights of last year."

Smiling at her comment, Jesse nodded once. "With power comes status, and status is everything," he said, simply. There was no need to tell her about his family or what they owned; he was not in a power struggle, not trying to win over affections or business deals. He was making a friend, and boasting wasn't always helpful in those situations. He did not think it would work with Tess, in any case. Delia, perhaps, but Tess seemed far more of a lady. "I would not know about muggles. I only know enough to blend in, should I need to visit their world. It's helpful for my father's business, and I am set to take over once he retires." This much was true. What he did not bother to add was that said business was the Ministry of Magic in Italy.

He let out a chuckle. "There are many wizards on this island that mingle often with the muggles; we are a large community on a small island. Believe me, you would not, by far and large, be the weirdest muggle we've seen." He smiled, warmly, to show he wasn't making fun of her. "The island of Capri welcomes you. Wizard or not, we hope you find what you're looking for in our waters and on our streets." It was something he heard at the tourist centre once, and had taken a loking to it. It sounded almost presumtous, but in an endearing manner, and it had just amused him greatly. He now used it as often as he could.

Nodding at her information, he smiled again, lifting his elbow towards her. "If you do not mind, I can," he offered, as always making sure to keep boundaries. "I promise not to splinch either of us," he added, this time an obvious tease to his tone.

Posts : 41 Join date : 2017-10-04

As Jesse took his time to talk about the places he visited...her heart pattered like crazy. Not so much because of him, but of what he saw. In this moment she was jealous of not being born male. She did not need to the an heir, or anything at all, but to simply have the freedom to explore. A sigh of wistfulness emitted from her lips. In her craziest of fantasies she would throw away all she knew for the lure of adventure. And as she paddled through the water and taking the rest in, she realized she was getting just a glimmer of hope that she could possibly try.

"Maldives" she breathed out. "Sounds lovely, perhaps I can sneak out once more" she said it so nonchalantly. She wasn't risky, or spontaneous but she felt like it around Delia. She could too take chances. "There are so many beautiful things to explore." A bit of insecurity rose within her. "Please note I don't usually do this kind of things. I...I know I shouldn't And while I assume you too are of my statute, please tell no one. If my father found out his only daughter had lied about her location...." she shivered.

It seemed silly. But she had assumed that he instantly knew who she was. In Britain, her face was well known due to her brother and father; pureblood families knew they were looking for a good family in that particular region. In France, specifically Paris and Luxembourg her grand-mere made it clear that her daughter was the jewel of their world. And while Italy had been often times seen out of the picture, she assumed names carried.

As he spoke about the muggles and their world she nodded curious as to why he knew so much if he was a pureblood. To be fair, Delia knew a lot and she was a little odd herself so it was perhaps normal for other families that weren't hers. But she had emitted enough politics for one day, her biggest curiosity came in the form of the coral. And his words did comfort her; he welcomed them multiple times since their meeting and she liked the idea of them simply finding another home.

"I do enjoy the island. It's a heat I am not yet used to" she dived a little to wet her skin and cool off. "-but I do enjoy it. People are very kind around these parts, and whether it be business or genuine commentary, it makes you feel like home." And it did. From handsome Giorgio, to his mother, to the street vendors.

And as the idea of apparating alone with a boy wasn't enough of a risk, the way her body automatically swam to take his arm without thinking, should have been enough of a red flag. "I trust you" Her tone was not joking but rather genuine. Never had she met someone, other than friends her age, that did not treat her like a child but an equal. She liked that.

Posts : 33 Join date : 2017-10-20

He did not for a moment miss the sigh that came from her, and for just a moment he felt a tinge of guilt. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be forced to stay in one place or not be allowed to travel. Even his twin had that freedom, although by no means was she free to do whatever she liked. There was, he thought, a fair amount of rules; enough to limit them from tainting themselves or the family name, but not so many as to restrict them from having some fun. Jesse knew he wanted the same for his wife, and his children, when the time came. All he had to do was find someone.

It was somewhat of a sore point, truth be told. He knew he wasn't getting any younger -- as cliche as that sounded -- and with each female he rejected the number of those eligible only grew smaller. One day, he'd receive the news that they were none left for him to see, and he'd be forced to pick one from those he'd alraedy met. The thought made him shudder slightly, although he hid it well. Out of all those he'd met, none had come even close to what he wanted.

The idea of sneaking out make him chuckle lightly. His sister had done it before -- not his older one, but Aria. She seemed to be the most rebellious of the three, although that word was rather strong. She never disobeyed, not truly. Middle child syndrome, some might have said. "There are," he said, nodding once as she continued. "Tell anyone what? All I know is that I went for a swim after my date failed, and met two muggle tourists who wanted to know more about the island. In fact, I'm not even sure I remember their names." He offered her a tiny wink. "You have my word." Whether Tess knew it or not, this was probably one of the highest acts Jesse could've done. He hardly gave his word for anything unless he absolutely meant it. This, however, was one such case.

The comment of the heat brought another laugh. "I was in the mountains of Tibet before I arrived not three hours ago. The heat as you mention it, is beyond what I recall it to be." Leaning back in the water a little, he sent a playful splash towards her. "But the ocean is the best way to cool off, aside from the gelato. You cannot come to Capri and not try our gelato. In fact, I must insist that you do not leave until you've had at least one scoop of each flavour." His grin indicated his teasing, but his tone and eyes were serious, sending mixed signals. Tess could take away from it what she wanted. "I'm glad," he added, a moment later. "Capri is home. We like to say it's the home you never knew you had."

He blinked once at her simple three-word statement, and then smiled. Somehow, he knew that, coming from her, it was a big thing to say. Instead of commenting and making it awkward, though, he merely nodded, concentrated, and in a moment they were whisked through the air, landing at the top of the cliff they'd jumped off moments before. How long had it been? A few minutes? An hour? Jesse realised with a start that he didn't know; he'd enjoyed himself too much to keep track of the time. Glancing around, he noted with a light frown that Delia had gone. Instead, on a pile of their clothes, was a note. Letting go of Tess' hand once he saw she was balanced, he moved over to read it.

Had somewhere to be. You two enjoy yourselves. See you back at our villa, Tess!

<3,
Delia
xoxo

"Well," he said, turning to Tess, a nasty suspicion that Delia had done that on purpose pushed aside for the timebeing. "I suppose it's just us. Are you comfortable with that? I don't wish to impose."

Posts : 41 Join date : 2017-10-04

When Jesse agreed to cover for her, she let out a genuine grin. It was rare to find someone to be on the side of a female pureblood for the simple fact that if they were out by themselves they would automatically be assumed as tainted. Her father had made her promise that she would be with 'Cordelia' at all times and she would by no means leave Rome. She knew that it meant there were perhaps people following them. In turn her brother promised her that there would be few following, but if something or someone were to come too close they would immediately take her back.

So she took the idea of her birthday trip as her perfect moment to properly live. Seventeen was the first stage of her life where she was a real adult and did 'adult' things like drink, think about boys but not touch. It was one thing to see another to touch. Still as he spoke about covering for her and the story she laughed.

" Well, this muggle is very thankful for the save. Even if she didn't need it" she singled the current that had been very kind to her. She knew that it was luck that she was okay. Despite her strong swimming legs, she could never assume perfect safety.

So as he took by her hand, she closed her eyes tightly; she hated the the tug in her stomach no matter how many times she had done it. When she had gotten her apparition license it meant nothing considering she used portkey all the time. But the slight tug and the waving, made her grip onto him tightly until the feel of grass touched her toes.

Bending down to grab her things, she paused as Delia wasn't there. She had assumed that the girl had disappeared to tease her, but would still hang around. The letter atop of her clothes made her frown. Just what was that witch up to? She got on her tippy toes to read atop of Jesse's shoulder.

"I suppose it's just us. Are you comfortable with that? I don't wish to impose."

"I don't mind too much...after all I'm just a muggle" she smiled coyly before beginning to put her clothes on. As gracefully as possible she slipped her overalls over her bathing suit, not really bothering to use a drying charm. She assumed the cooling would help with this heat. She also knew her hair would curl already, and she let it air dry. There was no need for all of this. When she finished with her shoes she turned over to look at him.

"I'm severely underdressed" she laughed realizing how odd they looked.

» Tess Holmes
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