When You Were Young

It was... odd; being back at Beauxbatons, in Palaisvue. So much was different. So very much was the same. At moments, she still felt like the stammering little girl who was afraid of everyone who crossed her path. Other times, Ondrea hardly knew who that little girl was...

She smelled him after he had entered the shop. He had a rather distinct smell - everyone did, though, strangely, he more than others. Ondrea frowned intently at the ink and quill set she was considering buying. It was more than she really ought to spend.

Still, he was there, even if she was choosing to ignore him, even though part of her didn't particularly care. Regardless, an entirely different part of her cared very much.

Merlin, Julian was bored. Ninette wouldn't talk to him (which he known was happening, but her absence only increased his paranoia about that surprise she'd promised) and every time he lingered around her in the hopes that just maybe she'd realize that she couldn't spend two weeks without him, he'd been under the impression (that knowing her was most likely true) that she wanted to kill him.

And seeing as as he had no idea where she was along with the rest of his Angels, the prefect had assumed that they'll all went shopping together. For that matter, he was having a serious problem with finding anyone he knew, whether he got along with them or not.

So, bored out of his mind, Julian had dragged himself out of his armchair and outside to walk the streets of Palaisvue. After minutes of mindless walking around, the blond found himself outside La Boutique de Molyneux. Shrugging, and with nothing better to do, he strode into the store.

Scanning the little shop with his blue eyes, he smirked slightly as they fell on someone he did recognize. At least she was company. "Montgomery," Julian greeted as he stepped towards her, pulling a quill off the shelf by her to examine, "Enjoying Beauxbatons again?"

Ondrea suppressed a sigh, turning medium-brown eyes upon the boy. "Rousseau," she responded. "I see you survived your birthday party. How did that turn out for you?

"Beauxbatons is the same as it has always been. New faces, of course, but sometimes I think I'm the only thing that has changed." Her gaze moved around the rest of the shop and back to him. "Where's your entourage? Finally grew tired of you, did they?" She knew they weren't there, of course. In a shop this small, she would have been able to pick out each one of their scents, easily.

Turning her gaze back to the quill and ink set, she ran a hand fondly over the decorative box, then selected a far more practical (and inexpensive) pack of standard quills and black ink. She moved farther down the aisle, browsing the merchandise.

"Surprisingly rather well." he shrugged slightly, "People can take a joke." Smiling, he shuddered slightly at the realization that he understood how Blanchard felt when he pulled off a prank.

"And what about you has changed?" Julian asked curiously, tilting his head slightly. Though he didn't really care, he was determined to continue this conversation with her. At least talking to her wasn't boring him to tears. Waving dismissively at the mention of his Angels, he rolled his eyes, "They do have lives without me. They're probably all out shopping."

Watching her move down the aisle, he tsked, leaning against the shelf, "You know, it's rude to walk away when someone's talking to you. What sort of manners have they been teaching you wherever it was you've been for two years?" Though he vaguely remembered her mentioning where she'd been, he couldn't put his finger on what it was exactly that she'd said.

Ondrea raised an eyebrow at him. "What about me has changed?" she repeated flatly. "Either you have a terrible memory, or you are trying to be nice. Personally, I'm leaning towards the first option.

"Y'know, most people talking to someone who is obviously shopping would walk along with them, rather than expecting their full and undivided attention." She paused before a display, admiring the items there.

"Other than the noticable lack of a stutter and the physical aging part, I mean." Julian rolled his eyes. Pausing, he pouted slightly, clasping a hand over his heart, "I'm a nice person. To select individuals, but still, very nice prefect here."

Twirling the quill around in his hand, he watched her for a moment before sighing and walking after her, "I'm not most people, Montgomery, you should know this by now." Grinning, he added, "I'm much better."

She simply smirked and gave a light shrug. There was no need for him to know what had happened to her. They'd never been friends. In fact, Ondrea wasn't entirely sure what the boy was playing at.

"Y'know, last I was officially aware, I wasn't on the list of 'select individuals'," she pointed out. "Honestly, Rousseau, why did you invite me to your party? I'll have you know that the only reason I attended was because my mother saw the invite and made me."

Ondrea turned to face him. "Ah, there's the familiar arrogance," the girl quipped. "I'd say I have missed it, but... that would be a lie."

"Oh Montgomery," Julian grinned, shaking his head, "I can't tell you. Where's the fun in that? Nope," he rubbed his hands together, "You shall have to find out all on yourself." Why wad it that he'd invited her again? Ah, right, to reintegrate her into Beauxbatons society. At least, officially that's why he'd done it. "Your mother has good taste then. Thanks for the present, by the way."

His eyes widening, he stared at her for a moment before huffing, "I'm not arrogant. I just so happen to be stating the truth."

"I have to find out by myself, huh? Hmm," Ondrea tilted her head thoughtfully. "Guess I'll never know, then, because I really don't care. You're welcome, by the way. What did my mum get for you, again?"

She laughed right in his face, then patted his cheek demeaningly. "Keep telling yourself that, Jully. Whatever helps you get your beauty sleep."

Raising both eyebrows, Julian shrugged, "You're loss then. But one day, you'll look back on this and you'll wonder 'why did Julian do that?' and one day, I won't be around to answer your questions. She got me cologne. That actually smelled nice. Because honestly, some people buy you cologne that smells like skunks and you wonder why they liked that." Brushing away an imaginary tear, he sighed, "It's so sad."

Rolling his eyes at her, he shook his head slightly, "One day you will see the light. And on that day, you will realize that everything I say is true."

"No. I really don't think I will," she said. "I'm sure you had some sort of ulterior motive - maybe you just needed one more girl to fawn over you when you drugged them all with love potion, though," Ondrea laughed, "I assure you, if I had drank the punch, it wouldn't have been you I fawned over. Trust me."

Ondrea blinked a few times. Oh. So that's what that was about... 'Ondrea, what do you think about this scent? It smell alright?' her mother had asked her out of the blue, one day.

'Ulgh. Merlin, mum - no! That smells horrid! Unless you're wanting to smell like skunk.' She had rummaged through the odd assortment of bottles her mother had spread on the table. 'This one. This one smells nice. Throws those others out.'

She gave a tentative sniff. "Wearing it today, are you?" the girl asked lightly. "I suppose it does smell rather nice.

"Uh huh." Ondrea's tone was rather heavy on the sarcasm. "I'm sure you're right, Jully. Spot on." This time, she blatantly turned her back on him and proceeded towards the counter.

"Ulterior motives? Me? Never." Shaking his head, Julian smirked slightly. "You should've stayed. It was very amusing." Grinning fondly as he remembered, he sighed softly. "Good times.

"Oh?" he raised an eyebrow, "And who would you be fawning over if it wasn't me?" Unless she was gay - which he was pretty sure she wasn't - or had absolutely terrible standards - again, he doubted that - that didn't even make any sense.

"Of course it smells nice." Julian rolled his eyes, "I wouldn't be wearing it if it didn't."

Clasping his hand over his heart, his eyes narrowed, "Doubting my claims? That hurts, it really really does." Watching her walk away, he glanced down at the quill in his hands. Putting it back down on the shelf, he replaced it with a pack of parchment before following her over to the counter. "Of course I'm right. When I have ever been wrong?"

Ondrea gave the boy a smug smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she teased.

"I'm sure you are frequently wrong, even if most of your fan club are too goo-goo eyes to correct you," Ondrea told him, handing her money over to the cashier. She eyed him seriously. "Don't think that because you're being nice to me, that I'm going to just eat out of your palm. I was pathologically shy before - never stupid. And I'm certainly not stupid now."

"You just can't leave me hanging like that." Julian pouted, crossing his arms, "Inquiring minds want to know."

Shaking his head, Julian sighed softly, looking at her curiously, "You have met Ninette, right? Trust me, she's not going goo-goo for anyone. Though," he grinned gleefully, "That would be very amusing to watch." Putting his parchement down long enough to clasp a hand over his heart, he shook his head, "I expect nothing less, Ondrea Montgomery."

"Tell you what," Ondrea said, though her tone was far from sincere, "someday, maybe I'll tell you."

She gave a soft, skeptical-sounding laugh. "Finally strung my whole name together, have we, Jully?" Turning, she started for the exit to the shop.

Shaking his head, he sighed wistfully, his tone rather sincere, but with a hint of a dramatic flare "Then I will wait for that day." Grinning at her, he paid for his parchment, humming softly to himself.

"Aren't you proud of me?" Julian smirked, drumming his fingers against the package, matching her pace towards the door.

"So proud," Ondrea replied, rolling her eyes. She glanced over at him as he walked beside her. "Are you going to follow me everywhere? Because that just might make people think you have a crush on me or something. It'd be such a shame to ruin your heart-breaking reputation. Especially since you are definitely not my type."

"Oh Montgomery," Julian shook his head, stretching, "I don't care what the rumours say. They amuse me." grinning, he sighed softly, "It's funny what people will believe." Tilting his head slightly, he adopted a wounded expression, "But I feel like that should hurt. Though," he cleared his expression, shaking his head softly, "It really doesn't. Somewhere out there is a girl dying to be where you're standing, and you don't care because I'm not your type."

"Well, there will be no dying necessary," Ondrea quipped. "I will gladly step aside so someone can stand in my place. Though, I wouldn't say I don't care - not entirely." She gave an impish grin. "It depends on the girl, really."

Giving his cheek a demeaning pat, Ondrea adopted a rather patronizing tone as she continued. "Now, Jully, I've got important things to do. Why don't you run along and find whichever unfortunate daft girl is just dying to be at your side, hm? Then, you'll have saved a life. That's a good boy."

Opening the door to the shop, she deliberately walked away. If he followed, again, she was totally ducking into a girl's bathroom, somewhere.

Pausing for a moment, he tilted his head, looking at her curiously, "Ah, so that's who you'd prefer to me." Waving a finger in her direction, he grinned slightly, "Well, you're secret's safe with me."

Ruffling her hair, Julian added, "See? We're already catching up. It's like you never left."

Wrinkling his nose, he raised an eyebrow, "They're not daft. They're lucky to get a chance to be with me. Though they're never actually going to get me for very long, it amuses me how they try."

Watching her walk away, he frowned slightly. And now he was bored again. Sighing softly, he opened the door, exiting quickly, though instead of following her, he headed in the opposite direction. Following her through a store was normal at least, but out through Palaisvue? That was just creepy.