Tiddlywinks

Kallie stood off to the side, politely quiet, her presense there as it should be, but keeping well enough away from the true mouners. She had never known the man, spoken to him on a few occations out of political needs, but personally? She had never met him.

However, death, at any age, always seemed a shame, and had unfortunatly Mr. LePorte been younger than desired upon his passing.

As the he his casket was lowered into his grave, words said, and dirt placed on top of him, the cermemony began to break up, Kallie went up pay her respects to the family, say a few words, before she turned on her heals to give them space.

Folding her hands behind her back, she strolled among the stones glancing at all the names of people she did not recongize. She thought briefly that it had been a while since she had been home to Finland. To visit her family again.

As she came to the around a curve, she paused noticing a familiar figure.

"Mr. Rousseau," she called softly, stopping a respectful distance away, unsure what she may have been interupting."

It was so quiet here. But for the first time in a while, that was exactly what Julian wanted. Though the palace itself would be rather quiet, he'd rather be outside than indoors. And besides, there was something oddly relaxing about walking the streets of the city alone.

Humming softly to himself, Julian's eyes scanned the shops without really looking. He wasn't in the mood to buy anything. In fact, he was quite content to just walk. Fiddling with the prefect badge on his chest, he rubbed the back of his neck absent-mindedly. This all had something to do with Karma. It was the only possible explanation other than the idea that he'd been drugged and tattooed over the summer.

Sighing with the realization that he was going to have to spend time in the library, his eyes flicked up from his feet, recognizing the voice. Waving, he smiled, "Hello Ms. Minister."

Kallie smiled slightly and stepped forward slightly at the wave.

"And what brings you to these areas Mr. Rousseau?" she asked softly, scanning about them before smiling back at the boy. "I do hope you are keeping yourself out of trouble."

Moving her hands from behind her back to smooth down the front of her black skirt, she caught the badge on the young boys shirt.

"I see you've been made Prefect. I do believe that makes a congradulations in order."

"I'm just clearing my head by taking a walk." Nodding, Julian rocked back and forth on his heels, smiling, "Of course. I've been staying away from all the crazy parties and just spending time with friends." And Harmy's tried to kill me and Nine's going to kill me.

Glancing down at the badge like he'd momentarily forgotten it's existence, Julian grinned up at the Minister, "Oh, well thank you. I appreciate it." It's good to know someone appreciates this prefect.

Noticing her dark attire, he frowned slightly, glancing in the direction of the cemetery, "Did someone die?"

"Well walks do seem to do that, don't they? At least they always do for me," she smiled slighlty. "But then, I had always been the solitary thoughtful type."

She narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, but after a moment, nodded her head, "Good. I would hate to hear that you are messing up chances by getting into trouble."

She inclinde her head in responce to his thanks. Prefect was a big honour - it deserved recongintion.

Kallie looked down at her clothes, having momentarily forgotten what she had been in france for.

"Yes, someone did. A shame really... though I guess one doesn't often say a death is a good thing, now do they."

"They do," Julian nodded affirmatively, "Much better than sitting in a common room or the library. You get better scenery. That makes sense," he said slowly, "Especially with your job, you wouldn't want to rush into any major decisions."

Shrugging, he smiled sheepishly, "I don't usually get into trouble. It's mostly that bad things have a bad habit of happening to me."

"Death's a terrible thing." Julian said, his face suddenly blank and his thoughts careening towards Ninette, "People can change so much because someone they cared about died." *

---

* Julian thinks Ninette is the way she is because he thinks her dad died.

Kallie inclined her head, and gave a slight smile, "No indeed I do not. Quick decisison I find, never work out as well as the ones that are properly thought out. Not to say that their isn't times when a quick decision is needed, but ... when there is time to think things through, I advocate always using that time."

The older woman looked at the young man and hummed, but refrained from commenting. There were lessons that one could just not teach.

"Indeed they do," Kallie said in a softer voice, the only notice that her mind had taken to a more personal road was the slightly distant look in her eyes. After all, she knew from experience that death changes people. More often for the worse, but she'd be willing to concide that sometimes it did for the better.

Julian nodded in agreement, remembering that he was supposed to focused on whether or not he was going to forgive Harmonie. After all, she was the one who'd tried to murder him and then completely denied it. Rubbing his neck where her fingers had left bruises, he said, "And when you're angry, you're not thinking straight and just -" he shook his head here, "- bad, bad decisions."

"They can just ruin a person," Julian bit the inside of his lip, suddenly trying - and failing - to imagine a world where Ninette was nice. Though she did have her moments, overall kindness was something that from Ninette was rather foreign, "But I guess some people can overcome it."

"Yes, anger does seem to make imbicals of us all," she said looking off in the distance. "It is the best of any emotion in doing so, though I often find that for any rational decision to be made, any emotion should be checked - but away. All it usually does is hid the truth from you."

Kallie nodded, "It is true, some people can. It is my hope that most people will. Though often I've found that is not the way."

Pausing a moment she looked about, before turning back to the boy.

"So, Mr. Rousseau, how have you're lessons been going? Or have they yet to start?"

Kallie would be the first to admit that with everything else she had to focus on, she did let the flow of classes and holidays for students slide from her memory.

"That makes sense," Julian said slowly, nodding as well. "Because with your first reaction, you won't always be thinking clearly, and the actions you could make could be disasterious."

Julian nodded, "That's terrible. Especially when someone just completely changes." Though he had absolutely no idea what he was about, it sounded good, and that's what mattered.

"Oh, classes start tomorrow." Nodding, he grimaced slightly before shrugging, "But some classes are great, so I can't wait for those classes."

"Percisely," she agreed with a nod, smiling softly. He was a good kid; she was rather fond of him.

She tilted her head as she looked at him, a thought coming to her, but she set it aside in her brain, giving it time to be properly considered before she made any actions.

"And Which classes do you find exciting Mr. Rousseau?"

"Well." Pausing to think, Julian tilted his head upwards, "I really like Mind Arts," he began ticking off on his fingers, moving his head back to it's normal altitude, "And Enchantments, Metamorphic Arts, and Music."

Pausing again to make sure he'd covered everything, he nodded, "Yep, that's it." Tilting his head to the side, he asked, "Where did you go to school?"

Kallie nodded her head, "All admirable subjects to be sure. I do hope you put as much effort into the ones you are not so interested in - I hope you put effort into all you're classes. It maybe a tired phrase but you do need them you know."

"Music?" she raised her eyebrow with interest. She had never been good at anything too creative. "What do you play?"

"Durmstrang," she said with a soft smile, despite the fact that she had hated most of her time at school.

"I do," Julian nodded sincerely, and he was being truthful. Though he didn't necessarily put in as much effort to classes he didn't like, he forced himself to at least try. "Maybe not as much as I should, but I do." Shrugging sheepishly, he smiled slightly.

"I play the piano and the cello." rubbing his hands together, he added, "But I haven't played the piano in a really long time.

"Ah, Durmtstrang," he sighed wistfully, "It must be really cold out there in Russia."

"Well I suppose that that is all that we can ask for yes?" she said with a smile.

"That is most impressive," she smiled slightly, "My mother once tried to get me to play the flute. It was not a pleasant experience."

"It is not so bad," she laughed her tinkling laugh. "It was all I ever knew."

"Yep," Julian nodded, though he did have this nagging feeling that he could do better if he really wanted to.

Grinning at her, he laughed softly, "You could always try again. Who knows? Maybe it'll go better this time."

"Still," he grumbled good-naturedly, rubbing his arms for emphasis, "I get cold here during the winter. I'd freeze to death there."

Kallie shook her head, "I am quite sure it would not."

Music, and anything creative really, never really worked for Kallie. It just simply did not. Running the magical free world - yeah sure piece of cake, playing chopsticks, not so much.

"OH I am sure you could cope - No one has frozen to death there yet - that I know of anyways."

Laughing softly, Julian shrugged, envisioning the Minister playing the flute, "I guess we'll never know."

Humming softly to himself, he stopped, suddenly realizing with a lurch what song he'd been humming. Of all the songs, why had his subconscious chosen that one? Frowning slightly as he felt slightly hungry, he ignored it, beginning to hum the national anthem.

"Wait, but don't you know everybody? After all, you are the Minister."

"No, we never will."

The young woman tilted her head as the boy started to hum one song, a tune she thought she might now, but was not sure, but stopped himself and when he begun again was humming something else.

She inclined her head and gave a slight smile, "Yes - so either I am very sure, or they have hidden it very well."

"Wow," Julian breathed, "That's a lot of names to remember."

With a start, he realized just how much work she put in to her job. He had a hard enough time remembering the names of the people in his year, and she was somehow able to remember the names of everyone. And then there was all the responsibilities that being the Minister entailed. I could never do her job. Smiling at her, he looked at her admiringly.

Kallie smiled slightly, "It is not so hard, if you put you're mind to it."

She hummed, and looked around her.

"You know Mr. Rousseau, nothing is that hard if you are willing to put you're mind to it. You should remember that."

"I guess so," Julian nodded, "There are people in my own year who's names I don't know." I should change that. After all, what sort of prefect doesn't know the name of his own - what would you even call them anyway?

Shrugging to himself, he nodded at the Minister, "I will." pausing for a moment, he rubbed the back of his neck before asking, "Um, can you call me Julian instead of Mr. Rousseau? It makes me feel old."

"Well maybe you should learn them, just to see if you can," she gave him a smile, "Next time I see you I want to hear you've learned at least a few more names, deal?"

She laughed a little as he rubbed his neck and requested to call him by his given name.

"Of course Julian, if that is what you wish, I believe I can manage it."

"Deal," Julian nodded, grinning at her, "How hard can it be? I know pretty much everyone in my own house and Angelique. It's mostly people in Valée I don't know." The Ravens are enough to last a lifetime.

"Good." Julian grinned, relieved. Mr. Rousseau reminded him of his father, and he didn't think he'd had a real conversation with the man in years.

Kallie smiled, "Well then we shall see then. I'm sure it will end up being more challanging than you may think... then again, maybe it won't be."

"Right, well Julian," she tilted her head as she thought. "I think I may have a propositution for you, if you care to hear it."