Mason glanced up when the Gryffindor boy behind the Hufflepuff flier stepped forward. It looked like he wasn't going to just sit back in silence while he received his punishment. Well, Mason could appreciate that.
"Understood, sir," he said. Mason couldn't help but cringe at that. Oh, God. Was he that old and stuffy already? He supposed that he was a seventh year and would be graduating soon, not to mention that he was Head Boy - the position did dole out a bit of austere authority - but he was still a teenager. Even if he had never been one to party or make too much trouble, being called 'sir' made something deep within him wither and die, crying out in horror. Still, he knew that the Gryffindor boy meant it well, to show respect, so he tried not to let his pain show on his expression. It wouldn't do to let the boy think that he was upset at him, not when he was trying to be nice.
"I apologize; I was reading in the stadium with a book. Even though I wasn't reading it, I guess I lost track of time while playing with it. Err, is it all right if I have a quick word with Gwendolyn? So I can apologize properly?" Stanley looked Mason in the eyes, appearing hopeful. "If she hadn't stopped to speak with me, she might have made it to the castle before you got here. I won't feel right until I make somewhat of a, albeit weak, gesture of friendship."
Mason smiled, now on firmer ground. "Of course you can. Very noble of you." He was taking points off, but he didn't want to be the monster here, keeping students from apologizing to their friends. And he understood from his own terrible experiences with Jacqueline how much the pressing need to apologize could overwhelm everything else.
But then, it didn't seem that the Hufflepuff had plans to stick around. "Thank you for your concern and honesty, but I don't believe its necessary for me to research on safety precautions for flying. I was taught by a professional and I've memorized Quidditch Through the Ages. I can even list the possible injuries and dangers of flying in alphabetical order if you'd like. Actually, to prevent myself from being in more trouble than I already am, I'll follow your directions. After all, the library isn't just full of old books, its also full of knowledge. Now if you'll excuse me, its getting late and I have a little light reading to do."
Mason found himself blinking at her in shock. He couldn't recall ever hearing anyone cram so much condescension and patronization into such a short speech. She somehow felt the need to point out her parentage and prove to him that she was the Expert Of the Ages on Quidditch, only to turn back around and play the 'nice girl' card by promising to fulfill her punishment anyway, as if she was doing him some sort of favor. And the nerve of that little barb about the library being 'full of knowledge' - did she honestly think he didn't know that, a Ravenclaw like him? Or was she trying to be sarcastic to him when he had just gone so easy on her? He didn't have to be light on her - he could have involved her head of house, or even her parents. He could feel his teeth grinding together in annoyance, but he said nothing as she continued.
She set off towards the castle as she kept speaking. "I hope I'll see you around again, Head Boy. Or would you prefer for me to call you Mr. Head Boy?" God, she just got worse. Did she really think that he liked being called by his title, as if he was some power-hungry despot of a Head Boy? Or did she just not care that he had a name?
"Either way, hope to see you around again. Its Gwendolyn Marie Bertrand by the way. Related to professional Quidditch Captain Ephraim Bertrand of the Puddlemere United, just in case you wanted to know. Anyways, adieu."
No, actually, he didn't want to know. He didn't care for people who threw around their family names like it was coin to win them favor and special treatment. He frowned against the bitter taste in his mouth. He hated dealing with people like her. For a moment, he was briefly glad that he would be graduating this year. At least he wouldn't have to deal with more obnoxious students like her in the future.
Still, he tried hard to remain civil. He had already assigned her punishment; he could hardly change it now just because she had rubbed him the wrong way. So he simply nodded to her and said, "Goodnight," before turning back to the Gryffindor and the Slytherin. He wasn't sure exactly what the girl had done to earn their friendship in the first place. She didn't look like she could handle having friends at all - only worshippers.
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02-28-2010, 10:19 PM
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