Willful ignorance(Rowena)

[Davian Thule]

Davian Lestrange called out to his father, "Look!" The young boy grinned as he held his new wand aloft after having cast a perfect lighting charm.

The Elder Lestrange's head turned toward the boy momentarily. "Very well done. Very well." His voice trailed off as his head turned back to the trail in front of them.

The two Lestranges rode in the front of a small carriage pull by a powerful thestral. The beast was wider than an average thestral. The Lestrange boy paid no heed to the creature. "How much further, father?" Davian asked tiredly as if he had been the powerful thestral toiling to carry wizards to their destination. He extinguished the lumos spell with the proper counter and returned his new wand to his jacket pocket.

The Elder Lestrange sighed tiredly as well and responded mechanically, "Not much further." He pointed a finger off at a distant structure. "There is our destination now."

***

The thestral stopped at command in front of the entrance. The Elder Davian left his seat first and lifted the eleven-year old Davian and placed him on his feet softly. "Come." The two Lestranges walked toward the entrance, the younger directly behind his father doing his best to emulate the man. Davian's father pounded upon the door with a balled fist. He then waited with his arms crossed for his call to be answered from within.

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

The sun was setting above the Scottish glens, casting last streak of light on the trees and a buildings below. A young girl was walking down the lawn towards a large stone mansion, wearing a long blue dress and carrying a large book in her tiny hands. Her long dark hair was fluttering in the wind and she finally sat down on the grass, holding her book tightly. The girl sighed, opening the book. There was going to be another party, another boring gathering of strange witches and wizards, for whom young Rowena didn't show any interest. She didn't like crowded places, she preferred being left alone with her books. Rowena didn't have many friends, they were all too childish for her and acting immensely foolishly. Some of girls were already dreaming of getting married, but Rowena felt that there was something special about her, that there was something big waiting for her, that she would be great some day.

The girl sighed, casting a quick glance towards the entrance to her parents' mansion. She had heard voices. Rowena raised her eyebrows and her eyes widened at a strange sight. There was an old man in front of the entrance, followed by a boy, approximately of her age. They seemed to have flown to their home without using broomsticks or some other visible means of transport. Thestrals she thought. She had read about them in her books; they could only be seen by people who had seen death. Even though she wanted to know what they looked like, another smaller part of her mind hoped that she'd never be able to see them. Rowena slowly began walking towards their guests and she approached them just in time to see the front door magically open. Rowena knew that her parents were waiting for their guests at the end of the long hallway. She was about to move a bit closer and take a better look at the boy and his father, but she tripped and collapsed on the ground, with a cry of pain.

[Davian Thule]

Davian was doing the best to imitate the usual scornful expression his father was known to wear when he looked up and saw his father examining the mansion. The Elder Lestrange's head darted from side to side quickly. Davian himself tried his hardest to take in the mansion himself. But such things could not hold the boy's attention for long. Soon his gaze was darting along the horizon. He heard the door pried open and his father was greeted, though Davian paid little attention to it. He saw a child, almost his age or possibly younger, approaching.

Davian straightened his back more, doing his best to appear impressive. He had turned when his father placed a hand on his shoulder. That was when he heard Rowena's cry. His attention was diverted and his father's grip on his shoulder tightened. Davian himself gave a cry as his attention was forced back to his father.

"Do not ignore me when I call, boy!" The elder Lestrange released Davian's shoulder and struck the boy across the face lightly with the back of his hand. Although it didn't hurt, the blow shocked Davian who stumbled backward. "Now you may help the servant tend to the beast! I'll come calling when your punishment is over."

Davian did not bother to resist as his father turned his back and followed his greeter inside. The atmosphere seemed darker now. Davian's eyes welled up with tears as he turned to the great thestral. He noticed the girl again and approached her. He wiped his eyes swiftly as he closed the distance to her. Gazing at her, Davian shrugged coldly. "I believe you'll live." He was a bit upset that she had gotten his father angry with him. But intrigued to meet someone his own age as well. "Are you the servant? Or is there a house-elf? I hate them. Ours is always brooding and complaining. It gets so annoying."

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena was staring at the boy from her spot on the grass. She tried to match his confidence and pride, doing her best to mirror the look from the boy's face. Unfortunately, it was hard to remain dignified while sitting on the ground, especially after you had fallen in a rather undignified manner.

Rowena's dark eyes narrowed as she watched the man, obviously the boy's father, scold the boy. She didn't like him. She had read, of course, about dangerous dark wizards and a part of her was wondering if that man was a dark wizard. Rowena felt sorry for the boy and she managed to raise on her feet, her eyes never leaving their visitors.

After the dreadful man was gone, the boy turned towards Rowena and noticed her again. The fact that he was wiping his eyes didn't escape her. Rowena frowned when he approached her. She didn't like his attitude. "Of course I'm not the servant." Rowena spoke indignantly. "It is impolite to call someone a servant in their own house." The girl remained silent for the tiniest of moments before she spoke again. "House elves are only serving us because they don't know better. You should pity them, not hate them." Rowena turned away from him, reaching for the book she'd left on the ground. She turned to him again, holding the book in her hands. "I believe your thestral can take care of itself, but our house elf will tend to it." Rowena held the book closer to her chest, as though using it to shield herself. "What's your name?" she finally asked.

[Davian Thule]

Davian was pleased to hear that he was not treating with a mere servant girl. He was not allowed to speak to them unless he had to. He raised an eyebrow as his father did when someone got indignant with him. He exhaled forcefully just as father did. "I understand." Davian recalled someone calling his father rude. His father's response was to smile and agree. Despite this, Rowena did not seem threatening. "I do apologize for that. I was distracted." He bent low and offered a hand to Rowena.

Eliphas smiled and shook his head. "No. That's not true." Eliphas' suspicion was roused. She claimed to possess the house but seemed to think like a commoner. "Father says that lesser men and beasts have no hearts or real thoughts of their own. They're only kept alive to bear the burdens of a master." Davian was no fool. He knew how his father worked, actively barring his serfs from attaining knowledge that he had. Despite knowing the truth, he still didn't want his future usurped by some lowly commoner.

Davian frowned at Rowena's next words. He had taken pride at being able to see thestrals at his age. "Ah. You can see them too then?" With a sigh he added quickly, "Rather boring really." He considered her book for a moment. He thought that she was trying to draw attention to it. It would have been what he would do. "Davian Lestrange. Father owns the largest plot of farmland. It'll be mine someday. A big responsibility; managing the farmers. Father has had to fight competitors and thieves." Of course, Davian was actually aware that his father had hired the thieves but he was not going to reveal that to someone he had just met. "Some men call him a dark wizard, but they're wrong; father is very nice." Davian swallowed air then added, "If you don't make him mad, that is."

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena was looking at the boy patiently, as though she was trying to judge whether or not he was worth of her company. He was obviously a member of some wealthy pure-blood family judging by his behaviour and the way he talked. However, there was something in his eyes that made Rowena wonder if she had been a bit too harsh on him. She finally smiled and nodded her head. "Apology accepted." she said softly and took his hand. He was such a gentleman, so he couldn't be a bad person.

Rowena raised her eyebrows at his statement. "That can't be true!" she expressed her disagreement loudly. "You say that house elves don't have souls and minds, but that is impossible! That can't be true!" she repeated. "They have feelings, just like you and me. My mother says that every living creature, no matter how small it is, has a certain place in this world. And we must respect them all equally." she finished and slowly turned her head towards her companion, looking at him with much more interest than before.

Rowena let out a sad sigh. She was rather stubborn child who knew quite a lot for her age, but what annoyed her the most was to see someone of her age who seemingly knew more than she did. Rowena bit her lip, thinking whether she should tell the truth or lie. She finally made her decision and spoke: "I've read about them, but I can't see them." Rowena was trying not to be indelicate when she asked the following question "How can you see them? Whom did you see...?" Rowena quickly lowered her eyes, leaving the question unfinished. Perhaps he had seen a dear family member die and Rowena might have hurt his feelings by asking the question. "I'm Rowena Black." she said. "I am pleased to meet you, Davian Lestrange." Rowena listened to the rest of his story with a small frown. She had never heard of his father, but she was too young anyway. People didn't tell her that kind of things, nobody ever mentioned dark wizards in front of her. She just nodded her head at his words, still not quite sure what to think about the boy she'd just met, Davian Lestrange.