The Perfect Prefect [Cwen & Helena]

[Rowena Ravenclaw]

Rowena kept her gaze focused on Cwen as she waited for her reply. She did, however, understand the girl's sudden unwillingness to speak. After all, Rowena herself was the type of person who would rarely share her problems and fears with someone else. She saw is as a sign of weakness, if she was the person who was supposed to speak. When it came to other people, she found the tendency to talk about one's problems and ask for Rowena's help quite positive. She was the one who was supposed to give, rather than seek advice. Luckily, the Ravenclaw house, just like the other three houses, still had quite a small number of students; not many people attended Hogwarts. So, Rowena was most of the time well aware of her students' problems and personal and academic successes and failures alike. Although Rowena might have seemed somewhat distant or even cold when she appeared in the classroom for the first time, she had grown to like her students and they had grown to like and respect her. So, she knew about Cwen's problems with Orion, and sympathised with her immensely. So, she just nodded her head. "I can assure you that you are safe in Hogwarts and nobody can touch you here."

Rowena's smile widened when Cwen giggled. Of course, she would never criticise her colleagues in front of students openly, but she had the right to make small jokes when she was around the students she could trust. Rowena let out a small surprised sigh. "Is that another way to say that you really do not desire the badge, miss Gewissae?" Rowena asked in a cool voice. "As I have already told you, I believe that both of you possess qualities suitable for a prefect. It would be much easier for me to decide, if you weren't in the same year." Rowena was looking at Cwen with a small frown on her pretty face. "I do agree with all the qualities you listed for the prefect, but I don't understand why you think the description does not fit you." Rowena looked down, focusing her gaze on a piece of parchment before her. "A natural leader." she repeated, more to herself than to the girls. Then she looked up at Helena "What do you think, miss Ravenclaw?" she asked, after she heard Helena's words and came to a conclusion that they agreed. "Do you think that you are a natural leader? Do you think that you deserve the badge?" she asked softly. Rowena was somewhat disappointed. She wanted her Ravenclaws to be fighters, to be strong... not foolish like Gryffindors, of course, but strong enough to know what they wanted and to do everything in order to achieve it. Had she really made a mistake by inviting the girls?

[Cwen Bodicea Gewissae]

Cwen nodded with a grim frown. There were no doubts in her mind about the Head of Houses' pledge to protect her students. Cwen would never feel endangered within Hogwarts. Rowena need not have made the promise. Cwen's shoulders sagged. Her gaze fell to the floor once more. Perhaps Mrs. Ravenclaw had a different meaning by her seemingly needless reassurance. Of course a woman of Rowena's intelligence would know such a gesture was not necessary. Cwen gulped and her breathing grew faster and louder. Her chest rose and fell visibly with each breath. Surely, such petty fears would count against her nomination. Perhaps Rowena would even regard it as an attempt to draw sympathy. Cwen nearly groaned aloud. Rationally, there was no denying Helena's supremacy in this bout. Regardless, Cwen didn't want to lose nor would she see Helena achieve what the bitch did not deserve.

At Helena's veiled praise, Cwen's shoulder's rose. Her spirit rose, but not to the warmth of joy and happiness. Instead Cwen's spirit seared with self-righteous fury. Though angered by Helena's every syllable, Cwen swelled with renewed mirth. She waited for their professor to finish speaking before addressing their concerns. "No. I do not. I am not a leader. It is the folly of Gryffindor and Slytherin to declare themselves leaders. I don't ask any student to follow me againt their will. Rather I'd lead through example. If a student would prefer an alternative to my path, then they may suffer the consequences that trail leads to. And if I must be the hand that cause their pain, then so be it. The badge, your badge, deserves which of us you see fit to present it to. I hardly think my opinion is relevant. I believe that Helena does not live up to the high expectations of the Ravenclaw name." Cwen turned her head toward Helena and crossed her arms. "She lacks proper ambition. While we are both exceptionally gifted academically, I am set to marry an equally gifted son of a wealthy, pureblood family. How many suitors have you turned away now?" Cwen turned back to Rowena. Hoping the rumours she'd heard about Miss Ravenclaw were true and that her assumption the Rowena would be upset about the affair was accurate. Cwen bowed her head to the professor respectfully then gave her a apologetic smirk. Cwen figured that if the Ravenclaws were about to humiliate her by nosing about her personal life, it was only fair she strike back.

[Helena Albertyne Ravenclaw]

Helena tried very hard to suppress her grin when her mother spoke coolly about what she perceived was Cwen’s way of rejecting the badge. She really wanted a fair fight for the badge but if the girl really just did not want it, then she did not deserve to have it. If the badge was going to be handed over to her just like that, Helena will not complain. Her mother’s question to the girl was exactly the question she wanted to hear the answer to at the moment. She listened attentively as her mother continued to speak. As usual, when she heard her mother’s question for her, she merely nodded and took her time in answering, not wanting to sound foolish in front of her mother, especially now that the badge she wanted ever since she started school was at stake. Cwen then seemed to have decided to speak when her mother fell silent and Helena said nothing. She turned to Cwen as she answered her mother’s question. Truthfully, Helena was more than curious to know what was going on her competition’s mind. Helena had been quite comfortable in her seat, relaxed and nodding at the other girl’s words until the her competition actually got to the point of informing them that she did not live up to the Ravenclaw name, crossed her arms and gestured towards her. Despite her vow to herself to keep herself as composed as possible during this meeting, she just felt her temper rise to an unusually dangerous level.

It was obvious in Helena’s expression that she would have retorted if the girl did not continue assassinating her character. As she listened to her blows on her love life and the lack of it, she managed to regain her composure slowly. The girl was trying to get her mad, to lose her cool. She was obviously threatened by her because unlike Cwen, she had been wise enough to hold her cool throughout the meeting and very unlike the other girl, Helena did not feel the need to breath a single word about her personal problems. “I am very sorry to hear that someone as clever as yourself reached an abysmally wrong conclusion about my lack of interest in the opposite sex.” She fixed a rather cold gaze at the girl for a while before proceeding in a tone that indicated she looked down at the girl for her previous statement. “I never realized you are one of those young women who feels that securing a wedding engagement with a wealthy noble man is tantamount to having the right ambition in life.” She continued coolly and even forced a smile. “While you equate proper ambition with a wedding engagement, Cwen, I view proper ambition as an earnest desire to achieve things that I want, like eternal glory.” She paused, not meaning to hint at the fact that she applied for the triwizard tournament, especially since she did not ask for her mother’s permission before doing so. “and doing everything in my power until I actually achieve it.” She finished, hoping none of the two realized she signed up for the tournament.