but you picked me -- vincent

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As a wealthy pureblood, you'd think Andrea Flint had visited Italy at least once before. But that was not the case. The Slytherin girl was in Italy for the first time in her life, just like most of the students that were on this trip. While Italy sounded like a nice trip and a beautiful city, Andrea didn't actually know why she decided to go. Maybe it was to get away from family for a while seeing as her two older brothers weren't chaperoning and her older sister wasn't coming at all. Not that she would have minded having Nicholas around. She was actually really close to him and it would have been nice to spend time with him, but he wasn't there, so there would be no time to spend together.

Venturing from her group for a while, Andrea found herself at the beach. Her sandals were off and she held them in her hand as she stared out at the ocean, her toes in the sand. It was a really beautiful sight, and she wished she could stay there forever. Just looking at the bright blue and the crashing white foamed waves gave her some kind of peace that she hadn't felt for the longest time. Nicholas would be proud of her for letting go for a while. However, she wasn't sure he'd be too pleased with her leaving her group. But she couldn't help it. She didn't care for anyone in it and didn't really get along with most of them either.

Dropping her sandals in the sand, Andrea walked to the edge of the water and let the calmed waves wash over her feet. A rare smile came to her lips as she moved her feet in the water. Maybe the trip wouldn't be so bad after all. It had started out quite pleasant. However, she couldn't help but feel like something would ruin it. Something always made things worse for her. Of course, that could just be her pessimistic attitude allowing such things, but still, she believed it could happen. Kneeling down, she let her hand gently graze the blue water that was rushing to meet her. For once, she could say she was the slightest bit happy.

@vincent

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"Vinno! Go long!"

The trip was awesome so far. Vincent was having the best time ever. The weather was amazing, the sights were beautiful, the company was great and he got to spend his summer with friends instead of being cold-shouldered by his brother at home. And what's more, the beaches were absolutely beautiful.

Vinno and a few others had left their tour group to head down to the beach, and were now throwing a frisbee around. The call earlier had been one of his Gryffindor friends telling him to run further away to catch a long throw they were doing- naturally Vinno accepted the challenge and ran hard along the beach, soon diving to take the catch, landing in the sand. And causing some sand to spray up onto the legs of a girl he hadn't noticed before. He looked up at her sheepishly. "At least I caught it," he said with a grin, indicating the frisbee in his hand.

@laurieflint

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Breathing in, she could smell the salt air coming from the water and while she tried to stay in her peaceful moment, she couldn't help but overhear the voices of everyone around her. The laughter, the boys throwing balls and frisbees around. She could hear it all. Looking into the water, she saw a very faint reflection of herself. She looked miserable, not happy like everyone else. Sure, she had that smile placed on her lips for a few moments, but it didn't hide what ugly lied beneath. She was a beautiful girl, but that didn't mask her horrible personality that she had grown into. She could practically hear the words of Olliver Summerby in her head that day they met. He was right the whole time. She always pushed people away. But she didn't know how to accept people in her life after being angry and reluctant to make friends for so long.

As she continued to kneel by the water, she heard feet running and it sounded like it was getting louder. Andrea turned her head in the direction in time to see a boy sliding toward her, but not in time to move out of the way of the sand that flew onto her legs. "What the hell?" She groaned, jumping up before bending over to brush it off of her legs. She loved the water and it was nice to be at the beach, but she didn't want the sand all over her. If she had, she would have been laying in it. Hearing the boys words, she straightened back up, her eyes narrowing in on the boy. "Yes, of course. At least you caught the piece of plastic." She said harshly, bending down once again to wipe some more sand off of her. She hated the way it stuck when skin was wet. How frustrating.

@vincent

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Well, that wasn't the most glowing reception he had ever received. "Gee, here I was hoping for rapturous applause and never ending praise. And all I get is sarcasm and disdain. The crowd here really needs some work," he replied, grinning as he pushed himself up onto his knees as well. "Sorry about the sand. You know the best way to get it off?" he asked, gesturing to the water with a lighthearted smile.

@laurieflint

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Listening to his words her eyebrow raised at him as she crossed her arms over her chest. He reminded her oddly of Oliver with his chipper personality and the way he handled her. "Well I assure you, you will get no such thing from me." She told him flatly, cooling down a bit, but still being consistent with her sarcasm. "Why would I applaud you for catching a piece of plastic? If you think about it, you had to land on the ground in order to do so and you got sand all over my legs. I really don't count that as something worthy of praise." She truly did feel that way, but at the same time she knew she was being harsh again and she knew why. She couldn't help it though. It was a defense mechanism she used for so long, it was habit, and habits were hard to break.

When he motioned to the water as being something that could help get the sand off, she rolled her eyes and moved toward the water. "I know that, I'm not stupid." She told him, even though in truth she hadn't of even thought of it. Kneeling down again, she gently rubbed water on her legs to brush the sand away. As she did this, she looked over at him again, his kneeling frame quite close to hers. Her eyes met his and instead of narrowing, they went soft. She couldn't comprehend why, or even if she did it voluntarily. There was just something about his eyes. Realizing she was staring too long, she turned her head back to the water as a light pink shade colored her cheeks. "My name's Andrea Flint." She told him, her tone firm, hiding any emotion she might have been feeling at that moment as she continued to avoid looking at him. "And you are?"

@vincent

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Vinno got back up to his feet and brushed the sand off of himself. Some of it, anyway. He was fairly covered in it from his frisbee catch. "I did have to land on the ground, but I had to do a full dive to get it. And you were right there and had front row seats- if anything I should be offering you an autograph," he joked. He didn't really have as much of an ego as he sometimes seemed- it was just part of the way he joked around. He did just as much depreciating of himself as well, so he figured it evened itself out.

Her introducing herself was a bit of a surprise given her demeanour, but he rolled with it. "Vincent Powell. But people usually call me Vinno. Or Awesome. Either works." He thought for a moment. "Actually, I do seem to get 'Idiot' a bit too..." he joked. Keeping things lighthearted was the way he worked best.

@laurieflint

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She couldn't comprehend it. What was with everyone following her when she wanted to leave? Didn't they get the hint? Apparently not. "Yes, that's it." She called back to him as she continued to walk. And then she heard his words after that which only confused her more. Sighing, she stopped and turned to face him, a questioning look taking over her features. "What?" She asked. Of course she heard him, but she was baffled by his request. "You'd rather me make jokes on you than to just leave you be?" This time she was really curious as she asked the question. Who would want to be made fun of? If she were in his position, which thank Merlin she wasn't, she would want to just be left alone.

"I don't understand you mud--" Pausing for a moment, her eyes searched the boy, ultimately landing on the eyes that caught her off guard before. Sighing once more, this time in frustration from the fact that he was making her so confused, she continued. "I don't understand why you're so persistent in talking to me. Wouldn't you much rather go off with your friends and have a good time, instead of follow some girl you know very well isn't going to accept you?" She was full of questions for the boy, but she only asked the ones that really mattered. Why did they try so hard? Did they want to change her, or prove a point that they weren't bad? Deep down she was starting to realize it, but it scared her to death. "How did you even know I was walking away for that reason?" She finally asked. Was it her last name that gave it away, or the look on her face? Was he used to purebloods doing this to him? Or maybe she was just completely off and he actually wanted to get to know her. But she couldn't believe that. She never did before.

@vincent

OOC: accidentally wrote over the post that was supposed to go here.

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At her comment about his ego, he just shrugged. "Nah, not really. I just joke around a lot." The teasing tone of his voice was gone for now, and it was clear that he meant it. But then as she started walking off after he told her his name, he walked after her a bit. "So that's it?" he asked, a few steps behind her. "You could at least stay back and make fun of me, that's much more fun than just shunning me," he called out, smiling a little. Maybe he would get a rise out of her. Classic Slytherin pureblood. He just didn't understand them at all.

@laurieflint

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She couldn't comprehend it. What was with everyone following her when she wanted to leave? Didn't they get the hint? Apparently not. "Yes, that's it." She called back to him as she continued to walk. And then she heard his words after that which only confused her more. Sighing, she stopped and turned to face him, a questioning look taking over her features. "What?" She asked. Of course she heard him, but she was baffled by his request. "You'd rather me make jokes on you than to just leave you be?" This time she was really curious as she asked the question. Who would want to be made fun of? If she were in his position, which thank Merlin she wasn't, she would want to just be left alone.

"I don't understand you mud--" Pausing for a moment, her eyes searched the boy, ultimately landing on the eyes that caught her off guard before. Sighing once more, this time in frustration from the fact that he was making her so confused, she continued. "I don't understand why you're so persistent in talking to me. Wouldn't you much rather go off with your friends and have a good time, instead of follow some girl you know very well isn't going to accept you?" She was full of questions for the boy, but she only asked the ones that really mattered. Why did they try so hard? Did they want to change her, or prove a point that they weren't bad? Deep down she was starting to realize it, but it scared her to death. "How did you even know I was walking away for that reason?" She finally asked. Was it her last name that gave it away, or the look on her face? Was he used to purebloods doing this to him? Or maybe she was just completely off and he actually wanted to get to know her. But she couldn't believe that. She never did before.

@vincent

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Vinno shrugged and nodded. "Yep. Why not? I make fun of myself all the time, so it doesn't make much difference to me if other people do," he replied. He was comfortable enough with himself to not really care either way, and his humour worked in a way that meant he often found it amusing to self-depreciate himself without feeling bad about it later.

When she almost said the word- and he did notice- his eyes narrowed a little. But the fact that she caught herself with that word made him hold himself back from getting angry or upset. "There's no reason you shouldn't accept me. If you think there is, it's just in your own head," he replied calmly. "And it was pretty clear- as soon as you heard my name you walked off without a word." It just didn't make sense to him.

@laurieflint

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Shaking her head, she raised her hands to her temples and rubbed them before lowering her hands again and looking at him, still so confused. "Well, that doesn't sound like a very healthy way to live, but if that's what you like to do then so be it." She said, starting to brush the sand off of her sandals. Anything to keep her preoccupied instead of getting caught up in those damn eyes of his. She had never had that problem before, so why now? He was just another boy and probably one that would be infatuated with her sister if he met her. Of course, if he hadn't done so already.

Looking at him again, Andrea caught the narrowing of his eyes before they went back to normal. He obviously didn't like the word that almost slipped out of her mouth. She couldn't blame him, it was a nasty word, but once again, it was a habit to use it. "Look," she started, ignoring her sandals for a moment as she focused on him. "You wouldn't understand. All my life I was taught to hate people like you. I just..." She paused as she grew frustrated again. She didn't want to explain to him. He should know why she acted the way she did toward him being a muggleborn. Looking down, she started to fixate on the sand covering her sandals again. "I just can't push everything out of my head that I learned since I was little, okay? It's not that easy." Maybe it was easier to open up to someone than she initially thought, but she still didn't fully give in to him and she didn't think she ever would. She couldn't. She'd be an even bigger disgrace to her family. Which, she didn't understand why she cared so much. Nicholas wasn't an elitist like he was told to be. But Andrea had motive. She wanted her family and other people to pay attention to her the way they did her sister and the only way to do that was to be the perfect pureblooded daughter.

@vincent

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Vinno didn't really care whether Andrea thought his sense of humour was healthy or not. He was okay with it and that was all that mattered, really. But when she started to explain why she had that attitude to muggle borns, he became much more interested. "So you were taught it- that I can understand, even if it's a bit sickening. Teaching kids to hate other people because their blood isn't 'pure'. But you have a choice now. I know it would be hard to change your thought process, but better to do that than to stick with one which just doesn't make sense," he reasoned, before realising that his friends were waiting for the frisbee back. He athletically threw it back, quite a long throw that went straight to one of his friends. He wanted to stay here and finish this conversation, though- he might get somewhere with it.

@laurieflint

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Andrea listened to his words as she watched him throw the frisbee back to his friend. Her eyes landed back on him as soon as his attention was back to her. For a moment she didn't even respond to him, she just stood there with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed as she thought about what he had said. Of course he was right. Everyone who told her that she should change was right. What they didn't know was she was starting to, but she was so afraid of the consequences to go any further. It was easier for to push people away than it was for her to open up to them.

"I don't see how it's any of your business Vincent." She told him, trying to make up an excuse to get him to leave her alone. She had to deal with this before; a boy who was trying to change her mind. She didn't want to worry about it. She wanted to be different, but it was easier said than done, especially with her family. She didn't even understand why she worked for their approval when she only cared for Nicholas anyway. Was it even possible for her to change her whole attitude when she had been this way for almost seventeen years now? Well, she wasn't going to find out today and she knew how to get him to forget about her. "You know what? Just leave me alone okay? I don't want to be around you. You're just a filthy mudblood!" And with that, she turned and walked away, but not without feeling something she hadn't felt before. Guilt.

@vincent

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Well, it seemed that some people just couldn't be changed. When she turned around and called him a mudblood, Vinno just rolled his eyes and turned away as she walked off. Clearly it wasn't worth the effort that he had been trying to put in to change her - upbringing was obviously too much of an influencing factor. It disgusted him that parents indoctrinated their kids with those kinds of views, that clearly stuck around so much and influenced the way they acted. Still, he decided not to worry about it too much for now, and went back to his game of frisbee. It wasn't worth trying to argue with her.

**END THREAD**