Apologies and more I'm sorries Completed

Clementine is having an unusually blue day, for reasons that she doesn't know. Maybe she's still a bit bummed that Roman decided to stop being her "almost friend", the thought runs across her head. Or perhaps, she's just very hungry. She thought of apologizing again and again, but she didn't want the boy even more mad at her, so Clementine decided to as she was told and only talk to him when absolutely necessary.

Thing is: being the talkative extrovert that she is, not talking can be rather difficult for her, so, that's why, when she spots her potions partner sitting on the grounds, busy with whatever he's doing with that piece of parchment, that Clementine finds herself running in his direction, in order to put everything behind them and start again. And this time, she won't screw up! (Hopefully...)

"Roman, hey!" She chirps, excitedly, opening a big and warm smile as she takes the empty place right next to him. The Gryffindor takes a good look at him and the things around him; she's surprised to find an electric guitar, as she had no idea Roman was able to play it. Well, then again, there are a lot of things she doesn't know about that aloof boy. "How have you been? What's that?" She points to the parchment he's holding, hoping the more questions she makes the less he'll focus on the fact that they're actually talking. "Do you write songs? How well do you play the guitar? When did you start learning it?"

[quote][quote]The moment of peace is short-lived once a familiar presence decides to join him, sitting by his side, chirping excitedly, troubling him with her never-ending questions, with that same smile being directed to him again after many days without seeing it. When the boy turns to stare at Clementine Hamilton and her freckled face, after forcing himself to sit properly again, there’s quietness in his heart, which he considers as “oh, I almost missed her”. Almost.

“Fine,” Roman answers, as shortly as he can, still trying to give her the cold treatment for ruining his perfect report card not so long ago. However, with the many questions she had asked him, the Slytherin finds himself unable to keep quiet, “Lyrics for a stupid love song for my future band,”

The mention of The Witching Hour, the band he'll form makes him a little at ease, as it's something he's always dreamed of. It’s still a work in process, sure, as he still needs to spread the word around in other to find members, but he can't help but feel a little bit excited just thinking about it. Roman can’t be a one-man-band, and he knows that the hardest part will be to find a drummer and a vocalist, but, well, easy is boring. At least for him.

“Been playin’ since I learned how to walk, I suppose. I’m sorta great at it, ya know…” The boy shrugs, eyes lowering to stare at the crumpled parchment in his hand. The lyrics in there are definitely not his best work, but he hands it to Clementine anyway, because he doesn’t care if she’ll think it’s lame. Who cares about her opinion, right? A quiet voice in him tells him he does, but Roman tells it to shut up. “Whatcha think, eh? Bad, ain’t it?”

When her eyes finally meet the last word of Roman's lyrics, the girl is beyond impressed. She never tried writing music, because she knew it'd be a disaster, but, whenever she felt like it, she scribbled random poems here and there. Obviously, it isn't good, but it isn't a monstrosity either. Clementine stares at him in awe, surprised at the romantic touch of the words on that piece of parchment.

Roman doesn't seem like the time to be a romantic. She can't even picture him in a relationship, so the lyrics are a little bit suspicious. He looked like the type that would push people away, but then again singers don't have to be in love to write a love song. Valerie's told her that many times now. It still bugs her, though. The girl can ask him, the thought appears in her head, as the idea of her asking Roman about his love life leads to the boy getting angrier and leaving.

"You're forming a band, what?! Like, a real band?" asks Clementine instead, not wanting her curiosity about his love life to make him mad at her. She hands the parchment back to him, "That's really amazing! And, come on, those aren't that bad!"

[quote][quote]“Ye, a band. A real one. The greatest band the wizarding world will ever see. Mark my words!” Roman tells her a little bit starry-eyed and passionate. He hopes so, but he doesn't say that not wanting to look insecure or anything like that. Not that he cares if that little girl thinks that he's sensitive, who cares about her anyway, right?

Whatever, he thinks, looking back to the parchments and the lyrics that Clementine handed back to him. He runs his eyes across the words again, knowing damn well that isn't his best work. It makes him frustrated, being the perfectionist that he is, but, again, he doesn't say that. Roman doesn't think Clementine will understand, as she doesn't seem to like music as much as he does.

Music has always been the most important thing in his life, it helped him go through a lot— whenever he found himself alone in the Kingston mansion; father too busy at work and mother too famous to care about him, he'd put on soft melodies when he wanted to enjoy his sadness or heavy metal when the anger and frustration got the best of him.

“They aren't bad, but not great eithah,” Roman says, with a shrug, tossing the piece to the side. He gives her a quick glance; at her chubby freckled cheeks and dark, and oh so shiny, eyes. “What are ya doin' here, anyway?”

Roman's clearly passionate about his band, Clementine notes when he talks about it, with that starry look in his dark eyes. It makes her smile to herself, happy to see that that often cold and aloof boy had something that he cared about. Clementine would join his band immediately (though she isn't sure the boy would let her join), if she had any musical talent, whatsoever.

There is no musician in the Hamilton family tree. Unfortunately, that talent just doesn't run in the family. Most of them were journalists, such as her father or worked part-time in small places. Valerie, her stepmother, is a singer, and a really cool one. Her voice is soft and often nasally, but she sings with so much emotion that anyone instantly becomes her fan. No wonder father fell in love the moment he saw her performing.

Clementine catches Roman's question, ignoring the quick glance he gives her. The girl looks at her hand, then shrugs. "I was walking around when I saw you, and thought, 'Hey! That's my friend...! So, here I am." She laughs, hoping the comment doesn't make him dislike her even more. "And... I still wanted to apologize for what I did. I know how important your grades are to you. I'm really sorry! Really! Scout's honor! If you don't forgive me, it'll be alright and I won't bother you ever again. I can even talk to Professor Price so I can sit with someone during Potions, if you'd like..."

[quote][quote]Friend, uh?

Roman’s glare grows a little darker as the girl continues to ramble, mind fixated in such a simple word, and slowly nods once she’s done talking. Clementine has apologized for the Potions incident that has been giving him nightmares, many times now and every time, it makes his frustration lessen. He doesn’t understand why, nor does he wish to.

Clementine’s presence has made quite the impact in the short time they’ve known each other. She makes him insanely tired, all of his energy being drained by her easy-going smiles and small talks here and there. It made him lose his focus during class and sometimes, he’d think of hexing her, so she’s shut up.

But he never follows up with his ideas, for some unknown reason. Roman always holds back; he’s just slightly mean, never as rude as he could be. It makes him wonder... The boy stares at her a little longer, knowing that his prolonged silence would make her more nervous. Roman rolls his eyes, still pretending to be as mad as before, then says, in an annoyed huff, “Whatevah,” He looks down at his hand, then up to the sky, sighing, “And friends? Please, ya’re like—” He tries to come up with a word, and a small wicked grin appears on his face when the perfect choice comes to mind. “My personal annoyance, of some sort.”

The girl watches him speak with a small smile to her. Clementine now can tell when Roman's pretending to be annoying versus when he actually is. There's something in his voice and something about his expression, that seems a little too forced to be true. She doesn't point that out, of course, just letting the other believe that he has her fooled.

She doesn't like the sound of personal annoyance. At all, really. But the girl lets it slide, knowing that would be the closest thing to a friendship she'd get out of a person like Roman, and she's fine with it because that mean she'd get to know more about him as a person. Clementine smiles at his words, happy that he'd forgiven her, after all the many times she'd apologized. She decides to change the subject of the conversation, wondering if Roman would get embarrased or perhaps even angry if she asked more about him right away.

"I have secret quillpals," says Clementine, confidentially in almost a whisper. The girl knows she isn't supposed to talk about it, not wanting to accidentally find out who her secret friends are, but she knows neither of them is Roman (she'd have that figured out, since she had told her friends about the Potion incidents and neither reacted as he would), and that's why she tells him. "One of them is a Slytherin, and the other's a Ravenclaw. They're really nice. We exchange letters, but we don't know each others' identities... It's quite a thriller, you know. You should do it some time,"

[quote][quote]The boy listens to her carefully, then frowns at what she says, confused, wondering how Clementine’s able to consider people she doesn’t even know her friends. Roman could never do such a thing. He needs to know everything about a person in order to consider them close to a friend. Expect Clementine that is simple enough for him to get his head around (and no, he'll never admit out loud that they're friends).

Friendship, to him, is a very complicated subject. Other than the house-elves back home, he's never had any friends. Most people don't like his snarky and rude attitude, and kids his age are too sensitive to like such a "mean ogre such as yourself, Roman". Yes, he's been called that before, amongst other terrible things. He tries not to think about because the thought of little insults by dumb ten-year-olds getting to him makes him laugh. No, he doesn't care. At all. Next...

“I can imagine,” says Roman, voice a little bitter as he notices how easy it is for Clementine Hamilton to befriend someone. People just seem to gravitate towards her, with her big smile and freckled cheeks. The boy can't relate. Friendship is like everything in his life, a challenge. “Well, makin' friend isn't my special ability, so I'll pass,”

That seems to be the closest thing Roman gets to bothered, Clementine notices, noting the way he sounds bitter and even more like an old man.

"Aw, don't say that," says Clementine, as she gives him a little pat in the back, wanting him to feel okay. The girl smiles again, hoping that he'd read as her welcoming him even more. Due to his rather aloof way of acting towards others, she can easily picture Roman as the type of not having many friends. Well, she thinks, guess I'll have to help him with that. "Making friends is easy. You just have to be nice to people, listen to them, get along, and, boom! You guys are friends!"

She doesn't make any sense and knows it, but hopefully, Roman will understand and begin to make more friends. The image of Roman being a social-butterfly doesn't feel quite right, and Clementine looks down, shaking her head, "Well, it's not that easy, but I can help you, you know! That's what friends... Or personal annoyances do, right?" Clementine corrects her, wanting to see him crack a smile. "I know that being nice is not really... Your thing," The girl hesitates, not wanting to offend him in any way, shape or form, "Buuuuut, if you try, even if just a little, things will get easier!"