Spells Are Just The Beginning pv Regina

Interacting with @Aurelius Leeds
Colour code - #831100
Outfit

𝓘f there was one thing that Regina had always taken pride in, it was the natural affinity to spell casting. It was a circulating rumour amongst Purebloods of the high society that the youngest daughter of the Millers had quite the talent for martial magic from her outstanding DADA grades, and it was proven all the more to be true when one considered the attributes of her cherished aspen wand--the wood made for aspiring duelists. The Miller matriarch, an accomplished Auror, was very pleased with this prospect. Regina strived to push her limits in order to escape the shadow of her older siblings--none of them were promising in the arts of duelling as she was and the raven-haired witch was almost gleeful at the possibility of climbing her way to the top of the Miller family hierarchy by honing this gifted skill.

It was with this mindset that Regina was found practicing spells in the duelling halls that afternoon, along with a few other students. It was an arduous and long wait to be accepted into the Gryffindor duelling club, but Regina would make it worth every second. Training for the day she would be able to participate in an official duel was the first step to her awaited glory, the day she would be acknowledged as more than just the youngest of the Miller Heirs (and a tool for securing influential alliance through betrothals). The Lion reveled in the feel of magic coursing from her fingertips to the rest of her body, her priced aspen wand clutched in a confident grip. It was a dangerous thing to indulge in, as her Hungarian Horntail core was notorious for casting incredibly vicious hexes and curses. However, it was the wand that chose the wizard after all--Regina had known from the start that any other wand that abhorred her secret malign streak would not have worked well with her.

The second year let out a light huff as the last of dummies fell, deciding a short break would be wise as to not unnecessarily exhaust herself. Regina walked to a secluded spot near the wall, and stopped short at the sight of someone else on the ground who apparently had the same idea as her. Her head was titled slightly as orchid eyes scanned over the boy's features, flickering momentarily over the Slytherin emblem on his green shirt. Something akin to recognition tickled the back of her mind as she assessed him...perhaps he was another passing visage in the vast community of wealthy Purebloods. As Regina came closer, she could hear him muttering to himself and the words flowed into her keen hearing without the boy's awareness.

"But every Slytherin and their goblin wants part of it. At least Liana's low on the wait list."

The wait list...was he referring to the duelling club's insufferable long waiting list of potential members?

Ah, it would make sense as to why he's looking slightly put off.

Regina came to a stop right in front of him and spoke up with a sharp glint in her otherwordly purple irises.

"Indeed. In a cutthroat world, anyone ambitious enough would desire to be apart of something powerful. But only the strongest of them all would prevail at the top."

It was shocking, even to Regina herself, that she had been the first to initiate an interaction. But her expression was neutral as she stared down at the Slytherin, and saw something promising beyond his appearance. She'd always been quick to take a liking to zealous people. Regina lowered herself to the boy's left, folding her legs modestly as she sat on her heels, aspen wand resting on her thighs. Her gaze eerily never left the Snake's as she held out her right hand to him.

"Pardon me for overhearing your murmuring. My name is Miller," She said politely. "Regina Miller. Youngest Pureblood Heir of four. You are aiming for a position on your House's Duelling Club as well, I presume?"

WC: 645

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Duelling Chamber - 22nd February 2022

The sound of approaching footsteps caused Aurelius to open one eye, on the sounds side, and he glanced toward a fellow young student that approached. The one-eyed glimpse revealed a Gryffindor, firstly, but also someone who held herself with confidence and purpose. That caused Aurelius to open his other eye, as he turned his head and listened to the stranger's response about a cutthroat world...

"That sounds about right, ay," Aurelius said with a nod, as he eased forward and sat properly. His Irish accent was evident. "Though those at the top should never get complacent, either..."

With the pair in closer proximity, a flicker of recognition passed across Aurelius' face. He had seen this student's face before, she was part of the pure-blood community, though the Irish boy didn't know her name. Chance hadn't allowed them to speak previously. However, the upbringing and similar mannerisms Aurelius had been raised with were somewhat similar, so he felt confident in his assessment. Then she crouched down beside him, wand across her thighs, and hand extended - to which Aurelius reached out and shook the offered hand - and listened as the Gryffindor introduced herself as Regina Miller.

Miller. I know that pure-blood name.

"Aurelius Leeds, second in line to the Leeds family of Ireland," The Irish boy responded simply, as he nodded. "And it's no problem. I guess if I didn't want others to hear, I'd have thought it in my mind, ay."

Regina asked about Slytherin's duelling team, to which Aurelius nodded again. She seemed very honest, straightforward, and that was something the Slytherin could appreciate at the time. So many of his Slytherin peers thought only cunning applied to the House, so much so that they seemed to be secretive about everything - often for no reason at all.

"Ay, I am. Though it's proving a long wait, since duelling seems quite popular in Slytherin," He said, as he shifted to be more comfortable. He remained seated, as they both seemed content to converse as was. "One of my friends is next to be put onto the team, should anyone be removed. Another behind her. I'm presently last, but I'm patient, so..."

Aurelius also noted Regina's purple eyes; not a common color, they made her gaze intense, combined with her dark hair. She seemed a little older than Aurelius, also, maybe a bit taller - but to be sure, Aurelius would have to stand up. Maybe soon, depending on the conversation went between the two.

"And you?" Aurelius asked, one eyebrow raised. "I'm guessing you aren't here for no reason. Are you trying to get onto the Gryffindor duelling team? Or maybe you already have?"

It seemed the two pure-blood strangers had found a common interest...

"I can't imagine your duelling club wait list is long as ours. But I could be wrong?"

@Regina Miller

Interacting with @Aurelius Leeds
Colour code - #831100

𝕽egina's eyebrow arched in recognition of the Slytherin boy's surname--the Leeds family of Ireland had quite a reputation in their community and she had heard of them in passing during many Pureblood socialite events that she'd had to attend alongside her parents and siblings. She listened on as he explained his housemates' eagerness to join the Duelling Club and inclined her head slightly as a nod. Despite being sorted into Gryffindor, Regina had been raised with the Snake House's ideals and could understand their natural attraction to martial magic--there was nothing more exhilarating than being able to display your magical prowess in a duel, after all. It was one of the reasons that Regina had signed up for the Gryffindor Duelling Team herself.

The Heiress feigned ignorance at the way Leeds' silver-blue gaze scanned over her features, regarding her eyes curiously. She wasn't surprised, as he wasn't the first person to be curious of her purple irises and he certainly wouldn't be the last. If Regina felt charitable, she would indulge him and explained how one of the Miller predecessors had tampered with Love Magic for crafty reasons and had ultimately became poisoned by the very magic they were trying to experiment with when it backfired, causing their eyes to change into the colour of purple orchids before their death. A few generations later, the youngest Heir was now bearing the same colour and her Mother liked to consider it a blessing as it gave her an otherworldly beauty that no one else possessed.

But Regina wasn't here discuss the story of her eyes.

Looking at the boy up close, the raven-haired Gryffindor now saw that Leeds seemed rather young and slim. If she had to make a wild guess, she would assume he was a first-year, as she hadn't seen him in any of her second-year classes. She was pleased by his upperclass speech and mannerism, exuding Pureblood Heir to the first glance. Upon hearing his question about her application to her House's team, the corner of Regina's lips lifted just so in an appreciative half-smirk.

"Very observant, Leeds. Yes, I have indeed applied to join. You shall find that I have a rather exceptional affinity with the art of duelling."

Furthermore, she was a natural Defence Against The Dark Arts prodigy, coupled with her aspiration to become an Auror like the Miller matriarch. There wasn't any other consideration for extracurricular activities than the Duelling Club. Regina found that the sport fit someone of her stature well, and it was an opportunity to viciously trample over the shadow her siblings had casted her in. Not that she'd ever share that last bit with anyone. It was a weakness that somebody would use against her, and the Lion was nothing if not excessively cautious.

"I can't imagine your duelling club wait list is long as ours. But I could be wrong?"

"Not quite," She replied, her gaze shifting to the space in front of them. "Most Gryffindors favour flying sports. I suppose Quidditch and Broom Racing are befitting for them. A rowdy and boisterous lot, they are."

Regina's beautiful features darkened slightly with contempt when a frown pulled on her lips, but it was instantly gone as quickly as it came. She refocused on Leeds again, her expression perfectly neutral.

"It is a smart choice to train and hone your magic even if you are at the bottom of the waiting list," She commended. "The best way to defeat an enemy is to play on the unexpected when your time inevitably comes. How is your progress at the moment, may I inquire?"

WC: 584

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Duelling Chamber - 22nd February 2022

Given the house Regina Miller had been placed into, Aurelius was somewhat perplexed by the conversation - or rather, the tone of the conversation. In truth, he might have expected something a little more excitable, or words filled with eagerness or bravado. But, lo and behold, there seemed to be a Gryffindor that was able to maintain muted - perhaps even contemplative - discussion. That was a nice departure from the typical, as it seemed, for most of that house. Likely a result of Regina's upbringing, Aurelius estimated, though who could say...

"Ah, so we're both waiting then," The Slytherin surmised from the response, which indicated a state of approval as like his own. "Good luck with getting in quickly, then."

Regina's comments about Gryffindor's typical pursuit of Quidditch or Broom Racing made sense, it certainly seemed to support the houses' member's mentality or personality, typically, and Aurelius had certainly seen his share of outgoing and loud lions so far in his first year. So, in some ways, meeting someone more reserved and interested in more... refined sports was a pleasant surprise.

"Ay, Gryffindor certainly has a type," Aurelius agreed, as he glanced to Regina and raised his eyebrows. "And one you don't seem to readily fit, I might add... at least from first impressions."

Whether Regina felt the same, was hard to say. There had been a moment where her expression had soured, or at least leaned toward a negative inclination, but Aurelius wasn't a mind reader and could only shrug as the conversation continued. Regina mentioned training, despite being on the wait list, and how defeating an enemy through the unexpected was a good method.

"That is a good tactic, sure. But there's also something to be said about defeating an opponent, when they have full knowledge of your capabilities... and you simply outdo them. Either works for me, really."

Aurelius narrowed his eyes, curious if Regina was looking to know his effectiveness in spell casting for Gryffindor's gain, but quickly decided it didn't matter. Spell knowledge wasn't the only factor in duelling, after all.

"I've managed to learn a number of spells, ay, most available to my year," Aurelius said, his manner straightforward, as he looked back to the training dummy ahead of him. "Enough to start anyway. I've also been practicing other spells, to expand on that, but presently my repertoire gives me a solid starting foundation as a First Year."

Aurelius glanced to Regina again, curious. It wasn't everyday the Slytherin took much interest in the bullheaded Gryffindors, but this one seemed different...

"And you? How are your studies in duelling going?" He asked, before he leaned forward and turned a little more her way. "Obviously you aren't a First Year - I would have seen you in classes - so it stands to reason you should be well into spell reciting and duelling options?"

Aurelius smirked.

"What's the best spell you know, so far, for duelling?"

@Regina Miller

Banner by: Liana Kerr

Interacting with @Aurelius Leeds
Colour code - #831100

𝕽egina wasn't surprised when Aurelius Leeds had commented about her atypical behaviour which did not suit well with being in the House of Lion, because it was precisely that--she wasn't supposed to be. Or, at least, she hadn't expected it after being raised in a household who valued Salazar Slytherin's teachings. All of her older siblings were in their rightful House, as all Miller Heirs had been...safe for Regina. She had inherited her Mother's Gryffindor traits instead, and the ravenette herself hadn't noticed this until her Sorting last year.

Regina supposed all wasn't a loss, as people tended to underestimate her at first glance by associating her with the recklessness and boldness of a normal Gryffindor. It was all the more satisfaction when she proved them wrong, and it wasn't as though she was ashamed of her House (though she couldn't harbor the same feeling more most of her Housemates). The Baretts, her Mother's side, were a long lineage of prideful Lions. Both sides of her family were prestigious Purebloods and Regina found no indignity in being sorted differently than she'd expected. Although, her Father's clear disappointment shall not be mentioned.

Her gaze was attentive when Leeds explained about the exhilarating feeling of defeating an opponent with superior capabilities. He was not wrong, Regina noted silently with a pleased gleam in her orchid eyes. There was also something to be said about displaying pretentiousness and overconfidence, but she digressed.

"I've managed to learn a number of spells, ay, most available to my year. Enough to start anyway. I've also been practicing other spells, to expand on that, but presently my repertoire gives me a solid starting foundation as a First Year."

"I see," The raven-haired Gryffindor hummed. If she was honest, Regina didn't expect the boy to give her a straight-forward answer--Slytherins were naturally cautious like that. What Leeds gave wasn't quite that, obviously, but it was still enough to approximately assess his current skills, and the corner of her lips almost lifted into a smirk at the fact that how he was careful should she be scouring an advantage for her House's team.

Good. It will do him well to be wary. We cannot truly trust anyone, after all.

There was a small silence following Leeds' question, as Regina contemplated whether or not she should divulge the information to a potential rival. However, she came to a decision that there was no harm in confirming his suspicions.

"You are correct. I am in my second year, and I have quite the affinity for spell-casting. One might even address me with the term...prodigy."

Let the Slytherin interpret that how he would. The ravenette had got her point across--that he should not underestimate her when it came to the sport.

"What's the best spell you know, so far, for duelling?"

"The best spell I know for duelling?" Regina mused, her head titled slightly. "I suppose one day you will find that out for yourself, will you not?"

A rare smile spread upon her lips then, but it wasn't a warm genuine smile. It was cold, empty, and a promise of something ominous. Afterwards, Regina promptly stood up, brushing off the dust from her uniform skirt and looked back at the other Pureblood expectantly.

"Since we are both training, would you fancy we do it together? Perhaps, as your upperclassman, I could offer you some aid should you be struggling with anything."

WC: 519