In Winter

[Julie Tyler]

Julie Tyler sat in the center of the auditorium, in one of the many cushy fold-down seats, with her knees pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs, feet on the seat. She wore her school uniform, and beside her was her fallen stack of books, scattered on the floor with a lack of concern. Her eyes were currently dry, and she hadn't shed a tear at all, even though she had good reason to. Being alone in the auditorium was the least of her worries.

Her main concern was the tearing feeling that she couldn't shake. It had taken over her heart, and it was spreading fast. She hadn't done it on purpose, falling in love with Garth. It had been purely accidental. Her plan had been to use his popularity to gain her own. And it had worked. Julie didn't care if he went and slept with the entire rest of the school, which apparently he had. She only cared that they were talking about her. And now, the entire rest of the school had something else to talk about. Garth was gone. And Julie was a mess.

Maybe they thought she was taking it too personally. Maybe it seemed to them that she should have known that it was coming, and that he didn't care about her like that. Maybe they didn't know that she'd fallen in love with the bastard. Maybe she hadn't even known. All that mattered now to anyone was that Julie was alone. Some people thought it was funny, others felt bad. Yet others were cruel about it, saying she deserved it. She probably did. She hated herself for getting attached. For letting her heart out there.

And that was all she was able to think about. She'd spent most of her days just staring. Teachers had excused her from class. She'd been doing well enough that a few sessions wouldn't matter. The problem was, it really seemed like Julie wasn't going to pull out of this. She hadn't even let herself cry yet.

[Cedric Winters]

Wandering about the art buildings of SWI, the emerald eyed Rose Fellowship boy walked, his polished shoes clacking with each step he took closer to the auditorium. In his more vacant moments, Cedric had left his black bag behind when he had left his last class. Fortunately he was done for the day, so he had a bit of leisure time to retrieve it. Of course leisure time to Cedric meant an opportunity to get some Sleekeasy's hair potion into his chocolate locks or another coat of polish on his shoes. In any case, Cedric brushed off the non-existent dust from his uniform and pressed the door in to enter the auditorium. Poking his head in he made sure no one was inside before he stepped in.

Not hearing any classes going on, Cedric stepped in and shut the door behind him. He made his way around the corner and noticed that one girl was in the audience alone. But why? Cedric knew there weren't many things that a girl would be alone in an auditorium for, and none of them were good. Without knowing who the girl was or what problems she would be facing, Cedric forgot his black satchel and made his way down into the audience from the back. One he was just on the left end of the girl's row, who he picked up to be in the Ivy Fellowship, he cleared his throat before speaking.

"Pardon me miss. Allow me to introduce myself, Cedric Winters of the Rose Fellowship at your serivce. I don't mean to interrupt anything, but I couldn't help but be curious as to what you were doing here alone."

[Julie Tyler]

Julie was staring at nothing in particular, her eyes slightly glazed over as she rested her chin on her knees. She wasn't listening to anything but what was going on in her head, which was an overwhelming stuffy silence, so she didn't hear the auditorium door open and close. She didn't hear the footsteps approach her. But, she did hear the voice when he started speaking.

Barely looking over, she didn't smile or even nod. She looked up at him from her seat in silence. He didn't know who she was? Or maybe he did, but he didn't get why she was so upset. Or maybe there actually was someone who didn't know her.

Suddenly, Julie was fighting the incredible urge to cry and blurt out all of her insecurities to this guy who only seconds ago had introduced himself. She swallowed the newly-formed knot in her throat and then cleared it. "Um," she said, the blank look replaced with something a little more sad. "If you don't know, then you've been living under a rock." It had been a pretty public scene when Garth walked out of the school, not even saying goodbye to Julie.

[Cedric Winters]

Seeing her face drop, Cedric only had his suspicions confirmed. This girl wasn't here for leisure, if anything it was the opposite. True, Cedric never was one for gossip or things of the like, but now that he saw the girl's face, it did bring back the memories of a rather explosive scene between her and another boy. Cedric offered a smile he was known for giving and spoke, his low baritone seemingly the only sound in the room. He gestured to the row she was in with a wave of his right hand and he extended his arm. Cedric thought it was awful to treat any girl like that, but to do so in public and attract all sorts of unwanted attention was far too much. As such the young gentleman would not stand for this girl being alone like this without him intervening.

"Unfortunately I haven't been. Miss Tyler if I'm not mistaken. Do you mind if I sit down?"

[Julie Tyler]

Julie didn't react to his knowing her name, aside from wanting him to just call her Julie. "Just Julie is fine," she motioned to the seat next to her. If someone wanted to sit here while she stared into space, then more power to them. Though, fighting the urge to cry was getting harder and harder. Until now, she hadn't even had the urge to shed one tear.

The blonde didn't understand why she was so unimportant to Garth that he could just walk out, quit school, in front of everyone, being the jerk he always was, but not saying goodbye. She didn't have a way to talk to him. She didn't even know if he wanted to talk to her. She hadn't even known it was coming. It was like a slap in the face.

She did stare for quite a bit of time up at the stage front and center. She admired its elegance, the long flowing red velvet curtains, lined on the inside with black gaberdine. Many performances had happened there, as well as many other things that she was trying not to remember. Taking a deep breath, Julie closed her eyes and let it out, now effectively trying to not cry.

[Cedric Winters]

Walking into the row taking the seat just to the girl's left, Cedric sat down next to Julie making a mental note to call her by her first name. In any event, Cedric watched her and frowned. This girl was clearly hurt badly by that boy with her. It was inexcusable in Cedric's mind, and he knew he'd have to ask around to see if he could find him. Julie was an Ivy student so that fellowship would be the best place to start. That didn't matter right now. Once Julie closed her eyes and breathed deeply, he knew only one thing would could come out of it. Wordlessly, Cedric put his hand into his left pocket extracting a white handkerchief with a rose pattern on the border and on one corner were the emerald green initials "C.W." written in some of the rose stems. Extending the cotton cloth to her in silence, Cedric waited for Julie either to take it or refuse it.

[Julie Tyler]

The well-fought urge to cry was like the fragile glass cover on a famous enchanted rose. It protected what was really there, though it could easily be seen. Unfortunately, it was very frail. Just the mere motion of Cedric holding out his handkerchief to her had cracked all of the figurative glass that surrounded her.

Holding back as long as she could, Julie didn't last very long. She blinked and the well of tears that had gathered in her eyes decided to fall. Reaching out, she took the cloth from the nice boy that had showed up at just the right time, squeezed it in her hand, and dabbed at her eyes, attempting not to get makeup on the fine white cloth.

"I'm sorry, I..." she paused, her voice no longer strong and demanding respect from all who heard it, but small and weak, and vulnerable. "I didn't know he was leaving school. He didn't tell me. He never told me. He just left," she said, shaking her head and still looking toward the stage. "All this time he was using me..." When I thought I was using him.

[Cedric Winters]

Watching Julie take the cloth and begin crying, Cedric felt like he was being ripped into two. To Cedric there was nothing more painful to watch than a girl crying, and when it was because of a boy, it was made that much worse. It was horrible to watch. True Cedric had never even met the girl personally, but his views on women in general were enough to make him extend his hand. Reaching around the girl with his right arm, and twisting his body slightly so his left could follow, Cedric wrapped his arms around Julie trying to pull her in. If nothing else he could be a literal shoulder to cry on. Cedric gently shushed her three time before he spoke.

"You have nothing to apologize for. Julie, he was using you. Why should that mean you have to apologize?"

[Julie Tyler]

Julie's mind was all over the place. She barely realized that Cedric had put his arm around her, and that she had leaned into him, her hand still at her face with his handkerchief. She cried. Even though she probably would have found his shushing annoying any other time, right now it was comforting.

It was a while before he said anything, and she had calmed down a little bit in that time. What he said bothered her a little. No one knew the real reason why she'd been dating Garth. Maybe it was time to come clean about that. She pulled back a little, followed by a sniffle as she wiped her tears from her face again.

"It didn't start out that way," she said quietly. "I was using him. It really is my fault."

[Cedric Winters]

Cedric held Julie close to him, and he found it reassuring when she calmed down a bit. True she wasn't in the happiest of places, but Cedric seemed to be helping to some degree. In any case, Cedric let her pull away from him, still keeping his eyes on the girl. The Rose boy looked to Julie and smiled at her, knowing that he was at least calming her for now. Still he listened to Julie mention that she was using him and that meant that relation was doomed to fail. Still, Cedric folded his hands over his lap not wanting to make physical contact again just yet. She seemed calm enough now which meant Cedric would be able to talk to her.

"Julie, even if that is the case, no girl deserves what just happened to you, regardless of the circumstances. It's his fault for overreacting. If you don't mind my asking though, you said that it didn't start that way. What exactly happened?"

Cedric would not try and guess or assume what Julie or that other wretch was like. Instead he would let her tell him as much or as little as she so pleased.

[Julie Tyler]

Julie kept her eyes on her hands and his handkerchief, which were both in her lap. Cedric wanted to know what happened, how she ended up with the school's biggest playboy. She wasn't sure how to tell him that shed sought the other boy out and through his favorite means, enticed him to keep her for his own, thus giving her the title of 'Garth's girlfriend.' If she told him that, everything that she had worked for would be gone. Though, really, wasn't it already?

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Well, maybe two years ago or something, I decided that... I wasn't popular enough. And, I went after Garth. Made him an offer he couldn't refuse. And then he called me his. Which was my plan in the first place, to make him think it was his idea."

Fidgeting a little, she continued, still looking at her lap. "We were together for two years. He even visited me this past summer. I knew he wasn't happy here at school, but I didn't expect him to quit. I really didn't expect him to leave without saying goodbye, like I was part of the problem." She chanced a glance at Cedric.

[Cedric Winters]

Cedric listened to the girl and about her whole endeavor from what seemed like his fifth year as a Rose student. Her story was a tragic one, but unfortunately far too common in the world. Cedric kept his emerald eyes on Julie as he remained in place. He wasn't going to focus on Garth, which was apparently the boy's name. He'd deal with that scourge later. For now, Julie needed the presence of an actual gentleman. Fortunately Cedric fit the bill to a tee. He kept his baritone soft, but strong as he spoke. His gentle smile came back when he saw Julie making eye contact with him.

"Julie, you dear, dear girl. If you don't feel popular enough, the last thing you need is a man to do that. You never have to belong to him or anyone else. You tried being his and look at the popularity it's gotten. Yes people know your name, but is this how you wanted it to be heard? All you need to be is yours. Besides, you said yourself you knew Garth wasn't happy here. That's his problem to deal with, and I assure you that you are not a part of it. To treat you like he did is inexcusable to anyone that would call themselves a man."

[Julie Tyler]

Julie just sort of stared at Cedric as he spoke. He told her that she didn't need anyone to make her popular, that she didn't need to belong to someone. Was he crazy? Of course she did. That was how it worked. Girls gained popularity by being popular guys' girlfriends. Or from sleeping around. Julie wasn't up for the second option, so she went for the first.

She kept looking at the boy who'd been trying tom comfort her, and all she could think of were negative comebacks about how he wasn't right. The problem was, she knew he was right. Garth was a jerk. Everyone, even Julie, knew that. But for some reason, she had still fallen for him.

"It's just not that easy," she replied, looking back into her lap. In fact, she wished it was easy enough to just through her thoughts of Garth to the side and forget about him. That had been her plan all along. She didn't want to fall in love with him, for her heart to break when he inevitably left her. But somehow, she had.

[Cedric Winters]

"I never said it was. I wish it was though. Still, I think what you need is the company of good friends. People who won't leave like Garth did. It'll do you a world of good."

Cedric hated that Julie was so vulnerable. He couldn't quite tell what thoughts lied behind her clear irises, but Cedric just assumed she was processing what he had said. For her sake the seventh year Rose hoped she took what Cedric said and accepted it. Unfortunately, the self-esteem for girls in modern society had dropped severely according to Cedric, and a lot of them felt the need to objectify themselves. Cedric's emerald eyes looked at her and just let his words sink in. She didn't need to respond. She just needed to see what kind of person Garth was and she needed to realize she was worth so much more than she was giving herself credit for. That wouldn't happen after one meeting, but in good time. Cedric was sure she'd be able to realize what she deserves.

[Julie Tyler]

The company of good friends? Julie had no friends. The ones she did have before she met Garth either hung around to mooch off of her own popularity and then slept with Garth, or just, really, slept with Garth. She barely knew any girls that didn't go behind her back and sleep with her boyfriend. It was like they didn't care that he was with someone just as much as he didn't.

She let out a cynical laugh. "I don't have any friends," she replied, her voice heavy with sarcasm. Julie had noticed that some girls had tried to talk to her after Garth left, but she could see right through their falsities and into their pretend pity. And, pretend pity was worse than real pity. Even her best friend, Jessa, had pulled the 'I told you so,' line.

[Cedric Winters]

"Well you do now. It's a lonely life to live if you don't have friends. Might be worthwhile for you to have someone you can lean on."

Cedric was a bit surprised to hear this girl had no friends. It was sad to hear, but he also found it strange. How could someone go so long without someone they could call a friend? The isolation, the loneliness, it all seemed maddening to Cedric. Still, Julie was currently experiencing what it was like to be alone it seemed, so it would be good for her to at least have him. Even if she didn't return the favor, Cedric couldn't help but extend his proverbial hand to her. She was clearly distraught and with no friends to go to, the situation only made itself much worse than it needed to be. Cedric extended his hand out a bit, his palm facing the ceiling to see if Julie would take it. His emerald eyes looked to it for a second and then he made eye contact again before he spoke.

"I've got some tea back in the Rose building that should soothe your nerves a bit."

[Julie Tyler]

Julie tried to force a smile when Cedric told her that she did have a friend now. A small one formed on her lips, but it wasn't a real one. It was hard to smile when you were pretty much alone in the world. All of the girls that she'd called her friends before were gone. She hadn't even talked to the few boys that she'd considered her friends, they were Garth's friends first.

Through the corner of her eye, she saw him extend his open hand toward her, just slightly, as though offering his friendship to her. She stared at his hand for a while. He didn't seem like the type to try and take advantage of her at a time like this. He seemed like he really wanted to be there for her. Before she'd really finished thinking about it, and out of sheer desperation, Julie reached over and took his hand. She looked at her hand in his for a second before speaking. "What kind of tea?" she asked, her eyes not leaving their location.

[Cedric Winters]

"Jasmine tea actually. I like to keep green tea around since it's healthy. It's made with lavender to help with relaxation."

Rising from the seat, he used his free hand to swing his black bag over his shoulder. He let his thumb run over her knuckles gently rubbing them as he stood. Once Julie stood he'd head over to the Rose building. True Cedric was not emotionally close to Julie, especially considering they just met, but someone who can offer a bit of solace was exactly what Julie needed. It would be nice to see her calm down a bit. Then maybe she could start to put the entire mess behind her.

[Julie Tyler]

Julie pulled her books together and, lifting them under one arm, she stood, not letting go of Cedric's hand. She'd go back to the Rose building with him, and drink some tea. She had never been a huge tea fan, but maybe it would work. Herbs were supposed to have different uses, like relaxation, so she trusted him. He'd been nice so far.

"That sounds nice," she said, not knowing what she was talking about as they walked toward his building. Julie had been in the Rose building countless times before, for whatever, but mostly with Garth. Maybe she'd be able to make a happy memory with Cedric to think about there instead of those depressing ones with her now-ex boyfriend.

[Cedric Winters]

"It's certainly helped me on many an occasion. I'd be surprised if it didn't help you in return. When it comes to the finer things in life, I have yet to be proven wrong."

Smirking at an attempt to lighten the mood, Cedric walked through the auditorium with Julie. He had hoped she'd at least get Garth off her mind, but hopefully a bit of tea and some time talking about other things would help her a bit. She seemed a nice enough girl. Confused about how the world worked and a bit defeatist, but a nice girl that unfortunately fell by the wayside that modern society and masochism made for so many young women. It pained Cedric to see something like that, but having these moments to challenge that was the greatest joy in the world for him.

[Julie Tyler]

Julie was curious about the tea thing. She'd never really had anything other than the normal black tea that everyone serves everywhere, and she wasn't really a huge fan of it. She did like iced tea though, sometimes with lemon in it. And chai tea. But for some reason, chai tea didn't taste at all like tea, but instead like Christmas cookies with whipped cream. Maybe that was because she got them frozen from the little coffee shop back home.

Trying her best to leave her sadness in the auditorium, she didn't glance back even as they left the large room. "So, you're some kind of expert then, on the finer things?" Julie asked, a slight smile on her face as she looked from their joined hands up to Cedric's face.

[Cedric Winters]

Cedric couldn't help but chuckle at the phrasing she used. He did of course like to thin of himself that way, but honestly he thought of himself as the way all men should try to see themselves. Nevertheless he couldn't hide the smile on his face as he turned to look at Julie.

"That's one way of putting it. I prefer the term 'gentleman'. Something men in society today have seriously fallen out of touch with. Julie, chivalry did not die, we have killed it. It is unfortunate, but I hope to do my part to revive it. Instead of wasting time completely obsessed with hyper-masculine, testosterone-fueled, misogyny, I have chosen to explore a healthy balance between my masculine and feminine sides. However I'm curious as to who you are. What are the inner machinations that create your personality."

Cedric was honestly curious. What was her reasoning for her low self-esteem? Why did she feel she had to objectify herself and become labeled by who she dated?

[Julie Tyler]

So Cedric was what they called a gentleman. Julie supposed that meant he was raised right, that he had morals and feelings like everyone. And he wasn't a jerk. He'd told her that he basically was the opposite of Garth, and she thought of Holden for a moment. If Cedric was like Holden, then he was a good guy for sure. And, it was an automatic thing for her to smile back at him.

But then he asked about her, and who she was. Not really sure how to respond, she just started talking. "Um, well, I like jazz music, mostly swing kinda stuff, like from the 40's. I play the violin, the piano, and a bunch of other instruments, but the violin is my favorite. My favorite color is probably light blue, like the sky early in the morning. I grew up in a little town in Pennsylvania, near Gettysburg, and my dad is a Muggle, mom is a witch."

[Cedric Winters]

Cedric listened intently to Julie wondering what she was interested in. Hearing her interest in jazz and swing music from the 1940's intrigued him, but not nearly as much as the idea of her capability of playing several instruments. The way she described her favorite color was very lovely to hear. It was quaint and poetic at the same time. Cedric had to smile at the very last bit though, primarily because it was what he identified with the very best.

"Well you certainly are an interesting individual Julie. Personally I am a dancer and a pianist, though I do have a great admiration for the violin. My favorite color would have to be red, since that has always been a color of passion and fervor. I myself have actually always lived in Salem because like you, my mother is magical, but my father was a Muggle. I find it very romantic to see how that relationship works out when only one of the members in the relationship can use a wand. Still my mother always told me that even though she was the witch in the relationship, they both were part of a much grater magic. I suppose that was what inspired me to be what I am."

[Julie Tyler]

Julie smiled as Cedric told her that he was also a musician. It had been what felt like forever that she'd made music with anyone else. Garth never appreciated her musical abilities, so she tended to do them on her own time, which meant by herself. Also that Cedric was a dancer was interesting. There weren't many male dancers here at Salem, though there were probably more here than at other schools.

It was also nice that their parental situation was the same. Her own mother was a lot less dreamy that his mother sounded, but the love was definitely there. "It certainly is interesting," she commented, "when my mom makes dinner for my dad, she'll use magic, but not really when he's looking. Its funny to watch, like she wants him to believe that she did it all on her own, when he really knows she didn't. And he doesn't care either." Julie smiled thinking about the way her parents were with one another. Like they'd known one another forever, and nothing could keep them apart.

After a minute of watching the ground as they walked and thinking a little about whatever floated through her head, Julie realized that she was still holding Cedric's hand. It was a little weird, but very comforting. Part of her wanted to pull away, but the stronger part, the part that knew Garth was gone, let her keep hold of the other hand. She looked back up. "So, you play piano?" she asked, bringing up again the musical part of what she and he had in common.