Lost and found was where people would normally come to find things that they had maybe found missing by some means or another. However, Elijah never lost things and even if he did, they wouldn't have ended up here. His possessions were FAR to valuable for even the most selfless of people to want to hand over.

No, Elijah wasn't here to pick up things that he had lost, but rather things others had lost. There was two methods behind his madness:

1) If he took some of the things that looked really precious and worth something, then there was a huge chance that the owner would put up posters begging for someone to find their dear heirloom or their lucky scarf. This would give him the opportunity to be the hero and people loved heroes. People loved him anyway because he gave them the pleasure of being able to look upon his face, but GORGEOUS and HERO was even better.

2) Failing the above, he would take pretty things that girls might like. That way he could hand them over as gifts to make them all giddy around him. It meant he didn't have to spend his own money (not that he was exactly lacking in galleons) to buy gifts for girls he didn't really care about. But, all that mattered was that they thought he had cared enough to go out of his way to buy them something...

... like that pretty locket! He removed it from amongst the other junk and turned it in his fingers. It was a silver locket on a very thin chain, the locket itself a seashell shape. When he opened the inside he saw a picture of some small child (presumably a sibling they left at home) on the left side and a witch and wizard embracing in a tight hug on the right. All three staring up at him, smiling as they moved in the small confines of the locket frame.

"Oh well," he said aloud, snapping the locket shut and pocketing it. This could work for either of the two ways. He would give the rightful owner to try and seek it out within two weeks, otherwise he'd hand it over to a somewhat pretty girl. Maybe a Slytherin? He hadn't flirted with a Slytherin in ages... They mostly detested a Hufflepuff's company, but when you looked as good as Elijah it was hard to resist, no?

Now, what else did this room of treasures hold? Was that an old Merlin and the Meerkats record?! SWEET!

Aspen had had House Points on her mind for a while now. They hadn't meant much to her, and they'd met even LESS once she'd lost fifty for teaching the Head Boy a lesson. On her way back from staring accusingly and thoughtfully at the Hourglasses, Aspen stopped by the Lost and Found. She hadn't lost anything, but West might have.

Not one to rush others, Aspen simply waited quietly for the Hufflepuff in her year to finish his searching. She wanted to know what he'd lost, how he'd lost it, where he'd seen it last -- but refrained.

For now.

Elijah was in the process of mulling over whether or not to take a pocket watch that had been another nice find of his. Unfortunately the clock face was smashed up, but it shouldn't cost him too much to fix, especially since this particular piece was one he intended on keeping for himself. But then again, he could probably just buy himself a brand new one that was even better than this junk.

He tossed it back in the pile.

As he continued to search he became aware of a presence looming over him, perhaps too close to him for his liking. She was probably trying to get a good view of his butt whilst he had been in the process of searching. Girls were all the same.

Looking over his shoulder to get a better look, he recognised the 'Claw girl as the one who had been ordered to the front in Charms. He still wasn't aware of what exactly it was she had done. Weren't all Ravenclaws supposed to be goody two shoes? He straightened up and flashed her his usual, gorgeous smile.

If you took the somewhat serious expression from her face and had her relax a little, she probably could be a whole lot more attractive. However, she wasn't exactly terrible to look at as she was. Maybe he wouldn't wait for a Slytherin afterall, he smirked, his hand briefly touching the locket he had pocketed.

"Why, hello there..." he didn't know her name, "... beautiful." Nice save. "Are you looking for something in particular? I could maybe help a sweet girl like yourself."

Girls loved being helped. Yeah. Especially by studs like himself.

SPOILER!!: ...o_O

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

Elijah was in the process of mulling over whether or not to take a pocket watch that had been another nice find of his. Unfortunately the clock face was smashed up, but it shouldn't cost him too much to fix, especially since this particular piece was one he intended on keeping for himself. But then again, he could probably just buy himself a brand new one that was even better than this junk.

He tossed it back in the pile.

As he continued to search he became aware of a presence looming over him, perhaps too close to him for his liking. She was probably trying to get a good view of his butt whilst he had been in the process of searching. Girls were all the same.

Looking over his shoulder to get a better look, he recognised the 'Claw girl as the one who had been ordered to the front in Charms. He still wasn't aware of what exactly it was she had done. Weren't all Ravenclaws supposed to be goody two shoes? He straightened up and flashed her his usual, gorgeous smile.

If you took the somewhat serious expression from her face and had her relax a little, she probably could be a whole lot more attractive. However, she wasn't exactly terrible to look at as she was. Maybe he wouldn't wait for a Slytherin afterall, he smirked, his hand briefly touching the locket he had pocketed.

"Why, hello there..." he didn't know her name, "... beautiful." Nice save. "Are you looking for something in particular? I could maybe help a sweet girl like yourself."

Girls loved being helped. Yeah. Especially by studs like himself.

Aspen knew when she was being sized up. He took his time before speaking, his eyes passing judgements and making decisions for him.

That was fine. Aspen did likewise to this Hufflepuff Boy.

In her brief moments with him, she was about 97% he hadn't lost anything, but was busy finding lots of other people's possessions. This didn't bother Aspen, but it gave insight into the Hufflepuff.

...


...


...

.


Right. Aspen stared without reaction, without expression, with minimal blinks. "You don't know that I'm sweet," was her reply, delivered cooly, without any hint as to how she was feeling.

It was official. He liked her. Well, that wasn't entirely true. What he liked was the challenge she presented. It wasn't often Elijah came across girls who didn't go automatically weak at the knees when he addressed them, let alone addressed them with the words 'beautiful' and 'sweet'.

"True," he merely responded, smirking. "However, I have been told that my ability to read people is one of my better qualities," along with being absolutely drop, dead gorgeous, of course. "Why don't you tell me whether or not my observations were correct?" he sent her a wink before taking a step closer to her. Cue The Look of Seduction - reserved only for the toughest of cases.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

It was official. He liked her. Well, that wasn't entirely true. What he liked was the challenge she presented. It wasn't often Elijah came across girls who didn't go automatically weak at the knees when he addressed them, let alone addressed them with the words 'beautiful' and 'sweet'.

"True," he merely responded, smirking. "However, I have been told that my ability to read people is one of my better qualities," along with being absolutely drop, dead gorgeous, of course. "Why don't you tell me whether or not my observations were correct?" he sent her a wink before taking a step closer to her. Cue The Look of Seduction - reserved only for the toughest of cases.

"By whom?" was the obvious question. Were these "people" reliable sources? Was he good at Divination or something? This Odessa was skeptical of the Seeing arts, and REALLY skeptical about this 15 year old Hufflepuff's abilities.

"That seems like something you should decide for yourself. I might lie."

...Aspen had no idea what was wrong with his face. He looked like he was seriously having problems. Aspen almost hoped so? Like, maybe he'd picked up something cursed from the Lost and Found box? She went to pondering what sort of symptoms he might show.

By whom? WHO really needed that kind of in-depth information in the first place? Elijah let the question slide. He wasn't about to go and cite sources for everything that came out of his mouth. Even if the only source he would cite for that particular fact would be... well, himself.

Whilst he was giving her The Look of Seduction - which didn't seem to really be working at all for her - he took the opportunity to REALLY suss her out. He had gathered she was serious when he had first saw her and the 'Claws tone only confirmed that fact. The kind of questions she asked didn't always seem appropriate for the casualness of their conversation, but he put that down to that 'must-have-ALL-the-knowledge' trait that Ravenclaws all seemed to, annoyingly, possess. Despite coming across as rather turgid, she seemed slightly cool and relaxed.

In other words: she was weird. She wasn't like any other girl he had spoken to, but again, that is what made their interaction even more exciting.

"I thought I had decided for myself? You were the one that wanted to question my choice," he leaned back onto the desk nearby, arms crossed, still trying to work her out. He gave up on The Look of Seduction. It seemed like he would have to do a lot more work to win this 'Claw over. Perhaps she was blind? That might explain it...

"You still haven't told me what it was that you had lost," he reminded her. "My offer of help is still available."

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

By whom? WHO really needed that kind of in-depth information in the first place? Elijah let the question slide. He wasn't about to go and cite sources for everything that came out of his mouth. Even if the only source he would cite for that particular fact would be... well, himself.

Whilst he was giving her The Look of Seduction - which didn't seem to really be working at all for her - he took the opportunity to REALLY suss her out. He had gathered she was serious when he had first saw her and the 'Claws tone only confirmed that fact. The kind of questions she asked didn't always seem appropriate for the casualness of their conversation, but he put that down to that 'must-have-ALL-the-knowledge' trait that Ravenclaws all seemed to, annoyingly, possess. Despite coming across as rather turgid, she seemed slightly cool and relaxed.

In other words: she was weird. She wasn't like any other girl he had spoken to, but again, that is what made their interaction even more exciting.

"I thought I had decided for myself? You were the one that wanted to question my choice," he leaned back onto the desk nearby, arms crossed, still trying to work her out. He gave up on The Look of Seduction. It seemed like he would have to do a lot more work to win this 'Claw over. Perhaps she was blind? That might explain it...

"You still haven't told me what it was that you had lost," he reminded her. "My offer of help is still available."

In other words, NO one had told him he had abilities. No answers = no one. Aspen raised an eyebrow, noting that it wasn't HER that had lied - but him. Interesting.

"You had decided without any prior knowledge? You mean, you guessed. You estimate based on appearances and first impressions, apparently. Do you still feel I'm sweet?"

Well?

Sweet was an idiotic word anyway. It described food, not humans.

Aspen tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and eyed this Hufflepuff with all the seriousness of the world. No, she hadn't told him, and she hadn't planned on telling him either.

"Make me a new offer. I don't need that one."

There were challenges and then there were just damn right pains in the backside, and the more that this conversation went on, the more Elijah was convinced this girl was of the latter. Despite passing as somewhat attractive on the outside, whatever came out of her mouth completely spoiled that.

"First impressions are good for something, and whilst you may not agree, I believe a person's appearance can tell you a lot about them. Otherwise I would have to trust the things you have said to me, and you've already suggested that you may lie. No?" He wasn't even sure if the argument he was putting forward was a valid argument. It probably was all nonsense. No doubt the 'Claw would correct him on that front, also.

"I may amend my previous statement of just 'sweet', and alter that to 'bittersweet'. Either way, tis' sweet nonetheless," and whilst he wasn't sure his previous words were a valid argument or not, he wasn't sure that these ones weren't a direct insult. The last thing he wanted to do was INSULT the girl straight to her face. He'd just run her name through the mud behind her back like attractive people usually do.

It also seemed as if he would be having no luck in finding out exactly it was she was doing here. "Make you a new offer? You appear to have assumed my hospitality goes beyond that of which I have just offered you," he teased. Despite the fact she was being extremely difficult, Elijah was actually having fun. He was certain his fun would end soon, though. All fun did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

There were challenges and then there were just damn right pains in the backside, and the more that this conversation went on, the more Elijah was convinced this girl was of the latter. Despite passing as somewhat attractive on the outside, whatever came out of her mouth completely spoiled that.

"First impressions are good for something, and whilst you may not agree, I believe a person's appearance can tell you a lot about them. Otherwise I would have to trust the things you have said to me, and you've already suggested that you may lie. No?" He wasn't even sure if the argument he was putting forward was a valid argument. It probably was all nonsense. No doubt the 'Claw would correct him on that front, also.

"I may amend my previous statement of just 'sweet', and alter that to 'bittersweet'. Either way, tis' sweet nonetheless," and whilst he wasn't sure his previous words were a valid argument or not, he wasn't sure that these ones weren't a direct insult. The last thing he wanted to do was INSULT the girl straight to her face. He'd just run her name through the mud behind her back like attractive people usually do.

It also seemed as if he would be having no luck in finding out exactly it was she was doing here. "Make you a new offer? You appear to have assumed my hospitality goes beyond that of which I have just offered you," he teased. Despite the fact she was being extremely difficult, Elijah was actually having fun. He was certain his fun would end soon, though. All fun did.

"You probably get deceived a lot then, or miss out on good books," Aspen inferred from the statements he'd made so far. Why would he trust her again? She'd plainly told him not to.

Hufflepuffs.

Oh but bittersweet? Now that... that got a smile out of Aspen Odessa. Now they were getting somewhere. He was basing adjectives off of experiences. Good for him. She could take bittersweet.

"That's not appearing to assume - just assuming. You seemed intent on my taking up your offer, in spite of noninterest. But my offer to let you make another offer still stands."

And with that mouthful, Aspen grinned again.

"Good books?" was there such a thing? "I think my experience with books is sufficient enough to keep me happy. Things can be learnt out with books, ya know. Through life experiences, for instance," and judging by their conversation thus far, Elijah concluded that the 'Claw probably lacked in that particular way of things.

Then something unexpected happened. Something terrifying. Something that would make a grown Elijah SCREAM!

... she smiled.

Elijah must have been winning her round. She must be seeing how awesome a guy he was and imagining how much she wanted to BE with him. She was probably picturing their wedding and the rest of their lives together. Girls liked to do that kind of thing.

However, no matter how much he tried to believe that, he couldn't help but think he was being played. Yes, played. She was messing with him. He just knew it.

"You work well with words," he complimented after she managed to mumbo jumbo all the offerings of help and the non-offerings and GAH! Yeh, all that. "Whilst your 'offer' is most kind, I think I will pass on it for now," he said with a tone of disinterest. He was getting bored. He didn't like it when girls weren't all over him. Why was this girl so immune to him?

He returned to sifting through the piles of junk, deciding to check the tables near the back. They were bound to have great treasures.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leeness

"Good books?" was there such a thing? "I think my experience with books is sufficient enough to keep me happy. Things can be learnt out with books, ya know. Through life experiences, for instance," and judging by their conversation thus far, Elijah concluded that the 'Claw probably lacked in that particular way of things.

Then something unexpected happened. Something terrifying. Something that would make a grown Elijah SCREAM!

... she smiled.

Elijah must have been winning her round. She must be seeing how awesome a guy he was and imagining how much she wanted to BE with him. She was probably picturing their wedding and the rest of their lives together. Girls liked to do that kind of thing.

However, no matter how much he tried to believe that, he couldn't help but think he was being played. Yes, played. She was messing with him. He just knew it.

"You work well with words," he complimented after she managed to mumbo jumbo all the offerings of help and the non-offerings and GAH! Yeh, all that. "Whilst your 'offer' is most kind, I think I will pass on it for now," he said with a tone of disinterest. He was getting bored. He didn't like it when girls weren't all over him. Why was this girl so immune to him?

He returned to sifting through the piles of junk, deciding to check the tables near the back. They were bound to have great treasures.

That was an odd question that Aspen didn't know how to address. Good books? Yes? Explain what a good books was? No?

Again... Hufflepuffs.

She wasn't bothered by his re-sizing of her. In fact, she was glad he was reassessing her. See how much he'd already learned? Good on him. Something he couldn't learn from a book either, good or otherwise.

"Thanks," and she shrugged to his turned down offer. "I'll also pass on your offer for your aid. It won't be necessary."

Meanwhile, she'd patiently wait for him to finish up so she could peruse. Aspen clasped her hands behind her back and paced a wide, slow circle around the lost and found area. Carry on, wayward Hufflepuff, carry on. Don't mind Aspen.

'Thanks' - that was all his compliment had received. She hadn't even had the decency to blush! Did this girl even know who he was? Was she even LOOKING at him? Elijah had even tried to pass off as uninterested in a hope that if he tried to play bored, she would perhaps try harder to win his affections.

Everyone always wanted his affections, but why didn't she? Why was she so unconcerned? She must be blind, truly, and yet her eyes followed him as he perused the tables, shuffling through all the junk.

She began to move around the room paying no notice to him at all. THIS WAS UNACCEPTABLE. How could she not see how HANDSOME he was? How could she tear her eyes away from him for more than a second!?

"You probably already knew this," he said, picking up a single shoe and wondering how on Earth someone could have just one shoe go missing unnoticed? "But, I am Elijah. Elijah Wilde. And, forgive me, but your name has escaped me..."

If he tried to get to know her a little more, lies or no lies, he may at least have something more to work with to make her go weak at the knees for him like every other girl on the planet.

Aspen was thinking intently about the shoe, too. Just one. Seemed suspicious to her. She was kind of waiting, if not full on WATCHING, to see if Elijah would keel over from picking up a cursed shoe.

Nothing that exciting ever happened though. Just freezing students. Sigh.

She'd known his name, sure, since Aspen paid attention to her surroundings and in class, but she was amused (and not surprised) that he hadn't picked up her name. "My name escapes you? As in, you knew it, but that bit of knowledge has left your memories?"

Interesting. OR a lie? Still interesting though.

This girl was far too strange and far too good with her words. The way she twisted them and manipulated them as if they were her puppet and she their puppeteer was annoying. Her constant avoidance of answering Elijah's questions was beginning to grate on him, also. Who knew asking for someone's name could be such a chore? Perhaps she had a name she severely disliked, but Elijah was more inclined to believe she just preferred to play the part of the awkward 'Claw.

"Would it offend you if I had known your name previously but failed to recall it just now?" he was slightly curious in this regard. Perhaps she had WANTED him to remember her name and everything about her. Maybe he had offended her by not remembering. Her name had to be somewhere in his brain, surely. They'd been in enough classes together... or had they? Elijah couldn't recall that either... He really must start paying more attention to his surroundings and less attention to himself (yeah right!)

"Your determination to analyse and evaluate every single piece of information presented to you is... strange. I've met curious people before, sure, but no one has been quite as... uh... thorough as you." He felt as if he should have asked her a question at the end, perhaps 'WHY?!', but he believed he would only be retaliated with a whole bunch of non-answer and some other word manipulated mumbo jumbo.

See? He was learning about you Aspen Odessa. You should be proud. Oh wait... Aspen. That was her name. He daren't let on that the 'escaped name' had been made captive once more.