Rule of anger

"Then, if that is true, that means you and I both don't have real friends, just people who are around us," she said as the knowledge and looked in the distance embarrassed more than anything, so she wouldn't look at him whatever happens.
She told him everything about her life.
Even if she didn't want to do that, words simply left her mouth without her permission.
She couldn't but to think about her friends back home.
Why they exactly like her? And would they be here for Charlotte if she stopped act like the girl without emotions if she decided to say what she really think, and show them that she is way more than the just party girl?

"I think it's impossible to find the balance, " she said honestly and looked at him.
"You know, when you act on some way fo the time, people will get to now you like that person. Then you got the label, and it's almost impossible to move that away from you" she paused a little bit to think about her own words.
"Fo example, here I have the label, people think I am bad and hater and it would take way to much time to change that. But back at home my label is the party girl, and is probably even harder to change."

She looked at him surprised and shocked at the same time.
She stopped walking while his words were trying to find its way to her brain.
She was speechless, and before everything, she was sure that this was either the dream or she lost her mind.
Finally, she found the way to force her legs to start moving again and the voice came back so she started speaking again.
"Wait, you... Do you want to say you would want to hang out with me again? You don't think I am the hater, bad person, spoiled blah blah blah?" she asked because she needed to know she didn't hear wrong.

"Then, if that is true, that means you and I both don't have real friends, just people who are around us."

Ducky turned to look at Charlotte, struggling between the desire to assure her that his friends were just fine, thanks, and to try and lessen the accusation. Indignation fluttered towards defensiveness as surprise at her insightful claim rose to the surface. But as much as he wanted to tell her she was wrong, as much as he wanted her to be wrong, he knew it just wasn't true. Since Nora had left, Ducky had been left with the friends that relied on him and offered little in return. Which wasn't their fault. He had agreed to those terms. But maybe that wasn't a good enough definition of friendship.

He swallowed and his eyes darted away. "Right," he said, his voice a little more resigned, a little more thoughtful.

“Maybe it’s not a balance, then,” he said, before letting out an amused scoff. Who was he, anyway, to even be giving any sort of advice whatsoever? She hadn’t asked for advice, and he certainly was in no position to give it. Especially after that last nugget of truth she had offered. He shook his head. "Eh, I don't know. Obviously."

She seemed surprised by his statement which ,in all fairness, he had meant less literally and more to land his point. But Charlotte obviously needed a friend, and after just a little time with her, he had managed to get past her cold outer shell. So he offered a grin, right as they reached the portrait to the kitchens. "I mean, you've done some mild hating on me," he said, smiling. "But I suppose I could manage."

With that, he tickled the pear and the portrait swung open. He nodded his head and stepped inside.

Immediately, his pal Lomsey toddled over, rocking on her heels as she greeted him. Lomsey was a free elf and wore a long multi-colored jumper that reached her knees, and a slightly defiant look in her pouty face. Still she offered Ducky a large grin, "Mr Ducky, Lomsey is pleased to see you." Her eyes drifted uncertainly over towards Charlotte, the smile flickering. "Mr Ducky brought a friend."

"Yes, I did," Ducky said, turning to gesture towards Charlotte. "This is Charlotte. She's one of the students."

"Students shouldn't be down here," Lomsey pointed out.

Ducky grinned, "Come off it, Lomsey, when have you ever held up the rules?" He laughed and her nose crinkled, and yet a lopsided grin began to form.

Charlotte realized that there were way more things about Ducky Baker than those he showed to others.
She always saw him like the guy without problems, someone who truly rebelled and that's it.
But now she realized that everything was probably one good mask. He seemed to need the people who would admire him, but she wanted to get the chance to meet really Ducky, that Ducky which became alive at the night in for walls of his room when he doesn't need to pretend to me something because no one would see the truth.

"You like that? I mean, that kind of friends? You don't have the hope that sometimes you will find something better than them?" Charlotte asked curiously and at the same time tried to think what would be her answer to the same question.

Charlotte Waldorf frowned and actually dared to luck like he hurt her.
"I don't hate you. To be honest I don't hate anyone here. I just hate that part in them which is common to me. You know, a lot of very good psychiatric said person hate in others the same thing he hates in himself." She shrugged and looked at him giving him shyly smile.

"You don't need to be my friend. I don't want you to think that is something you must do, you know. Besides, you don't have a reason to hang up with the student, you are probably too old for that" the last was the joke but she wasn't sure if he would understand.

They came to the kitchen and she looked art him in surprise.
One elf came to them and in the same time Charlotte felt really uncomfortable, that was the same thing she was always feeling when she thought she was breaking some rule.

"Ducky, I don't want you to have problems later because we came here, I can leave" she looked at him but he already charmed a poor little elf.

Ducky heaved a shrug. "Like it? I dunno. Accept it? Sure." He suddenly came to a stop and turned to look at her. "Look. I'm not perfect. I know it, I'm okay with it. So, chances are, neither will my friends be, y'know? So far, they've done more good for me than they have bad, so I can't complain too much now can I?" He wasn't sure why he was getting so defensive about it. She didn't know who she was accusing, it was just a generalization. And besides, she was asking just as much for her own sake as she was for his. He knew this.

It just hit closer to home now that he really didn't have those friends so close at hand.

He continued walking and smiled. "I know you don't hate me. But imagine this. Every time I talked to you I said 'Charlotte, you're a doll. You're a good lass - it's just too bad you're a redhead. Ugh, I hate redheads. They're all so rotten. I can't wait to never see another redhead in my life." He paused, trying to soften the hypothetical with a grin. "It feels a little like that when you start talking about magic. Especially because it's not like any of us can control that." He paused and then passed her a knowing glance. "But I don't think anyone really believes you're the hater you keep claiming you are."

He laughed when she assured him he didn't have to be her friend. "Thanks for the head's up but trust me, I don't often do anything I don't want to do."

Charlotte didn't seem to know what to do with the elves, and it struck Ducky that she might have never met a house elf before. He nudged her with his elbow and tilted his head towards Lomsey. "Go on then, Waldorf. Introduce yourself. Once Lomsey knows your name, you're in."

"Lomsey doesn't even know Ducky's real name," Lomsey grouchily reminded him, crossing her knobby arms.

He waved a hand lazily. "Another day."

(I skipped your first paragraph because I think it's better if we keep moving with the plot rather than keep the same thing in every post. Tell me if you have something against it so I can edit)

"Doll? Really? You wasn't able to think about anything else?" she looked at him before she finally started laughing as insane.
"I'm sorry I just..." She shook her head and once she was finally able to control her reaction she looked at him.
"I'm sorry. I know you had point and I can see that now. I know I was really bad toward others" she said honestly and start looking straight.
"I mean, I guess that was how my teenage years pass you know. Other girls were trying to find boys blah blah blah and I was just here hating my life. And I am not sure what was even the reason. Maybe I was just jealous because, you know, almost everyone here knows each other since they were born, probably. And I am able to see my friends only during holidays" she shrugged.
"And then, when I see them, I need to lie about my life and school. I lie them, so we can say I am the really bad friend" she shrugged.

Charlotte Waldorf was sure that she had never seen something like elf before.
She wasn't able to even to decide if they were really ugly or cure.
Sure, they was strange but there was something about them which force you to look at them, and they were so small and she couldn't actually hate them, they were cute.
She looked all around herself just to see many creatures like this one in front of her.
She looked at Ducky with disbelief written all over her face and then she finally looked at little elf Lomsey in front of her.

"Um, hello. My name is Charlotte Waldorf. I am really glad to meet you." She looked at Ducky as if she wants to ask him if that was okay, it's not like she knew how should she talk with elves.

She noticed that elf spoke like if she speaks about someone else and that was pretty funny.
"Sooo, this is how we get our meals." She smiled. It was really fascinating.
Thousands of elves were here, preparing food for them.

"Does they get tired? it looks like they have a lot of work here?" She frowned.

Ducky listened to her but held onto the thought, considering whether or not he should address it now or wait for a more eloquent argument. Not an argument, not eloquent maybe. Just a shared perspective.

Lomsey was a welcome distraction. The elf continued to frown but offered a hesitant nod, saying, "Welcome Miss Charlotte." Charlotte marvelled at the new knowledge of their meals and Lomsey rocked on her heels. "As well as the laundry, the cleaning the fires - Lomsey and the rest are hard at work."

Charlotte turned towards Ducky and he grinned, gesturing again towards Lomsey. "You can ask her, y'know? She's got ears - big ones at that."

"And Ducky's got a big head," Lomsey shot back. "Yes, we're very busy and of course we get tired. But we like the work - mostly." She paused. "I'll get Ducky and Miss Charlotte something to drink." And she skittered off.

Ducky grinned. "Lomsey's pretty much the exception to most elves. They're typically very docile - spent the whole of time being slaves to the purebloods, basically. But then people like Hermione Granger figured that wasn't very kind, so some reforms have been made. Lots of them stuck to their old ways. Lomsey, as you can tell, is of the new school of thinking. She's a free elf. Works for a wage. And doesn't treat humans like they're any better than she is."

He paused. "Y'know. I didn't know anyone when I got here. I knew the names of the famous families, sure, but I was just as alone as you probably feel. And so were all the people I ended up befriending. Being a teenager isn't any easier if you've known about magic you're whole life. It's easy to pit yourself against the world when you've only got your perspective, but... that doesn't exactly help you move from outside status. Y'know what I mean?"

"I know" that was the only thing Charlotte was able to say because, to be honest, for the first time in her life she felt speechless.
She knew he has right, he is older than her and with pretty much more experience. But even that didn't help her to feel any better, she just started hating this place more if that was even possible.
She hated the fact that she stuck here for one more year. One more year lying to friends. And one more year learning magical and muggles subjects at the same time just so she can speak with her friends during the holidays.

"Thank you Lomsey, she said once when that free elf came with their drink.
But then Charlotte looked at her watch and saw her class will start minutes. And her class was herbology. She looked at Ducky in panic.
"I have to go. I'm so sorry. And thank you for your company, I appreciate that a lot. Bye" with that said she run out of the kitchen in the hope she will get to the greenhouse in time.