*drusilla's fit above, scroll down if you cannot see it.

"Jealousy is a natural but horrible trait to have as humans. Unlike envy jealously is much harder to hide from your opponent but also invites chaos that is acted upon's one's hostility. It invites irrationality and exploits your vulnerability."
— Extract from Professor Drusilla von Tougaard that was used as a essay stimulus for an exam paper.

Rumina was a bright and ambitious young lady. At the age of twenty she had so far survived the university's most notorious course of the honours in political warefare that she was at first quite terrified of (well she was of course, Drusilla was unpredictable and spoke in metaphors from time to time). But, like many of the students in the class and the university she came to truely dote on Professor von Tougaard and trailed behind her like a cult member to a cult leader during office hours for advice whenever she could.

"Professor?" she knocked on her office door. Her voice meek—, a contrast to her usual demeanour. 

"Come in," she called and stands up once she enters, "take a seat."

The girl emerged from the door dressed sharply in her pant suit. Rumina admired her professor's look that had always managed to look so elegant and refined. Drusilla wore her imperious looking blue dress that had she wore with simple black heels and the family earrings that she wore every now and then that she found herself staring at.

"They're family heirlooms," Drusilla smiled resting her chin on her knuckle.

"They're absolutely beautiful! I've never seen a design like that," she leaned forward.

"Oh yes, they're ancient. They belonged once to a tragic queen of the old world," she says turning off her screen. "Now," she intertwines her fingers, "I've summoned you here because I want you to apply for Coriolanus Snow's internship."

"Really?" her eyes gleamed.

"Yes," Drusilla chuckled, "I believe you show some promising signs and a proper environment would really put those skills to the test. But I understand if of course—"

"No, no professor! I want this internship!" she exclaimed. Drusilla lets out a laugh that she was known for at the university—, a beautiful  and contagious one that  Rumina smiles reflexively at. 

"Excellent, I'll write you letter of recommendation then I'm sure your father will be proud of you," she smiled. The student was the youngest of her siblings and tried much to imitate her father with her poor fitted suits.

"Thank you professor!" 

Once the student is walks out of her office Drusilla sighs loudly, falling back into her seat with such force that it spins. Spiralling her around as the world began too. Once the chair slows down she glances at the time from the clock that stares down at her.

2:45. I should probably make my way to the station soon Drusilla pends as she strides over to her private powder room to retouch on her makeup. 

As she applies on her lipstick she opens up again the file that her father had sent her. Officer Marcellus Thread*. He had managed to climb the ranks fairly easily -like many high performing Capitol born men who passed their officer tests - and had come to be apart of her father's private division.

He had studied Dr Gaul's military strategy—, placed third in fact in his class, and minored in philosophy at the university and was a fairly handsome man with short curly locks and freckles. She then read the subsequent files about his family who had owned a few shopping malls here and there across the Capitol but were considered fairly new money.

He seemed like a promising young man, but what stumped her was there wasn't any particular qualities that she knew that wouldn't spark any interest in father. He seemed brilliant yes by his aptitude tests but other than that he seemed... dull. 

It intrigued her though, what quality had sparked her father's interest to make him a marriage prospect? 

She closes the file and decides to head out, calling a driver that would take her to the station.

Once there, she steps out of the car with practiced grace and strides over to the newly renovated train station that was once comparable to a cheap warehouse. She makes her way to the station that most officers from the district barracks get off from, her couture dress a stark contrast to the sea of peacekeeper uniforms that sneak in a few looks of the people's princess. 

She stands at the front of the platform, where she was informed that he would be on the front carriage. The train roars in the distant, she stands firm as the fabric of dress billows as the train comes to a halt.

Two privates come out and stand on each side and salute as the figure walks out dressed in a well tailored dress shirt and brown pants. Once the two peacekeepers go back inside the train Marcellus offers her a smile.

"Hello," she greets.

"It's a blessing to finally meet you face to face," he says and hands her a small bouquet of tulips. She takes it and admires how they looked freshly picked with a district warmth about it.

"Have we contacted before?" she raises a quizzical brow smelling the tulips.

"Oh—, well I've met you once. From afar. I was a private still back in two," he smiles.

"Oh," she teases. "What was your impression of me back then?"

"Well it was reduced to only talks about you from other peacekeepers. Feared, brilliant and beautiful," he says, "but when I first saw you, you were having a conversation with captain Marks."

"oh he's a captain now?" 

"Yes, he got promoted in last winter," he reveals.

"Wow," she chuckles. "We should probably get out of here. So what do you have plan on today's course?"

"I thought you would take the lead on that, it seems you thrive on the unpredictable," he grins.

"Smart man," she winks, "come we can take a walk in the park."

⎯⎯⎯

"So tell me Marcellus... Marcy," she earns a laugh from Marcellus who walks besides her, hands in pockets as they stroll along the foot path, "what is it like to be Marcellus Thread?"

"I see you know I studied philosophy," he shook his head. "But you already knew that. Why don't you tell me?"

"Well the files are only half the story," Drusilla turns to him. 

"Have you figured out that other half yet?" he quips.

"I'm getting there," Drusilla smirks.

"What about you? Who is Drusilla Aurelia von Tougaard?" 

"Ah..." Drusilla laughs, "I am... a student and teacher of the world."

"So you are," he nods. 

"So tell me something about yourself... that can't be found in the files."

"I like archival films."

"Really?" she chuckles. "Why so?"

"My father was a fanatic—, also we couldn't afford much after the war to watch newer films so every weekend I would watch the films that the Capitol city library put on. Grew to love them. Do you have a favourite film?"

"Not really... I never really watched any considering I grew up with my father who took me from base to base," she reveals. "So what about your time in the university? How did you find that?"

"Ah..." his voice strains. "Well I did what I could."

"Well considering what you did is placed third in Dr Gaul's class, that is quite remarkable."

"Thank you but it wasn't as well as I wanted to," he stops. 

A man of grudges, what are you getting at father?

"You're aptitudes were remarkable, you shouldn't feel ashamed," she reasons.

Marcellus shakes his head chuckling before he lets out a long sigh. "Sometimes even that is not even enough."

"Care to share?" she says cautiously.

"I do not wish to... offend you. Who you are close with."

"I don't understand?" she furrows her brows purposefully.

"Coriolanus, Festus, Hilarius, Livia— the whole lot," he explains. "Things are just... handed to them."

"Oh..." she makes a 'o' shape with mouth. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright... the world is full of unfairness. Some times you get the right last name and some times it doesn't."

She recalls now how she had heard from a fellow colleague when she was seventeen in district one where she had heard of the Snow boy who had become the youngest person to pass the officer test without even studying in the university. Even then, she had pieced it together, he felt shadowed by Coriolanus even when he had distanced himself from him. 

There were two ways a Capitol person could maintain success. Politics or the military. Greatness if you were born into the right family and could achieve both. Coriolanus was already on his way to attaining all three.

She suspected some bad blood between them by the way his throat tightened slightly and the slight twitch of his eye at the mention of the Snow boy's name. From memory it was Coriolanus who unsurprisingly placed first, second Festus by some miracle and then Marcellus. 

Perhaps her father wanted someone brilliant for her that she could easily control? No it was far to easy. Nothing in life is ever easy.

"What about you? I suspect you were well ahead as a child?" he turns to her.

"Well there were things I was good at... things I was bad at. I was never good at math you see. I failed all of my math exams my tutor gave me as a child."

"Really?" he exclaims.

"Yep," she pops the 'p'. "So I was think about going to— oh! Hello!" she looks down at the child who looked no older than seven that had bumped into her.

"S-sorry," the young girl stumbled. Drusilla bent down to her level, moving her hair out of the way. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I tripped on my shoe laces," she looks down. They were well made shoes Drusilla looked at. Designer in fact much like her attire of fine looking dress of bubblegum blue. "Do you want me to tie them up for you?" The girl shyly nods in response.

"We should probably move to the bench so we're not in anyone's way," Marcellus suggests looking around at the people passing by.

"Come," Drusilla wiggles her fingers gesturing for her to hold it. The girl hesitantly wraps her fingers around her's, where as she take's a step the girl instantly winces.

"You alright?" Marcellus frowns and furrows his brows in concern. His eyes move to her knee where the cut was.

"Oh dear," Drusilla clicks her tongue, "Would you like me to carry you or do you think you can walk to the bench just there?" she points.

"I s-should be alright," she stammers.

"Brave girl," Drusilla smiles. "I wish was brave like you."

"Really?" her eyes widen. "Even as an adult?"

"Oh yes, we adults hide that sometimes we're afraid," Drusilla says as she watches her careully stumble over to the bench.

"Now, let's see this cut first," Drusilla bends down. "Marcellus, there's a bandaid in my purse I believe."

"Here," he hands it to her.

"This might sting a bit since it has some salve," Drusilla warns as she takes of the wrapping off. The girl nods as Marcellus offers her his hand to squeeze. Drusilla carefully puts it on, the girl's eyes watering from the sting and squeezes his hand.

"You're very very brave," Drusilla compliments, trying to cheer up the girl as she then begins to tie up her shoe lace.

"Thank you," she smiles weakly.

"Where are your parents?" Marcellus asks.

"They're probably at the pavilion, it's my younger brother, Plutarch's birthday. He's turned two," she informs.

"What are you doing all the way over here?" Drusilla inquires.

"You see I was chasing my balloon—, but it popped before I got the chance. Then a scary dog started chasing me and I bumped into you."

"Pavilion—, oh are you by any chance related to Hilarius Heavensbee?" Drusilla asks as Marcellus cringes at the name.

"Y-yes! He's my uncle!" she gives a toothy grin.

"Ah! I've met him and I presume you know Aunt Lyssie right?" So it was true that the Heavensbee's rented out the whole pavilion. "Well, would you like us to take you there? It's a fair bit away," she asks. The girl nods vigourously. 

"You can have cake with us!" she shoots her hands in the air.

"Oh, that would be rude of us," she shakes her head.

"But you said you knew my uncle and aunt?" she tilts her head.

"You see, me and her are on a date," Marcellus adds.

"You are?" she giggles, "like husband and wife?"

"Oh no," the two of them laugh. "Not quite," Drusilla adds. "Well, we best be on then. What's your name my dear?"

"Regan," she says proudly. "Regan Heavensbee."

"Well, that's a very pretty name. I'm Drusilla and this is Marcellus," she introduces. "Would you like me to carry you there? It's pretty far."

"Yes please," she stretches your arms out. Drusilla scoops her up and glances at Marcellus who smirks.

"What's that face?" she jabs.

"I see why you enjoy on the unpredictable. It's much more fun."

⎯⎯⎯

Coriolanus sat with Festus whose arm was wrapped protectively around his wife who chatted with Lysistrata. Although Coriolanus was never particularly close with Hilarius' family, Clemensia had suggested to her husband for the blonde to tag along, get his mind off things especially after his grandmother's funeral. 

"— and I told him I would have him executed  for his incompetency if he didn't get it right the next time!" Festus exclaimed throwing his other hand in the air.

"Oh you're telling him that story," Hilarius joined the group followed by Urban with a drink for his wife who smiled at the gesture. Pliny 'pup' Harrington joined with his wife, a unpleasentely looking woman to Coriolanus' eye, carrying their three year old child. Pup being one of the many in Coriolanus' graduate batch to start a family early.

Many families of the elite had urged to start a family early, especially after the war. Wanting to establish a family as soon as possible to rebuild the family name.

Coriolanus too had felt the pressure, watching everyone get married and start a family where he had come up with the excuse that he was focusing on establishing himself first. Not that anyone questioned considering he had become the youngest person to past the officer aptitude test, graduate with honours and simultaneously become a game maker and rising politician.

Clemensia's mother had always pointed out that Coriolanus would make a fine father after one particular interaction with her cousin's children.

"Oh he'll make a fine father! With his genes they'll be so beautiful and handsome!" he recalled.

At first he never much thought about being a father, well a good one at that. He had been caught up on the idea of not marrying for love, marrying someone he would despise and hold no leverage against him like Livia. He found it a challenge to tolerate her, find some sort of respect and get along with her parents who were as upturned as their daughter. He imagined their children to be vapid and take a lot of work to turn into respectable children to earn the Snow name.

But then came along Drusilla that fateful evening and then Alumni event. He imagined now, looking at Pup's own family of Drusilla as a mother. A perfect mother she would make with her caring smile and hugs that his children—, well it would be best to have two or three at most, would fight for. Imagining playing with them as he opened the door home and reveal them playing with one another that he never saw Capitol families did and most certainly never received from his grandma'am. As his children would realise his home and rush towards with a hug as Drusilla only laughed in the background.

They would be beautiful of course, like Drusilla. His beautiful and perfect Drusilla.Maybe perhaps one of them— a girl he hoped, would be a replica of her. Brown hair and warm eyes that invited what Panem would stand for.

He imagined how brilliant they would be, respectable children of the Capitol with an edge to them like their mother. Something that was unattainable by wealth. A perfect and fitting legacy to his—, both of their names.

"She's grown," he comments giving a light chuckle as the girl hides her face in his arms.

"She has," Pup agrees pridefully. "Hermione, say hi to your dad's old classmate."

The girl only looks to Coriolanus and shyly waves at him earning an 'aw' from Clemensia. 

"She's very cute," he comments he then turns to Clemensia who begins to silently talk to his daughter. "How's your pregnancy?"

"It's been alright for now," Clemensia sighs.

"Fine for you," Festus mumbles.

"I heard that."

"Coriolanus when are you planning to propose to your girlfriend?" his wife asks him. The group all look to Coriolanus then to Pup's wife.

"He's not courting her yet," Festus laughs, slapping his knees. Coriolanus' jaw ticks, tightening slightly as he hides his fustration with a smile.

"Actually uh, we're not courting one another just yet," he informs.

"Oh—, I didn't mean," she stammers.

"It's fine," he gives a laboured smile. 

"Hilarius!" Antonia, Hilarius' sister-in-law, cries in a flurry.

"What's wrong?" Hilarius asks concerningly.

"Have you seen Regan?" she cries. "She's been missing for an hour!"

"No, sorry," he shakes his head standing up as Antonia looked like she was about to faint.

"She couldn't have gone far, not at least out of the boundaries of the park," Lysistrata reasoned.

"These insipid fools," Hilarius glares at a near by security officer who gulps. "Can't even notice a child missing."

"Mummy!" they all turn around to see Regan running into her mother's arms. 

"Oh my goodness Regan!" she cries scooping her protectively into a hug and notices her knee. "You're knee!"

"It's alright mummy, a man and the pretty lady helped me," she beams.

"Who?" Antonia trails as Regan turn and waves at Drusilla and Marcellus in the distance. 

"Is... is that Dru?" Lysistrata squints recognising her friend's usual style. 

"Oh! I must give them my thanks!" Antonia at full speed beehives around the guests and runs up to them.

The group stand up as they watch from the distance Antonia thanking them dramatically.

"Whose Drusilla with?" Clemensia frowns.

"You know he looks rather familiar," Hilarius squints his eyes knowing it was on the tip of her tongue.

"He says his name is Marcellus," Regan informs.

"Marcellus? As in Marcy from uni?" Clemensia says. "Goodness I thought he would have died in shame after what happened."

"What's he doing with Drusilla?" Hilarius scoffs. 

Coriolanus jaw tightens, visibly so but the rest seem too interested at the sight of their old classmate to notice. Why was someone like him doing with his future wife? With his future mother of his children? So closely to his beautiful and perfect Drusilla.

"They said they were on a date," Regan says innocently. Everyone's eyes widen at her as they looked back a the three and notice the bouquet in her hand. Coriolanus' fist curls into a tight ball.

"Date? Is her aunt still pairing her with suitors?" Lysistrata's brows furrow in confusion.

"She said no..." Clemensia's voice dies down as she turns to Coriolanus, who gives a cold and harden glare at Marcellus.

As Marcellus laughs at the joke Drusilla made he feels an awfully familiar chill up his spine as he turns to see Coriolanus and knows well enough by the look on his face that all hell was going to freeze over.

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hehehehe... jelly...

1. The character Marcellus Thread is actually the uncle of Romulus Thread from Catching Fire! If anyone cares...

2. yes, baby plutarch heavensbee is here to stay! And of course you'll see some more interactions in the future when he's a wee bit older.