Surrounded By Shadows (Dare)

[Myn Katrenya R2]

The books wobbled perilously in her arms, causing Myn to reach up and try to steady them. Unfortunately, the removal of the hand holding the books made them fall on her. She scowled murderously at the students walking past, laughing at her and not even trying to hide their laughter, let alone help her. Myn sighed and knelt down to collect the books, aiming a glare at every student who passed by and kicked a book further away from her. Stupid, insensitive people, she thought angrily, checking the books for damage and lessening her glare slightly when she found them in perfect condition.

Once they were all in her arms, she started to make her way back to her dorm, staying close to the wall ands hoping that nobody would think it funny to trip her up. Myn arrived at her dorm and dumped the books on her bed, wincing when some crashed on to the floor but not bothering to pick them up. She shrugged off her robe to change into more casual clothes, deciding on jeans and her favourite blue top. Looking in the mirror, she grinned at the words on her top. Nothing lasts forever, why should love be any different?

The courtyard was mostly empty, probably because everyone was at dinner, she mused. Myn headed for the tree closest to the wall and sat down. Leaning against the tree and covered in shadows, she sighed with content. Something is finally right. No worries. No problems. And best of all, she smiled and closed her eyes, no homework.

[darien]

Ray sauntered through the hallways his hands pushed into the pockets of his khaki pants. Everyone had their own style. Everyone should have their own style or a personal lack of style that was completely unique and him. It was the way they presented themselves to the world and it was easier to get to know the way someone was inside if they look pretty on the outside too. Taking a step back Dare smiled charmingly at the two girls letting them step outside before him earning two pretty smiles for this small act politeness that came so naturally to Dare. The tune of Jimi Hendrix’s “Foxy lady” sounded from his lips in the form of a merry whistle as Dare plotted to find something to do. The winter was yet to leave completely but the spring sun was already present and warming and simply drawing people outside. Dare was no exception to this rule.
Keeping out of the shadows the Hogwarts walls and the trees here and there cast Dare sauntered around trying to think of something he would wish to do right now. Perhaps something sporty. Dare was quite ahtlethic anyways but he worked out to stay in shape and one day get into auror training without too many trouble than to impress others. Impressing others was just a side benefit. Dare noticed a small figure sitting in the shade of one tree and turned to take a closer look. He didn’t know the girl but wearing only a top might not be the brightest idea in this kind of weather. Even as he changed directions and started to walk towards the girl Dare shrugged his jean-jacket off as he was wearing a long-sleeved blouse under it still.
“Aren’t you a little bit cold, doll?” Dare asked with a smile as he crouched down next to the girl placing her jacket over her shoulders as he grinned charmingly at the girl, “The weather can get quite chilly still and it would be a shame if such a pretty girl caught a cold. It would be almost an blasphemy!”

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn's eyes remained closed when she heard footsteps, dismissing them as someone walking past her and started to sing quietly. She had passed one of the older students in the corridor and the song that the girl was humming had gotten stuck in her head.
"Everything's newer and brighter and bluer
And truer to life than before
Watch me soar!
For a moment
I can shine, got a grin and a-"

She choked on the words of the song when she felt something heavy settle over her shoulders and her eyes snapped open. Her cheeks tinted red in embarrassment at being caught singing as she looked at the boy in front of her. Myn vaguely recognised him as an older Gryffindor. A fifth or sixth year probably.

"Thanks, not wearing a jacket probably wasn't the cleverest thing I've ever done. But to be honest, I was too lost in thought to even notice the cold. " She smiled sheepishly at her mistake before realising something.
"Hey, why aren't you at dinner? "

[darien]

The girl was singing when Dare crouched down next to her. She didn’t have a professionals voice but it wasn’t unpleasant either. Even if Dare’s appearance stopped her singing very abruptly for some reason Dare didn’t understand. Was she shy perhaps? Not all people liked to sing before anyone Ray knew even though he didn’t share such a personality trait. Laughter made life worth while and if he managed to help others laugh (even if they laughed over him in a good way) the Dare was also happy. He could never stay sad or stay put for too long. He had a chronically good mood. Maybe some people found that a bit annoying or distracting but generally people started to laugh along with him sooner or later.

Ray grinned at the younger girl and while still staying in his crouched position tried to bow even if the movement was very unsteady. “My pleasure to serve, doll. Your very personal Ray of sunshine. You can call me Ray if you wish. And the weather can be traitorous. It charms us until we come outside thinking it’s spring and here there are still chilly winds that cut through our flesh robbing our health.” Ray grinned at the girl who looked a bit comical right now as Ray’s jacket was much too big for her. It was only logical too as Ray was already a fifth year, which meant that he wasn’t that small chap anymore. There was still plenty of room for him to grow, but he would very soon be reaching his full height. Ray guessed that he would still grow a couple of inches, it wasn’t very likely he would grow much more than that.

Throwing his head back Ray laughed rocking lightly back and forth on his toes the fingers of his left hand touching the ground so that he wouldn’t loose balance and fall completely. Reaching his right hand forward Ray reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out two muffins offering one of them to the younger girl with a sly wink. “Magic. I already ate something earlier. I suppose I wasn’t that hungry really. Besides I might not have met with you, doll, had I stayed cooped up in the Great Hall to eat.”

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn grinned at the boys attempt to bow while crouching but guessed that she didn't look much better, the jacket was ridiculously big on her. She tugged the jacket closer to her and shivered, the cold wind wracking her small frame. Her hand rose automatically to tug at the ends of her hair, naturally nervous around new people. Myn laughed in delight at his way of introducing himself. "My Ray of sunshine, cute. Sunshine certainly is needed with this weather. I'm Myn, Katren or Kat. Whichever you prefer."

Her eyes danced with laughter at her nicknames, remembering the shocked expressions on various people's faces when they heard them. Myn resisted the urge to roll her eyes, most people had no sense of humour these days. Still, everyone to their own thing. If people wanted to be boring sticks in the mud then so be it, but she would have fun with or without them.

Myn reached out to take the muffin that he offered to her, biting into it with satisfaction. She swallowed then started to speak again. "Trust me Ray, most people would consider not meeting me a good thing. After all, not everyone appreciates a genius." She joked before finishing the muffin. Perhaps skipping both lunch and dinner wasn't the smartest thing to do, she mused.

[darien]

The girl accepted the muffin Ray was generously offering to her and Ray smiled. True, it meant that his own stomach would be that much more emptier now. But a muffin wasn’t very filling anyway. And who cared about a little bit of hunger if you received a bright smile from a pretty girl as a reward? Ray grinned and moved shifted his own bodyweight a little. Standing on your toes in a crouching position for too long started to hurt your legs. Being on your toes for too long did it too actually. Ray had to admire women all the more for it. He had tried on the high heeled shoes of his older sister once. And Dare had barely been able to walk properly in them without twisting his ankles or falling or without having his legs hurt afterwards. It was just amazing how girls could do so much with seemingly so little effort.

“Such weathers are created for a reason. Summers were created for warm nights when girls go for walks in light summer dresses. Days like today are created just for us sorry folk who are sometimes referred to as guys or men or males in generally so we would have a reason to approach such beauties even if it is only to humble offer our services or jackets to keep the beauties of the world from getting chilly,” Ray winked at Myn as she introduced herself and reached out taking her right hand between both of his. Folding the sleeve of his jacket a little bit backwards so that he could see Myn’s hand Ray raised it to his lips for a moment in a formal greeting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, doll. And the pleasure is all mine.” Ray said simply in response to the girls greeting before settling back on sitting on the ground.

“A genius? Oh, I appreciate them all. Beauty and brains. What more could a simple guy like me ask for? And I’m yet to meet any girl in this whole wide world who isn’t so incredibly talented it doesn’t stun me. Nothing could make me happier to be allowed to just sit at the side-lines and clap as all the smart and beautiful girl of Hogwarts go on with their everyday life,” Ray smiled at Myn once more as he calmly thought of all the girls he knew in Hogwarts. And even of those he was yet to be personally acquaintanced.

[Myn Katrenya R2]

A small, mischievous smile curved her lips as Myn watched him shift slightly. True, it would be out of character to kick out at his ankle and knock him over...but it would be so much fun. Her mind quickly thought through all of the possible reactions that he could have and she grimaced, deciding to wait until she knew how he would take it. After all, she reflected with amusement, he could have a hidden mean streak. A brow lifted as she thought over the way he had been acting and her head shook slightly, not believing that a boy who seemed so utterly...boyish, for lack of a better word, wouldn't be able to hide such an attribute.

"Trust me. I wouldn't be seen dead in one of those summer dresses. Combat boots and leather jackets are more my style." Her reply was dry and truthful but she couldn't stop her mind conjuring a picture of her mother trying to persuade her to wear one such dress. Stop it, she told herself sharply. Those days are over, she doesn't love you anymore idiot. You weren't good enough for her. Myn's eyes filled with tears and she bowed her head quickly to hide them, refusing to show weakness in front of a stranger.

A deep breath brought her back to reality and she smiled, masking her sadness. "Beauties." Myn looked around with a self-deprecating smile. "None here, I think you got lost if you're looking for one. They're all inside." She gestured to the empty space surrounding them. Her eyebrow shot upwards again as he kissed her hand before the action triggered a memory for a few weeks ago. Her smile turned into a smirk, remembering the older girls talking about him in the common room. Myn shook her head sadly, sure he acted like a gentlemen but masks were only too easy to uphold, she knew that from experience.

"Nothing could make you happier?" Disbelief filled her words and sharpened her tone. "What about your own success? Or does that not matter so long as you get to ogle at every pretty girl that crosses your path?" Myn mentally winced at her cruel words and opened her mouth to let an apology spill out, used to saying things without thinking them over first. Think what you wish, she rebuked herself sharply, but never say your thoughts aloud, not only is it hurtful but it gives information about you. "I'm sorry. I had no right to say that. I'm rather...stressed lately." Her apology sounded cold but had an undercurrent of sincerity. Her eyes studied the floor, unwilling to see the anger that would undoubtedly be on his face.

[darien]

‘Seen dead in one of those dresses’. It was a curious statement. Because after you had moved on to an other realm you had no say over what was done with your earthly body. You wouldn’t even know what you would be made to wear before you were buried. So maybe that saying held more truth in itself than had been originally intended. “Everyone has their own style and we all look at different things differently. Combat boots and leather jackets most definitely have their uses as well,” Ray responded easily with a shrug. Maybe Myn was still too young to appreciate skirts and dresses. Every girl grew up from being a girl to being a woman in a different time after all.

Ray grinned glancing over his shoulders to the school. He liked girls. It was as simple as that. Short girls and tall girls, chubby girls and slim girls, brainy girls and sporty girls, redheads, blondes, brunettes and girls with colour hair. Ray loved them all. There are a lot of beauties inside the castle, I know that. But we all see beauty differently. When I say you look pretty to me, doll, then that’s my opinion that I’m entitled too.” ray arched a curious eye-brow at the disbelieving tone of voice with what Myn snapped at him. Myn was only a first year. What had made her so cynical already? But Ray had caught sight of the tears in her eyes before she lowered hem so he shifted a little to sit down next to Myn.

“It’s a difficult question you ask me, doll. All of us understand happiness differently, don’t you think? For a preacher joy is a prayer, for a choir-leader joy is a song, for a craftsman an useful tool, for a teacher a correctly written test perhaps, for an owl a tasty treat? It’s the same with success. I find joy in pretty girls and I feel that my day has been successful if I can make a cute girl smile at me, doll,” Ray said reaching out his hand and placing it under Myn’s cheek moving her face upwards as Ray’s thumb brushed away the tear that had fallen from her eyes without a comment. “Don’t worry about it, doll. We all have harsh days. Or weeks. Or months.”

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn dragged a hand across her face roughly, wiping away all evidence of the tears but it was a futile gesture as more fell. "Sure, you're entitled to your opinion, everyone is." She forced the words through her tears, steadying her voice with practiced ease. A bitter smile crossed her face, knowing that she shouldn't be so cynical at her age and cursing the events that had led to it.

Her eyes closed, trying to stop the tears as she listened to his voice. Focusing on it and trying to stop the tremors that wracked her small frame. She shouldn't push her issues onto strangers, her mind told her cruelly, Mother would be so ashamed if she saw you like this - bothering people with your petty problems. "E-everyone has different idea's of happiness." She nodded, wincing at the unsteady rhythm of her voice and comparing it to her usual calm and controlled tone.

"Maybe the world would be simpler if we all had similar idea's of happiness. Then people wouldn't fight or get divorced and wars wouldn't happen." Myn sighed, pulling away from him and curling into a ball, wrapping her arms around her knees to pull them into her. A form of protection and way of hiding away from the world, her Dad called it. A foolish act of burying your head in the sand, Myn had called it. How ironic that she, who had believed that people should confront issues directly, was now hiding in the very way that she had despised. "Days, weeks, months." She smiled again, even more bitterly than before. "Time does nothing. Time can't heal anything except physical injuries."

((Whoa, I actually didn't mean for her to get emotional until later - when I could warn people about what they were getting in to. Sorry. Should I modify or can you handle it?))

[darien]

Ray smiled sadly at Myn seating himself next to her and rubbing her back with small comforting circles. Her grandmother had always used to say that if things were hard you wanted to feel someone warm and breathing next to you so you would know you weren’t alone in the end no matter how bad things went. Ray could sense Myn’s need for security so he let her cry and didn’t comment on her tears. For some reason Ray felt as if Myn wouldn’t want it. “We are entitled to our opinion up to the point where we get it into our heads that our opinion is the only correct one and are unable to change it anymore. Fanatics never did anyone any good.”

Ray smiled and let Myn curl up as Ray left her space. “Happiness? We aren’t all-knowing. It’s part of our nature, it’s coded into our genes that we make mistakes, develop. Have you never wished to eat an apple from the tree in the back-yard even though you are repeatedly told that the apples are still raw? Yet the desire can overcome and so you go and eat the apple with almost guilty pleasure and even though you will have a stomach ache. Yet when next year rolls around you still eat the raw apple all over again. We all make mistakes and sometimes grow up differently, so that we need to change the choices and decisions we have made earlier. It’s only human,” Ray mused quietly trying to comfort Myn. Divorces were always hard to live through and not only for the parents. Ray was sincerely sorry that Myn had to live through it, but he couldn’t really do anything for her except to be there. Myn had to understand herself that she wasn’t to be blamed.

“Scars stay as a memory. Maybe time doesn’t take away mental pain, but it familiarizes us with it so we can learn to cope with it, so we can sometimes even learn to use it for our own advantage,” Ray argued his point rather calmly while smiling almost fondly to the side of Myn’s head that he could see from his position.

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn froze as Ray came closer but relaxed slightly as he started to comfort her. Warmth spread through her when he started rubbing circles on her back, the warmth of knowing someone was at least trying to comfort you when you felt that your world was tumbling down around your ears. She hesitated for a moment before shifting closer and leaning into him slightly, afraid of being pushed away but needing the comfort he was offering her.

Finally the tears slowed and she was able to talk again without the threat of more tears descending. "Is it right that we are so convinced that our opinion is the right one, to the extent that we disregard even the possibility that another person may be right? Isn't that just another problem about our humanity, that we believe ourselves to be so much more knowledgable than everyone else?" She turned to look up at him, the childish side of her hoping that he had the answers but the more rational part of her telling her that he wouldn't. That nobody had all the answers.

Myn curled up as he left her, embarrassed that he had seen her in such a vulnerable state and vowing to try to explain her desperation for comfort. "No human is all-knowing and certainly not I as I have made that very mistake you were just talking about. As human nature dictates, I ate the apple the very next year and experienced the same stomach ache as the year before. Why is it that humans never seem to learn unless some kind of pain is involved and repeated? It took me three years and a lot of stomach aches before I stopped eating raw apples." Myn moved her head so that she could look at him, allowing her hair to curtain some of her face. "Was it my fault?...No. Don't answer that, its not fair for me to ask you that question." She hadn't hesitated to ask the question but immediately regretted it, realising that she had no right to ask him such a question.

"Pain can be used as an advantage?" Myn asked doubtfully, brushing her hair out of her eyes so she could see properly. "That sounds like something from the Slytherin handbook." She flushed slightly, berating herself for speaking badly of people she hadn't met properly but didn't bother to amend her sentence. If she ever met a Slytherin that proved her belief about not all of the Slytherin house being bad then she would amend it.

"Nobody has ever comforted me like that." She admitted quietly "I never let my Mother or Dad see me cry and had always thought of crying as a way of showing weakness. A few of my muggle friends told me that they usually ran to their brother or sister for comfort but I've never had that option. Generally, I comfort myself whenever I feel like crying and never let anyone know that I have been crying." She chose her words tactfully, determined to explain the slight shock she had experienced when he comforted her and the almost desperate need she had had for the comfort but not wishing to put her family in a bad light. Myn frowned slightly, eyes rising from looking at the floor to meet his in confusion, truly not understanding his actions. "Why did you comfort me? You could've just left..."

[darien]

Ray smiled at Myn at her questions. He didn’t know all the answers. At least he didn’t know if his answers were correct, but he could share his opinions with Myn. “Actually I think it is right. We have to be open to new good possibilities, but we should still have the ability to stick to our own priorities and fight for the things we believe in. Isn’t that even the definition of courage? To stand up for what you believe is right? We make decisions that are influenced with what we know at the moment, so maybe at that moment the decision we made was the only correct on. It’s not fair to rethink one’s decisions afterwards when looking back, because we don’t feel the same today as we did a month or a year ago,” Ray smiled at Myn thoughtfully as he pondered over his won words. He had thought about it earlier too, but he wasn’t sure if he’s thoughts were easy enough to follow, “And we have to follow ourselves, so as not to become strangers to life, friends, family and our own soul. I still make that mistake of eating raw apples every spring and I still have the stomach-ache. Yet I know I won’t be able to give up on the temptation to try as maybe this year things will be different. I will have grown, so maybe this year there won’t be a stomach-ache.”

Ray laughed a little at Myn’s words. Gryffindors and Slytherins didn’t get along. It was known all over the school and even beyond it’s boundaries. They sort of just didn’t work well together if there weren’t anyone else to balance their characters and beliefs and even then there were troubles. “Maybe we can use it in a way to prevent someone else from going through the same kind of pain. And just maybe we could learn something from the Slytherin handbook too.” Ray looked at Myn curiously even as he said those words. There was something good in everyone. Maybe with the exception of he-who-must-not-be-named, but Ray found himself believing that there was some good in Slytherins. Hidden very deep and denied, but it was still there.

Ray felt something surge inside his veins as Myn admitted not having anyone dry her tears before. Why had no one cared? Ray rubbed Myn’s shoulders once more but found himself lacking words so he stayed silent. He mulled over Myn’s words as she questions his actions. Why had he stayed? Ray hadn’t even thought about whether he should stay and try to help or should he rather leave. “I’m not sure exactly. Maybe one day you will comfort me. I have a little sister you know. I won’t be in Hogwarts anymore when she comes here and sometimes accidents happen and you feel so sad you can’t hold back tears. I hope that someone would stay and try to comfort her then, so maybe that is why I stayed? I can’t tell you one certain reason I must admit.”

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn allowed a small smile to cross her face, Ray may not know all the answers but at least he was willing to share his opinion with her. "But thats my point." She argued calmly, finding the small debate easier to handle than her emotions. "People are so fixed upon their own opinion, so sure that they are right, that they overlook the possibility that the opinion of someone else may make more sense than their own." Myn paused, her head tilting thoughtfully. "But then...thats my opinion, and I think its right. Which proves my point." She smiled in triumph, enjoying her small victory and waiting for his reply.

Myn sighed quietly, thinking about his words. "Maybe it would be easier if we were strangers to everyone. It would be a lonely life but no one would be able to hurt anyone. Wouldn't that cancel out the loneliness? I guess it depends on how well a person handles being alone really." She smiled sadly, dropping her gaze to look at the ground. "I think I could survive living like that. For if no one comes too close then they can't hurt us. I think that only people who matter to us can truly hurt us. My family can hurt me but a stranger cannot."

Her eyes rose to study Ray thoughtfully, she didn't know if he could hurt her or not and it unnerved her. "You, however, are somewhat of an exception because I'm not sure if you could hurt me. On one hand, you're a stranger who I know only by reputation. On the other hand, you were there for me and comforted me although you don't know me." Myn shrugged, hiding her unease with a smile. After this meeting ended she would probably only see him in the corridors and then he would be with his friends. The small tinge of sadness she felt at that thought surprised her but she put it down to him comforting her, it would go away in a day or two. Bonds that are made through comfort can be easily broken, she reassured herself, we'll both have forgotten each other by next week.

She flushed at the look he sent her, taking it as a reprimand for her words and hurrying to explain. "I have nothing against Slytherins, I'm sure that some of them are nice. They protect the others in their house which is an admirable trait. I've just never met a Slytherin that was actually nice to me and until I do, I'll reserve judgment.The ability to be cunning is not solely reserved to the Slytherin house yet people brand the Slytherins as evil. Pranksters are cunning, does that make them evil?" Myn looked at Ray curiously, wondering why he, a Gryffindor, had seemed annoyed by her apparent insult toward the Slytherins. Weren't Gryffindors supposed to hate the Slytherins?

Myn bowed her head as he rubbed her shoulders, accepting the comforting gesture silently. His decision to stay had utterly confused her and that he was still offering her comfort confused her even more. He didn't even know her but he still tried to comfort her. "If the opportunity comes for me to return the favor and comfort you then I will." Myn promised, a smile touching her lips. He seemed like the type to have plenty of friends, he wouldn't need her to comfort him but if she saw him upset then she would try to help. "You have a sister? How old is she?" Myn had always been eager to learn about the siblings of people she met, hearing about them seemed to lessen the longing that she had for a brother or sister of her own. "I'm just glad that you did stay, the reason doesn't really matter." She admitted quietly, shooting him a grateful smile.

[darien]

“Maybe we are right at the current situation? We can’t evaluate our past decisions correctly now, because now we aren’t influenced by the matters that influenced us back then anymore,” Ray still disagreed with. In a way she understood what kind of a point she was trying to explain, but that didn’t mean Ray thought it was correct either. Myn’s next statement interested Ray much more. Alone? That was not the way for a human to live. “It would hurt even more to be alone. No one to listen to you, no one to help you grow. It’s written into ourselves that we need a companion, a partner to fulfill us. It’s just the path that we have to take upon before finding the other part of us that can be a little bit difficult.” Ray eyed the girl not really knowing what to say. For Ray his home was his safe haven and his family-members were his guardian angels. He knew that if he was in trouble he could always go home, return to his family. Together they would always find a way out of anything.

Ray grinned at Myn’s words: “Doll, don’t believe in rumours. What’s in them is wrong and the detail that started it is most probably understood wrongly.” Ray winked at Myn a bit wickedly: “I deny everything good in those rumours. And anyone decent would have stayed here. You just have to have some faith in people.” Ray shifted a little on the ground starting to feel the chill coming from the ground. How had Myn been able to stand it as she had been standing for longer as he had? Ray bounded to his feet his energy back at it’s normal level as he stretched for amoment before reaching out his hands towards Myn. “Come doll, let’s go and walk a little before we grow grass on ourselves. I fear that green grass wouldn’t be very becoming on me, while it would do nothing to hinder your beauty. And wasn’t the saying innocent until proven guilty? How many Slytherins have attacked and hurt you to make you prejudiced against all of them?”

Ray smiled as Myn asked about his sister. “Doll, don’t even get me started. Or I’ll never finish speaking. I could speak for ever about the light of my life, my mother. She was hte first one who ever started to call me Dare as well. You can use either Dare or Ray. I respond to both names. And twice as long about my two angels. I have one older sister, who’s already out of Hogwarts. Then two younger brothers who are 10 and 9 and my little guardian angel is 6. She has me twisted around her little finger ever since birth, but how could I ever say no to her? I adore my whole family. And you, doll? Any siblings or a royal only child who alone got all the good genes of the family?” Dare smiled at Myn happily his eyes shining with an inner happiness as he thought of his family.

[Myn Katrenya R2]

"It would hurt you to be alone but I'm not sure that it would hurt me." Myn smiled and shrugged before explaining her reasoning. "We grew up in different ways, different families. And that shows in every move we make and every thought we have. So while it would hurt you to be alone, it wouldn't hurt me." Her reasoning may have been true but her words were lies, Myn would be hurt by being alone as she had just proved by crying. Thinking that her mother hadn't loved her enough to stay had hurt deeply and the wound still stung because Myn still wasn't sure that she hadn't been the cause of her mothers departure.

Myn laughed quietly, most people would deny the bad of the rumours but Ray denied the good. The words both amused her and made her wonder exactly how much of the rumours were true. "Rumours can be interesting. They're a way of learning about people you've never met. Of course, you have to take them with a pinch of salt, obviously not all of the rumour will be true but theres no smoke without fire." Myn grinned at him, thoughts about her family disappearing from her mind momentarily. "Faith is hard to give and too easy to be broken, rather like trust or a reputation." A slightly wicked glint twinkled in her eye for a moment. "Reputations have to be built over a long period of time. How long did it take to build yours, Ray?"

Myn hesitated before taking his hand. To take it would be to fully accept him as someone who could possibly be a friend but refusing to take it would be turning away from someone who had helped her. Myn took his hand slowly, allowing him to pull her up. 'Better friends than enemies right?' she reasoned away her actions to herself silently. "I prefer guilty until proven innocent. Whats the point of making friends with a person who will later betray you? And I don't just mean the Slytherins, a person from any house can betray people. Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, Ravenclaws, Gryffindors. The only difference between them is their strengths. Loyalty, cunning, intelligence, bravery. All are valuable attributes and none more so than any other. We are put into the house of our strongest attribute to strengthen it even more while our other attributes are left to rot. But if we were put into the house of our weakest attribute then fights would occur." Myn smiled sheepishly, she had wandered from her original point and couldn't even remember what that original point had been but she had still made a good point.

She listened to his words about his family intently, enjoying the happy look on his face. Her family may have been awful but her faith in the fairness of the world was boosted by the obvious love Ray showed for his family. Ray, who was so kind to a stranger, definitely deserved a good family, one that could love him. Myn briefly wondered what she would be like if she had experienced the same type of family life that Ray had before shoving the thought away. It did no good to think about things that would never happen. The past was past and there was no way of changing it.

"You can talk about your family all you want. I enjoy hearing about them." Myn assured him quietly, tilting her head to smile at him. "I'm an only child." Myn answered his question simply, not wishing to destroy his happiness with memories of all the times she had wished for a brother or sister. Myn smiled wryly, for the first time she was glad that she didn't have any siblings. If she had then they would be going through the same hurt that she was. "Dare?" Myn lifted an eyebrow at him curiously, trying to change the subject back to his family and away from her own but also genuinely curious about the name.

[darien]

Ray looked at Myn consideringly for a moment as they started to walk slowly towards no real direction. Just walking. Sitting on the ground already might have some nasty results and cold wasn’t fun either so they could. “We grew up differently. But it’s not only your parents who shape you to be who you are. There is something common in every human. Something written deep into our nature that we can’t change. Have you never wished for someone to understand without words, because it hurts too much to speak? You are a story yourself, so people should be able to understand while looking at you. But I think we all need that special someone who holds the second half of our heart. And that someone is out there, we just have to carry on until we find her. Him at your case,” Ray smiled at Myn charmingly not agreeing to back away from his opinion. He believed it to be true, so he sticked to it. At least this belief didn’t hurt anyone in any way so why not?

Ray couldn’t turn Myn’s childhood happy nor give her a better family. But maybe he could share some happiness. Make sure she knew she could make a better home and create her own loving family one day. “I love my family more than anything else in the world. Every spring and autumn we go out to the sea together for a couple of days and don’t worry about business or grades or anything. The feeling of leading a yacht over the small waves while the salty wind kisses your face and the sunrays burn their patterns into your skin while your loved ones are around you isn’t something you can describe. You have to feel it and at those moments you do feel as if you can become bigger than life.”

Dare grinned and chuckled while pretending to push back his hair. Even if there was no need because his hair was short enough to be naturally spiky. “Why, I never knew. I have a reputation? Why, doll, never knew you were so smitten with me that you have paid attention to every little detail of my life you have happened to hear. I’m flattered as I doubt I deserve that much attention.” Dare winked at Myn twirling her around on a sudden impulse before glancing at the girl curiously. What had managed to destroy her faith in mankind so completely? “Have a little faith. Fairies are there, dragons are there, adventures and love is there. So there’s goodness too in the Hufflepuffs, Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Gryffindors. We are all humans, so naturally we make errors, but being human also means there’s something clean and bright in everyone’s soul. It was given along to us when we were born.” Ray glanced skywards. He had always been told to just glance up to where angels were keeping an eye on you and go on even if things were rough. And he did try to follow that guideline, even if Ray usually wasn’t very good at following orders or suggestions.

Dare grinned and winked again. “Dare. If I must confess then my boring full name is Darien Raymond Fletcher. But only my old grandfather who is as dry as parchment calls me that. My family seems to have taken to calling me Dare. Some of my friends call me Dare, some Ray.”

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn nodded silently, his words struck a chord inside her and she couldn't deny it. She had often wished for someone to understand her without words and was still waiting, but she was only young. Myn still held hope that one such person would come along and sweep her off her feet and had sworn to never stop searching for him. "I wish I could say that I didn't know what you were talking about, that I truly believed that I didn't need anyone but I can't. I've wished and wished for someone who would understand me without words and now all I can do is wait and search for him." Myn smiled at him warmly, gradually relaxing around him and slowly starting to trust him. Ray - or Dare, as he said some people called him - seemed to be genuine in his attempts to help her.

Myn listened to his words and a small warmth started to spread through her. She knew that many others had had better childhoods than her but she hadn't realized that it could be so...amazing. The events he spoke of with such simple love would have been welcomed eagerly by her. Myn blinked in astonishment, she knew that she gave off the impression that her parents didn't love her and indeed she felt like that sometimes. But they did love her, they had to. It was just that they didn't know how to show it...right? All parents loved their kids, kids were part of the parents. Flesh, blood and bone shared between the generations. They couldn't not love her.
Myn allowed him to twirl her around, not that she could have stopped him if she had wanted to, and winked at him with sudden mischievousness. "Oh yes, I follow you around and take photographs of you at every opportunity. They're pasted over the walls in my dorm. I listen to every conversation that could have you in it and memorize every fact about this boy called Dare that I hear." Myn grinned at him and started to laugh, the nickname slipping out easily. It just seemed to fit into the conversation better than 'Ray' and she hadn't even noticed her usage of it.The conversation was just so ridiculously pointless and untrue that she couldn't help laughing. Her good memory had supplied her with the few tidbits of information she had heard about him previously and it had somehow become her stalking him. Not that she minded, laughter was the only way to live life and she hadn't laughed in a while.

"I have faith!" Her words were defensive and her smile disappeared as quickly as it had come. "But not everyone has good in them. You cannot tell me that you think 'you-know-who' is actually a wonderful person who holds dances and parties for his Death-Eaters while dressing in pink robes!" Myn's lips twitched slightly at the mental image that her words had given her and her defensiveness vanished. She didn't know what the Dark Lord looked like but she could certainly imagine it and it was a hilarious image. Myn doubted that anyone could remain angry after imagining that. Then again, most people wouldn't even think of it and she didn't know how she could ridicule the man whom everyone was terrified of, including herself. Death scared everyone and 'you-know-who' was practically the Grim Reaper of the wizarding world.

"Darien Raymond Fletcher." Myn repeated his name thoughtfully, it was a good name albeit a long one. "I'll have to add that to my list about you. I didn't know your full name before." Myn smiled again, not caring that she had just labeled herself as his stalker. It wasn't true and Myn only concerned herself with the truth. What was the point of worrying about a lie, especially one so ludicrous that no one would believe it.

((I actually don't know where the part about Voldemort came from. I just hope that you get as much laughter from it as I did. ))

[darien]

Dare chuckled, the sound starting deep inside his chest and rumbling it’s way upwards until coming out of his mouth and shining from his eyes. “We all wish for the other half of our hearts. But why sit and wait for them to find us? We should go out there and meet them half-way on our mutual search. If we don’t then they might very well walk past us without either of us ever noticing it. We should tackle life and then happiness will find it’s way to us, doll.” Dare grinned silently wondering how he happened to be engaged into so many serious conversations about love lately. Usually people sought his company for a laugh rather than for receiving advice. But Dare didn’t mind company for whatever reason.

“Doll, I think you are going to develop an unhealthy obsession. I have never said I would be good for your health just like sugar isn’t good for your teeth. Have you been gathering courage to ask for my autograph all this conversation?” Dare asked enjoying the light joking undertone the conversation had taken. It was pleasant and simple. Something between friends. And actually Dare wasn’t that afraid of Myn even if she should stalk him. Which was rather unbelievable in itself. “But what if all those stories were planted for you to hear? So you would know my name and perhaps start showing some curiousity for me too, doll, so I would have a reason to approach you too?” Dare winked and tapped his forehead with his finger while smiling at Myn. “There are rather devious things hidden behind that thick scull. At least I sometimes think there might be. I have never dared to venture that far into my head in reality. And actually there’s also the slight problem that I find it rather difficult to climb into my own head as well.”

Dare brought out a topic that made a chill run down Dare’s back. He-who-must-not-be-named. His grandfather had been an auror. And his family was pureblooded so Dare had heard more about him than he would have wanted to. “There are some things that can’t be laughed at,” Dare said becoming serious as he watched Myn laugh without sharing the same emotion. He-who-must-not-be-named had caused too much tears and worry to be laughed at even if you clad him in pink in your mind. Even evil guys wore clothes and had to eat. “I do believe we have some good in ourselves. We may force it down, we may hide it, we might forget it over years even. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. No one is born bad. How do you know what we all do when we are alone? Snape might be dying his hair pink and dancing in the forbidden forest wearing a yellow tunic singing ‘I love you, you love me, were all a great big happy family’ . We don’t sometimes share our most tender sides with the world, but that doesn’t mean those sides don’t exist. I do sincerely believe that. There’s something good in every Slytherin too. Take that girl who attacked a Death Eater to save her brother and was sent to Azkaban for that? Isn’t that enough proof that there is a lot of love in her heart for her brother?”

Dare shook his head and smiled while closing his eyes and turning his head skywards: “That’s my full name. Name after both of my grandfathers. But only my old grandfather calls me that, so you can just as easily forget that name, doll.”

[Myn Katrenya R2]

Myn smiled slightly. People could very well walk past the person that they were destined for but wouldn't that defeat the purpose of there being such a person? Why have a soul-mate if you were just going to walk straight past them and never notice their existence? "If there is such a thing as fate or destiny, which I think there is, then surely fate wouldn't let you walk past the other half of your heart. It would completely defeat the point of having another half to your heart." Myn frowned slightly, the topic was making her think about how true her belief's were and she wasn't sure that she liked it. After all, who wanted to suddenly find out that the things you'd been taught, the things that you'd believed in since you could form your own opinion were completely wrong? She wasn't foolish enough to leave everything to fate but sometimes you had no control over your life and it was reassuring to think that it was in good hands.

"Of course! I knew that I'd forgotten something." Myn grinned at him and thrust her hand into her pocket, searching for a spare piece of parchment and a quill. She always carried them around in case inspiration struck suddenly or she just needed something to write on. She held the parchment and quill out to him shyly, her eyes widening in mock-admiration. "Will you sign this so I can put in on my shrine? I'm your biggest fan and I'd just love to see the look on the other girls faces in the fan-club when I show them it." Myn clapped her hands to her heart dramatically, enjoying the joke. "Oh, you planted those stories for me to hear. I feel so honoured! The great Darien Raymond Fletcher planted stories for me to hear!" Myn smiled up at him impishly, it wasn't often that she dropped her guard and acted so freely around another person and she was enjoying it. "You could always get someone else to climb into your head, I'm sure one of your friends wouldn't mind doing it."

The laughter in Myn's eyes dimmed and died as she saw the happiness on Ray's face turn to seriousness. She could've kicked herself for ruining the happiness of another person and would've done if she didn't know that he would think her crazy. "Some things can't be laughed at but all too often, we either have to laugh or cry. Now my father taught me a few good things and one of them is that we all have to die sometime. Some die sooner than others, and some people believe that death comes too early for some people. But I've accepted that I'm going to die someday and I've cried over it but that won't change a thing. You-know-who could attack tomorrow and we could all die. Death is nothing to be scared of if you just accept that it will come."

Myn looked up at him seriously and smiled sadly. "I don't want to die, I don't want anyone I know to die, I don't even want a complete stranger to die. Heck, I don't even want my mother to die. But they will. Preferably later rather than sooner but eventually they will and theres nothing we can do. I never said that Slytherins were all bad, no one is all bad and Slytherins are no exception to the rule. If they're cruel then its because they have to be. Almost everyone is prejudiced against because of something that they didn't do and the only way that they can fight back is to be cruel. I'd be the same if everyone was prejudiced against me."

[darien]

“Fate is an interesting thing. We can shape it ourselves, but if we lock ourselves away from all others, refuse to open up for anyone, then how can we expect to know the other half of our heart? Maybe we’ll just walk by them blindly because we are too terrified of the prospect of meeting someone new, of actually living. Now this is one aspect of life where I prefer to play safe,” Dare told Myn with a small smile and tilt of his head, “It’s complicated I suppose. But it makes sense in my head, so until proven otherwise I’ll follow my own believes. Love is a complex thing too.”

Dare laughed as Myn held out a quill and a piece of paper for him. She really was the little actress. Always an useful trait. But this shyness suited Myn. She looked young and innocent enough to pull the look off without looking fake. “Why, of course, doll. It would be my pleasure. And what is this about my fan-club you keep telling me? ADA-club? Anonymous Dare Admirers? And does this little club of yours have any other members but you? Or are you the president, the biggest and most devoted fan and the only member, doll?” Dare winked at Myn not bothered the least bit at the teasing, even if it was taking place on his account. Laughter was what kept this world from drying only to wither and dry. Everyone should have a sense of humour so why not tease him, who wouldn’t get ashamed or wouldn’t get complexes because of it? It most certainly would be better than picking on someone shy who had more trouble with socializing with other people.

Dare chuckled as he listened to Myn’s words the quill scratching on the paper as Dare sketched weird stick figures. He had never been much of an artist. But Dare also added and a huge smiling sun on the top of the paper an some flowers with mismatching petals. Dare glanced towards Myn’s upturned face and winced a little. Tapping Myn’s nose with his index finger Dare shook his head: “Now, don’t call me that. I told you that only my old parchmenty grand-father calls me by my full name. And you don’t look that dry, doll. Dare or Ray. Turn around.” Without really waiting for myn to react Dare walked around her crouching rather uncomfortably as he placed the paper on Myn’s back and signed it with a flourishing “Dare”. “Here you go, doll, enjoy it,” Dare winked at Myn as he handed her the paper and the quill back while looking off into space.

“Laugh or cry? It’s so much easier to just block out feelings sometimes. Times when laughter seems inappropriate and tears reveal too much. I can’t laugh at the thread he-who-must-not-name can bring, so to avoid the path of bringing on m own death I won’t laugh at it either. It’s a far too serious matter as too many people have suffered by him already. Laura Pennington, the Hufflepuff who was killed on the Hogwarts train this autumn is proof that we can’t let ourselves underestimate the trouble by making jokes about it. And everyone is prejudiced against something. I’m prejudiced against clouds for example.”