Funeral ((Friends/anyone))

[dana]

Dead. The word was so cold and neutral. It had no personality, it portrayed none of the feelings behind the people who had left this world. Yet Meredith with her fiery attitude and reckless manipulation to make sure things went her way as she always used cutting sarcasm. Julien with his calm smile and quiet tone of voice that made you strain and pay more attention to the words uttered as pure authority kept you from ignoring commands even if they were put as wishes. So much Dana knew and so much she should have still learned. She was robbed of both grand-parents… both parents… at once. How could she be happy? The funeral had been a quiet thing, with only the selected closest friends and family at the small ceremony as Meredith and Julien Graas were buried next to each other. Not even half of the family-tree was invited to this occasion, even though there were tons of people at the reception now. After kissing cheeks and accepting muttered sorries Dana was glad to get a moment for herself.

How could the world not see? Not feel the pain that seemed to be escaping from her whole being? She felt numb. Her clothes had been picked by Marie – the middle-aged maid – a proper knee-length skirt, dark-blue button up blouse without any decorations and modest black shoes. Dana’s hair was pulled back almost harshly to a low pony-tail at the nape of her neck. Make-up and spells were things that hid from the world the tears she had already cried and the black circles under her eyes. “Everything that doesn’t kill, makes us stronger,” Kris muttered his arms slipping onto her elbows as Dana turned around and leaned her forehead on his shoulder gathering strength from the embrace.
“How do I know this doesn’t – hasn’t – killed me?” Dana asked back just as quietly letting Kris place the untouched champagne flute from her hand to the plate of a passing waiter. Neither said anything. Sure, Dana was rich now, worth more than a lot of other girls, especially around her age. In a couple of months Kris would give up his new duties as her legal guardian and she would become an adult as well. Yet Dana didn’t want this. She would gladly give almost everything to just have her grand-parents back.

“We will make it,” Kris murmured and with a sigh Dana raised her head and using one of the last shreds of her self-control offered a sort-of smile. They would make it. She would. Just because her grand-parents had brought her up to be strong and in control of herself. They would not have liked to see her like this so Dana nodded and smoothed her skirt. “We will,” Dana whispered with a resolute nod and watched as Kris moved on knowing that he hurt just as badly as she did. But they were taught to always appear strong and never show the world their tears and fears. And Kris did all that. Dana nodded and exchanged a polite phrase with a passing guest as she stood to the side of the room staring wordlessly out of the window. She was feeling cold. And cold from the inside, not the outside that much. She wanted something regular. Even a cup of coffee to warm her hands.
As a child Dana had curled up in the corner of her wardrobe when she was scared or sad or had had a bad dream. It felt safe, secure and warm there. There was something to hold onto, even if that something was only a thick sweater and her toys. But it was something. Dana found herself wishing suddenly that she was still a child so she could curl up in the corner of a big cupboard and cry herself to sleep so her soul might find peace even for a few hours.

[Samantha Driscoll]

((I have yet to RP there getting to this point, but Charles and Samantha are now talking.))

They were holding hands. It reminded her of days long past, days she'd thought she'd put behind her but hadn’t really, days it seemed she'd never live again but now she hope of reviving some of those old memories they'd had together, and maybe the relationship they'd had as well. Baby steps though. Wasn't that what she and Kris had decided on? Kris… she wondered how he was holding up. Samantha had just realised how little she knew about his relationship with his family – Kris had never said much about that though she did get the impression that they were very important to him – and not in the way her family had meant for her, but no, in the way Charles meant to her. She'd only know for sure when she knew him today though, that is, if he chose to tell her. Not even she could divulge information from him if he didn’t want to give it. But while she was not exactly sure what she could for Kris she knew she wanted to be there because she owed him that – no – not only owed it to him, she wanted to be there for him. To her that made all the difference in the world – she'd never felt that way before and it felt very strange for her but she wasn't going to over-think it, she was simply going to follow her instinct and do it.

Her brother kept giving her nervous looks and Samantha found she was not upset but actually happy to feel he cared about her enough to worry. She was still a bundle of nerves and the news had upset her as it had affected her closest friend. One of the things she'd wanted to ask Charles for quite some time now was brought to the surface of her mind as she thought of where they were going. "What was Mother's funeral like?" she asked him curiously.

[Charles Driscoll H7]

Samantha still shied from his touch but she'd held his hand all the way here and Charles took that to be a very good sign that things were improving between them. She still looked painfully thing and the black dress she was wearing emphasised her too thin frame. He looked at her for a moment before answering. "A lot of people I didn’t know and none of which I felt like I particularly wanted to know," he replied honestly. "They didn’t look like they had anything to say to me either. I don’t why they came anyway – no-one seemed sad because she'd gone and they were whispering all through it and I heard the words Azkaban and your and Father's names mentioned," he continued, feeling uncomfortable talking about it in case he hurt her. "They weren't being discrete at all and not one of them gave me their condolences," he said with no resentment. "I'll never understand why she did it Sam – I mean I know why she did – but I could never take my own life. But then I never did understand Mother – and till I came to Hogwarts I was scared of her," he admitted.

[Samantha Driscoll]

She knew why at once, for she'd grown up among those people, been one of them, understood the way they thought and acted. "They were gloating. Or maybe they just wanted to see if all that they'd heard was true. Quite a drama, isn’t it, our story I mean? The son who broke the rules, the daughter who cast an Unforgivable, the father who ended up in prison, and the devastated mother who took her own life. That's how people are, Charles, at least some of them, and I don’t know why exactly, but they thrive on the downfall of others," she said, shivering involuntarily. This conversation was making her aware of how much she didn't belong in that group. Her own story had made it clear to her that there was nothing to be taken for granted in this life, that you could lose everything in a flash, and that it could happen to anyone.

[Charles Driscoll H7]

Charles looked at Samantha and almost smiled. He could feel the change in her already, and he'd finally found an answer to his question, horrible as it was. He and Samantha descended from the train and after asking a porter where the Graas' had lived they hailed a taxi and arrived there in about a quarter of an hour. Charles marvelled at the beautiful place where Kris and Dana lived. He wondered what he was going to say to Kris though as the last time they had met had been rather awkward. He respected the boy and admired him very much though and he wanted to try and show it. He knew that what had happened in his family was not the usual case and that most people loved their grandparents and parents, but he could begin to imagine the pain they must be going through and that was what made it seem such a difficult task for the young boy. He couldn’t say "I understand" because he didn’t really. He'd never experienced the death of someone close to him.

He soon saw Kris and he and Samantha made there way to him. Luckily he was on his own. When they got to him Charles took Kris' hand in his and shook it. They hadn’t talked in a long time and he had no idea what to say. What made his predicament even worse was that Kris couldn't see and so he wouldn’t see the sorrow in Charles' eyes. "I'm so sorry Kris," he said simply, and then he squeezed the hand he was holding with both of his. Samantha gave him a little pat on the shoulder and Charles took that as his cue to leave them for a few moments.

[Samantha Driscoll]

Samantha put each of her hands on Kris' shoulders and then slowly moved them to his face. "As strong as ever," she whispered softly in his ear then she hugged him to her. She held him in her embrace for several minutes without saying anything – the same way he'd held her under the rain. She was trying to give him something she wasn't entirely sure she was capable of but was gradually beginning to believe she could. She admired him in that he hadn’t gone to pieces when he must've loved his grandparents very dearly – Samantha wasn't sure of it but she thought so. You certainly couldn’t tell from Kris' detached countenance for he was very much a Slytherin in that aspect, but Samantha didn't see why that should stop her from showing her own feelings for him especially since he'd done that for her. Kris had told her not to be afraid of love, or of expressing it, and while she still couldn’t express her feeling to other people or even Charles, with Kris it came naturally, something she did without thinking, because he understood her perfectly and she knew his nature to a great extent even if she didn't understand him completely.

She finally let go of him and took one of his hands in hers and slowly began to walk with him. She'd never been here before and it was beautiful, but the atmosphere was incredibly sad. She thought about what she and Charles had been discussing and thought with a little sadness that her mother's funeral and reception must have been very different – Charles had said nothing about a sad atomsphere, and thinking about how little her mother's death had meant to everyone was an eye-opener to things she wasn't really ready to think about now because she was here right now for Kris. "I wish I'd known them," she said finally, not knowing what to say and finally just saying something she truly felt. "All I know is what I read in the papers and the little you told me about them Kris – do you want to talk about them?" she asked.

[kris]

The reception after the funeral was sad. Kris could barely keep his nerves together tightly enough to not yell at all the people offering pats and smiles and awkward and almost out of place apologys. What did they know about Meredith and Julien? What did they know of the pain searing through Kris’s heart right now? What right they had to come here and try to cheer him up, while two of the people he counted as family had died. Crouching down to the level of his younger relatives Kris accepted and tolerated thier hugs a bit more easily. Maybe they didn’t fully understand what this reception was baout or how much it meant for Kris to loose the people who had been there and helped him grow into a man. But they could sense and feel Kris’s own sorrow so their murmured comfort-words were at least sincere as they tried to cheer up their friend. Kris had always been good at dealing with small children after all.
After a few moments the children were lured away with the chocolate cake prepared and Kris breathed in deeply pushing all emotions deep back into himself. Not that he was given much time to do that as alreayd new footsteps were approaching him.
Kris accepted the hand offered to him almost automatically feeling a bit of surprise when he recognized Charlie’s voice but not caring enough to really think about it right now. „Charles. Thank you for coming,“ The regular words slipped form Kris’s lips as he had been saying them for the last ocuple of hours.

Charlie seemed to slip away and Kris felt warmth surround him as Samantha hugged her. „Samantha,“ Kris said reutrning the hug his hands rubbing Samantha’s back almost comfortingly despite him haivng to live through the loss. Maybe if he didn’t think about it, then it would be easier to appear cool and collected. Maybe he could keep him distanced and his mind occupied elsewhere. Yet Samantha held him in her embrace for a few moments and with barely noticeable sigh escaping from his lips Kris surrendered after fighting with himself for a few moments. He lowereed his head resting his forehead against Samantha’s for a moment as if gathering strength from her.

„I haven’t really wanted to look at newspapers,“ Krsi said walking around with Samantha, changing directions after a few moments and walking to the wall where three portraits had been put up as he knew. One of Meredith, one of Julien and one of them together with Meredith standing behind julien with one of her hands on his shoulder, „I think they would have liked you. You are my friend and that would have been enough for them to like you and welcome you into their home, but I think they would have liked you for yourself as well.“
Kris smiled bitterly leaning his head against Samantha’s for one more moment. „They were strong as you said,“ Kris said trying to find the words to describe his legal guardians, „They weren’t really my grandparents you know. Just my legal guardians and relatives. My mother was killed when I was 5 – ergo the reason I have been able to see thestrals. When being truthful I must admit that her death was a relief for me. She was an ice-berg so to say and it was always torture for me to dress up and go for the daily visit to her sckeningly-sweet smelling parlor where I was never allowed to sit or touch anything. My father I adored. He taught me to ride, sing, play guitar, care for animals and those I love, romp the mountains and forests around the castle I inherited from him. I kind of lost myself a little when he was murdered a year before I came to Hogwarts. And after that Meredith and Julien became my legal guardians, even though they had looked after me before-hand as well, while my father was still alive. And now after barely reaching adult-age myself – according to their will I’m to be the legal guardian for Dana for the 3 months she has yet before she becomes an adult.“

Kris fell silent his head turning upwards as if looking at the pictures that Kris knew well enough in his head and heart to not even have to see the painted portraits that were very lifelike. He fell silent trying to gather himself again. Samantha encouraged him to tell more though with a light squeeze on his hand. Not realyl knowing why, but somehow needing to share Kris slowly replied: „They were wonderful. Meredith had been a Slytherin and Julien a Ravenclaw so they worked wonderfully together. Meredith had a sharp tongue and harsh sayings. I remember that she found me stealing a firewhiskey bottle once when I was 8 I think. She poured me a full cup herself and made me drink bottoms up. And then afterwards when I threw she held my head and told me that when I’m man enough then she will drink a glass with me. I never did touch any alchocol what so ever until she herself poured me a glass of brandy on my 15th birthday and drank it with me. She was very straight-forward and stubborn and she had a knack for talking you into doing things you didn’t really want to do.
Julien was calmer. He never raised his voice, but he never had to either. He just sort of looked at you and you were ready to slink away and to exactly what he wanted. He was just authorithetic and something about him just demanded respect. In a way he acted like Churchill once said. He never hit when possible, but when he did – he never hit softly. Julien wasn’t someone you would want as your enemy, because while hard to irritate – when angry he would press on, until his opposition was crushed. He and Meredith fulfilled and completed each other. It’s hard to explain if you didn’t see them together yourself. It might very well be the case that Meredith will herself to die, only cause she wouldn’t have been able to go on living with Julien by her side. It’s...“
Kris dind’t finish the sentence letting his head fall instead knowing that his voice would break if he spoke any more.


((Woot, they are talking again! *huggles both*))

[Samantha Driscoll]

It seemed so easy for Kris to admit his Mother's death had been a relief. Charles had been telling her she should stop blaming herself for her Mother's death as it had been a flaw in her own character that had driven her to it, but it was taking Samantha time to stop blaming herself – there was a voice in her head that kept wondering if things could have turned out differently, if she hadn’t been their daughter, would they have met the same dreadful end? But it was time to think of Kris and not of herself. "I reckon she made her point," said Samantha, wistfully wondering what her grandparents had been like, if she could have ever had a similar relationship with them. "I can’t imagine the strength of the bond between them – I don’t think I'll ever know, but it's good to know something like that exists – existed - in this world," she said thoughtfully. She turned to him, the slight change in his voice informing her that talking about this was tearing him apart despite his stoic attempt to hide it. It had been a skill she once possessed herself, but that had been before Azkaban. Another time, another person – but that was behind her now. She was still accepting that and she knew it but as she looked at Kris it had never been clearer to her how imperative it was that she did; they both had to accept what was happening to them because she'd been on the brink of insanity and nothing was worse than that. She ruffled his hair, which had grown a little longer again, then slid her hands down the sides of his face, for the first time in her life wishing she could really look into his eyes. Life could be so ironic – she'd felt she could face Kris and talk to him before anyone else because he hadn’t been able to see her – and now it was something she desperately wished for. She remembered when he told her he had received the "happy" news that he was only blind and at least wasn't dead. He hadn’t even sounded bitter even though he must have felt so. She led him to a nearby tree and sat him down and then placed his head against her chest. "No-one can see or hear us now," she said softly, and she held him in the way she imagined a mother would hold her child. Her mother had never held her like that. Another thought she was going to have to examine later.

Maybe she was just too selfish not to talk about herself or maybe she just couldn’t think of what to say but the next words out of her mouth were about her own father. "My father taught me the Dark Arts. He taught me the Cruciatus Curse and look where that took me. I sure wish he'd chosen to teach me the guitar. It's a little difficult to imagine me managing to ruin a family by playing the guitar," she said. She felt a little anger inside and it was a feeling foreign to her and she stifled it quickly, but she had finally directly connected her father to her going to Azkaban for once instead of throwing all the blame on herself. "You and me, we're going to make it though, aren’t we Kris? All the time I keep losing the will to win. Then there's Charles right behind me – and there's you Kris – and I pull through one more day. You and Dana have each other – can't we fight through this? Our lives have been filled with so much pain and people leaving us behind to fend for ourselves. We're the Slytherins in our families Kris, hasn’t that got to stand for something? I mean the ambition, the wish to be successful? I don’t have any more dreams like those I had before, but Charles said that being a normal person and having a normal life can be fulfilling too. I find that hard to believe because I always wanted to be famous and successful and a witch like no other – but now - well it's all I can settle for. He says it isn't and that if it is being normal and leading a normal life can be wonderful too. I'm just confused really – sometimes I wonder what my dreams were and whether they really were my parents' dreams. What are you and Dana going to do now?" she asked him, realising as she said it that she was saying little to comfort him. And as Kris had once wondered even though Samantha didn’t know it, she was wondering whether she could help him. And just like him she'd reached to the same conclusion – she didn’t have a clue.

[kris]

Kris lowered his head a little trying to get his emotions back under control. Not that it was a very easy task. Kris had loved Meredith and Julien with all his heart. Kris hadn’t been blind about their mistakes, but he had been able to look past them. Samantha seemed to understand what was going on inside Kris, but Kris was almost grateful that she had chosen not to comment. While death and sadness were parts of life Kris had always been taught to hold all worries and trouble inside the family. So he was glad that Samantha left him the privacy to keep the raging emotions hidden inside himself.

Kris stood still as Samantha touched his face and ruffled his hair with a completely sisterly gesture. It reminded Kris a bit of a child waiting for a reassurance that she wasn’t alone. His lip-corner quirked upwards for a moment as he took Samantha’s hand heading towards outside with him. He might as well take a small break of un wanted socializing. Kris turned his head and gave a short sharp whistle to catch Dana’s attention and let her know that he was slipping outside. Knowing that it would be enough for Dana Kris continued on at Samantha’s side absent-mindedly patting the head of some kid who ran over and gave his right leg a quick hug before the small girl ran on somewhere. Kris didn’t mind the silence between himself and Samantha as they stepped outside while Samantha picked the location they went to. Kris felt a bit amused at how motherly Samantha treated him but he didn’t protest. Both of them might need the closeness. Kris shifted himself lightly and stretched himself out on the ground his head laying on Samantha’s lap. It placed Kris in a very wounded situation but he did trust Samantha. Finally being able to control his voice again Kris quietly agreed with Samantha: “It’s something that can’t be described if you haven’t seen it with your own two eyes and felt it when they were around.” “Meredith’s and Julien’s bond for each other was something special. They were strong. Strong separately and unbeatable together.” The face and figure of an other red-head besides Meredith flashed through Kris’s mind and he smiled softly. His pharaoh. “I always seem to have a soft spot inside me for red-head spitfires and woman who fight for what they want or believe in like Meredith herself was too. I almost feel like a hot-headed teenager with yet an other crush while admitting this, but I do like my Cleopatra.”

Kris pulled off his sunglasses closing his eyes while he felt the warmth of the first sunrays on his face all the while listening to Samantha’s words. Samantha had never talked much about her family. Kris knew of Charlie naturally, but not much more. It must have been hard. Having one’s father teach Cruciatus, always trying to be good enough to please one’s parents. Quite a burden to live with. “You can still learn how to play the guitar,” Kris murmured comfortingly, ”And you didn’t destroy your family. You have Charles. It isn’t blood-relations but rather the people you love the way they are that make a family.”
Kris smiled a little at Samantha’s words knowing all too well how it felt like. Just because Kris wore a polite façade to show to the world, that didn’t mean he didn’t know how much tears could burn. Kris shifted a little bending one of his knees as he searched for the answer in his mind: “We’ll carry on cause there is no other option. There are too many people counting on us for us not too go on, until we can pass the duty we were born to over to our children. Duty is heavier than a mountain. You and I are tough though, Sam, don’t forget that.”

What was going to happen? Kris wasn’t entirely sure. He shrugged a bit uncomfortably: “I’m not sure. Dana will receive full charge over the money she inherited and the book-stores. We’ll both have to worry about paying to our employees and surviving. Graduate Hogwarts along the way and deal with life the way it comes. Kris raised his hands and head and pulled off a silver, about 2 inches long fang that he wore around his neck on a strong chain. The silver was smooth and having been nestled against Kris’s skin the whole day, it was also warm to the touch. Kris let his finger glide down the surface of the fang while he pulled himself into a sitting position. Pulling the knife at it’s sheath on Kris’s left ankle Kris pricked one of his finger-tips with the blade drawing blood. Kris slipped the knife back into it’s sheath and touched the finger he had pricked to the silver fang for a moment.
“Blood is supposed to be magical. It carries life by both wizard and muggle standards. Using human blood in potions is forbidden for the same magical properties blood carries as you very well know,” Kris smiled and taking one of Samantha’s hands dropped the fang into her palm before laying down on the ground again, “My father gave that one to me once. His symbol to remind me that there are still things worth fighting for, still reasons to go one and face the next moment. My blood on it because maybe it will infuse some of my soul into the fang. Keep it safe. Fight for friends you don’t know yet. Fight for me. Fight for Charlie. Fight for a better tomorrow. Hold on for yourself. Even if it’s so overly hard sometimes.”

Kris whispered the last sentence almost to himself as his mind returned to the reason why Samantha was here comforting him like one would comfort a hurt child. None of the muscles in Kris’s body moved as he lay perfectly still. Only one sigh escaped his lips. It might be easier if Kris could cry, but he couldn't even do that.
“„May it be the shadows call will fly away,
may it be you journey on to light the day,
when the night is overcome,
you may rise to find the sun,” Kris quoted the words sadly, knowing that he would have let Meredith and Julien go in his heart, no matter how difficult it would be. It hurt.

[Nasser Salah G6]

It had taken quite some time for him to find the place; it was as if people were being deliberately unhelpful, and he had had classes till the afternoon. He was late and he felt guilty about it but now was not the time to think about himself, he had to find Dana quickly. It was strange how out of place he felt for he was among wizarding folk like himself but their clothes and their attitudes were so different than those of most people he’d met, or perhaps he just felt that way because he’d never seen so many people like Dana and Kris’ family gathered together before. They were not like the Slytherins at school yet they were just as regal and even their grief was restrained and they were refined as they always were. Nasser often wondered when these people shoed real emotion and if they ever did even behind close doors. He couldn’t see Kris or anyone else from school that he recognized, and as his eyes fell on a few of the younger cousins he felt these were the people he could relate to the most as there were tears and real concern in their eyes, their ability to hide their feelings not yet at the same level as the older members of their family.

And yet did Nasser really know what Dana felt? Could he even begin to imagine her loss? Like that time when he had first learnt of Kris blindness and Dana had blamed herself, but at least then he’d had something to tell her, for she had been doing herself a grave injustice, and he had concentrated on that rather than what life was going to be like for Kris. Nasser tried to avoid everyone else’s gaze, his eyes scanning the expansive grounds for any sign of Dana. The place was beautiful, more beautiful than most of the places he had ever been to and it must have been wonderful to live here, but would Dana still think so now it was place where both of her grandparents had died? With that thought in his head he finally caught sight of her, she was alone at a table and there were a few people giving her condolences who left as he made his way to her.

She wasn’t crying but her face was as pale as a sheet, her sparkling eyes sad and hurt and affecting Nasser more than he had predicted they would. Dana was one of those people that laughed with her eyes, and it had been something that had taken Nasser’s notice ever since he had known her, that and her overactive eyebrows. Nasser hands went to Dana’s shoulders, and then one hand stroked her silky black hair as he brought her to him and hugged her. He held her, wishing he could hold her forever, for it was the only way he could support her right now and show her how he felt, words would mean nothing – whatever he said, in whatever language he chose. He wanted to whisper words of comfort in her ear - were there any words of comfort? Nasser slipped his hand into his jacket and pulled out a brown packet. “I know you probably have some, but I brought you some just in case,” he said. If you knew Dana at all then you knew how much she loved coffee. Nasser couldn’t bear the taste of coffee himself and he hardly ever drank tea. It was one of the ways in which Britain had not affected him at all, despite the fact that all his family drank tea. She was shivering yet it wasn’t really cold and Nasser hoped the drink might warm her. There was a slab of rock lying not to far from them, and after he had transfigured it into a mug he muttered two different Cleaning Charms. He then produced a small fountain of water from his that fell into the mug/rock. “You’re going to have to warm it for yourself,” he said. Nasser had never quite mastered Heating Charms; he could only bring cold water to just over room temperature. He was also trying to get her to do something normal so she would feel a little more comfortable and talk to him. He didn't know if she wanted to get anything off her chest or not but if she did he didn't really think there had been anyone here that she could have talked to thought of course he didn;t know that for sure.

[dana]

Dana tolerated the hug and a kiss on her cheek from a distant relative calmly. The married couple offering theirs condolence was old already, with the man’s hair white and the woman’s hair having a number of silver in it. Yet the couple had been Meredith’s and Julien’s friend so Dana could see and sense real sorrow from them. “They will be missed,” Dana replied with a nod while shaking the hand of the man before circling the edge of the champagne flute she was holding in her hand. “If there’s anything, anything at all either you or Kris want… even to escape for a day or two, don’t hesitate to come,” the woman whispered into Dana’s ear and Dana gave one a bit forced smile. “We will. Thank you, Chandra, Roland.” Chandra and Roland left and Dana was left alone for a moment. A stolen moment of time here that Dana used to close her eyes for a moment and control her breathing to make sure she controlled herself fully.

Someone placed their hands on Dana’s shoulders and Dana turned the reserved and polite smile back on her lips before she saw who it was. Dana returned Nasser’s hug leaning her forehead on his shoulder for a moment before offering an empty smile almost automatically. “Nasser,” Dana said and felt a bit grateful that he hadn’t tried to offer empty words of comfort. She had already heard all of time plenty of times. And while she appreciated the effort, words couldn’t really change much anymore anyway. A flicker of amusement flashed through Dana’s eyes as Nasser brought out a packet of coffee though. Dana let go of the champagne flute that disappeared immediately by the hands of some unnoticeable house-elf. Accepting the packet wordlessly Dana watched as Nasser used some spells. “Creative,” Dana commented quietly without reaching for her wand. Not that she needed to as the water in the fountain started steaming a moment later. An eye-brow arched as Dana stepped closer to the fountain and filled the mug Nasser had transfigured with the hot water, “Apparently the house-elves liked the idea too.” Holding the mug and the packet in her hands Dana nodded to Nasser to come along as she walked to the near-by couches. Dana exchanged a glance with Maria – the old house-keeper – who nodded to show her that everything was alright before Dana took a seat. It felt good to not having to stand on heels for a moment.

“It’s good coffee and a fitting gift to bring along,” Dana said calmly while dragging the packet open and dropping some of it in the water. Leaning back in her seat Dana crossed her legs and blew gently on the water to cool it to the level at which she could drink it. Taking a careful sip Dana sighed a little closing her eyes tiredly for a moment. “It’s good to see a friendly face. Quite a party going on. The regular poachers who want the will to make sure they will get something from the will – the more the better -, random people who don’t have a clue why they are even here, some people who are truly sorry.” Dana opened her eyes at the murmured apology of a house-elf wearing dark-blue knee-length jacket who returned her champagne glass as well as glass for Nasser. Dana smiled at the house-elf who winked out of sight before smiling and nodding at her glass: “And I have to drink with most of them. The guests have champagne, I drink water from a coloured glass as I have to stay sharp. These kinds of events among purebloods are never pleasant so the heirs always have to guard their mouths very-very carefully to avoid trouble.”

Dana turned her head glancing at the pictures of her grand-parents on the wall. She had a lot to live up to. But she would manage somehow. She could work things out. She would leave Meredith’s and Julien’s room as it was for now though. Until the time when she was ready to move into that bedroom and leave her own room to her own child. “While I’m rather sure you didn’t know my grand-parents personally – how did you hear about this? I really am thankful to you for taking the time and bothering to come by though. It means a lot to me,” Dana commented quietly turning to look at Nasser once again as she took one more sip of her coffee while trying to avoid burning her tongue as she looked at Nasser.

[Nasser Salah G6]

Nasser was not as active or outspoken about the welfare of house-elves as Hermione yet he avoided asking for their help when he could, for he felt a little stupid getting them to do the smallest things and beside he wanted to do this for Dana, not anyone else. He followed her glance at the house-keeper, now that looked like house-keepers he’d seen before. He commented on her calling him creative. “I learned from the best,” he said with a small smile. Aguamenti was a harder spell than you’d think, but then that was magic all over, the spells involving the most bangs and effects were often much easier than they seemed, and yet a simple thing like producing water was actually harder to pull off, and Dana had shown Nasser what he was doing wrong once though he didn’t know if she remembered.

He sat down beside her on the couch and it was certainly very comfortable. Nasser took the glass offered by but didn’t drink and was glad she had liked the coffee and not thought him silly. “I wanted to do anything, and that was all that came to mind and I could do. And you call me creative?” he said, his eyes on the coloured glass. “I wanted to return that Arithmancy textbook you’d given and I couldn’t find you anywhere I asked your friends and no-one knew where you’d suddenly vanished to not even any of the other prefects. I went to Flitwick in the end and actually it was he who gave me permission to leave Hogwarts. It’s usually family members only I think – but you know me, all the teachers think I’m a goody two-shoes,” he said with a shrug.

She didn’t need to thank him. “Don’t mention it Dana. I had to,” he said, and he stared at her for a moment. He didn’t care how hard it had been to get here, how out of place he felt he was, how little or much he could do, he was here beside his friend, and in the end that was all that mattered. “I would’ve come earlier if I could, I only found out after classes today. Though I’m glad I came now, at least most of the people have left. I can stay as long as you like and tell me if you need anything – I mean, I’m here,” he said, realising how much the words “if you need anything” had probably been said. She needed her grandparents; she needed not to be alone when she hadn’t even turned seventeen, that’s what she needed. “Is there anyone else you’d like me to inform when I get back? Perhaps maybe even for Kris? I know he probably won’t find it easy to say he needs something, but if he does, you’ll be the one he tells,” he said, his eyes on the people leaving. “Is it going to be a big deal? I mean dividing the inheritance?” he asked when she told him about everyone watching what they said. He knew so little about her family; they had been friends for only a short time, yet their friendship meant a lot to Nasser.

[dana]

“There’s a lot of the best in the world as we all just keep on learning form them,” Dana mused slowly wincing a little as she burned her tongue with the coffee after all. Didn’t stop her from taking an other sip though. Dana blinked forcing back tears. Do something. Such a small thing yet it mattered all the more cause it had been thought well. And still there were people who could never do such small things ever again. Like her grandparents. “It was creative. Simple, elegant, thoughtful and creative,” Dana said barely shaking her head at the mention of Arithmancy books. School-work couldn’t be farther from her mind now. Arithmancy required concentration so that was one more thing Dana didn’t want to bother with. She still wanted to just curl up and forget everything for at least a couple of hours.

“Goody two-shoes? Aren’t most of us considered that? Besides it definitely has good aspects too. And don’t worry about the time. It’s the point of coming that matters. And we didn’t really have time to notify anyone when we left the castle with Kris. Cleo knew but she’s here as well. She has been at Kris’s side most of the time as she can tame him pretty well and vice versa,” Dana replied while closing her eyes for a moment letting herself rest and calm until tears wouldn’t bother her anymore. Her upbringing had a strong hold of her and she had been brought up to laugh back at the world no matter what. Dana couldn’t really laugh right now, but she would not cry in public either.
“Sure. Marie will prepare a room for you to stay if you wish. Me and Kris will have to stay here for tomorrow as well so we will return to Hogwarts the day after tomorrow. You’re more than welcomed to stay until then,” Dana said calmly knowing that everyone else would either floo, port-key or apparate away to their respective homes or to the hotels they would be staying at. Finding a room for Nasser to stay at wouldn’t be a problem at all.

Dana opened her eyes and sighed pushing her spread fingers through her hair while giving a rueful smirk. “Haven’t really thought of that. I’m sure Dumbledore knows so I should be excused by the professors. Everything else could wait I think. Kris?” Dana shrugged pondering for a moment, “I can’t really speak for him. I don’t think it’s necessary though. While I’m relatively sure some of his friends know as most of them have their own sources, people are used to him disappearing for days when he romped the forest or toured the castle or went on impromptu trips. He can handle himself. Driscoll girl is here so I suppose that if Kris wishes he could send word with her too. And no, Kris doesn’t usually tell me when he needs something. Usually it’s the other way around with me running to him for help and sometimes guessing what might be useful for him to return the favours. After all these years I still don’t always follow his logic nor understand the ethics he lives by fully though.”

Dana pursued her lips thoughtfully thinking with raised eye-brows for a few moments: “There will be trouble as very many people will have to walk away with empty hands. Isabelle – that girl in muggle clothes handing cake to the kids over there – will get some to make sure she can cover her college fees. The other maids and Pierre will receive some. I think Kris will inherit something with an emotional value as he’s richer than Meredith and Julien were anyway so he doesn’t need the money. Some of their friends will get some and some will go to charity. Street children mostly. The biggest part will most likely come to me. Kris will be my legal guardian until I turn 17 in May. There will be a lot of trouble politically as well. That bald guy with the dark-grey suit will want my support while he runs a hurried campaign to take over Julien’s job. He won’t get it though.” Dana shook her head again and uncrossed her legs only to cross them again while returning to her coffee, “A lot of intrigues are yet to be played with all of this and I’m feeling almost too tired to deal with them right now. I suppose I’ll follow the tradition and hide behind Kris most of the time. He has had to handle this crowd in this way for much longer than I have. So your company is a very welcomed change to the crowd here.”

[Nasser Salah G6]

The sadness in her eyes was all too clear, though she was certainly keeping her emotions in check. Nasser wondered if she had cried, if she had cried with Kris, if they had been given some time alone to be able to do that, and if Kris ever cried at all, or if a blind person could cry like everyone else. “I’m glad he has Cleo,” said Nasser, who didn’t know her very well but knew of her and her wild temperament. He wondered how the two put up with each other and yet even to him who knew both of them so little and only from what others said at school they seemed right for each other. “Thank you Dana, I think I’ll stay tonight and leave first thing tomorrow morning. There’ll probably be more family and friends here tomorrow anyway,” he said. The news would have spread by then, Meredith and Julien Graas well quite well-known figures, and Nasser knew they had not been like some purebloods who simply wallowed in their riches but had been worthy of their reputation and good name. He could see it in Dana’s eyes when she looked at their pictures that they were her idols in a way.

The word “Slytherin” was on the tip of Nasser’s tongue but he didn’t say it. It was a touchy topic and not one he wanted to open with Dana again, he still hadn’t believed it that she had been dancing with Vince at the Ball but was too embarrassed by what he had done that day to open that topic with her again. And anyway Kris was not the typical Slytherin in many ways. “I hope they don’t give you too much of a hard time, and anyway there’s nothing they can do,” he said. “What’s done is done, and it’s their right to entrust you with whatever amount of money they wanted to. And I’m sure you’ll be more than a match for them after a few days. Perhaps your grandparents knew that when they left you most of their fortune. They knew you wouldn’t get too soft and give money to anyone of your family with imaginary plans of the best way for you to spend it,” he said reassuringly. He hoped she could get back o school as soon as possible and get caught up in her school life once again before this took too much of a toll on her. She already had her grief to deal with; she didn’t need any more drama. “Why thank you for saying that, Dare has been dropping subtle hints – wait I can’t believe I said Dare and subtle in the same sentence - I mean he has been telling me to my face that I’m a bore and need to get out more and celebrate life and hook up with someone,” he said.

[dana]

Dana accepted Nasser’s decision to stay for the night with a small nod. There was plenty of room and the guest rooms were always ready. “I’ll show you where the room is later on. Kris’s clothes should fit you well enough if you wish to change, even though he does seem to prefer black and green for himself. But he does have some white blouses as well,” Dana said quietly. Kris didn’t keep much of his wardrobe here, but there were some items of clothing. Dana doubted that Kris would even comment on someone else wearing his clothes, other than not wearing them again himself. Plus the added bonus that Kris wouldn’t exactly see his clothes being worn by Nasser. Hearing a guitar accord Dana reached upwards for a moment looking over the backrest of the couch. Cleo had taken hold of Kris’s guitar evidently and was now singing quietly to the children who had gathered around her. Dana’s and Cleo’s eyes met for a moment before one of the guests stepped between them as even some grown-ups gathered to listen to Cleo as well. All for the better Dana decided, because this created some amusement for them relieving her from the duty of playing a good hostess and socializing with all of them.

Settling comfortably on the couch again Dana pushed off her high heels and curled her legs under her, being glad to get off from the high heels. While heels made one’s legs pretty, swaying on them all day long was hard on the legs as well. Taking a sip of the black coffee Nasser had brought along Dana sighed and closing her eyes leaned the side of her head on the back-rest: “Kris might be a bit irksome in the morning as the early mornings were usually considered a private time between him and Meredith. Both of them tended to be up at around 4 in the morning. You’ll get the pancakes he will most surely cook if you wake somewhere between 7 and 8. However much it pains me to say it, Kris is a better cook than I am. But there won’t be any relatives here tomorrow, as we get to mourn them then.” Her grand-parents were dead. Her parents were dead. Meredith might now have given birth to Dana, but she was the one who brought her up, who dressed her scraped knees and tucked her in for the night. Julien was the one who pushed her swing, who read stories to her and who twirled her around high in the air. They were the ones who had been there for Dana, so in reality they counted as her parents.
“Stars roll slowly in a silvery night,
Far away on the other side.
Will you come to terms with me this night,
But she couldn't find how to push through.

I stay, I pray
See you in heaven far away.
I stay, I pray
See you in heaven one day.

Far away on the other side.” And the song Cleo was singing – Maggie Reilly’s ‘Moonlight Shadow’ – somehow finally made Dana understand the enormity of this loss. Dana raised her head sharply her eyes opening while he brushed away a tear before it had even had a chance to fall.

“I’ll manage it somehow. Kris will get the bigger hit with that as he is my legal guardian and therefore ruling my inheritance until I turn 17 as well. But we have been taught to win in this kind of games after all. I might not have that much practice in manipulation, but for at least a while I can always bat my eye-lashes and pretend to be small naïve girl who doesn’t understand hints nor the way the world turns,” Dana said forcing her brain to stay with the conversation as she didn’t dare to think of her grand-parents. Not yet. If she started now, then the tears wouldn’t stop until Dana simply ran out of them and Dana refused to show this to most of the crowd still here, “Besides I’m too much of a coward to back up from the financial support I gained. My children will one day appreciate and need it too.”

Nasser’s next words draw a smile on Dana’s lips. It was small and only short-lived, but for a moment if was there. “Boring people don’t bring me coffee when I’m sad. And Dare is quite something - his parents dropped in for a moment earlier as well. He assaulted me in the hallway once and after leading me through a rather complex salsa requested a tutoring session in Arithmancy. Well, that or my other option was to run away with him, so he’s most likely decided that I need a man in my life as well so I wouldn’t take him too seriously. Though I suppose he does have some point. He’s a fun guy, but I’m not sure at all I’d want to share a room with him as you are forced to.”

[Nasser Salah G6]

“I’m sure we’ll manage,” said Nasser looking away from Dana in case she saw the dismay in his eyes. He did not want to imagine Kris' reaction if he found out a Muggle- born had been wearing any of his clothes. That was the least of his worries anyway, the only person who concerned him right now was Dana, he doubted she would be doing any sleeping herself tonight, and he didn’t mind staying up as long as she wanted him around. He listened to the sad mournful music Cleo played on her guitar and it was strange how the unorthodox method of expressing grief brought home to all of them the enormity of the loss. He didn’t see the tear Dana brushed away but he did notice she had changed, and he wished he had known them, when his grandfather had died the thing he had hated most about the funeral was that people thought that by talking about other subjects it took your mind off things, when in reality talking about whoever had died was all you really wanted to do, and with the people who had known them and had stories to tell you, at least that was how it had been for him.

He didn’t think he'd stay for breakfast, and maybe he was being a little paranoid, but he knew Kris would sense that there was someone who was not a pureblood in the morning in the house and he didn’t want to cause any trouble. The subject of the inheritance was passed to a more cheerful subject – Darien Fletcher. Nasser's expression softened as he spoke of Dare. “Yup, that sounds like something he would do. You’d be surprised what you can get used to, I think I'd miss him if we didn’t share a dorm. I’m rather surprised he bothers with me at all, I mean we’re as different as night and day, but I can’t quite imagine what life would be like without him there – five years we’ve been together, and he’s a loyal friend once you get to know him." It was strange that both Nasser and Dana were not romantically involved with anyone – at least in Dana's case as Nasser knew her to be very popular. "Yeah well once I meet someone I like it'll be your job to tell her about my many good qualities. And hopefully the next time I see you with someone I will not be so shocked," he said.

[dana]

Dana nodded at Nasser’s response before raising her eye-brows as Nasser looked away. It wasn’t like the younger boy to avoid people’s eyes yet that was exactly what he was doing right now. Narrowing her eyes thoughtfully Dana didn’t even hesitate in guessing what was wrong. It wasn’t the first time nor would it be the last time when she would offer a place to stay for people who might not be on Kris’s favourite list. Dana straightened up from the comfortable slouch she had been in and placed her coffee-mug on a small table to the side of the couch after taking one more sip. Reaching over Dana took hold of Nasser’s chin and forcefully pulled him to face her once again. “My home is neutral ground. Always has been, always will be,” Dana stated lowly drilling her eyes sharply into Nasser’s, “Houses and bloods don’t matter here. As much as I love Kris, this isn’t his home so he has no say over matters here. And neither do you so while you are visiting me I won’t tolerate ANY prejudice against any Slytherin before you have met them in person. Besides has Kris ever raised a finger against you? Or any of MY friends for that matter?” Dana turned and slipped her shoes on again before taking Nasser’s arm and pulling him along. Weaving through people Dana noticed Kris quickly enough as he had evidently came back inside form the garden with Driscoll again.

For a moment Dana observed what was going on with a small smile shadowing her lips for a moment. Kris was sitting on the ground cross-legged with a few months old baby-girl in his arms who Kris was expertly holding with his right hand not seeming to mind the least bit that the girl was drooling down his shoulder. And that wasn’t the only child around him. There was a three year old boy swinging on his back, 5 year twin girls combing Kris’s hair, even if they pulled out strands now and then and two more boys tugging on his left hand in between a wrestling match between themselves. Kris had always had a simply magical touch with children, even now always opting to be seated in the children’s table at family gatherings. He allowed kids to do most anything up to the age of 8 or 9 and all kids seemed to sense it. When children were around then kids didn’t seem to care about anyone else. Dana snorted quietly at the picture before them that was quite regular for herself, even if it light seem even alien to Nasser. Especially the small smile curving up one side of Kris’s lips. “And this is the big and mean Slytherin out of whose way people duck at school? The Slytherin who can make your life a living hell without even trying?” Dana asked quietly from Nasser without even looking at him before taking hold of his arm again pulling her along towards Kris who looked up exactly when Dana was 4 steps away from her.

Taking two more steps closer Dana watched as Kris rose to his feet gracefully despite the protests of the children greeting her with a quiet: “Dana.” Dana figured that Kris must have recognized her steps so she smiled at Kris: “Kris, meet Nasser Salah. Nasser, Kris Graas. Nasser will be staying for the night and would you mind lending some of your blouses as he wasn’t really expecting to stay overnight when he came.” Dana waited calmly for a response watching the smile from Kris’s lips fade for a moment as he tilted his head and Dana knew that Kris was thinking even if it was barely a moment before Kris’s swift response along with a curt nod: “Salah. Some house-elf will fetch some blouse I haven’t worn to you later in the evening.” “I want cake!” came the loud statement from the one of the twin girls and Kris turned away from the two crouching again and letting the two girls climb onto his back where they held onto Kris’s neck for dear life while the boys trailed behind them with one more girl joining them as Kris walked slowly enough to the snack-tables to make sure the 2 year old holding onto the leg of his pants wouldn’t have any trouble keeping up with the pace.

Dana watched them go for a moment before turning back to Nasser with an arched eye-brow: “Problem solved. Did you really think he doesn’t know who my friends are?” For a moment Dana looked at Nasser as if daring him to say anything before taking a couple of steps further away and returning to the previous topic, “But I don’t think Dare is very similar to anyone at all. But he’s fun to be around with. Looking at him you’d never even know everything that has happened to their family. He’s a pureblood so I’ve heard rumours, even though Dare himself hasn’t told anything to me. Then again we aren’t that great friends either.” Dana tilted her head and smiled a little. Tell about Nasser’s good qualities? That shouldn’t be too hard. As long as he didn’t do any of those completely idiotic things that men sometimes seemed to think were nice and romantic and which in reality only put the woman in a bad and awkward and sometimes even embarrassing position. “I don’t mind that. And what did I tell about no prejudice against Slyths while here? Vince is… smarter than most people give him credit for. And I rather enjoy his company I must admit. He brought be iris’s and danced with me on Beltane. I was a bit surprised by that but it very a very pleasant surprise.” Dana glanced out of the window thoughtfully even if she was rather consumed in her own thoughts than admiring the view she knew by heart anyway. Who exactly were she and Vince? Dana wasn’t quite sure. They were dancing around each other and the topic at a rather random pace, “And I can’t say that I’m with Vince really. I dance with a lot of people but I would most surely very seriously think about it when he asked me for anything more. Vince seems as if he would stay loyal once he commits himself to me and I doubt he would ever raise a hand against me and even then I’m hardly defenceless. A sword or a knife can make a pretty good equalizer. Besides as Vince is the only guy who actually shows attention to me as a girl and a woman, then it’s really quite flattering.”

[Nasser Salah G6]

Nasser could do little more than stare blankly at Dana as she stated the rules. They were fair, but he wasn’t prejudiced! It was her cousin who was prejudiced – damn it – well maybe that was jumping to conclusions but it wasn’t like Kris Graas wasn’t known at school. He had a reputation. But Dana was right and Nasser shook his head and then nodded it in response to both questions. All he had come here for was to comfort Dana. He didn’t want this turning into anything else or resulting in any trouble. When Dana looked away and let go of his chin his eyes followed in the direction she was looking. He watched the scene before him, his surprise contained as he quietly contemplated Kris from a different perspective. So there was more to him than what everybody said, but anyway, part of what everyone said about Kris was that he was very hard to fathom and you were never quite sure where you were with him and what he might do next.

Nasser hardly had a chance to say anything when Kris walked up to them. It was amazing how he made his way to them without stumbling or wandering off in the wrong direction despite all the noise around them. Nasser noticed the slight moment of hesitation – but then he’d been expecting much more than that. “Thank you,” Nasser stammered. “I – I’m sorry for your loss,” he said awkwardly, and while he did genuinely feel it he hated the words that he knew Kris must have heard about a hundred times already. Nasser gladly seized the topic of Dare so the past few minutes could be forgotten. “Yes, well Dare never could be good friends with a girl – he just doesn’t see them that way.” Nasser bit his tongue as Vincent came up. He just couldn’t understand what Dana saw in him. “Dana, that’s the stupidest – I can’t believe you’re actually saying that! You think Crabbe is the best that you can do it? I bet several guys at school would like to ask you out but are afraid of being rejected! And it’s not like if you had your eye on someone you’d be afraid to ask them out. You’re seriously considering getting serious to Vince because he did what any gentleman would do had he the chance to go out with you? Bought you flowers, was polite and didn’t try to hit you?” He kept his voice down but his eyebrows were raised in disbelief.

[dana]

Dana observed the very brief exchange of words between Kris and Nasser wordlessly but didn’t say a word. If Kris wanted to comment, he would do so later and maybe to her, maybe to Cleo, maybe just keep his opinion deep inside his mind only to fish it out when he wanted to. There were times when even Dana couldn’t read him, even though those times were rare as years of practice and Kris’s smaller guard over his emotions and thoughts around Dana made things easier for her. Nodding lightly to Nasser Dana raised a finger and took a step forward letting one of her relatives take hold of her eye-brows as first him, then his wife kissed Dana’s cheek and gave their apologizes before heading for the fireplace to floo away. “I think it’s rather the opposite with Dare actually. He’s a good friend for every girl who knows just what to say when you’re feeling down or need someone to assure you that you look appropriate for the occasion. But he never becomes more than a friend,” Dana commented with a small shrug of her shoulders, “But I wouldn’t bet my head on it as I’m sure he could still surprise me and render me speechless without even trying. He’s just… interesting I suppose.”

A sharp glance flew towards Nasser at the word stupidest but Dana didn’t comment. She didn’t even sigh. She wasn’t stupid enough to think that years old prejudices could be broken with one counter-argument or one evening. They just couldn’t, but she might just get Nasser thinking one day. “And why shouldn’t I? Pureblood kids have to come from somewhere as well. And I want children one day,” Dana replied with a small smile playing on her lips as he listened to Nasser’s words. It would be flattering to think that. But really now, who was after Dana? Most of the guys her year or 7th years were in relationships or too busy or not fitting for Dana. The rest of them took Dana as almost like a sister, a friend to who to come to when they got in trouble with their dates or someone from who they could get homework help. Dana didn’t really mind it most of the time, but she wasn’t blind nor that stupid either.

“I’m a traditionalist. If I’m really sincere interested then the guy has to make the first step,” Dana replied easily walking closer to the window and placing her hands lightly on the window-sill as she gazed out of the window, “And Vince has been a perfect gentleman and the only one who has shown me that he might be interested in me. If Vince asked me out – yes, I do believe I’d go. There isn’t any reason not to go after all. Anything more than that – I don’t have the grounds to start thinking about that yet.” Dana turned back to Nasser with a ghost of a smile flashing over her face once again. A lot of people were shocked when they saw Dana dancing with Vince at Beltane. But Dana did believe that Vince could make a nice enough husband for someone one day being loyal and sticking by his wife no matter what. And Dana admitted to herself quietly that she felt rather secure around Vince mainly because at least now she could most likely manipulate him one way or an other.

[Nasser Salah G6]

“Yeah, now that you mention it. But she’ll have to put up with a lot of flirting anyway,” he said with a small smile. Even though he had known Dare a longer time than he had known Dana still he didn’t know him very well when it came to things like his family and other friends at school – save anyone in Gryffindor as he saw them in the common room and knew who he talked to, and besides, he saw him with far too many girls to know who was his friend and who wasn’t. But Dana had a point. Back to Vincent – again, Nasser bit his tongue. “Dana, I don’t dislike Crabbe because he’s a pureblood. I mean, let’s forget that he’s Malfoy’s sidekick and will do whatever he tells him, let’s just focus on his other aspects,” he said. Traditionalist. He’d never have thought it, but then maybe it was girl thing for her. He was going to try a completely different track. He paused for a moment, measuring his words before he said them.

When he did speak he spoke earnestly and his eyes were suddenly more alive then they had been all night. “Don’t you want someone who can give as good as he gets, who’s passionate, full of ideas and a love for life, someone adventurous, who you’ll never tire of talking to? Dana, when I first met you in that kitchen, I noticed two things about you almost immediately. One was that you seemed to have your owl way of dealing with things, and the other was that you had a weird but wonderful sense of humour. Do you laugh with Crabbe? Does he have a wit to match yours and encourage you when you want to something that would be considered out of the ordinary? Does he care about people like you do?” he asked. He lowered his voice and moved a little closer to her. “Do you wish that he was right here, right now?” he asked finally.