Women of destiny ((Arya))

[dana]

Dana knew how to look childish, how to look playful, how to look sophisticated and firm. And she knew how to look and act posh and chic. And as she had been forced to come to the meeting with her relatives who wanted to “comfort the poor child and help her take care of her money”. Dana’s pride didn’t allow her to look anything but the very best. Effective, sharp and maybe it was a bit arrogant but Dana made sure that her clothes accented her youth and beauty and her fit figure perfectly to remind her relatives that she was still young and pretty. So she had picked her clothes very carefully. Black silk pants that showed the curve of her hips but fell loosely around her legs showing only the tips of her heeled boots that raised her to be higher so it wasn’t hard for her to make it seem as if she was looking down at others. And a tight, black, corset-type blouse that was closed at the front with small hidden hooks. The shoulders of the blouse were made of black discrete lace just as the sleeves that fell directly below Dana’s elbows. The blouse didn’t have a big collar but it went down rather deep in the front so it made Dana keep a very firm eye on her posture. She didn’t want to crouch and offer someone a much too nice view down her shirt after all. Besides crouching didn’t look classy at all. And her outfit and the jewels – real diamonds placed into silver in her ears, around her neck (drawing attention to the neck-line of the blouse) and on her finger – had done their job. Her relatives had been bristling with anger, but there had been absolutely nothing they could do as they saw that Dana didn’t bend to their wills. Dana grinned thinking back at the look on her cousins’ face. For the first time the middle-aged simply fat woman had started to understand from sighting Dana that the family tree had always underestimated her. Until today.

With a grin Dana nodded to the door-keeper who pulled the high oak door open before her and stepped into the pub. It was a pretty place as Dana knew from previous visits here. A nice place with copies of Monet hanging on the walls, black marble, soft velvet seats and privacy as well as the very best foods, drinks and service. Actually Dana could see this place as the gathering place of mafia like it was shown in the movies. The seemed to wish to leave such an impression. Only Slytherins – and Dana naturally – came to this place form time to time. Most of the rest of the school couldn’t afford dining at this place and those who could but weren’t in Slytherin seemed to know that they wouldn’t be welcomed here overly warmly. Unclasping her knee-length dark-blue cloak at the collar and the waist where wide filigree bronze clasps hold it stead Dana also pulled off her gloves and without even looking threw her cloak to the left knowing that someone would be there to catch it. Her hips swaying perhaps a little bit more than usually - but her clothes demanding the slow sway – Dana walked through one more set of doors now seeing the restaurant part where a girl in blue dress already sang on the stage in one corner of the room.

“I feel as if I should fall to my knees and offer the lady grapes, poetry, jewels or at the very least light to her cigarette,” came a voice from Dana’s right and she turned her head lightly smiling at the pretty waiter standing there the artificially created smoke in the whole room giving him almost mystic charm. “I don’t smoke, I prefer real diamonds I can buy myself and I would prefer lord Byron’s poetry to your own skills right now. However I wouldn’t mind some wine and snacks. Blue cheese, crackers, grapes as you offered. Slices of peach. Surprise me,” Dana placed her order easily as the waiter bowed and disappeared from view quickly. The moments Dana reached the high bar and chose a seat on a high stool a glass with red wine was placed before her and a plate with her ordered snacks already prepared was shifted closer to her by the bar-tender who backed up to give Dana her privacy after that.

The girl in the blue dress started a new song of femme fatale. Fatal women. Women who could change history. Dana turned her head a little looking at the mirror hanging on a near-by wall and touched the corner of her lips with her pinky finger for a moment to make sure the lipstick hadn’t smudged. She felt like that today. Maybe it was the clothes, maybe her overall mood, maybe the meeting she had just bared through. But Dana wasn’t ready to go back to Hogwarts castle just yet and be a regular girl and the Ravenclaw prefect patrolling hallways after curfew yet. In a few hours she would do it, but for a few moments she would enjoy the feeling surrounding her right now. Throwing one of her leg over the knee of the other Dana did feel like a femme fatale today. Raising the crystal glass with wine to her lips Dana gave a small satisfied smile at the taste before picking out a slice of peach and biting into it.

[aryasillhouette]

Arya was not sure what her day would yet bring, for there had been talk of a meeting with her parents in Hogsmeade. Why on earth would they want to have a meeting with me? I know I haven’t done anything wrong in school, therefore I just do not understand what purpose they would have for a meeting. Arya thought to herself as she fumbled through her wardrobes looking for just the right outfit. She was sure that even though Hogsmeade was a muggle community, that her mother and father, no matter how rich, nor fancy the clothes that they owned, would dress in some sort of filthy muggle attire. Arya tended to be ashamed to be seen with her parents lately, for they were becoming more and more obsessed with the kindness of muggles. Arya found these thoughts sickening and thought that she would be best off when she could be away from her parents. She was sure that by the time that year arrived; they would be trying to blend with the muggles on a daily basis. If there are any muggles left in the world she thought almost laughing to herself, as she thought of their feelings for her support for the Dark Lord.

Arya was never one whom was afraid to admit that even though she was not yet a follower of his, she did support the Dark Lord’s noble cause in ridding the world of muggles. Arya’s passion for his cause burned deep, and she thought that this would more than likely be the basis of the meeting her parents had wanted to meet with her about. She continued digging through her wardrobes, finally coming up with a very body flattering dress. She pulled the floor length dress, and looked to see if her matching shoes were in there. Arya laid the dress across her bed, and found the shoes that went best with it. The dress, was a stunningly beautiful one, as was everything that Arya wore with the exception of her school robes, but then she even managed to make those seem radiant.

Arya carefully ran her hands over the dress; she loved the feel of the soft silk as it caressed her skin. Deciding that she had chosen the right dress, she slipped it on and took a look in the mirror. The dress wasn’t entirely silk though. It was a beautiful white dress that was underlain with silk, and the top was a silk mesh with delicate beaded roses embroidered into the material. The red and green beads of the roses were Arya’s favorite part of the dress, with the exception of the sleeves; it had simple spaghetti straps to hold it up, and wasn’t low cut at all. The mesh was floor length, and just barely showed Arya’s white sandal style dress shoes with the three inch heels. She added a simply white gold chain that held a circle pendant of diamonds to the ensemble, and decided to look through her wardrobes one last time, coming across an elegant white silk bolero jacket, with one rose the same type as the dress on the right-side hem that when pulled on would fall right over her heart. Arya decided that the jacket would perfectly complete the outfit, and pulled it and the matching handbag out of her wardrobe, and completed the ensemble with a simple pair of marquis cut diamond earrings.

After dressing Arya made her way out of the school and down into Hogsmeade. She usually enjoyed the visits to the town but today was different, she hated having to meet her muggle loving parents there, and being seen with them would be even worse. Arya had always wished that her parents didn’t try pushing her to associate with mudbloods, or half-bloods, she honestly would rather get eaten by a basilisk first. Arya’s parents had always thought that was the wrong choice for her, but she had never faltered in her opinion. She really wasn’t ready to meet with them again, and have another argument where they would spend a month or longer not speaking. Arya thought that this break she would ask her parents to let her travel. That might make them happy because I wouldn’t be able to travel everywhere by port key or floo, and I can not yet apperated. Therefore it means I would have to either get enchanted cars or travel needs from the Ministry or use muggle transportations Arya shuddered at the thought of having to use muggle transportation to get anywhere, but she knew that she didn’t want to be the only person that never traveled anywhere just because of her hatred. She had managed to get through most of the year by just jinxing few mudbloods, and half-blood. She had even jinxed a couple of blood traitors just for the fun of it really. She thought of those moments and smiled. She did enjoy taunting the other students at the school.

She walked slowly to the café she was supposed to meet her parents at, she didn’t want to have the meeting, but would be happy when it was over. Thinking about that, she sped up her walk just a bit, so that she could get the meeting over with. Arriving, she looked around the café to find her parents. She found them in the very back corner, she thought to herself that she should have known that would be the area they would choose, so that they could make a scene and the whole café still see it. She managed to make it through the meeting with out a huge scene and her parents liked the idea of her traveling this summer. They said that it would give her an opportunity to see that not all muggles were horrid. She wanted to disagree with this statement, but just so that she could end the meeting, she simply nodded. Hugging her mother, and bidding good bye to her father, she left the café and headed to another one on the other side of the village. The café was known to house only those who could afford to be there. Arya knew that meant that there wouldn’t be many, if any, mudbloods or half bloods there. She smiled at the door keeper, and walked through. She looked around after handing her jacket to the valet, and walked on through, taking a moment to enjoy the fine paintings and sculptures that the little pub held. Arya had always enjoyed this place.

Taking a seat at the bar, she placed her order for a strawberry wine, and a small cheese and crackers plate. Turning around on her stool, she began to enjoy the relaxation that the place instilled on everyone that seemed to be there at that moment. Relaxing herself, she took a sip of her wine, and gazed around some more.

[dana]

Dana enjoyed the juice out the peach as she bit into it and savoured the sweet taste. Generally Dana didn’t care much for sweet things, but the peach wasn’t sickly sweet. Maybe it was the generous amount of juice in the peach that made it tolerable. Not that it mattered right now really. Dana had just felt like eating a peach so she did it. Maybe there was just feeling of power at the ease you could bite into a peach. It was sensual too. Dana had dressed for her relatives in order to remind them of her beauty in a subtle way and to warn then that she herself lived by higher standards. Her cousin’s jewels had been fake pearls mixed with real ones. Dana had taken immense pleasure at glancing at the necklace quizzically a couple of times showing that she had understood the difference and it had embarrassed her cousin greatly, especially so since Dana had carefully avoided commenting. Things not said sometimes hurt more than the things spoken out loudly. But Dana felt like a temptress today rather than a woman of power. Even though temptation always held surprisingly much power. But Dana felt like entrancing someone, playing with their head, manipulating almost. Tempting without going overboard and looking like a cheap tramp was a difficult task that many didn’t succeed in, but Dana felt up to testing her abilities in the area today.

Twirling the red wine before her with her small finger Dana grinned lazily before raising her finger to her mouth again tasting her wine. A simple move in itself. But if done with the correct amount of lack of attention it could be so incredibly tantalizing. Dana did have a couple of such tricks up her sleeve. Meredith had made sure of that when she sent Dana to spend a summer with some veelas when she turned 15. Dana was far from ever being as good as a veela in the art of flirting or tempting but she was far from shabby as well. “Ah, what lovely sight for sore eyes. I’m pleased to see you honouring by humble pub with your presence,” came the smooth voice of the pub-owner as he took hold of Dana’s hand squeezing it for a moment between both of his, “I know how hard times you must have gone through. I assure you that I’ll try to do my best to make you forget all about the hurdles of life while you stay as my guest.” Dana smiled at the round-ish pub owner who was evidently making his first tour around the pub. With his royal-red jacket and white pants he fit into the role of a mafia godfather perfectly, the diamond on his small finger being the final perfecting touch. Even though Dana knew that she had earned the privilege of being addressed thanks to the crowd she had been here with previously. Meredith had been a known and important woman and she had came here with Dana sometimes. Turning herself a little towards the pub-owner Dana arched a simple eye-brow her mind whirling to recall what kind of flowers don Bruce had sent her after the message about her grandparents deaths had reached the newspapers.
“Don Bruce. Dark-blue lilies. I appreciated them. While surrounded with the grandiosity of your pub I could never feel tired of these hurdles of life,” Dana replied with a smile curving the corners of her mouth upwards knowing very well that she was a welcomed guest only until she could pay her bill and leave a suitable tip.

“Don Bruce,” came the quiet voice of one of the servants who had appeared almost soundlessly as well. The pub-owner offered Dana one more smile before taking a step away and listening attentively to what the servant whispered in his ear. Giving the two men some privacy Dana turned back towards her drink until don Bruce stepped forward again. “Duty calls, my dear, but please, enjoy yourself. Two such gorgeous young ladies here at once – you flatter my ladies. The number of my guests would triple if you two sat here for an hour or so every day. Jorges, be sure that the two femme fatale are given all they might desire. Such pretty girls should not sit alone,” don Bruce said with a nod towards the bar-tender as he kissed both Dana and the other girl who had sat down near Dana a couple of moments ago on their cheeks.
“It’s always a pleasure to see, don Bruce,” Dana said with a respectful nod as the pub-owner bowed himself away as Dana eyed the other girl curiously. They weren’t sitting exactly next to each other but there were only a couple of chairs between them. Observing the girl for a moment Dana didn’t even bother to hide her calm look. As the girl was here, she had to be a pureblood and wealthy one at that. Not overly old. Maybe around Dana’s own age which meant that the faint familiarity of her face might come from classes in Hogwarts. Most likely a Slytherin. Gryffs nor Hufflepuffs didn’t come here and Dana knew for a fact that the girl wasn’t a Ravenclaw.

Dana glanced at her outfit and felt a small grin tugging at the corner of her mouth. White dress symbolized innocence and purity, giving a bit holy or even angelic look. With her dress the girl seemed almost unsuitably for the room that was filled with leather and fake smoke to give a more mysterious aura. But the red roses showed colour, added life to the dress and showed that perhaps the wearer wasn’t that innocent after all. Roses were the symbols of well-kept secrets in medieval times after all. But while the dress code was curious as Slytherins were for from being real gentle angels, it was oddly suitable as well. The girl obviously knew how to dress as her outfit drew attention to it’s wearer and gave you something to think about. A fallen angel dressed as a saint. Then again, which angel was fallen? Where did the line run? Perhaps Dana was a fallen angel as well, despite her black clothing? Dana gave a small knowing smirk, knowing that she had a rather mean streak inside herself as well. Perhaps not enough to make her a true Slytherin, but something that didn’t leave Dana far behind. Dana blinked lazily having seen more than plenty during the quick look-over but there were still dozens of secrets to discover.
“Femme fatale,” Dana repeated don Bruce’s words as she raised her glass of wine towards the other girl in a sort-of salute before taking a sip. This place was known for the ease with what don Bruce sometimes helped people make new acquaintances and form new alliances if he wanted to do so. Dana wasn’t here to find new friends, but it wouldn’t be polite to ignore don Bruce’s polite hint, if she wished to still have first-class service here.

[aryasillhouette]

Arya let herself be enveloped by the atmosphere of the pub. It was just what she needed, somewhere to let all her worries from the meeting with her parents fly away. She didn’t need those thoughts weighing on her mind. She needed to let go of the frustration that her parents caused. Them with their stupid ideas of her actually befriending a mud blood. Arya had scoffed at the thought. There was no way in the heavens that she would ever befriend such filth. She pawed with the possibility of befriending a half blood. She knew that they would have to show themselves extremely worthy of her time, which she doubted could ever happen. Half bloods were still tarnished; they were half filth, and half blood traitor. Arya shuddered at the thought. She founding it blood chilling to think that there were actually purebloods that wanted to associate and even marry such filth as a mud blood. Arya had to let all of this melt away. The soft music and lighting would help that along the way. Now she just had to try not to think of such things. She only needed to think of what was ahead of her. The place she was in was lovely not only for its themed style, but also for the fact that it separated the filth from the worthy. Only those worthy of being in a place like this could afford it. She was sure that there were some that could afford it, that wasn’t worthy, but those would be too afraid to enter the pub. For the pub was a known home to mostly Slytherins, and their close friends.

Lifting her goblet of wine, Arya took a small taste of the strawberry wine, and nodded in approval. It was exactly what she had been wanting. The cheese plate looked delicious, and was covered in bleu cheese, which happened to be her favorite. Arya tasted the cheese with her smallest finger, it enticed her just as she expected. Arya relaxed a little and began to believe that she was in paradise. It was what she had needed. The relaxing atmosphere, the lack of worry about being surrounded by filth. There was even some soft music playing off in the midst of the pub. Arya closed her eyes for a moment to let it all seep in.

Suddenly, Arya heard a familiar voice. It was the owner of the pub, Don Bruce. Arya knew of Don Bruce but had never been able to formally introduce herself. She watched as he moved down the bar a piece, and greeted someone whom he apparently knew very well. She looked at the girl, a beautiful young woman in an elegant black outfit. Obviously a woman on a mission. Then suddenly, he spoke somewhat to both of them at once. Arya simply smiled, and he kissed both the other girl and her on the cheek before walking off to where he was summoned. Arya paid little to no attention as the girl whom had been sitting just a few stools away from her, began to look her over. Arya had nothing to worry about, and was obviously used to being looked over in such a way, that it no longer bothered her.

Arya looked back at the girl, just as she raised her glass in a small salute. Arya did the same, “Femme fatale.” There was no better word for the way that the two looked, Arya thought as she sipped her strawberry wine. Arya wasn’t up to speaking first, so she just patiently waited, wondering if there would be a point that the other girl introduced herself.

[dana]

The girl didn’t seem very bothered with Dana looking her over. Dana was discreet but still you always noticed when someone did such a thing. Mentally Dana applauded to how the girl controlled herself. Not everyone could have remained as calm and not everyone would have been able to avoid shifting in their seat a little. Dana eyed the choice of drink and snacks the girl had asked for as well and noticed with some amusement that at least they had a similar taste in cheese. Though Dana had asked for a wider variety but that didn’t change the main point. Dana took a sip of her own glass as the girl replied to her salute with the same. Touching her lip-corner with her small finger after taking the sip Dana calmly placed her wine back on the counter again and arched her eye-brows a little. The other girl didn’t seem very obliged to speak and neither did Dana yet someone had to carry on the polite small-talk before they could return to their own thoughts. At least they had obliged to don Bruce’s – their host’s – wish then and at least conversed! Why insult people when pleasing them would take so little effort and might even be useful in the long run? While Dana wasn’t planning on taking his advice, she could exchange a couple of words so that no one could have something bad to say about her manners. Meredith had brought her up to be the best after all – her grandmother had been a Slytherin so anything less wouldn’t have satisfied her.

“I think I’ll skip don Bruce’s advice and remain on my seat as sitting next to you would not only be clingy but also annoying as you don’t seem very anxious about company either. If we did we’d both be at Hogwarts,” Dana stated softly. She didn’t whisper – no, if she stated something then it was worth enough to be heard. But if the girl wanted to hear her clearly and understand the words then she would have to strain her ears just the tiniest bit. A small trick Meredith had once taught her when she was just a kid and one Dana used even without thinking about it now. She had always been a good diplomat. Or she had always been good at manipulating people quietly if you wished to word it that way. A lazy curve of her lips as Dana turned her head making her ear-rings sway a little: “Besides I look good enough on my own as well not to need someone else by my side to catch eyes.”

Dana turned back to her own plate of snacks. Operating easily even with the silver nail-jewel on the middle finger of her right hand Dana picked up a sword-like toothpick and gathered a grape and a piece of cheese on it before eating the bite. The sweet juice and the bitterer taste of the cheese mixed together creating a marvelous outcome that curved Dana’s lips in a small satisfied smile once again. She very nearly gave a start when someone spoke to her side as she hadn’t heard the man, who had taken her cloak, approach.
“She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that's best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellow'd to that tender light
Which heaven to gaudy day denies,”
The employee quoted with a bow while holding out a book to Dana, “Lord Byron as you said you appreciate his poetry.” Dana smiled accepting the leather-bound book with lord Byron and a single rose pressed into the leather in gold. The book was obviously valuable and Dana inhaled deeply enjoying the smell of old book wondering lazily if some other girl had read the words written there and found solace in them? There were endless possibilities for this but Dana merely opened the book and read her favourite of lord Byron’s work which was also the same poem the employee had quoted to her.


((There, she talked a little. But she was stubborn about it, so there isn't very much.))

[aryasillhouette]

Arya sat continuing to sip her wine slowly. She loved the taste of sweet vine ripened strawberry wine. Arya was enjoying her time without many words, but she felt that it would be an insult to not try to have some conversation. Arya didn’t wish to insult the pub’s owner, and her host. Not often did someone openly point out her beauty, and that had made Arya feel that the man deserved as much respect as she could offer. Speaking to the girl that he wished would be just a small amount of that respect. Arya had already shared a toast with the girl but there seemed to be more that needed to be done.

Arya turned toward the girl as she began to speak. Arya was at that moment proud of her overly perfect hearing, for it seemed that the girl wasn’t speaking very loudly. Arya nodded in agreement to everything the girl had said, for it was all true. If Arya had wanted very much company, she would have returned to Hogwarts and been surrounded by the filth that flooded its halls. The girl was still correct again in saying that she needed not someone else to help her catch the attention of passing eyes. Arya would have to agree that the girl was beautiful. Arya was never one to ignore the facts. “While I do not appear anxious for company, I would not just ignore intelligent conversation. And to be truthful, I come here to escape the horrid halls of Hogwarts. There are just some that I can not tolerate within those halls any longer than need be.” Arya spoke in her soft yet firm voice, being sure that she was heard without disrupting the atmosphere of the pub. “And I must agree, you do look exceptionally beautiful, and familiar as well. Might you be the Ravenclaw Prefect?” Arya had made a point while at school to know who prefects were, and who weren’t. Something that had come in handy in case any of the younger ones needed a good jinxing or cursing.

Arya turned back to her snacks and wine, after finishing her sentences. She had only spoken as she was taught to speak when spoken too, and she had not wanted to disrespect the pub’s gracious owner.


((sorry it's so short and horrible. I'm having to force Arya out of the deep dark recesses of my mind. *huggles* it was the best she would do))

[dana]

Dana browsed the pages of the poetry book she was brought. While she enjoyed the poetry of lord Byron – at least some of it – Dana wasn’t an overly big fan of poems. So she wasn’t entirely interested in the contents of the book, no matter how good it was. At least not know Dana couldn’t spark the interest in her. Besides the book just looked pretty so Dana admired that absent-mindedly making a mental note to read lord Byron’s poems so other day and time to make up for her lack of attention to the book right now. Dana closed the book quietly her fingers gliding over the dark leather into which the book was bound. The rose pressed into the leather was amazing, the preciseness with which it was crafted was simply extra-ordinary. It must have taken ages to finish it as Dana didn’t doubt that it was handicraft work. Dana just couldn’t imagine Don Bruce accepting anything less than impeccable. It really was Dana’s own fault that she didn’t feel like giving the poems the attention they deserved right now. Not that she was given too much of a chance as the girl spoke to her.

Looking up with a small smirk playing on her face Dana wondered if the other girl found the situation as amusing she did. Both came here to let their minds wander in peace, both were content with their wine and snacks – even though they obviously preferred different wine-sorts – and yet they were exchanging quite meaningless polite phrases out of the request of someone who wasn’t even around anymore. Yet relations and acquaintances could never hurt in the pureblooded world so Dana pushed back a strand of hair fixing the position of one of her dangling earrings with the same movement. And the girl took a swipe towards Hogwarts. The halls. As there wasn’t anything wrong with the hallways themselves, some were rather nice with their carpets and paintings and sculptures and whatever else, it must have been the people. Some Slytherins were more prejudiced than others but Dana didn’t feel like arguing and ruining her mood today – lest she got a head-ache – so she decided to ignore the meanings that might or might not be hidden behind the other girl words. “The Hogwarts halls can get a bit loud at times,” Dana merely stated leaving the statement to that. The girl could try to draw her own conclusions as to what hid behind Dana’s words, even though the truth was that nothing did. Dana just didn’t really wish to peruse the topic any longer.

Dana laughed quietly at the girl’s next words. Exceptionally beautiful? Dana looked good, she cleaned up very nice even. But she wasn’t exceptionally beautiful. If she was then would she… well, perhaps it would be better not to go in there. “Thank you, even though I wasn’t wishing for compliments,” Dana replied a bit throatily with some laughter still sounding from her voice, even though she didn’t send the compliment back. Now it would only sound cheap and as if Dana was trying to gain the other girls favour, “Yes, I am. Ravenclaw 6th year and a prefect. Dana Gayle Cynthia Coran. I’d offer my hand to shake if I could reach over the counter. Yet, I’m afraid I don’t know with who I have the pleasure of talking other than knowing you must be from a respectable family – or you wouldn’t be here – and that you’re a Slytherin. The way you uphold yourself tells that,” Dana respond with a deep nod in greeting as a way of making up for the lack of shaking the other girls hand.