Good to Finally Meet You ((Pyro))

[Ruby Lehane]

Icy blue orbs moved over the snow covered cobblestone path. All seemed dead and quiet in those early morning hours. Though things were bound to pick up soon. It was the reason why Ruby was out right now. She didn’t want to contend with the crowds in Hogsmeade that day. Mind raced with a million thoughts…over and over, causing her body to sway and step in a rhythmic pattern. Stature was tight, tall, and prideful as she moved through the pathway. The snow littered the top of the path, making it a danger to all who dared travel it…but Ruby was graceful…careful in her movements across the slippery path. Light barely filtered through the gray-clouded skies giving the village of Hogsmeade a mystical and gloomy air…one in which Ruby flourished. She moved with deliberate strides. She was on a mission that day, one that she’d be damned if she forgot about it. Her brother was counting on her and she wouldn’t let him down, not like last time. The world had finally righted itself in her eyes and she wasn’t about to make things worse by not fulfilling her mission. Long blonde hair lifted softly from her back as the wind picked up and she subconsciously pulled her black leather jacket tight around her as she moved into the dark store. To any other it seemed to be nothing special, but Ruby knew what it was…knew the secrets it held.

Time seemed to pass slowly outside…the wind picking up and a gentle storm of snow began, littering down on the magical village while Ruby continued on with her mission inside the building. All seemed cold, quiet, and dead in that early morning, but just like that the doors opened quickly to the building. Ruby moved out of them quickly the small piece of paper being shoved in her pocket. An annoyed expression was written on her face and icy blue orbs had narrowed incredibly as she moved with an intense presence back to the main rode. The older students of Hogwarts had already begun descending upon the small town even in the cold. She growled as she moved through the students around the stone fountain that stood in the middle of the square and on. Long strong legs maneuvered around them as fingers wrapped tight around the note in her pocket. She still had another mission to fulfill, but how could she when she had no idea where to look? An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as she moved out of the crowed streets of Hogsmeade and moved down the forgotten path that led to the Shrieking Shack. Sometimes she wondered if she’d ever go to Hogsmeade without coming to the place…this place that now held both bad and pleasant memories…memories that she’d never forget thanks to how important they were to herself and her brother.

Ruby sighed again one foot coming up to the bottom wooden rung of the fence and she pushed herself up and over it, taking a seat on the fence itself as blue orbs studied the building in the distance as the snow fell. Irises moved down to look at her jacket and the layer of snow that was accumulating she dusted it off quickly, digits running over the leather slowly as she thought back to the man in the building.
“I don’t know where it is! I haven’t heard about it or seen it in over two years. Last I know it was stolen and no one seems to know who took it,” the man cowered from her. He knew her all right…this wasn’t the first time she had set first in that shot looking for something and it wouldn’t be the last time either. She twirled her wand in her hand as she looked at him.
“Don’t mess with me you worthless piece of slim. I don’t have to remind you of who I am do I?”
“No! Miss Lehane I understand. I’ll try to find it. Here…take this. It was the last person I know to have had it. If you find them maybe they’ll know where to find it,” he said handing her the piece of paper. Ruby scowled at him before taking it and immediately turning her back on him.
“You’ve failed me once…don’t do it again,” she growled before bursting through the outer doors.

Ruby twirled her wand in her hands again…unaware of how she even got it out of it’s sheath in the first place. She must have been so lost in thought that she had taken it out unbeknownst to her. The cool wood melted almost to her long digits and she smiled at the fact that she’d become so attached to it and it to her. The sound of feet touching cobblestone quietly made her head move as she caught a glimpse of Pyro Blackfire. A smirk fell over her face as she looked back at the Shrieking Shack. She’d let him believe he snuck up on her. For the most part he usually did. The boy was trained in areas of the mind and body that Ruby had never been trained to use and he had an unbelievable talent of sneaking up on people. However recently he had been a wreck, Ruby had heard it had something to do with Alexandra leaving him. It was a pity really, but Ruby had always thought he could do better than the social outcast. At least with her gone now she had a chance to find out if he’d be interested in their cause. He was a Blackfire so the chances of him being interested were good. “Pyro Blackfire. How nice to see you actually out and about…and clean for that matter,” she said without even looking back at him.

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro hardly noticed as a small trickle of sweat ran down his nose and hung precariously on the tip. He bent his elbows, lowering is body so low that his nose nearly touched the ground, the drop didn’t survive. Pushing he straightened out his elbows once again, lifting his body up into the air. “48…” He counted and paused in up position, finding his center of balance once again. It had taken Pyro many years to perfect these elevated pushups. It required a lot of strength to keep the body up at this level, and a whole lot of balance to stay up. Pyro was completely vertical in a hand stand position. He once again bent his elbows, lowering his body to the ground and then pushed it back up. “49…” He counted once again.

His morning exercises had been the first thing to go during his little depression, but they had also been the first thing to come back when he had finally gotten over it. He had moved quickly to regain the level of strength and composer that he once had held, and he was determined not to let it slip by him again. Pyro once again lowered and then straightened, coming to his last pushup for today. Bending his waist he brought his feet down to touch the floor and lightly dropped into a kneeling position as he let his weary arms rest and tried to get a handle on his breathing. Deep breaths, in and out. In and Out. There. Pyro stood up straight and moved over toward the shower room in the dormitory.

After showering and drying off he set out combing and re braiding his long blond hair. Satisfied with that he quickly put on some clothes, today was a Hogsmeade trip, and Pyro desperately wanted to get out of the castle. After dressing and putting on his cloak Pyro made his way up the stairs into the castles courtyard. He frowned at the weather and watched as snow swirled down from the sky. Pyro shrugged, the weather was one factor that was out o his control, and he would just have to deal with it. Quickly wrapping the cloak around his shoulders to ward off any rogue flakes he stepped into an empty carriage. The day was still early and not many students had made it out of the castle yet. As Pyro took his seat he kicked the carriage, signaling that he didn’t want to wait around and leaned back in the seat as the carriage began to roll.

It wasn’t an overly long ride into Hogsmeade, but Pyro sure was glad when it was over. The carriage rolled to a stop and Pyro flung open the door and leapt out, glad to once again be out in the air, although it was rather chilly. Pyro’s feet crunched through the snow where it was thick and echoed off the cobblestone streets of Hogsmeade where it wasn’t. He strolled absently through the mostly abandoned streets. He knew it was only a matter of time before they were filled with screaming student’s and cluttered with the common filth. Pyro never was much of a window shopper, and he didn’t feel at all like sitting in some dusty tavern. He needed some place to be alone, and in Hogsmeade there really was only one place to be truly alone.

Pyro knew the streets well, and although he had never actually been inside the shrieking shack, he knew that enough people were afraid of it to make students on that street a rare sight. Pyro angled away onto a side street that would bring him to the Shrieking shack. He would probably be able to find a nice place to sit down and just enjoy the fresh air. The dungeons of the Slytherin Common Room had a way of collecting heat and becoming muggy quite quickly. As Pyro approached the shack he happened to glance up to judge his progress when he noticed, with slight disgust, that someone had already beaten him to that position. From this distance he was unable to recognize the person, but he could tell it was a girl, perhaps his age, or a year younger than him.

Pyro sighed inwardly and decided to keep moving, he would just walk down the street and take the bend in the road, and hopefully he would find a spot there. The sound of his name being spoken caused him to stop and regard the girl curiously. She knew him? Knew him quite well it would seem. Pyro looked up at the girl once again, he was only a few steps away from her position. She didn’t turn to look at him, but he was close enough now to make the identification. Ruby Lehane. The Lehane’s were and old and proper family of very good standing. Pyro knew a lot about their family history, just like he knew a lot about every old and noble family.

He had been to their manor only twice. Once as a child while his father had some business to discuss with Mr. Lehane, and than once again when Pyro had recently taken over as the head of the Blackfire household. Neither time had Pyro run in with the Lehane girl, or her twin brother for that matter, although the two saw each other a lot on the Quidditch field. He analyzed her words, recognizing the small stab but deciding to put that aside for now. If she truly decided to be hostile, then he knew he had enough bullets of his own to cause some wounds. He studied her also, she was proud and noble, as were all with her type of upbringing, there was no need for this to be hostile.

Pyro dropped into a short bow to be polite. “Ruby Lehane.” He greeted back. “I had no idea that my recent actions would attract your notice.” He grinned slightly as he took a non-threatening pose. “I don’t know whether to be honored or on my guard.”

[Ruby Lehane]

An inward smirk brought her head to a higher elevation, blue orbs still watching the shack in the distance. A twitch started in the corner of her full lips at his words. No need for him to be on his guard, she just had to be sure though. Lids closed over eyes briefly as she took in a breath of cool fresh air. The day was already looking up with Pyro standing there. Her back was still to him…a little more disrespect than she would normally show, but it also showed an air of trust in the stranger behind her. It would be very easy for him to take her out without her knowledge. It put the advantage in his hands…or so she would allow him to believe at the moment. The inward smirk flushed across her physically as her lip twitched up at his response. She tossed the hair over her shoulder glancing back at him and taking in his stature allowing him to see the smirk that was playing over her lips. Irises danced with humor as she turned her attention back to the gentle snowfall that settled on the Shrieking Shack in the distance.

“Oh I take an interest in a lot of things,” Ruby said with a hint of humor that would cover the absurdity of the comment, but it was far from absurd, it was fact. “Some would say that the little people are always of my concern, but we both know that you’re not a little person around here. As for being on guard with my presence, some are…should you be?” She turned her head to look at him again, eyes roaming over his body lazily another smirk falling over her lips. “…No. Honored yes…on your guard…no.” Ruby turned then in her seat, fully facing him and giving him her attention. Maybe he deserved it…maybe he didn’t. The thought never really crossed her mind that she should be wary of him. Besides it wasn’t as if Ruby couldn’t take care of herself. No…it was a known fact that she could. Those detentions she’d received were a testament to that and of course there was always the dueling club. She was always on her guard around people and she always held the advantage. Not only that, but Wynd and her had had many discussions that had involved the Blackfire name…Pyro himself even. But those conversations were private and should be kept that way. Though sitting there facing Pyro she couldn’t help reflect upon them briefly before she quirked a brow up at him.

“I’d tell you how deeply saddened I was to hear about Alexandra and you, but I’m sure you’d rather forget all about it,” blue orbs met his irises, cool, dark, and as always full of ice. Ruby’s lips curled up again in a smirk as she sat there looking hard at him. Ruby had never really had a run in with Pyro Blackfire before, but she knew him and his reputation. There were a lot of rumors that flew about him whether he knew them or not, but some she found more than interesting. Truth be told he’d be a great ally, one that would find his place in the plans her brother and her were working on. One leg crossed over the other on the wooden fence, snow still pelting down on them, but she didn’t mind…never did. The snow was her companion, as cold and heartless as she, herself, was. She looked him over one last time before she continued on with her seemingly long monologue, oh how she loved to control conversations. “You haven’t been by to talk with my father recently. He used to speak quite fondly of you. Of course he speaks quite fondly of any upstanding pureblood. I have to say I’m rather interested in what business you’ve had with my father. Perhaps you’ll share that with me now?” the question was rhetorical. Ruby had every intention of finding out why Pyro had been speaking with her father all those years ago. Her father was a busy man and Ruby knew that those who came to their home to speak with him were people not to be reckoned with, but neither was she.

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Ruby still had not turned to face him or even looked at him. Most people would be unnerved by this, but not Pyro. He knew the game all to well, he’d been a top player in it ever since his fathers death. Pyro liked to call it the dance of the nobles, a constant struggle to downplay another noble’s importance. She was trying to unnerve him by making him feel unimportant, not even good enough to be viewed. Fortunately Pyro knew this game and knew that it wouldn’t bother him. She held the advantage of position when it came to the dance, but he held the perceived battle advantage, with her back so easily turned toward him. Pyro’s arms hung easily by his side, many inches away from the wand tucked in its sheath. He had no worries though, Pyro’s hands were quick and accurate, he could have the wand out and ready in a mere blink of an eye, though at this point and time he didn’t know if he would need the wand, but with Ruby Lehane, you never know.

She happened to glance at him, allowing him to see her face for a second before she turned back toward the shack and began to speak, breaking the momentary silence. Pyro weighed her words carefully, picking them apart to try and find any hidden meaning behind them. When it came to nobles such as her one always had to be careful to listen to the hidden meanings in words. Others, like the mudblood lovers in Gryffindor, didn’t have that particular talent so it was a waste to really listen to them speak. Though they had only exchanged a few words Ruby had already proven herself to be formidable. Even now she spoke as if insulting him only to finish the sentence in a sort of compliment, canceling the two out and keeping the mood neutral. Pyro silently applauded her.

Ruby turned in her seat, answering his question as she did this. Pyro’s eyes took her in quickly as he quickly studied her figure and pose and than returned his shining blue eyes to hers. She began to speak again, hardly giving Pyro a chance to get a word in edge wise. He didn’t mind, he wasn’t much of a talker if he could help it. He much rather preferred to allow others to talk themselves into a corner and make fools of themselves. Though he held no doubt that Ruby wouldn’t be so easily backed into a corner and he made sure to listen carefully to her words. Inwardly there was a sharp twang at her words, a memory he would much sooner forget popping up to the fore front of his mind. Outwardly he kept his calm and didn’t react at all.

Once again Ruby played the same game, say something rather unpleasant but finishing the sentence at a neutral standpoint so that any reaction from Pyro at all would make him seem like the offender. Once again Pyro found himself being forced to allow her words to slip by, a thin smirk found its way onto his lips, she was a slippery one, and Pyro was enjoying it. At her prompting his mind drifted back to those two occasions when he had visited her father. The first time he had only been 8 years old. The business that the two adults had been discussing was lost to Pyro and he hadn’t bothered remembering much of it, he had been quite happy roaming around the room and playing with random artifacts. The last time had been a little over a year ago, when Pyro had first taken over the Blackfire family, and this occasion did stick out more vividly in Pyro’s mind.

Pyro once again smirked a little, she was able to disguise a demand quite well, making it seem more like a friendly request than a command. “It was a necessary and quite enjoyable formality. Your father and mine had a few business ventures that they had entered in together. With my ascension to the head of the Blackfire name it was my duty to sort through some of my fathers affairs. I was forced to shut a few down.” He paused slightly. “And start up a few new ones.” He allowed a moment of silence to fall between them. “Mostly though, our meeting was a simple discussion of principles. When a new member takes charge of a whole family it does set things a stir. No one knows where the new loyalties will lie and such. I was merely getting to know your father, as he was getting to know me. I would greatly enjoy another meeting, if an invitation were to be presented.” He added.

Pyro looked past Ruby at the shrieking shack as his mind did travel back to that meeting. A formal dinner discussion between the two heads of family. They had discussed slightly the few business ventures that were still outstanding and planning out the new ones, nothing too special or adventurous, but something to get a good standing between the two families. They had mostly discussed each other, each others views and principles, and Pyro found that he quite enjoyed the man, almost wishing that he had had him as a father instead of Charles. Pyro’s eyes returned to Ruby’s. “He talked quite fondly of you as well, and of your brother, Wynd.” Pyro smiled a little as he recalled a few stories. “He even told me a few stories about your younger days and how inseparable you two were, even at birth. That, and also much more….” He paused as he searched for the correct words. “Sadder, and unpleasant topics also.”

[Ruby Lehane]

Frame sat high upon the wet wooden fence beneath her, one leg crossed over the other, as body was held taut. There was an inward smirk in her cold heart as she watched Pyro Blackfire. He was truly an asset to any organization…or he would be. Ruby couldn’t help the hope that he would be apart of hers. It wasn’t a foolish thought that had occurred on a random whim…no, it was a serious thought, one that would help the task that still lay before Wynd and herself. Ruby’s foot bounced softly on her knee, it could have been strewed as nervousness, but it was far from it. She wanted to lure Pyro into a false sense of security. Granted she wasn’t going to do anything construed as dangerous, but she wanted to know where his loyalties laid. Perhaps it was something she should have waited to find out, but Ruby wasn’t much for that at the moment. She needed to know and if Pyro had been speaking with her father in the ways he had claimed it seemed her father was more than willing to trust him and so should she, but not until after her own tests.

Ruby’s elbow rested on her thigh and from there her chin took it’s place on the digits of her closed fist, she was still watching him, listening without showing emotion. It was how she always was. She hated reveling her emotions…her thoughts, especially since she had a twin brother that was more than able to pick up on said emotions and thoughts. It was one annoyance to having a twin, but at the same time she was glad that at least one person out there understood her and it just so happened to be her best friend, her brother. Speaking of Wynd he’d want to know immediately about this little run in with Pyro. He had wanted him on their side recently anyway, he’d be glad to know that Ruby had actually ran into him and found him…worthy of joining their cause. Fact was he was probably more than worthy in her eyes, but she would in no way admit that out loud or even to her own mind. That was far beyond her own mental capacities and abilities, or maybe it was because it was the Blackfire before her.

Ruby smirked at the fact that Pyro was a formidable opponent at the moment. It wasn’t a challenge between two individuals who wished to do battle…no, it was a challenge between two individuals wishing to gain knowledge on the other. Ruby was interested in the knowledge that Pyro held and Pyro…well let his intentions be his own. Digits flexed gently near her wand. She wouldn’t need it, she was sure of that. Pyro was not her enemy…if anything he was a rival power, but hopefully that wouldn’t be for too much longer. There was something else about him that Ruby quite enjoyed, something that she couldn’t quite put her finger on, which in itself was annoying, but she wasn’t about to question herself as she sat there listening to his explanation letting him answer her question.

“And what sort of business ventures were those?” Ruby said with a smirk. He played the game she had started rather well. Well enough that his last few words caught her slightly off guard. It was masked easily though; it was always easy to mask her emotions from others. She allowed the smile to keep playing across her face, even though deep down she was more than curious to know exactly what her father had told him about her family. It was public knowledge that the Lehane’s mother was in Azkaban, but what was not public knowledge was the fact that she would be released this coming summer, returned to her old life and it was then that the Lehane’s would make their first strike, but that was something entirely different, or so she hoped as she quirked a brow up at Pyro, amusement written on her face. “You’ve peaked my curiosity. Please continue. What all did my father tell you about my brother and I? Or better yet about our mother?” Again the words were friendly, cast in question, but it was quite clear that they were questions she fully expected an answer to. Pyro had gained the ground in that comment and it was something Ruby was more than annoyed with. It was a tactic from him she had not been expecting, but perhaps what annoyed her more than anything was the fact that her father had shot his mouth off. Something he had begun to do more and more lately and that was something Wynd and Ruby planned on putting to an end in the summer. They couldn’t afford for their father to be rambling on and on all the time. Now Ruby was intent on getting back the power that Pyro had taken during this little battle that had begun between them. It was true though, her initial thought, he was not someone to be reckoned with. The smirked curled her lips, icy blue orbs meeting his a mind-numbing gaze as she waited for his answer.

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro knew that his words were dancing on a fine line. He watched Ruby’s body carefully, watching for any hint of her inner thoughts. Her foot bounced lightly on her knee, Pyro focused on that for a second. Could she be nervous? No, there was no way that Ruby would get nervous this quickly and this shortly into the meeting. Still, he decided to keep an eye on her to see if he could learn anything more.

The snow was a continuous effect as it fell around his head. He realized that he had hardly moved in the past few moments and a few flakes had gathered on his head and shoulders and the snow around his feet was starting to grow thick. With a sigh Pyro quickly ran a hand through his hair, shaking away the flakes from his head and shoulders. The snow crunched under foot as he moved over toward the fence that Ruby sat on. Pyro sensed her eyes on him, following his course as he moved from the center of the road up next to the fence. Pyro looked through it, looking out at the shrieking shack.

“They were small business ventures. Funding for certain shops, or trade among shops that we already owned.” Pyro glanced up at Ruby before turning his back to the fence and leaning against it. Pyro crossed his arms over his chest, crossing his legs and allowing his weight and angle to keep him propped up against the fence. Was that an edge to her voice? He wondered, he knew he was treading on a dangerous course when it came to the topic of her mother. Pyro didn’t know much about the bond between mother and daughter, but the evidence was all around him. Many times had Pyro taken a trip to the Hospital Wing only to find a few student’s groaning in bed with obvious pain and mumbling to themselves. These mumbles tended to be along the lines of never mentioning the Lehane’s Mother.

Pyro took a long blink, keeping his eyes closed as Daily Prophet headlines flashed out at him. He opened his eyes once again. “Vicious Attack on Innocent Muggles.” Pyro paused and allowed the words to sink in for a moment. “I believe that was the headline of that particular front page article of the Daily Prophet. I was to young to read it when it first came out, but I managed to track it down later in life.” Pyro uncrossed his arms long enough to brush off a certain flake that had fallen on his nose, tickling it slightly. Pyro didn’t begin to speak until his arms were crossed once more.

“The article went on to say that a pair of muggle men were viciously attacked and killed by a certain witch. Ruthless monster I believe the article called her.” Pyro turned his head slowly to look at Ruby, he didn’t know how his words were effecting her, but if it had a negative effect before he could continue, he would see her react and give him time to counter. “Of course the Prophet lies on a nearly daily level. I know that first hand. Though it is usually quite hard to get the exact details from anyone other than a first hand witness.”

He sighed, “I knew the Prophet had bent the truth, it always did, but this blatant lie even surprised me. Your father told me the truth, that is all. How the muggles attacked and your mother was merely doing what any mother would do, defend her children.” Pyro’s gaze went away from Ruby and out into the open street once again. “I offered to help in anyway I could. A mother in Azkaban for defending her children, that’s an outrage, and than the prophet lying about the whole thing.” Pyro shook his head in disbelieve. He too had been part of many scandals concerning the Prophet and knew how much lies were printed on its pages.

[Ruby Lehane]

Trade among shops? Ruby thought as she watched Pyro move, the seemingly realization that they’d both been extremely still made her move as well, dusting off the snow that had accumulated on her clothes. She knew her father had invested in a few things, but she had never imagined them to be shops. It was about time that her and Wynd have a discussion with their father. There were too many unknown alliances that their father was getting into and even then there were probably too many unknown enemies he was accumulating at the same time. The thought was enough to make Ruby realize they would have to fill in their father on things a whole lot sooner than expected. It was definitely not what she had in mind and it was annoying at the same time to realize that their own father was throwing kinks into their plans. It was time to send him an owl…even if it was encrypted with a code that he might not get it had to be done. Wynd and Ruby both needed to know what their father was getting himself into and this was the only way to do it while they were at school.

If there was one thing that was never acceptable to Ruby, it was the talk of her mother. The woman had saved her life, had protected her and all Ruby had left of her now was the ring around her neck and the sheath for her wand. It had all been her mother’s, the only thing left of hers that she had. With her mother’s slow demise in Azkaban it wouldn’t be long before Wynd and Ruby had a ghost for a mother, like they’ve had most of their life, the memory of how she was would be their only comfort when she returned to be only the shell of the woman they used to know and love. She’d sacrificed everything to save them and the world had turned its back on her. Ruby would never allow anyone to talk bad about her, would never allow them to walk away unscathed when they dare mention what happen. It had always been that way for both herself and her brother. Wynd in fact may have been about ten times more adamant than she was about it, but it was there the fire that burned through her body at the mention of her mother.

The moment the words from the Daily Prophet left his lips Ruby tensed, her foot no longer bouncing as she sat there, frozen as a stone as she waited. The fire in her scorched her insides with anger. No one ever dared bring up those articles…never, especially not in her presence. Her hand twitched, but she’d let him finish. It was the last string of courteous she was going to show to him. Icy blue orbs burned with anger as she glared down at him, every bone in her body was ready for action, her fingers twitching to take hold of her wand and curse him, but she wasn’t that stupid. She knew how fast Pyro was, knew that he was a year older than her. Still the thought crossed her mind and took more force than anything she thought she possessed to let him finish talking before she grabbed hold of it.

He saved himself…Pyro Blackfire had saved himself from Ruby’s wrath. Her body was still tense…anger still making her blood boil. No one had the right to talk about her mother…no one. Ruby moved slowly, letting him know she wasn’t a threat, even though she was at that moment. Arms crossed over chest and she turned her full body to him, eyes so intensely full of hate in that moment that she wondered if it was enough for him to feel it. She held herself up, made herself as big and tall as possible in her attempts to stand up to him. He may have been taller and older than her, but the fact of the matter was that she would in no way take his attitude. That would never be acceptable. The fire didn’t die, as she looked at him hard, her mind trying to tear him apart limb from limb for bringing up that article.

“You are walking a fine line Blackfire,” her words were cold, full of venom. “You dare bring up those lying mudblood lovers just to tell me that you think they were wrong to print those things? Do you have any idea who you’re dealing with?” She was tense, her whole body held there inches from him. She knew he had done it on purpose, tried to get a rise out of her, but no one brought up those articles and walked away without getting a piece of her mind. “Never again.” The words were issued in a challenge, one that she invited him to take on if he dared to find out just what she could do. “Let this be a fair warning to you, next time you mention those articles or what they called my mother it will be the last thing you say. That’s not a threat either it’s a promise. You know very well what that topic involves and yet you dare bring it up anyway. You have more guts than I thought.”

Ruby’s demeanor changed after the threat she gave. She had other topics to discuss and she had no use for making enemies at this point in time. Her arms dropped her lips angling up into a smirk. “Very clever I must admit though. Taking the quaffle right out of my hands. You know the exact topic that pushes my buttons. Now what topic can get you that way? Would it be Alexandra and how she left you? How you lowered yourself to wallowing in self-pity, becoming the very dirt that you used to walk on? Or perhaps it had to do with why she left you…how she felt you weren’t good enough anymore. Now you have no one. Your fiancé left you. That has to be hard, the one person you loved more than anything turning there back on you and leaving you. How hard was that Pyro? How hard was it to watch her walk away from you and never look back?”

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro heard the edge in Ruby’s tone, and he was prepared for anything. His muscles tightened underneath his spring, ready to leap into action the moment she made any wrong move. Pyro slowly turned his head to look at her, his eyes and face remained blank. He could clearly see the hate in her eyes but he felt the like it wasn’t ultimate yet, there was still a chance to save this situation. He remained impassive as her threat continued. His mind slowly picked apart her words, finding ways to respond to remedy the situation without losing face.

Pyro wasn’t too worried about Ruby, she was a formidable opponent yes, and Pyro held much respect for her, but he never allowed himself to get intimated, to do that would mean to battle in fear, and one tended to hold back if they had fear in their heart. Her last words struck a bad chord within Pyro. Suddenly Ruby disappeared behind a wall of red, all of his surroundings did. Pow….CRACK!

The booming sound of cracking wood brought Pyro back into his mind and allowed his vision to return to normal. He blinked in surprise as he looked to his side to see the ruined wooden plank of the fence. It had been broken cleanly in half and had been blasted away from the fence. Pyro glanced at his fist which still hovered over the empty space where the board used to be. Pyro slowly brought the hand back toward his body and stood in silence. A slow chuckle began to rise in his throat and it quickly grew into a laugh. She was good, she had managed to turn the situation around on him and now he was the one who had acted hotly.

Pyro’s laugh cut off quickly and abruptly as he threw his stare over Ruby. It was now his turn to throw a glare, his eyes lost their inner sparkle and seemed to grow dark and dangerous. Pyro didn’t hate Ruby and therefore threw no hate into his stare, but he wasn’t one to be messed with and not even Ruby Lehane would be permitted to poke him so much. “I believe you are mistaken.” He stated with an icy tone. “Simply wrong? I think they were simply wrong? Being simply wrong deserved a slap on the wrist and a ‘no-no-no, don’t ever do that again.’” Pyro spat on the ground. “I think the Prophet should be burned to the ground and every single one of its reporters be Crucio’ed until they no longer breath.”

“Muggle loving little swine. The ministry is just as bad, protecting the muggles with their useless laws. A damn wizard has less rights in his own society than some mindless beetle who doesn’t even know of my existence. “ Pyro gritted his teeth. “I’m sick and tired of hiding from those weaklings.” He paused and took a deep breath before his rant took control of him. He remembered back in his third year he had expressed these same feelings to Mary, she had merely smirked at the idea, but here those thoughts were again, back in the forefront. “I know who I’m dealing with Ruby Lehane, I never underestimate anything that’s set before me, ever. The question is, do you?”

He paused slightly once again before a smirk found its way onto his lips. “And yes, I’ve always been known for walking the dangerous line and my display of guts, but know this. What I said was not designed to harm you or rile you up in anyway. I answered a question that was presented to me. I honestly want no hostility between us, I’m more than happy to skate over any issues you wish not to discuss, as long as I’m given the same courtesy.” It was then that Pyro did something he rarely did. He dipped into another bow. “I apologize for my last words, they were not designed to cut but I see now that they did anyway.”

Pyro stood up straight and looked at Ruby, the danger in his eyes were gone and replaced with the same blank calmness of before. “I grow tired of the charade though. I sense there is some business you wish to discuss with me.”

[Ruby Lehane]

Ruby watched with a satisfied smirk on her face as the wood behind Pyro cracked. She had no interest in making an enemy that day, but she did have an interest in showing him just who was in charge. He may have been older than her, but she highly doubted he was better. If anything they were on the same playing field, but then again it he insisted on talking about her mother he’d find himself in the bottom of the bottle by the time she was done with him. Her mother had always been a sensitive topic. It was the topic that made her lose control, well nearly. Her mother had protected her, her brother, and her father. They all owed their life to her, but the Ministry found her to be a danger…a menace. A woman that wasn’t worthy of protecting her family. Now those who lived to speak about her knew that only kind words should be spoken…no matter the context. Ruby had no patience for people that disrespected her mother.

The splinters of wood that was scattered over the ground was mildly amusing to Ruby as her arms rested against her bosom, crossed over her chest in a way that told him she wasn’t playing around anymore and that they should just get down to business. The chuckle that left his lips and she felt her body tense. Laughter was not what she had expected from him. What was this? Another part of some game he’d devised? This was no game. Sure there was this conflict back and forth…this game to see if the other was worthy at least to the other’s standard. Now the only thing to wonder was if the other was passing the other’s test…if that’s what one could even call it.

The moment his eyes narrowed Ruby’s smirk faded back into the annoyed look she had had before. Pyro seemed to think all this was some pathetic attempt to get back at him. If Ruby were going to get revenge for Pyro’s words, she’d do so in a way that left him on the ground, not standing before her. Her arms tensed as his words hit her a fire kindling within her. So Pyro was worthy of her attention after all. Anyone who believed the Prophet should be burned to the ground was worthy of her interest, but the Crucio’ed part was what had caught her attention. Pyro was openly admitting to the want to use forbidden curses. Ruby was far more than intrigued now…she was hanging on his words…waiting to see if he truly would be an asset to Wynd and her.

Icy blue orbs never left Pyro even when he bowed and apologized. It was something she never thought she’d see from Pyro, but it was something that she was definitely impressed to see. Her arms dropped back to her side as she waited for him to straighten out. His tone getting right down to business, which is exactly where she wanted them to head. “Your apology is accepted of course and mine is extended, however necessary, as I’m sure it was for you to test me. Now to business,” the smirk falls over her face, as she looked Pyro up and down once more. “My brother and I have an offer for you. That is of course up to you as to if you take it or not. We’re well aware of your standing Pyro Blackfire and we know that our father has made deals with you in the past, what they are we do not know, nor do we care to know.”

Ruby moved then her feet stepping in closer, her arms moving back to cross over her chest as she looked at him, blond hair whipping across her face by the wind that seemed to pick up. She didn’t even notice the snow that pelted her face anymore. “We would like to offer you a place in our movement, to which details you will be entitled to in the instant of your agreement, but we do want to make sure you understand that this is not a decision to be taken lightly. You know my brother and myself…you understand what we’re capable of. And we understand how much further ahead we’ll be with you by our side. Now I’m assuming you’d like to know what we can offer you?”

[Pyro Blackfire S5]

Pyro’s bright blue eyes never left Ruby. They were sharp and they did not miss a single move of hers. If she so much as tensed a muscle in her jaw, Pyro would notice the action. He watched her carefully, looking for any hostile movement. This moment was critical to their future dealings. If she chose to wipe everything away, start a clean slate and move on, Pyro may have found himself a future ally. Yet, if she went the opposite way, decided to continue this little battle of words and continue to press his buttons, than two Pureblood families would have to start looking over their shoulders from this point on.

Pyro did notice a slight change in her body, tenseness and a look of new interest in her eyes. He absorbed this new information; something he had just said caught her attention in a good way. A quick mental replay pegged this new interest around the time of his Prophet rant. Still Ruby held that same annoyed expression and it was still aimed in his direction. The lines between them hadn’t been clearly drawn yet, there was still tenseness in the air that could ignite this situation at any turn. Pyro’s body relaxed yet tensed at the same time, ready to spring into action. The key to any martial technique was to remain in a constant state of awareness and to be able to move in a moment’s notice. Being tense hindered movement, for it forces the muscle to push through their own tenseness; slowing down reaction time and mobility.

The key was to achieve a perfect state of relaxed ready; this allowed his body to move at a seconds notice without any internal resistance. Pyro waited and watched, knowing that the next few seconds would probably determine their relationship in the future. A small smile crept onto his face as she accepted his apology and extended one of her own, to which Pyro merely inclined his head in acceptance, knowing that she still wanted to talk and it would look foolish to step back and address the apology. Pyro listened to her offer with an interest that was merely feigned for the first few words. His curiosity was peeked immediately. Pyro had always been rather curious, and although Ruby gave no details about this ‘movement,’ Pyro could venture a few guesses as to its design.

Ruby came to a stop in her offer and Pyro allowed a few seconds of silence to fall between them as he though it over. The wind and snow had begun to pick up a little, but Pyro hardly noticed. His hair was tied back into his tight braid, which danced behind him in the wind, and therefore wasn’t bothered by it. Snow swirled around his eyes, yet somehow managed not to stick to his face, so it wasn’t much of a nuisance. The Lehane’s were a powerful family, and their stance on Muggles couldn’t be overly bright, considering the predicament their mother had fallen into. Pyro was on the Quidditch team alongside Wynd, the two had never talked, but Pyro knew that Wynd, although completely different from his sister, was still a force to be reckoned with.

Whatever this movement was, and Pyro could not be 100% sure of its design, he could be sure though that it fit into his own views and desires for the future. The offer was interesting, and it was clear that they had been watching him for a while now, wondering if he fit into this design. Pyro’s mind was nearly made up, if this movement was what he thought it was, than he would definitely help out. There was just a few things he had to know before he was fully on board with this. Could the Lehane’s actually pull something like this off? Or where they doomed to fail at the start due to lack of heart. Pyro’s eyes had been looking down at the ground by now, his hand holding his chin lightly in his hand. Slowly he began to lift his gaze and soon Ruby’s feet came into view. Than her legs, torso, and finally, their gazes met once again.

“Alright, what exactly is it that you can offer me?” He asked, she had asked the question and Pyro wanted a little more information before he signed onto this. Suddenly a new thought struck him, if they wanted him in on this, this meant they wanted something from him also. Clearly they thought that they could contribute something of value. “And I am curious to know, what exactly it is that I can offer you? You obviously didn’t bring this piece of business to me because of my bedside manner.”

[Ruby Lehane]

((And three months later.....haha forgive me))


The wind was whipping around both of them now. The snow was falling harder, more often, coating what little spaces on them that had been snow free with a thin layer of white. A quick spell would have warmed the both of them, but Ruby was not interested in warming either of them. It would have made them comfortable and Pyro was not meant to feel comfortable in this situation. He was meant to understand that he may be older, but Ruby was still dangerous, even with her insistence on playing nice. The weather was perfect for this, giving them both the adrenalin that would be needed to test the other. Ruby of course welcomed any more tests that Pyro managed to cook up; after all she’d more than likely have another one not too long from that moment. But regardless that had nothing to do with their current topic of conversation.

The contemplation that fell of Pyro’s frame was far from disconcerting. Ruby knew she had him, his need to “think” about her offer was enough to know to make her know she had his full attention, which would be far easier to convince than if he had no interest or attention in her or her brother. Not that she could blame him. There have been plenty of pureblood elitists through the years, enough that little faith could be put into them, knowing they’d just fail in the end. However that was not Ruby, nor Wynd’s, plan. No there’s was so much different, but whether or not they’d fail is another story. If they played their chips right, pulled the alliance of the rest of the pureblood wizarding world than they may just in fact win where other’s had failed.

“Alright, what exactly is it that you can offer me?”

Ruby’s arms pressed against her chest as she smiled up at him. Perfect, she thought as her hand pulled out to move a strand of blonde hair from in front of her face, tucking it back behind her ear. “There is much my brother and I can offer you Blackfire. More power and control being one of them. If you are to join with us I do believe you’ll do just fine in gaining more appropriate territories to look after. And as for what you offer us…well that is the simple matter of your connections. You are a very well connected man Pyro Blackfire, your father would be proud of the son he’d created through his lies and failed attempts of manipulation, and those connections will help any pureblood in their conquests,” Ruby said.

The smile was hard to hide in those moments, but she knew it was pointless to try. Feet seemed to move on their own as she stepped forward, blue orbs staring up into Pyro’s own eyes. “In no way do I expect you to answer this difficult question right now, but I do expect an answer in one week. If I hear from you, than my brother and I will be expecting your immediate acceptance and you will therefore be briefed on everything that pertains to you. If we do not hear from you then no harm, no foul. You are worthy adversary Mr. Blackfire, but I’d prefer you as a friend instead,” that was all Ruby had to say as she took a few steps back, that ever-present smirk etched on her lips. “Until we meet again.” With that she turned and strode back down the cobblestone path toward the school.