Fire Whiskey ((India))

[Caleb Donnelly S7]

Spring was in the air, all around the grounds and school. It was bright, beautiful, and bountiful. The birds had returned and were singing loudly from their high perches in the Forbidden Forest. Flowers had actually begun to blossom again despite the still rather chilly air that seemed to come and go with the winter wind that tapered off. Green grass began to sprout again, showing that the winter snow had little to no affect on it still in these months proceeding summer. The sun shown brightly in the sky, drowning out the shadows that seemed to be bountiful in the early morning dawn. Now however, the sun was far enough in the sky to eliminate most shadows and those that still remained were hiding from the ultraviolet rays that seemed to sear the the very earth. A few scatter cumulus clouds littered the sky creating a fantasy picture for any imaginative student to take advantage of. There as laughter and joy, peace and serenity all jammed packed in the grounds of Hogwarts, and then there was Caleb.

Black leather jacket clung to his muscular torso, black sunglasses shading his eyes from the horrific sun, and his jeans couldn't hide the muscular legs of a man that had either found a way to alter his muscles through spell work, or a man that regularly found a way to lift weights. Which one it was he wouldn't ever say...leading most to believe it was the first of the few options. Caleb however worked out a lot, or had begun to in the last four months when he found that he was beginning to get more and more bored as the semester wore on. He'd begun fading into a world of what some muggles would refer to as senioritis...he just considered it 7th year blues. All he wanted was to get out of Hogwarts and out into the real world...well quote on quote "real world". It wasn't exactly the real world he as going to, but the wizarding university would put him in high ranks in the Ministry, which he had come to find he wanted. All his years of not knowing what he was going to do and thinking that something else was always going to catch his interest were over. Now all he had to do was do well enough on his NEWTs that he wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore.

Feet trudged almost begrudgingly down the cobblestone path as Caleb headed for Hogsmeade. It was one of their last trips to the wizarding town before the end of school. Of course it didn't matter much for him anymore considering he was 17 and of legal age to do magic outside of Hogwarts...not to mention he was a prefect. It was kind of liberating to think about the fact that he couldn't get in trouble as easily as everyone else could, of course if he did his punishment would be far worse than that of the students he looked after. Didn't really matter much to him anymore however, not with only a few months remaining in the school year. He was well on his way to graduating so not much mattered to him, if anything ever really had that is of course.

The world was sickeningly beautiful that day and Caleb had a permanent scowl etched into his face. There was a reason he preferred the winter holidays...less light. Maybe he was just turning into a vampire. The thought brought a small smirk to his face as he passed a few students who thought that taking their dear sweet time would make things more romantic. Little did they know that poor schmuck would be wondering what happened to all his money as the girl was obviously using her want to wingardium leviosa him out of every of his sickles and gallons. He chuckled again to himself as he moved past them and headed down the path to his favorite off the beaten road bar. Now that he was 17 he had nothing to worry about and as soon as his feet stepped through that door, a small glass of fire whiskey was placed in front of him on the bar. "There you are Mr. Donnelly."

Caleb nodded at Raoul, the bartender, as he moved to his more than common back seat to only find it occupied by none other than India Nightingale herself. He chuckled to himself as he motioned to the seat across from her. "I hope you don't mind, but you did steal my favorite seating in this joint," he said before he took a seat anyway, not really caring what she said. Instead he took the time to let his green orbs wander over her features...the blonde hair was a new touch he hadn't seen from her before. Then again...something seemed a little off about her and one eyebrow cocked in interest. "Nightingale you are alright, aren't you?" he asked as he waited for her to answer him, before he took a large sip of the whiskey that burned his throat all the way down.

[India Nightingale]

Intense eyes. India sighed. As the image burned in her retinas again, she brushed a strand of blonde away to distract herself. However, as much as she tried to forget the incident a few days ago with... Drake Manning, as she had later discovered, India could not let it go. There was something about the seventh year Slytherin that nagged and niggled at the back of her mind, refusing to let her forget his handsome, yet frightening features, since all she could remember was his angry and hurt visage. It caused her heart to shift uncomfortably, if such a thing were possible, and try as she might attempt to forget it, her memory did not plan on letting go of the 'insignificant' meeting. Why Drake was haunting her thoughts so much India didn't understand, and it irritated and frustrated her too. She didn't recall ever having met him, but then again, she was still suffering from the after-effects of amnesia. Damn Duke. Damn destiny. India cast her eyes over to the familiar face of herself seated beside her, sipping a butterbeer whilst India herself drank nothing. Skye was looking a lot better than she had done during beginning of the spring term, which pleased India. Her twin had been so thin before, but she had since put on weight. However, India was well aware her own figure remained the same - slim and delicate, like a porcelain doll. Skye caught India's stare and smiled softly, putting the half-empty bottle on the table. "Cheer up?" The other Nightingale twin tried, watching her identical and yet different self closely. It was an understatement to say Skye was worried about India; she was always worried about India. It wasn't only until recently did India begin to reciprocate this overprotectiveness openly, for before the incident with Duke, she had always pretended she didn't care about Skye. But, now things had changed. But were they for the better?

India shook her blonde head at Skye's half-hearted suggestion. Sympathetic, Skye gently touched her sister on the knee, before draining her butterbeer and setting the empty bottle down. "I'm sorry, I've got to go. I'll see you later?" India nodded, and Skye moved forward to embrace her, causing India to freeze uncomfortably for a moment, before relaxing. Smiling, Skye drew away. "Keep your head up." She advised softly, before departing from the bar, her wavy blonde locks swaying between the crowds of people. India's eyes fixed on her twin before she disappeared, before running her hand through her own mass of identical hair again. Her own long locks were straight though, and chopped just past her chin. India had felt it was necessary to differentiate her and Skye, since no one seemed to be able to. The shock of seeing India Nightingale with such new, yet identical to her twin's hair had caused ripe rumours to circulate the student population, but as usual, both Nightingales had ignored it to the best of their ability. Coupled with the change in India's personality and Skye's sudden ability to talk, the beginning of this term had certainly been a revelation of sorts. India felt the stare of the bartender on her as she returned to see Skye's empty butterbeer taken away, and realised two things: firstly, India had not ordered a beverage, and now she was sitting alone, occupying a space; and secondly, identical twins were always such an object of attention. Growling in annoyance, India glared at the bartender, waved him over and ordered a butterbeer for herself. She wasn't fond of the stuff, but then again, India wasn't fond of most drinks; especially alcohol, she realised, but she didn't know where that dislike stemmed from.

India's thoughts returned to Drake, and she found herself wading through dark, misty memories again. Images of her past, of the incident with Duke, of the argument in the Common Room with Drake, flared in her mind, mixing and confusing her. Frowning, India took a ginger sip of the butterbeer that arrived before her, disliking the sweet taste but savouring the burning sensation that ran down her throat. The burning feeling was enough to satisfy India as she licked her lips and drank some more, caught up in her memories and recollections. She was so engrossed she barely noticed when someone took the seat Skye had previously sat in. It wasn't until the newcomer addressed her it caused her head to flick around to land on a familiar figure of sorts. India blinked as she recalled an incident a while ago with Caleb Donnelly one late night in the Common Room. She remained silent as she looked him over, scrutinising him and letting the memories of their encounter flood her mind. The boy was in Slytherin also, a seventh year, prefect and member of the Quidditch team. India didn't know him well besides the one time they had spoken, and that had been random surprise meeting. India's lips quirked at the memory; they had had an interesting conversation. Indeed, she found Caleb interesting, and tolerable company in comparison to the majority of people in her house and school. Without acknowledging him besides looking at him, India took another sip of her butterbeer, watching as he ordered one himself. She focused on ignoring him as he did so, aware when his gaze latched onto her. She didn't have anything to say, after all, but she was willing to endure his company at least. Although she expected Caleb to initiate conversation, she hadn't expected he would ask the question he did, and thus looked up in surprise, her green eyes meeting mildly concerned ones.

India's heartstrings tightened somewhat under the scrutiny of the older boy and quickly looked away. She compared the feeling to how she felt when she thought of Drake, and realised that although they were similar sensations, they were not exactly the same. Maybe it was merely the feeling of familiarity? India wasn't sure, and she tried not to care. Instead, she focused on Caleb again, putting together an answer in her mind for the older boy. "And why wouldn't I be, Donnelly?" She finally spoke challengingly after taking a long draught of her drink. "What makes you think I'm not?" She asked, though not in curiosity (even though she was), rather, in haughty dismissal. She caught his eyes flicker to her hair and shrugged. "You mean this?" A finger flicked a few end strands of blonde. "I felt like a change, if you're wondering." She wondered how much Caleb knew about her and Skye; probably as much as the next person nowadays. Irritated at the thought, and reminded of the period of time she had been under the impression she was called Skye, India finished off her butterbeer and slammed the bottle onto the table, alerting the bartender. "Another." India demanded, sliding the money onto the counter and awaiting her order. Her eyes were drawn back to Caleb again though. "Been having more nightmares since the last time we spoke, Donnelly?" India found herself smirking. Finally. A snippet of her old self was surfacing.

[Caleb Donnelly S7]

There was nothing stranger to Caleb Donnelly than the woman that now sat opposite him. This was not the India Nightingale he had met that late night in the common room. No, this woman was more…brash…more obstinate, was that even possible? No, not really. India had always had that lively feature about her. She was always hanging on the edge of a witty retort. It was why Caleb was so fascinated by her. Of course there were other reasons among the chaotic ideas within his mind, but that was something Caleb was not about to touch on, not yet anyhow. His mind was a cluttered mess with the chaotic thoughts of university and of his impending need to find out where he came from, so emotions or thoughts like those was not to be considered at this point in time. Even if he did allow himself to process what his mind was thinking it would be far too confusing to him and the others involved. So he didn’t let his mind convince him of anything, especially not when he was sitting here with India Nightingale…a girl that intrigued him more than magic itself. Now that was definitely saying something.

”And why wouldn’t I be Donnelly? What makes you think I'm not?” Caleb simply quirked an eyebrow up in response and flicked his gaze up to her hair. Frankly that wasn’t the only reason he thought something was wrong, but it seemed to be the most apparent reason. He’d never seen India try to take the appearance of her twin sister. It was one of their more distinguishing qualities…other than their personalities. Caleb had never really spoke to Skye, but he knew them well enough to distinguish them even when their hair was the same colour. This perhaps just made it more difficult for other students. Could make for a rather nice trick come to think about it, but it wouldn’t work on him. Petty disguises or twins didn’t fool him. He had a natural ability to make the small observations that were necessary to distinguish between personalities and people. It’s what made him such a dangerous opponent and fierce friend.

"You mean this? I felt like a change, if you're wondering.” Caleb leaned forward, his glass moving forward a bit in his hand, as he looked at her hard, an eyebrow clearly raised now. “So this is only about your hair then? Because if you’re feeling you need a change I don’t see how a simple hair colour charm is going to give you the drastic change you seem to be looking for, but then again Nightingale who really knows what you’re looking for anymore,” Caleb’s words held no emotion there…nothing that said he felt either way about her hair or about whether or not there was a deeper meaning to it. He simply said the words that he felt needed to be said. If there was something wrong there. If she felt she needed to share something then he was all ears. India was a mystery to him, one that he wanted to solve, felt he had to solve. She was fascinating and mysterious, a combination that drove him crazy.

Caleb chuckle softly at India’s call for another drink, his large hand moving out to give her money back. “Put it on my tab Raoul and whatever else she’d like tonight.” It was a simple gesture, but it wasn’t a request. He had every intention of keeping her from paying whether she wanted it or not and what Caleb wanted, Caleb got there was no ifs, ands, or buts about it. India would be taken care of. The bartender would obey Caleb’s orders and in doing so India would have to deal with the fact that Caleb was going to pay for her drinks and anything else she wanted that night.

"Been having more nightmares since the last time we spoke, Donnelly?" There…right there…it was probably the first thing she’d said that sounded like the India he’d had a previous encounter with. She was quick, witty, and aiming straight for the heart with her words. The smirk fell over his features at her words and he leaned back in the seat. “I should be asking you the same question. The blonde hair, the drinks…seems to me someone is looking to pass out in a dreamless sleep tonight.” The words were hardly out of his mouth before her glass was sat down on the table. “Just bring us a bottle Raoul and add it to what I owe you.” The bartender was gone and back within seconds, leaving them in peace. “Now tell me Nightingale have you ever played a drinking game called Never Have I Ever?” Caleb asked as he leaned back in his hand holding up his glass and twirling it just a little so the liquor would swirl around in the glass.

[India Nightingale]

India looked Caleb squarely in the eye. It had been several weeks since she had forced so much hostile behaviour and coldly cut words on anyone, but Caleb was proving her old ways didn't die easy. There was something about him that really riled her nerves, and yet not enough for her to be irritated. On the other hand, it was certainly enough for her to use venomous words with her practised icy airs. "It's not just about the hair," India stated coldly, giving Caleb a look that said 'like you'd ever understand'. "I'm not as vain as to think the colour of my hair gives me my identity." A lie, to an extent. India - the old India - would have rather died before letting her hair return to its natural shade. Hair colour meant everything back then. "I wasn't looking for a change. Change came and found me." India spoke with detachment, lacking emotion, but it was all the truth - she just didn't want Caleb to know it was. "And I second that. I don't know what I'm looking for any more either." Sending Caleb a cold smile of finality, India picked up her butterbeer and took a lengthy draught of it, draining the glass and keenly avoiding the older Slytherin's intent gaze on her. She felt like he was attempting to dissect her, cut her open, leave her vulnerable. And India didn't like it.

India openly stared at Caleb when he declared he would pay for her drinks. Narrowing her eyes in suspicion and just a hint of surprise, she immediately snapped, "What's with the kind gesture, huh, Donnelly?" She continued to adopt the usage of his surname to maintain an apparent atmosphere of distance. "Becoming soft? That makes two of us." Rolling her eyes, India placed the money resolutely on the table, a stony, stubborn expression on her face as her lips pursed in quiet determination. "Thanks for the generosity I was so keen on witnessing in you, but I prefer to look after myself and not let anyone else get any sort of advantage over me. I hate owing people favours." The coins clinked against the table, a bronze knut glinting in the dim lighting of the oil lamps. "Either way," India spoke with finality whilst gesturing at the money, "that will stay there. So you might as well accept it, even if your hold over the bartender doesn't let him do so." Staring Caleb in the eye without even a flash of fear, India sat back again and sipped her new butterbeer. If he thought he could control her and have her do things his way, he was sorely mistaken. That competitive, stubborn nature in India had failed to subside even after the ordeal she had been through.

"My sleep is never dreamless," India stated simply but just as coldly as before. Caleb was an irritating fly, one she knew she could ignore and ask politely to leave. However, there was something worth riling against him and having a conversation of sorts. It made India feel accomplished, but she didn't know why. Maybe it was because he managed to evoke a part of her she was scared she'd lost - a part of her she'd known for the last ten years. No, India couldn't believe she had lost her ten-year-old self that had taken a decade to put together in a mere few days. Weeks. It couldn't be that easy... She could still feel her pride and anger and resentment bubbling in the pits of her conscience, and it was only a matter of time before the temperature touched boiling point and everything came spilling out. Maybe India was using Caleb, but she didn't care. He didn't seem to mind, and she wasn't going to hurt his feelings (...right?). Caleb was the perfect person to talk to, to get angry at, to have him poke at her and have her reach into herself and dig for that box she'd manage to bury so deep in a matter of weeks. Caleb made India remember, and she was grateful for that, however twisted the logic sounded, even to herself.

"It's just butterbeer," India continued as though no such dark thoughts ever entered her broken mind. "Butterbeer isn't going to do much. It might keep me awake at night so I can have more conversations with you, that's all the help it'll be. And I already said; the blonde hair - I felt like a change." India knew Caleb would see right through that, but she created the lie without a single flaw in her expressions. India's eyes narrowed once more when Caleb called not for a glass, but a bottle of wine, and she quickly shook her head in sharp jerks, her body tensing at the mere mention of alcohol. "I hate to disappoint you, Donnelly, but I don't drink anything alcoholic. I never have, and I never will. You may pick at my pride and maturity however you like, but none of that disgusting beverage is getting past my lips this evening." Glaring at Caleb steadily, India took a swig of butterbeer to prove her point. "I think I'll stick with this stuff. But thanks ever so much." She smiled icily. "You insist on treating me even though I insist I don't want you to. Why do you do it? To find out what sorts of nightmares I have?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I didn't think you were that interested. Trust me, you don't want to know, and I'm not in any mood to share." Twirling a strand of short blonde between her fingers, India eyed Caleb pouring himself a generous glass of liquor. What was the fascination with the horrible stuff anyway? It tasted like crap, and it held no interest for India. She just couldn't comprehend it - and neither could she comprehend her hatred for it.

"'Never Have I Ever'?" The question left India's lips as they twisted into a cynical smirk. "A drinking game? What a load of crap. A waste of time." She shook her head in disdained disbelief. "But please, continue to amuse yourself with your games, Donnelly. I certainly shall not participate in them. Not with your wine, anyway." India signalled the bartender over and glared at him frostily, with just a hint of anger thrown in for good measure. "Bring me a couple more," she notioned towards the empty glasses of butterbeer. "And if you even think of putting it on his tab," she jerked her head aggressively in Caleb's direction, "I will make you regret it." Hissing her final threat, however empty and unheard it was to Caleb, who was still sitting there, looking smug and arrogant, India turned around to let a smirk tilt her lips. "I'll humour you, Donnelly, but only to return the favour." India grabbed the first glass of butterbeer that arrived and poised it before her face between the short distance separating her and Caleb. "So," her smirk growing wider, "tell me about this game. Or do you find me too protesting for your challenges?" India snorted. "And just so you know," she began in a warning tone, eyes slitting like snakes once more, "I do plan on eliciting some sort of answer from you for my previous question. I dislike my questions to go unanswered, or rather... avoided."

[Caleb Donnelly S7]

The responses India gave Caleb were of little to be desired in those moments. She was obviously just as closed off just as much as he’d been warned, but still he couldn’t help from wanting to drive her just a little be crazy. Okay so really, Caleb just wanted to poke and prod her into telling him everything, but he wouldn’t, more like couldn’t. India seemed too delicate to him in those moments to really push and even though he felt she needed help he wasn’t going to show a deeper level of sincerity to her right then. From what he had surmised in their first confrontation India needed her coldness, her ability to respond with heated rage, with coldly cut comments that stung the heart. It was her way and if she was attempting that again then at least Caleb was giving her a bit of normalcy back. He’d heard the rumors about her recently, the ones about her losing her memory; of being crazy and thinking she was Skye. If the rumors were true than she could use every bit of his help in bringing up the heated, cold India he had come to really know. Besides Caleb was a curious sort, which was an obvious fact, but India had this tone…this way about her that left Caleb sort of in this Limbo like place. Half of him wanted to continue his sarcastic dry attempts to rile her up into a frenzy, the other part of him was strangely attracted to her…wanting to know everything there was to know about her. That was an attraction that Caleb would never speak about though. Over the last 5 years Caleb had put aside any so called attractions he had had to girls. He was too young, too ill advised to be thinking of dating at those ages, and still he believed he was too immature to care for another. However what his conscious was screaming at him and what his mind thought were two completely different things in those moments.

A chuckle escaped from his lips as he shook his head. India was definitely at her old ways, her hands resolute in slamming the coins for her Butterbeer back on the table. He smirked as he leaned forward. “This is in no way a kind gesture Nightingale. I was brought up in the ways of a pureblood gentleman. I am only paying for your drinks because it is the right thing to do,” Caleb said before he quirked an eyebrow up at her response about going soft. “I don’t believe I’ve ever had any sort of reputation as anyone soft or hard alike. More the social outcast, the lone wizard if you well, which if you don’t mind me saying is much I heard about yourself. You becoming soft is an unfortunate consequence to not knowing who you are.” Caleb’s tone was anything but friendly in those moments, but it wasn’t harsh either. It was a simply stated fact in which his tone of voice held something akin to apathy, but it wasn’t quite. Caleb had an ability to mask his expressions, to mask his emotions behind others or behind apathy, in this case it was clear cut that Caleb was being apathetic to the situation only to hide another emotion that was vying for the surface. What that emotion is, even Caleb does not know, all he knows is it is a feeling far different than any he has felt before. The return of India’s voice brought Caleb’s mind back to the present as he shook his head and chuckled again as she kept the coins on the table not even showing the slightest fear of Caleb’s strong presence. “You may keep the coins on the table, but I assure you they will end up back in your hands by the end of the evening.” Caleb couldn’t hide the immense satisfaction about of giving India permission to leave her coins on the table, he could only imagine that her response would be an incredulous outrage against his character for thinking he was better than her. Of course he was also testing her in those moments. Would this seemingly new India fight such a simple use of a word or would she ignore it and move on to the more important matters of the sentence, like the coins ending up back in her hands part?

”My sleep is never dreamless.” her words were cold and simple, but they touched Caleb. He knew the feeling. He’d never known anything but nightmares, but he’d gotten use to the torment. It was get used to it or be driven insane. Dreams were such a fickle thing, few know what it is to not have them, few know what it is like to experience only nightmares, and the majority of the population knows what it is to wake from a dream rested. Caleb had only experienced one of these…the everlasting ability of his mind to rest in the places of horror and chaos. Dreams of grandeur were lost on him and Caleb accepted that fact, had when he was only six years old. A part of him now wondered if India was the same way or if her dreams of late had only been so because of something greater. Either way Caleb wasn’t about to touch on the concept of dreams. He had taken great care in keeping the topic of dreams…of nightmares in particular. If he did not than India would find a way to pounce into a part of him that Caleb was not willing to share with her. There was only so much that India could look into, could find in him, his disturbing nightmares was not a part of that. The death, destruction, and chaos that was his sub-conscious mind was far too much for him most days and he would never bestow that sort of power into someone else’s hands. Especially one that was so keen on gaining control over him, to hold her own against him. It was like the legends of old about the ones that could control something if they knew it’s true name. Caleb felt that if someone knew his true vulnerability, his true fear of dreams than it would be used in ways that even he could not imagine, but that was something far more complex than Caleb was ready for, especially in such an environment.

Caleb smirked as he ran his hand over his jaw and across the stubbles of his 5 o’clock shadow that had begun to appear. “Ah…I do so enjoy those late night conversations,” Caleb said his green orbs glinting with humor, especially at the lie that fell flawlessly from her lips about her hair. Part of him even began to wonder if he had pegged the hair thing right or if she had indeed done it only for a change and not for something else. It didn’t really matter in those moments…he’d wait for that, wait until he could wait no longer to press his thoughts and beliefs at her. He wanted to give her the chance to talk to him if she wanted to, to take out her aggression, hell to even hit him would be okay. A part of him just wanted to see that lively woman back…that one he had found in the common room that late night. The one that challenged him in so many different ways that had driven him crazy with the need to find out everything he could about her. She fascinated him, drove him to extremes and here she was sitting in front of him a different person than the one he had met, the one that had captured some part of him. Now all he was looking to do was to bring that part of her back, no matter how it was done, he was going to help bring that part of her back, the part that he could tell she wanted back….okay so he couldn’t really tell, but he was hoping beyond anything that she did. Her game was a little rusty, but she was already better at it than she had been. He would just have to continue his attempts to rile her up, to vie against the old part of her to get her to show herself as the girl he had admittedly found so attractive.

With the newfound bottle of wine in front of them Caleb watched her body tense…a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he quirked a brow up at her response. He had half a mind to mutter a charm to get a drop of the liquid past her lips for the mere fun of it, but he did not. It was not his choice as to her drinking habits or lack there of…although rumor had it she was quite the drunk. However that was after all a rumor and he had been known to find some rumors intolerable, himself, at the lack of honesty behind them. Perhaps this was just another one of those. So he rolled his shoulders up as his green irises met her eyes, it was time for a change of tactic. “Do what you like Nightingale I have no qualms with your non-drinking habits. I daresay that I admire the quality, but if you would like any, the bottle is present,” Caleb said, his words holding sincerity and at the same time a tone that said he could careless what she did with herself. It was a cover however, he cared very much what she did and even more he wanted her to have some…a part of him wanting to see what she would do, how she would act, but he would never force her. Mainly because he knew he couldn’t, her strong will far too competitive to be forced into doing anything she didn’t want to do and also because he didn’t want to force her. He wanted her to do something because she wanted to, not because he told her to do it…forced her to do it. His new tactics continued with her need to bring up nightmares again. She thought that’s why he wanted her to drink. Hers dreams, her nightmares must be plenty and just as bad as his and because of that he didn’t want to know about them…not yet. “Your nightmares Nightingale are of no concern to me. We all have demons that need slaying and I believe dreams are demons that can only be slain alone,” Caleb’s words were completely truthful in those moments. There was no lie on his lips about that. He had learned to deal with his nightmares alone and felt that it was the only way to deal with them. He held a finality there that told that this discussion about nightmares was no longer important to him. He wasn’t going to continue the conversation and he wasn’t going to share his in return.

The suggestion of a drinking game seemed to set India right back to her old ways. He smirked at her response. A load of crap? What colorful words… he thought to himself as he waited for her to quiet down enough for him to interject. Her move to the bartender was far more entertaining to Caleb than before as he shook his head, smirking heartily at her threats to him. Raoul glanced over at Caleb at one point in time and he merely shrugged and chuckled. He obviously couldn’t control the woman anymore than anyone else could and good manners were definitely not one of her strong suits, obviously. “Too protesting? No, but you are quite stubborn that’s for sure.” He chuckled as he took a swig of his drink before his eyes settled back on India. “The game is simple Nightingale. Better than truth or dare, or rather, less dodgy. You simply state something that you have never done before and if the other person has done so they drink. Simple as that. Unless you’re not up for it…I can see how it’d be a dangerous concept for someone such as yourself.” He was taunting her, seeing how far she was willing to go and still ignoring her attempts to get him to answer her question. “So what do you say Nightingale? Are you up for a bit of truth saying?”

[India Nightingale]

India set Caleb a stony, unfeeling look, sharp and pointed and rejecting everything her fellow Slytherin had to say on a 'pureblood gentleman'. "I'm afraid I don't hold such 'gentlemanly' tendencies in much high regard," she stated coldly. "If I have to be honest, I think all men are less than to be desired creatures. Women are better off without them and their 'gentlemanly' ways. Men are always claiming to be 'doing the right thing' when it comes to women. I don't... I can't believe a word of it. People call me cynical and assuming. I call it morals created from experience." India let a small frown scatter across her brow, creasing her pale skin as she lowered her eyes to her drink to distract herself from glaring at Caleb, because her mind was turning to other thoughts. Thoughts of James... India still remembered him. She wasn't the type to forget easily; her memory was still too much intact when it came to her first love. "If only I couldn't forgotten him in the amnesia," India thought darkly, sipping her butterbeer in apparent calm. It was the first instance she had thought of James in a long time... A very long time. "Why now? Why does he have to be remembered now? It would be better if his existence was erased from my mind completely. That would save me a lot of heartache. No. Not heartache. Irritation." Gripping her glass tighter from her resolute mind vowing not to let James Cartmill invade her mind again, India flicked her eyes back to Caleb, hoping he would distract her. So far, instead of doing just that, he was reminding her of memories she had hoped would be long forgotten. Despite being able to arouse her old self, Caleb was doing too well of a job at also bringing back recollections that hurt India to think of.

"Lone witch, you mean." India's lips curled into a derisive smirk. "Ice Queen. Lonely Lady. Man-hating Girl. Murderess. Fire Witch." She rattled them off without batting an eyelid, but her heart clenched as she slowly recalled all those nicknames her clever, sweet classmates had invented for her over the years. Her teeth ground together a tad when she spoke the last, but she brushed off her collecting memories immediately, determined not to let her distaste of fire - now greater than ever since the incident - overwhelm her. "I'm known for my lack of company, my desire for solitude, but I am also known for being cold, distant, hard." She emphasised the word gratingly. "Like a knife. People think I cut humans down metaphorically and literally." She couldn't help but chuckle dryly, a bitter sneer building along her jaw. "People around you begin to grow confident of knowing who you are after a certain time spent in each other's presence. The truth is, no one but myself knows who I really am. And I don't plan on changing that. I'm content the way I am, and I've never given a damn what my fellow classmates think or say of me. Believe what you like, Donnelly." India fixed a steely stare on the older boy. "Because I am sure you've based your opinion of me at least partially from what you have heard. It's natural. But I don't care. Because I know you'll never get any further than the surface. I'd like to see you try. Everyone... Everyone always fails." A frozen cold smile lingered on her lips for but a moment. An indirect, silent challenge.

"So, Donnelly," India began again, shrugging lazily and eyeing him with a nonchalent look. "I don't care when you say that is what you've heard about me. I'm certainly not surprised. It is to be expected that you cannot form an opinion yourself without other people's judgements adding to your own. I expected nothing less of you." India formed a cruel smirk, perhaps her most mocking since she had lost her memories. It faltered but a moment at Caleb's next comment, but it was immediately erected again, strong and resilient, her eyes gravely, narrowly cold, as though warning Caleb for coming too close to dangerous territory. "Indeed," she acknowledged stiffly after a pause of silence for her to gather her thoughts. "But when we discover ourselves again it is inevitable that we build those walls up once more, higher and higher - taller and stronger than before. Because we've learnt our lesson, and we will make sure, without a fault, without error, that the same mistake will not occur again. That is my philosophy. It makes me strong. It makes me incapable of performing the same wrong twice." India fingered the rim of her glass and glanced up to fix Caleb with a steady, emotionless look once more. "Therefore I can assure you I will never forget myself again." The words were spoken softly, almost a whisper lost in the sea of noise that pumped in the background. India didn't know how much Caleb had heard about her recent behaviour, but she knew his statement had clearly been aimed at her latest changes. She planned to shoot him down before he got any closer to the truth.

"So be it," India countered archly, her determination stubborn and steeled as she let her gaze sweep across the lone coins on the table. "If you refuse to accept them, I also refuse to retract them. It is a matter of pride. I am sure you can understand that." She smirked sarcastically. Did Caleb think he would get to her by tenaciously standing in her way? "Don't get in my way." Her eyes narrowed, her fingers drummed the edge of the table softly. "Those coins aren't leaving at the end of tonight," she spoke calmly, quietly, completely in control of her feelings and the situation. "They stay. And I'll go. Whether you or the bartender accepts them or not is not my problem. I can assure you that." India leaned forward and looked straight into Caleb's eyes, her arm propelling her across the short distance and holding up her slim body structure. "Don't think you're getting under my skin, Donnelly. Because you're not." India left behind whispered ghosts of words mixed with unruffled, callous expressions in her wake as she sat back again and settled into a comfortable position on her stool. She observed Caleb's reaction carefully, noting the thoughtful glaze in his clear yet darkened eyes, obviously giving much pondering over herself. India knew one thing for sure from that look - Caleb couldn't figure her out. He got some parts, was intrigued by other bits, and plain didn't understand the rest. That was the way it was meant to be; the way India Nightingale was always meant to be.

As she scrutinised Caleb's expressions, she found herself drawn by the green hue of his eyes, lucent in colour yet shaded and stormy with emotion and thought. It reminded India of something... someone. That stubbornly set jaw, the crease of the determined, resolute eyes, even the way he set his piercing gaze on her. It was all too familiar. And yet it wasn't Caleb, India was sure. It wasn't Caleb she was reminded of. It was someone else... Someone she had forgotten... And it was only when India realised with a horrified start that she was attracted to Caleb did she forget he was similar to someone else. Swinging her glass onto the table with more force than was necessary, India's fingers clutched her stool, shaking from the power she exuded into it. "Control, control," she chanted the mantra in her head again and again, repeating it until she ceased her abrupt fit and calmed to be able to look Caleb wearily in the eye again. "Attracted to him? No. Never. I must be mistaken." Thoroughly agitated by her feelings, India refused to think of Caleb in that light again. The last time she did... She frowned. The last time she did had evidently left its mark, because she couldn't stop trembling in vague memory.

India managed to level a callous glare at Caleb again when he mentioned her 'drinking habits', but said not a word; she didn't trust herself to say anything unrevealing of her emotions. His comments about her nightmares were heard and comprehended, and even agreed with, but all silently. It wasn't until Caleb described her as 'stubborn' that India made any indication she had heard any of his words. Snorting scathingly, she spoke again, careful not to betray herself. "You have only just noticed that I am stubborn? And have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? I'd say it is quite the common trait." Smirking confidently at Caleb, she folded her arms across her chest and continued, "Only I believe - I admit - I beat you in the stubbornness category. It is something I have to say I am quite proud of. I always get my way." She tilted her head to the side and took a sip of butterbeer. "It sounds spoilt. Childish. But it is ambition too. An objective, an inspiration. I always intend to get my way, and because of this, I won't let anyone, including you, get in my way. Maybe that is also why you are stubborn. It is certainly a common reason amongst Slytherins."

India listened half-heartedly to Caleb explaining the drinking game, before snorting mockingly again, finally nodding with a derogatory smirk. "It sounds just as pointless as I had imagined it," she said in some amusement for the first time in the evening. "But it will be entertaining to some degree. Dangerous, yes," she agreed with glinting eyes, "but I have better self-control than perhaps you do, Donnelly. Or are you scared about revealing too much?" India wasn't about to let Caleb challenge her and attempt to draw her out. She didn't fall into those traps... She was bored and this sounded amusing enough. But she intended to bring him down too. Truth-saying? India could do that. To an extent. She just had to manipulate the situation so that Caleb didn't ask her the right questions, and she did all the finding out. Not that she was interested in Caleb Donnelly. India was not in the slightest bit curious, not in the way she was about books and magic and learning. She just planned to take what she could and use it against him. Not with malicious intent... India just planned to have something up her sleeve if Caleb ever tried to get the better of her. She had a feeling she and him would be having many more bites at each other from today onwards.

[Caleb Donnelly S7]

((Sorry! I didn't realize it was so long...I got carried away in my Caleb music mix))


Caleb didn’t even attempt to correct India as she went on about how he was a ‘less than to be desired creature.’ From the way she talked he knew that something…someone had truly hurt her and the thought actually made him angry. How could someone hurt her? Couldn’t they see what lay behind those guarded eyes, those tenacious shields? India was both a woman of unequaled beauty, but also soul. There was a flame that Caleb saw in her, that she may not have even been able to see, but Caleb did. It reminded him of the days he’d spent trying to find his mother…an undying flame to find what he knew in his heart was real…unfortunately for him his wishful hoping for a perfect family reunion was dashed with little more than a quick flicker of his eyes staring out from her. They were the same eyes, but they did not mirror his…there was excitement, hope, and happiness at finding the one person in his life that he’d never known…and still didn’t. It was a rejection that even Caleb had not prepared for. He had always told himself that he would hate them for giving him up…that he didn’t care who it was and would never go looking for them. When he had decided to change that…when he had found himself drawn to finding his mother…he never imagined the look of pure hatred that had crossed her face by his appearance on the door of her “new” manor.

A quick glance up to India brought Caleb back to the moment…his mind backpedaling in his silent digression from the previous point of his tangent. He had been remarking on the fire in her eyes…the fire that held a hint of something more…Caleb knew the stories of India Nightingale, but he did not know her. He would never pretend to. It was why he was sitting here…why he found himself drawn to her very presence. She was more intriguing to him than if the sun were to rise in the West and set in the East. There was nothing that screamed normalness in India. A product of beauty and mystery…and again Caleb felt his hands twist at her words about men…he had to grind his teeth together to remember that he was not allowed to ask or press further into India’s thought about what had brought about this thought process…besides to him it was obvious. The continued anger brimming in him at the thought of someone hurting her like that…making her believe that men were nothing but horrible creatures that basically to put it bluntly charmed their way up women’s skirts. It was a sickening thought and though Caleb admitted to having his way with a fair amount of girls, he had NEVER treated them like they meant nothing or were nothing! They were not property…and he would be damned to let India think that all men were like that. HE WAS NOT! But how did one convince another of honest intentions?

His hand twitched a little as he had yet to move from his position, his face a complicated mask of apathy as he pretended to take in her every word, his mind still mauling over on how to show her that he wasn’t what she thought he was. He wasn’t someone that was going to take advantage of her…he had no desire to do that and he had no need to. There was only so much Caleb could take about his species…yes he thought men were their own species…they acted in ways that could be appalling and ways that could be very appealing. It was a never-ending battle between mind and body…but it all was based on how you were raised. If all men had been raised to respect women like he had…then maybe India would never been sitting here…and he would never have seen that quick display of bitter emotion that had slid across her face. Or had he only imagined the whole thing? Dang she was so bloody confusing to him. It was like trying to read a dictionary…so many fascinating words to learn and yet no order in which to arrange them that would make sense therefore they remained on the page in alphabetical order, in a relative order that meant nothing to the reading enthusiast.

The murmured names jarred him from his current resolve of distraction…he had to stop doing that and pay attention, but his mind wandered quickly back to her without a moments hesitation to assess his own words. One brow merely lifted at her response to the names others had for her. He’d heard them before…heard the rumors behind each name and to hide the flash of anger at their classmates he brought his whiskey glass to his full lips and downed it in one drink. He had no intention of getting drunk, but he had to do something to hide the visible line of anger that continued to crease his brow, so he didn’t put his glass down until it was finished and the line had faded back in with the rest of his creased forehead. The burn down his throat was numbing to the fire that burned in him against the ones that had lied so easily about this woman in front of him. What he wouldn’t give for one iota of dark magic to curse them all to oblivion where they could suffer through everything they put her through…suddenly it was a quick flicker of his mind…his conscience telling him to stop. He was speaking in ways that even he was afraid of. He had to stop…not only for his own good, but also for India’s. Last thing she needed was Caleb Donnelly vying for her icy, cynical heart.

There was a beat between her challenge and her next words. The change of emotion clear as she shrugged and continued on, Caleb without the ability to interrupt her, even if he had truly wanted to. Without her realized notion she was giving him more than he could possibly imagine. She was opening up in one sense of the word. Allowing him to know that she may not be whole…or back to normal he should say, but she had every intention of getting back there and if anything shutting out every outside force if possible. It was a quick cut to his heart and he knew he couldn’t let that happen…sure he wanted her back to the same India Nightingale he had met all those nights ago in the common room, but at the same time he wasn’t ready for that. He wanted to see a softer side…one that he knew would never again be closer to the surface than it was this night…if he couldn’t find a way to break through her meager walls tonight than he would never find a way in. The only problem was that India would never allow him such access to her…not to the emotions…to her very soul. That’s when his conscience reminded him that he had no business even wanting that. Still he couldn’t help himself.

Finally his brow creased ever so slightly and he forced a smile…certainly his weakest attempt at keeping his face apathetic to the situation. “You assume too much Nightingale. And in such your own judgments of myself are hardly fair…though I guess I cannot assume you’d give me a chance at having a fair moment…considering I have never expressed precisely what I’ve heard or seen with my own eyes. However…I must ask that you with hold your judgments on my thoughts about you considering you have absolutely no intel into the workings of my inferior mind,” he said with a hint of a real smile forming at his lips as his finger came up to tap along the side of his head in a rather childish way. “As for the latter subject…” Caleb continued as he referred to her comment about never forgetting herself his hand coming back down to slip around the his empty glass, “I pray you never do.” The words held a level of sincerity that surprised even Caleb, not that he showed it. He just simply nodded his head as if that was all that needed to be said in the matter. Which was a good thing to as India had already returned her attention to the coins that were on the table and the fire that had always been present in her eyes returned full force as she refused to take them back.

There was a surge of glee that spread through Caleb at her as he fought tooth and nail to keep his face from breaking out in a huge grin. She was such a spitfire…more than he ever remembered her being. It was quite a delight to him. “India…” he said, for the first time using her first name instead of calling her by her surname. “If you would prefer to pay for your own drinks I will not stop you. I however find it an insult that you would refuse the hospitality of a Donnelly.” It was just a quick flash of a smile before he was back to the apathetic appearance as he picked the coins up and held them out to the wizard that was getting more and more annoyed by the current exchange between the two of them. “Forgive me my lack of clarity in the decision Raoul…apparently Miss Nightingale here would prefer paying for her own drinks this evening as I’m not a ‘desirable creature’.” The words were said with only a hint of humor…one barely recognizable, as his green orbs never released the cold eyes before him. Why did he find her so irresistible?

A chuckle escaped Caleb’s lips at India’s comments about him being stubborn. He was not so stubborn, not really. Especially, he began to notice, when he was around her. The only reason he knew this was his continued change in tactics to try to get just a little more insight into her, while all the while he was playing right into her hands. He knew he was trapped in her never dying grasp…it was like he had to go as far as she would allow him to and he suddenly didn’t mind the fact that she controlled more of the situation than he did. Now that was a dangerous predicament, one he didn’t seem too concerned with…when it should have been his top priority. To say he cared too much would be an understatement…it was something more dangerous than that…almost like an obsession…certainly not healthy at least.

When the topic flipped to the game again and he allowed her to mock it’s intentions to whatever extent she wanted he only smirked when she agreed…though it was a weak agreement, at least it was an agreement. She was definitely lost in amusement over the fact he’d want to play something so “childish”, at least that’s what he thought she was thinking about it. It was so hard to tell with her. She’d called it pointless…did that mean she thought it childish? Where pointless and childish in the same category to her as they were to him? Not that it mattered…Caleb found the game anything other than pointless…this game would give him an insight, the smallest of one, but still it was an insight into the India Nightingale that he was dying to get to know…whether or not he would leave a broken man was anybodies question. He only knew that he wanted to play it out no matter the ending. “Scared? Why should I be? You are as much a social outcast as myself…the only difference? I don’t have the reputation that you do…this game will only deny or prove the rumors that have fluttered through the corridors of Hogwarts since the day you came here. So really India[/I] the question is are you ready to reveal things about yourself that will absolve you in my eyes or condemn you?” as if I could ever condemn you, his words continued in his mind as he eyed her carefully…wondering if he’d pushed his luck with her too far and then secretly wishing he did just to see how she’d react.

[India Nightingale]

"I don't believe in fairness. Or equality. Or justice. The world is riddled with discrimination, judgements, labels... I don't believe in attempting to change the way the world works. You assume, I assume..." India gave a casual, unfeeling shrug. "One must just accept the fact everybody assumes. However, you may try to change my opinion of you, Donnelly. I will not, though, attempt to change your opinion of me." She gazed upon Caleb expressionlessly as he asked her to 'withhold her judgements on his thoughts', and gave a mirthless, sarcastic smile. "Did I offend you? My apologies. Then I must ask the same of you, Donnelly. You also do not have 'intel' into the workings of my mind." India noted the almost amused smile curling at Caleb's lips and felt her scornful glare fade a little. She didn't get the impression Caleb was laughing at her, or at her expense; it was as if something she had said or done actually made him smile. It caught India off guard for but a moment, before she recollected herself... only for Caleb's next words to leave India staring at him in bewilderment. He uttered them quietly, without pretence... could she even say, with sincerity. India had rarely been shown sincerity all her life, but she was gradually learning about it as though it was a subject like her Hogwarts classes, being taught as if it was all written down as laws and rules in textbooks by her sister and mother. And she could detect - even though she would describe herself as heartless and unfeeling - that Caleb was somehow being sincere. And that... it shocked her... it moved her. It made her stop and think: what do I really think of this Caleb Donnelly? And what does he think of me?

Imagination. It took India several seconds later to retract her thoughts and cast them aside as her pure imagination - running wild with her recent experiences most likely, she thought. She definitely imagined Caleb Donnelly being sincere... She must be out of her mind! No, sincerity and Slytherin did not go together, and it never would, India told herself stiffly as she forced her eyes away from staring at Caleb and at her half-full glass. However, when her companion then grabbed her attention by calling her by name, India's head snapped up again, eyes alert and alarmed once more. Why did he keep doing this? This guy, this stranger, kept luring her attention, stirring her confusion, pushing emotion buttons even she didn't know how to access, through plain and simple words and casual actions India was suddenly extremely aware of; the slight twitching of Caleb's eyebrow, the curl of his lips; especially the way his clear yet dark eyes gazed upon her as though he could see right through her, even though this was only their second meeting. However, despite the fact India was alarmed at Caleb suddenly switching to calling her by her first name, and she was growing steadily more uncomfortable and puzzled in his presence, she couldn't bring herself to snap at him and show her annoyance and how offended she was, especially in case she showed just how surprised she was. Sincere. She was reminded of how sincere he seemed to her again.

Trying to maintain a calm, expressionless visage, India levelled her stare on Caleb, attempting to be as distant and frosty as ever but finding herself falter a little at the edge. "I make it my objective to refuse everyone's hospitality. You have no one but yourself to truly rely on." She wanted to come across as her usual haughty self, but her concentration was broken and refused to be pieced together again forcibly. Her eyes lowered and turned away, avoiding Caleb's and continuing to stubbornly leave the coins on the table. It seemed Caleb realised that India would not cave, and eventually told the bartender to accept her money. As coolly as possible and without meeting Caleb's gaze, India let a small smile twitch at her lips. It wasn't much of a triumphant smirk, more of... an approved happiness that she had gotten her way. India never sought confrontation, whatever her acquaintances thought. The fact was she needed to have things done her way, and she was so stubborn that when she did not compromise or cooperate, then that would heat into a rowdy argument - one that India often won because of sheer force - physically and verbally. In all honesty, India did not have the heart to 'fight' Caleb. Not just because of her recent changes in behaviour and her desire to change, but because it was Caleb... and India felt if she had to turn herself against this man, it would simply not be right. Something about him drew her like a moth to a flame... She could resist it, but it was there, and although she denied it, her subconscious continued to partially enjoy his presence.

India eyed Caleb as he chuckled. "What's so funny? Are you laughing at how accurate or inaccurate I am?" She felt a lazy and somewhat amused smile surface, before suppressing it in another burst of alarm. She actually wanted to know why Caleb was laughing... what she had done to make it happen. Slowly, but steadily, this boy was making her shed her skins, and it was seriously starting to scare India. Her instincts screamed for her to stop and leave and run, but her heart wished for her to stay... She wanted to know where this would lead. In a way, India wanted to know more about Caleb, even if she'd never admit it. He, one of the only people to ever do so, had aroused her interest. And it was obvious she had some sort of hold over him, or chemistry that made them flow against each other in an almost natural way, despite the coldness of their attitudes. Did India want to travel down a route in her life that would result in bumping into one Caleb Donnelly? It seemed that was already too late. But did she want to continue meeting him along her journey? Did she want him as a part of her life - a small part or a bigger part? India wasn't about to think that she would commit herself to anything or anybody, but in a lease of human nature she'd avoided in such a long time, she felt the urge to become better acquainted with Caleb. She was afraid of him, of what he symbolised and what he could do to her if she wasn't careful; but beneath his eyes, India saw something familiar - familiar to herself or familiar to someone else, she didn't know what. All she knew was she wanted to fall deeper into those eyes and extract as much as she could.

India couldn't stop the derisive snort she gave at Caleb's challenge. "I don't care if I'm absolved or condemned by you. Your opinion means little to me." She viewed him as coldly as she could. So maybe she cared just a bit what Caleb would eventually think of her. In a way, she hated the fact he had heard all these things about her and judged her for it; thought he knew her when really he didn't. It annoyed, irritated, frustrated, even angered her, even if she'd never admit the truth. "I'm not concerned about the game. After all, the one who will be doing all the revealing won't be me, Caleb." India had to shoot that first name thing back to him. If he was going to take the privilege of addressing her so intimately, then she would also not waste niceties. She didn't really register that the first name basis of talking now drew her closer to him. The only reason she ever talked to people like the other Slytherins was because she wanted to distance herself from being personal with them, and she did not feel she had the privilege of calling someone by their first name if they didn't to her. Not many people in school talked to her, but when they did, her name was always Nightingale, never India on their lips in front of her face. Never. She held Caleb's gaze as steadily as she could for a few moments, before leaning back and readying herself for this rather pointless game. In a way, she now felt propelled to participate because she had a motive too - to find out as much about Caleb Donnelly as possible. Cat and mouse; the two Slytherins were now on the move for each other.

"Let the games begin then," India announced and raised her glass a little, tilting it towards Caleb with a sly smirk. She still felt uneasy, but she was determined she'd get through the game and emerge triumphant and still secretly guarded. "I have never..." India paused for a moment, pondering thoughtfully... What did she want Caleb to expose about himself? "...I have never... been involved in a long-term romantic relationship." Yes. Go right in for the kill, India, she thought to herself. Romance... a weakness seemingly everyone that was even partially human suffered from. Surely Caleb would have to reveal something about himself. If he had been in a romantic relationship, then India would know and would continue to attempt to expose him further; if not, then that would certainly be interesting for a guy his age, with his looks and his temperament. In a way, India knew that whatever answer Caleb gave, she would be judging him as a man on her scale. She knew that if he asked the same question to her, she would be drinking her butterbeer if she included James. But to India, James didn't count (and he wasn't long-term, certainly, so he was definitely discounted), and to her recollection, no one else had ever existed since then... Not a single person.