Meeting

[Chloe Owen]

After about an hour of being out in the garden, pulling a few vegetables, and everything, she headed back in the house, figuring everyone should be done with everything from breakfast. Chloe looked down at herself, only to find her clothes covered in soil. She shook off what she could and then headed in to change clothes.

After changing, Chloe headed towards the kitchen to clean up the dishes. She didn't pay any attention to the table, but to the sink were the others had left their dishes. Chloe sighed and started to wash the dishes, magically putting them up after she as she finished each dish.

[Dean Hallowell]

Dean wandered into the kitchen, having been dismissed by Pearl once they got inside. He was feeling pretty hungry, and was very curious to meet the rest of the pack. He saw a tall blonde girl standing at the sink and grinned. "Uh, hey," he said. "Um, I'm new here. Any chance I could get something to eat?"

[Chloe Owen]

"Hey," Chloe responded as she turned her head. "Ah, you must be Dean then. Yeah, I'll have to make more, seeing as everything is gone." Chloe rinsed her hands and dried them. "Eggs and Toast be alright? I ran out of bacon this morning."

[Dean Hallowell]

Dean smiled as he saw her face. She was beautiful. Yeah, he had a feeling he was going to like it here. "Yeah, I'm Dean," he replied, sitting down at the table. "Eggs and toast sounds fine. So... what's your name?"

[Chloe Owen]

"Chloe," she replied. Chloe reached for the frying pan and grabbed a couple eggs from the refrigerator. She cracked them open over the pan and began to scrabble them. "If you could grab a couple of pieces of bread out of the bread box and pop it into the toaster, that would be much helpful," she said with a smile. "We also have orange juice and water, so you can take your pick on that too."

[Dean Hallowell]

"Nice to meet you, Chloe," Dean said. When she asked him to take care of the toast, he stoood up and walked over to the counter where the bread was. He casually brushed past her arm as he went. "Oh, sorry," he said. As he put the toast in the magical toaster, he turned to her. "Orange juice sounds great. Where do you keep the glasses?"

[Chloe Owen]

"The cabinet above your head," said Chloe, not thinking about his arm brushing hers. She finished up the eggs and placed them on a plate. "And the orange juice in on the top shelf, right side of the refrigerator." She grabbed the toast from the toaster. "Jam or anything for your toast," Chloe asked as she sat his plate on the table and grabbed a fork and napkin for him to use.

[Dean Hallowell]

"OK," Dean replied. He reached up and took a glass from the cabinet, then walked over to the refrigerator. He found the orange juice and poured it, then grabbed some butter from the top shelf. "I just need buter for my toast," he said as he sat down. "Thanks for breakfast, Chloe. You don't have to cook for everyone all the time, do you?"

[Chloe Owen]

Chloe gave him a smile. "No problem," she replied. "If I'm not working, I do. I work at the Hot Panini as one of the waitresses there. During the full moon I take off work, and Chef understands that I need my time off, he just doesn't know the actual reason." Chloe returned to washing the dishes. "So tell me Dean, since we're in the same pack now, a little bit about yourself, since you know a tad bit about me."

[Dean Hallowell]

Dean ate a little of his eggs while she was talking. Once again, here was a beautiful girl that no one would have ever guessed was a werewolf. She was different from Pearl. She seemed very human, not strange and otherworldly like Pearl. At her question, he shrugged. "Not much to tell, really. I just graduated Hogwarts, I was in Slytherin, and had no plans for what I wanted to do with my life now that I was done school." He decided to leave out the part where he had planned to join with Lord Voldemort.

[Chloe Owen]

"Ah," said Chloe. "I went to Hogwarts my last three years of school. I was in Ravenclaw. I know what it's like to be bitten right out of school, and I have to say that I apologize, but it's not as bad as some think it is. We're basically normal humans, except for the fact that we change on full moons and heightened senses, but some people have the horrid image that all we want to do is kill them. If it weren't for Fenrir, we wouldn't have to hide like we do, and people wouldn't be that scared of us." Chloe took a second after she finished putting away all the dishes and took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about that. But, my point is, you can still live a semi-normal life. You can still have a job if you want, you just can't work on full moons, which is what I do. Or, you could hang around here, and do a few things, your choice. You're now welcomed here, and we're not going to make you do something you don't want to do."

[Dean Hallowell]

Dean only half listened to her. He was busy looking at her long legs. When she stopped talking, he nodded. "Thanks," he said. "I gotta say, now that I'm used to the idea, I'm not really all that upset about being a werewolf. I kinda like it, actually. But it does feel nice to have a place to belong. I didn't really know what I wanted to do... this just sorta feels right."

[Chloe Owen]

"I'm glad that you're taking it well. I didn't like the idea for about a year or two, but I had to get over it and deal with it. Most people never do get used to it, and those are the ones that get killed easily," said Chloe. "Just don't get big headed about being a werewolf. It'll lead you wrong." She gave him a warm smile. "I have to agree. It does feel nice to belong somewhere."

[Dean Hallowell]

"Yeah, OK," said Dean. "I'm just sort of... happy to be different. I never fit in back at school; kids never talked to me, and I never talked to them. It's different here, though. I feel... welcome."

[Chloe Owen]

"I don't think I can really blame you for that," said Chloe. "My family disowned me on my eighteen birthday, so this pack is my new one. The good thing about being here, if you ever need anything, there's someone always here."

[Dean Hallowell]

Dean frowned. "Did they disown you because you're a werewolf?" he asked. "How were you turned, if you don't mind my asking?"

[Chloe Owen]

Chloe sighed and took a seat at the table, across from Dean. "Yeah, they did. My family was one of those who like to arrange a marriage and make them get married when their children reach a certain age. My parents decided that they were going to do me that way since they did it, and only thought it right. I, of course, had no idea of the situation. The day of my 18th birthday, my parents informed me that I was to be wed in a week. They even had the guy there to meet me. I never wanted my parents to pick for me, I always wanted to chose for myself. Once I met him, I started to break down. I wanted out of it. I didn't even know him, nor did I care to get to know him. He tried talking to me, but I didn't want to listen. I remember running out my house, sobbing. I headed straight to the woods behind my house, not even realizing the moon. Once I was out there, I sat up against a tree and continued to cry. Out of nowhere this thing comes at me, and I didn't care what happened. I just wanted out of everything, to just leave everything behind, however, I didn't know what exactly was going on. The next thing I know, I felt teeth bare down into my skin. After that, I don't remember a thing, until I woke up in my living room the next morning, with no clothes whatsoever. My parents were in the kitchen, holding onto each other, crying. I got clothes and asked what happened, but they just looked at me in fear. They told me to get out and never return, unless I wanted to be killed. I didn't have a choice. I just left, and found out what I was."

"Greyback turned me, but he left me behind. Why, I dunno. For six years, I was on my own. I didn't have anyone to teach me about what I was going through. I learned to deal with it, and luckily, I have. There are times when I'm glad that I'm a werewolf. One reason is Karl," said Chloe with a slight pink in her cheeks. "I've learned to deal with everything, and blend in with humans." She took a deep breath. "There, now you basically know my life story."

[Dean Hallowell]

Dean listened with interest as Chloe told her story. He wasn't really one to feel sympathy over such things, but he was surprised to realize that he was affected by her story. Maybe it was just because she was so beautiful, or maybe there was a spark of something inside him that he hadn't known existed. But all that was blown to hell when she mentioned Karl, with her cheeks turning that pretty shade of pale pink. He took a deep breath and kept his voice even. "I'm really sorry that happened to you. Parents suck sometimes. I guess I'm lucky... I don't have any. They died when I was a kid. I've been living with my aunt. She hates me and I hate her, so I really don't care what she thinks of me now." He took a sip of water and said casually, "So who's this Karl? I haven't met him yet, right?"

[Chloe Owen]

"I'm sorry about your parents," said Chloe. "Yeah, they can suck sometimes, as you put it, but others they can be pretty awesome." She fiddled around with a napkin holder on the table. "Oh Karl, no you haven't met him yet. He's somewhere around here. I guess he's what you call my boyfriend. He's pretty nice, I think you two may get along pretty well."

[Dean Hallowell]

Dean was almost certain that he would not get along with this Karl guy. He was getting a littl frustrated; it seemed like all the girls he liked were taken. First it was Narcissa Black, who for some reason, had actually been going out with Lucius Malfoy... then Bellatrix, who was engaged to Rodolfus LeStrange. Now, both Pearl and Chloe were off-limits. Still, he faked a smile. "Thanks," he said. "I barely even knew my parents, really, and I can't really say I miss them much. They might have been better than my stupid aunt, but I don't really know." He shrugged. "Karl sounds like a nice guy," he said. "How long have you been together?" He hoped it wasn't long; maybe there was a chance to break them up.