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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jun 24, 2008 22:27:11 GMT -5
Bellatrix was in a mood. Not really a bad mood or a good mood, not even really a weird mood. It was one of those moods that was hard to classify. She was antsy, but not up for much of anything. She was bored, yet perfectly happy to entertain herself. She fancied a drink, but not neccesarily to get pissed. She had been doing a little much of that lately. There were a few options one had when finding themselves in such a mood, and Bellatrix chose the Rusty Nail. It was near her flat, and the last time she had come here she managed to bed an attractive man. Perhaps tonight she would have the same fate.
Tonight she went out a little earlier than the last. The shops in Knockturn Alley were still open, though they probably would be closing within the hour. There were still people out, shopping and chatting and carrying on as if no one was watching. In this part of town that was generally the case. Everyone stuck to their own business, not asking questions in fear of being asked themselves. She passed a hooded wizard on his way out of the bar as she came in. He smelled of aconite. She turned her nose up as she passed by, clearly he was a werewolf. Filthy beasts.
She ordered a dry martini at the bar, taking a seat on the end which faced the front door. She liked to be seen.
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jun 29, 2008 23:10:03 GMT -5
Dean was just about ready to jump out of his skin. The werewolf pack had been welcoming and accepting of him, but he still felt like he didn't fit in. They were all so nice and kind and generous, it made him feel like he was living in a muggle hippie commune. All the lessons of controlling his powers and helping people and all that other stuff... it was just too much peace and love crap for him. He didn't understand why his new "friends" wanted to waste their powers by hiding them from people and trying to blend in just like anyone else. They should be using their powers to dominate, and to conquer.
Finally, he was able to break away from the pack for an evening, and he apparated to Knockturn Alley. He'd gone there a few times as a student, pretending it was a mistake. But really, he was drawn to the place, with its dim light, damp atmosphere and shadowy figures. And here, he could be sure, no member of the pack would find him. They were all too nice for this place.
He strolled along the alleyway, stopping when he spotted a dingy-looking pub. The Rusty Nail... now that sounded like his kind of place. He broke into a smile, then walked through the door. The place was just as he imagined--dimly-lit, with broken, termite-bitten chairs and tables strewn haphazardly around a dusty concrete floor. The bar leaned at a slight angle, and the barstools had torn upholstery on the seats.
Yep, his kind of place. He walked up to the bar and sat near a woman with curly dark hair. "I'll have a firewhiskey," he instructed the bartender.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jun 29, 2008 23:26:48 GMT -5
A man came in that Bella knew she should recognize, but she couldn't place him. He looked about he age so she assumed he must have been at Hogwarts with her. It was only when he spoke that she recognized who he was. She looked at him, her hand resting on the side of her neck, her head tilted slightly. "Never thought I'd see you here Mr Hallowell. Isn't the teashop more your scene?" she teased.
She gave him another look, now that she knew who he was. He looked different than he had in school. Rougher. Like he had finally done something, though she had no idea what. Something more than what he had done with himself while in school. Dean had never really stood out. He sort of blended in with the tapestries. In fact, the two had never really had a serious conversation. It was usually something quipy or taunting, followed by Lucius entering and teasing the boy relentlessly. So much in fact that Bella couldn't remember Dean speaking around him. Perhaps he fancied Lucius.
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jun 30, 2008 22:48:48 GMT -5
Dean wasn't paying attention at first, until his name was mentioned. Then he realized that the voice next to him was strangely familiar. Turning slowly to see who was speaking to him, he was surprised to recognize Bellatrix Black. He narrowed his eyes at her as he spoke. Certainly they had never been friends. But that one night, back at camp, when they were playing that game of I Never, he could have sworn there was a bit of a spark there. Although it was well known among the Slytherins that Bella cheated on her fiance often, somehow, until that night, he'd always fallen below her radar. If only things hadn't gotten so screwed up. He wondered to himself if she had missed him when he abruptly disappeared from camp after being bitten.
He sneered at her tea shop comment. "Hey, I get around," he said, his voice coming out in what he hoped sounded like a snarl. He couldn't deny a sudden urge to bite her. But he'd have to keep himself calm. He couldn't give away his secret.
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jul 1, 2008 19:45:02 GMT -5
She could see he was trying to sound tough, and he did to some extent. But having known him for so long as the quiet boy, it didn't sound right on him. It seemed like he was trying to hard. But maybe he had changed. Certainly she had changed a bit since the two of them had last been together.
"Oh do you now? How is it that I haven't seen you in all this time since you mysteriously disappeared from camp? I too get around. Funny that we haven't met up..."
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jul 1, 2008 21:23:35 GMT -5
Dean looked at her, half torn between curiosity and annoyance. He couldn't exactly say she was different, since she'd somehow always had a dangerous edge to her. But somehow he got the sense of... experience... to back up all of her talk. He also noticed her scent for the first time. It was a strange thing, how his stronger senses picked up things he never would have noticed before. She smelled exciting and inticing... it was almost impossible to resist.
He took a large sip from his drink. "Yeah, well, I guess that's cause I've been underground for a while," he said casually. "I had to lie low for a bit. I'm looking to get out, though... my current group of friends are starting to get a little stale."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jul 1, 2008 21:39:41 GMT -5
"Gotten into a spot of trouble, have we? You know, I never really believed all those stories you told about the mischief you caused at school. I don't know that I can believe you've done anything since." She sipped her martini casually, eyeing him.
"So what of these boring friends of yours? Imaginary?"
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jul 1, 2008 22:00:19 GMT -5
Dean rolled his eyes at her. "Oh, what, just cause I used to be really quiet?" he said, annoyed. "Don't you know what they say about the quiet ones... you never know when they might snap one day and kill a bunch of people for no reason." He took another drink and leaned against his hand, peering at her sideways. "Yeah, OK, I haven't killed anyone... yet... and the crowd I was hanging with turned out to be a bunch of losers. But I've seen stuff... stuff you can't even imagine..."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jul 1, 2008 22:14:57 GMT -5
She had to laugh at his remarks about 'quiet ones'. She doubted he could ever be that sort of a quiet guy. Which he then admitted to, so she stopped her laughing. Though she still had an amused look on her face. "Oh you'd be suprised. But do tell me. What sort of things have you been up to with this boring bunch of losers?"
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jul 1, 2008 22:34:56 GMT -5
Dean frowned slightly. Here was where his story fell apart a little. After all, it seemed impressive to be running with a pack of werewolves. But this pack just happened to be a bunch of do-gooders. So far, he'd done nothing but a botched rescue attempt and a few hunting parties. But he was capable of so much more. All he needed was to complete the training Pearl was giving him, so he'd understand better how to control his powers and his inner wolf.
"Some pretty brutal hunts," he said evasively. "And a lot of training. I've been building up my strength... I'm a lot tougher than I was back at school. Been channeling my darker side. I don't always have to rely on magic for the quick fix anymore... I can fight better with my bare hands."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jul 1, 2008 22:48:14 GMT -5
He was a hunter now? Perhaps he wasn't just spinning a web lies anymore. Maybe he had changed. But there was one part of his story that confused Bellatrix. "You fight without magic? Whatever for?" It was an absurd concept, and something Bellatrix was firmly against. In fact, it was much like the ideas Logan entertained, muggle style combat. "Isn't that a bit barbaric?"
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jul 1, 2008 22:56:19 GMT -5
Dean could sense by her tone that she was becoming more intrigued. He took another sip of his drink and grinned at her. "Oh, I still use magic... when it's necessary. But I'm kinda drawn to the brutality of fighting without magic. See, sometimes, when you use magic... it becomes a crutch. You hide behind that ability. Fighting physically, it builds up your strength and your reflexes. Makes you tougher and stronger. I like using magic more as a last resort... I'd prefer to win or get beat on the strength of my will and my reflexes. You learn a lot about your opponent when you fight physically.. you learn their strengths and their weaknesses and how fast they are... even how they think. It's more strategic than just firing spells at one another."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jul 1, 2008 23:04:41 GMT -5
His theories were interesting, even if she didn't agree with them. But it couldn't hurt to explore the idea a bit, right? So long as none of the other Death Eaters found out. She didn't know why exactly she was swayed by Dean's words, when other's who had tried only enraged her. It must have been something in the way he spoke that enthralled her. His confidence in his new found skills. Or perhaps it was the fact that she had been sleeping alone for a week and in her frustration she was finding anything and everything intriguing.
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jul 2, 2008 22:42:42 GMT -5
Dean was glad that at least something that Pearl was teaching him was turning out to be useful. She was helping him tap into his inner beast and channel it to the best advantage. The only trouble was that she was ignoring the true potential of such power, in wanting to use it for good. It seemed to him that it was a waste of skills to use them to help people.
He grinned at Bella with a bold gleam in his eye. "I could maybe teach you a few fighting strategies, if you're interested. Even if you just want to use it as a backup so that you're not powerless if you get disarmed."
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jul 2, 2008 22:52:26 GMT -5
She opened her mouth to respond, the abruptly shut it and thought over her words. It could be useful, one the one hand, but on the other it was so unbecoming to fight like an unevolved muggle beast. She sipped her drink, then set the glass down and looked back at Dean. "I suppose...it wouldn't hurt to learn something new." A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "But if you tell a single soul," the tinge of a smile faded completely from her face as she threatened him, "I will hunt you down like a dog and curse you until you cry like a little pup. Are we understood?" Her face was hard now, stern. It was the look of someone who was not making idle threats.
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Post by Dean Hallowell on Jul 2, 2008 23:06:37 GMT -5
Dean almost laughed at the words "dog" and "pup." If only she knew, he thought. But of course, the chances were, if she knew, they would not still be having this conversation. Instead, he raised his right hand. "You have my solemn vow," he said seriously, with only the ghost of a smile on his otherwise composed face. "You wanna go somewhere more private so we can have a more... intimate... training session?"
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Post by Bellatrix Black on Jul 2, 2008 23:24:08 GMT -5
Bellatrix bit her lower lip and grinned. Quiet little Dean Hallowell was either quite a ladies man, or a daft little bugger. Either way, she would have fun tonight. "Sure." She tossed a few coins on the bar to pay for her drink, which was nearly empty by now. "I've got a place not far from here..."
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