Restless Wonder(open)

[Samantha Montgomery]

Deep in the castle a draft filtered it's way into the Slytherin common room brushing Sam's hair backwards. She shivered but not with cold, it was the night before the tournament officially began and she was trying to reign in her thoughts and collect herself properly. She loved and hated this feeling at the same time, the nerves, the anticipation, it all coiled in her gut like some snake about to pounce with deadly accuracy, if she wasn't careful she knew the snake would come after her, but if she could control it then she could destroy everyone in her path...were those her only options?

Destroy or be destroyed? That was what she was taught early on ...but was that all? Really? Well it didn't matter, she didn't have enough room for sympathy for the other champions, she had to win, she was nearly desperate.

Releasing a breath she tried to let go of the tension she felt, she had more problems of course and they were all men. Rafe, obviously, was just a large thorn in her side. Caleb, Merlin he was perfect but...he made things difficult with his caring and his looking after her. Dorian and his stupid desire to get to know her, he annoyed her nearly as much as Rafe....only in a different way, and then there was that PDA from Rystain that just wouldn't do.

What was she going to do?

Just then a shadow crossed her face, but who would be up at this hour?

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"You're alone."

He was just going to walk right by her, but the statement slipped out unbidden. Normally she was surrounded by various members of her fan club, that she entertained in her fake, proverbial plastic ways. He wondered if she'd let down he guard if she was in a one on one situation.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She glanced at the clock behind him raising her brows then smiled shaking her head, "It's three am...I don't entertain during these hours." she eyed him speculatively and wondered what every girl saw that made him "irresistible". Supposedly whatever it was he had, she had, maybe if she could define it in him she could get rid of it in herself.

It wasn't just that he was pretty, but merlin, he was. She knew she was pretty, and that probably worsened matters, but there were plenty of pretty girls around. She was in a contemplative mindset, probably not the most conducive to small talk.

"And you?" she asked although the smile on her face almost wanted to ask if *he* entertained during these hours.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"I entertain at all hours, whenever my audience requires," he replied. It would have been a safe bet to guess where he had been, but his clothes were wrinkle free, his hair still perfectly in place. The only clue that he might have been up to no good was the very faint smell of perfume on him.

[Samantha Montgomery]

Her lip quirked in a semi smile as he answered her question without her having to ask it, "You don't look delightfully rumpled." she teased then tilted her head over the arm of the couch she was laying on, "Midnight snacking then?" she asked inquiring why he was making his way down to the common room.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan shrugged. "That depends. Are you hungry?" He was able to talk to her for now, because she hadn't started putting on airs, and he didn't get defensive for it.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"I should be starved," she confessed, "But the tournament's tomorrow, and I couldn't hold any thing down." She was tired too, but hadn't been able to get any sleep, not just because of the tournament.

Transfering was a lot of work and a lot of stress, then she was named champion, then Rafe showed up and Merlin it had been one thing after another starting with when her mother died, and yes before that it had been hard, and stressful, but it was a hard and stressful she was accustom to. All this...everything was new and almost frightening.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"Ah, yes, the tournament," Rabastan said, putting his hands in his pockets. He took a couple of steps forward and motioned to an empty seat next to her. So far so good.

"May I?" he asked, asking her permission to join her.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She had gestured to the seat with her eyes as he moved towards it and once again she almost laughed at their synchronized thought.

"Please do." she added for congenial sake since he asked permission.

She straightened in her seat to make sure that *she* didn't look delightfully rumpled, though she had been down there for hours, she wouldn'tve been surprised if she fell asleep on the couch.

She waited until he was seated then with her eyes lowered she cut to the proverbial chase, "You don't like me much do you Rabastan?"

[Rabastan Lestrange]

Rabastan sat down and just settled when she surprised him with that question she asked.

He kept his cool, and had no change of tone or emotion when he answered her.

"I don't know you well enough to form an opinion yet," he told her in complete honesty.

[Samantha Montgomery]

She smiled, now who was being diplomatic?

"Call it my inner politician, but I can tell when I'm losing a crowd." she told him, eyes still lowered until finally she dared straightforward eye contact.

"I've lost you."

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"You have my undivided attention right now," he told her, shaking his head. "Or did you mean in general? I don't think I'll be attending any conventions, you're right."

She was better now, though, and now he was paying attention. She had the chance to pull her audience back.

[Samantha Montgomery]

"No." she shook her head, "You're not the type." and she smiled at that, " In fact I'm pretty sure the more I smile and wave to my adoring public the more you're likely to gag...and if you could in my direction." she was teasing him a bit, but it was nice to relax perhaps it was just too late, she was too tired, and too worked up to be keeping her guard up.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"I wouldn't gag, that's far too crass," he replied. "But I get your point."

He narrowed is eyes slightly at her. "You don't realize it, Samantha, but your shoulders are slumped right now, and you've never been this intriguing to me."

[Samantha Montgomery]

"You don't appreciate the headgames, or the rigid propriety that's beaten into every debutante and yet you accept it in your prestigious lineage not to be so obscene as to hurl in my direction. " she smiled, "Thank Merlin for small favors...I'm not sure I would appear attractive to anyone in that state."

She shrugged, "And what makes slumped shoulders intriguing to you Rabastan?" she tilted her head, "Is it the weakness of weariness or the appearance of humanity? That even a smiling drone like myself doesn't smile all the time?" although she was smiling now in a relaxed state studying him as he studied her.

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"It's the humanity," he replied. "It's the fact that, my god, you might not actually be a robot," he teased her.

"I grew up in the same social circles you did, Samantha. And at some point, you have to stop pleasing everyone else."

[Samantha Montgomery]

"You're a man." she said honestly, "The rules are different for you. You could snub society all you wish and never think twice there would still be endless positions of power for you to acquire, women trailing after your heels, respect, prestige, there's nothing a well bred man can do to get him really kicked out of society. For a woman...the slightest hint of opposition or change that isn't planned out five chess moves ahead wins her nothing, and if you have dreams, if you have ambitions other than to be laid on a man's arm for the rest of your life producing babies year after year like some sort of broodmare who answers politely to your superior husband, you have to be..." she smiled, "What was that word...a robot." she shrugged one elegant shoulder.

"I read the same gossip columns you do, " she laughed, "What...a woman seen with you more than once her reputation is shot while yours blossoms. You're a rogue, and dangerously seductive, they say it's the woman's fault, she knew what she was getting into and all the matronly hypocritical and passionless females of upstanding society turn their noses up or drag the girl through the ringer to the point of insanity, while you're gently ribbed in the side for "another one ruined." But it's not just a woman's sexual passion that gets her kicked out of the race, but any sort of visual passion is unseemly in my sex, it has to be covered and manipulated into the secret corners of her practiced speech until she's either loved by everyone or has them all over a fiery pit...or quite possibly a combination of the two."

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"You feel passionate about this," he surmised, but he shrugged at her. "I would disagree with you, however. Granted, it's easier for a man. It is not impossible for a woman."

Sam had obviously never met Bellatix Black.

"Besides, I could list off every girl of high society I have ever known, and to be perfectly frank with you, you are the only one who acts like this." And it was irritating as all hell. "Every other girl has a personality."

[Samantha Montgomery]

"Irritating to you perhaps. How do you imagine I feel?" she shook her head. She was passionate about this. Her entire life had been one rule after the other beaten into her through torturous means.

And while she had met Bellatrix Black, Bella had never met Marrion Montgomery.

"Every girl has their own definition of success, every person for that matter, to some it's snagging the richest son of a gun they can get their hands on, for others it's managing to find a man who won't beat them into submission. Some have bigger dreams, bigger ambitions and it's hard, not impossible is correct. What we want correlates as to how we act. It isn't easy Rabastan, by any means, but we all do what we have to do"

She glanced at him speculatively, "And who are you that you warrant my opinions or my personality and upfront examination of who I am? I don't know you...I don't know anyone at this school. I don't know that what I say gets to the wrong ear..." she stared at him, "Personality may be one thing...let's take yours for example. Whether or not you've spent your entire life practicing that charming smile or lazy look in your eyes that makes a girl feel all hot and bothered or it just comes naturally it has got you quite the reputation. You're an object. A sex god. You have offers left and right and always a warm bed at the snap of your fingers, even when you don't want them. And you'll never be seen without that shadow. Conversation will usually carry that invitation in the eye. You'll be used to make boyfriends jealous. You'll be used as an example. You'll be shied away from by ladies of upstanding breeding until of course you lower their defenses, but they are wary of you. You'll be hit on by women whom you'd really rather not. Is there anyone in your life who doesn't see past your "personality?" "

She eyed him a moment longer before shrugging," But then again that's pure speculation I could be completely off, I'm sure you have tons of friends who you can be yourself around."

[Rabastan Lestrange]

"Actually," Rabastan said, "If I was worried about what people thought of me, I wouldn't act the way I do. What you see, Samantha, is what you get with me. We're going to have to agree to disagree as it is, because I still think you're wrong. The thing is, for all of your proper and prim, precision cut aswers, you have the same reputation that I do, almost. Funny, isn't it?"