it's not my time ; alexander harper, bby.

[nightmare]

Tongue-tied and oh so squeamish
You never fell in love
Did you get what you deserve?
The ending of your life

Zan leaned forward slightly; it seemed first instinct to her to know how to kill someone. She already wasn’t thinking about how she could kill Evander; it was more of what to do if attacked by a vampire. She had hoped the thing about sun had been a myth; it would be interesting to see him in the daylight. “Tha’s too bad, ‘bout the sun,” she said softly. “Do yeh miss it? Or don’ it matter anymore?” She gave a small smile as Evander continued talking about vampires. “I’d say yeh vampires have a great advantage,” she said dryly. “Mos’ impurities would pay to be strong, fast, and secret.” Unlike other halfbloods or Muggleborns, Zan never hesitated to use the word “impurity.” It did seem to apply to them, though to her, pureness was no great value. None of the purebloods she knew had any admirable traits.

Zan laughed, finding it somehow odd how much she agreed with Evander. Most of her animals’ names had to at least do with their species, if not their specific personality. “Couldna’ agree with yeh more,” she commented. “El Diablo’s a perfect example. Little devil, he is,” she added, glancing down at the Kneazle in question affectionately. He had curled up in the overstuffed wool bed she had set up behind the register, and was peering out at Evander still with amber eyes. Zan laughed, shaking her head slightly.

Zan didn’t know whether to laugh or annoyed by Evander’s apparent amusement with her thanks. She rarely lavished praise on anybody; something her employees learned the hard way. Sometimes, they stormed into her back room, raging about why they hadn’t received enough thanks, or a raise, for whatever job they had done. Most of the time, Zan responded with something like, “Yeh cleaned out the Knarls’ cage; yeh ain’t ending no wars! Get your arse back out there!” She shrugged, sweeping the money from the counter into the bag at her side. “Well, either way, thank yeh,” she said, a bit awkwardly.

Zan strained her eyes a few seconds longer, searching for any trace of the Death Eaters. As Evander assured her, she couldn’t see them. “Wonders neva’ cease,” she said, shaking her head in amazement. “Yeh vampires are powerful creatures. Wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of any Coven.” She knew about cat’s eyes, but had never heard of anything with two legs able to do that. It was utterly fascinating, put quite simply.

Zan gave an almost-sad smile as Evander described his brother. Seeing how calm and composed Evander was, she could easily imagine how wild Kistin was. He did sound interesting; Zan didn’t have a lot of ‘fun’ nowadays. She had gone out a few times with some of her employees, but she was too wound up to drink and go crazy. “He sounds fun. I would like to meet him,” Zan said honestly, though she doubted she ever would. It had taken her 23 years to run into this vampire; what were the chances of her meeting a second one?

Zan actually laughed loudly as Evander bit back a curse. “Trust me mate, yeh don’t have to worry about cursing. ‘Round here, it’s part of peoples’ speak. Even some o’ meh animals swear,” she added, pointing to a ferret-type animal asleep in a cage. The Jarvey, a weasel that could speak, though rather crudely, mumbled a few cuss words in its sleep, in several different languages. Zan rolled her eyes, grinning at Evander. “Though you may do as yeh please. It’s good to have someone ‘round here who don’t curse like a sailor.”

Zan listened, almost dreamily, as Evander talked about Italy. She wished she could have been born somewhere else; London was not a happy place. Not that her childhood was horrible; up until 3rd year, life had been pretty good. Great at times, but mostly good. But now…her mind trailed off, refusing to think about it.

Except Evander wouldn’t let her refuse. Zan sighed, struggling about how much to tell him. He had been so open, she’d feel bad about holding back any information. “I grew up…in a small house, in London,” she began, her eyes taking on a far-away expression. “I’m exactly half blood, yeh know? Pureblood father, Muggle mother. Not too rich; Papa’s family disowned ‘im. But we got by.” Now that she had started talking, she couldn’t seem to stop. “Had two brothers, Brett and Neil. They were opposites, really. Brett was so smart, he put all o’ us to shame,” she chuckled slightly at the memory. “An’ Neil…well, I think Neil and Kistin would have gotten on well,” she added with a slight laugh, looking down. She felt the tiniest sparkle of tears in the corner of her eyes, but held them back easily. Soon, she’d probably be able to talk about it without any tears.

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

Pursing his lips gently as if thinking about the question, Evander answered it in the only way he knew how to- carefully. "Yes, and no," The words came slowly, "You see, if anything I miss the sunset and sunrise ... they were beautiful, as I remember. And laying in a hammock, reading with the sun warming me and the wind slipping by gently ... however I know that will never happen again, and so I don't miss it because I choose not to dwell on what I can't control." He finished explaining himself, wishing he could have answered it in a shorter way. If there was one thing Evander didn't like about himself, it was the fact that he was so long winded. He could never seem to keep his words short and sweet. It wasn't that he enjoyed hearing his own voice, it was simply that he couldn't figure out how to get his point across without explaining his view thoroughly.

"We do have a great advantage, an almost unfair one," He said, before adding in "But it's so easy to kill us, if you catch us when we're sleeping. That's what most don't understand- we don't snap awake, we're like humans in that respect. We're groggy when we awake."

Leaning against the counter, he watched her, watched what she did and how she did it. She was a rough creature, and he could appreciate that in a woman. She wasn't a frilly little pretty thing, she was a well rounded woman who would do what she had to in order to survive the world the way it was. Evander had far more respect for a woman like her, than he did for most of the woman that Kistin charmed. At her words, his eyes trained on the cat, his eyebrows slowly rising. He made no comment, though you could tell he agreed with her thoroughly that the cat was a little devil, with a befitting name.

Chuckling at her comment about wonders never ceasing, that she wouldn't want to get on the bad side of a coven, Evander let himself smile gently. "You wouldn't have to worry about that- Vampires rarely associate themselves with Humans unless there is a very good reason. Only the strange ones, like myself, can be caught socializing with other species."

He inclined his head toward her, snorting with laughter at the weasel. "Ah, but still. I watch my tongue around a lady- in these times it may be nothing to most, but to me it is quite improper to curse in a female's presence. Women deserve more respect than that."

He nodded gently, listening to her speak about her childhood. It seemed to bother her- she felt human emotion easier than Evander could, and because of this he knew she must have been in pain. To him, it would have been a slight sorrow, nothing more, to talk of people who might have been dead for all he knew, but in his old vampiric age he'd forgotten what true emotion felt like- raw and pure. Seeing her eyes water slightly, he stepped forward, looking both hesitant and curious.

Lifting a hand, he touched her cheek gently and said "If it bothers you, please don't answer my questions. I would hate to be the cause of a woman's pain, or tears." It was said in a soft tone, his head turned slightly to the side, eyes shining in that endless way as usual.

[/SIZE]

[nightmare]

Tongue-tied and oh so squeamish
You never fell in love
Did you get what you deserve?
The ending of your life

Zan listened, almost hypnotized, as Evander spoke about the sun. Nobody she knew talked like that, like they were weaving something with their words. Everybody, including Zan herself, spoke in short, concise words that allowed them to get straight to the point. She glanced down, flushing slightly, thinking that she wanted to hear him talk again. She rarely wanted somebody to continue talking; most of the time she couldn’t wait for the idiots who spoke to her to shut up.

“I guess nobody’s perfect,” Zan added in her familiar dry tone when Evander told her vampires could be killed in their sleep. “But there would nae be anything interestin’ in life if yeh were invincible,” she said, her voice thick with irony. Sometimes, especially years ago, Zan had wished that she could be invincible. However, she had seen what those who were invincible, at least socially, had become: the bloodsnobs. If she had to suffer to avoid being an arrogant idiot, she would do so.

Seeming to sense that he was being talked about, El Diablo slowly stood up, arching his back as he stretched. He stared around with sleepy amber eyes, his ears twitching every few seconds. Zan vividly remembered when she had been allowed to pick out and name her Kneazle from a litter of about 7. The others had been sweet and cuddly, but this one had (clearly) scowled at her, then scratched her when she tried to pick him up. Zan had seen something like herself in the creature, a persistence to being different and to be rough and tough, and had kept him, much to the chagrin of her parents. She smiled ever so slightly, remembering how her father had called him a devil, giving Zan the inspiration for his name. Other than her brothers, El Diablo was the only thing that linked her to her parents, other than the memories in her own head. Oblivious to his importance, El Diablo slunk around the store, poking his paws into corners to make sure there weren’t any mice.

Zan laughed as Evander called himself one of the ‘strange vampires.’ “S’pose it’s just as well there’s a few strange ones. Otherwise, nobody would have anything but myths ‘bout the vampires,” she commented, leaning back against the counter. Like anything that stayed hidden (the kelpie known as the Loch Ness Monster came vividly to mind), rumors started that could never really be alleviated.

She glanced at the Jarvey again. His black paws twitched in his sleep, and every few minutes he let loose a stream of curses. Like many of her animals, Zan didn’t know why Jarveys were so wanted by others. They could talk, but they only cursed, and every single one seemed to be multilingual. This one spoke about 10 languages, including Dutch, French, Norwegian, and some African tongue Zan had never been able to place. “Well, least somebody thinks we deserve respect,” she commented, her eyes unconsciously flashing to the window, where the Death Eaters had disappeared from view long ago. It was strange, almost abnormal, for her to be talking to somebody with manners. A bit pathetic, really, though she stopped commenting on it.

Startled, Zan took a step back when the vampire touched her cheek. His hand was cool but not cold, and it had surprised her. She belatedly realized that Evander would probably be able to see the tears building up in the corners of her eyes. She sighed, briskly rubbing the heel of her palm into her eye. “Nah, it ain’t your fault,” she said, her voice huskier than usual. “Nearly ev’rything reminds me o’ them. I s’pose that the biggest bit o’ good luck I’ve ever had was that my brothers weren’t killed.” She didn’t say anything about her parents; it was fairly implied. “Ain’t seen them in forever. Dunno where Brett is, but Neil’s at Hogwarts.” She gave a sad smile. “He’s a Gryffindor, is all I know. I was so proud; he’s gonna need all the courage he can get.” Talking about Hogwarts was a slightly sore subject too, so she shut up. Mostly the fact that she had been ratted out as a pureblood by most of her housemates.

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

Nodding carefully, Evander smoothed his hair with a hand. He agreed with her on that; nothing in the world would be worth much if he was invincible and could just take what he wanted, when he wanted. He'd much rather have to challenge others and work his way to the top, no matter how much work had to be put into it nor how hard it might have been at times. If he could just sail to the top, it would have felt undeserved to him; as if he just didn't belong at the top.

Grinning, he retorted with "The strange ones make it interesting." Keeping his words short and sweet this time, something he once thought beyond his ability. Evander was learning with Humans how to keep himself in check and stop "rambling", as they called it, but it was increasingly hard for him. He could have gone off about something else, as he would have in the company of another Vampire, however Evander said the first sentence of what he'd already had planned in his mind and kept it at that. Surely he didn't want to bore her, and rambling as he did would do just that.

Watching El Diablo slink around the store, in such a stealthy manner, Evander pursed his lips. Canines were to Werewolfs, if seemed, as Felines were to Vampires. The grace, stealth, power ... all of it seemed to be mirrored within the movements and patterns of cats. Even the Independence and need for solitude, as well as secretive behavior ... Snapping from his train of thought, he listened more carefully to the Human before him. While it was easier for him to do two things at once, to listen to her as well as watch the cat in quite an attentive fashion, Evander thought she deserved his full attention, and so gave it to her.

His ears twitching gently, even if it was just in a metaphoric way, Evander turned his head at the weasel-like creature. "He's ... quite the character, isn't he? I'd better never let Kistin know there is such a thing in this world ... He might see about getting one." Evander looked like he was torn between disdain and amusement. While it would be funny for the first few days, after a while he'd want to strangle either the weasel or his brother- which he didn't quite know at the moment.

An eyebrow raised, Evander responded. "Of course you deserve respect." His voice made it sound as if there was no question in his mind that he was correct, and there wasn't.

He whipped his hand back, taking a slight jump backward when she stepped back, landing him about three feet from where he had been. He was always so careful around humans, always trying to keep from scaring them. "I beg your pardon, Zan, I didn't mean to startle you." His voice was short and quiet, even for it's usual soft tone. He listened to her with slightly pursed lips, cursing his own stupidity. Why had he done it? Evander puzzled over the thought for a few moments. There really was no answer to it, or at least a straight one, and so he stopped attempting to answer it.

"I do hope they are both fine, and I am sure they are. If you wished it, I have a friend in Hogwarts I could talk to about keeping an eye on Neil for you." He said it quietly still, as if undecided on weather he should be talking or not. "I never attended Hogwarts, always having been on the road with my family, however it sounds like a deplorable institute these days." He said, brow slightly furrowed.

[/SIZE]

[nightmare]

Tongue-tied and oh so squeamish
You never fell in love
Did you get what you deserve?
The ending of your life

Zan laughed easily as Evander replied. His answer surprised her a bit; she was waiting for him to continue speaking. Indeed, it sounded as if he were going to say more, but restrained himself. She wondered why; if she could speak as eloquently as him, she’d never stop talking. “Well, it has been rather interestin’ since yeh got here,” she commented, her tone slightly teasing. She glanced at the clock behind the counter: almost midnight. Surprisingly, Zan didn’t feel the least bit tired. She felt like she could stay up forever, just talking. It was a strange, but not unpleasant feeling.

Zan’s eyes followed El Diablo around the store, occasionally flicking up to look at Evander. The vampire was following the Kneazle too, though he had a more thoughtful expression on his face. It felt easier when he mentioned the Jarvey again; something Zan knew a lot about. “Yeah, Jarveys are funny lil things,” she commented, her mouth half twisting into a grin. “Little buggers, they are. Seem to be born spoiled rotten, and will curse yeh out of house and home if yeh let them. I’ve had to perfect Silencing spells since I started selling ‘em; if yeh yell, they just curse more.” When Silenced, the Jarveys at least looked nice. They were large, and this one had russet colored fur. However, when he woke up, he’d be snapping angrily and calling her a kindaskitur, whatever that was.

Zan scowled ever so slightly when Evander made it sound like ‘respect’ was just given. “Wish the rest of the blokes in the world were like that,” she said, crossing her arms. “Most o’ ‘em don’t know anything about respect. Least someone does,” she added, grinning up at Evander. A little voice in the back of her head whispered, look Zan, you’re flirting. But she ignored it. She was just talking, right?

Evander seemed as surprised as she was when she took a step back. He flew back, farther than any human could with a jump of surprise, and landed gracefully. He apologized, giving Zan a stab of guilt. He hadn’t really done anything wrong. But it had been so long since somebody had reached towards her with something other than ill intent, like to hit her for refusing to sell dragons. Dreamily, without really thinking about what she was doing, Zan reached out and took his hand. It was cool and smooth, unlike her own rough, callused hands. “Don’ worry,” she said, trying to sound calm, though her heart was pounding. “Just startled me, is all. Yeh have nothing to apologize for.”

At mention of somebody protecting her brother, her awkwardness was momentarily forgotten. “Yes!” she replied, her eyes shining feverishly. “If it would nae be any trouble, then yes.” She looked down, staring past the wooden floor, as if the Gryffindor common room was below her feet, and she could see Neil. “He’s brave, but that might not be enough,” she said softly, almost to herself. “Purebloods run the school; he’s pretending tah be one. Nobody’s safe there, though.”

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

Noticing her glance towards the clock, Evander himself had a gander. It was midnight- midday, in his eyes, but to her it must have been incredibly late. He almost opened his mouth to tell her that he would bid her goodnight, but then stopped himself. If they both were enjoying each other's company, why shouldn't he keep himself in her presence for longer? It was enjoyable, standing there before her, as an equal instead of some thing she was terrified of.

Hearing a slight sound in the rabbit carrier, he opened the box again and reached a hand in, stroking the rabbit's fur. "Hush, you two." He mumbled, stroking both Rabbits, enjoying the feel of soft fur on his finger tips.

Looking towards the Jarvey, he couldn't help but smile. The funny little creature was nice to look at, and he couldn't help but comment "Ah, so he's easy on the eyes and hard on the heart?" A small smile snaking across his mouth as he glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. Evander definitely knew that the creature probably packed quite the verbal punch, if a woman like Zan would say such things about it, being used to it as she was. His laughter was melodic, this time being loud and almost uncontrollable. "I do have to wonder what would happen if I accidentally managed to put one in my Brother's room. Knowing him, he'd get into a cussing match with it!"

He used the word room, yet his mental image was a dungeon with a coffin, nothing else in it. They both had actual rooms, the rooms with their coffins not being where they kept their personal items. Upstairs was where they spent most of their time when awake, and so they kept clothing and things up in their actual home.

Scowling at her words, Evander shook his head. "Men these days are a disgrace. They wouldn't know the proper way to treat a woman if it kicked them where it hurts." It was well known to those like himself, who grew up in times that were filled with chivalry, that men these days were taught neither respect nor manners, and it was a damn shame. Boys were spoiled before they even reached the age where they would court girls, and Evander just couldn't understand it. Even the Purebloods were going downhill in their manners, even with their impeccable gentle breeding. He didn't agree with some of their methods, however Evander had to admit they did know how to create broods of gentlemen and ladies.

When she took his hand, Evander couldn't suppress his slightly surprised, before accepting the gesture. Moving slightly closer to her, he looked her in the eyes. It was a haunting thing, to have to gaze into a creature's eyes who had forever to look forward to. He would have gotten closer to her, however he felt it would have been overstepping his boundaries; he wasn't about to attempt that again.

"It would be no trouble at all, my Lady, I would love to look after your kin. And when he gets off break, I would love to meet him, perhaps even let Kistin have a ... supervised ... visit." Once more, he was carefully choosing his words, though keeping them short and sweet. He was getting better, though it was hard.

[/SIZE]

[nightmare]

Tongue-tied and oh so squeamish
You never fell in love
Did you get what you deserve?
The ending of your life

Zan chuckled slightly as Evander soothed the rabbits. “They’re nighttime critters, like yehself,” she commented. “They’re restless. Hush loves,” she crooned, reaching in to add her own comfort to the rabbits. Her hand lightly brushed Evander’s, the cool touch shocking her as before. She tried to ignore it, instead letting one of the rabbits (she thought it was Hel Hag) nuzzle against her hand, nibbling her hand when she stopped petting her. “You’re going to have a lot on yer hands with this ‘un,” Zan commented dryly. “Spoiled rotten, she is.”

Zan put her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing too loudly when Evander commented about the Jarvey. A muffled squeak still escaped, though it was no louder than their previous talking, and thus didn’t bother any of the animals. “That’s a good one,” she said, still trying not to laugh. “And fits him perfectly. Dunno why anybody would want him; got the personality of a pirate, he does.” She glanced again at the Jarvey, who had been given the name Shuddap about 30 seconds after Zan had gotten him. “I don’t know how good yer brother’s cursing skills are, but Shuddap is fairly adept at his trade, there,” she added, just as the Jarvey barked and said something (probably rude and insulting) in French. Rolling her eyes and deciding she had enough, Zan quietly went over and pulled a cover over the Jarvey, then put a Silencing spell on it.

Zan walked back over in the silence, almost grinning at Evander’s angry tone about ‘men these days.’ “Chivalry died long ago,” she added, sounding faintly amused. The purebloods were too stuck up to even think about being chivalrous, and most of the impurities were more coarse than Zan herself.

Zan half expected Evander to drop her hand and maintain a proper distance, or something. Instead, he moved a bit closer, and caught her eye. Zan was dazed for a moment, then looked away. It wouldn’t do for her to get hypnotized, or whatever it was, especially this late at night. Even with Evander around, there was always the risk of some sort of attack.

Zan gave Evander a grateful grin, still too relieved to be embarrassed. “Thank yeh, thank yeh very much! My kin doesn’t know when to get his arse out of the way, and I’m always afraid he’s gonna mouth off, and get cursed ‘cos somebody stole his spot in the Great Hall,” she ending, sounding slightly amused. Something like that had happened when she was at home; somebody had taken Neil’s park bench that he always sat at when they went out, and Neil had given him a punch when he refused to move. He never did know when to calm down…

Zan sighed, slightly crestfallen. “I’d love Neil to meet Kistin; he ain’t never met a vampire. But…” she shrugged her shoulders, almost helplessly. “I dunno where he is. The family who adopted him moved, and I ain’t never found out where they went. I’m sure yeh could find him,” Zan added hastily, figuring that part of being part of a coven was that vampires could search for somebody, if they so chose. “But it’s better if yeh don’t. If anything happened to him ‘cos we knew where he was…” this time, she shuddered, feeling her face grow cold. “I dunno what I would do.”

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

"That will be good," He murmured, brushing against her hand while it was in the box "They'll be up when I am, so I won't have to re-arrange my schedule to suit them." Smiling slightly at her rather dry remark, Evander ran his fingers over the rabbit's smooth fur. "Ah, well, I'm used to spoiled women around my house," Grimacing, he added in "I have a younger blood-sister, and believe me, she's spoiled as can be." Or, at least Evander had it in his head she was spoiled- he himself tended to spoil her beyond belief.

Grinning, he replied with "My brother has the personality of a pirate, but we put up with him. I suppose their one in the same- when we get tired of him, we throw him in his cage and have a wizard friend put a silencing spell on him." The words were said casually, as though he had recited the same things everyday. It was like forecasting the weather to him, telling of how he dealt with his brother. Kistin was a character, a real riot, but sometimes he was too much and Evander (while not really shutting him in a cage) had to show him who was boss around the house.

He looked away as well, before muttering the word "Sorry, forgot for a moment ... " then looked toward the floor. Most humans who he came this close to, of the female gender, were in it for a quick bloodletting, and perhaps even a turn in bed. Evander wasn't used to a woman who wasn't there just to be mesmerized by his gaze- to fall into his arms. He also wasn't used to a woman like Zan, though; normally he wouldn't even describe the females he met in such a way, instead choosing words like "girl", which perfectly matched up with their frivolity and naivety. They were nothing more than girls searching for the attention of an inhumanly beautiful creature.

Smiling softly, Evander replied to her multiple thanks. "No need for it, Zan, it would be my pleasure. He sounds a bit like Kistin, and I knew I'd be dreadfully worried if I were in your shoes for my own brother." The words were spoken in a soothing tone, something that was aided by the pheromones he emitted.

"Adopted?" He seemed to alert at the word, before blinking and saying "He was adopted?" He voice showed that she didn't have to answer it, though he seemed to thirst for more knowledge about her, even if it was indirect and about her family. At her look of sadness, he almost reached forward to comfort her, but held himself back. Something was alluring about this human; it was almost as if he needed to comfort her. However, he held back.

[/SIZE]

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

posted, babe <33 sorry about that @__@

[nightmare]

Tongue-tied and oh so squeamish
You never fell in love
Did you get what you deserve?
The ending of your life

Though she didn’t fully realize why, Zan’s easy grin faltered for a second when Evander mentioned being ‘used to having spoiled women around’ so casually. However, it was back in place in seconds, as Evander explained about his blood sister. She laughed again, saying, “Crazy vampires, now spoiled ones…yeh’ve got a strange family there.” She fondly ruffled Hel Hag’s ears one last time, then took her hand out of the box.

For about half a second, Zan thought Evander was serious when he said he threw his brother in a box. Feeling slightly dumb, Zan laughed again; she understood full well what it was like to take care of a pirate. “Like I said, yer brother sounds like an interesting guy,” she remarked again. Zan thought she’d probably go crazy if left with him too long, honestly. She had enough problems dealing with the Jarveys!

Zan didn’t know if she was glad Evander had looked away. His gaze was mesmerizing and beautiful, something any woman would be happy to stare into all day. However, Zan was different than most of the other women she knew. However beautiful his eyes were, she couldn’t afford to spend any time in a half daze. Whenever she was conscious, Zan was alert. Even when she was resting, El Diablo was usually watching out for her and, like a cat, she could leap to her feet and be prepared in a second.

Zan sighed, relieved that there was one less thing she had to worry about. She would still worry, of course, but she didn’t have to. “He’s not quite so wild as Kistin, but they’d have a grand ol’ time,” she commented, thinking of her brother. She exhaled again, enough to blow a few stray wisps of her messy hair out of her face. “I do worry. All the time. It’s so far away, an’ so changed…” she shrugged her shoulders, almost helplessly, but with a hint of steel that said ‘no matter what, I will get through it.’ “But he’s a tough un.”

Zan looked up, startled, as Evander asked about Neil being adopted. They had fallen into a calm murmuring, and his sharp voice surprised her. However, this information was nothing too personal, though more than a bit painful. “Yeah, adopted,” she repeated softly. “Our dad was a pureblood; disgraced his whole family when he married a Muggle. However, he had a few pureblood friends who dinnae hate him afterwards. One of them said they would take care of Neil ‘til he was outta Hogwarts. Yeh see, they barely tolerate the Houses other than Slytherin there. If they knew he was a halfblood…” she trailed off, her eyes dry but full of pain. “It’s better for ev’ryone if they think he’s pureblood.”

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

_{you are the antidote that gets me by}

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( SOMETHING STRONG )[/b][/font][/color]
^{just like a drug that gets me so high}[/font][/size]
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Wind howled outside the door, a beast demanding entrance. A cold chill had pranced upon the window eaves when he'd made his way into the store, the late spring chill being both out of place and worrisome. He did hope the frost didn't last too long, more for the sake of the garden that was stationed in his backyard. Most would assume a Vampire could no longer appreciate true beauty when he spotted it, for his own beauty was far superior than that of human making. However, this did not hold true to Evander and was as ridiculous as saying a human could not gaze upon a new born babe with wonder at how fragile and innocent it was.

There was something so fragile and tender about the beauty of most things alive, and in that Evander relished.

He did without plants for the entire winter, making spring and summer and some of fall his favorite times of the year. When his plants were in bloom, Evander was blissful and serene. Though his temperament would seem the same to most who knew him all year round, it was his house mates that would face his sulking and pacing when he hadn't the fresh fragrant flowers to aid him in his more stressful times. Evander wished sorely that his flowers would bloom soon; perhaps Alexandra would be interested in seeing his collection? Though he considered himself a Vampire that was not vain in the least, considering other Vampires, Evander did take pride in his creations within the backyard- from the more exotic plants whose names even he had trouble pronouncing, to the nameless hybrids he came up with himself.

"He'll make it through, even if he does need a bit of assistance," Evander crooned gently, leaning toward her in a more comforting manner than he had at first intended upon. "If he's anything like you, he's a resourceful young lad who I doubt would allow himself to befall any great harm- I wouldn't think a person would be able to claim blood with you, and not have some of the same traits you have, even if they were dumbed and boiled down to a vestige of your own." His eloquent speech was as smooth and calm as ever, though the more he receded into powerful words and serene gestures, the more worried Evander was. It took somebody to know him a long time before they came to this type of conclusion. In truth, he was worried, and wished he could do something for her ... even if it was just helping her brother through his trials at the Hogwarts castle.

Evander gently eyed her, before giving a hesitant nod. The first instinct and thought that claimed his mind was that in no case should a person ever doubt themselves to the point where their own family was shamed and hidden. Remembering, though, that Zan wasn't ashamed, and was only attempting to protect her siblings from further harm, he calmed those thoughts and cursed himself mentally. The Vampire's face showed absolutely no hint of the internal struggle, however brief, he had just undergone. Instead, it had stayed smooth and solid as it had been when Evander had first walked into the store. "That would be for the best, I must agree, though I can't imagine how painful that must be for you, Zan." He whispered, frowning gently and thinking only for a moment of taking her hands in his. The Vampire refrained, however, knowing that it wouldn't be appreciated by the girl in the least; it hadn't before, it wouldn't have changed in so short a period of time.

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[nightmare]

Tongue-tied and oh so squeamish
You never fell in love
Did you get what you deserve?
The ending of your life

Zan glanced outside as the wind howled, defying the fact that it was spring now. She didn’t really mind the cold, though it made long deliveries hell. She was always afraid to Apparate when carrying animals, so she usually walked, or took the Knight Bus. The wind and cold made that extremely unpleasant, considering she didn’t really have enough money to bundle up properly. But she did like the crisp, cool air outside. During the summer, the air felt so humid, it was like it was suffocating her.

She rubbed her hands briskly on her arms, feeling the chill entering her store. Her manager “uniform” consisted of a worn T shirt and jeans, along with a jacket that was about one thread thick. When it came to her money, she would rather spend it on new enclosures or new animals then on clothes. She felt like her skin was thick as dragon’s hide by now, a delusion that kept her from freezing to death. Almost absently, she went behind the counter for some fingerless gloves that reached up to her elbows. Normal gloves restricted her movements too much; she needed her hands to be as nimble as possible when dealing with the animals. She slipped on the gloves, wiggling her fingers as her arms grew slightly warmer.

Despite her resolution not to, Zan glanced up at Evander, catching his eye for a second. Before allowing herself to become mesmerized, she dropped her gaze, feeling a lump rise in her throat as his elegant speech. Nobody had ever said anything like that…like she was strong and capable, though she knew it herself. Most impurities were too wrapped up in their own difficulties to notice hers, and the purebloods didn’t give a damn. She had always known that Neil could take care of himself. It was nice to know that somebody else though so too.

“Thank…” she paused, clearing her throat, trying to dislodge the lump that seemed to have settled there. It moved, this time resting itself in her stomach, making it jump. “Thank yeh. Yeh don’t know how much that means,” she said softly. She sighed when Evander mentioned how painful it was not knowing her brother. “Yeh have no idea. Well, maybe yeh do,” she added, giving the faintest hint of a wry grin. “I dunno if yeh do or not. She was going to say more, but years of distrust and paranoia held her tongue. However, she wanted to convey to Evander how much she appreciated him, how grateful she was right now, that he seemed to know exactly what she needed to hear.

Before she thought about it, before she could tell herself it was dumb, she gave Evander a hug. Her cheek pressed against his for a second, then she pulled back. She looked down, wondering what on earth had overcome her. She was almost afraid to look up at the vampire, not knowing what his reaction would be.

[EVANDER CHARLES CROSS!]

_{you are the antidote that gets me by}

[/font][/i][/color][/sub]
( SOMETHING STRONG )[/b][/font][/color]
^{just like a drug that gets me so high}[/font][/size]
[/center][/color]

Listening to her, Evander knew it was a matter of mere moments before either of them made a questionable move. Her voice shook, and the Vampire knew from this that Zan was in extreme pain internally. It seemed to stab at his own dead heart for some reason, to see Zan in such a state. Evander had never experienced such compassion before for another being, except for his brother and sister, since his transformation and death.

When she caught his eye, Evander blinked, as if scared that he would entrance her; as if scared that if he did manage to embrace her with his vision that Alexandra would be startled and thus would retreat from the situation. That, he thought, would have been a better punishment than his coven leader could have dealt out to him. It was a curious thing, though, and quite inexplicable.

When she came forward, Evander froze, tensing his muscles much in the way a feline would if surprised. Because of this, he failed to encompass her body with his arms, and hold her close. When she pulled back, Evander took a step forward, and pulled her towards his chest. His lips next to her ear, Evander whispered "No, you are right Zan. I don't have any idea what it's like. Nobody should ever know what that's like. But if you need me, I'll be here for you." He didn't know why he'd said it, why he pledged his loyalty and self to a woman he barely knew. Perhaps it was the softness of heart that was rumored to run in his family? Perhaps he just wanted to be there for her.

What his reason was, Evander hoped it was a good one.

[/size][/color]

[nightmare]

Tongue-tied and oh so squeamish
You never fell in love
Did you get what you deserve?
The ending of your life

The lump in Zan’s stomach rose back to her throat, causing her stomach to do an interesting flip flop. Evander had pulled her against him, her face buried against his cool chest. The blood in her veins seemed to heat up, warming her exposed fingers and her face. Instinctively, her arms snaked up and around his neck, a position that seemed to intimate to happen, but did anyway. She closed her eyes, enjoying the moment for what it was. She couldn’t think of anything to say, except, “I trust yeh now.” She said it in a soft voice, almost too quiet to be heard. She couldn’t believe it, but she did.

Zan couldn’t remember the last time somebody had embraced her like that. No, that was a lie. She did remember, vividly. It was about 2 years ago, when she had accidentally run into Brett in London. They had talked almost nonstop for 3 hours, then had to part ways again. He had given her a hug similar to this, one that wrapped her up and made her feel safe, like she didn’t have to be a tough dragon anymore. It was nice.

Almost reluctantly, Zan slipped away. She brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, and wasn’t altogether surprised to find it burning. She glanced at the clock again, and froze. One in the morning, later than she had ever stayed up. Normally she went to bed at ten, maybe eleven if there was extra work for her. “Yeh should go,” she said, her husky voice sounding depressed. “I don’t want yeh to,” she added quickly, realizing it sounded like she was kicking him out. “Got tah get up early, ‘fore anyone gets here,” she explained, gesturing around the store.

Hands shaking, she bundled up everything Evander had bought, including the rabbits. She passed the stuff to him, her fingers brushing his again, the now-familiar tingle running up her spine. She gave a weak grin, saying, “Yeh can come back later, if yeh want.” She wanted to talk to him more, get to know him more. She wouldn’t let herself delve too deeply into it, refused to.