Thursday, late afternoon.


Fauna sat up high in one of her favorite trees, close enough to the castle so she could watch people come and go. She had her sketchbook propped up on one knee, scribbling down plans for what the Great Hall would look like on the 31st, and pausing every so often to rub her hands together for warmth. She should have brought gloves.

She was looking forward to doing the decorations for the dance with the Art Club, but the actual dance itself no longer held appeal for her. Just a few days after the werewolf attack, Figaro had inexplicably called off their plans to go together. Fauna had been hurt and confused, but hadn’t questioned him too much about it because his dad had just been arrested. Sometimes she wished she’d asked him more questions or made him feel guiltier about it.

She shook her head, turned over a page in her sketchbook, and glanced towards the castle when she heard the distant crunch of footsteps. Fauna squinted at the figure- shoulders slightly hunched, stance defensive, short dark hair, and a nice butt. Aha! Devlin was out taking a walk. She snapped her sketchbook shut and slipped it in her bag.

Before she could agonize over her actions, Fauna scrambled down the tree and hopped off the lowest branch, landing on both feet a little harder than she’d intended.

“Devlin!” She called out, quickening her steps, then pausing when she saw him turn. Fauna ran up to him, making her first ‘Hello’ slightly breathless.

She jammed her hands into the pockets of her bomber jacket so she wouldn’t be tempted to fidget, and glanced at him with a shy smile. “Hi,” she repeated, suddenly feeling completely ridiculous. What was she doing running after him like a lovesick puppy? Like Sasha, he probably didn’t even want to talk to her.

“Umm… how have you been?” she finally said, wishing that didn’t sound so lame. The last time they’d really interacted was on the night of the 14th, when Devlin had stumbled into Knox’s room at St. Mungo’s, ranting and raving. She couldn’t really blame him, and she couldn’t help but notice that he’d been acting glum and irritable ever since. Fauna, too, was dealing with the after effects of the werewolf attack. Or ‘not dealing’ would be the better phrase.

Devlin was at a loss. For the first time in his life he wasn't sure what he was doing anymore. It seemed like only a month ago he was on top of the world, making plans with his gang, seducing Fauna, getting paid good galleons to do others dirty work. It had been a good start to what he had hoped was a good life. But then, it all just came raining down. Fauna still wasn't completely under his spell, considering she purposely asked Fig to the dance rather then him. Depressing.

As for his 'business', it was... faltering. Gone were the days where he did what he wanted to do. Now he had to work for Snark or lose everything. He almost regretted, for a moment, having her son and brother as his right hands. Perhaps she would have never gotten wise and hired him to be her personal saboteur had he not. What really sucked is that she wasn't even paying them that well! 70 sickles? Bah. He could make that on just one of Ramsey's tests. However, it was do or die and Devlin had a very strong will to survive.

Yet neither of those were what was making him so melancholy that he had ditched his friends and took a slow walk by the lake in silence, skipping stones and kicking dirt to pass the time. The biggest problem in his life right now wasn't girls or money, it was family. Not just that he found out he was illegitimate and that his image of his virtuous mother was shattered by said realization... Nor was it that his 'father' has disowned him and kicked him out of the house, after years of using him for his own gain... No, what took the cake was who caused this whole mess. It just had to be that hairy, bearish git (more so now that he was a werewolf) that made Devlin miserable for 6 of his 7 years of schooling, who was the one to have sired him. He thought he had it bad with his loser father growing up, but after finding out who his real dad was, Devlin was almost happy to call Douglas his father.

Secretely though, Dev had kinda been excited... almost. He was looking forward to being an "only and the first born son", rather then the "second son who had to keep a huge family from falling apart because daddy couldn't pay rent". He had dared to hope that Knox would toss him a bone and help him get his own place, maybe even put a good word in for him if he went to the MoM looking to be a barrister. You know, dad stuff. Boy was he wrong though. Greyfriar knocked him off that ladder of hope real quick. It was depressing knowing that after all the shit he had gone through, Devlin couldn't even get a break.

And then there was the werewolf attack. To add insult to injury, the father he hoped would care for him was now about to be an ostracized freak whose disease was more likely to get Devlin fired then hired. Dev personally had nothing against Werewolves. He had known Ollie fairly well and liked her. The only reason he agreed to sabotage SAWS was because, as stated before, Snark had him by the short hairs. But now... now Devlin was yet another child of a werewolf victim. He was going to have to cope with his name and reputation being dragged through the mud by the very people that he was working for. How was he supposed to feel? Was he supposed to be angry? Happy? Sad? He had no idea! And that was what made him the angriest: Not knowing what to do.

He was so lost in the swamp of his depression that he didn't hear his name being called frantically, or even see the object of his desire running towards him with a look of excitement on her face. If he had, he might have cheered up immediately and could have hidden the obvious signs of depression before she got there. But he didn't, and when Fauna suddenly materialized by his side, Devlin could only gaze at her with dark eyes and a weak smile.

“Umm… how have you been?”

"Okay.. I guess..." He said slowly, trying to get his normal charisma back. The dance was only days away and this might be the one chance he had to ask her when she wasn't surrounded by her busy body friends. If he failed now... well then it was over. Done... he couldn't redeem himself then. The idea made him force a brighter smile and a bit more swagger into his walk "... Better now that you are here, at least... How are you holding up?"

((Sorry so long, I figured I would try and get all his thoughts on the last couple months into focus ^^))

The bleak look on Devlin’s face instantly made her feel sorry for him, and question if he wanted to see her just then. His attempt at a smile reassured her a little. In a moment, she caught a glimpse of the usual Devlin, all confidence and cheer, except for his eyes. His eyes still looked pained.

She smiled back at him, surprised by the compliment. “Oh, well, you know…” she shrugged feebly. “I’m holding up okay.” It wasn’t exactly true and she appreciated his concern, but right now she wanted to know how he was doing. There was something about Devlin that made her feel connected to him. They both came from muggle backgrounds, they had both lost someone they loved (her grandfather had been like a father to her), and more recently the werewolf attack had given them something else in common. Fauna had never expected to relate to this outgoing and mischievous boy, but she could.

Fauna gave him a shy look. “Mind if I walk with you?” He seemed happy to see her, so she hoped he wasn’t just trying to be nice.

Hands still in her pockets, she began walking with him, nervous but thrilled to spend time with him. She had it bad. A part of her wished she hadn’t rejected him over the summer, though she knew it had been the right thing for her at the time. Flings and Fauna just did not mix.

Eventually, her nerves began to take over as she wondered what to say to make things better. Her attempt with Sasha had been disastrous. Devlin was definitely not Sasha, though. What did he think of her? Did he know she had followed him to Hogsmeade and meant to eavesdrop on him? Did he mind that she knew the truth about his relationship with Knox? Was he still avoiding his father? And did he blame her for the attack?

He didn’t seem to be intentionally avoiding her. Fauna felt the need to apologize, anyway.

“Um, I’m sorry about what happened to- on the 14th,” she said slowly, glancing at him. Simple words, but she put a lot of meaning behind them. She was sorry about what Devlin had been through, about what Knox would become, and that she’d been there to witness it all.

“Oh, well, you know…I’m holding up okay.”

"That's... good..." He said, nodding a little, though inwardly he grumbled Liar... He knew she was lying about being okay. Little did she know, but those eyes of hers were not just famous for being able to stare right into your soul, they also allowed you to stare into hers. It made it hard for him to look at her without wanting to drop the whole 'bad boy' air and hold her. So instead he chose not to look or bring it up. Besides, knowing that she was trying so hard to put up a brave front for him made something in the pit of his stomach warm considerably.

“Mind if I walk with you?”

"If you want... I am not really talkative today..." He said, acting as nonchalant as possible. If he cried on her shoulder, she would think of him as someone to baby. And if he acted too excited to see her, she would think he was desperate. He needed to keep that mysterious air of silent strength. So for a couple minutes, they walked together in silence, pausing now and then so he could stare out over the lake dramatically. Inwardly, he wondered how long it would take before one of them broke. He hoped it was her because he didn't even know where to start...

“Um, I’m sorry about what happened to- on the 14th,”

"Ah... yeah... It's okay..." He said, pleasantly surprised that she was the first to break the silence. "I mean... It's not okay... but... It's not your fault... There is nothing for you to be sorry about..." He shrugged, genuinely unsure what to say. It wasn't like she had anything to do with it, and he couldn't get mad about her caring, but he really didn't want to discuss what had happened. He needed a distraction. Glancing at the rocky slope leading down towards the water, he had an idea and carefully steered her towards it. "Ah.. Be careful... it's a... whoa" He started to say as they tried to navigate the slope. Stumbling a bit, he managed to angle himself so that she stumbled into him. Catching her slender form easily, Devlin steadied her and chuckled "... a bit rocky... You alright?"

((I hope this is ok, PM me if not >> ))

Devlin seemed distant, though not rude or unfriendly. When he looked out over the lake with an inscrutable expression, Fauna wished she knew what was behind his vague answers, but she didn’t want to push him. He acted content just to be around her, and surprisingly, Fauna didn’t feel the need to fill the silence with stuttering or small talk. She let him lead the way around the grounds, pulling the collar of her jacket more snugly around her neck to keep out the wind.

He reassured her that the werewolf attack wasn’t her fault, and Fauna glanced at him. The way he spoke, with the slight pauses, the shrug, and even the phrase ‘I mean’, reminded her so strongly of herself when she was nervous that she believed him instantly.

“Oh,” she said lamely, studying his face. Her mouth curved into a grateful smile, and her face suddenly looked brighter. Neither he nor Knox blamed her. And as far as she could tell, he trusted her enough to take it in stride that she knew who his real father was.

As Fauna tried to think about how to continue this conversation, Devlin wondered how to change the subject. Before she could offer so much as an ‘um, so’, he started down the steep slope towards the lake and Fauna trailed after him, tugging her hands out of her pockets in an unconscious attempt to preserve balance. Of course, the inevitable happened when one combined slopes and Fauna.

He actually stumbled first, and she went next like a domino, but he turned and caught her just in time. A nervous, breathless giggle escaped as he chuckled and asked if she was alright.

“Oh, I’m fine,” she told him, eyes widening innocently, though her voice sounded a little too pleased about this happy accident. She was more than fine. She continued looking at him, hands still resting lightly on his arms. Fauna knew the polite action would be to move away, but… she didn’t want to.

Her eyes flicked down at his mouth. Oh, no. There were a million reasons why she shouldn’t. Waker possibly being mad at her, Devlin’s reputation with girls, and the fact that she’d be giving him mixed signals since she’d told him she didn’t want to be a fling over the summer. But he was right there, looking so snoggable! He wasn’t pulling away either.

A mischievous, rebellious look gleamed in her eyes as Fauna leaned forward. She paused a moment right before her lips touched his, as if to make sure that he was there and she was really doing this.

She gathered up her courage, leaned in that last bit, and kissed him, hoping (but not caring enough to stop) that they wouldn’t both topple over and roll into the lake as a result.

“Oh, I’m fine,”

"Yeah..." Devlin echoed, his lips curling at one corner as he stared down into those baby blues of hers. He knew that this was the moment to kiss her, seal the deal with his lips and all that jazz, but he discovered that his 'game' was in a time out. All he could do was stand there, eyes locked, and stare at her soft lips as though he had never seen a pair. Instantly he was 10 again, unsure and shy about pretty girls. Nervously, he reached up and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear as though a mere touch might jumpstart his courage.

He had barely rested his fingertips against the curve of her lobe when Fauna did something that surprised him so much that he nearly lost his precarious balance. As they stared at each other, she pushed forward against him and pressed her lips to his. At first he was surprised she had even had the guts to do that much, and expected her to pull away immediately. But when the kiss was not broken right away, Devlin realized he needed to respond before she got the idea he was not interested.

Instinctively, he wrapped one arm around her waist and steadied them by grasping a low tree limb with the other. The chaste kiss quickly became heated with flashes of tongue and teeth as Devlin found his libido returning in full glory. Pulling her tight, he slid his leg between hers and rested his hand a bit lower on her hips, lacing his fingers through her belt loops. Forgetting about safety and the fact they could fall in the lake at any moment, Devlin laced his other hand into her hair, grasping it firmly but not painfully so that he could direct the kiss how he wanted.

The kiss, or kisses rather, went on for several minutes until Dev pulled himself away with much difficulty. With the passionate liplock broken, all Dev could do was stare down at her and try to catch his breath. Catch his breath... He was actually breathless! "That... You... are amazing..." He managed, grinning. That kiss had to have been the most passionate one he had had since his first kiss with Waker several years ago.

The thought of Waker was what ruined it. Her furious, disappointed face, the one she had shown him when he kissed her in the common room last year, appeared in his mind and her stinging words slapped him across the face once again. He recalled why he was there with the innocent Fauna Blake wrapped in his arms, her lips pink with fresh kisses. He wasn't there to fall in love, he was there for revenge, and now was not the time to marvel about Fauna's surprising kissing prowess. He needed to pop the question before he got too far ahead of himself.

Maintaining his cool as well as he could, Devlin gave her a crooked smile "So uh... What are you doing on the 31st?..."

Fauna drew back slightly when he did, breathless and stunned. Her eyelids felt a little heavy and she gave him a playful smile. Then she seemed to realize where she was and what she was doing and her eyes flew open in shock. After her bold move, neither of them seemed to know what to do. But looking into each other’s eyes was… dangerous. They could easily start kissing all over again.

“I… so are you,” she managed to return the compliment, putting a few inches of distance between them as the familiar nervousness seeped back into her expression. She glanced anywhere but him, still thinking about the arm around her waist, the fingers in her hair, the hand on her hip, and how he’d pulled her close. Her heart beat fast and she touched her mouth as if faintly surprised. Fauna had never kissed or been kissed like that before. To think, she had actually started it this time!

When he smiled crookedly and broke the silence, his question seemed strange, abrupt. Fauna blinked at him, subconsciously tucking a strand of hair behind her ear the same way he had.

“The 31st? …Halloween? Oh… I have to… I’m doing decorations for the dance… ‘Cause the dance is that night,” she murmured helpfully, oblivious.

Confusion flitted across her face, then shock, and then hope mingled with suspicion as she realized why he might ask her that. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth and shut it again. She’d kept her ear to the castle wall this month and had heard nothing concerning Devlin Matthews and his Halloween date prospects. But he had to have a date! Was she just making a fool out of herself, thinking he was doing anything more than teasing her?

“Wait, are you… I thought you…” she shifted her feet and nearly lost her balance, grabbing the tree branch just in time.