Unnatural Selection (OPEN)

((If you are not familiar with Edolie's story, you might want to look at my character profile and in depth profile so that you know what is going on. The character profile should explain well enough...))

Edolie's second day back at Hogwarts was drawing to a close. The sky was splashed with bright pinks, oranges and reds in the west as the sun began to set. The far too familiar feeling of strength gaining as night took the place of day began to weigh on her. A dry and warm breeze still gently blew across the Black Lake causing small ripples over the surface of the water. A distortion in the effect a few yards from Edolie caused her to think that she had spotted a tentacle of the squid that had lived there so long ago. She wondered if giant squid lived that long and wondered why she did not know. "I'll have to find out..." she muttered to herself and she drew nearer to the edge of the water.

When the toes of her shoes were at the edge of the lake, Edolie looked down into her some what distorted reflection in the water and wished that vampires really didn't have a reflection. Even though she did still have a reflection, Edolie rarely looked at herself. Somehow, even after all this time, she still saw herself as the innocent seven-teen year old she was before she was changed, except when she looked at her reflection. Oddly enough, Aurora was right when she said that becoming a vampire had made her more beautiful. This fact made her reflection even more disturbing to her than it had been before. Beauty was something Edolie didn't much value when she was mortal and valued even less so now that she was immortal. It seemed such a pointless attribute to value, but then again the way someone looks to another person does have a lot to do with attraction. She thought of the way Jake had looked before and after his collision with Malachai Constant and changed her mind. Edolie loved him just as much after he was disfigured by the vampire. He was a caring and beautiful soul. The only thing about him that had bothered her was his jealousy, but that was a flaw that most had and it was quite flattering.

An old wound seemed to open up again in her clavicle at the thought of Jake. He had been her first love. Her only love for she had loved no other though there had been over five hundred years since his death. Edolie quickly looked away from her own reflection and back at the sky. The colours had darkened dramatically without her noticing until then. Even as the living dead, Edolie did not know what came next, but she knew that something must if ghosts could exist.

Slowly, she reached into her pocket and her cold finger-tips met the cold, broken stone that she had found in the Forbidden Forest. A figure appeared in the corner of her right eye. She turned to the man who had appeared next to her and stared longingly. He smiled sadly back at her as if she did not understand something very important that he did. "I know...it isn't right," she whispered and then, after looking at him for a moment longer, Edolie removed her hand from the pocket of her robe. As she did so, Jake Alexander vanished, but she sensed another near by. Edolie took a deep breath and turned back toward the lake, trying to shake off the deep feeling of sadness that had overcome her so as to not attract any more attention than she already would standing at the lake alone.

Keir had recently taken to wandering the halls of the castle just as the sun was setting, the colours that were bright in the sky outside sometimes filtered through the windows and coloured the walls in similar colours, making the place seem almost different to the way it usually was. Seeing the same walls everyday made life boring.

He stopped for a bit and leaned against a window sill, staring out to the trees of the forest and the black lake below. Strangely someone stood on the bank of the lake, not doing much though, she basically just stood there. As Keir watched a faded figure appeared close to the girl, he narrowed his eyes and leaned toward the cold glass of the window to try see a little better. The figure definitely wasn't a ghost.

There were ghosts in the castle, the figure by the lake had a lot more substance than the usual ghosts. As he watched the figure faded away, leaving the girl standing on the shore alone again. Keir stared off into the black depths of the water for a moment before looking back to the girl. He could almost see her sadness, like an aura around her...

Turning away from the window was harder than he'd thought, but he rushed along the corridors toward the staircase, taking two steps down at a time, he almost slipped a couple times but managed to grab hold of the banister before he fell. Reaching the last step he felt like it had taken forever for him to get that far and he wondered if the girl would still be at the lake. He pushed the doors quietly open and exited the building.

The twilight air was cool, there was a moisture in the air that seemed out of place for some reason. Keir walked quickly to the lake, he could see the girl's silhouette, her body darkened but still visible against the blackness of the forest. He stopped several feet away from her. "Are you alright?"

As the presence Edolie felt drew nearer, she stood her ground and acted like she had no clue what-so-ever that anyone was there. She wanted desperately to be alone in her sadness. Alone or with Jake, but using the stone made her feel completely and utterly selfish which only deepened her sadness. As the sound of footsteps muffled by grass grew nearer she felt her useless organs tense up and hoped that whoever it was would simply pass her by.

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Are you alright?

Edolie gently sighed before looking over her shoulder at the boy who spoke and forced a small smile. She looked him over for a moment, allowing herself to enjoy his very mortal beauty. "Yes, I am fine thank you," she said softly. Edolie looked back out over the lake for a moment and then turned around to fully face him.

"Students aren't allowed outside the castle after dark. Perhaps both of us should head back so that our houses wouldn't have to suffer the consequence of our actions," she said as an excuse to part ways. Edolie decided that she would simply say that she had Head Girl duties to attend to once they were inside. Being Head Girl and the fact that the Head and Deputy Head both knew that she was a vampire and quite harmless basically gave her free reign. However, she felt the other students did not need to know that she had more liberation than they did.

The smile she flashed at him didn't touch her eyes - the tightness in his heart was nothing new, he felt sorry for her even though he didn't know what it was that was bothering her. He had never really been able to help feeling sorry for people who were in pain, any kind of pain really, but heartache or sadness was always the worst. He smiled when she said she was fine, not really believing her at all but not wanting to show it.

Keir narrowed his eyes just slightly. "Uh, ok... but pardon me for saying you look like you need the fresh air and a shoulder to cry on." He could just imagine the plotting going on in her mind, thoughts rotating around how to get rid of him and be alone with her sadness. He took a deep breath and opened himself to her, the strength of her loneliness immediately hit him followed by the deep seated sadness he could see in her eyes.

Imagining his own ability as a waterfall he let it wash over her, hoping that he could erase her melancholy even if it was just for a moment. He could see his power as an eraser of sorts but that always made him feel uneasy, the waterfall was cleansing, washing away his intended target's anger, fear, sadness, happiness... whatever he wanted - though he'd only once taken away someone's happiness.

Edolie opened her mouth to reply, but something suddenly washed over her and it was as if all of her pain, all of her heart ache, had vanished. She suddenly felt like she had when Jake was alive and they were getting on well. Slowly, Edolie took a controlled breath and then sent her own powers out to read him. Then she understood and realized that she had left herself far too open since being at Hogwarts. That realization led to another; Hogwarts had more of an effect on Edolie than she had thought it would.

"That is quite a gift and very kind of you," Edolie said softly. "However, sometimes people need to feel pain to feel..." she jokingly considered saying "undead", but thought better of it, "alive." She smiled at him. It was a genuine smile this time and very warm. She thought of the broken stone in her pocket. It suddenly felt heavy and very much there although it was gone. And she thought of Jake, but the sadness did not over whelm her. Edolie didn't know if it was because of what he had done to her or simply because of the presence of someone other than herself.

Keir smiled warmly, he knew she needed someone to talk to, even though it might not seem very useful to her right at that moment. Perhaps it wasn't just coincidence that he'd caught sight of her at the lake. She had a great sadness weighing on her, and who better to help out with that than someone like him.

He stared out at the black water, his face slightly more serious. "Pain has an uncanny way of changing people, molding them into things they never would've been if they hadn't felt that before. Not all pain is good for the soul." He looked back at her, her face had changed so dramatically that he could imagine being able to see what exactly had caused her pain. She was a beautiful girl, young and supposed to be full of life and yet here she stood, pushed down by a sadness so great that he could hardly contain the anguish of it.

"Sometimes release is better than the prison pain creates."

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Pain has an uncanny way of changing people, molding them into things they never would've been if they hadn't felt that before. Not all pain is good for the soul. Sometimes release is better than the prison pain creates.

She went over his words again in her mind. It did not surprise Edolie that, even after living for so long, someone could still teach her. But it was still shocking some how. It was something that had never been said to her before and the sense that it made almost weighed on her. She had been carrying the loss of Jake all that time, never letting herself let go of the pain it had caused her. Edolie had distracted herself from it, but it always stayed in the back of her mind. The sudden lifting of her pain was a huge relief, but she knew it was temporary and she wasn't sure that it was possible to truly have that release. It felt wrong to not continue to feel pain for the death of the man she loved.

"How am I to let it go?" she asked, almost feeling like herself. Very much confused about the world, fragile and naive. The Edolie that she had been before she was turned.

Keir stared at her, her sadness had a tinge of confusion now and her question was not completely unexpected. That fact didn't make it an easy question to answer though, he definitely didn't have an answer to it. He'd spent years trying to escape his own guilt and sadness at what he'd done and hadn't succeeded. "I suppose the only real answer to that is to live life to the fullest. Remember the good things and not the bad."

He laughed shortly, not letting go of her sadness. "Yeah, I know, sounds like a bad line out of a b-grade movie, but there is truth to it, I think. If we all hang on to the things that make death more inviting than life... well, then, there wouldn't be that many of us around anymore, would there? And that, in itself, would be a tragedy."

Edolie took in his words and found herself playing with them again. Her hand went back to her pocket but she did not touch her skin to the stone. The energy that radiated from it was sort of like an invisible bubble that only Edolie could feel, or so she figured that she was the only one who could feel it. After all, she had not yet come across someone like herself although she figured that others probably existed somewhere. Odds just didn't allow her to be the only one.

She thought of Jake and knew that he wouldn't want her to be so crippled by his death, but she couldn't help but think that it would also hurt him if she wasn't. Then again, he was dead, so she wasn't sure that it even could hurt him. But did the spirit of Jake that the Resurrection Stone, that lay in halves in her pocket, actually feel? She didn't really know how it worked or why.

Over thinking. Edolie was always over thinking everything.

((Hey, do you wanna rp as the Resurrection Stone version of Jake whenever Ed touches the thing? I could make a group for Resurrection Stone ghosts or something like that if you want to. Might be interesting.))

Keir noticed her movement for the first time and realized her hand had been reverting back to her pocket a few times. He stared at the spot where her pocket was and wondered what exactly was in her pocket that bothered her.

He wanted to ask her what it was that had made her so sad, but he didn't think she would like the inquiry very much, let alone answer him. She looked like the kind of girl who kept things to herself until the pressure built up and she just let go. Unfortunately the only thing Keir could do was to try comfort her in an unobtrusive way. "Penny for your thoughts..." He smiled warmly at her, hoping to reassure her of his position. He wasn't there to do anything negative to her.


((It's up to you, let me know if you want him I'm busy making Judah's descendant. He should be up next time you're online.))

((It might make things a bit more interesting. The choice is up to you. You're the one who would have to do it. As for Jason, I'll send you a message about him.))

At the sound of his words, Edolie's eyes went back into focus and she looked back at him for a long silent moment. Finally she said in a low, very quiet voice, "If you could see someone you love who had died long ago, without knowing the ramifications, would you still be willing to see them? To have them again, even if it is in a limited way?" As she spoke her hand still hovered there over the stone as if waiting for something. A confirmation perhaps. The freedom to grasp the strange stone pieces. "Or would you just pass up the opportunity and let them go knowing that you would never again have the chance to be near them."

((Ok, why not? I'll make him... maybe just tell me more about him... hehe.))

Keir's eyes narrowed slightly in thought and he bit his lip absently before shaking his head. "No, I wouldn't do that. I believe we all have our place in this world and if you move on your purpose has been fulfilled - to bring someone back would be kinda... unfair towards the dead. I'd rather have them be at peace, and stay at peace." He glanced at her hand again, seriously curious now, it seemed her hand had slightly twitched but he couldn't be sure. "No matter who you are in life there are struggles, some would drive you to your deathbed, but once the struggle is over and there is peace, would you want to be disturbed?"

((I haven't really had him say anything to her. Just look at her and she's mostly just interpreted his expressions. Jake was your character after all. Do what you want with him.))

Edolie sighed and took her hand from her pocket. It seemed like she could still feel the energy of the stone against her fingertips. "I don't know. I...suppose it would depend on why I was being disturbed. If the person who was disturbing me needed me then I wouldn't care." The fact that she could possibly be saying that in order to make using the stone alright had crossed her mind, but she couldn't be sure.

"What if you're wrong? What if death doesn't mean that you're done? If there is a way for them to come back, whether as a ghost or...or something else, then wouldn't there be a reason that they can come back? Otherwise there wouldn't be a point to it. Take magic or medication for instance. Some people refuse to use them." Something had happened to Edolie that hadn't happened in quite some time; someone got her talking and once she gets started, it's hard for her to stop.

"My father didn't like using magic. He only taught me enough of it be able to help him out with the beasts he took care of. He didn't want my brother or me to go to Hogwarts at all, but why would there be magic if we weren't meant to use it?"

"There are people who won't use medicine because they think that we weren't meant to have it or that god will heal them if it wants them to live. They don't think about that fact that perhaps their god gave them medicine in order to take care of themselves. They let their children die when they could be saved by penicillin or some other medication."

"What do we really know about life and death and souls anyway? Where does it all end? Does it end?"

It was then that Edolie realized what she was doing and she would have blushed if she were able to. She looked away from him sheepishly and quickly said, "I apologize for making you listen to all of that."

((Hmm... we need to talk... I have an idea. I've sent you an e-mail.))

The hand came out of her pocket and the weight that had been weighing on her before seemed to fall back onto her shoulders. Even though Keir was still holding back the force of it he could see her sorrow was extreme. "I've always thought that everything happens for a reason, the fact that someone gets taken away may never be understood but there very likely is a reason for it - the reason may be such that we shouldn't question it or challenge it."

He frowned, not really liking the conversation - it was never a good thing to try convince someone that someone they loved was supposed to be gone and it was a bad thing to want them back. Or rather, to try dissuade them from trying to bring that person back. Magic like that was nothing but trouble. "If I'm wrong then so are hundreds of other wizards and witches who have tried going against nature and come off short because of it." He sighed heavily. "Death is a part of life, the natural order of things is to live and then die, nothing good can come of fighting it."

He thought through what she was saying and she was right, in a way. "As with all things there's darkness and light where magic is concerned. Just because nuclear weapons exist doesn't mean we should use them, does it?" Abruptly her attitude changed and she looked away, the fire that had been in her eyes vanished and she became the sadness again. He shook his head and stared hard at her. "It's better than listening to the tripe in the castle." He answered with a light tone and wished there was some more permanent help for her... something that would make her happier.

((Replied to your e-mail...twice. *smiles deviously* Can't wait to see what you think...))

The boy's words had made Edolie feel exceedingly ashamed of herself. If she were an outsider to her own plight, then she would have said the same thing and felt the same way as the boy who stood before her. She realized then that she didn't know his name so she tried to shove aside her embarrassment at everything that she had been thinking and saying and smiled softly at him. "Who are you?" she practically whispered.

Keir noticed the change in Edolie, whereas a moment ago she'd been fiery and defending her opinion she seemed to implode, her resolve faltering. He frowned at her, it was strange talking to her, she was so much different than the usual mundane personalities in and around the castle. Her emotions varied so much in the small amount of time they'd spent together that it was getting to his ability. It was almost as if it was confusing that part of him. "Keir Walker." His answer was strangely quiet. "What's your name?" He didn't want to admit the fact that he felt drawn to this girl, or the fact that her sadness was the cause of it... the fact that he wanted to make her happy didn't really seem like a good ice breaker.

A large smile broke out on Edolie's face at his name, "I used to care for a bumble bee bat that I had called Keir. It's a lovely name." She hadn't thought of the little bat for quite some time and found herself rubbing the hole in her ear where she used to wear an earing that the bat would sometimes cling to. People usually didn't notice it because it simply blended into her hair or they assumed it was an earring. "He was very loyal," she said absentmindedly as the bitter sweet memories of the tiny creature rushed back to her.

Edolie realized that she was drifting and sighed. "I apologize. I'm afraid I haven't been myself since returning to this place," Edolie said, only noticing the slip after she had said it. Another way in which she was acting more like her old self than the person or thing she had become. She simply hoped that he hadn't caught it and went on, "I am Edolie Holcombe. You may call me "Ed" if you like. Many do."

Keir smiled and bit his lip at the same time. "A bumblebee bat? that must've been interesting." He raised his eyebrows when she continued talking about the bat in a most affectionate tone. "I guess that's a common trait that comes with the name... loyalty." He watched her again for a bit until she spoke again - in her brief moment of thought her face had gone completely peaceful.

His expression blanched at her words and they reverberated in his mind. '... since returning to this place...' She went on talking, mentioning her name and then the sound of her voice faded. As far as Keir knew the school had only just reopened after hundreds of years being locked down. He composed himself and cleared his throat. "When last were you in this place, Ed?"

Edolie smiled more at his comment about loyalty, but let it pass by. She didn't assume that any one person was loyal any more. It had to be proven to her.

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When last were you in this place, Ed?

If there were any blood in her face, then Edolie's face would have flushed dramatically. She considered saying that she must have misspoke, but she had become adept at magic over time and could easily modify his memory if needed. So she decided to give him a chance to prove that he was loyal.

Edolie looked directly into his eyes so that he would know that she was not joking. "Before the school was rebuilt," she said. "Before the fall. I was a first year here when Voldemort returned. In my third when the great battle took place. My father had made my brother and me return home weeks before the battle though... Those were strange times." She watched him with great care, showing no emotion on her own face what-so-ever.

The sudden directness of Edolie's stare made Keir want to flinch, but he forced himself to not do so - things like that were not meant to be understood by the one you're flinching away from. He stared right back at her, listening intently as she told the short story. His eyes widened the more she spoke and they started focusing on different parts of her - her eyes at first, then her mouth, then her hands and then back to her eyes again. Before he could stop himself he took a step forward but the step made him snap out of whatever trance he'd sunk into. He blinked several times, still gaping at her - he swallowed then and looked her straight in the eye. "Wow, so you're..." He trailed off, thinking how many years had passed since the fall of Hogwarts. He'd read somewhere when the fall happened but he couldn't remember that date now - all he knew was that it was hundreds of years ago. "That's extraordinary!"

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Wow, so you're...That's extraordinary!

Edolie found herself holding her breath until his last word. She let it out and smiled a soft and sad smile. Mortals always seemed to react in such a way. They never seemed to understand the gravity of being immortal. "No, it is not. There are many others who have lived as long as I and longer. I have watched all of those that I love die, save my brother," Edolie paused for a moment to think.

"He and I are not alike," she said quickly, not wanting Keir to meet her brother and misunderstand who she is because of him. "You must remember that. Roslin chose what he is and revels in it. I became what I am by mistake. Unless he has changed very much throughout time, then he will be no friend of yours."

Keir was getting more and more excited about the prospect of what exactly Edolie was that he couldn't wipe the smile from his face no matter how he tried. It was only when he realized her expression wasn't the same as it had been before, he'd said something that had bothered her but she was trying to hide it. He was brought up short in his excitement at her next statement, she wasn't happy that he was excited about what she was - the way she put it did make a huge difference though. Life wouldn't be worth much if you ended up alone after so many years.

She kept talking and he didn't interrupt her, but his smile had vanished. "What did he do to you?" He asked openly, only regretting the question after he'd already asked. She might take offense since it was a rather personal question.

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What did he do to you?

Edolie wasn't sure if he thought that Roslin had made her what she was or wanted to know what horrible thing he had done to her. She decided that the second seemed to make more sense. "He murdered the man I love before my very eyes," she said barely in a whisper.

She cleared her throat, trying to get rid of the lump that had formed. Edolie could not cry, not even tears of blood. The last time she had had blood in her body was the night she was turned. So there was no temporary release from feeling the way she did like when she was a mortal. In a stronger voice she said, "I attacked him in retaliation and had not seen him since then...until our recent return to Hogwarts." Edolie sighed and went on, "He is my brother. We were born on the same day from the same womb and we will always have that connection, but he is not a good person. Nor are any of the people he spends his time with."

Edolie smiled at Keir. He reminded her of herself in a way, before she was turned of course. His previous excitement at her having lived her so long was very much the way she had reacted to Malachai Constant. That fascination with what she did not understand was her downfall. "I used to be very much like you, Keir Walker," Edolie said and a great sadness filled her again, but this time it had to do with what she was about to do. "Which is why we probably should have little more to do with each other. I would never forgive myself if history were to be repeated when I could have prevented it."

Her left hand descended into her pocket to grasp her wand. She decided that, in order to protect him, she must make him forget that they had ever spoken there by the Black Lake on that night. Knowing that he would remember none of it and that it would mean the loss of a possible friend made her heart ache, but she felt it must be done for his safety.

Keir pressed his lips together, not knowing how to respond to what her brother had done. He couldn't imagine a world where siblings did such things to each other. He didn't have any siblings though so he could only guess at the make up of such relationships. He could imagine though that the injury caused by her brother was two fold... on the one hand he'd killed the man she'd loved and on the other hand he was her brother - two injuries in one. He took a small step forward. "I'm sorry." It was insignificant, what was his sorry in comparison to what had been done to her.

The school was turning into a dangerous place. He was sure that, if his parents had known, they would have forbidden him to come to Hogwarts no matter what assurances the teachers had given. "I'll have to get you to show me these students so I stay away from them." He stated the words as if he assumed they would be spending some time together and he looked away from her out at the black water beside them. The air was cool from the moisture it created but it was a good kind of cool, not freezing.

Keir felt her emotions shift again and he looked at her, wondering at where her sadness had come from this time. He frowned at her, suddenly realizing that the sadness was for the now, nothing in the past. He stepped back, watching her intently. "What are you talking about?" He didn't like her body language, it was intrusive even though she wasn't anywhere near him, like she was going to do something to him... attack him or something. "Don't do that." He warned her, he didn't like being threatened or feeling threatened.

He watched her hand move to a different pocket this time and he reacted - quick as a flash he drew his wand, holding it at the ready but staring at her. He didn't really know that much magic so he wasn't sure why he'd taken out his wand but there wasn't very much else he could do. It was clear she wasn't entirely human and she intended to do something to him. His mind searched for options, any options.

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What are you talking about? Don't do that.

Edolie stared at the boy. "I had forgotten about your ability already," she stated. "Such a gift will definitely be useful to you in the future." Ed carefully took her hand from her pocket and showed him that it came out empty.

"You will have nothing to do with them if I show them to you?" she asked, wondering if she was making a mistake. If she altered his memory, he would never be the wiser and couldn't hold a grudge. However, she longed for friendship. For some sort of companion and he seemed to have offered that to her, but she didn't know if that would still be an offer now that he felt threatened by her.

Keir's heart slowed it's beating when she came up empty handed but he bit his lip nervously. He stared at her even harder now, concentrating, not wanting to miss any change of emotion she might have after this. His head was hurting and he felt slightly dizzy. "Of course I wouldn't have anything to do with them..." His voice was incredulous and strained against anger. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. "What exactly were you gunna do just then?" He straightened himself and lowered his wand, breathing deeply, keeping himself calm.

"Alter your memory so that you wouldn't remember this conversation or ever seeing me here by the lake," she stated simply. "The way you reacted to me having lived for so long worried me. I was afraid you might seek out others like myself while most others are not to be trusted."

Edolie looked out toward the lake and hugged herself, "In fact, I have met none who were in all my time. I was foolish to think otherwise when I was mortal myself." She turned her head somewhat toward Keir again and added, "There are dangerous things out there...things you could never imagine and should never have to imagine."

Keir scowled at Edolie. "I think I'll retain my right to choose, thanks. I'd rather know what's out there than stumble blindly into it." His tone had calmed again to his usual warm approach and he watched her closely. He could take a guess that she had no qualms about erasing his memory - there wasn't the slightest hint that it bothered her, except perhaps her emotions. He put the useless wand away and made a vow to cram his head with as much knowledge of spells as he could as soon as he could. He took a step towards Edolie again and placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. "I'm not without strengths, you know." After what she'd confessed to him he could understand why she would be afraid to have someone close. He removed his hand from her shoulder then and stood next to her, facing the lake. "Besides, if you show them to me I'll know who to avoid and then you won't have anything to worry about."

Keir's hand on Edolie's shoulder felt wonderfully warm and her body ached to draw that from him and into herself; to have that as her own warmth. Edolie resisted the urge easily, almost as if it hadn't been there at all. When he took his hand away from her, it was a small relief.

She nodded and then looked at the lake as well. "They aren't difficult to pick out...don't exactly try to blend in at all...Are you busy tomorrow?"

His expression brightened a little, Keir was happy that Edolie really had abandoned the 'erase his memory' plan. Though he understood the motivation he also knew himself. He didn't want to forget Edolie. She was the type of person he would die for. He had never been one to go after the dumb blonds who only liked you when things were going well. Edolie was the type of girl any sane guy would want to grow old with. "I'm not doing anything come late afternoon, we could meet up then if you like." The thought of someone growing old with Edolie made Keir think about what she'd said earlier, that she's been around for a very long time. "By the way, what are you?" His tone was casual as if the fact that she was something other than human wasn't in any way out of the ordinary.