Past & Present :: OPEN ::

The minute Kat had entered the castle she'd felt that old excitement flood back to her. Each year she returned to the school had spelled something knew and unknown for her and today was no exception. She'd spent an extra week in Hogsmeade, contemplating whether going to back to Hogwarts at all was a good idea in general and at the end of it all decided it might even be good for her to go. James still didn't get it, his silent protest against her returning to the school was followed by a heated debate late one night in a dingy inn room.

To keep him sated Kat revealed to him the truth of the Shrieking Shack as she knew it, that it held the entrance to a passage way that led straight onto the school grounds and that he could always have a way in and she would always have a way out. It was fitting that James was a werewolf, the initial use of the Shack was for a werewolf. James had too many issues with what she had planned, it was working on her nerves. No matter how much she'd valued his presence in her life - such as it was - he'd never tried to control her in any way before.

She left him on the night of the full moon, he'd already transformed and there was no way for him to stop her without killing her. On those nights where he couldn't fight what he was he left early and only returned to her during early morning when the moon had disappeared. When he returned he would find her gone and most likely hate her for it, but it was the only way she could get back to Hogwarts without having another drunken debate with him.

Kat closed the great doors of the castle behind her, the soft thud bringing back memories she'd thought she'd forgotten but then there was something else. It made Kat scowl and breathe unevenly. There was a scent in the air, very faint but impossible to miss. The thought of what the scent led to was vexing and the possibility was unexpected. She recognized the scent easily enough as well as the fact that the scent had been altered in some way... Vampire...

She contemplated leaving again but drew herself up and put one foot in front of the other. She would see this through, no matter what. At least she wouldn't have any trouble finding the common room. The scent got stronger with each step she took and by the time she reached the entrance it was almost overpowering. Kat opened her mind to the students within and filtered out the password. The door opened and she stepped slowly into the common room.

Aurora relaxed into Marishka's chair. This pregnancy thing was doing really funny things to her. She had always thought the chair to be uncomfortable, preferring to perch herself on the arm of it, usually when Marishka was in residence, to chat and scheme. But there hadn't been any sign of Mar for weeks now and Aurora reckoned that she'd simply found something better to do and would call if she needed any of her Slytherin friends. Now though, Aurora found the chair quite relaxing and it was so huge and soft she was sure it would still feel good when she was showing.

As she sat there, pondering her pregnancy and her imminent new life with a child, Aurora also observed the comings and goings of the other students. She couldn't help but notice how moody and dark they all were, nothing unusual for Slytherins really, but sometimes they were just totally depressing. She tried to remember back to her first stint at Hogwarts. Surely she and her friends weren't this bad? Maybe time had rose-tinted her memories but she was sure that they were always trying to create some mischievous fun as opposed to being dark and moody all the time. Oh well, she thought, its early days yet, they'll settle in and then the fun will begin.

The common room door opened for the umpteenth time that evening and of course Aurora watched to see who was entering, hoping whoever it was would bring some life to the place. However, nothing could prepare her for the sight that she beheld. She was so shocked that she almost let her mind guards down, she always had them up now as there seemed to be a surprising number of vampires around the place these days. The vampire that she now beheld though was one she never thought she'd see again. "It can't be!" she said in a whisper, the highest tone her voice could manage.

The whispered words reached Katherine's ears and she looked quickly in that direction. The voice was familiar but it was impossible to even think... Aurora Lawson sat a little ways off, staring at Katherine in shock the likes of which Kat hadn't witnessed in years. Yes, her victims were always surprised, but never truly surprised - if you mess up enough to have someone put a hit out on you, you should suspect it's coming.

Kat steeled herself, plastered her usual little smile in place and took the first steady step toward Aurora. The distance was nothing to her now, just as time meant nothing anymore. "Either I'm dreaming or things haven't really changed in this place."

Quote :

Either I'm dreaming or things haven't really changed in this place.

Composing herself quickly like she always did, Aurora laughed softly at Kat but not in a sarcastic way. "You have no idea!" she informed her. "Due to a drastic rise in the vampire population there are quite a few familiar faces around the place. I must admit you shocked me there Kat I really wasn't expecting to see you. You are meant to be dead after all. But then again the same could be said of me. As you can probably hear though my heart still beats like it always did." Aurora stood up to offer Kat the chair, she would feel better if she went back to her usual place on the arm of it. "So, what's new?" She asked casually.

With the initial shock of seeing Aurora settled somewhat, Kat took a seat on the chair next to her, her back stiffened slightly though and she looked around the room. That same scent she'd recognized when she'd entered the castle had revealed itself here too. She started wondering if Aurora meant more than the obvious with her comment about familiar faces. Katherine looked at Aurora again, trying to think of possibilities. Aurora was right, Kat could hear her heartbeat which meant she wasn't one of the many vampires floating about but what was it then?

The casual turn of the conversation made Kat smile. "As you can see I'm not dead - not in the traditional sense, it was all just a misunderstanding really." Her reappearance didn't cause any negativity in Aurora - or so it seemed - not like it had with Roslin at first and it made Kat relax into the chair a bit more. A strong feeling of dejavu passed over her, things were so close to how they'd been before all the trouble that it was hard to think anything had ever really changed. "Much of the same, how is it that you're here though?"

Aurora smiled slyly at Kat. "How is it that I'm here?" she echoed Kat's question. "Well, the reason that I'm here is that I got bored, there are only so many books one can read in over 500 years. I'd been waiting a long time for the wizarding world to get back on its feet and the school re-opening seemed like the perfect place to start. I just had to be part of it. Plus, the nerd in me really desires to actually finish 7th year this time." Aurora paused, carefully considering her next sentence. "As to how I'm here, well lets just say I had that part worked out even before the fall. The details though are mine and mine alone....... Although Roslin knows of course, but he also knows the consequences of revealing anything." Aurora thought for a second, if Kat was only after arriving she might not know that Roslin was there. "You do know he's here also? And his twin sister? And others too but I'll let you discover that for yourself, don't want to spoil all the surprises!"

Roslin made his way to the Slytherin common room and strolled in. His eyes immediately went to the splash of red that was Aurora's hair and spotted Katherine with her. A large grin cut across his face and he made his way toward her. "Hello ladies. Catching up, are we?" he said as he stopped in front of the two.

Aurora Lawson wrote:

"How is it that I'm here? Well, the reason that I'm here is that I got bored, there are only so many books one can read in over 500 years. I'd been waiting a long time for the wizarding world to get back on its feet and the school re-opening seemed like the perfect place to start. I just had to be part of it. Plus, the nerd in me really desires to actually finish 7th year this time. As to how I'm here, well lets just say I had that part worked out even before the fall. The details though are mine and mine alone....... Although Roslin knows of course, but he also knows the consequences of revealing anything. You do know he's here also? And his twin sister? And others too but I'll let you discover that for yourself, don't want to spoil all the surprises!"

Katherine knew she shouldn't have expected a straight answer, but it's always worth a shot to try get the truth out of someone. She smiled at Aurora pleasantly and nodded. "I've seen him around. Nice surprise to find him still kicking, I thought I'd be the only one who'd return to Hogwarts." She looked around her again, her thoughts still swirling around the scent she'd caught earlier, it was way too familiar to be a coincidence and with all the people popping up that she never thought she'd see again it felt almost sinful to not hope... but she wouldn't let herself. It was probably just a mixture of scents that had come together. It most likely meant nothing.

She looked up when Roslin entered, recognizing his footsteps immediately. She smiled at the sight of his grin and for a second was tempted to get up and give a more informal greeting but stopped herself. There was no point in making a fuss. "Now I know what you were hinting at in Hogsmeade." Her voice sounded different now, lower and more secretive. Now that she was seeing Roslin again she appreciated just how much of an effect he'd had on her. Her spirits had lifted and even the room seemed brighter.

Aurora's eyes lit up when Roslin approached. She wanted to greet him with a kiss but he didn't come quite close enough for her to reach him and pull him into her arms. As she wasn't that big on public displays of affection she wasn't going to get up and snog him, if he wanted her he knew where she was. Plus she was fully intending on milking the whole pregnancy thing so he was going to have to come to her from now on. "Hey babe" she said somewhat casually. "Yeah, been doing some catching up with Kat here, not that either of us has really learned anything new" Aurora winked at Kat, she knew they would both keep their secrets and she was fine with that.

Quote :

Now I know what you were hinting at in Hogsmeade.

Aurora looked between Kat and Roslin, she'd obviously missed something and she didn't like it. She also didn't like low, secretive voice Kat had just used. Something about it made her uneasy. "Why? What happened in Hogsmeade?" Aurora tried to make her voice sound casual but she couldn't help letting a hint of suspicion creep into it.

((Might as well post here...))

Aurora Lawson wrote:

"Hey babe. Yeah, been doing some catching up with Kat here, not that either of us has really learned anything new."

Kat's focus shifted from Ros to Aurora, she wasn't quite sure what to think of her greeting but she knew the greeting had caused some tension in her stomach. She merely stared at Aurora when she winked at her and then looked back at Roslin before opening her mind to the room. As usual the din crashed down on her from all the students in the room and then she focused only on Roslin and Aurora.

There was something in Aurora that caused Kat even more curiosity. Jealousy? Kat looked at Aurora when she spoke and the tone of her voice was almost proof that there was something bigger here than Kat had knowledge of. Kat studied Aurora's face, staring into her eyes and tried scanning her thoughts but something inside her stopped Kat from doing so. She didn't want to see what she thought she'd see. She closed her mind again and looked at Roslin again. "Roslin... found me in Hogsmeade..." She couldn't say any more.

There was no way to tell what kind of relationship had developed between Roslin and Aurora without reading their thoughts and she couldn't bring herself to do it - not right that second. Looking away from Roslin was way too easy now and she disguised the obvious look of worry by looking around the room again.

Quote :

Roslin... found me in Hogsmeade...

Aurora regarded Kat with even more suspicion. She knew there was more to this than met the eye, she had missed out on a fight or something, she just knew it. What she couldn't figure out though was why Kat was being so cagey about it. OK, so Aurora would be disappointed if she'd missed out on some drama but she'd get over it. "Oh found you did he?!" she asked while boring her black eyes into Roslin. "I know I haven't seen you most of the day Ros, so I'm not angry if you had some fun without me but don't keep me in suspense!" Suddenly a thought occurred to Aurora. Were they not telling her because they did something she couldn't be part of and they didn't want to upset the pregnant lady? Come to think of it, did Kat even know about her relationship with Roslin or the pregnancy? Somehow she doubted it. In another bizarre hormone swing, Aurora suddenly felt like crying her eyes out and had to work hard to choke back the tears.

If Katherine wasn't so completely convinced that nothing could hurt her she wouldn't have been so surprised at the effect Aurora's words had on her and she realized what she had surely known all along, she had hoped she would finally have Roslin the way she'd always wanted him. Of course it was all contradicting, she couldn't give herself to him but she wanted him, just to have... Kat forced herself to calm down, Aurora's reaction didn't really mean anything, there was always more than one possibility of explanation, Kat just couldn't think what other reason there could be.

The feint scent of tears reached Kat and she flashed her focus to Aurora, shocked at that particular reaction more than any other. Kat all but jumped off the chair and stood only a few feet away from both Aurora and Roslin. "You two are together?" Her voice was shaky, yet another thing she hadn't expected. The longer she stayed, the more she felt there was something completely wrong with her. The way her body was reacting was not her, she didn't react in these ways...

Aurora looked incredulously at Kat. Was she for real? First of all this certainly wasn't the Kat she remembered, the Kat she knew would never have displayed such emotion. Secondly, surely Roslin had told her all the news when they met in Hogsmeade? Then Aurora realised that Roslin hadn't told Kat anything because they were too busy catching up on other things. Aurora was beyond angry with him. Having his fun was one thing but taking up with Kat where they left off, when he had a pregnant girlfriend back in the common room was another. Did he really think neither of them would find out and did he really think neither of them would care? Aurora didn't let her hormones get the better of her this time though and decided that dealing with Ros would have to wait, she could only concentrate on one thing at a time these days and Kat seemed be most volatile at the moment.

Quote :

You two are together?

Acting like Roslin wasn't even in the room, Aurora focused every ounce of her attention on Kat. "Yes, we are." she told her matter-of-factly. "We have been for a while now and things are going quite well....I just assumed you knew, everyone else does...." Aurora wondered if she should play her trump card, she was giving Ros the one thing Kat never could, a child. Not that he was thrilled by the prospect yet but Aurora was sure that once he saw his son (she hoped to Merlin the child was male) he'd be completely won over. Common sense however told Aurora to keep her mouth shut for the moment, she knew better than to provoke Kat especially now that she had something special to protect.

((Sorry, I spaced this thread...and have been having a hard time rping anyway.))

Quote :

Aurora Quote:
"Hey babe. Yeah, been doing some catching up with Kat here, not that either of us has really learned anything new.

Kat Quote:
"Now I know what you were hinting at in Hogsmeade."


Aurora Quote:
Why? What happened in Hogsmeade?"

Kat Quote:
Roslin... found me in Hogsmeade...

Aurora Quote:
"Oh found you did he?! I know I haven't seen you most of the day Ros, so I'm not angry if you had some fun without me but don't keep me in suspense!"

Kat Quote:
"You two are together?"

Aurora Quote:
"Yes, we are. We have been for a while now and things are going quite well....I just assumed you knew, everyone else does…”

Roslin looked from one beautiful creature to the other as they took turns speaking and their conversation escalated. He wasn’t sure if he should try to sneak off or stay to enjoy the drama. It was almost enjoyable for him, so he decided to stay and see what happened. Finally he decided to interject. “The Hogsmeade thing was over a week ago. I wanted it all to be a surprise,” he stated. “You being here…and Kat being here…and…well, so on. So, now you both know!”

He took a seat on the arm of the chair that Aurora was sitting in and hoped that she wouldn't rip his head off. "The surprises are still coming, Kat," he added.

Aurora studied Roslin for a minute. She knew she should be really angry with him but she just couldn't. He was who he was and she'd always known she'd never change that. In fact, she wouldn't want to change it she loved him for everything he was. She certainly wasn't going to hold his own nature against him despite what her crazy hormones were saying. She smiled at him and reached out to take his hand, hoping Kat wouldn't try to bite it off her. "yep" she agreed. "Now we both know. Oh well doesn't change anything really I suppose, no harm done"

Quote :

The surprises are still coming, Kat

Aurora raised an eyebrow at Roslin. Kat hadn't exactly reacted well to them being together and Aurora wasn't sure she was ready to hear about the baby just yet. But well that was a decision they'd have to both make, it was Roslin's baby too and if he wanted to tell Kat about it then he had a right to. "Are you sure we should let all the cats out of the bag right now?" she paused and laughed. "Errr no pun intended Katherine!"

((Aha ha ha ha ha! I'm horrible.))

Quote :

Are you sure we should let all the cats out of the bag right now? Errr no pun intended Katherine!

Roslin took Aurora's hand and looked at her for a moment with puzzlement. "Of course I don't. She'll find out on her own, like she did with you...Hogwarts' secrets have always been there for the taking, you just have to be open to them." He looked back over at Katherine and wondered if she had an inkling as to what he meant, but knew that it didn't matter. She would know soon enough. Most likely before the night was through.

Katherine stared at them both in turn, taking several moments to study each of them before half falling into a couch opposite where they both now sat. They looked so comfortable together that it was hard for her to imagine them apart. She still wanted to question it though, after all the hopes she'd had for Roslin. Foolish as it had been, futile to even think about it... but she'd still wanted some semblance of connection with someone, Roslin had just seemed like the best candidate now that she'd returned to Hogwarts and found him thriving... thriving a little too well, it seemed. She pressed her lips together and waited for their little conversation to take its course. They both appeared to be stalling and it occurred to her that whatever they had to tell her would have an even bigger effect than the news that they were together - and yet, not just together, she saw the adoration in Aurora's eyes when she looked at Roslin. Katherine felt calmer suddenly, in the presence of what she was seeing between the two of them, it was so inconspicuous that you could even take a gamble and say that they themselves didn't even realize how entwined they were. "Look, just spit it out." Her tone was more irritated than she'd meant it to be and she tried, unsuccessfully, to add a smile at the end of it. It came out as an odd sort of grimace and made her straighten her expression almost immediately after.

Aurora realised that maybe Roslin didn't actually mean the baby when he said about surprises. She began to think that maybe she just had baby on the brain at the moment and that everything in her life boiled down to it. Well, that was probably the way it was meant to be for her, how was she to know its not like she'd done this before. She was beginning to really enjoy it though, the shock factor alone of the whole situation was highly amusing.

Quote :

Look, just spit it out.

Aurora knew they couldn't hold it back any longer. She could of course just lie and tell Kat something completely irrelevant but she knew the consequences of Kat's reaction would be much worse if she found out from someone else. She bit her lip and took a breath. "Much to our own shock and amazement, Ros and I have recently discovered that we're going to be parents. That is, I'm pregnant and the baby is his, we're not stealing one or anything." Aurora kept her face emotionless as she broke the news to Kat, she wasn't sure how else to look at that time really.

Roslin's eyes widened and he quickly looked at Katherine to see her reaction. He had actually been talking about the fact that Chloe Wilkinson was still with them, at the school, and very much a vampire. Him and Katherine had not yet become very close when Chloe had vanished, but he knew that they were close. He hoped that Wilkinson being there wouldn't be too difficult for Katherine to handle, but he felt like she should find out on her own.

As for Aurora being pregnant with his child, he still wasn't used to the fact and hadn't thought to disclose it.

((The beginning of this post is a continuation from the thread 'Together At Last'))

As Chloe moved along the familiar corridor toward the Slytherin Common Room, she became highly aware of Damon's hand still grasped within her own. Though the feel of his rough hand was reassuring, it was also a little terrifying as the old scent grew stronger the closer she came to the common room. If the scent was true and the owner of that scent was really here within the castle, things were about to get interesting. Chloe was afraid of her own reaction and how Damon would take it. She never told him much about her past, aside from her parents. Past relationships were something neither Chloe nor Damon were willing to talk about. How would she explain it all to him?

Before Chloe was ready to face what was behind the walls of the common room, she was standing before the door, staring at it wide eyed. She had hoped the walk would take a little longer and she would have enough time to gain control of herself, but her she was standing outside the door, the scent completely overpowering her mind. She swallowed hard and looked to her left at Damon, who stood with a puzzled expression as he returned her gaze. He must think I've lost my mind, Chloe thought hysterically. She tried to smile at him, but it came across as more of a grimace. Damon's eyebrows nit together but he remained silent at her side, clearly avoiding saying anything that might set her off. Chloe inhaled deeply out of habit and managed to gasp out the password.

The door seemed to open agonizingly slow, but once it was fully open Chloe remained on the other side, still as a statue. Fear had rooted her to the spot as had the smell. She had hoped that familiar faces would appear as soon as the door swung open, but no one was there. If people were in the common room they were obviously seated on the furniture or standing near the fire and were not visible from where Chloe stood. She had also hoped that the scent would disappear and be taken over by the familiar smells of the common room and other Slytherin students, but instead the scent hit her hard in the face, nearly knocking her to her knees. Damon gave her hand a squeeze, still looking at her in confusion. She glanced at him briefly and then towards the open door. It was time to face her worst fear...

Chloe took the few small steps through the door that would make her visible to anyone in the room. Her head was down and she could feel Damon move slightly behind her, sensing Chloe's fear. She stopped a few feet through the door, inhaled deeply, and raised her head. Chloe's eyes immediately found Katherine, as if they were trained to find her. Chloe's body went completely rigid and still as a statue. Her eyes remained locked onto Katherine, slowly growing black in automatic defense. If she had a heartbeat it would have been beating like the wings of a Hummingbird.

Katherine's breath caught and she sat staring at them without seeing them, her vision had blurred but for all inward conflict she gave nothing away on the outside, she wouldn't let them see the level of disaster that had gripped her now. She averted her gaze, looking at the floor as if deep in thought. "Well... that changes things." She muttered the words and then looked at Roslin again, a deep well of disappointment had filled her heart. This was the reason she didn't get close, it hurt too much when people didn't meet your expectations, when you didn't get attached there were no expectations and thus, no gut wrenching disappointment.

She swallowed dryly and forced the corners of her mouth up. "I suppose congratulations is in order." Her voice sounded small to her but she guessed that it was just to contrast the raging hurricane inside her mind. On a far off plain she saw Roslin, staring at her wide eyed and expectant but she couldn't fathom what he could possibly expect from her now. The din that rang in her ears had nothing to do with the room, it was all in her head even though it blocked out the mutterings around them - the only sound that rang through now was the sound of the common room door swinging open.

Katherine looked toward the door absently, for a moment not really seeing until she blinked, her breathing speeding up. She felt like she'd been punched in the stomach. Her lips formed her name but no sound left Katherine. Aurora and Roslin had disappeared from her mind suddenly as all the memories of this girl took their place. The hurricane reared and screamed in her head and she saw Chloe's eyes go dark.

She knew that look, the darkness and Kat stood up, turning to face Chloe and the boy who followed, raising her hands as if to calm the situation... as if it would help. For the hundredth time she thought that this was all a huge mistake, she should never have returned to Hogwarts and her motivation for returning was suddenly a mystery to her. She shook her head, her vision blurring red as unbidden tears sprang to her eyes. She forced the tears away, panic raging through her. "What is this?" She demanded angrily, her voice only just a little more than the whisper she'd tried to voice earlier. The sight of the darkness in Chloe's eyes spurring her on into a sense of defense and helplessness.

Quote :

I suppose congratulations is in order.

Aurora smiled and nodded and decided it was time to shut her mouth. She could see the news wasn't exactly making Kat a happy bunny and for a second she regretted saying anything. Roslin probably wasn't expecting her to say anything about it either, but honestly she'd rather let the baby situation out of the bag than tell Kat that Chloe was still alive and at the school. Anyway, at least now Kat knew and she could do what she wished with the information. It wasn't like either of them had planned it or did it to hurt Kat, it just was and they'd all have to deal with it.

Quote :

What is this?

Aurora followed the direction of Kat's eyes to see Chloe and some vampire she didn't know had entered the common room. Her stomach churned and she wished her heart didn't beat as she was sure it was now the only sound in the room. A blind person could see this wasn't going to be pretty and judging by Kat's reaction the situation was getting more volatile by the second. She now really regretted saying anything about the baby, Kat shouldn't have to get so many shocks in one night. She gripped Roslin's hand tightly and silently asked him if they should leave the room. She wasn't scared for herself but being pregnant made her conscious of dangerous situations and her instinct told her to stay away from them. Also, this really wasn't any of her business.

Suddenly another bizarre hormone swing overtook her and she felt so bad for Kat she thought her heart would burst. She also felt somewhat responsible after acting the proud parent-to-be. She got up and took Kat's hand and whispered in her ear. "I know this is a shock my darling but try to keep it together. Ros and I are here for you, you can do this, just talk to her, a lot of time has passed, things have changed, we all came here for a new start so lets not let the past cripple us." With that Aurora let go of Kat's hand and took several steps away so she was far enough away not to be an interference but near enough to be supportive.

As Damon was guided toward the Slytherin Common Room by Chloe, he noticed her poise and delight from earlier ebb away. He wondered if she was nervous about bringing him to her dorm, but she didn't seem nervous out on the field, not nervous at all! She stopped once along the way and he could tell by her expression that she was picking up on a scent, and for some reason the scent seemed to bother her. Damon sniffed the air but couldn't pick out anything dangerous.

It seemed the closer they got to the common room, the more nervous Chloe became. Damon desperately wanted to ask her about it, but he also didn't want his questioning to bother her or set her off in any way. But as they finally stood in front of the door, Chloe's gripping fear began to seep into Damon and he was suddenly feeling very protective of her. Her fear didn't seem to be about what they were heading to do, but about the scent she had picked up on earlier. Damon eyed Chloe closely as she whispered the password and watched the door swing open. He squeezed her hand tightly to reassure her that he was by her side and he kept his eyes on her as they took a few steps into the common room. Instinctively, Damon stepped slightly behind Chloe to protect her back if for some reason the situation became futile.

Chloe had locked eyes on a petite girl standing near two other students, one male and one a gorgeous red head, who he noticed had a heartbeat unlike everyone else in the room. Apparently Hogwarts was quite Vampire friendly. Damon quickly noticed how still Chloe had gone and he could feel her anger through her skin - He could only imagine how her eyes would slowly be changing from emerald green to pitch black. The petite girl seemed to be the cause for the fear and anger Chloe was feeling and Damon was non too thrilled about it.

Quote :

"What is this?"

Damon immediately placed himself in front of Chloe, his eyes viciously narrowing and eying the petite girl. She would never lay a hand on Chloe as long as Damon was around. "I think I should be asking you the same question," Damon spat at the girl.

Quote :

"I know this is a shock my darling but try to keep it together. Ros and I are here for you, you can do this, just talk to her, a lot of time has passed, things have changed, we all came here for a new start so lets not let the past cripple us."

Damon's eyes quickly darted to the red head as she whispered in the petite girls ear. So... they were on her side - good to know. Not one of them would be able to harm Chloe in any way, even if it meant he had to die (for good) in the process.

Quote :

"What is this?"

Chloe managed to let out a small hiss before Damon planted himself in front of her. What was he doing?! She needed to confront Katherine, but now her view of Katherine, Roslin, and Aurora was completely blocked. Then Chloe realized that Damon could obviously feel her fear and anger (he had always been quite attuned to her emotions), and picked up on similar feelings from Katherine, and felt the need to protect Chloe. Damon had always been extremely protective over her, even in situations that weren't overly dangerous, and it wasn't like Chloe couldn't take care of herself, but she loved him for it. Some of Chloe's anger subsided as she looked at the strong muscles displayed through Damon's black t-shirt. As her anger subsided so did the blackness in her eyes.

Quote :

"I know this is a shock my darling but try to keep it together. Ros and I are here for you, you can do this, just talk to her, a lot of time has passed, things have changed, we all came here for a new start so lets not let the past cripple us."

Unfortunately the calming effect Damon was having on her quickly dissipated as Chloe heard Aurora's whispered words to Katherine. Shock ran through her body in an odd sensation, almost as if she were about to faint. She couldn't believe it... Aurora was standing up for Katherine. The tone of her voice almost sounded sad, as if she felt sorry for her. Chloe's eyes narrowed and the unimaginable deep blackness wiped out the green. She suddenly felt extremely lucky to have met Damon, as he seemed to be the only person remaining in this world who she could trust. Chloe reached forward and took Damon's hand, placing herself beside him and looking lovingly at his beautiful face for a moment before switching it to pure hatred as she swiveled her head back around to eye the three betrayers.

Aurora Lawson wrote:

"I know this is a shock my darling but try to keep it together. Ros and I are here for you, you can do this, just talk to her, a lot of time has passed, things have changed, we all came here for a new start so lets not let the past cripple us."

Katherine shot a look at Aurora, barely feeling her hand - the look was etched with confusion, mingled with the shock, all of it, it had pounced on her so thoroughly that she hardly heard the words Aurora spoke. Not two seconds had passed before she looked back to the duo at the door. Her throat felt dry, her body completely tensed as if waiting for some attack.

Damon Slate wrote:

"I think I should be asking you the same question."

She looked back in time to see the boy who'd accompanied Chloe placing himself in front of her, blocking Kat's view of Chloe. In that instant of disconnection from Chloe her mind seemed to clear and Katherine drew herself up, aware that Aurora had taken a few steps away from her. The boy's words were harsh and aggressive and Katherine cocked her head to one side, feeling more like herself with every passing second. She didn't deem it necessary to answer him though, his venom was an easy hurdle if he needed to be bypassed.

Chloe moved silently, taking the boy's hand in hers and stepping up next to him, Katherine's focus was locked on Chloe, but still watching the boy for any sign he might do something stupid. The look on Chloe's face was like a knife to the gut for Katherine and she knew that there might be no alternative than hatred between them ever again, the look was just too full of darkness. "Why don't you ask your girlfriend?" Kat hissed the words at the boy, looking back at him for only a second. She hated that look she'd seen on Chloe's face when she'd looked at the boy.

It had reminded her of what they'd had and lost, as well as the fact that she was completely alone. It sickened her. Roslin had Aurora. Chloe had this boy... How was it that they were all still alive? And why would they all return to Hogwarts? The magnitude of the situation was getting to her again but she forced herself to stay calm. "What do you want?" She asked this of Chloe, each word pronounced in an almost uptight way, but she had meant it to go deeper. The hatred in Chloe's expression was crippling, she would do anything to wipe it away - even after all these years.

((Yeesh, a lot has happened. I thought that Aurora and Ros knew about Chloe...bah, I'm confused.))

Quote :

Well... that changes things. I suppose congratulations is in order.

Roslin being who he was, didn’t understand how it did change anything. A kid was on the way, but he and Aurora had had an agreement. He could play as long as she was number one and he especially loved to play with Katherine. His brows knit and he was about to voice his opinions on the matter until Katherine looked away and the air in the room suddenly seemed to thicken. He followed her gaze and understood. Although he hadn’t expected that reaction from her, but he also hadn’t known much about what happened between her and Wilkinson.

Roslin squeezed Aurora’s hand and thought, “No, we should stay in case things get out of hand…we can handle it if it does.” He especially didn’t like the thought of leaving Kat with no one behind her when Chloe obviously had someone on her side.

He watched silently as Aurora stepped up and spoke to Kat, holding completely still as he waited for Katherine’s reaction. The fact that she didn't turn on them didn't relieve anything tension for him though. He stared past Katherine with a completely blank expression and watched the two closely.

Aurora shrugged at the look Katherine shot her, she wasn't responsible for her actions these days, it was the hormones! Anyway, she was only trying to stop war breaking out but she supposed this one wasn't going to calm itself in a hurry. She put her arms around Roslin's waist and put her head on his chest and watched the action unfold. The way Chloe looked at her and Ros was rather unnerving her, what was her problem? Then she realised that Chloe was taking her words to Kat as a sign of whose side they were on. She spoke silently and only to Chloe I don't know what you're looking at me like that for, you can also apply my words to yourself. I don't want any trouble here this evening Clo, its not a matter of sides, as far as I'm concerned its just brilliant that you all are still alive and we should be concentrating on the future not the past. Aurora squeezed Ros and sighed. "That's it, I'm never going to try and be a peacemaker again, its just not worth the hassle" she told him quietly.

Quote :

"Why don't you ask your girlfriend?"

Chloe glanced up at Damon, saw the look in his eye that meant trouble, gave his hand a tight squeeze and took a step forward so that she now blocked some of his view. As angry as she was at the moment, Chloe really wasn't in the mood to fight, and Damon would certainly want to fight. After fixing her stance in front of Damon, Chloe's eyes returned to Katherine and as she really looked at her it was hard to keep the same hatred on her face, though some of that was now towards the other two. With her eyes piercing deep into Katherine's, Chloe's thoughts betrayed her heart and took her deep into her mind to reveal images from the past... Images of them together. Chloe dropped her face to cover any emotion that may appear and tried to pull herself together. This was ridiculous! She was supposed to be angry at Katherine. She forced her mind to think of her last day here and that seemed to help a little, but all the same, her eyes were returning to their emerald green.

Quote :

"What do you want?"

Chloe was astonished at how powerful Katherine's presence was. The thought of meeting her ever again had played out in Chloe's mind hundreds of times, and each time there was rage and usually a fight, but now as she stood before her she found it difficult to remain angry. She still felt heartbroken, but instead of being angry about it, she just felt sad. Absentmindedly, Chloe's hand slipped from Damon's and she wrapped her arms around her torso, hugging it tightly. She slowly raised her head, not caring whether or not her emotions were splattered all across her face. "Why are you here?" Chloe asked lifelessly, her voice fading away to nothing.

As Chloe stood silently, her gaze drifting past Katherine's shoulder, waiting for her response, she suddenly felt a tug at her mind. It almost felt like the beginning of a headache. Her eyebrows nit together slightly at the curious feeling. Then she remembered what it felt like when people's thoughts were trying to break into her mind - It was rather uncomfortable and if done a lot, potentially fatal. Her gaze slid over to Roslin and Aurora and she could tell by the look on Aurora's face that she was trying to speak to her like she often did with Roslin. Unfortunately Chloe's mind was blocked from the outside and the inside. All Vampires received the same gift of being able to hear others thoughts - Chloe, however, did not receive that gift. Thanks to the powers she already withheld in her mind, she could not hear others thoughts and others could not hear her thoughts, the latter being quite handy.


((Aurora and Ros do know about Chloe... Hello, she met them in the common room already. ))

((Haha I'm so blonde I completely forgot Chloe can't hear thoughts))

Aurora wondered why she hadn't got any response from Chloe, be it good or bad. Maybe she was just really preoccupied with Katherine. Then it hit her, Chloe didn't have that ability so she never heard what Aurora said. Aurora rolled her eyes to herself and sighed. She had heard that pregnant women had memory lapses. Just another thing she was going to have to put up with she supposed. She suddenly felt really tired and craved her four-poster but she was equally as happy being so close to Ros so she just stayed there and waited for the action to unfold.

Aurora Lawson wrote:

"That's it, I'm never going to try and be a peacemaker again, its just not worth the hassle."

If Katherine was not so occupied with the boy with Chloe she might've looked at Aurora again, it was kind of typical that that thought had made itself known, it wasn't like they were close anymore. As it was, Katherine didn't look at her, she just sucked in her breath and then exhaled without making a sound. She felt the urge to look at Roslin again, but stopped herself, the moment felt too unstable.

Her focus met that of Chloe when Chloe moved forward and the coldness in her eyes warmed, making Katherine see, again, a look from the past, something that reminder once again of their past and she felt a deep echo of the heartache she'd felt hundreds of years ago.

Chloe Wilkinson wrote:

"Why are you here?"

Katherine felt like approaching Chloe, the sadness was so overwhelming in Chloe's eyes and her stance that she felt the need to help her, protect her. It had always been that way with them. There wasn't so much sadness but Kat had always wanted to protect Chloe from anything and anyone that might hurt her - ironic that it had turned out that she would hurt Chloe more than anyone else ever had.

She didn't know that there was an answer to Chloe's question anymore, her heart felt heavy as she stared at her, wanting suddenly to touch her, to hold her, to take away her pain. Chloe's focus shifted to Aurora and Ros and Katherine's eyes locked on her companion, wondering who he was was a futile exercise, he was completely unknown to her, she would have remembered if she'd seen him anywhere before, he was too aggressive to pass over unseen.

"I don't know anymore." Her words were a whisper, meant only for Chloe, but Ros would hear, and perhaps the new guy... Kat wasn't sure about Aurora, she didn't know anything about how Aurora had come to be here, she definitely wasn't a vampire. Her gaze flickered back to Chloe, pity and something close to sadness welling up in her.