The Last Portkey

Richard Romain, his black overcoat tattered and burnt, blurred into existance, a few feet off the ground, inside the small cave, an old handbag held tightly in his hand as he fell the short distance with practiced grace. Checking his surroundings briefly, and noting that the cave was both dark AND damp, he reached into the handbag and pulled out a small tabby cat. He raised the happily mewing cat to his eye level,

"I thought I told you not to follow me little Anhänger?" he questioned the cat, getting a lick on the nose in response. He sighed and threw the handbag away before firing a weak incendio spell at it with his wand. He sighed as he crossed his legs and sat down, putting the now purring cat on his lap, "Well little Anhänger... I'm going to be living in a scottish castle soon. So no more caves for me!"

He fixed the purring cat with a firm stare,

"I suppose you'll be following?" at the continued purring he rolled his eyes, "Of course you will follow. You are an Anhänger after all."

Briony was sat in the cave reading her book, in the quiet and the cold when she jerked her head upwards at a peculiar sound that she heard, her mouth agape she noticed that a man had just arrived by portkey and she wondered what he was doing in this random cave? She had a reason for being here, it was near her home but this man? He looked a little worse for wear and protectively she drew out her wand.

She couldn't help but laugh when she heard him talking to his cat and the sight of him carrying a handbag in contrast to his masculine appearance made the sight all the more comical. She thought it too ironic that Marcy was in her pocket.

Absent mindedly she reached to her at that moment and gasped when she found she was no longer there, no, she had to be where she least wanted her to be. Walking up to that man. She whacked a hand to her forehead and she sighed, slamming her book shut and walking up to the strange man.

"Are you alright?" she asked cooly

Richard looked away from his Anhänger when something pushed at his leg. Looking down, he frowned when he realised it was another cat,

"Great. A native Anhänger." he muttered before the sound of skin on skin contact and a book slamming shut caused him to look sharply to his left. His frown tightened slightly when he saw a woman walking after the cat.

Are you alright?

Richard slowly relxed his body a little, being careful to keep his wand hidden in his left hand under the overcoat's sleeve. He smiled a little,

"Oh hello zere English." he greeted in an exaggerated german accent, "Am I in your cave?"

Briony smiled a small smile yet still kept her wand hand tensed, the mans appearance did not lend itself to the belief that he was an honest upstanding man. Walking around with a burnt tattered coat? At least fix it with magic hmmm... Briony looked cautiously at him for a few seconds before muttering and clicking her fingers at Marcy to come back to her.

"Here Marcy."

She bent down to pick her up and she held her in her hands a minute before plopping her into the pocket of her black trench coat. She grinned, as if you could own a cave but she could hear the man's accent and she wondered if he was just putting it on that thick or if he really was that German.

"No, it's not my cave. I was just reading here. I'm guessing, unless my ears have malfunctioned that you're from Germany? You're a long way from home."

Richard gave the cat, Marcy he believed it was called, a single stroke on the head before it trotted back to its owner. He smiled a little as he watched it go, getting a jealous clawing from his own Anhänger.

No, it's not my cave. I was just reading here. I'm guessing, unless my ears have malfunctioned that you're from Germany? You're a long way from home.

Richard snorted a little, stroking his Anhänger to sooth it,

"Reading in a cave that you do not own?" he chuckled a little and gave her a side-long look, "They kill you for trying to sleep in an owned cave in Romania. Well... they try."

He slowly put his wand down on the save floor, within easy reach, and dropped the accent to one that was barely noticable,

"I have been away from... 'home' for so long that it can hardly be said to have been so." he replied in a falsely cheery voice before gesturing at the woman, "And why would you be reading in a cave? I would have thought a lady such as yourself would not have to associate with portkeying men such as myself. Am I wrong Miss...?"

Briony couldn't help smile at the man, she smiled the fullest smile she had done in a while. Stroking the tops of Marcy's ears she calmed herself down, she got riled up when strangers appeared, not just Marcy but Briony too, she liked things to be planned, not random but sometimes the random things are the best. The funnest.

"They don't care here, besides, they couldn't kill me if they tried."

Briony gave him a wink and she too put her wand down on a nearby rock as a sign of mutual trust between them. She felt a little shocked as he dropped his accent to a much more neutral tone that she could easily understand, she had to say she was a little disappointed she liked accents, thought them interesting.

"I can understand you there. I did not expect to meet a Portkeying man but now I have it's much more interesting...I prefer to keep my company intriguing. my name is Briony, Briony Blake and yourself Mr. Portkey?"

He smiled as the woman placed her own wand within sight, it was nice to meet someone with some manners. He chuckled a little,

"Sounds like people have tried before." he noted with a smirk before stroking his jealous cat again, "Stop being so jealous Anhänger."

I can understand you there. I did not expect to meet a Portkeying man but now I have it's much more interesting...I prefer to keep my company intriguing. my name is Briony, Briony Blake and yourself Mr. Portkey?

Richard winced a little and gave her a sheepish look,

"Well Miss Blake... my name often brings a 'nickname' with it when speaking to English..." he sighed a little and stroked his cat before offered a hand, "Richard Romain, also known as Mr. Portkey and the King of Siam."

Briony smiled as he laughed at her politeness, she walked so she was a little closer to him and she listened as he spoke. He hit the nail right on the head when he said that people had tried before, well not so much tried to kill her but defend themselves against her rather pitifully in fact.

"Yes. People have tried, and have failed."

She giggled at the cat he held and she slowly made her way towards it, reaching out her hand to gently stroke it behind it's ears. She had always had a gift with cats, not dogs though, she hated dogs with a passion.

"Richard huh?" Briony laughed "You know I wouldn't have thought about the nickname if you hadn't mentioned it, I'm guessing you prefer Rich? To Dick?"

Briony couldn't resist making that little joke and she hoped he wouldn't mind so much she wouldn't call him that again. Maybe. If she was feeling nice.

"King? I understand Mr. Portkey but King of Siam? Explain. You however may call my Bri."

Yes. People have tried, and have failed

Richard smirked,

"People often try and very few of them succeed." he replied, watching as she stroked his cat, "You like my little Anhänger?"

You know I wouldn't have thought about the nickname if you hadn't mentioned it, I'm guessing you prefer Rich? To Dick?

Richard flinched,

"Doesn't really matter..." he muttered, "People call me Dick anyway. You get used to it."

King? I understand Mr. Portkey but King of Siam? Explain. You however may call my Bri

Richard grinned,

"Well Bri... it all started with me hiding out in some Muggle fansy dress party or whatever it is called." he gestured wildly with his hands, "So to blend in I steal this muggle's head sash thing and his white robes. I had to act drunk to blend in with the other muggles while the Romanians were after me so I decided to get on their 'mini-bus'. Next thing I know they're pushing me to be the driver, while still believing me drunk. I have to agree and eventually get chased by the Romanians, who by this point think I am the King of Siam, and apparate out of the thing just before I crash the thing into a wall at top speed. Damn near caused an international incident before the Romanians realised there hadn't been a King in Siam for decades."

Briony laughed out loud, she doubled over with laughter and a tear came into her eye. She couldn't believe someone would get themselves into such a mad situation! She couldn't believe that he had actually crashed the mini bus. Briony stopped laughing so much and she looked at him with joy in her dark eyes, she had decided that she liked this man, he was funny and made her laugh, which precious few could do.

"Sounds like a wild night! But you managed to get away alright. Now I understand why you appeared in a dark dank cave."

She sat down on a rock cross legged, stealing the cat from his pocket and stroking it on her knee, she wondered what that name meant...it must be something in German...did it actually mean cat?

"Yes, it's lovely. What does Anhänger mean? Marcy never gets to play with other cats much. I never keep much company, but I'm glad when I do. When not travelling via portkey and surprising women in caves what do you do?"

Richard chuckled at her obvious amusement, idly stroking his cat.

Sounds like a wild night! But you managed to get away alright. Now I understand why you appeared in a dark dank cave.

He grinned,

"Yeah... the Romanians were not please with that. Now it's one of my crimes in Romania. Along with cave stealing." he replied before chuckling again as he recalled the faces of the Romanians when they'd seen him again two months later. He raised an eyebrow as his little Anhänger was plucked up from his lap.

Yes, it's lovely. What does Anhänger mean? Marcy never gets to play with other cats much. I never keep much company, but I'm glad when I do. When not travelling via portkey and surprising women in caves what do you do?

"Anhänger means 'follower'. Seemed apt when all it ever does is follow me around..." he paused for a second and scratched the cat behind the ears before leaning backwards in an effort to get comfy, "Well apparently I've got a job teaching snotty-nosed children how to transfigure objects into other objects... sounds better than calling it baby sitting."

Briony laughed again, she felt kind of on an adrenaline rush to be hanging out with a criminal but she shook her head in amusement she herself was one but she didn'y go bragging about her own crimes. If she did she would more than likely be arrested and she didn't want that. She grinned as he walked over to stroke his cat once more and Briony gave it an Eskimo kiss before placing it on the ground and letting the two cats play together.

"Cave stealing, ooooh very serious." Briony joked

She walked over to where he was leaning against the wall and stood with him looking at his tattered coat once more, it was contrasting to her own fitted green jacket and it looked like it was in need of a wash. It was then her interest was re-sparked, he was a fellow Professor?

"Oh really? Let me introduce you to Deputy Headmistress, Head of Slytherin and Duelling Professor. Guessing you're transfiguration? Bad lot hey?"

Cave stealing, ooooh very serious

Richard became serious,

"It is when you have to kill people to take the cave." he told her seriously before cracking up, "Just joking. The Romanians keep their treasure in caves for some reason so it's like breaking into a Gringott's vault to sleep in it."

Oh really? Let me introduce you to Deputy Headmistress, Head of Slytherin and Duelling Professor. Guessing you're transfiguration? Bad lot hey?

Richard's eyebrows shot into his hairline,

"Bugger. I hope I haven't spoken out of line..." he smirked a little, "Besides, all children are ignorant so I dislike them immediately."

"I see, well, I would have a problem with that. I'd rather you ask to sleep in my house, I would have let you. Interesting people are always welcome at my house."

Briony laughed at the look on Rich's face when she told him her immensely long title, she held up her hands to signal the fact that she doesn't really care she had never been around children long enough to form an opinion as long as they were polite they got along, if not...they had problems. Briony also picked up on what he said about killing people in caves it triggered some of her own memories that she couldn't quite get rid of, feelings she couldn't hide.

She became very sullen for a moment before shaking it off, hopefully without Rich noticing anything.

"I don't mind what you think of children as long as you do your job. I neither like them nor dislike them as of yet, this first term will form my opinion. I never spent time with other children when I was younger."

Briony let him have a glimpse of her past in the hope he would prove a friend in the future.

see, well, I would have a problem with that. I'd rather you ask to sleep in my house, I would have let you. Interesting people are always welcome at my house

Richard pouted playfully,

"I don't see what the problem was anyway! I didn't steal anything." he chuckled, "Is it too late to ask for a bed for my cat? It takes up a lot of room so it might need to be a human sized bed."

Richard noticed her change in attitude and frowned a little,

"From the looks of it... you're no stranger to that aspect of cave stealling..." he muttered absently, not really minding that he was sharind a cave with a potential killer. After all, he was a mass murderer after all.

I don't mind what you think of children as long as you do your job. I neither like them nor dislike them as of yet, this first term will form my opinion

Richard chuckled,

"Don't hold out much hope." he joked lightly.

I never spent time with other children when I was younger

Richard became more serious,

"Well there's no doubt that you will still be better than me with the children. The girls especially..." he trailed off slightly, "I'm not at all comfortable around girls... anywhere near the age of ten..."

Briony giggled when he asked for a bed for his cat, not for him, for his cat. She shrugged and picked up the fluffy little thing with her hands and snuggled it close, she loved cats and they were always welcome, she and Marcy seemed to be getting on well enough. It would be no problem.

"Of course, you cat is welcome to stay, you however." Briony giggled "If you choose to stay will have to sleep on the sofa, the cat can have the spare bed."

She winked, she of course had a lot more than two beds but she wouldn't let on. Wondering what the problem with 10 year old girls was she fought the urge to ask until she couldn't put it off anymore. She thought she would put it to him in a kind of bargain a secret for a secret if he cared to share.

"Tell me, what is your aversion to 10 year old girls?" Briony asked curiously "I will trade you a secret of mine if you wish."

Richard smirked as his cat snuggled up to Briony,

"Traitor." he muttered lightly.

If you choose to stay will have to sleep on the sofa, the cat can have the spare bed

Richard sighed in an exaggerated fashion,

"I suppose the sofa will just have to do... though I doubt it's a comfy as this wonderful cave!" he joked.

Tell me, what is your aversion to 10 year old girls?

Immediately, Richard stiffened up and all emotion drained from his face,

"I... have not had much experience with them after the age of ten..." he paused for a few seconds, "I had sisters. Triplets. They all... died at the age of ten."

Briony smiled when he talked about the sofa and she continued to pet his cat, it really was so cute and it kept her warm while it sat calmly on her lap. She paid attention to what he said next, she was wondering what it could be, she wasn't wrong in her assumption, personally she could never understand the compassion one felt for their siblings as she had never felt for her brother nor he for her. She just assumed it was a powerful bond.

"I see. It must be a sensitive topic for you, I will of course drop it if you should wish. Anyway, it is your turn to ask me a question that I must answer. Spend it wisely."

Briony lay down on the rock floor looking up at the ceiling with it's intricate stalactites hanging down from it. She hoped that the atmosphere would become less tense as it was her turn to answer. She did not get emotional over questions, after all, they were just that. Questions.

(OOC: It's short cause of your whining )

Richard sighed a little bit and laid down on his back as he thought for a few moments, trying to summon up any feelings over murdering two of his own sisters in cold blood. Finding nothing, he shrugged a little.

Anyway, it is your turn to ask me a question that I must answer. Spend it wisely.

Richard smiled a little,

"You seem to think you're interesting...." he mused teasingly before frowning a little, "So how many people have you killed? Don't deny it. I've seen it in your body language, you've killed. More than once."

(I was whining because you weren't talking to me! )

Briony laughed out loud when Rich took the mickey out of her for seeming interesting, she wasn't one to blow her own horn but she was interesting that much she could say for herself. She already knew what the question would be too so when it came to answering it it was really quite simple, she had no emotional ties to who she killed. Regardless of their relation to her.

"I am interesting." Briony smiled "Don't deny it."

She grinned and took a second to remember how many people she had killed, it was rather a waste of a question but she supposed it would suffice for now. After all, they were almost complete strangers, it would be highly illogical to spill her secrets to a colleague and most unlike herself.

"I have killed 7 people. One pending. You have killed too, that much is obvious, you give too much away my friend."

I am interesting. Don't deny it

Richard chuckled,

"The last person who said something like that to me was arrested two days later for murder..." he joked wistfully.

I have killed 7 people. One pending. You have killed too, that much is obvious, you give too much away my friend

He raised an eyebrow at her casually happy expression while thinking about those she'd killed,

"You seem pleased with yourself." he observed before staring into the dwindling fire of his portkey, "Tell me... did you ever look into their eyes when you killed them? Did you ever kill them with your bare hands, to see the last spark of life leave their eyes?"

Briony laughed, she didn't know why she did but she felt like this man wasn't realising just how dangerous or mad she really was. She hoped she wasn't mad. It wouldn't be very good for her to be mad...she might loose her reason and reason is key. She rolled onto her side and looked at him as she spoke, she let him know how serious she was about what she was about to say.

"Of course I did. That's what made it fun. I don't kill people for the sake of it Richard, only when they deserve it. When they deserve it I put so much effort into it that I'm sad when they finally do die..."

Briony remembered what she did to the first people she killed, the ones that meant the most to her and they were the ones who always brought a smile to her face.

"Just because I look like I wouldn't enjoy such things doesn't mean I don't."

Of course I did. That's what made it fun. I don't kill people for the sake of it Richard, only when they deserve it. When they deserve it I put so much effort into it that I'm sad when they finally do die...

Richard chuckled darkly,

"Most people do not deserve the life they have been given. You could walk into the middle of magical London and blow it sky high without fear of hurting anyone of worth." he stared up at the ceiling, "Still... I find myself trying to think of reasons to care about life..."

He laughed, brightly, despite the subject,

"I killed my father and that was when I started to ask myself why I should care... with his pulse racing up my arms as I choked him to death." he frowned slightly, "Now people have told me that I should feel things about that memory... but I don't. I just feel empty."

Just because I look like I wouldn't enjoy such things doesn't mean I don't

Richard smiled at her again,

"You're lucky. Joy... revulsion... I feel nothing about killing." he chuckled, "Guess that's why I'm so good at it."

Briony nodded akwardly from her position on the floor, her hair obscuring one of her eyes as it flows over part of her face, she wonders if everyone wants to kill a member of their family but if only a select few have the courage to do so. She felt herself getting attached to Richard and it was then that she realised that she had to stop herself, she couldn't make friends, it would only end up in her being hurt like always. Yet somehow she couldn't just leave.

"You're lucky." Briony smiled "My father fled like a coward after I killed my mother and brother, he is the pending case, I have to find him first. Idiot."

Briony wrinkled her small nose in disgust at the memory of him cowering away from her and him disapperating away as she killed his wife, she wondered if he truly loved her or if it was just for her money. She sighed deeply and looked carefully at the man's face in front of her, she could sense his frustration about something and she smiled once more, as if to comfort him.

"I guess I will have to be convinced of how good you are one day." Briony muttered frustratedly "You confuse me Richard."

You're lucky. My father fled like a coward after I killed my mother and brother, he is the pending case, I have to find him first.

Richard stiffened slightly. That hit one of the few spots of his memory that did have emotions attached to it. He turned his head slightly to stare straight into her eyes,

"I killed my father because he killed my wife." he scowled darkly at the memory, "Because I refused to turn her into breeding stock."

I guess I will have to be convinced of how good you are one day

Richard suddenly smiled, all of his bad thoughts gone behind his mask again,

"Awww... sounds like a date." he winked, "Be happy to oblige Miss Blake."

You confuse me Richard

He chuckled again,

"Join the club, we've got jackets." he quipped before sighing contentedly, "I've been told I'm a disarmingly charming person... of course I had just charmed this woman's wand away from her at the time. I think she might have been feeling generous."