Meeting for the First Time (Howl and Bri)

Briony walked softly through the graveyard, she looked curiously at all of the headstones wondering about the life or death stories of the people who lay beneath them. It was a rather morbid past time of hers, normally when she wanted a walk she would try and see the oldest person in the yard, but today she didn't have time for that.

As she continued to walk on her head snapped up, she heard someone else coming and Briony's hand fle to her wand, gripping the handle lightly.

"Who's there?"

Briony Blake wrote:Briony walked softly through the graveyard, she looked curiously at all of the headstones wondering about the life or death stories of the people who lay beneath them. It was a rather morbid past time of hers, normally when she wanted a walk she would try and see the oldest person in the yard, but today she didn't have time for that.

As she continued to walk on her head snapped up, she heard someone else coming and Briony's hand fle to her wand, gripping the handle lightly.

"Who's there?"

Samuel Robin James Howlin wrote: Samuel stiffened and debated whether or not he should just remain quiet. He knew better however than to try Briony's patience. PLus, he didnt want to get on her bad side. He had only just arrived at the grounds of course. He put his hands in the air and stepped out from behind a tree looking apologetic.

"Forgive me, i was trying not to disturb you"

He spoke softly, sincere. "I sit out here when i feel melancholy..." [/quote] He stayed where he was and didnt dare breathe. He was waiting for Briony to lower her wand. He hoped he wasnt in her bad books.

Briony narrowed her eyes, it seemed like the person knew who she was, it took her a moment but she realised that it was the newly appointed caretaker of Hogwarts, Briony also knew about his condition and it made her wary of him. But, to be polite, she lowered her wand and placed it back in her robes.

"It is not a problem. I was just taking a walk."

Raising her eyebrow she wondered what Sam was doing in a graveyard, but then again, he could ask her the same question.

"And why are you feeling melancholy?"

"Oh, er, no reason, i just, get like that sometimes..." Sam shrugged and sighed. Then he gave a lighthearted laugh and said "If i wasnt sad i'd let myself get angry instead." He paused and wanted to kick himself when he thought about what he said. Briony was weary of him as it was.
He didnt feel it wise to stand any closer to her. "Erm..." He began, trying to change the topic. No knife in the world could cut through the atmosphere he had just created. "I...Thank you for giving me a job. I forget to say before. I really appreciate it becuase its hard for someone...like...me." He lowered his head and shuffled his feet like a child would. "Soooo...do you want me to leave so you can enjoy the rest of your walk or may i be so bold as to ask how you are today? Its just that i havnt had a conversation with someone for a good few months so forgive me if im coming across as a complete idiot" He gave a short laugh to signify a joke but cleared his throat with a cough and silenced himself. He didnt realise how rude he was being to Briony without meaning to be.

Briony smiled and put her wand completely away in her robes and drew her hand out, placing both of them on her hips, she laughed lightly and placed a finger on her nose tapping it knowingly.

"I could always persuade Hades to do anything."

Winking lightly she stepped closer to Sam, it didn't seem like he was on the verge of change, when he wasn't a wolf he seemed like a very kind and lovely man, who was she to be off with him? Briony wouldn't prejudge him just because she knew what he was.

"You may walk with me, it's always better to walk with someone else than to walk alone."

Beckoning Sam to follow her Briony began to walk over the brambles and briars once more, her boots crunching on them, small thorns flecking her legs.

"What shall I call you? Sam? Howl?"

Sam relaxed and smiled warmly. He liked it when Briony smiled, it made her all the more beautiful.
He hurried to keep up with her his heavy steeltoed boots made the gravel path crunch with every step. "I'll have to thank Hades as well when i see he then." He laughed. "And erm,you can call me whatever your more comfortable with really. I dont mind what people call me as long as its not 'mutt' or 'dog breath' ha ha".

He was trying to make light about his situation, but it was probably pianstakingly obvious that his condition could really bother him at times. It wasnt so much the pain of his transformation and partial memory loss that bothered him, it was the social ostracism.

They walked enjoying the cool, foggy air. "So...." Sam began. "Do you often walk out here alone?"

Briony smiled lightly, she found it quite amusing that he talke dof his condition in such a way, it didn't really bother her, she would stay away while he was a threat but converse with him when he was normal, after all, he seemed like a very nice person, very respectful.

"Yes, I often walk alone, I try to keep myself to myself once in a while, to think, after all a lot of things have happened."

Stopping for a moment Briony's ears pricked up again when she heard something rustling in the distance, moving on thinking it must just be a rabbit she kept one ear on the noises and one on what Howl was saying. He was quite interesting if not formal and reserved.

"I think I shall call you Howl."

"As you wish, im perfectly fine with that." Sam gave a short laugh and smiled warmly at her. He was rather curious about her and about all the things that had happened that he had no knowledge of, but he decided not to pry. He didnt want to spoil the conversation. He just hoped that he wouldnt turn into his old pig headed self when the full moon grew closer, and say somethinghe didnt mean. He couldnt help it. He tried to be polite as Sam was, but the wolf wasnt so considerate.
"It's almost hard for me to believe you're so young you know." He laughed again. He stopped, picking up on the rustling too. Lowering his voice and leaning towards her ear he whispered "Do you want me to go and check what that was...?"

Briony laughed lightly and looked at Howl with a glint in her eye, she he thought she was young? She was far from young and recently she had been feeling a whole lot older than her age what with Annie and everything happening all so suddenly, Briony had been cast into one of the most important roles a woman could be, and she had no idea about how to go about it.

"Young? You would call 22 young?"

Laughing once more Briony shook her head slowly, she didn't much care what it was, animal or human if it posed a threat to her it would be dead, if it didn't then she wasn't bothered about it.

"No no, leave it, I'll take care of it if it decides to attack."

"As long as you're sure" Sam moved his head away and immediately stopped being so serious. "22? Really? Well i really don't think you look it you know." He smiled. "You do seem a bit stressed though. Is everything alright, if you don't mind my asking? Or is your demeanour all just part of being the headmistress? Ha ha" Sam was trying to keep the atmosphere lighthearted.
He very seldom felt relaxed, but for the while he was fine. He still had just over two weeks before the next full moon so he knew his temperment would remian pleasant until then. He just hoped that a certain old acquaintance of his wouldnt make an appeareance. Whenever he surfaced, he cuased trouble. For Sam and everyone around him. He didnt want him anywhere near the students. He hoped Briony wouldnt sense his distress.

He was suddenly swept with a familiar feeling of agonising melancholy that actually managed to bring tears into his eyes, and for a moment, he didnt even know why. "Damn!" He thought to himself. "Why do these thoughts have to return to me now..?" He tried to keep his breath steady and a smile on his face in the hopes Briony wouldnt ask what was wrong. It wasnt his werewolfism. Ever since that day, when he had to leave his old home behind, he was continually struggling against a horrid barrier of depression and confusion.
Sam had an unique ability after a while, depending on the person, to guess things about them that made them happy. He wasnt so good with the things that amde them sad however.
As much as he eagerly awiated Briony's reply, it was getting harder and harder for him to choke back and bottle up the feelings of hysteria he was becoming overwhelmed with. He wanted to get out of the graveyard and hide himself away for a while, but at the same time, he longed to have a friend he could converse with. He had had to cope with silence and solitude for so long, it nearly killed him. "Please please please" He thouhgt. "Please let her answer me soon, or let one of us be needed elsewhere. I'v scarcely known her a day, i musnt break down in front of her, i fear she'll gravely dislike me if i do..."

Sam felt rude about not giving her time to answer, but he simply had to go. Every fibre in his body told him "run".
"Im awfully sorry Briony. " He said in a strangled voice. "But i have to go. I hope we can talk again some other time. Enjoy the rest of your walk." With that he fled, speeding away as fast as he could, tears pricking his eyes. A name rung in his head and struck his heart like a hammer. 'Crystella'.
He ran into the woods and hid himself. He kneele on the floor and cried, making sure to stifle himself. "Iv made such a terrible impression. Briony wont ever want to speak to me again now. Oh... why must i be this way?"