A soul waiting to be solaced (feel free to join anyone!)

Sam entered the pub, endeavouring to be inconspicuous. The students were happy in their own groups doing their own thing. They probably wouldnt notice him. The atmosphere was cheery, he hoped it would lighten his heavy mood he was in. He could not understand why he had felt to sad and lost lately.
He sat down in the far more sheltered corner of the room. He kept his head down.

"I wonder if any of the students know who i am?" He thought. "Then again they wouldn't. I havnt really been much of a caretaker. My dog does a better job of patrolling the skwl than i do. Im not even sure if any of the staff will think to sit with me, after all i didnt join the Hogwarts staff till late, and i missed my chance to introduce myself and be introduced to others because i havnt attended any meetings. What a mess. The same story all over again... Feeling down with no-one to talk to..." He sighed.
He sort of guessed why he was so sad. He didnt know anyone. He didnt have anyone to care about. He felt like he had nothing.

"Stop feeling sorry for yourself Sam!" He thought to himself. He forced himself to sit back in his chair and look friendly and happy. "I should have brought a book to read" He laughed to himself. He pulled out some paper and a pen from his pocket. "I'll doodle for a bit or see if i can write a poem or something..." Sam thought to himself. Anything to pass the time.

(Looks on a Sam secretly from the other side of the room where he cant see) "Good, he cant tell im here, his Lycan senses arent at their strongest yet." Crystella thought to herself. "My poor Sam, he's been sat there on his for so long. Why wont anyone go near him? Should i tell him? Should i show myself? Im suprised Wolfie hasnt found me out yet, that dog gets everywhere. Oh Sam, i've missed you so much. There's so much i need to tell you, but just not now. Not here."

(Takes out a special home made powder from under her cloak and sprinkles it over herself to hide her smell. Then she throws some on her face. It changes.)
"There" She thought. "He wont recognise me now. Ordinarily i dont need to go to such lengths to deliver a message, but Sam must be the only person im not invisible to."

(Crystella rose from her seat slowly and stepped lightly over to Sam with a message in her hand. He hadnt looked up yet. He had been staring at the wall for 2 hours. She placed the message on the table and sauntered away quickly as he turned around)

"Soon, Sam. Soon." Crystella thought. She smiled and wiped away her tears as she disappeared into the outside evening light)

Sam had been completely out of character and locked in deep far off thought. He had been sat nursing the same bottle of butterbeer for 2 hours. "I think i'll go and get some air..." He though ot himself. As he turned his head he realised someone had left a message for him on his table.
The pub was practically empty so he was able to catch a woman in a cloak leaving through the door. "Hey! Wait!" Sam called, but he was too late, the person had gone. He ran outside trying to find her to find out who she was. No sign of anyone. Whoever she was, she had sparked his interest. He opened the letter and began walking. He didnt care were he ended up. He would just keep going until he felt he couldnt anymore. The message read:

'My dear friend, i fear you may have forgotten me. After all it has been a while. But honest and truly, Sammy, its me, Crystella.'

Sam stopped dead, closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Cyrssie... it cant be... this has to be a trick..." But he read on.

'I wanted to let you know that i am ok, well, sort of, but i promise i'll explain that to you some other time. Im here in Hogsmeade looking for work. I dont know how long i'll be here though.'

Sam was hit with relief, disbelief and anguish all at once. He didnt want to beleive this was real, the pain of remembering her hurt too much. But at the same time, he was ellated; the letter was genuine. Written in her own hand, with her special seal and secret symbol only known betweent he two of them. His friend had found hima gain at last.

'I will reveal myself to you soon. I cant go near Hogwarts, but i'll most likely be in Three Broomsticks or around the Lake and woods. I look forward to seeing you again. Your devoted friend, Crystella Lunette Heartlinger. Or, as you and your uncle have dubbed me, Cryssie-Moon Starlinger. x'

Sam was swept by a tidal wave of swirling emotions. One day soon, he would be stood face-to-face with his dearest friend once more. In order to find her, he decided that when he wasnt needed in Hogwarts, he would stay in the ares she had told him to wait in. He wouldn't sleep until he could be sure this wasnt a dream.

As Crystella had expected, Sam returned the following evening to the Three Broomsticks. He seemed in much happier spirits than he did yesterday. She was relieved, it meant he talked to someone who had made him feel wanted. That was always an issue with Sam, feeling he wasnt good enough to have freidns and nobody would want to talk to him.
"See Sam," She thought to herself as she watched him from afar. "You can be wrong sometimes and it can be a good thing."
She felt guilty; she was the reason for his inner turmoil. She had hoped to keep herself hidden for longer, but she had been instructed to move faster. She had prepared another message for Sam, and her cloaked disguise she wore. She had gotton much better at her self developed skill and was confident he wouldnt recognise her.

She approached him slowly as she did before, only this time his attention was not lockedto the wall and he soon noticed her.
"Excuse me, but are you a Mr Samuel Howlin?" She asked in a voice that was not her own. "My name is Clarian. I believe you recieved a message yesterday?"

Sam was thinking over the previous message he had recieved in his head. He had made sure to sit in the same spot as the day before too. He had been sat, as before, alone for over an hour only this time he had brought something to read. All of a sudden, he turned to notice someone walking towards him. He was sure he recognised the cloak, but not the long white curly hair that flowed from the front of its hood. He could tell this person was young or around the same age as he was, but not much else. He was dubious as he could find no sense of recognition.
When she said his name and asked about a message, he tensed up and looked hard at her. She was the woman he saw leave. She was who had left him the message.
The woman asked if she could sit with him as she had something important to discuss. He was hardly goin to refuse someone who had information about Crystella and permitted him to sit in front of him. He asked her to show her face so he would be able to recognise her if they were ot meet again.

Although she had confidence in her disguising powder she refused to move her hood. "Forgive me Sam but its not time for that yet. Iv already had to move my plans forward but now is neither the time or place to tell you everything. Now i need to now how stable you have or havnt been, and whether or not you have recieved any other messages from anyone else...?" Judging by Sam's face, he was reluctant to answer her. "Please Sam, this is important. I cant give you the message without knowing your answer first."

Sam didnt feel comfortable about giving out imformation to a stranger, especially a suspicious one, but he was desperate for any news on crystella, a friend he thought he had lost so long ago. "Fine." He said. "But i swear you had better not be trying to torment me becuase it isnt funny."

"Im not trying to torment you." The cloaked woman replied. "Its just how i work."

Sam had no choice but to comply. "No, i havnt been stable. Not as bad as i have been int he past but my state of mind and emotions have been eratic. Thoughts have returned to me without reason to and i dont know why. And no, no other messages this year besides 'you have been employed as Hogwarts new Caretaker' despite me never making my whereabouts known or applying for the possision and the one the gave me yesterday. Why? Is there another weird person in a cloak trying to give me messages that mess with my head?"

She breathed a sigh of relief. Kerew hadnt tried to contact him yet, there was still hope for Sam. "Im sorry to hear that you have been feeling out of sorts Mr Howlin, but i cant explain all this to you." She spied a pendent on Sam's neck and had to stop herself from crying. "You're still wearing it..." She choked out in stiffled breath.

"What was that...?"

"Nothing Sam,at least nothing that needs explaining right now." She smiled and reached for his arm and pulled him gently forward to whisper in his ear. "The message is 'Meet me in the Shrieking Shack tomorrow night. If that is not possible, try to find your way to Stargazer Square as soon as you can. Do NOT go through Fanglor Alley. I'll tell you everything. I have news about your sister and Uncle. Do not trust Kerew'. She released his arm and leant back. She rose to stand. "I have to go now. Im sorry to leave you like this. And i must apologize for leaving you with the knowledge that not all the news is good. Fare thee well until we meet again."

Sam grabbed hold of her arm before she could run away. It wasnt tight enough to hurt her, but tight enough to make her stop for a sec.
"No, no im not accepting that. You cant just leave after telling me that. I need to know who you are Clarian. How do you know me? How long have you been watching me? And if you have news about my sister, i want to hear it now. If you know Kerew, i reeeeaaally have doubts about believing you know." He loosened his grip in case he was frightening her, he didnt want to bully anyone. "Im sorry, but you've got to understand, i need to know. PLease. I cant take it any more. Do you have any idea what this is like for me?"

Crystella (Clarian) was stunned when Sam grabbed her by the arm. Her powder was about to wear off and she needed to get away. He didnt hurt her though, but he was terribly upset.
"Just know that i am a friend and i know you through good company. I've been watchin you ever since you left for Hogwarts and ever since you've arrived. In case anyone is listening here, i cannot divulge information about your sister unless you want to jeprodise her safety againa nd get her sent to Askaban. And trust me, i hate Kerew. I dont make it my business as part of my nature to ahte anyone, but Kerew has taken something that cannot be restored. He is dangerous and seeks to do you harm and the students harm. You musnt listen to him if he approaches you. You musnt!" She lowered her voice. "No, i dont really know how it must be for you here with everything thats goin on. Its frightening. But trust me, you're not the only one who has to deal with something difficult. Now i'll say this for the last time and then i have to leave. If you want answers, find your way either to the Shrieking Shack or Stargazer Square were Crystella lived. You'll have your answers soon." Crystella could feel the powder starting to wear off. "Oh by the way, rather than sleep in a tent in the wood with your dog, make one of these locations your home if possible. Just make sure no-one follows you. Our next meetings must be private and you must not tell anyone about this if you can."

She kissed Sam quickly on the side of his head. He had a scar there. She remembered how he got that. She managed to shock him long enough to flee from the tavern just as the powder wore off. She felt she was being cruel to Sam with all the deception, but Saizilia told her this was necessary for now but not needed again. She couldnt wait to talk with the Sam she remembered. The Sam she loved but could not let her self love. Not again.

She headed towards the shrieking shack. It wasnt abandonned; people had been in there. The structure was damaged and would need repair. Hopefully, when she and Sam had their third meeting, no-one else would intrude. She just hoped she would be able to keep her doppleganger self stable so close to the school. What if the headmasters found out about her? Using magic that was not allowed or even legalised. Holding the secrets of the locations of some of the most notorious people they were hunting who were of threat to their order. She should have done this different;y, she thouhgt, in the muggle world were wizards would be forbidden to attack her, but Saizilia had insisted.

Sam couldnt believe he had let Clarian get away from him again. But how did she know about that scar under his hair on his temple? He had got that when his uncle Herrick smashed a glass bottle over his head in a rage. Cryssie had been there. She had screamed, horrified and couldnt stop crying. Herrick gave up alcohol after that. That scar had healed over when bullies from Sam's highschool were harassing Cryssie. Sam picked a fight and got pushed into the corner of a brick wall, hitting his head in the same spot. How did that woman know that?
She truly sparked his intruige. He was compelled to know how she knew so much about his family. Was she a friend of Crystella or Saizilia perhaps? He also wondered what Kerew had done to this woman to make her so angry. Of course, it was Kerew, he had a nack for making enemies. The thing that shocked him the most was, how did she know about his tent? Was she stalking him or something? He had to laugh to himself. He felt honored to have his own stalker. He knew he had to be more careful. He still had very much a low profile though as far as he was concerned. He had only taled to one staff member and two students formally. But the woman was right, Sam was to easy to give out iformation about himself. He would have to be more careful yet still act as though nothing had changed.

He left the tavern and returned to Hogwarts to patrol the corridors. He didnt want to try to sleep with so much information racing thorugh his mind in case it gave him nightmares and left his mind vulnerable. He needed to know who this woman was. Stayin in the tavern of a day may no longer get this woman to come forward. Of course he had promised the two students they could find him there, so he decided to make his stop in The Three Broomsticks a part of his routine.