A second meeting (Howl & Bri)

Sam hoped that Briony had recieved his message to meet with him. He hadnt spoken to her in several days and felt he needed to apologize and explain himself. He had had a lot of thing son his mind and he was feelign guilty and angry with himself. Should her talk to her about it? Should he tell her? No, he thought it better not to. Besides, she may have her own problems or may not even want to talk to him after he so rudely ran off on her.
He didnt want to sit down or touch anything. He wandered around the room pacing as he waited. He wondered if he would get a chance to meet any more of the staff or students. He decided to try to make Briony some sort of an apology gift. He took out a sketch pad from his back pocket but his hands were so shaky that it dropped to the floor. He had worked so hard to clean the whole of the first two floors of the castle perfectly yesterday that his hands were still aching and in shock. He leant against a wall and tried desperately to steady his hand as he attempted to sketch something for her.
The room was very quiet, and he got deeply lost in what he was doing. So much so, that it was like he was in a whole other world.

Briony sighed, she had been in the middle of doing some lesson plans when she had gotten the message from Howl to come and see him, she thought it had sounded very apologetic so Briony came never the less. Walking into the staff room she whipped her head around looking for him, spotting him as he leant against the wall Briony silently stepped over to him.

"What's that?"

She asked politely hoping that the sudden voice breaking the silence wouldn't startle him too much, after all, the guy was shaking enough as it was without her scaring him.

"You alright Howl? You're shaking?"

Sam nearly jumped out of his skin, placing his hand on his heart and laughin slightly to show her this. "Sorry Briony, i was completely out of it there. Thank you for coming, i really appreciate it. Please forgive me for running off like that the other day, but i swear i'll explain myself" He stood up straight as if to attention. "Oh this...er... nothing, its just something i was drawing...for you... but its not very good." Sam but the sketch behind his back, shy to show her.

Shaking? He looked down at his hands. They were still shaking. "Oh yes, im fine, its just from cleaning and polishing yesterday, i couldnt uncurl my finders until this morning ha ha. At least im finally doin my job".

A jolt of energy shot up Sam's spine and made him yelp. It happened when he picked up different senses about people sometimes. He saw things, or symbols of things. Should he ask her...? Or should he wait? If he changed the mood so radically so soon, she might not want to speak with him. He tried to smile at her to say he was fine, but of course, a yelp of pain isnt something people tend to miss.

Briony smiled lightly and apparated behind Howl taking the pad from him, it wasn't too bad of course she could tell that he was no artist but it was rather cute for him to try and make her feel better. Briony didn't even feel bad in the first place for Howl walking out on her...she knew that he sometimes needed space and he did the right thing by leaving.

"Please, don't worry about it Howl. I wasn't really bothered by it I just thought it was a little strange."

With a grin Briony handed the pad back to him and took a seat in one of the many comfy armchairs dotted around the room, she had just begun to relax when she heard a yelp of pain. Briony's head snapped up to Howl and her eyebrow arched.

"What's the matter?"

Sam was finding it hard to breath and his head was killing him as more and more images flashed in his head. He slapped himself hard across the face to snap himself out of it.
"Nothing, im fine now. Sorry about that Briony. I thought this meeting would go better. Obviously im jinxed ha ha" He sat down int he arm chair opposite to her so he could look at her face. Something told him she wasnt convinced.
"Soooo...erm... explaining myself... where do you want me to begin?" Sam was trying to be jokey and lighthearted as though nothing had happened. But of course, sooner or later, he would have to tell her. Perhaps sooner would be best.

Briony raised an eyebrow at Howls half ass attempt at deterring her from the truth behind what just happened, Briony folded her arms and tapped her fingers on the bare skin of her forearm until he got the message that she was not impressed. Smiling lightly to put him at ease Briony unfolded her arms and leant towards him.

"Lets start with why are you in pain shall we?"

She smiled, she knew there was something behind him that she didn't quite know about, obviously she knew he was a werewolf. Hades had told her. But there was something other than that.

Sam gulped and laughed nervously rubbing the back of his neck. He always felt like a little boy again when he had to explain himself.
"Well...er... i er...er..." Sam cleared his throat and clasped the pendent around his neck. He felt like it would give him support. "I have this..sense...thing...i'v had it since i met my uncle...but er..it never really worked until i got bitten and its happened a lot more since i came here... it shows me these...images, or... makes me feel...weird sensations... its supposed to er... mean iv made a connection with a person... like iv seen into them somehow." He looked up at Briony. Then he looked down at his hands and continued.

"If its not a sense, its a nightmare trying to come through that messes with my emotional state. Thats why i had to leave you the other day. I didnt think it fit to blubber like a baby in front of you over Crystella-" Sam froze. What an idiot. He couldnt beleive he had just mentioned Crystella. No-one was supposed to know about her. She aided in hiding wanted wizards after all. She'd go stright to askaban.
"Please ask about my vision about you instead... please please please..." Thought Sam, panicking, his heart pounding so loudly in his chest that he swore Briony would hear it. A bead of sweat formed on his temple.

Briony raised her eyebrow and sighed she supposed there would be some ominous prediction about her coming out of this meeting with Howl. She couldn't care less really, she knew that everything was going to be alright, the only bad thing that he could say would be that Richard was going to leave her which she knew he wouldn't.

"What is this prediction then?"

Briony grinned and tapped her nose when Howl began to perspire and look nervous, she guessed he shouldn't have told her about this girl's name. Briony shrugged lightly.

"Look Howl, I'm not a grass, whoever that woman is I don't care unless she messes with me...then she won't live to see another day, get it?" Briony glared

Sam gulped and nodded "Yessem..." Phew, he thought, she didnt know who Crystella was. Good.
"Erm... its no so much a prediction...more so a vision of events thats have already been..." Sam grew gravely silent and pale for a minute. "Forgive me, its none of my business and you dont have to answer. In fact, kill me if need be, you'd be in every right but...i got a very confusing sense from you. Do two hearts, one left in darkness, mean anything...? Or a man...a house full of blood...broken glass...broken reflection..." Sam cupped his head in his hands trying to make sense of the images, or alternatively block them out.

"She gonna hate me" He thought "Shes gonna think im a real nut job or stalker or something... im dead. Im goin to prison or im dead... Why did i have to say anything.. stupid mouth. Stupid sense. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid" Sam whacked the sides of his head with his fists. He was too afraid to look up at Briony to see her face, but he felt it rude not to.
He raised his head slowly, shaking with dread, hoping to Merlin he hadnt upset her. That was the last thing he wanted to do.

Briony sighed and smiled lightly, the poor guy, he seemed like everything he said to her was going to make her either want to burst into tears or make her want to rip his head off. Briony placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled gently at him, trying to put him at ease.

"Can't rightly say Howl."

Quietly Briony thought back, she reflected on all the events that she could remember but she couldn't think of anything containing everything that Howl had just told her.

"Richard broke a mirror at my house once...you could say I have two hearts, one for loving one that's purely for my love of killing."

She shrugged.

"These however are weak links."

"Richard...he's the heart thats not in the dark... he was crying... you...were covered in blood... something wouldnt work but it does now... you were worried about someone...a little girl? Annie?"

Sam pulled away from her touch and bowed his head in shame. "Im so sorry. Forgiv me, i shouldnt intrude... i dont mean to.. i never learnt how to turn it off or to control what i pick up..."

He tried to seem less worried for a sec. "Despite some difficult times though... you are loved so very much. You're lucky. I wish i had people that cared about me like you do. The only people i kno hate me and wanna hurt me." Sam sat back in his chair.

"I'd like to start this conversation again. How had your day been headmistress. Are you well?"

Briony glared at Howl and stood up moving away from him, she didn't like this, she didn't like this at all, it's her private life and it should remain private she didn't even know this guy and he already knew that she was a mother and about her relationship with Richard. Growling a little she turned to him again, her hand reaching instinctively for her wand.

"You will never repeat that to anyone do you hear me? Or I will ensure that whoever that Crystella woman is dies...not pleasantly either...do we have an accord?"

Briony looked coldly at Howl, if he was smart, he'd take her advice.

Sam was horrified. She hated him now. He got on his knees in front of her and put his hands upclasped together prayerfully and head down pleadingly. "Please Briony... dont hurt her... shes the only part of my past i have left to hang on to that makes me feel like lifes worth living..."

He looked up at her, withdrew a knife from his pocket and cut across his hand. He drew a seal in the blood. "We shake hands, im bound by my word. I swear Briony, what i know will stay with me. If you want me to forget, i hav a potion for that." He held out his blooden hand. "I wouldnt tell anyone anyway Briony. I dont spread other peoples business. What comes to me stays with me, & it exists only between me and the person i have the visions for. Im sorry... you probably wont ever want to talk to me ever again...and i was so looking forward to another walk with you..." tears pricked Sam's eyes. "If ever you want me to leave i will, i'll never bother you again..."

Briony sighed she shouldn't flip out at people like that it wasn't fair to Howl and not fair to this other woman who she didn't even know. Turning her glare down to about 6 out of ten Briony sighed and walked back over to the chair sitting down on it and burying her face in her hands.

"I don't mix blood not unless you have an express desire to die, I'll take you on your word Howl. You know what will happen if you lie to me."

Briony looked up at him through her hair.

Sam got off of his knees and covered his blooden hand with a clean cloth from his pocket. He sat opposite Briony again. "You have my word, dont you worry." Then he laughed aloud to himself. "Maybe i do have a desire to die, if i valued my life, i'd have known to just keep my mouth shut."

Sam knew to watch himself around Briony, but he didnt want to fear her. He figured she had had to learn to become that way. She was a good woman deep down, he could sense that. He hoped not to get any more senses for a while though. At least not ones that were too personal. The vibes he got depended soley on the power of the person; Briony was incredibly so.

He was thankful to Briony that she had let it pass for now, which offered his Crystella a reprieve. But he had a feeling he wasnt completely forgiven, and would have to work hard to make amends.

He was brave enough to venture to move a pice of hair out of Briony eyes. She had beautiful eyes, fierce, but beautiful. He plucked a hair form his head and with his wand he morphed it into a blood-red thornless rose for her.
"For you" he smiled. "And the drawing if you want it. Oh, and if you ever want to know anything about me, i wont stop you, be it enter my thoughts or ask me outright. I wont harbour anything from you."

Briony narrowed her eyes at Howl, she had a feeling that she was going to have to keep an eye on this pup and teach him how to watch his tongue. Once she had taken a dislike to someone, it stuck, too bad for him that she was none to fond of him, the gesture of the rose just ticked her off and she placed it on the coffee table with a blank look.

"I'd prefer not to pry...besides...you might regret letting me look, you'll never know what I'll do with the information."

Briony smirked, moving a piece of hair out of her eye. She felt kind of bad for Howl, now that her bad mood was set there was very little he could do for himself, he would just have to harbour her bad mood.

"Oh, by the way, never tell me you have the desire to die...or I might just assist you."

"Sorry.." Sam bowed his head in shame. "You hate me now don't you? Im sorry about that, but at least you have a reason other than its becuase of my species or heritage. And i dont mind if people pry or not. I'll talk about almost anything, and i wouldnt stop you whatever you decided to do with it. Im just frightened of what you might find up there in this mess of a head of mine ha ha." Sam smiled but it was nervous and half-hearted, regretably. "And i'll keep that in mind professor. " He didnt doubt that she would kill him.

"I suppose asking you if you would like to go for a walk around the lake or for a drink is out of the question then?" Sam sighed, trying to smile to show he was trying to be his jokey self, but he could deny that it hurt him when people didnt like him. It was his own fault for being an idiot though really.

Briony sighed, she didn't think that going for a drink tonight would be very wise, after all, her being annoyed plus drink didn't lead to a very comfortable scenario for whoever she was angry at. Howl was a nice enough guy and she thought that maybe once she had calmed down that they could go on another walk together.

"I don't think that going on a walk now would be a very good idea, maybe another day once I've calmed down a little bit, needless to say Howl, despite whatever I feel about what you predicted you really are good. Maybe you should talk to Cain Valerian, the Divination teacher."

Briony suggested with a shrug, she picked up the rose from the table and looked at it carefully, running her fingers along the petals down to the stem where her skin snagged and cut a little. With a frown Briony looked at the bead of blood welling up from her finger.

"Fair enough, i understand, another time is fine." Sam smiled back at her. "And im not that good you know" He laughed. "Not all the time. And i used to always be wrong about everything. Its probably because im around wizards here rather than muggles. And sure thing, i'd love to meet more of the staff. Hopefully i wont make as much of an idiot of myself."

Sam couldnt figure Briony out. She was mysterious and unpredictable. He watched her as she ran her finger along the rose. Then he saw it a little too late. "Damn it!" He thought to himself. He was certain he had made sure there were no thorns. "Dont do a party trick that fails in future!"

Instinctively without thinking, because he was so used to acting this way with Crystella, he took hold of Briony's hand and kissed the drop of blood away from her finger. Then he froze and realized he was being an idiot again and probably doin something that would either enrage Briony or someone else.

Richard had been wandering towards the staff room when a scent he'd never wished to smell again wafted along the air to him. His eyes widdened immediately and his nostiles flared to better identify the smell. There was no mistaking it. It was Briony's blood.

Without thinking he immediately sprinted in the direction of the smell, his right glove shifting into the punch dagger as he ran. The staff room door! He growled and kicked the door in roughly, looking around quickly as he stood there, panting heavily, in the doorway. Following his nose his eyes locked onto Briony sitting next to a strange man. Who was kissing her bloodied finger. Jealousy flared up and he let out a deep growl before he could help himself. Flexing his fingers a little he stalked closer to the two,

"Briony..." he scowled at the other man, "I smelt your blood. What's going on?"

Briony looked at Howl as he kissed her finger her eyebrows knitted together in a weird sort of stare, did he not know that this was basically flirting with her, and he knew that she had a partner. Sighing lightly she moved her hand from his grasp and looked at the ceiling and smirked a little, what would Richard say if he could see this?

It was all a little too freaky, Briony jumped and a large gash appeared on her hand from another thorn as she jumped from the loud bang as the staff room door burst open. She cursed loudly and watched as the blood dripped down from her hand, Briony's eyes widened, it was Rich standing there.

"Rich?"

She caught his look between him and Howl and sensed there would be some sort of fight about to occur.

"I just pricked my finger on this rose that Howl gave me. Richard this is Samuel Howlin, Howl this is Rich."

Sam froze and backed away from Briony putting his hands up and away from her to show Richard he meant no harm. He was terrified. The sense he got from this man... he could kill Sam without batting an eyelid. He slowly crouched down, picked up the rose and crushed it so it wouldnt cause any more harm to Briony. He felt like such a douche, he didnt mean for her to get hurt. He didnt mean to meet Richard in this way.

He open his mouth to speak but a croak came out instead. Would he insult Richard by trying to introduce himself? "I...er...nothing...er..."

He could guess that Richard was getting more and more angry with him. Sam was worreid incase richard flew at him; he was a much better wizard. Again, Sam was overcome with the sensation that told him to run and get the hell out of there, but he couldnt bring himself to move.

Despite the scent of Briony's blood lingering in the air, making his skin crawl and his blood burn with the need to protect her. But taking her at her word, trusting her as he did, Richard swallowed a little and slowly stood back upright from his fighting stance. He forced a smile as the punch dagger disappeared back into his glove. Taking the glove off, he held his hand out for Sam to shake,

"Nice to meet you." he forced the smile a little more, "Always nice to meet a... friend of Briony's."

Briony sighed a little, well wasn't this awkward. She sat back down onto her chair and licked the blood that had trickled down her wrist up with her tongue, peering lightly at the small cut Briony decided to leave it to heal on it's own. With a smile she patted the seat next to her for Richard to sit down in.

"Oh, we aren't really friends Rich, this is just our second time meeting."

She grinned speaking plainly and matter of factly.

"However we might be in the future. Well, ask Howl, he knows all about our future don't you Howl?"

Briony smirked.

Sam held out his hand but it was shaking too much and he couldnt steady it. Richard was furious with him, he knew he was.

"Sorry Richard, er...professor..(?) Romain. I'm er..." Sam swallowd harshly, swallowing his pride. "Im too scared to shake your hand." He bowed his head in shame. He mus tof come across as a 5 year old. "Is er...is your hand alright Briony?"

Sam picked up another sense and it sent another shiver up his spine but he turned away and bit his hand hard to stifled the yelp before turning back around and forcing himself to smile.
"Err.." He coughed. "Not...not really. AHH! Haha.. Just a. just a twinge."