A quiet drink

Briony laughed a little, she was glad that Hades was almost as bad as herself, it would make it a lot easier to get along with him. She took off her military jacket and lay it upon her lap while she took a look at the rest of the room, she had not noticed the rack of books that was in the far corner, a smile broke across her face and she dashed over to them. Briony loved books. She peered closely at the spines, many were old and faded, when she pulled out one with a black cover she chuckled, she had this book at home, it wasn't one of her rarer dark arts books but never the less it was informative.

"I see your point. Get to know the ins and outs of your victims before killing them. However I am a woman of art, I love art and literature so much. You're probably not interested in all of the airy fairy stuff but I like being able to loose myself in a book, to pretend to be someone better, more liked than myself."

Briony smiled a small smile. It was true, that was what she loved about books. She liked being able to pretend she wasn't herself.

"I find Dark Arts books instructive too...especially in ways to kill and what not. I guess by reading books, it has helped me become a little more...shall we say creative when it comes down to it."

Holding the book out to Hades she smiled "Have you read Raven Black's book? It is not very rare so you may have, it's one of my favourites, about medieval Dark Arts, I like doing things old school."

He watched her walk towards the book shelves, he wasn't really a book man himself. He just read the odd thing about the making of wizard kind. "Im not big on reading to be honest. "It's best to know your victims and enemies it makes it easier for the plan to go down nicely. There's nothing worse than a failed plan." He said remembering some of the dilemmas he has been in when a plan failed.

"Indeed it is fun to kill, there are so many ways to do it one for each mood." He said thinking of all the spells he had used to kill. "Plus there are the muggle ways too, not as exciting but more slow. Useful if you want them to suffer." He said standing up and walking up behind her at the bookshelf.

"I can't say i have. Does it make interesting read?" He asked interested in whether it was worth a read or not. His life was very action packed at the minute being the dark lord and headmaster of Hogwarts that reading an unnecessary book just wasn't worth his time.

Briony nodded at Hades, she knew that he wasn't really a man of books and she thought that he might be interested in a more magical approach to kiling so she put the book back on the shelf with a small shrug. She had volumes at home that were more interesting and if Hades chose to read that book she had it herself, in better condition too.

"It's alright, not exactly magical ways to kill more like toture devices and what not, you can leave the creative department up to me then and the rest of the organization can just kill with the explotiation of the opponents weaknesses."

Briony smiled, she didn't think it was a very fair fight to straight away use the other weakness against them but it made for an easy battle, and showed clever strategic planning.

"Why are we talking about ways to kill people?" Briony more stated rather than asked in a deadpan voice "Lets change the subject, what's your favourite food?"

Briony grabbed a book and curled up at the foot of Hades chair, crossed legged once more.

"Oh i love to torture if i have the time otherwise i just want them out the way." He said twirling his cane once around his hand. "I would just love to see you angry." He said wanting to imagine her on a killing spree.

"Because killing is a fun sport, besides its what we do. We need to stop anyone that gets in the way of our goals." He explained wondering why she wanted to change the subject. "What?" He asked lifting one eyebrow and giving a little laugh. "Why do you want to know what my favorite food is?" He asked curious as to why she had asked him this. He wasn't used to having normal conversations like this, usually they contained some sort of evil plans or talk.

He watched her sit and read, reading her face as she seemed comfortable around him. He was used to the fidgeting and agitated look everyone around him had but she was different. Usually people couldn't wait to leave when near him but she didn't. Which confused him.

Briony giggled, she was right about Hades after all. She knew that if she tried to change the subject she would put him right out of his comfort zone but it upset her too, she wondered why he never had normal conversations like this. Surely he must have done once? Just a normal friendly conversation, she looked up into his face and smiled brightly, she made a promise to herself to change all of that right now.

"Of course I want to know what your favourite food is." Briony giggled "We are going to have to get along aren't we? So may as well get to know each other properly not just about how much we like to kill other people."

Briony shut the book delicately and she lay it on one of the many tables stained with coffee and what looked like blood.

"My favourite food is Lasagne, I love Italian food it's so homely and fattening."

Briony smiled and lay her head on the arm of Hades chair, normally she fidgeted a lot and she wondered if Hades would mind her being so close, she decided she could always move if he told her.

"I suppose we are but i don't really have a favorite food all food is the same to me." He said thinking this was a bit random but she did have a point. He made his way back to his chair and positioned his cane beside him, where he slightly tapped his finger on the serpents head.

He watched as she put the book to one side, giving him her undivided attention. "Hmm." He said considering her answer, Italian food was nice but so was english food. He never did understand why people had favorites. "How is Italian Lasagna better than English. They are both made the same way just made by different people." He said wanting to know who people distinguished between them both.

He watched her lay her head on the arm of his chair with one eyebrow raised, it wasn't everyday some trusted him to get this close. He wasn't sure himself why he was allowing it, usually they would of been cursed into the next room. He didn't trust anyone and usually when people were this close they were up to something and he didn't like. Instead of jumping to conclusions he looked deeper into her mind to find the true mean this.

Briony smiled and lay her head on the arm of Hades chair, normally she fidgeted a lot and she wondered if Hades would mind her being so close, she decided she could always move if he told her.

Briony smiled again she knew that would have been the answer from Hades, he seemed in these things very much like a child with not many experiences especially regarding people so she thought that she must do something to correct that, she wanted Hades to be able to experience all things and get to enjoy life, because, as she often thought, you could not be able to enjoy them tomorrow.

"I could have guessed that you would have said that," Briony giggled "They are very much different, it's the influences, most English food does not use pasta mostly potatoes as that's what's mostly grown here carbohydrate wise so they don't know how to cook it as well as Italian chefs, Italians use mostly fresh vegetables and pasta for their dishes."

She took out her wand and conjured some Italian Lasagne and an English one, she held out the fork to Hades.

"Here, taste. See if you can guess which is which."

Briony took the hand that Hades held the fork in and she captured some of the Italian Lasagne in it, waiting for his verdict.

"Why, am i that obvious?" He said not liking what she was suggesting. He had always been a figure of fear, but she seemed to be missing it and he didn't know why. "Really, all food just tastes the same to me no matter where they are made, it makes no different to me." He said shrugging the subject off. He got bored very easily when talking about something that didn't matter to him.

He watched as she conjured two plates of food he guessed one Italian plate, one english. She passed him a fork but he hesitated. "Is this this really necessary?" He asked not taking the folk, he didn't like to eat, he only ate when necessary and even that wasted time.

The folk was placed in his hand and placed on the plate to pick up food. "Really this is not necessary." He said dropping the folk onto the plate.

Briony glared at him and the food was poofed away in a cloud of black smoke. She quickly moved away from him to sit in the window sill, she couldn't understand this man, she was attempting to be nice and there he was snubbing her. She wouldn't be nice again. She would be as cool as she was with others, any emotion she would show would be fake and calculated.

"Very well do what you please."

Briony let the silence envelope them she would refuse to speak to him and as she peered out of the window she looked at all the people passing by below and she wondered what their stories were, where they were going, what they were doing. She refused to look at him, what a proud arrogant man she thought. It's only a bleeding lasagne would it have hurt to have eaten it? No. He's just being a troll.

He gave a little snigger at the look on her face as she got angry. Not many people dared get angry in his presence, this girl had guts which is why he liked her. Either that or she was stupid but the first sounded right. He watched as she made her way over to the window to watch the wizards out in Diagon Alley.

"Fascinating isn't it wondering what they think? Are they with us or against us? Do they believe as we do or not?" He said picking up on her thoughts and standing to reach for the bottle of firewhiskey to pour himself a drink.

Briony still did not look at him but she focused in on a group of wizards, a family, and she felt a pang run through her, she quickly dismissed the sadness and replaced it with a look of disgust she hated families. She didn't see the point in them, children could grow up on their own without the troublesome parents and the parents wouldn't have to have the burden of children. She laughed at Hades statement, she didn't care either way.

"I don't care what side they are on really. Either they will be killed or they will comply and join us. There is no grey area. I don't care whether they decide to join another, we are all adults, we can all make our own choices, just theirs will lead to death."

Briony played with a strand of her hair to relax herself.

"I don't know why this works you know."

She was angry with him that much was clear but he didn't care he didn't really like people that much when he felt like this. "Well thats the point, it doesn't matter they are all going to go the same way or they die simple." He said spinning his firewhiskey around in his glass.

"I like the way you think, you have the makings of being coming a great witch." He said sitting back down in his seat to watch her body language.

"What works?" He asked not sure what she was taking about.

Briony smiled again, she turned to face him and she walked over to where he sat, sitting once more at the foot of his chair. She didn't see the point in remaining angry with him, why create bad feeling? He was just like that and she would have to get over it, little personality faults would have to be tolerated. She grinned up at him and began to twist her hair again.

"When people play with my hair I always relax. It works quite well. Don't worry it's not a major weakness, not like in the middle of a battle someone's going to yank me to the side and play with my hair till I fall asleep."

Briony laughed, she thought that if anyone tried to do that to her without warning then she would likely punch them in the face. She smiled and continued to play with her own hair.

Hades couldn't help his moods most of the time he was like this others he was jokey, she had just met him on a bad day. "Really i wonder why that is?" He asked wondering whether there is anything else he should know about her. She had cold hands and liked her hair being played with. He checked his watch and realised Arsen would be waiting.

"I have to go. I will owl you about the first meeting when it had been arranged." He said standing and making his way out of the room. "Oh just one more thing don't tell anyone. We aren't ready to let anyone know about us just yet." He said walking out the door.

Briony nodded and she watched as he got up to leave. She sighed and sat in the chair that he had just left and grabbed a book, flipping to the first page she began to read once more. Smiling a little at the familiar faces of pain in the Dark Arts book that she had read so many times.

"Very well. Goodbye."

Briony waved her languid hand at Hades and waited to hear the door click to signify his departure.