Dog Days are Over

"Heal! Heal! Heaven!" Ash grumbled as she chased after the dog. Really, now was the time the animal chose to misbehave? In a random part of a random country she didn't know? Honestly. "Heaven! I swear to god, just because I love you doesn't not mean that I won't skin you and make you into a new coat if you don't stop right this instant!"

The dog healed at the edge of the alley, where the openning widened into one of the busy streets, and looked at her with skeptical eyes. They both knew that that had been an empty threat. Ashleen loved that dog more than anything else in the world. Except perhaps...

She shook her head, and leaned down to give her pet a hung and a pat, rufffling her fur.

"Good girl," she cooed her breath coming out in white vapor in the cold air. "I know your excited too, but we're Professonals, aren't we Girlie. We got to keep ourselves together. Remember, you're supposed to be the smart one. You keep me in-line and I feed you."

She smiled and patted the dog once more, and straightened. She was about to continue walking when she heard footsteps behind her. She tensed, and he hands balled into her pocket.

Winter was approaching, which was why Lena had been in Hogsmeade that night. After all, winter clothes were difficult to choose from, and they had to be the right fit or they'd fit on her wrong. She knew that wrong winter clothes can make a person look awfully wrong, especially if they were the wrong size.

Instead of going by the sure A and going through the roads which lead directly to Hogwarts, Lena chose to go through the alleys instead. As she went through them, she distinctly wondered why people didn't go by here often. Sure it was sort of dark, but other than that it wasn'tscary or haunted or anything stupid like that.

As she walked, she heard a girl's voice yell at someone. They were sort of harsh, but Lena had heard those words - albeit in a different phrasing - so she wasn't too entirely shocked, just a little startled. As she turned a corner, there the girl was, a few steps in front of her. She sighed, staring at the beautiful blonde hair she possessed.

Lena's steps grew minutely quieter, but she could tell just by instinct the atmosphere had gone a lot more tense than it was a couple of seconds ago. For one, it was deathly silent. Two, it just didn't feel right. And three, it was dark, an everything seemed to be distorted in a quiet place like this.

"I won't kill you, you know," she announced, her tone somber.

Ashleen smirked at the words, still not relaxing. She wasn't stupid; the pesron who let their guard down was the one that ended up dead.

And she wasn't interested in dying quite yet. SHe had plans, places to go, people to see.

"Ah, but I feel like anyone would say that," she said softly, turning to look at the girl. "I mean, if you admited that you were, I'd just run away... or kill you first."

She shrugged, and tilted her head as she looked the girl over.

"Russian?" She had heard it in her voice, the accent. SHe knew that accent - she knew it very well. Her own english rang out in an odd combination of American, with just a hint of Russian from years of being surrounded by it.

The Uchitel crossed her arms, trying not to break and scream swear words at this girl. "What would you know about killing, anyway?" she snapped, her eyes narrowing. She then stifled an empty laugh. "I sincerely doubt you know anything about killing anyone," she challenged, her eyebrows furrowing in concentration, "unlike me - not that I should egomanically boast. I have actual blood on my hands, I really do."

Lena burst out laughing - though it wasn't the kindest of laughs - at what the girl had said about the accent. "Really?" she panted between the waves, shaking her head furiously, "you... you really think I'm Russian? Nice try, buddy." She then stopped laughing and observed the girl's accent. "I definitely know there's a tinge of Russian in there..." she whispered; she knew because she herself was Russian and would therefore be an idiot if she didn't know. "Mostly... well, it's not British. And by the casual cadences your voice has I'd say you're American."

Ashleen started at the girl for a long moment and she questioned her about killing. She gave her a smirk that was both amused and bitter.

"Congratulations," she said her voice flat, as she tilted her head, her blonde hair falling over her shoulder, "Though from my experience I find killing for whatever reason isn't really something to brag about." At least Ash didn't do it. She did the job, got it done then never spoke of it again.

Instead of being offended at the laughing - she had met people far more intimidating than this girl - Ash tilted her head and listened as she spoke.

"You are quite right forgive me. German, Russian - it is probably tactless of me but I end up lumping them all together anyways," she gave a small smile, this one not necessarily friendly, but closer to it. "My ear has been straining to hear russian so recently that it will take the closest thing there is."

"Philadelphia born and raised," she quipped with an incline of her head.

"Oh really?" Lena spat, now seeing the face of the girl. From what she could tell, she was pretty, and deep in her heart she felt somewhat intimidated - Merlin, why must she be so self-conscious at such crucial moments? - but she wasn't going to tell her that. "I don't, actually," she retorted, "I just wanted you to know that if I wanted to kill you, I have the means to do so. And plus, killing out of vengeance is so twentieth century." She mentally slapped herself for sounding like Dommi, and the thought of that girl alone wanted to make her weep, which made her lip quiver.

"That's nice for the Germans and Russians," the Uchitel snarled, close to revealing that she happened to be both and she was heavily offended. Thankfully, her common sense stopped her from revealing any of it. "If you want to hear Russian then why don't you pack up and go to Russia, then?" she snapped, "why are you even here, anyway?"

Ash inclinde her head, "Well that's good. I will factor that into my reaction if you do ever intend to kill me.."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, and she let out a soft hum as she noticed the girls bottom lip quiver. She would ask if she was alright, but Ash knew from personal experience - meaning herself - that some people don't want their weaknesses on display, so she pretended not to notice.

"Well then Not-Russia, your pretty insightful there," she gave a small smirk that softened into an almost smile, "I know a few people who should be told that message."

Her smirk turned into a full smile as she thought about going to Russia.

"I am, very shortly. Here? I'm just...." she trailed off for a moment before her smirk returned, "I'm just doing some jobs for my dad - threatening a few people, reminding a few others to stay in line - making sure everyone knows whos in charge here, before I go and reunit with my one true love." Her tone was playful and joking, making what was at least half truth sound like a smart aleck lie on her tongue.

She did enjoy doing that. It gave her father a heartattack everytime she passed off Mob secrets as jokes. It just gave the young girl a thrill.

Lena only sighed loudly, at an attempt to show her exasperation. She also stage whispered, "Well, I'll only kill you if you've killed someone I care for. Or... if I just really don't like you." And considering that only seemed to be two people in the entire world, and the chances of this girl meeting the both of them was extremely unlikely. Merlin, she hope the odds were in her usually damned but sometimes reasonable favour.

"Insightful? Me?" she echoed, her tone a mix of mock shock and plain irritation, "I've always thought I was being clever, my darling." Even though it wasn't necessary, her voice was drowning in sarcasm, the sort she never bothers to use unless she was with people like Ksenia or when she was feeling annoyed, which seemed to be all the time, nowadays.

"Fascinating," Lena replied, nodding her head a little too vigorously for it to be believable, "so you're an errand girl, are you?" Even though she should at what this girl has just said, Lena felt no remorse of meaning nothing to her own father. She tilted her head to one side and squinted her eyes, "Well, about time I should ask. Are you a Hogwarts student?"

Alexander is walking along. His face and arms are severely cut up. had he trained too hard? maybe? not him this was normal. he saw the grils and waved a little with a fake smile yet convincing. "hello ladies. nice day correct?"

Ashleen just smiled at the girl. She liked her, even if she seemed determined not to like Ash. The other girl had spunk - Without an automatic weapon Ash felt like she might just give her a good fight.

Not that Ash really wanted one.

Besides, Heaven had stayed by her side the whole time, not once barking or approaching the girl. If the dog liked her, that was enough for Ashleen.

"I told you Darling, I'm just taking a bit stop here; I'm on my way to Russia - Durmstrang is where I suppose I'll be heading after the break."

She was about to introduce herself when Heaven did bark. Looking down at the dog curiously, she looked back up to see the boy who was rather cut up. She raised her eyebrow.

"I do believe that its actually night, at least thats what they call it when the sun goes down in america, maybe the lingo changed on me," she smirked a bit at the boy. "Though whether you call it day or night I'd say it doesn't look so nice for you - I'd ask if you at least got the other guy, but from that damage one would think you'd have had to left him dead for you to have the upper hand right now."

Other guy? this is from his blood snakes but he sighed. and laughed a convincing enough fake leaugh "yeah sure hope i get him next time. so where are you ladies headed?"

Ashleen raised her eyebrow at the boys laugh, it was rather good, however Ash had been detecting fake laughs and reading faces since she was nothing but a wee kid. She could tell that she had confused him.

And that amused her.

"Its an American saying cowboy; you you come home all beat up, you're supposed to say 'You should see the other guy'," she smirked and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "as I said before however, you would have had to leave him dead for all that to look like the winner."

"Who says we're heading anywhere; perhaps I want to be right here. Alley's are all the rage you know - I could be doing shady underhanded buisness that needs the protection." She raised her eyebrow and flashed the boy an angelic grin.

"You're going to be in Durmstrang?" Lena echoed, raising an eyebrow, "sounds thrilling... well, you know one person there already, but I won't be back until the summer." She pouted, though it was clear it wasn't a clear pout.

She then turned towards the other boy. "Oh, I suppose it's a nice evening," she replied, before she watched the blonde and the boy talk, and she couldn't help but cringe at the boy's fake laugh. After all, having Charles as an ex-best friend taught Lena a lot about body language and how to distinguish real from fake laughs.

"Totally," Lena agreed, nodding in assent to the blonde's words, "alleys have been since, like, ever."

sp these girls were mainstreem? great. Alexander sighs "i did this all on my own ladies. there was no other guy. so if you think im intimidated by two girls yiure nuts."

"Aw, such a shame," she smirked at the girl, "I'll make sure I keep your spot warm for you "at Durmstrang. I'm sure we'll be the best of friends... eventually."

She raised her eyebrow at the boy.

"I don't know about Germany over here, but I wasn't trying to intimidate anyone," she blinked innocently. "Though I must say, that I am offended for my gender that you are underestimating us by that. I could have spent the last ten odd years trainig to take my families place in the mob, and Lena here could have a fettish for daggers and have killed someone."

She smiled innocently and shrugged.

"All random examples with no context, but you never know. We could have. Just saying."

"I would appreciate that," Lena replied, smirking, "and the thought of being best friends one day warms my heart." Of course, it was all out of sarcasm, but it may as well come true.

"Whoever said we were trying to intimidate you?" the Uchitel asked, agreeing with the blonde girl, "we were merely stating the facts. Not like they're true." She then turned her head so she could watch her speak. She had to admit, she handled this pretty well, even better than Lena herself could handle it. By now, she would have exploded into a raging fireball.

Ash just smirked at the girl.

"Well then, I'll send you an owl," she joked, her eyes twinkling with her usual dark mischief, "We can have tea."

Running a hand through her hair, she stopped to look at her watch.

"Oh well would you look at the time," she said with fake surprise. "I got places to go, and people to initmidate."

Giving them all a wave, she whistled to Heaven, and the two went back down the Alleyway, brushing past the boy and disappearing into the night.