Stargazer Square - The end draws near but it matters not (Howl & C)

Since arriving back to the Square with Crystella after his fight with Kerew, all Sam had done is sleep.

His wounds that made him wince when he moved or breathed too harshly usually woke him up for a little while, just long enough to eat or drink something before going back to sleep.

He must have looked terrible. He felt it. He was so groggy and tierd. But he hadnt slept so well in a long time. He wasnt having as many nightmares now. And waking up to see his head in Crystella's lap with her smiling down at him made him feel so at peace.

"Arrr...ow.." Sam strained himself to sit up and reached for a glass of water.

"Good morrow lazy bones." Crystella smiled at him, bringing him some toast. She looked tierd too. "How are you feeling? I'm just going to change your bandages and clean the wounds becuase i need to check if they're healing ok."

"What about you? How are your wounds healing?"

From the second Sam had entered her home in Stargazer Square, he had just slept. They were both exhausted from the ordeal. Sam was cute when he slept and it made her laugh to herself.
She was doing her best to be a good nurse and get him back to full health again.

They slept side by side, the sight of one another made them happy. Crystella had almost forgotten how much she missed being around Sam or how much she really loved him.

She had just woke up after falling asleep in her armchair. Sam was starting to stir so she went to make him something to eat.
"Morning lazy bones. How are you feeling? Im just going to check your wounds ok?" She unwrapped his bandages and got warm water to wash his wounds.

She carried on bathing his wounds and smiled weakly. "Doppleganger bodies dont heal Sam. The damage they sustain stays with them. Its like when you chip would or porcelian, you cant undo it. But the pain isnt there anymore, so dont worry about me Sam."

He had a strange look on his face. "Whats wrong Sammy? Whats on your mind?"

"So thanks to me...if you sustain any more damage... thats it for you...?"

He looked to the side in deep thought.

"I'm just thinking... about a lot of things really. Like how the entrance to this place is different to when we were kids... how we met with the whole letters things... what Kerew meant by we're not family... "

He turned back to look at her and cupped her hands in his. "Can you try to explain all that to me please... i just need to mak sense of it all... so i dont feel as weird... then i might go on a walk to try to make sense of it all and clear my head... give you a break from me for a bit... plus Wolfie needs a walk...."

"I'm afraid so yes. Doppleganger bodies are fragile. But dont blame yourself Sam, i put myself in that situation."

"Oh yeah... when we first saw the entrance we were little... it appeared as a door with a star on it in the garden wall at Herricks... we were only allowed in there for a few minutes... but thats how i was able to see the star fairies... we thought that was just a dream didnt we?"

"You cant go for a walk Sam in this state." He stroked his thumbs over her hands. "The letter thing was Saizilia's idea..." She tensed at the mention of Kerew.

A pain came over her. She couldnt verbally tell Sam the truth about Kerew. Her hands shook as she fought off the pain as she reached for a photo of Herrick and wrote 'not father'. On a picture of Kerew her trembling hands struggled to write 'adopted'.

She passed them to Sam and squeaked out in pain. He looked worried but she shook her hand at him to gesture for him to ignore her a sec, she would be ok.

Sam felt so guilty. He knew he would really have to try to protect her from Kerew now if he didnt want to lose her. One more hit could be enough to destroy her for good; he couldnt let that happen.

He was only half listening to Crystella really. His mind kept wandering off. It figured it would be Saizilia's way of doing things to mess with him. Crystella would have just been outright rather than waste time with all the games.

She was trying to tell him about Kerew, but he remembered the curse put on her that uased her terrible pain if she tried to reveal he caster's secrets. She wrote something on two photographs and passed them to Sam. She squeaked out in pain and he went to move to rush by her side but she shook him away. He looked down at the photo's.

If a state of mind that kept a person stable and in reality was a sheet of glass, Sam's was just shattered.

He let the photo drop to the floor and he raised slowly with his head bent and his hair covering his face. All this time... his family was just a lie... He had stood by Kerew through the belief that it was his duty as a family member... all this time... and Herrick never told him....

"Why...didnt he tell me...? Why exactly does Kerew hate us... please tell me..." He spoke in almost a strained whisper. His chest was tight and his arms and legs felt numb. What else was he in the dark about? "Did Sezzy know...?"

The look on Sam's face and the grim countenance that shrouded over him scared her a little. He was just stood there with his head bent. Crystella couldnt tell if he was shaking with shock or frustration. It was like something in him had just broke or snapped.

She could barely hear what Sam was saying. She didnt want to mess with his head any more, but she thought it unfair NOT to tell him.
"Herrick...didnt want anyone to know...he didnt want you and Saizilia to treat him differently, make him feel ostracised. He wanted Kerew to believe that he was really his son... in order to replace the son that died... Saizilia... hasnt...always known...but she has known for quite a few years... its why she acted weird with him when she was a teen..."

She knew Sam would be upset with Saizilia being told and not him. Crystella went over to a drawer and pulled out a old family tree. Written down its side was the Howlin family story.
"I think its time you read this... Herrick told me to keep it safe...until it was time for you to know... to realise what... what you have to do... what all Howlin's are born to do..."

She placed it on a the armchair and tried to look into his eyes. "Please say something Sam, you're scaring me." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Sammy...?"

Crystella placed something behind him. The family tree and story. His mother had told him the story of the Howlin origin once when he was very small, but he couldnt remember it. He was supposed to fulfil a role as something as a Howlin...? He didnt like were this was going. Did his family just want to use him now?

Sam spoke in a serious low voice. "Sezzy has known for all this time and never told me...? Herrick confided in her but not me...?" He took hold of Crystella's hand as she laid it on his shoulder. "Why...?"

"It's becuase he wanted you two to be friends. He thought you'd be a good influence on him. Instead, he was a bad influence on you..."

"I think... i think i need to go get some air for a while..."

Crystella nearly jumped when Sam spoke. He didnt sound like himself and it worried her. She tried to explain things, try to get him to sit down and take it in calmly for a minute. He tried to walk past her; he always tried to run when things stressed him out.

"Sammy wait!" Crystella cupped his arm to stop him from leaving. "Just read it first, please. Just try to understand, Herrick never meant for this to happen. He never meant for Kerew to find out. And he didnt want you to find out under such circumstances. Please... You can go for a walk after you've read it. If you dont read it now, i know you, you never will..."

He stopped when Crystella grabbed him but he didnt look up from the floor. She was almost pleading with him. But she was just making excuses for Herrick.
"That man is dead to me now... but for you, fine, i'll read it, but then i need some time to think ok?"
She released her grip. "Shall we read it together... or do you want to read it alone...?"
"I think i should read it on my own..."
"I'll go and make you something else to eat and drink then yea? If you need me Sam, just say, ok?" Crystella wandered into the other room.

Sam sat down in the armchair and opened the piece of parchment. He looked at the family tree. Kerew's face has been blacked out from it. Good. So it should be after what he had done. He looked at his mothers picture and stroked his hand across her face. He missed her so much.
The story down the side of the page read:

'For as long as there have been Howlin's, there have been their fated enemies the DeNoir's. The origins of the hatred between the two families can be traced back hundreds of years. The Howlin's, although a lower class than the DeNoir's, have always sworn to protect and watch over people that reside alongside them. We our a noble and caring breed of people. The DeNoir's are our opposites, selfish, sadistic, cruel. They steal, they mercilessly torture, they brutally kill.
They stole a precious family artifact from our family and did unspeakable things to a few of our kinsman who guarded it. We have fought to get the artifact back ever since and have sworn to kill every last one of the psychopathic murderous DeNoir family as they have sworn to kill us so they stand unopposed.
A branch family, joined through marriage, doomed the Howlin's to turmoil and misfortune until the last of the DeNoir's is killed. If the last of the Howlin family is killed, then the DeNoir family will be able to break the seal on the artifact and obtain many ancient powers; magic that had been lost to scriptures for centuries.
The Howlin's do not strive for power as the DeNoir's do. We exist only to protect and put our lives on the line if need be. In the grand scheme of things both families can be considered inadequate; such rivalry is kept under wraps. But whether it is important or not, it is a fate that cannot be escaped until one family wipes out the other.'

'Wipes out'.... Sam leant back and inhaled deeply, exhailing with a sigh. So that was it. Crystella sat beside him.
"How did Kerew find out...?"
"He was breaking things in a tantrum and found Herricks secret drawer in his desk. He found the adoption papers and researched the name 'DeNoir' and found out his connection to them. He feels Herrick has wronged him, robbed him of his birth-right to be a more powerful wizard. Herrick thought he could prevent Kerew from becoming an evil psychopathic egomaniac, but you cant change a persons genetics... "
"Phuh... i guess that explains why he learnt french... and why he's so sick-minded... and why he's always set out to torment me...." Sam sighed. "Im going to go for that walk now." His voice was almost a whisper but she let him go.

He couldnt even tell anyone about it. Plus, he would have to kill Kerew. It wasnt in Sam to actually kill anyone; he had never harmed a soul in his life, but it was either him and his family or Kerew and if it came down to it, it would be Kerew.

Crystella tiptoed about in her kitchen. She thought it was a bit extreme of Sam to say Herrick was dead to him, but she could sort of understand. He may have just had an anger spiral in the same way he had depression spirals. They had had such a pleasant few days together, and now all this had to ruin it.

"I'm sure he doesnt completely mean it Herrick..." Crystella thought, knowing Herrick would hear her. "He's just mad right now."

After a while she returned intot he living room and sat beside Sam. She was trying to fight Herrick's corner and explain things to Sam.

Sam got up and headed out for a walk. She let him go. He needed time to himself. He never really talked about things that bothered him.

She read the parchment. "Poor Sammy... all that pressure over an artifact... over something that happened centuries ago... i wish i could do something... If i can, i will. I'll save you again... or at least i'll try..."
She put the parchment to her heart and made a promise. "One day, the pain will end Sam. The pain will end. Maybe all too soon..." A tear rolled down her cheek as she put the parchement away. In her life clock, she saw her fate that was soon to come into truition...

It was nightfall when Sam finally returned to the Square. The air had helped clear his head for the time being. He had ventured around Hogsmeade and the forest mainly. He didnt think himself in fit enough state to return to the school to explain himself yet; his wounds still needed more time to heal and he looked like the living dead.

He had returned to Fanglor Alley to fetch something. Having time to think about all sorts of things also give the oppurtunity for one to mind their mind up about all sorts of things. Luckily, Kerew wasnt in his apartment waiting for him that time, and Sam was able to slip in and out unnoticed.

He entered the living room to find Crystella half asleep in a kind of meditative state. Had she been waiting for him all this time? And what was the mediatation for? And the symbols she had drew on and around her...? Somethign either Herrick or Saizilia has taught her most probably.

"Crystella..? Wolfie and I are back."
She shook herself out of her state and the symbols disappeared.

Crystella has been worried out of her mind about Sam. Why had he been gone so long? Had he ran into Kerew? She withdrew the spell book she, Saizilia and Herrick had designed together and drew symbolss on her arms on on the floor around her with special ink. She put herself in a meditative state and spoke with Herrick and Saizilia.
'What should i do with him guys? Pleeeaase... im running out of time and im scared...im scared for Sammy...'

It had been hours. Suddenly she heard the door click and Sam speak her name. She shook her head to snap herself out of the trance.
"Sammy!" She was so happy to see he was alright. She jumped up from the floor and threw her arms around him. "Where have you been? I was getting worried"

Sam held Crystella in his arms and smiled warmly. "Im sorry to keep you... i had to go and get something...i've been ok, you dont need to worry."
He kissed her tenderly and smiled into her eyes placing his hands on her face. "Im glad to be back. I feel like hell..."
She smiled back at him and placed her hands over his. "You look it too." She giggled.
Sam laughed back. "Ok ok, i'll go clean myself up. Cut my hair, shave. You know, make myself handsome for you." He winked and kissed her again before going to clean up.

"Hey Wolfie, whats this thing Sammy had to go and get then?" She knelt down and ruffled the dogs neck.
"I can hear you you know!" Sam laughed. "It's something for you. Im sure you'll like it, but you'll have to wait im afraid my dear"

Sam checked his jacket pocket to make sure it was still there. Thankfully it was. He cleaned himself up so he didnt look frightening any more. He removed some of his bandages and put on some new clothes. He wanted to be presentable for this. He wanted things to be perfect for her.

"Hey Cryssie!" He shouted from the bathroom. "I'll cook tonight for a change yeah. Theres some money on the side. I want you to go buy your favorite drink with that for us ok?"
"Whats the occassion....?" She shouted back.
"Wait and see" Sam poked his head around the door and gave her a cheeky wink.

Crystella nuzzled her face into Sam's shoulder. She was so relieved to have him here with her again. She took hold of his hands and kissed him back.

He went to clean himself up. He looked a little rough, but he was always handsome for her.
She spoke to Wolfie, loud enough for Sam to hear, curious as to what Sam had taken to long to go and get.

"It's something for you" He replied.
Something for her? Really? She smiled to herself and got all excited. "Oh dont make me wait you meanie! I hate suprises!" She whined playfully.

What was he up to...? What was he planning...? Wanting to cook for a change... she didnt know whether to be worried or not, but she'd go along with it for him.

She pulled a tongue at his wink and headed out to buy some comet-tail cocktail bottles and some cosmos-chocolate gateuax. Sam wasnt the best cook; she needed to have something edible for afterwards.

Sam made Crystella's favourite dishes: steak and spaghetti bol. He whistled as he cooked.
"Dont worry Wolfie buddy, i've made enough for you."
Sam ruffled Wolfies head and the dog barked and licked his chops.

Sam layed the table and lit a few candles. He tidied around the house for her and waited for her to return.

He heard the door click. Right on time. The meals were ready. He layed the dishes on the table.
"Welcome back" Sam smiled. "What did you get?"
"Just cocktails and gateaux" Crystella smiled back. "Come on Sammy, whats all this about then?"

Crystella was amazed he hadnt burned the house down on her. She could smell her favourite dishes. He was so sweet to remember.
Candle-lit dinner? What was he up to...?

She smiled at him and put the gateaux and cocktails on the table. "Come on then Sammy, whats all this about?" She giggled as she poured the drinks.
"All in due time, all in due time" He teased.

Crystella twiddled her fingers. She didnt want to ruint he atmosphere he was trying to create but Saizilia insisted and they didnt have time to waste. Sam had to learn to let go of anger and accept himself.
"Sammy... Saizilia wants you to do something..."
"Can it wait until after dinner babe?"
"Yea..."
Sam pulled her chair out for her to sit down. "Thank you good sir." She winked jokingly.

Sam could tell Crystella was troubled by something. No wonder if Saizilia was involved, wanting Cryssie to do more things to screw with his head.

They sat down to eat, Wolife had the biggest serving on a plate on the floor for him.
"Bon appetit" Sam lifted his cocktail glass in a toast. "Come on Cryssie, relax for a minute. Dig in. Whatever it is, it can wait until after dinner cant it?"
"Alright Sam. And wow, you havnt burnt anything." She laughed.
"I know right" Sam laughed back.

They let their dinner settle in their stomachs for a while.
Then Sam stood up and pulled her into him for a slowdance around the living room. He rested his head on hers and kissed her forehead.
"I love you you know Cryssie... i really do... Can you love me depsite everything thats happening, becuase i want us to be together... i want us to have a family one day..."

Crystella giggled at Wolfie as he gobbled at his plate. She was amazed that Sam's cooking actually tasted pretty good. "My compliments to the chef. Well done Sammy" She smiled and relaxed a little.
She sat back in her seat after she was finished. "Im stuffed ha ha. I think i'll give the gateaux a miss for now. How about you Sammy?"
"Same!" He laughed.

After about 20 minutes Sam suddenly walked up to her and pulled her up from her seat which shocks her a little bit but she just giggled and blushed. She rested her head on his shoulder as they danced together.
She smiled and a tear rolled down her cheek as he confessed his love for her.

"I love you too Sammy... and i want that for us too" She placed a tender loving kiss on his lips. "I can love you despite all this. But can you love yourself?"

She pulled him in front of her full length mirror. "Sammy, i love you no matter how you appear. But have you ever actually seen what you look like as a wolf? Have you ever looked at it and felt sympathy?"
"What...?"
"Saizilia wants you to look at yourself and just accept it... let go of some of this anger you have... she thinks it may help you. PLease Sammy, do it for me..."
He was reluctant. He didnt want to look at it.

Was she seriously asking him to look upon the face of his beast side? Saizilia had a sick sense of humour when it came to hurting him, but this was just below the belt. He didnt want to look at it. How could he not feel anything but hate towards his condition? "Alright Cryssie... for you... but we stop when i say alright?"

Crystella nodded in agreement and cast a spell Herrick had discovered to make Sam take on the appearence of his wolf self without haivng to go through the transformation or losing his mind. "Specio Formosis"
Sam closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he saw his wolf self for the first time. He took a step back in disbelief."Whats the point in this anyway...How is this supposed to help me...?"
"We want you to stop hating yourself and your condition. We want to show you that you're no less the man you are normally."
She wrapped her arms around his and nuzzled her face into his chest. He held her back, careful of his claws. "See? You can still hold me." They continued to dance. "We can still dance together." Crystella stood on her tiptoes and kissed his face and stroked his cheek. "We can still love eachother... Look at it Sam. Look for the things that make it human. That make it you. Your body may change Sam, but i dont think your heart does."

She let go and Sam stared hard at his wolf self for a long time. "Turn me back please Cryssie... i dont want to look any more..."
"Preclaras." Crystella reversed the spell and knelt beside him as he returned to his normal self. "You can still love me...? Love that...?"
"Yes."
Sam smiled at her and withdrew a box from his pocket. "In that case, i want your owl to take this to your real body." Sam withdrew a gold chain with his mothers wedidng ring and an engagemtn ring attached to it. "When you wake up, this'll be proof that i love you above all others and that we'll be together soon. When you wake up, i want us to get married Cryssie."

Obviously, it was a bit of a shock for Sam to see his wolf self. He didnt want to, but he had to stop hiding from it and just accept it as part of him; as part of the man she loved.
She embraced him, danced with him; she wanted to show him that it didnt matter what he was; that it shouldnt stop him from living his life.

She knew she was asking a lot of Sam. He stared hard at himself for a long time until he just couldnt anymore, and asked her to turn him back. He couldnt believe that she could love him like that, but with her entire heart, she meant it when she said "Yes". She didnt hesitate or waver.

She saw him withdraw a box from his pocket and put her hand up to her mouth in a shocked gasp. 'Oh my god!' She thought. 'Is he proposing to me?!' She felt like she was going to faint. Happy tears swelled in her eyes. His mothers wedding ring. It was all he had left of her. He wouldnt give that to anyone unless he was serious about being with them. The rings were beautiful.



"Oh Sam..." She said tearfully. "I..i dont know what to say... Yes! Yes of course i want to marry you!" She lunged forward and hugged him. "I better hurry up and wake up" She laughed through her tears. Despite her end drawing closer, there was nothing else she wanted more in the world than to marry Sam.

Sam was nearly crying himself when he saw Crystella's reaction to the rings. He had carried the rings around with him for years. Out of all the things he had lost, he had always managed to hold on to these at least. He was sure of it; it was becuase he was desperate to give them to Crystella.

He held her back and let out a happy cry and laugh when she said yes. She would wake up, he was sure of it. They could make their own fate. Screw Kerew. Forget what Saizilia said. They would be together again and nothing else would matter.
"I also have a ring just for you to wear. It's a ring that Herrick and I actually forged. I kept it, to give to a woman just for the sake of loving her." Sam slid it on her finger and pulled her back into the hug. She admired the ring from behind Sams back. "Its unusual and beautiful; a rare gem just like you Cryssie. I want you to wear that for every day we love each other. Promise you'll never take it off for as long we live?"


"I promise Sam." She cried as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

They may not live for much longer; that was the impression she was giving him, but he knew their love could not be stopped by a barrier such as death. He could defy fate, he was sure he could, he wouldnt let Cryssie die. He would go to her. He would wake her up. They would get married and live together happily. Thats all he wanted in the world, to just hold Crystella in his arms forever... as his wife... and never lose her again... never be apart from her again...

Sitting their crying happily together, holding eachother; Crystella had dreamed of this for a long time.
Another ring? She was overwhelmed, she couldnt believe how beautiful they were.
"Gee thanks, im unusual" She laughed through her tears. "You cheesy romantic git you, of course i'll never take it off. I promise; i'll wear these rings forever and ever."

She had to stop the sad tears from breeaking through. Was she wrong to do this to Sam? To get his hopes up when their love was doomed? Then again, maybe Saizilia was wrong? Maybe they would be able to be together. Thats all she wanted...

Wolfie jumped on them both until they ended up on the floor laughing happily and being licked to death by an excitable Wolfie. This is all she wanted. To never be apart from the man and dog she loved with all her heart.

Nothing would be able to part them... the bond they shared was too strong. They would get married some day... they would...