Something with Squares (Open)

Sam was back to near enough full health again and didnt look like the walking dead anymore. He felt much happier in himself. Although there were lots of things he had to stress about, he thought he'd go for a walk with his dog Wolfie and escape all that for a while.

With the school year over, Sam didnt have to worry about going back to the school to explain himself until school started again, so at least that was one less thing to worry about.

Without realising it first, he had absent mindedly walked in the City of Azorat and stopped to rest in the square. He laughed to himself when he clicked on; he must of had a thing for Squares now since staying with Crystella.

He sat on a bench, leant back with his eyes close and a smile on his face. He liked the pre-evening light. What a day. Crystella had gone to the muggle world for a while so Sam was left a bit lost and unsure what to do. He hadnt really been in Azorat properly before. He wondered if anyone else came here.

Charlotte walked through the square where she had encountered her mothers body guard last time, she had forgotten until it was too late to stop herself coming in here.

Biting her lips and squeezing her sketchbook close to her chest she walked quickly through the square, so quickly she dropped all of her pencils on the floor and she bent down to pick them all up.

"Oh stupid me."

She muttered.

Sam and Wolfie looked up at the same timed when they saw a young girl, a first year student, entering the square. She looked nervous about something. Sam couldnt pick up what though becuase his sense hadnt been working. She had white hair and reddy-pinkish eyes. Sam thought she looked like one of those cute albino short eared rabbits.

She was carrying what looked like art stuff. She was in so much of a rush that she dropped her pencils. Sam slid across the floor to help her pick them up. "Ooops" He laughed, passing them to her. "You ok?"

Wolfie fetched the ones that had flew astray, picking them up genlty in his mouth and placing them in Charlottes lap. He wags his tail at her and nuzzled her hand wanting to be stroked.

"Your name is Charlotte isnt it? You wont know me but im the caretaker Sam. Do you like drawing? I doodle from time to time but they're never that good ha ha"
Sam realised he was being weird and overly-chatty again. He hoped he hadnt freaked the poor girl out.

Charlotte sighed and bent down to pick up her art supplies and she blushed a little bit when the Hogwarts Caretaker rushed over and helped her to pick up her things. Eyeing the large dog warily Charlotte took the pencils from it's mouth and placed them back in the wooden where she kept her pencils.

"Thanks."

Biting her lip Charlotte decided she might as well be polite to the nice man even though she was worried that she would end up giving personal information away or that he would be an agent of her mothers.

"I-I-I'm Charlotte Matthews."

Looking at the dog again she shied away from it, her frequented Cats form sparking her dislike for the animals.

"No problem" Sam smiled warmly at her.

He could see she seemed a little nervous or dubious. "Hey, dont worry i dont bite ha ha, and neither does he. Wolfie, come here, stop pestering her." The dog sat down by Sam, still wagging is tail at Charlotte, only a little sadder becuase he didnt get a stroke.

"Are you ok? What brings you out here in such a hurry? Oh wait, im not keeping you from anytihng am i?"

Charlotte smiled gently and stroked her hair behind her ear, smiling bashfully she shifted her easel up under her arm further and tried to make it a lot more comfortable. Deciding she would place her things on the floor Charlotte clasped her hands in front of her.

"I'm sorry, I am just not fond of dogs."

With a quick smile Charlotte gestured to the darkening sky around her.

" No I was just heading home, wouldn't want to stay out too late, you never know what might happen."

She let her eyes dart around the square searching for anyone or anything there that shouldn't be.

Wolfie whined and pretended to play dead.
"Awwh, you've broke his heart now ha ha" Sam laughed. "Alright then, i'll keep him at bay."

Sam didnt realise it was getting dark so quick. Were where the days going?

"Oh you live around here do you?" Sam smiled. "I guess thats why you didnt go back to the muggle world like a lot of students then. Then again, you're a pure blood arent you? So why would you i guess. Gosh, i ahvnt been home in a loooong time ha ha."

He watched her eyes dart about. "Is something wrong? You shouldnt worry, if anyone was about Wolfie would hear them and would probably bark or stand to attention or something. If you're worried about running into someone, i'll be happy to act as a body guard and make sure you get home safely."
Sma really hoped that didnt come across as dodgy or anything becuase his intentions were good.

Charlotte grinned and tried to relax just a little bit so that Sam wouldn't be so worried about her. Even though he was keeping 'Wolfie' at bay she still eyed him warily. Her ears pricked up when he asked her whereabouts she lived and Charlotte bit her lip not wanting to tell him.

"How did you know I am pureblood hm?"

She asked kind of interested in how he would have done this, maybe he just read her records in school.

"Some people cannot even be sensed by dogs, cats or any other type of animals. Forgive me...I shall try not to be so paranoid."

Tilting her head to one side Charlotte grinned again and sat down on one of the benches surrounding the Square getting out her sketch pad and licking the nib of her pencil and beginning to draw the outline of Sams face in the moonlight.

"You have a good face for drawing you know."

Wolfie whined, disheartened that someone was so weary of him. But Sam could understand, Wolfie was a huge demon dog after all; if you didnt already know he was a softie it would be a hard thing for someone to believe.

"Hmm? Oh it was just a guess. Most pure bloods live in the wizarding world their whole lives, else they'd return to the muggle world."
He was glad he 'sense' wasnt working, otherwise he really would freak the poor girl out.

"Really? Which people?" He wonder why she seemed so paranoid. Maybe she had been hurt by someon before and found it hard to trust or relax?

"Oh do i? Why thank you" He chuckled, then tried to remain still as she sketched him. He didnt think he had that many good features to sketch; as a clown maybe.
He loked forward though to seeing some of her artwork though, he had heard she was quite the talented little artist.

He was worried how dark it had gotten though. "I hope you'll at least let me walk you to the top of the road of wherever it is you live. Its a bot dark out for a girl your age to wander the streets at night alone."

Charlotte frowned gently at Sam and cocked her head to one side with a stern look on her face, why was he so nosy? Was he working for her mother or somthing? Sam seemed like a nice guy though and she didn't want to be rude to him.

"Just...people."

Trying to avoid the question Charlotte got more focused onto her work and she quickly moved on to shading Sams hair in and making sure that the texture was right. Gently she dotted his chin for the light stubble he sported and began to draw in the eyes.

"You have very hard eyes to draw, its hard to capture all the emotion within them, not like thats a bad thing I like a challenge."

Smiling up at him Charlotte shook her head:

"No thank you Sam I would prefer to walk home on my own."

Sam didnt mean to come across as nosy, he was just concerned. Why would such a young girl seem so afraid and dubious? Then again, he was wary towards people as a kid and young teen becuase of how his uncle used to beat him when he got drunk. He hoped Charlotte hadnt been abused. She seemed like such a sweet girl.

"Oh, ok then" He wasnt going to push the subject if she didnt want to talk about it.

He was quite excited to see the finished product. He had heard she was quite the talented young artist.
"Oh erm, thank you" He chuckled. He never really saw much emotion in his eyes, they were always dull or blank. He guessed this was because there were people in his life that emant he didnt have to feel numb anymore.

"Are you sure? I really dont think its safe for a girl to walk home at night on her own. At least take this then." Sam passed her a lucky protective keyring charm from his pocket. "It'll keep you safe. Please, just for peace of mind."

Charlotte frowned and rubbed something out with the back of her pencil, smiling as she redrew it right she managed to finish the face and moved on to making some detail and shading upon the neck of Sam.

"Almost done now."

Looking up from her drawing Charlotte took the charm from his hand and smiled slipping it into her pocket so that Sam would be contented with her taking it.

"What a curious little thing."

She smiled and with a flourish she signed the back of the picture and showed it to Sam with that Charlotte bit down hard on her finger and drew a symbol on the picture making it come to life and move like a wizard painting.

"All done."

He was glad she took the charm, but he hoped she's keep it and not just throw it away. It was supposed to bring good luck and keep bad luck at bay and protect you from serious harm. It had a charm on it to shield someone from a dangerous blast from a wand or a bad fall i.e. bad things that could mess you up, for up to 3 times. He didnt want anytihng to happen to her. She meant a lot to quite a few people.

"My uncle used to make and sell hundreds of the things" Sam laughed. "Me and my friend always robbed a load of charms when he wasnt looking. My pendant is a charm that doesnt work much anymore" Sam pointed to it. He didnt usually wear it on the outside of his shirt but on the inside so it was close to his heart; Cryssie had chosen it for him.

When Charlotte revealed the drawing Sam's eyes widened with amazement. "Oh wow! That is so very good." He admired it and smiled. "I would quite happily buy a million pieces from you. You could have a real future in this."Sam sat beside her on the bench to have a closer look. "Wow... skills like yours, you wouldnt think you were 11 going on 12. You'd think you'd been a professional artist for decades."
Sam smiled kindly at her. He didnt know whether she wanted keep it as a momento or if it was for him. Either way, it was good and he hoped she'd keep hold of it.

He pulled a hair from his head and turned it into a white thornless rose with purple trim at the end of the petals. He didnt know why, but for some reason he thought he should make it smell like burning. "For you, as thanks for taking the time to say hello and draw such a great picture." He smiled.

He popped a solar sweet in his mouth and breathed out a cold rainbow flame that exploded with mini stars. He laughed; he loved that the sweets did that. He tossed one over to Wolfie and offered Charlotte one from the bag. "Want one?"
He hoped she wouldnt be paranoid and think they were laced with poison or something, or that he didnt come across as dodgy as he had just made himself sound. He never thought about the implications of the things he said. But he was just trying to be friendly. Sam tended to forget he was 24; he still felt like he was a kid. He laughed as Wolfie barked out flashes of rainbow flames. He doubted Charlotte would have ever seen sweets like that before, unless her family had ever placed a special order to Stargazer Square for them.

Her eyes narrowed as Charlotte took in the rather crude design of the pendant, no doubt it was pretty but there could have been so many other things done to it to make it better, but, who was she to judge it might be sentimental. A smirk broke across her face, and the reason why it doesn't work? It was created crudely.

"You like it? Then you can keep it as a gift of our weird meeting together."

Charlotte blushed as Sam gave her the rose, she thought it was a very sweet gesture and it was really odd that he had managed to make it her favourite colour as well, and as she sniffed it the smell of burning wafted through her nostrils calming her.

"Thank you Sam...it's a lovely rose."

Before Sam had even asked her if she wanted a sweet Charlotte had begun to eye them up with curiosity and she wondered what exactly they were, she had never seen them before and as he asked her if she would like one she nodded. Waiting, naturally, to see if he ate one first Charlotte grinned when he did and popped the sweet into her mouth.

"You're too kind Sam, these are lovely! What type of sweets are these? I've not seen them in the shops before, are they new?"

He wondered why she was smirking at his pendant. Was it really that crap? His uncle had made much better ones, but they were kept in a locked cabinet and harder to swipe.

"Awwh, why thank you. But wouldnt you like to keep it to remember what i look like?" Sam laughed. "Then agen, i guess its hard to forget a mug like mine ha ha!" He took the picture and admired it again. Weird meeting huh? Most of his meetings with people ended up that way, but at least they were memorable.

Sam smiled and laughed lightly as she blushed. She looked dead cute as the tips of her hair turned pink. He was glad she liked his little trademark of personalised roses.
"Yea, and the best part is they can live for ages as well. Im guessing they'll bloom as long as i do or as long as you do."

Sam laughed at her excitement and curiosity over the solar sweets; he buzzed when he tried them for the first time too. Their flavour was indescribable but fantastic.
"Ha ha, they're solar sweets from Stargazer Square. Im not sure if you'll have heard of that place? Its a secret you see, only the select few are lucky to go there becuase the owner is very particular. You can only get these sweets on special order"
Sam smiled and passed her the card for the shop .
"You call them, they tell you all the amazing things they make, you make the order and they deliver. They dont even charge you most of the time or they let you keep a tab. And actually no, they've been made for years, they're just not sold in normal sweet shops; they're only made specially becuase the ingrediants are hard to come by so they wouldnt be able to keep up with consumer demand."

Sam's thoughts started to drift as he thought about Stargazer Square.
"Its really pretty there; laterns light the streets and float about in the sky, and the sky is always a clear night filled with stars and the tree's shine silver like moonlight. The people specialise in astronomy equipment and can actually make real stars that you see in the night sky, and jewellery and all these beautiful robes etc. I wonder if i'd be allowed to show you some day, but you'd have to keep it to yourself. Mother Celleste, the owner, wouldnt be too happy with a load of students about the place im afriad."

With a small smile Charlotte shook her head and the hand that had held out the drawing flopped back onto her lap and she looked up into the sky with wide eyes, she loved the night, she loved the stars and the cold and the emptiness that came with them. One day, she hoped to do justice to them in her art, all her attempts so far, lets say had been flawed.

"I remember everyone I meet. Everyone. Especially the nice people."

A sad tinge graced her smile as she pressed the rose to her cheek, letting the softly fading smell of burning waft into her nose, sighing happily Charlotte continued to gaze up at the sky and for an odd moment wanted to say something personal to Sam...but she bit her lip...should she say it?

"When, when I was little. I was fasinated by the stars, I still am, and I believed that when we died we became a star to look down on our family and our friends as they aged, to protect them. And all the bad people, became black holes...but I guess...there would be a lot more black holes than stars if that were right hm?"

Gazing sadly up at Sam Charlotte took the card and slipped it into her waistcoat pocket, listening to him talk while all the while focusing on something else, trying to keep the memories at bay.

Sam leant back on the bench and looked up at the sky with her. He loved how peaceful the night sky could be too. He just wish he was able to enjoy ones when there was a full moon.

"You must have a good memory then. I sadly tend to forget people, well, unless they're really memorable to me. I dont think i'll soon forget a girl white snow white hair and ruby red eyes."

She seemed to be holding back on a lot of things. He hoped she was ok. He listened attentatively with a kind smile on his face to her. "I believe that too you know. You wanna know why? Were i lived, there were hardly any stars in the sky, but when my mum died, a new one appeared right in the empty space. It may be that person, or it may be the Stargazer Square people who make the new stars to commemorate a person. There's bound to be something else out there. And bad people already have black holes inside their souls; they're not fit to grace the skies, only special people become stars. Thats why the sky isnt filled with black holes Charlotte. Yours will be an amazing little star. But i dont think there will be a star for me."

He waffled off again. "You know, star-nymphs when they die, first become a bed of beautiful lunar flowers." He plucked a hair from his head to demonstrate what they looked like. "Then the flowers burst into millions of silver butterflies that flutter up into the night sky." The flower in his hand burst into a few silver butterflies that danced around Charlotte before flying upwards and disappearing. He hit himself for being an idiot though and discussing such a sad topic with a young girl. But he could see she wasnt really listening.

He bent forward and turned his head to look at her. Maybe she was tierd or bored of talking to the weird caretaker and just wanted to head off home?
"Are you ok? I make a good listener if something's bothering you you know"

Charlotte smile grew even sadder and she drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them as she often did when she was sad, she didn't know what it was about Sam but it made her feel like she could talk to him despite his very forward personality, she knew that if she asked him he probably would never tell another soul what she had said.

"And that is the only reason why anyone ever remembers me...oh look at her isn't she odd? Mummy whats wrong with that little girls eyes?"

She spat out the words, dripping with hatred for the people who knew nothing about her yet insisted on judging her on first glance. Charlotte softened her expression as Sam told her that he believed her about her views, secretly in her heart she wished that it was true, she wanted nothing more than to be a star up in that sky...

"There will be a star for you Sam...I am sure of it...but me, I can change myself into anyone I wish and there will still be a black hole eating away at my heart."

Sniffing lightly Charlotte closed her eyes and let the wind ruffle her long hair in the breeze.

"What an honour it would be...to be beautiful in ones death like that...I wonder, if I turn into a star nymph could I die as prettily as that?"

Smiling sadly at Sam she shook her head her hair covering her face:

"There is nothing I can say that you would want to hear."

It saddened Sam to see Charlotte seemed so upset; it wasnt right for a girl so young to harbour so much hatred and despair.

"No, that wont be the only reason i remember you. Charlotte Smith, a girl who's very pretty, artisitically talented with her heart to the stars and her name etched on the hearts of many." Sam smiled warmly at her, and hated that there were so many douchy people in the world.
People could be idiots. 'Ha ha look at the weird boy talking to himself becuase he has no friends.' 'Eeew, why is that guy in a tent / Stay away from him he could have all kinds, eugh.'
People judged before they even knew; thats why he sometimes felt he was better off alone, but being alone for so long nearly killed him.

Sam raised an eyebrow and frowned. He placed his wand on her chest and listened to the other end of the wand like a stephoscope. "Nope, no black holes in there. Just heavy weights and burdens that a girl your age shouldnt have to bare all alone." Sam sat back and stared at her as she let the wind run through her hair. He always liked that feeling too.

"I dont think its as easy as becoming one, well, unless one infused with you, but if you befriend one or even a celestial fairy, they would give you that if you wished. I'll put a good word in for you if you want with Mother Celleste or i could take you to meet her sometime so you could ask her. If she judges your soul to be good, she'd make you an honorary nymph. You already have the white hair like they do, so you're already half way there ha ha. But hey, dont think of death when you're so young."

He moved her hair out of the way of her eyes and tucked it behind her ears.
"You could try me. You dont have to talk to me though if you dont want to. I could just talk to you, but i dont wanna bore you to death with my drone of a voice."

With a sad sort of hollow laugh Charlotte pushed the wand away from her chest and she let the laugh taper off into an odd sort of sob, she grabbed her hair and ragged it trying to stop herself from being so emotional, so stupid. Sam doesn't want to here the confessions of a traumatised Slytherin...

"You cannot pretend to know my heart Sam...it's broken and bruised and sometimes it even hurts like it's actually broken and bruised but thats just stupid, just me over reacting."

Waving a languid hand dismissively at her comment Charlotte peeked up from her curtain of hair and blinked her eyes rapidly trying to keep the tears away, she smiled and chuckled, Sam still didn't understand what she was did he?

Her eyes closed and she let a warm feeling run through her body turning her into what she assumed must be a star nymph having never met one before. With a sad smile at Sam Charlotte faded back to her normal self and bit her lip choking back a sob, which she failed to do and she started to cry softly.

"I don't know where to begin..."

Sam was growing increasingly more worried.
"Hey hey hey" He grabbed hold of her hands to stop her from pulling at her hair. "Whatever's the matter, dont beat yourself up and pull your lovely hair out over it. There's nothing wrong with being upset you know. Its not weakness. Its a quality that makes someone human and real."

Sam listened and his face saddened. He could relate; his heart often felt broken, or as if there was a knife driven through it constantly being twisted.
"Im not pretending that much. There's something wrong with your heart isnt there? Something that your worried about? And you're not over-reacting. You should really talk to someone who your close with if you feel that way; you shouldnt do at your age, its unjust."

He wished his sense would work so he could pick up more about her.
He watched as she turned herself into something. "Oh my word, you're a shape shifter. Wow." Sam was amazed. "And actually, you're not far off." Sam showed her a photograph he had took once of star-nymphs and lunar-maidens reciting poetry and lazing by a fountain. Star nymphs and lunar maidens were some of the most exquisitly beautiful women to ever live. "Who knows, you may actually have some of their blood in you somewhere as a descendant."

He didnt know what to do as she started to cry, so he just reacted as he would do with any other person. He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her gently, stroking her hair.
"Shhh... dont cry Charlotte..." He wiped a tear away with the back of his hand. "You dont have to tell me if it upsets you. But begin anywhere. Anywhere at all. If theres something that has been nagging at the back of your mind and hanging over you for a long time, get it off your chest, try to release some of the pressure of keeping things bottled up for so long."

Charlotte looked at Sam a little confused, did he know something she didn't? The pain in her heart it was just emotional right? It wasn't actually something wrong with her heart? Dismissing this comment as a misinterpretation Charlotte let herself be taken into Sam arms and she lay her head on his shoulder nuzzling it slightly into him to make her feel more comfortable.

"Me? Have the blood of the most beautiful people in the world in my veins? Don't make me laugh Sam...actually thats quite a good joke you should tell that one at parties."

Sarcastically Charlotte tried to stop her sobs but she failed miserably and continued them. Taking loud shuddering breaths she got herself composed enough to speak and when she did so it was in such a low whisper she wondered if Sam would even hear her:

"I'm scared Sam. Too many things are happening all to fast. I've been alone for years and now I have a boyfriend, and I have a new father..."

Shuddering lightly Charlotte pressed her head into the crook of Sams neck making it damp with her pearly tears:

"I don't want him to be like my other father! I can't handle another one I just can't! My father, my biological dad, he died just before I came to Hogwarts and he had been...well he wasn't very nice to me..."

Running her hands up and down her arms she showed the bite marks to Sam:

"He used to lock me up...in this tiny room and send in a Wraith to hurt me, he used to feed my poisoned food that I had to eat otherwise I couldn't come out of that room and he used to make me...he used to...well my mother she left him because he was too soft on me and he got...he got lonley a lot."

Sam hoped he hadnt said something weird again, or had had a sense of things that hadnt even happened yet; the poor girl seemed like she had enough to worry about as it was without him contributing.

"You shouldnt have such a low opinion of yourself... i could stay here all night and day telling you how pretty you are, but then i think the police would cart me off ha ha"

He let her cry, trying not to cry himself as it pained him to see others cry. It was a good thing he had wolf hearing, becuase her voice was so soft is was almost a ghostly whisper.
"Im sorry to hear that. Its a shame you just couldnt press pause on the world, eh? But you dont need to be scared about being alone if you have people again. I was alone for a long time too. Cobalt Smith is the man who adopted you right? And you like that boy Arsen dont you?"

Sam tensed slightly. Most of the women he had met since coming here had not had the best relationship with their fathers who were abusive both physically and sexually to them. Was it something about being pureblooded and living in the wizarding world that just made the men severly messed up in the head? It angered him to think that anyone would be that much of a bimhole to lock a girl up in a small room. He didnt know what a wriath was, but he knew they were nasty little things. The whole idea of Charlotte's father sickened him, and he felt so overwhelmign sorry for her. If only he could travel back in time and rescue her form all that. He didnt really know what to say to it all.

"I highly doubt Cobalt will be anything like your- him." He stroked her back and squoze her into him tightly, not caring about being drenched with tears. "No-one will hurt you like that ever ever again Charlotte. You have people to protect you now. And if anyone dares hurt you, you tell me and i'll feed them to Wolfie."

Charlotte let Sam hold her and she lay her head on his chest barely keeing herself from crying out, screaming full force at the world and it's cruelty, she whimpered as she wrapped her fingers in Sam's hair, curling them and uncurling them in the brown waves that framed his face.

"Yes, Cobie is my daddy and I'm going out with Arsen yes..."

She muttered into his chest and Charlotte left her head there not wanting to move for fear that she would start crying again because she had just managed to quell the tears running from her eyes.

A short hollow laugh escaped her throat at what Sam said, there were people to protect her but there were also more and more people out there to get her with every passing day, she was sure of it. Charlotte whimpered again and started to cry once more.

"My biological daddy loved me too...until he got sick...what if Cobie gets sick? What if Cobie gets a lady and she makes him sick? Makes him hate me?"

Charlotte gently played with Sams hair again, as it calmed her a little bit:

"I'd prefer it if I was on my own in this, I don't want people I care for getting hurt because of me...do you understand?"

He rocked her as she cried and stroked her hair as she fiddled with his. It broke Sam's heart to see a young girl cry like this. No-one should ever be made to cry like this. Ever.

'Cobie..' 'Daddy...' It was hard for him to imagine a tough scary guy like Cobalt baring such titles. Maybe there was a soft side to him past his hard, kill-crazy exterior.

He passed her a clean handkerchief from his pocket and passed it to her to dry her eyes with.
The laugh worried him. It meant what he said didnt mean anything; that she felt unprotected.

"Im sure Cobalt wont get sick Charlotte honey" Sam cooed. "And no-one would hate you; and i doubt any woman would have power enough over Cobalt to make him feel any differently towards you; he cares about you so very much, notihng will ever, ever change that."

Sam sighed sadly at the next thing Charlotte said and looked down at the floor. "I understand yes..."
More than enough people in his life had come into harms way becuase of Sam. Its why he didnt like to let himself get close to anyone if he could help it; the consequences were never good.
But he had also learnt that being alone for so long wasnt healthy; it ate away at a person inside.
"But at the same time Charlotte, no-one wants to see you be hurt in any way; and you shouldnt have to be alone or afraid anymore."