Believe

"I'm bored."

Destini wasn't by anyone right now. But that didn't stop her from talking to herself. She didn't care if anyone suddenly appeared and questioned her sanity. Everybody was a little insane anyways.

Sitting up, Destini dug through the dirt a little bit. She wondered if she would suddenly find something, with a long history connected to it. At least it would keep her occupied for a few minutes.

Scuffing his shoes against the ground, Julian sunk his hands deeper into his pockets as he strolled, eyes staring blearily in front of him. There had to be something out there to cheer him up.

He couldn't just be stuck like this forever, right?

At the sound of a voice, he tilted his head in that direction, looking over at the blonde digging in the dirt. Walking up to her, he watched her for a moment, staring blankly. "What are you doing?" he asked after a moment.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Dust asked, raising her eyebrows. Dusting off her hands, Dest stood up and looked at the male. He was familiar, perhaps he was in school with her.

Dust hoped that the boy didn't push. Secrets are supposed to be secrets.

"It looks like you're digging through the dirt." Julian pointed out as the girl stood up. Getting a better look at her now that she wasn't down on the ground, he blinked his blue eyes at her. Well, she was rather pretty. And somewhat familiar. "Have we met before?" he asked with a tilt of his head. "You've probably heard of me, even if we haven't met, though. I'm Julian Rousseau."

Mustering up a small smile, he glanced back down at where she'd been digging. "So, trying to reconnect with your childhood?" Julian looked back up at her, smirking slightly.

"Well, then I know you are not blind then." She admired his blue eyes, they were pretty. "Your name is familiar. You must go to Beauxbatons, I am Destini." Holding out her hand, Dust hoped the boy didn't have a heirloom on his hand. It had happened plenty of times before.

"When boredom calls, you do strange stuff," Dust replied, avoiding to have to say what she was really doing. "What brings you here, to this lake."

"Yep, these blue eyes do their job." Julian said with a nod. "It'd be a shame if they didn't, really. So many pretty things out there to see, so little time." Looking at her for a moment as if he was trying to memorize her face, he shook her hand. "Yeah, sixth year Prideux. Your name's pretty," he commented.

"I can't disagree with that. People do really weird things when bored." Shrugging her question off, he glanced past her at the lake. "No reason, really. I just like it here."

Destini was unsure if that comment was pointed towards her. Plenty of boys before had flirted with her, she was no stranger to that. "Thanks," Dust replied, smiling slightly. "Sixth year Vallee."

Relieved that he dropped it, Dust sat back down. "I have always enjoyed swimming, so more than once I have appeared here. The lake never disappoint me when I am bored."

Turning her view to the lake, Dust was suddenly tempted to dive into it. The girl always had to be careful when swimming in this lake; many people have dropped their items into the lake.

"I wonder what the other Wizarding schools are like," Dust blurted out suddenly, not entirely too sure why she thought that.

"You're welcome," Julian said, inclining his head slightly. They were in the same year? She looked younger than he did. Shrugging it off, he nodded. "Sure you're caring? I've met a lot of Vallées who aren't very..." he trailed off, searching for the right words before finally settling on one. "Valléelike." And sadly, he had. Lodie was the only person in that house he seemed to be able to stand being around.

Sitting down beside her, Julian glanced back over at the water. "Yeah," he said softly, "I like swimming too. It's relaxing, being in the water." Pulling his knees up to tuck underneath his chin, he clasped his hands together. Would it be such a bad way to die? Drowning? It'd be peaceful, wouldn't it? Just letting the water take you? Mentally shoving that thought away, he bit his lip, frowning. Did he want to die? The thought of it terrified him, but living as a shell of his former self did too.

Looking back at Destiny, he shrugged. "I've met people from other Wizarding schools. They're in old castles and whatnot. I'll stick with my palace, personally."

"Oh, sorry, I meant fifth year." Shaking her head at her own slip up, she messed with her gold locket. Her mother gave it to her right before she went to Beauxbatons. It was a about as big as an american dollar coin, and shaped like a heart with ivy engraved on it.

"Well, I say I am caring enough, Julian. I don't go around helping everyone I see, but I do help when people are hurt," Dust replied, raising her eyebrows. Dust herself was caring, but secretive. Nobody knew about her gift, and she knew very few people who she gave nicknames for. To her, nicknames was for close family members, and best friends.

Watching him, a look went across his face as if he was thinking about morbid thoughts. Sighing quietly, Dust was tempted to elbow him. But that was a friendly gesture, and this boy hasn't made it to that point yet. "Stop thinking like that." Speaking as if she was scolding him, she couldn't help but smile a little. Just a little though.

"One person. And he didn't like me. Apparently, if I run into him in a rush and walk away without saying sorry, I am a frenchie who is stuck up." Pausing, Dust played with a rock. "Hogwarts seems like a friendly school, though they probably have a bit of a ego. After all, Hogwarts is the most popular school there is. And Durmstrang... I wonder if it is as Dark as everybody thinks." She probably couldn't even enter the school anyways, she didn't think they let muggleborns enter.

"You can't remember what year you're in?" Julian teased, raising an eyebrow. Well wasn't that just adorable? But she wouldn't stay that way. Life made people grow up and face things they don't want to. It was just a matter of time. Absentmindedly copying her, he fiddled with the chain that always hung around his neck, the one Lisette had given him last Christmas.

"Good," he said softly, nodding. But wasn't that what they all said? No one was going to talk about what a terrible person they were unless they had serious problems. "You'd better stay that way," he joked, though his light tone and slight smile didn't reach his eyes. "Because as your prefect, I could take house points off once we get back to school. Or who knows?" he asked airily, nudging her softly. "You might gain house points for good behaviour." Julian winked.

"Thinking like what?" he started, pulled out of his depressing train of thought to look up at her owlishly. God, if there was one thing he'd always been and always would be good at, it was lying, both to himself and the people around him. But he was thankful for Destini pulling himself out of those thoughts. Because if he'd continued thinking that, he wasn't sure where he'd end up.

"Some people," he muttered darkly, shaking his head. "He's the one who obviously needs the crash course in manners," but at least he didn't tell you that if you ever saw him again, he'd kill you. Ignoring the thoughts of his father, he scratched the back of his head, staring up at the clouds as he tried to remember his conversation with Iris. "I bet Durmstrang's crazy. They probably get into tons of fights. But then, it's freezing there all the time, what else do they have to do? They probably are pretty Dark, but I guess you'll never know until you go there yourself." Nodding in agreement, Julian said, "When you think of European Wizarding Schools, you think of Hogwarts. For better or for worse, seeing as they raised Voldemort and all."

It is Destini, not Destiny

Blushing slightly, Dust protested. "I just made a slip up, after all, I am human." Noticing his chain, Dust admired it. "I like your necklace."

"I'll do my best. I don't plan on changing." Laughing quietly, Dust shook her head slightly. "Taking away points for that? Isn't that abusing your power?" Dust questioned, teasing a little bit. She was glad over the years, she had learned how to be a bit less cautious at hiding secrets, but still keep them. The girl was actually able to enjoy conversations now.

Shocked at his nudge, the girl froze slightly. She wasn't used to such a friendly gesture, it was rarely given to her. In fact, she didn't remember the last time she received one from somebody outside of her family.

Giving the boy a look that she did not believe him, Dust wondered why Julian was so secretive at certain things. "You are a great liar, but I knew that look. Can't fool me."

"I think they would be used to the cold, wouldn't they?" Destini questioned, curious. Destini was a type of person, where if she was curious, she would keep pushing. "Have you ever met a person from Durmstrang? And I am not going to judge an entire school, off of one person."

"I never said you weren't," Julian said amusedly, smirking slightly. "Actually," he said softly, leaning over to whisper in her ear. "It's kind of cute." Pulling away with a smile, he glanced back at the lake. "Thanks," he glanced down at the necklace between his fingers. "It's supposed to be for good luck, and well, I'm not dead yet, so it does it's job."

"Nah," he said with a shake of his head, a little glimmer in his eyes. "See, most of the people I take house points off need the wake up call. Which usually works. Or they get pissed off and beat me up." Shrugging, he leaned back on his arms. Getting beat up was sadly, something he was used to.

Watching her freeze up, he drummed his fingers against his knee. "Sorry," he muttered. These days, he absolutely hated being touched. He couldn't blame someone else for feeling the same way.

"I really have no idea what you're talking about." Julian said, if possible, his face blanker than before. Shaking his head, he continued to stare at her.

"Probably, but I've never gotten used to the cold here." he said with a shrug. "I met a girl who's been to both Hogwarts and Durmstrang in Azorat. She was pretty nice, actually." Really, most of the people who he'd met that were reasonably alright were the people he only saw once. A little frown etched onto his face, he pulled his knees up closer to his chest.

Refusing to blush, Dust looked at him, straight in the eye, smirking. Putting one finger on his chest, Destini gently pushed him away. "Thanks for the compliment, but I don't do flirting." Her eyes twinkling, Destini laid on the ground, closing her eyes.

"And you fight back, right?" Dust asked, sitting up, her elbows supporting her. "And how about you leave that to other people to do? It doesn't seem to work out very well for you."

The girl shrugged sheepishly. "Its alright." Dust thought about telling him the reason why she didn't do it, but then he would just questioned why she was this way.

Dust refused to give up. He was lying, and Destini knew it. "Really, you can stop the whole lying thing. I am not going to ask what you were thinking, but I really can't stand lies."

Blinking in shock, Dust shook her head. "Talk about cultural change. All I know is France, I would have a hard time adapting to England or Russia for the school year." Destini tilted her head as she watched him. Everything about him spoke about something bad. What happened to him?

"Do you wanna talk?" She asked gently, concern obvious.

Flinching slightly at her touch, he nodded, moving a little away. "Got it," he said softly before brightening up. "But if you ever change your mind..." he trailed off, raising his hands nonchalantly as he shrugged, smiling.

"Of course," he said as if it was the most obvious question in the world. "If I didn't, I'd be, well not dead, they wouldn't try to kill me, but I'd be a lot more bruised." Nodding, he glanced over at the lake, humming softly.

Giving her a little smirk, he raised an eyebrow, "I guess we both have issues with being touched."

"Fine," Julian sighed, lying down, staring up at the clouds above. "Yay, I lied, aren't I a great person?" he muttered sarcastically, more to himself than to the girl beside him.

"I've been to both, but only for little day trips. They're nice, the times I've been there." Grinning as he remembered what had happened between him and Drea at her house, he drummed his fingers against the ground.

"I thought we were," he frowned, sitting up to look at her better, tilting his head.

Opening one eye, Dust snorted. "Julian, in a hundred years. I really like being boy free at the moment. All that drama... right now, it's not worth it." Giving him a little smile, Destini closed her eye again. "But I'm surprised. I actually enjoy talking to you."

"You wouldn't be bruised in the first place if you didn't start a fight," Dust pointed out, shaking her head.

Sighing, the girl bit her lip a little. "I have trust issues. But probably not for the same reasons if you have them."

Frowning at Jul, Dust thought about what she should say. "You are not a terrible person. You just prefer to keeping your troubles, to yourself."

"Which is your favorite place? And why?" Talking about this, was making Destini go visit. She had easy access to the places, if her parents let her.
Seeing his grin, Dust chucked. "What happened at one of the places?"

Giving him a look, Destini sat up. "Something is wrong. Like... you faced bad stuff before."

Shrugging, Julian gave her a little smile. "I can respect that." It wasn't like he was going to hate her because she wasn't like him. If he was like that, he'd be rather alone in the world. "What? You didn't think I can have an actual conversation?" He shook his head, his eyes bright.

"Yes well, it wasn't my fault. He comes up to me, practically confesses that he stalks me, and I take house points off. And them I get attacked. It's very much not fair." He shook his head again, now in mock sorrow.

"I don't have trust issues, I have issues with being touched. Two very different things."

Shrugging, he shifted, now sitting cross legged and pushing down on his knees with his hands. Really, when she put it that way, he sounded almost noble. But that wasn't why he didn't tell his Angels about his dad. It was because deep down, he was terrified that they'd all treat him differently. "Maybe," was all he said, accented with another shrug.

"I like Britain better. I actually know what they're saying there." he said, laughing softly. "Oh, you know." he said mysteriously, smirking. "We had fun."

Well, she was going to find out sooner or later. When they got back to school, he expected that to be the only thing on people's minds. "I got beat up over the summer," he shrugged nonchalantly as if the memories didn't haunt his every waking and sleeping moment. "Almost died."

"Thank you," Dust said softly, staring at the lake. "I rarely enjoy a conversation, with a stranger. I have high standards, or so what my family says."

Raising her eyebrows, Dust snorted. "Stalker? Are you sure that male wasn't a girl? You seem like the ladies man, maybe he is gay," Dust teased, laughing softly. Digging through the dirt softly again, she made sure to avoid rocks and that kind of thing.

"You have issues being touched, because your past consists of being hit when you are touched?" Dust questioned, her blue eyes burning bright. "That's similar to trust issues."

Groaning playfully, Dust resisted the urge to start laughing. "O.k., do not tell me what happened then." Shaking her head, Dust knew that she wasn't entirely too surprised.

"Oh my god," Destini breathed, blinking in shock. Dust wasn't going to ask him, how anybody could be that horrible (She has seen many things happen in her flashes) but.. to Julian?

Her eyes stared at his necklace, and she knew at that moment, that he was probably wearing it when it happened.

Without an warning, Dest hand was raised and touched his necklace. Since there wasn't much history, it was easy to filter through the past, and stop at the one she wanted.

She sat there, in a trance like stage as she saw what was happening before her eyes. She was lucky that their wasn't much history; if there was, Dust would have felt the pain. But Donat couldn't be reasoned with.

Picking Julian up by the collar of his shirt, he pulled him up to his feet, "If you EVER try using magic on me again." he wasn't yelling. And that scared Julian more than anything else. Fingers tightening around Julian's throat, the teenager began a full out panic attack....

Julian groaned, falling onto his back and then almost immediately holding back a scream as Donat began kicking at his ribs, the telltale cracks of bones breaking like gunshots.....

The vision continued, and Dust was now crying openly towards the end of it. It was horrible, one of the worst things she had seen in her visions. Before, Dust has always avoided objects that could have a horrible past, but now...

"I.." Dust started, when the vision ended, her hand now on the ground. "I... Got to..." Without finishing her sentence, Dest shot up and ran away.

"I'll talk to anyone. Except those who annoy me, and really, I have friends I don't really talk to. Partly because we're - I don't know. We're friends, but we're not really close, but at the same time you know we can never hate each other, because we're both so...." Julian frowned, trailing off with a shrug.

Letting out a snort of laughter, Julian said, shaking his head slightly, "I wouldn't be surprised. People really seem to like me."

Inclining his head ever so slightly, he nodded slowly. He'd been getting hit for years, ever since he could remember, yet he'd been fine with being touched until only a few short weeks ago. Maybe it'd been the almost dying part that had affected him so much.

"Your loss," he sang, smirking at her, his blue eyes bright.

Shrugging, Julian glanced down at his feet. And this was why he was glad that most people had heard about it. Telling them illicted this sort of response out of them. "It's not as bad as it seems. And besides," he tore his gaze away from his shoes to give her a weak attempt at a reassuring smile. "I'm here, right? That's the most important part."

Flinching back from her sudden movement, he froze and then relaxed when her hands gripped the necklace around his neck. Looking from her fingers curiously up to her eyes, he tilted his head. "What are you -" but he snapped his mouth closed, opting instead to just stare at her.

Frowning as she began to cry, he blinked rapidly. What - he hadn't done something, had he? Or - or said something? Because it couldn't have just been because he'd admitted to almost dying. That would be ridiculous.

As she began to speak, his brow creased at her fractured sentences, watching her rise. "Wait," he called out as she began to run. Pulling himself up, Julian dusted himself off quickly before tearing after her, calling out her name as he ran.

Staring at him for a few moments, Destini opened her mouth, and closed it. "You know.." Dust started, while laughing at the babbling. "That did not make any sense. At all."

"Well, I am not going to comment. That ego does not need another boost," Dest teased, smirking at the boy by her. "I'm sure you get enough compliments; and girls." Pulling her knees to her chest, Dest rested her head.

"Seem's timeless out here," Dest mused, mostly to herself.

"Horrible, either way. But I am not going to say I'm sorry, because I know it isn't my fault. But, you do need to find a way to end this touching problem," Dust pointed out, sighing.

For a few minutes she ran, ignoring the yells. The emotions of the vision got to her, visions always did. Even if she watch it from her own point of view, and she didn't feel any pain, the emotions in that vision was too much.

Tripping over a tree root, while cursing her tear filled vision, Destini curled up in a ball and tried to sort out her own emotions, from the vision one.

Cursing as he ran, Julian couldn't help but thank his parents for doing one thing for him: putting him in all those sports programs. If it hadn't been for all that soccer and baseball he'd played as a child, he never would've been able to keep up with Destini.

Wincing as he watched her trip, he ran faster, by her side in seconds. "Um, hey," Julian said softly, perching himself awkwardly on the tree root she'd tripped over. "What's wrong? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but I just - You did just sort of run away from me, and I didn't do anything. At least, I don't think I did anything. Because trust me, if I meant to make you cry, I wouldn't have chased after you, and um, whatever it is, I'm sorry?"

The younger girl sobbed for a few minutes, slowly sorting out her emotions. She didn't remember when she was affected this bad before.

"Not your fault," Destini told him, uncurling herself. Sitting upright, Dust wiped her eyes and refused to look at Julian. "I am fine... I am just stressed." Dust lied, not sure whats a believable lie in this case. Julian couldn't know about her gift. She didn't want people to leave her, because what she can do.

Standing up, Dust brushed off her jeans. "I'm sorry. It wasn't your fault," The girl repeated, still refusing to met his concerned eyes. Her left knee was a bit sore from her fall, but she ignored it. She met worse in her visions.

Her visions. It was what that ruined most of her chances for friendship.

Biting his lip, Julian watched her continue to cry but made no move to comfort her. After all, she, like him, didn't like being touched. So he sat there until she calmed down, fiddling with the necklace chain.

Raising an eyebrow at her, he moved his hands to either side of him, drumming his fingers against the tree root. She was lying. Of course she was. She wouldn't look him in the eyes, and that was the first sign that someone was lying to him. "You're lying." he said softly. "But you don't have to tell me the truth. I think it's only fair."

He shrugged. Since when did he care about fair? Nothing was fair. He knew that by now. But being nice wouldn't kill him.

"Your... not going to ask why?" Dest asked, shocked. Any other person would ask why, and keep asking until she snapped at them. With the way he acted.... Destini knew someday, soon, she would trust him. But not with her life, or her secret.

"Thank you." Smiling a little, she hesitated before sitting by him on the tree root. "I appreciate that... a lot."

"Because," Julian paused, stretching his arms, humming softly. "I lied to you and you didn't ask why, so it's only fair that I do the same." Shrugging, he gave her a little smile.

"You're welcome," he said simply, glancing back over the lake. "But hey, if you want me to ask, I will." He grinned at her as she sat down beside him.

And that was when the pain started, sudden and unwelcome. His breath hitching in his throat, Julian's eyes bulged and then instinctively squeezed shut to stop the tears of pain from rolling down his cheeks. Beginning to breath again, his breaths came out quickly and shallow, all the world making it seem like he was suffering a panic attack. But the agonizing stabs of pain in his shoulder, chest and arm proved it wrong.

It was almost like he was back in that alley all over again, but the pain was worse. So much worse. And even though it wasn't even his, he still felt like he was going to die. Hell, he wanted to die if that meant that he wouldn't have to feel this.

Opening his eyes, Julian's whole world spun. Everything was just a blur of blue and green and white. Groaning, he reached up to rub his temples, but froze, his arms in too much pain to even make it halfway there.

His breathing speeding up all over again, he staggered up to his feet, swaying dangerously before coming crashing down to the ground where he lay, motionless.

Relieved greatly still, Dust wasn't sure what to say. She sat in silence for a few minutes, breathing in deeply. Dust was now very calm, now that her emotions were sorted out.

The calm was gone though, when Julian was in pain. At first, Destini was very calm. Her mind at first thought, this was just a vision,. not real.

This wasn't just a vision though. This was for real.

Dust knelt by his body, her lip quivering. Her hands hovered, not exactly too sure what to do. She has never dealt with this kind of thing before. What was she supposed to do?

Wake him up?

"Julian!" Dust shouted, her mind made up. She was shaking his motionless body. He wasn't moving. Why wasn't he moving? Panicked, Dust fought back some tears and checked for a pulse.

Avoiding his necklace, Dust was still for a few minutes, feeling his pulse. He was alive. He was breathing.

Still shaking him, Dust ignored her tears. Figuring that it couldn't hurt, Dust gave him a few good slaps to the face.

"WAKE UP!" She screeched loudly, while begging at the same time. "Please Julian, wake up. Wake up... please wake up!" He couldn't die on her. He can't. He had to wake up.

If he didn't, how was she going to take him to St. Mungos?

"Julian, please wake up," Destini moaned, her hands shaking as she gave a good slap again. "I will even let you smack me if you do. Just wake up! Please!"