tearing up the town

It had been quite a while since Grayson had visited the pub and she had to admit, she was missing it. Though after having just escaped through a fight, she was already feeling drunk and tired. She could feel slight blood on her cheeks, and her legs were aching, but all she wanted was a glass of Butterbeer.

Making her way to the counter, she ordered two glasses and downed them one after another. The people next to her stared at her in slight disgust at her messy clothes and nearly dirty hands, but she was least bothered. Deciding that she should probably go clean up though, she attempted to get to the washroom.

After a few minutes, the Gryffindor came out, feeling a little refreshed, though she still felt the tiredness. Suddenly she felt herself pushed against the wall, and someone's alcoholic breath.

"Well, aren't you a pretty little thing?" The voice murmured, the man's voice slurred, indicating he was drunk.

"Son of a bitch," she growled and kicked his crotch, and made to escape. But he simply grabbed her once more, his grip on her tight.

"Oh come on, don't be like that," he smirked and she was ten seconds away from screaming. Her hand tried to make it's way to the knife in her pocket and hoped that someone would show up before she succeeded in taking it out.

Otherwise, this guy was going to be in trouble.

Hopping onto a stool, Julian's gaze flitted around the club, humming softly along to the loud song blasting from all directions. Every few moments, his gaze would slow down, finding its way to an attractive girl around his age.

Winking at a pretty blonde, he grinned at her. Something in the corner of his eye catching his attention, he frowned, glancing to the right. He was already half out of his seat by the time he realized just what was going on. His wand in his hand, his blue eyes flashed with barely veiled anger.

If he was right - and when wasn't he? - then he wasn't going to let this man get away with whatever he was planning on doing.

"Let her go," he growled, appearing at the man's shoulder, jabbing his wand into the fleshy part of his throat. Recognition lighting up his eyes as he glanced at Grayson, he gave his head a tiny little shake. "If you don't let her go, I swear, you'll never see the light of day again."

The Gryffindor was almost relieved that someone had come over, but that did not seem to stop the bastard. "A teenage boy is threatening me? How amusing," he sneered at whoever had come to help her. Sensing the man's distraction, and having got her knife out, Grayson jabbed his stomach hard enough with the hilt, for him to let go of her. Quickly moving out of his grasp, she looked up in surprise to see Rousseau who had apparantly assisted her. "How did..?" She began to ask, but was stopped cold by the man's uttering words.

"He is still looking for you, Iris Grayson."

The Greek girl did not have to ask who the man was referring to. "Irithuriel will never find me," she growled, turning to face him once more, though after noticing that she was not alone, the stranger kept his distance. "I just killed one of his men in the alleyway, if you must know."

Okay, she had not exactly killed him per se, just injured badly, but it would probably cause a scare. "As impressive as that may be, we also know about your sister and how she is part of the Holenders now. You might want to warn her as well." And with a cursed word, and clutching his stomach, the man walked away.

With a shocking realization that her hands were shaking, she tried to calm herself and as though just remembering the Prideux was there, turned to face him, with a forced smile.

"Nice to see you again Rousseau, though I'm sure you can't say the same."

"Isn't that cute?" Julian's tone was sickeningly sweet, a malicious smirk crossing his face. His eyes danced, the blue of his eyes darkened with a mixture of anger and disgust. "You say that like I'm a normal teenager." Pulling himself onto his tiptoes, he murmured, "I could tear you apart faster than you could blink."

And if the man didn't move, he'd gladly carry out the threat.

His gaze flitting from the man to the girl, his face clouded, not comprehending their conversation. Did they know each other? Raising an eyebrow at her admission of murder, he searched her gaze. She could easily be bluffing. He could hardly blame her, especially in this situation.

Glaring over his shoulder at the retreating man, he flexed his hands, his eyes still cold. He wanted that man to pay. He wanted him to regret the very moment he'd stepped into the Hissing Snake. And he could do it.

Turning to Grayson, he pocketed his wand and took a step towards her. "Are you alright?" he asked softly, his expression soft and sympathetic before it hardened again, taking in her shaking hands.

"Nightmare?" he murmured, glancing at the cat that stepped out of the shadows. "Give him hell." With a mewl and a flick of her tail, the kitten was a panther once more, streaking after the man, a startling sense of intent with each stride.

Though the brunette was quite surprised by the boy's anger, she didn't show it. Especially by the seemingly serious threat he was uttering to the man. But either way, it seemed to be working and the man's grip on her had loosened enough.

"I'm fine," Grayson replied curtly, forcing her hands to stop shaking and picked up the fallen blade. She swiped it against the material of her already dirty jeans, to clear the slight blood that was on the metal, and placed it in it's case which was hung on her belt. She hated the sympathetic look on the Priduex's face, even if lasted only for a moment.

Glancing warily as the animal followed the man, she shook her head, "You did not have to do that; send your friend to harass him. You already did enough to help. Although, I should be asking if you're alright." The Greek girl said, taking in his once again angered expression and made her to way one of the seats. "Why be so fierce for no reason, Rousseau? I'm no one to you. Or do you get like this for all girls who are in trouble?"

She had meant to be sort of teasing, but she was sure it sounded the opposite. Accepting help was one thing she hated, but on account of people trying to harm her, she had only seen that sort of anger on Kait and Alec.

Just when she thought she had things under control, people were still looking for her. But she didn't care about her safety, she was only concerned about Kaitlen's.

"Thank you," she told quietly, looking him straight in the eye to show that she meant it.

"You don't seem fine," he pointed out, his lips pulled into a thin line, his eyes searching her brown gaze. If she was anything like he was, she'd be the furthest thing from it. And he knew that emotional trauma could sting long after bruises and scars healed.

Julian shrugged a shoulder. "There are a lot of things I do that I don't have to. Inititive. It's what makes me such a great person, you know." He flashed her a grin, his expression still sombre. The man deserved what he got. If there was one thing the prefect couldn't stand, it was abuse of any kind.

He wouldn't wish it on his worst enemy.

Following, he sat beside her, swinging his feet. "Me? I'm fine. Not neccesarily happy, but fine all the same." He glanced at her, propping his elbows up on his knees, his head in his hands, a frown darkening his face. "You're someone to me. What in the world made you think you weren't?" He brushed a hand through his hair. "And even if you weren't, I wouldn't let you get hurt."

He let out a little snort. "It's not just girls who find themselves in these sort of situations." His blue eyes glazed over, suddenly finding himself a world away.

"You're welcome," he murmured, dragging his gaze back to her with a little smile.

"Need I remind you that I've been in worse situations?" Grayson questioned in a tone suggesting the boy should indeed have remembered. "So if you're expecting me to behave like a traumatized patient, sorry to burst your bubble," she muttered.

It was something she was completely used to. Considering her family background, and the fact she's a street kid, this had become like a common occurance. And though she completely appreciated Rousseau's help, the last thing she needed was his concern.

"Oh yes, you are simply amazing," the Gryffindor commented sarcastically and shook her head amusedly. "I hope your friend doesn't kill him, I actually wanted to ask the bastard how he got to know about my sister. Though it will make my job easier if he's hurt," she added with a small smirk.

"Why not happy?" She questioned curiously, before shrugging lightly, "We don't even know each other that well, why the fuck would I be someone to you?"

Grayson glanced at the Priduex's comment and joked dryly, "Ah, so you'd do this for random girls and guys, huh?" Realizing that she was not in a playful mood, her tone turned serious, "I hope no one tried to kill you again Rousseau, because I'd hate to have to return the favour you did for me and go kick the person's ass."

She held the French boy's gaze for a moment, before looking away. "So how'd you end up here tonight of all nights?"

He shrugged, still watching her carefully. "I'd rather you not, honestly. Being traumatized sucks." Watching someone else be it would be worse, wouldn't it? Knowing that you couldn't do a single thing to stop it. He frowned momentarily, wondering if that was how everyone around him had felt.

"I really don't hear that enough," he grinned, bowing mockingly. Straightening up, Julian tilted his head, glancing over in the direction Nightmare had vanished. Had she killed him? By now means would be sad, but if Grayson wanted him alive... "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

He gestured a hand towards where they'd been just moments ago, raising an eyebrow. "You think that makes me happy?" He paused for a moment, shrugging. "But other than that, I think I'm fine." His conversation with Monique hadn't been anything stellar, but he supposed, looking back, that it could've gone worse. Twiddling his thumbs, his gaze was rooted firmly on his feet. "Oh, I just thought that, you know, seeing as we talked before, that we were, you know, friends." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Rolling his eyes, he gave his head a tiny little shake. "What can I say? I love being a knight in shining armour. It's a every rewarding job." His lips curled into a smirk. Glancing at her, he shook his head. "Thank God, no. No, I've been relatively safe."

He gazed around the pub for a moment before answering. "I was bored and needed something to do. And when I'm bored, I usually find myself in Azorat." Glancing back at her, he tilted his head. "What about you?"

"Believe me, I know it fucking sucks," the Greek girl murmured, wishing the boy'd focus his gaze elsewhere. Not that it was making her uncomfortable, but it was making her want some comfort. She hated to admit it to to herself, but ever since fate's third attempt to kill her, she's been on edge and craving support from someone.

And that's exactly what she wanted now.

"Don't hear that enough? Yeah, right," Grayson scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well, luckily you arrived when you did, because if you hadn't, I would have got my knife out and Kallie would have to order the Ministry to look for a sixteen year old murderer."

She waved her hand dismissively, "No reason for you to be unhappy, it's done and over with." The brunette turned to Rousseau in surprise, but recalled herself saying that he was a 'potential friend.' After a few minutes of silence, she finally said, "You sure you want to be friends with me? As you obviously just saw, it's not really easy knowing me," she chuckled humourlessly. Though frankly speaking, it would perhaps do her some good if there were more people around.

"Ah yes, you get to be stuck with the messy looking girl in a sleazy pub; very rewarding indeed," she retorted. "Good to know you've been looking out then. How are things going otherwise?"

Grayson wondered how to answer the Priduex's question. "I was going to meet someone actually," she said, carefully choosing her words. "But I got jumped in one of the alleys, by another one of those bastards, and he effectively ruined my meeting. And so, I came straight here, thinking I'd get a break, but of course not."

Fate really didn't seem to like them very much, did it? That both of them had come too close to dying for comfort was strangely eerie. How many people did he know who'd had near death experiences? He frowned, tilting his head up at the ceiling as he thought.

"It's true," he shrugged, grinning. "I could stand to have it mentioned to me a little more." No matter how often he heard it, he still liked hearing it more. He glanced over at her. "Well, self-defence, right? It's not like you'd be carted off to Azkaban. And besides, she knows you. That has to help."

Julian nodded, but he still glanced back in the direction of the washroom. Sure, she said that she would've been able to defend herself, but what if she hadn't been able to? He gave his head a little shake. Don't think about those sort of things, he scolded himself. That's just begging for fate to grant it. "I'm pretty sure being your friend would help me not end up like that," he pointed out, smirking. "I think I'll take my chances."

He peered at her, tilting his head. "You don't look that messy," he commented, grinning widely. "Trust me, I've met worse." How were things going? Humming softly as he thought, he settled on, "Well, it's alright. School's driving me nuts. You know, the usual." He shrugged. "Could be worse, I guess.

"You have terrible luck," he said, giving his head a tiny shake. Furrowing his brow, he asked, "Why are there people after you, anyway?"

Wrapping her arms around herself, Iris scoffed and shook her head, "I only met her once or twice, I don't think she'd remember me. But that doesn't matter, the only reason I know she's awesome is because she took care of Kait." She smirked at the Priduex's comment, "If self defence is the only excuse needed to kill, I would have used that multiple times."

After all, there were quite a few people on her list that needed to be dealt with.

"Will you just relax, Rousseau?" The Gryffindor said in a softer tone, noticing his obvious discomfort. "This is why I don't let people help me, they always seem to worry and make it a bigger deal than it already is." She never understood why anyone'd waste their worrying on her. Besides, this was something so minor as compared to her actual death threats. "Alright, friends we are then," she stated, an amused smile on her lips.

She rolled her eyes and said, "Not that messy? I have blood on my jeans, my shirt is nearly ripped, my hair is like a fucking spread out wig and I feel I want to run away yet stay in the seat." Iris laid her head on the table, suddenly feeling exhausted. She had been on the run since morning and it was beginning to wear her down.

"No Rousseau, 'terrible luck' is when you flunk a test or don't get to date a person you like or some shit like that, that's 'terrible luck'," she corrected the French boy's statement. "People are after me either because they want to kill me, torture me and then kill me, or use me and then kill me." She replied, resisting the urge to let out a small laugh at the scary yet weird way she probably sounded.

Well, he wouldn't want to know the whole truth anyway, so this was the best summary she could offer.

"Well, I know you," he tilted his head at her. "And seeing as Kallie's my mentor, I'm sure I'd be able to work something out if I needed to." He nodded, grinning softly. He should cash in on his benefits as the Minister's apprentice one day. He'd be able to get away with so much. Of course, on the downside he'd have to deal with her disappointment and anger, but it wasn't as if it'd be purposeful.

"I saw her at Kallie's wedding," he commented, smiling. "She seemed fine, happy even." He shrugged, smirking. "And you're sure you're not axe crazy or anything? And besides, it'd only be like that if I ruled the world."

He glanced back at her. "Your wish is my command," he muttured, the slight edge of sarcasm creeping into his voice. "I'm not worrying per se, I'm just wondering about what could have happened if I hadn't shown up." He shrugged, running his hands through his hair.

"And like I said, I really have seen worse," he propped his elbows up, head in his hands. "I'd offer to apparate you, but I'm still underage and with my luck I'd probably splinch."

Julian flinched at her words, letting out a soft hiss of empathy. "I'm sorry," he said sincerly, leaning towards her. "Won't change a damn thing, but I'm sorry." Nodding, he asked, shoving his hands into his pockets, "Anything I can do to help?"

Iris looked at the blonde for a moment before nodding her head slowly, "I'd appreciate that, really." She hated asking for help or relying on anybody for anything, but she supposed she'd only need to get Kallie involved, with Rousseau's help, if things got way out of hand.

And even then, would she really go for help?

"You saw Kait? Oh, that's...nice," the Gryffindor managed to say with a small smile. Things hadn't really ended well between them the last time Iris saw her, but if the French boy was telling the truth..."Glad to hear she's doing okay," she admitted softly. "I am not ax crazy, I just have a few people on my hit list," she said with a smirk.

She shook her head at his tone, "Sarcasm's like my best friend and you use it well, Rousseau." The Gryffindor shrugged in response. "Let's see, if you hadn't shown up, I would have injured him or killed him or the other way around. And best of all, it would have saved you and your friend the trouble as well."

"It's okay, I'll go crash at someone's place and heal myself or something. It's not that important right now," she mumbled and waved her arm dismissvely, nearly wincing at the sprain.

She gave him the ghost of a smile, "Better save your 'sorry's' for people who matter Rousseau, they are of no use for me." Iris looked at the blonde for a moment before shaking her head, "Nothing, really. I myself don't know what to do, so I do not think I'm in a position to ask for help."

"Always welcome," he nodded swiftly. "It's what I'm here for. Offering advice and getting people out of trouble." He paused, repeating his words over in his head. "Ew, I sound like a lawyer." He shuddered, immediately pushing away the thoughts of his father.

"You don't sound all that happy." he raised an eyebrow at her, having not missed the lacklustre tone of voice. "See, I think that's the definition of axe crazy," he teased, drumming his fingers against the bar.

"Thank you," he grinned brightly. He grimaced softly, not a fan of either those options. His gaze slipping downwards, he brightened up at the kitten at his feet, licking her paws. Looking up at him, Nightmare let out a little disgruntled meow, making it clear that she'd been there for a while. Pulling her into his lap, Julian tilted his head at Grayson. "I don't think either of us mind helping you. We're kind people like that."

His gaze clouded over with concern. "Of course it's important. It's your health. How is it not important?"

Reaching over, he prodded her shoulder, his eyes deadly serious. "Listen to me. You are important. Stop saying you're not, alright?"

Iris laughed lightly at the boy's comment. "Not only does that sound like a lawyer, that sounds incredibly tacky," she remarked with a grin. "But despite the lame-ass wordings, I get the message loud and clear."

"The last time I saw Kait, we got into a fight," she admitted with a sigh. "Basically we both yelled at each other, and hadn't talked after that. But if you say she seemed happy, that's good," the Gryffindor repeated more firmly. "Even though we're twins, I feel I need to protect her more than the other way around," she whispered, remembering all their bad times together.

Nodding her head towards the cat, Iris asked the blonde, "Did she kill him? Nice to meet some kind people then," she added with a small smile. "Seems to be an extinct species these days."

"I said it's not important for now," Iris muttered. "I've got it covered and I'll take care of it, okay?"

Her brown gazed focussed on his, she stated, "I'm wanted by criminals and cruel bastards, so yes, I suppose that makes me very important, Rousseau. That's how people see me, and that's how 'important' I am."

It had never bothered her before. But now, it was scary to realize that those kind of humans wanted her more than the normal people. She briefly wondered if it was same for her sister, but realized it could not be. Hell, even their own grandmother wanted Kaitlen and not her.

She clenched and unclenched her fists, as though resisting the urge to get outside and get a hug from someone. She briefly wished Alec was here, but took in a deep breath and once again, the mask was back in place.

"Please, me tacky?" He shook his head, smirking at her. "Nothing I say is ever tacky. Come on now, Grayson." He shook his head again, this time mournfully.

He tilted his head at her, offering a small smile. The last time he'd seen a member of his family, his brother had had no idea who he was. It was almost funny how he wished that Corin could at least remember him so they could fight. "Talk to her," he said, nodding. "Work it out. You're family. No matter how big a problem, you're still family."

Julian raised an eyebrow at Nightmare. "Well, did you?" The kitten only huffed, continuing to lick her paw. Meowing softly when her paws were clean, she nuzzled into the boy. Looking up at Grayson, he shrugged. "No?" He grinned widely. "Well, we plan on living forever. So at least we'll never go extinct."

He raised his eyebrows, but elected to simply shrug. "Fine."

Julian let out a deep breath, almost a sigh, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. "Okay, I get it, alright? But you're important to the wrong sort of people. There are people - great, normal. non-murderous people - who you're easily important to. So - I don't know - focus on them instead?"

"Well, there's a first time for everything Rousseau," the Gryffindor replied with her own smirk. "But it's okay, one little flaw won't make a difference."

She nodded her head, "Of course I'll talk to her. I don't intend on avoiding her or anything. Especially now, because...she needs me." Iris had a feeling things hadn't really gone well back at Durmstrang with her sister, and if that were true, she needed the help. "Besides, she's the only family I have that's blood related."

"No, you do not get it. It's easy for you to accept the fact that people care about you, but guess what? I can't do that," she snapped at him. "I have this fucking habit of pushing people away and honestly speaking, there aren't that many people around. Everyone's Golden Boys such as yourself will not understand, and find it easy to give the advice."

Taking in a deep breath, she got up from her seat. "Assuming your friend didn't kill the man, I'm going to go ask him a few things. Or do you want to accompany me and play hero again?" The brunette asked with a raised eyebrow, her knife already in her hand.

"Well," he elongated, stretching his arms. "I guess when you're this perfect, you're allowed one flaw." Flashing a small grin, he nestled back into his seat, drumming against the table.

"Good," he nodded. If he couldn't have a nice relationship with his own family, then he'd at least help other people do that. I could make a job out of this, he tilted his head in thought. If only I was any good at it. "What about parents?" he asked, tilting his head.

"People don't care about me," he laughed bitterly. "Well, people do, but on the whole I'm sure most people are scared of me." He shrugged a shoulder. He'd made his reputation. He had to live with it now. "You can push as hard as you want. I'm not going anywhere." He offered a small smile. "You're stuck with me, Grayson. And trust me, the only thing golden about me is my hair." He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Though, I suppose I'm sort of rich as well."

Julian grinned, jumping to his feet, Nightmare in his arms. "Miss out a chance to be a knight in shining armour? Not a chance."

"I'm sure there are many others. Just give me some time Rousseau, and I shall point them out one by one," the Greek girl murmured, smirk still in place and glancing at the Priduex.

She shrugged, her expression neutral, "It's complicated. I have foster parents and she has no one. As for the both of us together, it's a long story. Our family tree is very fucked up actually. I am almost disgusted to think of such people as my family," she breathed, shaking her head as she recalled all the horrible things.

"People do not care about you? Who the hell do you think you're fooling with that?" Questioned Iris with a raised eyebrow. "Then again, I am certain I do not the sort of attention you get showered with, because then, it'd be fucking hard to pick the people who actually give a shit." Perhaps that was why she found it easy to push people away, just the conviction that she was fine on her own, when in reality she was not. "Ah, the rich, arrogant boy. I was beginning to think your types were getting extinct," she scoffed. "Be careful about your wording Rousseau, the last thing you want is to be stuck with me."

The Gryffindor merely rolled her eyes at the blonde before making her way to the back of the club, not turning to see if the Priduex was following her or not. She went out the back door which was leading to an alley, and almost smirked at the man lying on the ground, bleeding to death.

As usual, she did not have any mercy for such a kind.

She crouched down on her knees, her knife in one hand and grabbed a fist full of the man's shirt in another, not bothered about holding the bloody material. "Alright, what the fuck does Irutherial know about my sister?" She growled softly him, her eyes boring into his fearful ones.

"J-Just that s-she's back in D-Durmstrang and is now the h-heir to the Holenders," the man gasped, trying to catch his breath.

"Why the fuck is after me again? I thought I cleared up things with him last time," she muttered, her grip not loosening.

"He said he had the antidote-" Before he could finish, Iris felt him go limp and she let go off the shirt. The man was dead. The brunette was in shock.

"But how did he get the antidote?" She asked herself, completely forgetting the Priduex was still there. Standing up, she turned to face him for a moment before wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace, for the sole purpose of wanting to stop her trembling for the second time that night.

"You can try," he shrugged, smirking. "But trust me, you'll be hard-pressed to find more." Though he was by no means perfect, he acted like he was and that at least helped conjure the image of perfection.

"I know the feeling," he murmured, brushing his hands through his hair absentmindedly. His parents hadn't cared if he was alive or dead for years. He doubted they ever had. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

Making a face, he tilted his head at her. "Out of the hundreds of people I've met, only seven people really care, excluding family." And including family, how many was it? Ten? He ignored that thought, simply focusing on the people he had instead of those he didn't. He shrugged, "It's not that hard. The ones who yell at you usually do." Julian simply grinned. "Or maybe it is what I want."

Trailing after her, he simply stood behind her, glaring down at the man lying on the ground. He couldn't help but grin at his obvious pain, but as soon as he realized what he was doing, he gave his head a small shake. Sure, he was terrible, but being happy at his pain was sickening.

Tilting his head, he frowned slightly. "The antidote to what?" he asked, glancing over at Grayson. Jumping slightly at the sudden touch, he wrapped her arms around her. "Hey, it - it'll be alright."

"Believe me, I am good at finding out hidden flaws just as I am good at hiding my own," she winked and gave the Priduex a quick grin. "After all, nobody is perfect, no matter how hard people try to be."

Iris nodded her head slowly, "It fucking sucks. But I have learnt to take care of myself and of Kait, though she acts as though she doesn't need my help," she said with an amused smile. "I do not care much for my family, unlike her who has a little feel. But for her I care the most and would kill anyone who's messed with her."

And that was exactly what was planning on doing after leaving Hogwarts.

"That's a nice number Rousseau, I hope it increases just for you sake," she said simply, once more nodding her head firmly. "The ones who yell, huh? That actually makes sense," she laughed lightly. "When people do not say anything, that's when you know they don't care, right? Well, that would explain why many foster families hardly shouted at me," she mused. "I'm glad to hear you say that, and hopefully you'll the same thing the next time we happen to meet."

As though realizing her actions, Iris pulled away and muttered a quick apology. She closed her eyes and leaned against the wall, trying to calm down and not stare at the dead man at her feet. His words that Irutherial had the antidote kept ringing in her mind, and for a fleeting moment, wondered if he would be there at his usual place.

She had to find out soon.

She wished Alec was here with her, knowing he would know the right thing to say to help. A part of her was tempted to tell Rousseau, but what would be the point? He had no idea about her story and she couldn't randomly spurt such things out.

"I think I should go," she muttered and ran her fingers through her hair, ignoring the fact that going to Irutherial alone was perhaps not a good idea. She barely made it out the previous time, but she had to know if he indeed had what she wanted.

"Whoever said that's never met me," he said simply, flashing a grin at her. Was he perfect? He was rather sure he wasn't, but there was nothing wrong with a little exaggeration.

"Well, that's good," Julian said softly, nodding slightly. "Being able to take care of yourself's a great skill." He shrugged a shoulder, a tiny grin flitting across his face. "I couldn't last a day by myself. Can't cook, you see."

Julian inclined his head. Did he want more people in his life? He was happy with the people he had, but he didn't go out of his way not to meet others. "Thank you," he said finally. "Exactly. When my friends yell at me because I've done something stupid, it's out of the goodness of their hearts." He brought his hand up to his own heart, blinking down at it. Did he even have one. "Doesn't annoy me any less, but still. Goodness of their hearts." He smiled slightly, clasping his hands together. "I guess we'll see, won't we?"

He shrugged, waving a hand dismissively. "No need to apologize. I'm huggable." He offered a small smile, though it faded as he glanced at the dead body. There was so much blood...Shivering, he shuffled away from the blood as it began to trickle its way towards him.

"If you want," he murmured, looking back to her. Spreading out his arms, he shrugged. "Can't make you stay, can I?" He paused for a moment before stepping towards her, stopping in front of her. "Promise me one thing?" His voice was soft, head tilted. "Just stay safe, alright?"

"I didn't have much of a choice really, it was either survive or get killed," Iris sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I can't cook either, any household skills, I have none. But you really shouldn't use that as an excuse to not fend for yourself," she said with a small smirk.

She nodded her head, "You're welcome. I can already see that you are someone who relies a lot on their friends, so it is indeed if you can get as many as possible." The Gryffindor briefly wondered what it's like to fall knowing that there are people to catch you. She supposed she should be thankful that she had a few people at least now, but she had a feeling that a part of her heart would always be in lock down.

Glancing sharply at the boy's movements, she grabbed his wrist and led him a good distance away from the body. "Better?" Iris asked quietly, letting go and leaning against the wall once more. "Sorry about that also, but I couldn't have stopped it even if I wanted to."

"Please Rousseau, you make it sound as though you want me to stay," she remarked with a humourless smile. The Greek girl was barely affected by the closure, if anything she was surprised by the Priduex's tone. "Why? What's it to you whether I'm safe or not?" She questioned, her voice just as soft mingled with curiousity. "Just think of me as one of those girls you always play with and randomly meet or something; I'm sure you won't worry about me then." And for once, she found it unable to meet his eyes.

"If it's just between you and me, I'm glad you survived." Offering the girl a little smile, he leaned back in his chair, watching her carefully. She really was a survivor. If he'd went through even half of the things she had, he was very sure he wouldn't have turned out so together. He both respected and envied her for it. "I can fend for myself," Julian sniffed. "I fend for myself by relying on other people. It's worked pretty well so far."

He nodded, holding his head in his hands. "Without my friends, I don't know where I'd be." Memories of his crush on Monique and everything that had happened as a result and of his father almost murdering him flashed behind his eyelids. If they hadn't been there to pick up the pieces of whatever he'd become, he was quite sure he wouldn't be here.

Blinking down at his wrists, he looked up into Grayson's eyes, his expression thankful. "Yes," he replied softly. "Yeah, I know. Death's inevitable." But watching someone die right in front of him made him feel entirely too vulnerable. He couldn't help but glance around him, his shaking hands clasped together.

Julian shrugged a shoulder, meeting her gaze. "What if that's what I want? At least if you're here, I know you're not out there getting attacked." She'd gotten lucky, managing to stay safe from all the people who wanted her dead. One day, someone was going to show up who even she couldn't beat. "Because I care," he said simply. "But don't tell anyone, I'm not supposed to have a heart." The smallest of smiles wormed across his face.

"Sorry, can't," he murmured, shrugging a shoulder. "You're a little too important for that."

"Thanks, that's not something I'm used to hearing," the Gryffindor told with a small smirk. "I'm pretty glad about that too." Though I did try to kill myself once, she thought but neglected it quickly. "I hope relying on people works for you Rousseau," she sighed once more. "But if I were you, I would learn to manage a little at least on my own. Then again, if you are so certain you're never going to be alone, feel free to ignore my advice."

Iris bit her lip, not sure what to say. The Priduex was indeed so lucky to have so many friends look out for him. She knew it was slightly her own fault for pushing people away, but after all that she's been through, how could she trust so easily? Most of her days were all dark ones, and very few truly happy memories clouded her mind. Why would anyone want to be around that? "Like I said, I hope your friends stick around for a long time then," she told softly.

"Sorry you had to see that. So much for being a knight once again, huh?" She asked, her smile humourless yet a ever so light teasing in her tone. Making jokes, even the littlest was how she dealt with such situations. She used to be like Rousseau at first, scared of blood and wanting to run away at the sight of a dead body. But she accepted the fact that those were things she would have to get used to. And so she did.

The brunette fixed her gaze back on her friend. "Unlike you Rousseau, I do not have anyone to give me what I need; I have to go and get it myself," she stated. "If I get attacked so what? What is important is that I don't go down without a fight, and I never go unprepared." Her gaze softened at the boy's words and she touched his shoulder. "Care for someone who's worth caring for. Besides, who knows if you'll ever see me again or even remember me? And don't worry, your secret is safe with me." And her eyes suggested that it indeed was.

"Nice to hear that I get priority over your flings," Iris chuckled and shook her head. "If you think I am important, then I am not going to ruin that for you by questioning it. I can see why you have so many friends Julian," she said with a genuine smile, using his given name for the first time.