isn't this ironic

For once in his life, Charles was actually enjoying the summer season. He had managed to get away from his family as far as possible, seeing as they were literally on the other end of the world. He thought of Carter and just like he did everyday, wondered where his brother was at this moment.

After all, two years can do a lot to fuel people's imagination as far the people they love are concerned.

Though he was not accustomed to casual wear, he was glad he had not opted to wear a suit that morning. The heat was definitely beginning to rise and the last thing he wanted was the urge to conduct a strip show in public. Shaking his head, he continued to stroll till he reached one of the monumental cathedrals located there and just stared ahead at the architecture.

Charles was not religious. At all. In fact, all things he had done in his lifetime would indicate that he does not believe in heaven or hell. But for some reason, coming here offered him peace and he couldn't understand it.

He couldn't understand how one of the only places a devil felt calm was at the angel's workplace.

The actual practice of the woman's faith wavered depending on her mood, however the fact was the strong belief in something bigger than them was always there. In her youth, it was one of the only things she had had to count on. A prayer and belief that somehow things would get better. Her name meant faith, she had always figured that then it was only right that she showed a little in her life.

Although she was rare to practice it any more, Vera could never help but stop to respect a Church when she passed one. Summer dress dancing around her knees, the colour as vibrant as her personality, she stopped beside the stranger who was also standing beside the place, one had resting above her tiny bump, and the other playing with the cross her nanny had once given her that usually hung around her neck.

"There is just something about it, isn't there? A building that seems to demand a power all its own. Almost makes you want to believe."

Charles was brought out of his reverie by an unfamiliar voice. A humourless smile crossed his lips at the stranger's words, and he was inclined to agree. "Yes, it almost makes me want to believe. But unfortunately, I could gaze at this place how much ever I want, and it will never make me change my mind," the man replied in his usual husky tone.

He finally managed to look away from the building and focussed his attention on the woman who had spoken. She was pretty, beautiful even, but he was hardly in the mood for pulling on his charming tactics, especially seeing the obvious fact that she was pregnant. Not to mention, the image of Blair was popping up in his mind more these days, much to his annoyance and it was definitely proving to be a hindrance.

"I take it that you are a believer, then?" Charles questioned smoothly with a raised eyebrow. "It would be truly a surprising thing, because it's been such a long time since I met someone who had actual faith in something invisible. Perhaps people just use that as an excuse because they need a reason to keep going."

He did not many reasons to continue living, but his evil conscience uttered the one choice for which he did not want to give up, but being the stubborn man that he is, ignored the voice completely.

"Then why do you keep staring at it?" Vera raised her eyebrow at the man her tone light and teasing. She had no problem with him, and was in a rather good mood at the moment. There was no promise, with the rate her moods have swung, that it would stay that way, but in most public situations she had kept most of her control in place.

She looked back at the man as he looked at her. He was a few years younger than her she'd say, a good seven or eight, though she was starting to get to an age where it didn't really make much of a difference, and on occasion you couldn't even tell. He had a way of holding himself that stated he was proud of himself to a possibly dangerous level. Part of her couldn't stop nagging at her that he reminded her vaguely of Noel.

"Is it really so surprising? The invisible's around all the time. Just because the human mind can not comprehend it, does not mean its not there. Magic stayed hidden from most for so many years - in fact some still don't know." She shrugged her shoulders. Dropping her necklace down and both hands dropping to rest just about the flow of her bouncing skirt.

"Believing gives you something for those bad moments, and make sense of those good ones. I don't think I cannot believe, and trust me, I've tried."

"I don't know why I keep doing it," Charles replied truthfully, his voice void of any emotion, though there was a twinge of curiosity mingled. "Perhaps it's the sense of calm that surrounds it, demanding to stop for a moment and stare."

He had been here plenty of times and still couldn't figure it out. And funnily enough, he had never dared to step foot into a church seeing as his inner conscience stopped him from doing so, every single time. He knew it was because he had managed to convince himself, with the help of others, that he was a constant sinner and didn't deserve to enter a holy place.

"It is surprising," he answered, looking at the blonde. "Why would you want to believe in something that you cannot see or there is no proof off? As for your comparison, those people who do not know about existance of magic, do not believe in it, simply because they were given no proof."

Charles chuckled, the sound almost pleasant for someone who's been going through dark days. "I could say that you are lucky then, because everyone does need something to believe in. Even if invisible, you know what you stand up for."

"Perhaps," the woman repeated lightly, watching people walk behind them without a single hesitation or a turn of their head. The sight was something they had seen before, or had no interest in at all, so they opted to miss it completely. Her eyes dance from them then back to the man beside her in a way that was obviously leading, "But then again, many people walk by this calm without stopping once."

He had a fair point in his questioning, but it didn't give her a problem. It never really had. For a few moments in her youth, in her darker days, she had wondered if she was wasting her belief, but it always came down to the same thing - what was she losing by believing? Could it really hurt her, even if she turned out to be wrong?

"Why believe in something you can see? That is too easy, too simple - its not really believing at all. And you just proved my point, they had no proof, saw nothing, and perhaps didn't even believe in it - but magic existed anyways."

She shrugged her shoulders again. Content with what and who she was - happy with what she believed in.

"No one has to believe, but honestly, what do you lose?"

"That goes to show that I am not like many people," he shrugged his shoulder. "Besides, not everyone can feel the same as I do, especially on such religious accounts. To be honest, big structures such as these always capture my attention. Though the exterior offers me calm, it has been so long since I have been inside. No one's tried to stop me, but myself."

He looked at her, s genuine smile crossing his lips. "I do not have any certain beliefs, if that is what you are inferring. I have not believed in anything real for a long time, unless you are counting magic. Then again, that's actually a part of who we are, right? So I do not feel that believing in it or not will make a difference."

"I'm Charles Braginksi, by the way," the man introduced himself after a moment of silence, his voice regaining it's original strength. "So how often is it that you stop to talk to strangers who stare at churches like stalkers?"

"Maybe one day you'll even venture inside," she gave a half grin her eyes dancing in a friendly, teasing manor. It was the wonder that Vera had, where she could befriend you in moments. She had a sort of loyalty that lasted despite her quick and unpredictable temper. Not that she got close to people easily - in fact anything she thought of as valuable to her person, she rarely showed to anyone - but she was kind to, and friendly with everyone on principle, unless she was in a mood. "You never know, the inside might just be even more calming - even if you don't believe in anything."

She thought the man's life sounded rather sad. There had to be something he believed in, even if he did not realize it. A life without a single belief at all sounded impossible, and certainly not any kind of life if it were really possible. For once though, Vera kept her thoughts to herself. She had some sense that there were some things too personal for her to pry into.

"Vera Parker, and only when I see a stranger that seems worth talking to."

"Ah, spoken truly like a person with a sense of belief," the man chuckled softly. "However, that day seems infinitely far away from me," he added, though he appreciated the blonde's comment. He really didn't prefer the opinions or passing remarks of strangers, because after all, they knew nothing about him.

He may be famous because of his Muggle ancestry, but he might as well disappear from the wizarding world, and they wouldn't know.

Charles smirked and shook his head, trying to get into the sense of being like his old self once more. "I've heard it enough number of times that I am worth talking to. Still, hearing it never seems to get old."

Especially since the woman seemed to have actually meant it, unlike the previous instances he had heard it from his 'family'.

"So what made you wander here today?"

"Doesn't mean its not impossible. There have been many days I thought to be infinitely far away from myself, and yet... here they are." Shrugging her shoulders lightly, she smiled down at the faint bump below her fingers. Her fingers never strayed too far from that bump as attracted to it as an alcoholic is to their boozes. "We all know nothing about our fate, no matter how much we know about ourselves."

Vera had no opinion other way on whether this young man she was speaking to would or wouldn't find what she was offering, but that didn't matter. He felt that she was suggesting he pursue something far different than what she actually was. It was the church, or a religion that she thought he should take.

Vera just felt everyone should have faith in something, no matter what that something was.

"And cocky too. There was a time when I couldn't get enough of cocky," her smirk turned naturally flirtatious as she winked, though both of them knew her heart wasn't really in the action. It was just a social habit she had never kicked. "But lucky for both of us I out grew that... to an extent." Brock did have his moments, to be sure.

Taking a deep breath and letting out she hummed slightly, and mused over his question.

"I'd say that today... I had a few things to work out for myself. And whether by accident or design, this was the place my wandering feet decided to try and work them out."

"I am not the one for optimism, due to many let downs, but perhaps I shall find my belief one day," he murmured with a shrug of his shoulders. Weirdly enough, he thought of Blair to be his belief because there really was nothing else holding him hostage. And it was one nasty habit they both had, where they were never wrong about each other.

Charles nodded his head in agreement, "The best word for fate is unpredictable."

"Never get confuse cocky with confidence, Miss Parker," the man grinned lightly. "Besides, we all need to showcase once in a while to strangers, that we're quite okay with the way we've turned around." At her statement, he knew it was maybe a good thing. "I do not think I'll ever grow out of it. And frankly, I don't want to."

His gaze once again flitting over to the christened building, he asked, "Are things working out as we speak? Or am I distraction?"

"Let downs build character," Vera intoned in a voice that sounded like she was quoting from a far off memory, of course if she was no one had the context for it except for herself.

Letting out a laugh, she grinned at the man eyes dancing, "Oh right, so very sorry. Is confidence what they are calling it these days? I really must be getting old and out of the loop now. Guess I'm all set to be a parent." She raised her eyebrow teasingly as she pat her bump ever so slightly. "Its not always a bad thing to not outgrow. Just remember not to get too confident - those who raise themselves too high, have farther to fall you know."

Bouncing on her heals slightly Vera thought about the question that he had proposed. He certainly was eating into her time of merely thinking, but when had Vera ever cared for solitude over company anyway? No, in the end, whatever attraction to faith she had, this right here was still her element. And who was to say that in your element was not in fact, the best place to work things out?

"I have to say, that unpredictable fate might know just what it's doing. I think I am working out a thing or too."

"In that case, my character must be one of the strongest by now," Charles laughed lightly and shook his head. "Honestly? Some of them did do me good than bad, though it obviously did not seem like it that time. And you know, you talk as if you have experience some for yourself," he commented with a raised eyebrow.

He simply grinned and shrugged his shoulders, "Not sure if it makes any difference what people are calling it, but I guess that is one way to look at it. Depends on the person's thinking, doesn't it?" The man gave her a wink and added, "You do not seem at all disappointed to be a parent, so I think a congratulations from my side are in order." Being committed, marriage was all he wanted to avoid. The thoughts had struck him involving Blair, but he wasn't even sure where they stood.

No matter how twisted their current status, he liked it just because it was them.

"Good to know I am not interfering with your solutions," Charles replied. "For once, I approve of fate's actions; I did get to meet a friendly stranger."

She gave the man a half grin, acknowledging the sentiment that was beyond the statement. Vera could understand the feeling, and his next question gave proof that he may have had his own inclination. Tilting her head to the side, letting her long hair falling down as she thought about his comments, thought about what she wanted to say in return.

"If you call a failed abusive marriage, two miscarriages, and years of unrequited love let downs, than I suppose I am." She gave him a small smile at that, trying to convey that she didn't want pity for these statements, for in the end Vera did believe that they built character. Perhaps not always the best of changes, but they did make her who she was.

"Well then, your congratulations requires a thank you on my part. I may not be disappointed, but between you and me, I may be a little frightened." Vera most certainly wasn't sure if she was cut out to be a parent.

"For once, I don't mind being called friendly." She gave the other man a wink and a laugh.