Deathly Quiet (open)

Briony was just on her way back from one of her trips out to train when she decided that she would take a detour through the graveyard, there had been many times that she had decided to come for a walk here and it often helped her calm down after a good work out or an argument with someone. There was nothing bothering her particularily just a few niggly things but as she trailed her hands along the worn gravestones feeling their rough stone under her hands Briony smiled softly letting her mind think about all of her worries.

Was she going to be a good mother for Annie?
Was she going to be able to be a good wife for her new husband Richard?
Why was she even still friends with Hades when he hated her?

Sighing Briony continued her walk and dwelled on these things.

Sam's burn wounds were practically healed now, but he was left with a faint scar like a half-mask down one side of his face. He'd covered it for the wedding but had forgotten to do so this morning.

He wanted to escape for a while. He'd felt so weird lately. Something was happening that he had no control over and his mind was all over the place.
Wolfie stopped and butted Sam to get him to look up.
"Briony..."

Sam laughed to himself remembering how the two had met here. She seemed to be vexed by something. Shouldn't she be extactic after the wedding?

"H-hey there Mrs Romain" he smiled. "You ok? You seem a bit stressed out. Anything I can do..?"

She heard something that made her jerk her head up Briony saw that she was looking at Sam one of her friends and she was torn between being happy and being ticked off at the fact her silence had been interrupted.

"Hello Sam."

Briony sighed and walked slowly towards him, wondering to herself what the scar on his face was from and as she drew nearer she saw it was a burn scar, Briony furrowed her brow, who would want to hurt Sam?

"I am a little stressed yes, but no I doubt there is anything you can do about it, what's with the scar?"

Sam noticed she looked a little ticked off. He hoped this wasnt a bad time and he wasnt just being an idiot again.

"Im sorry to hear that. What are you so stressed about? Or erm... if you dont want to tell me..you dont have to.. i'll leave you alone if you want or maybe we could just walk together for a bit?"

He touched his face when she asked about the scar and froze, wide eyed for a sec.
"Oh that. Er... its er, nothing. Just me being an idiot as per usual..."

He forced a small laugh. "I-I dont k-know about you, haha, but i've got deja vu right now haha. If we're meeting under the same circumstances, it means your trying to get your mind off something doesnt it...?"

He hoped she was ok. He wanted nothing but happiness for her. She was a friend he held dear after all.

The graveyard was so quiet. Well, until he opened his great stupid mouth that is haha. He looked around and then up at the sky.
"Interesting place to think about things huh? Or to clear the mind..."

Briony smiled, Sam was such a sweet guy, he always tried to help whenever she felt down and she just wondered whether she should actually tell him what was on her mind or if she should keep well clear of telling him, deciding that she would just tell him she smiled again, a little smaller this time.

"Just stressed about becoming a mum, a proper mum to Annie and a proper wife to Rich, my female role model wasn't exactly inspiring as a kid."

Shrugging her shoulders she smirked and shook her head a small laugh escaping her lips.

"You being an idiot? Isn't that your permenant state? But seriously Sam you should get yourself down to the hospital wing."

Briony nodded her head, she did seem to spend an awful lot of time here which was just a little odd if you thought about it, where did she go to clear her mind? A feild of dead corpses.

"It does help me clear my mind, does it yours?"

Even if it was only a small smile, Sam was glad Briony wasnt going to keep holding onto something that would stress and bum her out.

"Briony..." Sam huffed out a small warmhearted laugh. "Im sure you dont need to worry yourself out as much as you think you do. Although ive never met Annie, im sure she already loves you to bits and thinks of you as a mum. And who is to say you have to act like a stereotypical mum? You could be one of these liberal mums who are like big sisters or best friends haha."

He placed his hand on her shoulder and smiled warmly at her.
"And hey, you and Rich completely adore eachother. Ive never seen two people more in love. Dont worry too much about fitting the role of his wife, just continue to be the woman he loves and his best friend. Just be you and you cant be wrong. You're perfect just the way you are, you dont need to change or worry. Just relax for now and enjoy the ride, im sure you'll do just fine."

Sam laughed in agreement. "Ha, i guess your right. Ok, rephrase, a bigger idiot than usual haha."

He shook his head slightly. "Nuh uh, already been in there. I dont like hospital settings. Nope. Dont like them." He must have sounded like such a bratty child but he didnt care. He didnt do well in hospitals. He'd heal in his own time. "Im fine now anyway. Ha, its a good thing ive never been a hunk huh? Otherwise looking like the freakin phantom of the opera would bum me out haha"

He looked out over the graves. "Erm.. sometimes...It feels like a different plane of existence all together in here, like time stands still, like the world isnt real... so you can kinda forget for a sec... But at the same time... its so quiet... that your thoughts in your head are practically screaming at you... Sorry if im sounding like a weird downer again... But then again... i find talking to graves strangely theraputic haha, they listen but dont interupt. But they dont answer back. So are you sure theres nothing else bothering you..?"

Briony listened to Sam's advice, of course she already knew all of this but the doubt was still there in her mind, she knew that she would always be the woman that Richard loved and that Annie loved her too but there was always that niggling feeling at the back of her skull that she was going to fail miserably.

"Thanks for the advice Sam. I guess I just need to keep repeating that to myself until I actually believe it."

She sighed a little and drew her wand, tapping it on the side of Sams face she muttered a small incantation that made the size of the burn shrink considerably.

"Sorry if that hurt but you're stubborn Sam, if you don't let the hospital heal it I'm going to have to do it, and you know I will...and you don't look ugly Sam, in fact you never have, you've just been a little cutie, like the nerd of the group, the sweet one that nobody ever goes out with but they should."

Briony smirked and placed her wand back in it's holdster and looked out over the vast expanse of graveyard.

Sam didnt know why Briony felt she needed to worry so much; she was an amazing woman, strong, fierce, able to overcome and do practically anything. He had every faith in her, he just hoped that soon she would be able to believe in herself.

Sam flinched and jerked backwards as she tapped her wand on his face. He appreciated that she wanted to help, but the wound was healed now. He didnt mind if he was scarred, scars were cool and added character. At least it was only an island on one side of his face now and not a complete mask.

"Thanks Briony, but you shouldnt worry yourself about me. I always get myself in stupid situations were i get myself hurt, but i heal eventually. And haha! Thanks! Im the nerd!" Sam laughed. "But hey, nerds are good right? So thanks." He grinned childishly. "Ive never been anyone in a group though, always the lone wolf really. Unless that means that im the nerdy sidekick out of me and Wolfie haha"

Sam walked with Briony, letting her enjoy the peace and quiet for a while longer. He guessed if there were other things on her mind, she didnt want to talk about them with him.

He stroked a gravestone and sighed sadly, losing himself in thought for a minute.
"Briony, you know im always here if you ever need anyone to talk to right? And even when im not, you know my thoughts are always with you my firned dont you..?"

Taking note that Sam flinched away from her as she tried to fix his face she didn't try to get rid of the scar completely, boy was he a stubborn guy, sighing and moving away from him again so they were a couple of graves apart Briony began to walk once more.

"Nerds are good, they're a lot more sensitive than the jocks it just takes a special type of person to notice the nerd, and I seriously doubt that you'd be the sidekick to your dog."

She smiled a little bit just thinking of Sam's dog pouncing into action while he just stood by and pretended to be doing something useful, that, was a funny image.

When he told her that he would always be there for his friends Briony assumed that she was one of those friends and she grinned at Sam, proud that he called her a friend and that she could be a support for someone that she hadn't even known she was being especially nice to.

"Thanks Sam, if I ever need your help I'll be able to find you in school yeah? How are you doing anyway, got any problems for me to solve?"

"Haha, you'd be suprised" Sam laughed, ruffling the fur on Wolfies neck. "He can be a right old bossy boots this dog, who does more leading me into action than following. He looks a docile mutt, but you'd be suprised you know."

Sam was glad he had a friend like Briony. He didnt need to know someone for long to care about them dearly, and he'd hate having to leave someone like her behind. He just wished that Sezzy could be wrong for just once like he was at times about his visions. But he doubted that... he could feel it too...

"If not the school...i'll be...around.. in Hogsmeade maybe... if not, Wolfie's usually easier to find and he can always track me down for you..."

Problems? Where to start? But he didnt like to burden people who had their own problems when his paled in comparison. Any bad situation he got himself in was he fault, and he'd have to deal with it alone and face it head on whether he wanted to or not.

"Im er... im good i guess and er... no you're alright im fine..." He stared down absent mindedly at the floor and exhaled.

"Hey Briony... i know this sounds a stupid question...but ive lost track of the days...and im just wondering... how long has it been since i first started here... you were the first person i met on my first day... how many months have passed since then...?"

Briony eyed Wolfie a little cautiously, true, she was no fan of dogs but it seemed like this one was pleasant enough at least it hadn't tried to attack her which was good, she wouldn't like to kill Sam's best friend on him, would be a little cruel.

"Oh believe me, I have my ways if I want to find you I will know where you are trust me."

Winking at Sam Briony stopped in front of one worn grave, the face of the large angel statue had been eroded away so it only left the outline of the face remained, rather a creepy image but Briony thought it thought provoking she liked to see things in decay, to think what they would have been like.

"Sam, did anyone ever tell you...you're the worst liar in the history of liars and if you don't tell me right this second what is wrong I will just delve into your mind and find out for myself..."

Briony turned to face Sam, a serious look on her face, if her friend was in trouble, she would help them even if this help was wanted or not.

"How long? It's been a year and three months Sam."

Wolfie whined and bowed his head at Briony, as if to tell her he was sad she disliked him but understood, so kept his distance, but nudged Sam for a stroke. Sam buried his head into Wolfie's neck as Briony spoke.

Sam laughed, although in truth he was a little scared. He didnt doubt that a woman like Briony could find out what ever she needed to.
"I'll do my best to be around then... save you the trouble of looking for me."

He followed her gaze to a worn angel statue that had almost a featureless face.
"It reminds me of those Willow statues you see. I used to look at them in shop windows and guess what they were feeling, but they freaked my mum out, them not having an expression.I wonder if this angel once has a peaceful smile or a sad face...?"

Sam froze and tensed at Briony's serious tone.
"PLease dont Briony..." He begged despondently. "There's nothing for you to worry about. They're just silly problems that neither i nor anyone else can do anything about. Plus, i dont want to involve you in any trouble when you have enough things on your mind...Im just scared thats all... that everything i've endured will have been for nought... and that i'll just let the people i care about down... that in the end... i just wont be good enough... that... i'll lose everything... and that the world will just fall apart around me... Im sorry, im being melodramatic... im sorry... "

He thought about Kerew. His nightmares that caused insomnia. That Cryssies time - and his own - on this earth was running out. That his sister had set a test for him that he could not afford to fail but knew it would be designed in a way that held no chance for success. Something weird was happening to him, like he was possessed. He had killed someone... He had failed as a human being to protect someone... He hated himself. He had horrible feelings all the time that things in his family were going wrong and he was going to lose everything he cared about and just let people down and be forgotten about; looked down upon like worthless filth again. He had to take deep breaths to hold himself together.

"Jesus...that long already huh? Where does the time go...? Why do i feel like its all been a waste..?"

A year of his life had passed and he'd accomplished nothing, again. He was amazed however that he and Cryssie had been granted this much time together. He just wished he had longer. That worst nightmare wasnt just around the corner. He just wished he could run and escape life altogether.

"A lot has happened though hey? And not all of it good unfortunately, and i fear more is still yet to come. But at least life stopped being a bitch long enough to grant you and Rich some happiness on your wedding day, and since then too i hope."

"Willow statues? No doubt a Muggle invention. I suppose since it's a gravestone it would have had a really sad face, or a peacful one, as death is both sad and peaceful."

Shrugging Briony wondered why she had never experianced the more Muggle aspect of the world and that maybe if she had done that she wouldn't be so angry at them, however, then she remembered what they did to her Grandmother and she put that thought far from her mind.

"Then I shall not look into your mind Sam, I had hoped that my bluff would work, I'm no Hades I cannot do that, I just wanted you to be able to tell me things as your friend. Life would not be life if you were not scared, and Sam that is everyone's fear, everyone is scared that they will have died and that everything that they did would have been for nothing."

Smiling kindly at Sam Briony walked back over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, there seemed to be something behind what he was saying. Was it the wolf in him making him think that he was going to die?

"It's not been a waste. you've made friends, made friends with me, Rich, Willow everyone who meets you likes you, what classifies something as being a waste? If it's it's benefit to society then your time has not been a waste it has made people happy."

"Yeah..." Sam had to remember that Briony was a blood puritist who didnt think too highly of muggles.

It suprised him that he didnt annoy her, after all his father was a muggle and he had been raised with muggles his whole life. It was all he knew. He wondered what muggles could do to make wizards so angry. Then again, his experience hadnt been the best either. At the end of the day, wizards and muggles are both human, and humans can be cruel by nature.

"Mmm..." Thats what worried him about death. What if was just a void of silence or misery?

"Ha, i'd still call that a pretty good bluff." Sam smiled weakly. "I know, but there are always some things that even friends arent ready to tell eachother, but i promise i'll tell you everything some day. And yeah i guess so, but i hate being such a coward...being scared to live life all the time..."

He placed his hand on tops of hers at it rested on his shoulder and smiled warmly at her.
"I'm glad and forever thankful i have you guys in my life, but not everyone i meet likes me you know haha, im not exactly a master of good first impressions. I can make people sad as well as happy. The people i love themselves can never be waste, just me... Sorry, you know me, one day happy as pie, the next as melancholy as a sombre grey sky haha"

"Briony... this is a bit of a random question, but whats it like to be married? Does it change things for the better? Do feelings stay the same or grow even stronger? Im just curious becuase, i hope to have the same happiness as you and Rich one day. When i leave this place, it'll be to go and get married to the woman i love."

"It only works because I'm so scary I can pull it off, if you tried to bluff me I have no doubt you'd try your best but in the end you'd fail, quite miserably as well."

Grinning as she thought about Sam trying to pull the wool over her eyes Briony sighed and took a seat at the base of one of the graves, a rather large one, she believed they were called mosoleums or something like that. The cool stone flattened her hair and made her whole back numb as she rested it upon it. Briony patted the grass next to her as a sign for Sam to sit there.

"It's the cowards who live Sam. And I want you to live as much as I want my daughter and my husband to live, you're a good friend Sam and I will not have you putting yourself down so. I just will not have it."

She whispered.

"Nice little rhyme going on there, it does seem to be the case that you have wicked mood swings, but no matter, I can deal with them."

Smiling gently Briony took a moment to reflect on her married life, she wanted to be honest with Sam but not so much as to scare him off.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck with the lucky lady herself and if you really want to know, being married is different to how I percieved it, you feel more secure, all your worries about them leaving you finding someone else dispell and you're brought together even stronger by the bond of marriage."

"Haha, yeah, ive known from the day i met you that you're certainly not a woman to be trifled with. And i guess ive never been the lying or threatening sort, or the best of actors really" Sam laughed.

Sam obediantly sat down next to Briony. "Yea...but its not fair that cowardice should be rewarded with life when bravery is denied this courtesy. And awwh thanks, its nice to know that there are those select few out there who care for me."

Sam bowed his head in mock shame at being told off. "Sorry headmistress, i'll try not to. I'll give myself a detention dont worry"

"Yea, sorry about that. Usually i'd blame it on the wolf in me, but apparently ive always been a bit moody haha. I've never been angry with you though have i? Just happy or sad?" He hoped Briony hadnt seen too many of the ugly sides of him.

"Thank you." He smiled up at her. "I've told you about Cryssie havnt i? Its just no-one has ever met her except-" He cleared his throat and choked back the tears of guilt in his eyes.
"I sure hope so. I couldnt love her more than i do now but i just want to prove that to her."
A big part of him knew he didnt deserve happiness. It had been denied to him for a reason. He was a monster. Monsters didnt get happy endings.

He pulled his dagger out from his coat and cut of some of his hair. He then blew it into the wind where the strands turned to roses and sat on the graves. One strand landed in an empty space in the graveyard and grew into a rose bush.
"There, this place could do with some beautifying. Besides, the people buried here musnt get very many visitors; the least people can do is leave flowers to show that they're thinking of them. Do wizards do that too or is this mainly a muggle custom?"

He hoped he hadnt been bumming Briony out to much, but there were just these nagging thoughts at the back of him mind that wouldnt go away. He'd had terrible nightmares. The days seemed to be disappearing and he found it hard to breathe or function, like his whole body was getting heavier and heavier, weaker and weaker. He just hoped whatever was wrong with him, would resolve itself soon.