Walker didn't often stay out after sunset (it wasn't curfew yet of course) and this time he had decided to run around the outskirt edge of the lawns along the forest edge. He had stopped to talk to a friend near the back edge and had spent maybe a little too long talking. So he was jogging back rather interested in getting back inside. As always, being out near dark meant he had garlic in one of his pockets (back shorts pocket) and a cross on a silver chain around his neck. His wand was strapped to his arm and because he had been running a long round, his shirt was off and tied around his waist, a towel around his neck. If asked he wouldn't have admitted to running back to the castle out of fear, but it was prickling in the back of mind, edging things a bit. He had never figured out why he was so scared of vampires, but it was a deep, unreasoning fear he'd had as long as he could remember. Which wasn't far back unfortunately, but that was a long explanation.

He ran when it was too cold to go swimming (and it was getting into dangerous water temps which were far lower then air temps) and boxed for the rest of his exercise. Although he looked like a jock (being lightly muscled, but unconscious about his looks), he'd never done sports, just individual effort. There wasn't a lot of access to things form the orphanage and that hampered what he had access to. He just wasn't much of a competitive person really and that was the bottom line. It was as he ran (slowing down for a rocky patch in the ground) when he heard a noise in the forest and not like a small one either! it sounded nearly like a tree crashing down and was loud enough to make his skid to a halt in the turf.

Seeing a flash in the darkness he knew there had to be a wizard or witch in there and his instincts pulled him two ways. On one hand, he was a lion and he wasn't going to leave someone on their own if they were in trouble, but second, it could be a vampire attacking someone, right? They weren't always quiet things, right? Right?! He hesitated till he heard more noises and knew something was up. Despite his fears, he ducked his head under the branches and darted in, pulling out his wand and lighting it with a quick "Lumos!" He had to dodge a few trees and get around till he could see what had happened inside...

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Ali didn't care that curfew was quickly upon them and that the light was going down, this was her favorite time of day... er... night... er... evening. She loved watching the sun set through the trees and over the lake as she left the castle and headed along the familiar path to the forest's edge that she could probably even walk with her eyes closed. It was beat into her muscle memory by this point. She had found the egg last year, just a little while before the end of the year. Since, she hadn't told anyone about it. It was hers and hers alone. There was no one that she could trust with this information. Nothing was more important to her than her egg.

She walked into the forest just as he had done every evening since her discovery. She hadn't gotten more than 15 feet into the cloak of trees when she heard a branch snap behind her. She was more than sure that she hadn't been followed, she always checked before she entered. Her next thought was that there was no way that a creature would come this close to the edge of the forest. She wiped out her wand and looked back. The branches ruffled around her. She knew how to defend herself of course, but that didn't mean that she was invincible. Even the perfect and stubborn Alietta Krum knew she had weaknesses. The figure grew closer, now approaching from deeper into the forest, walking towards her. A werewolf, in near full form. It wasn't a full moon. But it was drawing closer to her, and she remained still in her spot with her wand pointed at the beast. It pounced and its paws handed on her chest, pushing her down onto the ground. Ali held onto her wand and pointed it at the beast looming over her. "Stupify!" She shouted and crawled out from under the beast as it froze in place. Once she got out from under it, she levitated the creature up and flung it off, far enough to hopefully land it on the other side of the forest. She heard the sound of feet running into the forest and glanced over her shoulder, seeing the young man as he came into view with a light. "He's gone." she told him.

Walker ran into the area where he could see and the light lit up the features of one of the girls he had seen in classes, Ali one of the Snakes. She had a slight scratch across one cheek (from a limb) that stood out in his wand light and she was still down on the ground. As she spoke, he squatted beside her, looking around. "Who's gone? What happened?" He looked perplexed and for good reason as he could hear things had settled down, but how could something leave so fast without making a sound. hearing something small fall he glanced up and saw the motion of the rocking tree tops. His eyes widened. "You threw him?"

Merlin.

Realizing his manners, Walker stood and turned back to her, holding out his hand to give her a lift back on her feet if she wanted it. When she was up however he held up his wand and asked "You okay? He didn't scratch you did he? Cause you've got a red one right here," and ran his finger across his own face same place as he didn't know her well enough to touch her. And scratches from those creatures was a big issue of course, everyone knew that. "Sorry, didn't really mean to get in the way just heard the racket as I was running by and wanted to make sure that everything was okay. I'd feel terrible if it was someone who couldn't you know, defend themselves. But you clearly got it under control..."

Grabbing the edge of the towel he ran the cloth over his face and forehead to get rid of the extra perspiration from the run. It only now occurred to him it probably wasn't nice to be racing to help someone half dressed either, but she probably understood seeing as he had only jumped in to be sure everything was okay and he'd get out of her way now. Though it now also occurred to him to wonder what she had been doing inside the forest to begin with...

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Alietta examined herself over. All in all, she was alright. She knew that her back and bum were probably bruised, but that was the least of her worries. Her cheek and her chest had both been scratched and cut in the battle with the beast. She wasn't sure whether or not she should be worried. She was a Veela after all, she wasn't sure if she could be both a Veela and a werewolf, she wasn't sure if blood worked like that. But, the scratches barely hurt. There was no way that they had been deep enough to cause anything to happen.

"It was a werewolf." She told him and then accepted his assistance back on her feet, brushing off her legs and back from dirt and leaves. "I levitated him and then sent him flying away." She nodded. She was strong physically, but she wasn't strong enough to just pick him up and toss him away, obviously. She ran her finger across her cheek, feeling the curve of the scratch. "He did, but I don't think it was deep enough to affect me." She said. It almost felt like a cat scratch, but a little wider. She was less then pleased, of course, that someone had seen her in the forest, but he didn't look like someone who was going to run back off and get a professor. "It's fine." She said and shrugged when he mentioned that he had just heard the noise and came to see what was wrong. "I doubt I would have done the same thing, but good for you." She nodded and took a few steps further into the forest, wondering if he was going to stay or go.

She accepted his hand and he pulled her to her feet, then tried not to look as she brushed off herself clear of forest debris. "A werewolf? This close to the school? Oh man, that's bad news..." It was unlikely for a younger student to be attacked as they had an early curfew, but it was possible. They needed to let a Professor know about that for people's safety however. "Man. We'll need to tell a Professor I suppose that we saw one and what happened otherwise someone else might be in danger. How did it get so close to you? Did he chase you into the forest?" A glance around, suddenly nervous as he realized he needed to get back and fast.

Vampires. Thank Merlin he had some garlic in his pocket.

An enthusiastic reaction however to her quick wand work. "Nice one! Glad you got rid of him, but do you think that will keep him away? I understand they tend to be focused on their anger when they are changed. He might come back furiously fast..." He wanted to get out of here and soon. Why wasn't she walking back already? She touched the scratch and he watched, then hesitated. "Well the nurse has some stuff that should make that go away pretty fast. Wouldn't want to mess up your face or anything." "Too bad I don't have any in my bag so I can be the one to apply it on her..." That thought made him pause; where had that come from? A shake of his head to get that one out.

Nope, she seemed interested in going further and despite being reluctant to leave her alone, he wasn't doing that! "Uh. I've got to get back, I'll just pass the word on about it having happened. See you in class tomorrow I guess." Despite his words he stood waiting to see if she kept walking away, turning as if he was about to leave. He really needed to get more brave about the dark, but knowing what could possibly be in those woods had him clearly uptight.

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Ali couldn't help but break out into laughter when he mentioned that they needed to tell a professor about what they had seen... er... what she had seen. Her first reaction, of course, was to threaten him. Her mind wanted to scream at him: If you so much as tell one person I will make this place a living hell for you! But, alas, she knew that was unfortunately not going to get her anywhere. Instead, once the laughter stopped, she smirked and put her hand on her hip. "I bet you're a Gryffindor. How Nobel." She took a step closer to him and let her face linger just inches from his own. "I don't really think that'd be necessary. Do you?" She asked in a whisper, biting her lip at the end of the question, more than sure he was willing to forget he ever saw anything. And if not, she had nothing but Gryffindor stupidity to thank for it.

"I'm not worried about him." She said with a shrug. Her Dragon egg was protected by more charms than she could count, anything in the area was hidden from view, as if it didn't exist at all, as if she was stepping through a mirror, she could see all around her and her egg, but if anyone or anything else came by, all they would see is forest, not matter how close they got to her, so long as they didn't touch. It was a rather advanced set of charms, but it proved that she had actually been paying attention in class all those years. "I'm not worried about the cut either." she insisted, but then she realized that she would never get him to leave and not try to follow her if she asked him to leave and she just continued on her way. "Fine, let's go the nurse then. I fell. That's the story. Understand? Point blank. Period. Anything else is to risky. Anything else causes to much of a back story." She asked him with her eyebrows raised. [/blokquote]

((Ali's sort of bossy here - so if there's something you don't like or want to do different, just shoot me a PM and we can rework it ))

He nearly snorted. "Noble? More like what I'd expect someone to do for me if there was danger around to others. Even if one can protect themselves, accidents happen. And who wants to be forced to deal with a lifelong disfigurement if you can help it?" He shook his head, knowing there was more to it then that, but that was close enough. "My life has already been screwed up enough, maybe I like to think if I can save someone else from having that sort of disaster taken away like I didn't get a choice then it will even the balance somehow." Yeah stupid hope, but still. Not that she knew anything about what he was talking about to begin with.

She spoke about it not being necessary and he frowned at her. "Look, I don't know what happened on your end, but I'll just say it came out of the woods edge and you caught and tossed it." She was close and seemed more then a bit intense suddenly, but he felt firm. Monsters that could wound you for life? Oh no, something needed to be done about those. Hadn't enough people already been diseased by those beings and had their lives ruined? Why didn't she get that? But when she said she wasn't worried about him his mouth nearly gaped open. "Well yeah, you sure handled him I can see that, but they aren't even supposed to be near this part of the woods from what I heard in class. Imagine if one of those got into the village during one of those phases?"

He would be willing to bet the shops would get closed down for a long time!

Again she pressed him but he gave her an odd look, then a quick look around as if to make sure nothing else was nearby. he could feel the hairs rising on his neck! "But-- Oh whatever! Come on, this place gives me the creeps..." As he walked out of the woods edge, he pointed his feet back at the castle in a direct line, finishing toweling off so he could slip back into his shirt. "I don't get why it's such a big deal. Not like there is any back story to being attacked by something..." He wasn't trying to pry into whatever she had been doing so much as trying to convince her a story about the werewolf made the most sense.

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

She rolled her eyes at his answer. She hadn't minded at first that he had come around when he heard the fight in the forest, but now she resented him for doing so. This messed up her entire night. She would have to spend a few hours in the hospital wing and knowing true Gryffindor pride, he would probably stick around until he knew that she was alright. "What a very Gryffindor thing to say." She sighed. "Look, tell people what you saw if you want, but don't mention that I was there. There might not be any back story for being attacked, but there would have to be back story for being in the forest alone at night, wouldn't there?" She added. This was one of the main reasons she hated Gryffindors. She didn't hate them because they loved muggle borns' or because they were simply in that house, she hated them because of their damn pride.

Ali had no idea why the beast had come this close to the forest edge, it was indeed quite rare, but drawing attention to it would undoubtedly make staff want to increase security around the castle and grounds, which would make it harder for her to get to her egg when she needed to. She needed to be able to go on her every whim without worrying about getting caught up in increased security. The egg would hath any week now, this was a critical time for the creature and she needed to be able to be there. "Just don't make it into a bigger deal that it is. Okay? It was a freak accident. Those happen. This is a huge forest with all sorts of creatures, any one of them probably more dangerous than a werewolf." Including dragons. She knew, however, that Dragons were not native to this region and there weren't any living in the forest besides hers. "You're quite afraid of the forest, aren't you?" She asked with a smirk as they walked back to the castle.

She seemed annoyed at him for being there which he found odd. Walking in the forest was fine as far as he was concerned if you could take care of yourself which clearly she could, though he understood why the school didn't want younger folks doing it. "Look, I just said that I would say it came out of the forest edge. That says nothing about either of us being inside it so I don't see why there would be any back story, period. Think I want trouble? I'm not stupid and I would appreciate you not assuming I am as that sounded, okay? Sure, I get we have different aims here, you might notice I'm not asking you about yours. That's your business and none of mine. But werewolves being near the school is something the school needs-to-know and protects others from being permanently harmed. To me that's about conscience."

It bothered him that it didn't bother her, but that just meant he wasn't going to see her as a romantic touch or someone to be around a lot. It hardly had to do with his own thoughts on dangers. Why she kept turning this into being about her he didn't get, but it certainly had to do with ego in his mind. Thankfully he had little of that to pass around! "I'm already lying for you as it is, I don't see why it's a big deal and I barely know you! For all I know you-- nope, never mind, not my business. Forget it." Holding up his hands to say he was washing his hands of that part was unconscious, but there. He had always tried not to judge the Slytherins except as individuals and she was showing him a disregard for others which surprised him even so. She was clearly one of those who put herself as more important then others, one of the traits her house seemed to attract.

A glance at her with surprise clear in it. "Wow. you're serious, aren't you?" He shook his head, amazed at the attitude. "As if a werewolf wasn't one of the most dangerous things besides the Acromantula they talk about in there! Although the way you handled him, I suppose you have no worry about those either?" Probably an ego thing again, he guessed. She spoke about him and the forest as they came across the lawn and he shook his head looking back like he could feel the eyes on his back. "The forest, no, what could be in it actually. But I'm sure you wouldn't be interested in the safety of others so no worries. Look, what's your name? I'll just tell a teacher about the werewolf, you can go on back to whatever, all right? I don't want to inconvenience you, after all."

Maybe he was starting to sound too flustered (or maybe sarcastic), but her attitude was doing that! And to think he'd almost been interested in being worried about her getting a scratch on her face! No, she didn't look pretty to him anymore, but Walker didn't judge people on their looks usually. Clearly her concern about her own interests over that of others had turned him off her as someone to get to know better...

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Ali sighed and finally decided just to give up. She would never say that she was wrong, she didn't think she was wrong, of course. If she had been left alone, she would have just gone along with her business after the attack had ended and no one would have had to hear anything about anything at all. "Fine. Tell them what you wish to. I won't refute it." She insisted, keeping as voice as firm as it had been the entire time, however. Unless she was trying to be flirty, her voice was normally firm and strong. She knew what she was saying and was always very confident in herself. Another Slytherin trait that she adored about herself. "I give up." She smirked. "You can be the hero, and I'll be the maiden who was just lying there waiting for you to come along and save her. Wouldn't that be fun? I bet after a story like that got around, you'd have every lady in your year after you." She teased a little, though it was a slightly humorous thought. Ali had only been the damsel in distress once, and she was never going to let that happen again if she could help it.

"What are you so afraid of in there?" She asked him. At first, she hadn't really been interested, but when he said that he was afraid of what was in the forest rather than the forest itself, she got a little more curious. Peoples fears were always rather interesting to her. Not because she wanted to know how to get to them the most, she just liked to know what it was normal for people to fear. And Ali, despite being a little Pureblood Princess, had her own fears, of course. To be honest, she was a little bit surprised that he didn't already know her name. She really had let herself go. Ali had been the party girl. The trouble maker. The Queen. She hadn't been to a party at school since last Christmas. More important things had come up. "Alietta Krum." She shrugged. "Are you going to tell me your name, or am I to continue to call you Gryffindor?" She asked.

Walker gave her a look. The give in didn't say why nor did he completely trust it after what she had said. Then she smirked and in his mind he thought 'Ah ha, she has something else in mind.' All right, he would go along till the teachers. He didn't still see whatever she was doing as any of his business; he wouldn't rat out her being in the woods even if he thought it was stupid to risk. "Excuse me? I didn't do anything, you were the one who did everything. That would make you the hero, I just happened in on the scene." A face. "I have other priorities. Girls will have to wait, thanks for the offer though. My time is too short for playing romantics."

Oh what it would be like to be carefree about such things! He had till summer, then he was as good as dead.

She poked at his fear and he shuddered. A glance back at the forest and you could nearly see his face go pale. In a voice much softer he whispered "Night dwellers. Blood suckers. Noseratu." They were after him, his eyes and face said clearly, though he knew not why. "I think they watch for me because of the dark wizard I was held prisoner by once. He got taken by the Ministry and they've been after me ever since." His steps unconsciously speeded up till they were at the main doors and he stopped long enough to look around carefully especially up before he turned and headed inside. She said her name and he looked at her directly. He'd heard the name before certainly, but he'd never gone to any parties so he'd never seen her in that setting.

"Walker. Walker Zephyr. At least till graduation." He headed for the stairs, a glance behind him to see if she was following...

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

When he mentioned that he had other priorities, she scoffed silently to herself. Her parents had been insisting for her entire life that she needed to find a balance between work and her social life. But she didn't chose to see it like that she chose to make her social life more important, and, in her opinion, that had gotten her father in life than turning in a few essays about charms ever would have. Ali was not cut out for typical work. She wouldn't ever sit at a desk. She would rather be a house wife. But that wasn't her calling either. She knew what she was going to do, the Egg had been her sign, finding it had been the light that guided her path. She was going to change the world, and she wasn't going to do it in the same way that her parents, or aunts and uncles had. She was going to prove everyone wrong. And she was going to show them all the hidden side to Party Princess Alietta Krum. Maybe this other side was just as unrealistic, but it was sure opposite.

"I wasn't offering, my darling. Though, I would think Romance would be one thing that One would want to experience if One had a... limited time." Ali said with a shrug. She wasn't exactly going to press him about how he meant this tiny piece of information, she didn't really have any desire to know. She didn't know him. She wasn't sure if she wanted to, but a part of him did interest her. "Vampires." Ali said with a nod after he told her why he was afraid. She had never known any herself (that she was aware of) but she had heard the stories, of course, as ever magical child had. "They watch you, huh? And what would they do with you if the got you?" She asked as they stepped inside of the castle. "Why are you special?" She didn't mean for this to sound rude, but she couldn't imagine what vampires would want with a slave whom had been freed. Surly they could just find another. That was what her parents did with house elves. "And what will you be called after graduation?" She asked as she slowly followed him up the stairs, the strain of her bruises putting up a lot of semi-painful resistance with each step she now took.

She said she hadn't been offering and he wondered if he should correct her. He's been speaking about the offer to be the rescued girl, not about being romantic with her, but then he decided it was a small enough difference it didn't make much difference. "Not saying it wouldn't be a nice experience from what I've heard, but I don't think any girl needs to be saddled with a guy who can't give them the attention they probably deserve. Survival comes first though I think, nothing personal." And boy did it! He'd sent out nearly two dozen letters already this season already and only gotten one or two back and they were refusals. Either he mastered enough magic to manage to live in the woods somewhere he could find food or he managed a job somewhere somehow. Adoption he'd given up on.

No joy in mudville yet.

Wondering if she was being entirely sarcastic he looked at her face for a minute before he answered one eyebrow up. "Suck my blood out I assumed. Is there something worse?" If only he knew what was in those memories he thought for the millionth time! He just knew the answer was in there somewhere! "I don't know why, those memories have been drained from me." Normally he might have withheld that information but her attitude had made him sort of want to see some kind of reaction from her other then her 'I-know-everything' sound. 'No, you know nothing about what it's like for me and probably don't give a care in the world for anyone either.' So many were wrapped in their own little worlds, their own impressions of the world weren't they?

And she wouldn't know he had gone missing after school, probably never think about it again. Was that really the way the world had to work? That people didn't care about death, didn't care about what happened to those they lived around for so long? It seemed horribly unfair somehow, another depressing brick in the wall for him. That was probably why he answered with the truth first when she asked. "Dead, most likely." He wasn't even aware he had said it out loud, hesitating for a second before his mind answered her with his mouth. "I can't keep the last name after, I only have a first name after all. That's the way orphanages work really. I guess in my situation they might make an exception, but they hadn't told me they will. It's not a normal situation I guess, even for them."

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM

Survival comes first. It was funny how people had such different values and perspectives. Ali had grown up being taught that Family, Name and Blood came first. She had grown up knowing that what people thought about her mattered and then reflected back onto how they thought of her parents, siblings and whole family in general. As children, she and her younger siblings had been trained in proper charm, manner and grace. They had been taught ballet, horse riding, drawing, music, all of the things that high society families valued in children and young adults. And almost as soon as Ali started school, she dropped all of it. Sure, she was sure those lessons were still with her somehow, but they weren't who she was. They never were. She had grown up in the lap of luxury and was still extremely spoiled by her parents, Survival was nearly the last thing on her mind. She was confident in her skill and knew that she could protect herself in the forest when she went in almost every night. But she supposed that she was a rare case. Most weren't spoiled as she was, and most of those who were, continued to be and didn't try to branch away. Those were the ones who wanted to marry rich and never have a to lift a finger for their entire life.

"That's unfortunate." Ali nodded and actually completely meant what she said. She couldn't imagine having had memories drained for her. Though, some memories she did wish she could forget. "Why wouldn't anyone try to help you? Isn't that what aurors and such are for?" She asked. Of course, she was to proud to ever accept help, but weren't Gryffindors all about helping people and team work? "So then you can pick whatever name you want, right?" She remembered back to her conversation with her favorite cousin, Albus. How he resented having to hold that last name. "Oh just go ahead, walk a little faster." She said in a very passive aggressive way, looking up the stairs, still almost half of a flight behind him.

A soft snort greeted her words. "Slightly," he said as they turned the corner on the stairs, "it tends to focus a person. It makes it hard not to think about too." Even if he hadn't been an emotional person, the imagination alone could generate so many thousands of possibilities. Who knew how many came to the truth of the matter? He wasn't even sure the vampires were connected to his memory issues, but there couldn't be but a handful of wild incidents of such across a lifetime (he assumed) so it made sense. It was the story he had used for a few years now at least and if someone could disprove it he'd love them forever for sure.

The truth however was that his family had been torn apart by vampires in front of him and he alone had escaped, his brother being sucked back into the house as he fled and the trauma alone at nine years of age remained even though the memories were now locked away. The sheer terror of them combined with knowing they had been trying to destroy his family which meant they would be coming for him had become a central fear, though the vampires in particular had nearly given up hope of ever finding the brat. They would never find the dark wizard however as his time in Azzieland had done for him awhile ago.

To be honest, Walker didn't know what the limits of auror involvement in the world were, he just had always gone with the idea people disappeared. "I don't know, really, though I know some have gone to them before. The fact is most people after legal age just disappear after the orphanage even if they make plans with others to return. It's as if there is someone just waiting to snatch us as we leave and the staff say our fears are groundless." He'd never tried to hide the fact he was in a wizarding orphanage, but most people even in his dorm never realized the truth. People assumed you had family, that you had a home, never asking if you were okay about it. And they wondered why most orphans were unhappy?

Idiots.

"Well legally I guess you could, but there would be no connections. I know most of the kids there have the names they were born with and then someone on staff gives them a last name for the school years. They had nothing for me so my whole name is made up, though I'd keep the Walker part, I've grown used to it," he flashed her a smile like a joke and then realized she had fallen behind. "Oh! Sorry, guess I wasn't paying attention. My fault." He stopped to wait till she caught up.

ALIETTA MARIE KRUM