The Shoreline

[Ginny Weasly]

"Sure, why not?" She looked at the wolf. "Moon, it's time to switch ranks, make sure it gets done, kay?" The wolf barked once and ran into the forest.

[Zack]

He watched the animal as it disappeared into the forest, smiling at Ginny, then he crouched down and held his cloak as a sack, holding within it the pile of weapons. Save his long sword. That, he clasped to the belt at his hip; he felt too off without it's weight there. He didn't bother to put on his shirt. It was too sliced up anyway, and it smelled of blood, sweat, and mud. Not a good combination, if he did indeed say so himself. So he didn't bother; he stuffed it in there with the rest. It was very fine, to have the hot sun on his damp shoulders and back, and chest.
He started off toward the castle, holding the sack at his side, smirking in amusement at the first years.
"Do they always scurry away in fright? Odd little kids, aren't they?" He said in Ginny's direction.
Unknown to him, however, was that he possessed a new 'look', so to say. The children sensed the treachery of his presence, and not knowing him, they fled. To him, it was off. To an onlooker, perhaps sensible.

[Ginny Weasly]

She gave one of them a look."You. Go on ahead and clear the hall." The first year glanced at Zack once more than scampered down the hall. "Almost always odd. But it's sensible of them, Zack. They've never seen the likes of you before."

[Zack]

"The likes of me?" He said, frowning.
He looked down. Muddy black boots, worn in, and laced tightly; brown-black-red traveler's breeches of loose, weatherpreoof, red-dirt stained material; a black belt holding within its fixtures incrusted blood and more dirt; at his hip a sheathed, deadly sword, that had taken more than it gave. No shirt, and a black sack of weapons.
He turned his head toward Ginny, still frowning.
"What? Am I really that different?"

[Ginny Weasly]

She raised an eyebrow. "This is a school, Zack. Dumbledore likes it when we keep the remains of battle away from them." She motions towards the few remaining students.

[Zack]

"Oh."
He laughed, suddenly, as they came to the stone steps. Very missed, stone steps.
"I'll need a few baths then."
He shook his head and began up the stairs, in stride with Ginny, but his movements quite effortless.
"Just the same, though. Things are changing. I have a dark feeling, that things won't be so peaceful for too long, more. It has been...hard, to keep things under control. It is not only Voldemort, anymore. I s'pose it never has been. I have duties at many other places now, and weather Dumbledore likes it or not, I think he knows, just the same, that battle is at his--our-- doorstep. "
He watched a few students go by in a wary way, falling silent.

[Ginny Weasly]

Ginny nodded solomly. "I have yet to tell him that Conan's time and ours are going to mix. Unfortantly, that means more enimes. I think he knows somehow thiugh." She swallowed, her vision from afew months ago flashing quickly in her brain.

[Zack]

"Indeed." He muttered quietly.
Suddenly, he felt unnervingly weary; tired, and un-cheerful as the blade at his hip. However, he straightened his shoulders, and pushed open the door of Dumbledore's, stepping in anyway. His body wouldn't allow his mind to control it. So, he walked inside, his expression grave, and dark.
He stepped up to the Headmasters desk, bowing slightly [though not realizing it, of course, for this was another habit he had picked up]. He straitened, gently setting the cloak withholding his blades on the chair at his side.
"Headmaster."

[Ginny Weasly]

She followed and closed the door softly, making sure her school robes didn't get caught. She nodded at Dumbledore.
"Proffeser." She said watching the Headmaster.

[Zack]

DD:: The Headmaster set down the book before him onto his desk, studying his pupils intently, and very silently for a moment. He then stood, his fingertips resting on the top of his desk.
"Hello, Ginny. Welcome back, Zack. I trust you have completed I disagreeignment?"

Z:: "Sir." He replied abruptly.

DD:: "And it wasn't taken seriously, was it?"

Z:: "No, sir, it wasn't."

DD:: "As to be suspected. We tried, my student. There was nothing more to do."
The old man paused, as he read the younger's eyes. Read them so very easily, it seemed, though in fact it was quite difficult.
"But there was? Tell me, what did my old friend request of you?"

Z:: "Merely that I slaughter a few of his enemies. Tell me, Headmaster, what is it your 'friend' has to help us that is so fragile? Yes he has strength in his forces, but, forgive me, he is an irrational man!"

DD:: "Did you kill them?"

Z:: "No. I am not an assassin, sent to kill whomever someone else finds pleasing for me to do so. Those were not my orders."

DD:: "You are so very fit, yet you are bloody and weary?"

Z:: Zack growled, running a hand through his sandy hair yet again.
"You are a stubborn old man. There were problems along my run home. A disagreement, which escalated to something even I have not seen in a while. Sadly, I was camped directly in the center as the two forces headed toward each other. And as neither knew me, all of them wanted me dead."
He shrugged, as if that explained it all away. There was more, so very much more, but the Headmaster was too wary to ask of him any more questions. The headmaster did not like to enflame his temper, and he knew, behind his half-moon spectacles, that the younger man would say no more. So the subject was finished, and the Headmaster took this time to smile, over Ginny, and Zack, in the most odd of his old man ways.

[Ginny Weasly]

She sighed as she stepped forward. "Proffeser, I'm sure Zack would like to go and take a bath...or two. " She smiled laughingly at Zack. "And I need to to return to the forest. So, if you have nothing else to discuss with Zack, I'll remind him where everything is."

[Zack]

The Headmaster shook his head. "You may be off."

Zack turned, gathered his things again, and walked toward the entrance, muttering as he passed Ginny, "Dirt is a cleanser."
Outside of the Headmaster's office, he yawned widely, blinking tiredly in the aftereffects.
"Perhaps I shall meet you at the lake's edge, later, after I have had a long shower?"

[Ginny Weasly]

She closed the door. "Sure. I've nothing better to do. Same old stuff today. Just send me a thought when your done. But...make sure your done first. I don't think any of you realize that I see you when you send telepathy to me." She laughed slightly.

[Zack]

He laughed heartily.
"I'd realized. I assure you, I won't. See you, then, my friend."
He smiled, and turned, striding off to the showers in the boy's dorm, constant scurrying continuing about him, as he growled teasingly every now and then, to his amusement, and to ease the tension a bit.

Zack ran a towel through his messy hair, after he'd finished dressing, about an hour or so later. When he dropped the towel, he ran a hand through his now black spiky mess, laughing. In the corner of his eye, he caught the reflection of himself; his laughter died.
The fresh water had seemed to taken away  layers of color from him, literally. It was spooky.
His clothes hung off his broad frame loosely; more loose than before, as he had lost some weight. Gods, he looked like a ghost!
Laughing lightly, he stalked out of the castle much as a ghost would have, coming to the lakes edge. Forgetting to send a thought to Ginny, he sprawled out on his back, tucked his arms behind his head, and in seconds, he was in a dead sleep, undisturbed by the younger kids in the lake at his left, screaming and laughing and talking.

[Ginny Weasly]

She stood yelling at a student who had dared to pull his wand in the forest. She felt Zacks preseance and felt his mind slow as he drifted of to sleep. She glared at the student and took his wand. "You'll get it back in a day's time. "She told him angerily.
Student:"But what will I tell my teacheres?" he asked, paniced.
"You will tell them the truth. " She dissapeard and reappered beside Zack. She stood, wondering wheather she should wake him or not.