Ginny stood beside the lake, in light violet dress robes, waiting for Xaver.
Xaver walked up behind her, running a hand through his still spiked black hair, smiling at he approached her. He had donned black shoes, and formal pants, and a deep red, loose silk shirt. Over his back, tied at his collar by a small linked chain, was a thick black leather cloak. Xaver could clean up well when needed, and he made the outfit look good, though he was a bit uncomfortable.
"Hey," he said, stepping up next to her. He smiled down at her. "You look nice," he said seriously.
She really did, in his opinion.
"Thanks, but I like the dress underneath the robes better." She said, smiling.
"You look better then me though." She remarked opening the portal.
"I probably will too, seeing as you would be more comfortable in it."
He grinned slightly, then shook his head.
"And me look better than you? Impossible."
He glanced at the portal and smiled.
"After you."
"You really are like a friendly dog." She said, laughingly as she stepped into the portal.
She touched down in a large hall, where about twenty men who seemed to be guards stood in a perfect line.
He appeared behind her, sealing the portal after him.
"Eh, shut up, mean person," he whispered in her ear, before straightening, and becoming still at her side.
Xaver glanced down the hall, and refrained from whistling, his eyes habitually counting from the number of guard-people, to the number of tiles on the floor.
She offered him a smile before following a guard into the hall. He led them up a large staircase to the third floor, and to the left. He bowed and left them in front of double doors. Ginny glared hatefully at the oak doors.
"I don't wanna go in..." She said, lowly, so only Xaver could hear her.
"I know," he replied in a whisper. "Just know I'll be right here behind you."
Xaver smiled at her softly, then reached foreword, and opened both the doors, moving back slightly, to allow her to walk first, in an impressive entrance.
"Yippie Kai Yay."
She offered him a quick smile before walking into the room. It had a large table with several modern comferable chairs. Ginny had brought several modren things to this castle, considering she was used to them. At one end of the table sat a girl who seemed to be a few years older then Ginny. She had dark brown hair, and her eyes lit up as she saw Xaver. Another girl, who was younger sat beside a boy of the same age or so. Both had sandy hair, and seemed intrested as Ginny walked in. Conan sat beside his brother and sisters, and looked at the table the whole time.
An older man sat not to far away from them. His gray hair and wrnkled face indicated his age, but the way he lept up when Ginny enterd was surprisingly quick. He walked over and smiled at her.
"Ginny." He said, waving his arm towards the table.
Xaver followed Ginny, his eyes searching all around the room. The people already seated all seemed to be related, sitting around who he suspected as Conan. He watched the mans face for a while, before turning his head to study the older of the people. He seemed friendly enough, though Xaver never judged until he knew the person. Usually.
He noted the changes that he knew to be from Ginny's liking, and he relaxed slightly, still following her, wordless.
"Hi Sam." Ginny said to the older man, as she took a seat, indicating for Xaver to sit next to her. Sam went and sat away from everyone, though close enough to be sure there was no arguing. The only reason he was here was because of this, and he didn't want to influence any decisions.
"Uh, Xaver, this is Conan, his sister Amber,"She nodded at the older girl, who continued to watch Xaver, "And Sara and Tom." Ginny said, "Guys, this is Xaver."
"Hi." Said the youngest two smiling. The oldest girl smiled as well, but said nothing. Conan looked up, his eyes glancing at Ginny, then looking at Xaver, studying him.
"Sam," Xaver said in a low greeting, nodding his head to the old man in greeting, before sitting next to Ginny, pulling up the chair to the table, folding his hands over his lower stomach.
Xaver formed a smile, and echoed, "Hello," to the younger two, nodding in their direction. His eyes watched and deliberated over each of them as Ginny introduced them, falling lastly upon Conan. He watched him closely, though his face formed no expression, and his thoughts were low.
~Don't worry. He's muggle, so are his sisters and brother. Sam's magical, but no telepathy.~ She sent to him.
Amber swung her eyes to Ginny and blinked. She looked between the two, as though surprised, before she spoke up.
"Is he like a cousin or something?" She asked, hopefully.
-Ah, alright. I was about to look and see, but that is all the better.. What are we doing?- A mental chuckle.
"Ah. No. No relation," he answered Amber, his tones low and direct, simple and compact. He noticed her emotion, but remained still.
~Not sure yet.~
Ginny forced herself not to smirk as Amber looked crushed, slightly. She cleared her throat.
"What do we need to do today?"
Conan looked at her, then spoke lowly.
"What to tell everybody." He said.
-Uh. What does that mean?..-
Outwardly, Xaver remained composed, his eyes watching various faces. He noted Amber's expression as curious, but didn't think too much of it. In a glance, he saw Ginny amused by it, so all was just a little more interesting.
~What we should tell everyone in this time. Awwe, Amber has a crush on you.~
"I think we should tell them all. They have a right to know." She told Conan.
He shook his head, "I told you last time, I agree with that. I ment, what should we tell them what happened?"
"Oh, I dunno. Let's just expose magic to everyone." She said, sarcasticly.
-What?-
Xaver glanced at Ginny, raising an eyebrow, though after a blinking second, his face was remote once again. He searched through the faces, studying Conan as he spoke, remaining quiet, himself.
-About what?-
Ginny mentally laughed.
"I vote for telling the truth." Sara spoke up. She may have been young, but she knew that the truth was the right way.
"Maybe we should just...not tell them anything?" Amber suggested.
"Why tell them anything?" Tom asked.
"Because, they need to know." Ginny told him.
Although Conan wouldn't mind telling the truth, Ginny's phrase irked him.
"You mean, like I needed to know things that you didn't tell me?"
Ginny turned and looked at him.
"We're not here for that, Conan." She muttered, glancing around.
"So when are we going to bring it up?! You say to tell them the truth, yet you never told me the truth." He snarled, looking at the table again.
Xaver smiled just slightly as she laughed, then watched each person as they spoke, more confused than he was following, though he remained mute because, it was more than likely many of his questions would be answered soon enough. He frowned, and the expression only deepened.
"Because you didn't need to know it!" She said, her own anger rising slowly.
"I didn't need to know how you die?! I didn't need to know what happens to me in the end? What happens to my family?!" Conan said, looking at her, angrily.
"Shut up, Conan." Ginny said, her eyes flashing, then darkening.
Xaver stiffened slightly in his chair, his eyes flickering between the two.
"Instead of quarreling over what wasn't said," he began slowly, testing out the rugged surface of the room, "why not explain what it is both of you think the others need to know. One giving the other ample time and patience to talk it out, then let the other person state what it is, they think should be known?"
Ginny sat back in her chair, her arms folded.
"He has a po9int." She muttered.
(heh heh, I was succesful in sneaking on! Lolz)
(lol, I noticed ;D lmao)
Xaver glanced at Ginny, and almost laughed. He wasn't particularly expecting her to agree. But it was good she did. He eyed Conan skeptically, and nodded his head once.
"So be it then. Who will start?"
(this is gonna be hard to do...)
Conan sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"Go ahead." He said.
Ginny nodded, "Fine. I think we should basically tell them the truth."
(lol)
Xaver nodded at Conan, and fixed his gaze on Ginny, his expression set but soft. Mentally, he was smiling reassuringly at her.
"Explain, please?"
"I mean, let's tell them there were some problems considering the fact we were forced into the marriage." She muttered, barly loud enough.
Xaver's smile hardened as he watched her, a frown setting and deepening.
"What were some of the problems?" he asked softly.
Giny muttered something lowly, and Conan shifted in his seat, then stared at Xaver, wondering who he was anyway.
-I'm not trying to interrogate you,- he thought to her gently. -Just trying to let you slip in whatever you need to.-
"Could you please repeat that?" he questioned.
Xaver turned his head slightly, noticing Conan's stare, and stared directly back, his expression mute and unchanging.
"No." She said, standing. She scowled and walked out, closing the door tightly, but not before telling Conan not to think that about Xaver.
Conan slumped in his seat.
-Erruh. Sam, can we wrap this up? I think neither sides of the trial want anything else for today.-
Xaver waited for the old man's nod, then, after a more than directly sharp look to Conan, he turned, his long legs carrying him quickly to the doors Ginny had disappeared out of. Instead of waiting to open them, however, his form dissolved into shadow, and he reappeared on the other side, his expression cool, but softening. He paused, watching her her.
She leaned against the wall, her head back and her eyes closed. She didn't notice his presence at all.
Slowly, so he wouldn't startle her, Xaver moved toward Ginny, watching her closely. He stopped next to her, reaching out with his hand, and tucking a fallen strand of her hair behind her ear. He formed a small smile down at her, gently, though he didn't really know what to say.
"Hey," he said quietly, his voice low and husky.
He searched her eyes, worried.
She opened her eyes, startled, though some reflex had her stay where she was. She blinked.
"Hi." She murmered.
Xaver smiled slightly, dropped his hand down her arm, and grasped her hand, squeezing it reassuringly.
"Are you alright?" he questioned softly, his eyes watching hers with a more than concerned expression.
She made a half laugh.
"Of course not. But I will be."
Xaver nodded.
"Understandably," he whispered softly.
She rubbed her forehead and sighed.
"How can I not get along with him? We used to get along so well, now we can't agree on anything."