Xaver had been staying in a small, bleak apartment at the end of Hogsmead road, for a few days now. It lacked lavish and warmth, but he looked at it like somewhere to rest his wings for a while. Literally.
He was clad in his jeans and combat/outdoor boots, still, though shirtless, his enormous black wings out, and open, their enormities filling up the length of the single-room flat. It was basically one room, with a side of some cooking appliances and a little square table, and a little bathroom doored at the other wall. Nothing fancy. Just living space.
His winged self didn't hear, for he was so deep in sleep, the creeping open of the door, nor the padding of footsteps across his floor. He did, however, awaken to the sound of voices. Only instinct had him lurch out of the way of the blades that slashed down at him. He got away quickly enough. But his attackers could not do the same.
Xaver apprehended them the way he thought best. By the time they were tied, they, both the two, were bruised and unconscious.
"Assassians," he snarled grumpily.
"At least they could send good ones..."
Grumbling, Xaver, caring not that he was shirtless, and winged to the public (it was 0500 in the morning), he grabbed the collars of both the men, and exited his little habitat.
Lavy was walking up the stairs and had just looked up as Xaver walked out of his room, dragging the two men behind him. She stopped mid-step staring at the scene before her. Given the size of the hallway, Xaver looked rather large to her inside of it.
"Hello, Xaver, I see you're a little... tied up."
Xaver seemed to quite literally growl. He didn't reply for a moment, making quick way through the hallway of apartments. He held the collar of a fully grown man in each hand, carrying both off the ground, lean muscles flex, but not straining. There was a scowl on his pale features.
"Just but a small bit," he said testily.
Grumpily. Like an annoyed hawk.
"Hmmm...." she said leaning up against the wall with her arms crossed across her chest. "Two men, in your room in the middle of the night. They would be here to kill you as you slept I suppose. Assassians?"
"Indeed," he muttered.
His great, obsidian wings fluttered behind him as he kicked open the hallway door, and literally threw the men outside, into the mud. It was raining so hard, one could barely see where they landed, sheets of water descending from the skies in pelting droplets. He turned and let the door swing shut behind him, bringing a wing around his chest and under his arm, smoothing some of the upset feathers. Finally, he released the wing, and it opened, then settled behind him.
"This needs to stop," he said quietly, more to himself.
Xaver rubbed his eyes, a wave of tiredness settling over him.
The door opeaned and Ginny came through. She shook the water off her hair and semi-smiled at the two before closing the door gently.
"I had a feeling this kind of thing would happen if you stayed outside of Hogwarts. Didn't I tell you to just save yourself the trouble and stay at the school?" She said to Xaver, partly teasing him. She wasn't worried about the assasins getting the better of him. She wasn't worried, actually. She just thought it better if Xaver stayed somewhere that he could rest.
She shook her dark cloak off, as it was soaking wet.
"Hogwarts is much safer then here." Lavy said agreeing with Ginny. "Might as well take the advantage."
Ginny smiled gratefully at Lavy.
"See? I'm not the only one who thinks so." She grinned at them both.
"Did you know it's a little bit wet out?" She laughed as she snapped her fingers, making her cloak appear on a hook to dry.
Xaver's gaze snapped to the opening door, and then softened as Ginny entered.
He caught himself. Maybe he was a little nervous. Or something. He mentally shrugged to himself.
"Yes, it might be safer. But do you think it ethical? I might bring uncertain danger to the students.. And I'm not a teacher. What right have I there, anyway?"
He thought for a moment, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He caught Ginny's last comment and grinned.
"And," Xaver teased in return, "most usually associate wet with rain."
He shrugged.
"But I may indeed be of mistellings.."
"You are a visitor of mine, if nothing else. You could always avoid being around large groups of students. Besides, they know what to do if the school is attacked. Anyway, at least this way, fewer people wpuld attempt it." Ginny said, reasonably. She smiled softly at him. He looked so tired. She only wanted him to be able to sleep through the night.
"Oh, is it raining out? I didn't notice!" She laughed.
"But I'm sure he did." She said looking over at the door as a man walked in dripping from head to toe in water. "And think this way." she started turning back to them. "If something happened that the students couldn't handle, we can always find someone close by that could fix it. It's not hard, look twenty feet and you'll find someone." she finished with a shrug.
Xaver looked up as another man entered, cursing the heavy rainstorm. The man tried ineffectively to brush himself off, then looked up at the company in the hallway. His eyes flickered over each of them, then snapped back to Xaver's wings. His eyes widened. Shuffling quickly back out the door, he had only enough nerve to mutter something like 'demon' before he shut the door behind him. Xaver scowled.
"Well. Perhaps having some more time to sleep would be good. I would feel less tempted to break things, anyway."
Xaver shrugged and smiled innocently.
(sorry I was slow to reply. I be sick :( )
Ginny made a tsking noise and shook her finger at him.
"Do you need a time out, Xaver?" She asked, teasingly. She laughed, in an extreamly good mood lately.
She seemed to pay not attention to the man, or his mutter, but she had heard it and stored it away. He probably wasn't important, but it was always good to pay attention.
"C'mon, you know ya want to." She said, smirking.
Lavy shook her head but couldn't resist the urge to smile. "You two are ridiculous, you know that, right?"
Xaver chuckled and nodded to Lavy's question.
"I do, indeed."
He looked to Ginny, and smiled. He had caved. Though it hadn't been too hard, honestly.
"I know."
He grinned.
Ginny looked at Lavy, blinking, her eyes wide. "You mean I'm not normal?" She asked, her voice wavering slightly. She grinned after a second, however.
"Yeah, I know. I like being ridiculous." She shrugged.
She looked at Xaver, now.
"See? I told you so."
"Do you happen to have the time?" Lavy asked a question directed to no one in particular.
"A little after five," he answered her.
Xaver nodded to Ginny.
Yeah. He had caved. He didn't really mind, though. Not with her. Not with Ginny.
He sighed quietly, and for a moment, simply listened to the rain pounding upon the roof above. His sea blue eyes closed, and he was almost slowly lulled back to sleep. He rocked slightly, then mopped his hands over his face, yawning.
He was so tired.
Xaver was a man of great possibilities and strength, though with an immense workload, a still healing body, assassians and a shattered memory and mental stability ... Well. He wasn't knocking over any doors with all his energy.
He was so tired.
Xaver's wings shifted uncomfortably. He looked to the door, and frowned, though hazed in his senses, alerted to an outside person.
He looked away, however, and to Ginny, said, "If think you it would be acceptable, I do, greatfully, accept your offer."
-Always saving me, eh, love?-
He smiled at Ginny, shaking his head slightly.
~I try.~ She sent back, softly. She nodded at him, and aloud said, "You can go there whenever your ready."
She stretched and smiled at him.
(Sorry guys, writers block along with an arthritic wrist)
(=P lol, it's ok. Get better you. O.o)
((And that's a better reason than me trying to convince a teacher that the Monster made me eat my homework..)) >.< mheh ..
"Might as well go now," he said.
He weaved a thought and he was suddenly dressed in fresh dark jeans and a navy blue long-sleeved button down shirt, his wings vanished, though rather uncomfortably.
<ooc: Grr.. brain-dead..>
"Where to?" he asked, raking a hand through his dark hair habitually.
"Though that rain? No way." Lavy closed her eyes for a second. The once pouring rain slowly diminshed into a light sprinkle. "Ah that's better." she waved her hand and the door opened. "Let's be off then." she stood up.
Ginny frowned and sighed.
"But I like it when it rains like that." She pouted for a moment, then shrugged and smiled again. "Oh well, it''s gonna rain all day, and it's five in the morning, so it seems like I'm in luck!" She laughed.
"Well, I was just comming down to check on you, Xaver, before I ran to the post office. Other than that, I have little to do today." She made a face, realizing how boring her day would be.
Lavy moticed Ginny's face and knew what she was thinking. "Well, if you need something to do today, and you like extremely cold weather, you can come to Russia with me and see if I can't get them to let up a bit." she shrugged. "Talking works most of the time but every so often I have to bang a couple heads together to get results."
Ginny narrowed her eyes. Simply because most often, Lavy agreed with neo's political positions, and Ginny didn't. "Why do you need to talk to the Russians?" She asked. She wouldn't stop Lavy if it had something to do with that, but she defiantly wouldn't be apart of it.
((Heh, did you know that my biggest ethnic backround is Russian??))
(lol don't worry my boyfreind is a Russian, i've got nothing against them)
"It has nothing to do with Neo if that's what you're thinking." she said crossing her arms. "I wouldn't spit in that man's mouth if his insides were on fire. I just need to talk to them. Nothing to get physical about, yet anyways."
((I didn't mean to imply that you did. It was just a random fact about me.))
Ginny nodded, understanding. She opeaned her mouth, then paused and looked at Xaver.
"What do you think? You wanna visit Russia?" She asked him, smiling.
(=o...)
Xavers expression was blank, when Ginny turned to him.
He was listening. Of course.
Err. Sort of.
The Fallen lord smiled sheepishly.
"Heh. Sure."
He nodded, and decided it would probably be for the best. Russia. He hoped they were talking about going there. Or something along those lines.
Xaver's features had paled in his long stretch of sickness, and though in the last few days he was slowly getting some of his former golden bronze back, his face still hinted greys. So in his embarrassment, the red of his face was a little more boyishly profound - one could almost glimpse the mischievous adolescent he had once been, long ago.
She smirked at him. "You should get the award for listening." She said, laughing. She turned back to Lavy and nodded.
"Sure, why not. Give me a few minutes, and we can head out."
Lavy tipped her imaginary hat. "Will do."
Xaver smiled slightly, giving them a slightly knowing look, nodding his handsome head, then turning, in a brisk ruffle of feathers, disappearing into the door of his apartment.
He suddenly wished he had kept the cleaning service offered to him long ago. He quickly cleaned up the place - though by manual hand and labor, not by magic. Which was fairly odd - Xaver usually used his magics with ease, at ease, the store of his power, supposedly, immense, and barely tapped.
Lately, admittedly, he was a bit wary to use anything of his paranormal abilities. Except his wings, of course, he reminded himself, as a few silken feathers brushed his cheeks. He didn't even put out the effort, most of the time now, to conceal them. (Though, he hadn't been in a mortal area for more than a few hours for ages now.)
His wings had grown some since graduation, all that time ago. They were enormous, even tucked comfortably, 'normally', behind him. He didn't feel the weight. Bodily, he had grown some as well. His figure was broader, thicker in muscle and the threatening strength that was always there, even behind his usual gentility. He was not at all stocky, though nor was he skinny. He was a lean whipcord. A formidable, deadly opponent to any.
But most probably wouldn't guess that, with his broad, toothy grin, patient aura, and (though now usually more subtle) sense of humor. His eyes were what usually what gave him away. Open voids to the dark, wary, scarred soul that roamed within. He had a dark side. But that was under lock and key for sure as Luke.
Xaver ran a hand through his dark-as-night hair and flopped back onto the bed, spreadeagled, his head hanging off one end, wings spread out - one across the bed and covering most of one wall, the other across the floor. He closed his eyes, and waited. For once, in a while, a some peace with himself.
Ginny had wanted a few minutes - and he, of all people, knew never to doubt her abilities of finding him.
Closing his eyes, Xaver let a relaxed yawn escape, a daydream of that first day at Hogwarts playing before his mind. That first time seeing the fiery redheaded forest princess. He smiled to himself.
Ginny went down to the door and slipped on her cloak again. She only had to run down the street to the post office and then run back. Actually, she wasn't running anywhere. She loved to walk through the rain.
She stepped outside and the rain immediatly grew harder. She was a master of the water element, after all. She was pretty good at the other elements, but water was her favorite. Ginny walked down the street, the rain pounding the cobble stones in a rythm few could hear. She smiled before stepping into the post office. She went right up to the front desk and asked, "Mail for me?"
"Yea. Not alot." The guy behiond the counter handed her two envelopes and she tucked them away before making her way back up the street and to Xaver's apartment.
"Hey you." She poked him in the face and smiled. Xaver looked happy and she wondered what he was thinking about.
"Come on, get up."
Xaver's ocean-blue eyes slid open when she poked him, his tired gaze softening as he looked at her.
He grinned slightly, took her hand, and gently tugged her arm pulling her on top of one of his wings, but not minding her weight - pulling her beside him.
"UmMmm..." he said stubbornly.
He turned his head towards hers, kissing her forehead then closing his eyes again.
"Just a few minutes..."
He almost yawned, though instead, seemed to sigh, at ease. d**n Romania. Or Russia. Or wherever they were going. He mentally laughed at himself, for not listening.
He did yawn then, quietly slipping back to sleep like a troublesome child, his body relaxing into the fluffy comforter, noting the fresh scent of her hair. New shampoo? He pondered the thought like only a tired mind could, dozing.
Ginny smiled as she lay there. She didn't want to get back up. She knew Lavy was probably waiting, however. She rolled so she was on her side, careful not to put much weight on his wing. She was looking right at him.
"Wake up, love. We have to go."
(YaY I got toast ;D )
Xaver, though a bit unwillingly, opened his eyes again as she rolled. He noted she was being careful, and he smiled slightly. She didn't have to be. There were many things he still didn't even understand about his not-very-human self, and his wings were one of those things. Her weight was not at all harmful or heavy. If anything, it was comforting.
"Fiiinne..." he mumbled softly.
Though he didn't move.
"Where are we going again? And why?"
He watched her, blinking the tiredness out of his eyes.
"Uhh...Russia. If I remember correctly."
She smiled at him, watching his eyes.
Xaver sighed at Ginny's answer, rolling to face her, wrapping an arm around her waist and burying his face into her neck.
"Ah.. Such things as distances make you love magic."
And make you wary of it.
The Fallen lord knew the travel would drain him - but he wanted to go. He had slowly begun to control his power once again - he knew it wouldn't take as long as before to recouperate, this time. And he wouldn't show it. They didn't need to be worrying about him.
He chuckled softly, kissed Ginny's jaw and sat up, his wing bringing her with him, like a soft blanket. His wings retracted, and with a little will, vanished once again, though the act put a little of a spin to his vision for a moment.
Xaver turned and kissed Ginny's forehead, then rose, offering her his hand.
"My stuff can follow, of course. Whenever you are ready to leave."
He smiled softly.
A knock came from the door. "Are you two love birds finished in there yet? The Russians don't like to wait." Lavy shook her head and walked back downstairs to wait a little bit longer.
Ginny smiled at his hand, but stood on her own. "Let's go."
She went to the door and down the steps to meet Lavy.
Lavy looked up as Ginny walked down the stairs. "Well someone seems happy enough." She stood up from the table she was sitting on and smoothed out her coat.
"Are you two love birds finished in there yet? The Russians don't like to wait."
Xaver couldn't help the bemused grin that suddenly split his lips.
He nodded to Ginny, though he stayed behind for a few moments after watching her leave, shaking his head, and softly laughing to himself.
There was nothing better than being in the presence of friends again. Nothing better than knowing you were actually thought of. That you were recognized.. for who you were. Not what you were. Xaver highly doubted the girls downstairs knew even little, of anything that he had gone through when he was away...
And he knew it was better that way. There were some things that were cruel.. some things that were wrong.. But neither of them needed to know what had truly pushed the boundaries. What had kept Xaver away, for months on end.
He finally remembered most of it. He finally had recognized what had truly happened to him.. Even though it would be years before he took it all in. But Xaver knew he had time. Sadly, he knew things had changed. Not only with he himself, but with the rest of the world. And.. Time, it seemed, was on his side, for once.
Perhaps to pay retribution for what the true depths of hell had done to him.
Xaver gripped his bedpost, a wave of pain reverberating throughout his body. He felt sick, as he thought about it.
"Well someone seems happy enough."
Xaver heard her, even from upstairs.
His head was ringing, so he supposed either she was closer than he thought.. or his powers were upsetting again. He didn't know. Either way, though..
He needed to get moving.
-Aw, you both should be. Who doesn't love those welcoming Russians?-
"I heard that Russians don't exactly like to be welcoming." She said, smiling and speaking outloud as she slightly sensed his discomfert. She looked at Lavy and shrugged. "I've also heard it's very cold in some parts."
She turned toward the stairs as she waited for Xaver. She knew something was wrong, but she also knew that now wasn't the time nor the place to bring it up.
Lavy wasn't even paying enough attention to sense Ginny's change to Xaver's pain. Ginny was always easier to read then him.
"Umm...just the part in Asia really, the part in Europe actually isn't half bad in the spring and summer months." She looked behind her at the big clock.
"It's getting late." she said out loud. Lavy felt as tinge of guilt about what she was about to do. But hey, Neo deserved everything he was about to get.
(I'll explain the Neo thing later)