The Badger and the Serpent

[Stephan Cullen]

Stephan lay down on the creaky old boards of the Shrieking Shack. There was something calming about the old place. It held a lot of history, all of which Stephan knew. Maybe that’s what appealed to him.

Whatever the reason Stephan magically lit a small fire in the dusty old fireplace and lay on his back in front of it. Letting the lapping flames warm his front side as he opened a book to the middle of the page and began to read again.

This was Stephan’s favourite place to think, and he had a lot on his mind. The distraction of a good book could always set him straight. The footsteps in the house eluded him because of this distraction. Admittedly the wind itself could send a shriek throughout the house.

((ooc: Anyone?))

[Janis Holloway]

Ever since she'd discovered the identity of her father, Janis had barely been herself. She hadnt wanted to do anything but be alone, her books of 'research' were now filled with angry thoughts and drawings, all hate filled and directed towards that man who had lied to her face, the man who had abandoned her all those years ago, the man who didnt want her.

Being best friends with Lillian Turner made it hard to get a moments peace so Janis had taken to sneaking away to the Shrieking Shack every so often, where she would sit on the dusty old broken sofa and allow all of her pain and anger to leave her until she visited again to do it all over.

Pushing the creaking door open, Janis frowned as she heard the crackling of a fire, her wand held before he she pushed herself into the room with a deep breath, ready to face the danger before her.
"Expelliarmus!" she shouted shakily, causing the boys book to fly into the air with a loud whoosh, leaving her stood staring at him with a look of surprise on her face, her wand still pointed threateningly at him.

(ooc. Hope Janis is ok? If not its cool!)

[Stephan Cullen]

Stephan jumped up to catch his book before it wafted into the fire. He then turned to stare a bit confusedly at the girl. For a moment he stood silent, his brow knitted together, his book held in front of his chest as though it might save him from whatever curse she would likely hex him with as he tried to place her.

She was obviously much younger than he, still in school he reckoned. Somehow the name Beck-Wickham came to mind, was she one of the Beck-Wickham kids? No they were redheads. Then instantly he knew, Holloway, she was the other half. “Janis right?” he asked, Stephan was very good with names and faces. It was one of those manners, etiquette, chivalry, gentlemanly things that had been drilled into his head as a child.

Honestly he only remembered the girls name because he thought it was well, awesome Janis Joplin and all. “Are you just going to stand there or are you going to hex me with something sometime in the next millennia hopefully?” he joked sarcastically.

((ooc: Janis is perfect! And Stephan has some father issues of his own so he would be a very good listener if Janis needs to rant or something?))

[Janis Holloway]

Breathing heavily as she realised that the boy before her wasnt going to attack her and didnt have a wand drawn on her, Janis slowly dropped her hand but held her wand tightly incase she should need it.

"Yes, Im Janis. How do you know?" she looked at him with a suspicious look, for some reason she was very jumpy and unable to trust anyone. Well, she knew the reasons for not being able to trust anyone she thought darkly.
"What? No, Im not going to hex you" she shook her head before looking back to the doorway she'd came from, "I didnt think there'd be anyone here, I should...go" she motioned feebly with her hand, she didnt want to leave but she didnt want to intrude on this stranger either.

[Stephan Cullen]

“It’s a Pureblood thing, either that or a Cullen thing,” Stephan shrugged uncaringly, “You have the look of a Holloway,” he said one side of his mouth lifting up into a slight smirk.

As Janis glanced behind her he shook his head slightly, “Nah don’t worry about it, you’re welcome to stay,” he offered kindly, “I could use the company of a seemingly sweet but jumpy girl,” he deadpanned as he lowered himself back down onto the floor leaving the sofa free. The way she had looked at it earlier suggested that she had come for the old sofa.

Opening his book again Stephan sat silently reading where he had left off. Stephan was very good at being silent. He could remain noiseless for hours on end. It disturbed some people. The quiet never bothered Stephan. Neither did noise for that matter. He was surprisingly easy-going despite what people thought. After a moment he added, his silver eyes barely glancing over the top of his book toward Janis, “I will be leaving soon. Must get back to… work, so I won’t be here long if that’s what you’re worried about,” he reassured her of the solitude she was obviously seeking. Work wasn’t really work. It meant practice dueling with Faith. He hated practice dueling.

((ooc: Aww poor Janis, sorry Stephan isn't wanting to work for me, he's not very good but I'm posting him anyways hehe.))

[Janis Holloway]

"Im not a sweet girl, not at all" she shook her head, not being bitchy about it but instead she felt saddened by this fact. She always imagined in her head that meeting her father would be a beautiful event, she had always insisted in her mind that her mum had gotten it wrong and he hadnt just left her when she was pregnant but instead he had had to go away, for valiant reasons. This thought alone had gotten Janis through her most troubling times but meeting Sean had proved that her mum had been right and therefore, Janis had been wrong.

Face crumpling sadly, Janis lowered herself onto the old battered sofa which the boy had vacated for her and gave a loud heartfelt sigh, willing the tears brewing in her eyes not to fall.
"You're leaving? Oh..." she paused briefly before nodding her head, "You dont have to leave on my account" she shook her head, her lip quivering as she worked hard to stop from bawling in front of this complete stranger.
"I met my Father for the first time in 16 years, he turned out to be as every bit of a disappointment as my mum had told me. I havent spoke to my mum since I met him, I cant bear to" she spoke in a quiet, timid voice that was shakey with the effort of her trying not to cry.

(ooc. He was fab!)