The Library 2.5, 3/11

[Bellatrix Black]

Open

[Leala Padget]

Leandra flicked her attention between the tome she was studying and the ledger in which she was taking notes. It was already half full, and would no doubt be entirely full to send back to her mother with Malachi on the weekend. Her stomach growled, reminding her that lunch would be nearly over by now, but she ignored it in favour of finishing her notes on international rice crops, the potato famine, and foreign currency exchange rates.

Briefly, and more importantly, she wondered whether her liege had managed to get to lunch, but quickly put it out of her mind. If Kat wanted her, she knew how to find her.

Head down, the only sound the skritching of self-inking quill on parchment, she continued to work.

[Varrick Faust]

With out realizing it he found himself standing in the library. So deeply entrenched in his own thoughts as he had been walking he must have turned into the library. His cowl pulled low over his features his looked around. He had yet to have come to the library…during his entire time here, but it seemed like now was as good a time as any to look around. There didn’t seem to be many people about which suited him just fine, he preferred his solitude to that of the crowded corridors where people bumped and jostled you.

He strode to one section his finger tracing along the shelves. Seeing the book he wanted he pulled it from the shelf and brought it with him to one of the many vacant seats. It was an obscured book on the use of various dragon parts. What they could be used for and the like. He flipped open the book to a section that dealt with wands. He decided that reading would take his min off of the various thoughts and schemes that where rolling around in his head that his father could be up to. But not only that the spotty memory he was having about the lake. Something was nagging at him about it…the way the girl called his name in almost a familiar tone. Not the type of familiarity of mere acquaintances, but as two people who had met and could have been friends…or something more.

Something more? Where had ‘that’ thought some from. No something was suspicious…about the whole lake incident with that girl. She said her name was Ravenheart…but didn’t he already know that before she had told him? He could distinctly remember hen one of the professors had called on her…but it was as if the name had been taken from him. Curious…It would come to him eventually…besides the more he thought on it the more he began to feel dazed. He shook his head lightly clearing the cobwebs as he returned to the book.

[Leala Padget]

Leala looked up briefly when someone came into the library, but looked down again when she saw it was a Ravenclaw. Varrick Faust, seventh year. Late transfer from America. Her mother was still working on his background, with the help of Leala's father and uncle. Friends of the old Seneschal would have been the best, but many had withdrawn from the Padgets after the death of the Drakes and her mother's older brother.

Until she knew more about him, he was an unknown quantity; and by his demeanour, a dangerous unknown quantity. She would either have to approach him herself to ascertain his intentions regarding her liege or wait for her mother's information.

She hated waiting.

Marking her place in the book and putting it back in her bag, she packed up the rest of her materials before making her way over to the intimidating seventh year.

"Hello," she greeted cheerfully. "I'm Leala, Leala Padget. You're that transfer student from America. Why are you at Hogwarts now?"

[Varrick Faust]

Her introduction and then her blatant question of asking why he was here at Hogwarts actually made his lips curl into a smile. She wasn’t one to skirt around a question apparently. Some would call it uncouth…others would call it blunt. He thought of it as refreshing. “ Yes…I am the transfer student…But you can call me Transfer…or Student. But I prefer Faust or Varrick.”. He said with a slight hidden smile. “ As to your question of why I am here…It’s to learn.”.

He folded his arms across his chest lightly as he peered up at her from his seat at the table. “ Why are you here Miss Padget?”. He asked her in his cold emotionless voice. It didn’t seem like he was trying to be rude to her…but that he lacked certain conversational skills when dealing with other people so he reverted to a cold emotionless state where it kept people away from him.

[Leala Padget]

Leara giggled at his response - fair enough, she asked for that one! But apparently he had a sense of humour, which was good. He also didn't recognise her name - or at least didn't show that he recognised it - which was also a point in his favour. Not that the Padgets had ever been terribly well known in any but the closest circles to the Drakes - and all of them had sworn loyalty without question. Perhaps it was time to call in some of those debts, too.

"To learn?" she queried innocently. "A worthy ambition. And I am here to find out about you, because you're all mysterious, and I have this curiosity I just had to assuage."

She wrinkled her nose before smiling, pretending - quite convincingly - that she had no idea that she's sidestepped the question.

[Varrick Faust]

He studied her as she laughed listening to her innocent queries and explanation. “ Knowledge is the ultimate power…those who lack knowledge lack power. But…power is nothing with out wisdom. For to become truly powerful one must realize that they have no power at all.”. He smiled at the wrinkling of her nose and her slight smile afterwards, not covering the fact that she had avoided his question. “ But I digress…with my rambling on about the pursuit of knowledge I completely disregarded what you where about to say about yourself. For you see I to am a curious person. For instance when I walked in…from the time I sat down I took little notice of you…But what I did find interesting was the ledger you where looking at…not something school given…but more aligned towards the disposition of a book keeper. For an estate…or business.”.

He tilted his head slightly in thought as he snapped his fingers looking up at her.” Yes the name Padget…a family loyal to the…darks…no Drakes. Yes…now I remember my Father Lord Faust was interested in acquiring the services of the Padget’s at one time…yet they refused due to unyielding loyalty to the Drakes.”. He sat back as he studied her.

“ My father was impressed…by the Padget’s loyalty speaking rather highly of the family. But this was years ago.”. He paused for long moments as he drew the hood back revealing his rakish good looks. “ From what my father said…you where waiting for a Drake to appear…I do hope one has. Though I have no doubts my father is greatly hoping one has not surfaced…for the mere fact of being able to draw the Padget’s to him.”. He shrugged lightly. “ My father prides himself on loyalty above all things.”. He rose from his seat taking her hand he bowed over it. “ As such…I know that if you where to swear on the name of the Drakes…on the very loyalty you hold with them to not divulge anything I speak to you about…concerning myself. You wouldn’t would you?”. He asked her seriously.

It was apparent that even the children of the Faust Family liked to retain there secrets, even something so simple as details of why he was here. But it was obvious he held high esteem of her family and it’s loyalties. He lived up to the Ravenclaw’s adherence to intelligence. Piecing together things he had heard ears ago with names and things he had only seen in glancing. He wasn’t infallible though but given time…and the right clues anyone could piece together the parts to any puzzle. If she hadn’t dodged his question in the first place he wouldn’t have wracked his brain so hard in trying to figure her out.

“ So…Lady Padget…if you can confine what you wish to know from me to secrets held only by you…then you can freely ask of me what you wish. But if not…then I am afraid…curiosity…will kill the cat.”. He smiled slightly. Whether that was a threat, a warning, or just a joke was anyone’s guess.

[Leala Padget]

Leala wrinkled her nose again, this time in revulsion rather than amusement. "Oh...you're one of those Fausts. Padgets have served Drakes for centuries, and we shall do so for eternity. Our lives are bound to theirs, and no other shall ever have our loyalty. We are Padgets; we serve the Drakes."

At his suggestion that she swear upon the name of the Drakes she looked horrified. "Swear upon the name of my liege lords? Never would I presume such a thing! And you, sir, ask too much! Born a Faust, remain a Faust!"

She was practically spitting with rage now, glaring up at him from her own diminutive stature. Stalking away, she called back over her shoulder, "Curiosity may have killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back!"

[Exit: to DADA classroom/office]

This post has been edited by Leala Padget on Jul 30 2008, 03:25 PM

[Varrick Faust]

Varrick drew the hood of his robes back up concealing his features. A small smile on his face as she left in a rage. He picked up the book he was reading and walked it back to the shelf he had taken it from. Replacing it he looked around the silent library. “ Then it’s obvious…she will be back.”. He looked to the door of the library she had left by. “ She seems far from satisfied…”. A small smile made it’s way across his face. He walked from between the shelves striding towards the door. It was time to grab something to eat. Maybe a sandwich. He strode out of the library door heading for the Raven Claw Table.

Those Faust’s she had said like his Family name was a curse. He shrugged it away most people tended to agree with her, but it never stopped people from wanting something from the Faust family…some business venture or backing. He laughed softly as he walked.

[ To Great Hall ]

[Richard Mandel]

Richard crossed the doorway and sighed in relief. They were safe.

He gave Kestral a soppy grin, "Home Run...ah, don't worry about it, its a muggle expresion."

They wandered in, moving away from the librarian and into the shelves. "I love this place. I love the smell of the books. I'm guessing we're safe here for a while at least, well, untill curfew."

[Kestrel Mantel]

"I know what a home run is" She informed him with a bright smile.

"If they catch us on the way back after curfew we will hit them for six"
she countered one muggle expression with another.
"I love old books. That old book smell is awesome" she said and smiled at him. She realised she was still holding his hand. She finally let it go with a blush that spilled over her whole face. She smiled at him weakly.
"Um.... do you read much muggle fiction?" she asked.

[Richard Mandel]

"Yeah, its always refreshing to read a book that does'nt give you a hard time for reading too slow or not getting to the end." He grinned, "I love reading Eddings and Pratchett, Muggle Fantasy. I love the idea they are writing about our magical world."

He triled off, looking at here, she still didn't look comletly comfortable. She had a cute nervous habbit of glancing over her shoulder.

"Its okay, you have nothing to worry about, I"m not going to let them get you."

[Kestrel Mantel]

She smiled at him
"i like Pierce and McCaffrey. They are pretty good" she said and glanced over her shoulder again.
She laughed when he said he wouldn't let them get her. It was a nervous laugh and she blushed again.

"Thanks. I am okay. You know. I can take care of myself. I.... its.... Powell... he.... oh never mind" she tried to speak but the words kept getting stuck in her throat instead she nervously smiled and lead the way to one fo the back tables. She pulled put a book from her bag and offered it to him.

"I love the Lady Knight books" she said with a smile. "Feminist of me I know but I kind of admire the heroines in these books" she said with a small blush.

[Richard Mandel]

He grabbed a seat next to her. "Don't worry, I sometimes whish I was a dashing hero, I don't think I"m tall enough for it though."

He twiddled his thumbs for a second, "Powell is a nasty peice of work. but in the end hes just another Slytherin, and he's nowhere near as important as he thinks he is. " He grinned secretly, "I saw Rosier tearing stripps off him and his goons at one stage for picking on Snape. Hilarious." the smile fell off his face, "Poor Snape, To think all this war stuff started with him getting bashed, I heard that they wiped his memory doesn't really seem like the Marauders's style."

[Kestrel Mantel]

"I have several theories on that" Kestrel said and pulled out her note pad from her bag.

"theory one. It was another slytherin as an act of revenge against Snape" She said and smiled at him
"Two. Slytherin framing the Marauders as an act of revenge"

"Three. Slytherin trying to start a war" She flicked over the page.
"Four. Another house trying to spark a war"
"Five.... a jealous lover getting back at Snape.... we are departing sensible for a moment" she said with a slight laugh. The idea of Snape having a jealous lover was a touch ridiculous.

"Six....feel free to butt in with more likely ones" She added "six, it was the Marauders, they got carried away and wanted to wipe away the sin so erased his memory. They are smart enough see" She said and put the note pad down.

"The biggest issue here is who can manage to wipe someone's memory. Its a rather short list among the students. I thought it might have been a staff member but they would never do it. Well Killermen might but I doubt it. She would want you to remember her punishments. Then Dippet would fry her bacon and that would be that. So that theory is a no go. I don't know. Its hard to try and work it out. More than likely someone wants us to think its the Marauders"