| Details for Dirty Blood |
| Summary: | Ria and Lucian finally talk about what happened and Durmstrang, and about what is important to them. |
| Date: | May 27, 1938 |
| Location: | Forest Edge |
| Related: | Plot: For the Greater Good; Follows Explanations of Durmstrang |
| Characters |
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Forest Edge, Hogwarts
The forest is dark and silent even during the day, large trees looming up high and clustered close together to create a claustrophobic environment. From time to time a sone light manages to find its way through the thick canopy to light a spot on the ground like a miniature spotlight suddenly appearing in an abandoned theatre. Take even one step off the few narrow dirt paths that crisscross the labyrinthine confines of the forest and thick undergrowth starts to pull at trousers or skirts. From time to time the silence is shattered by animal calls or barely broken by the almost inaudible murmurs of the leaves and branches swaying in a stray gust of wind. Light sources be they wands, lanterns, or other objects, necessary even during the day, barely seem to penetrate the murk amongst the forest's tree as if the shadows were swallowing the light. Hanging and posted from many trees along the fringe are signs that read:
DO NOT ENTER FOREST!!
The Werewolves will eat you, the Bugbears will suck your blood, the bowtruckles will stab out your eyes and the School will not be held liable for anything that happens to you beyond the tree line. Not to mention it will most likely end in your death. Good news, if you don't die, you'll only be suspended or expelled.
Thank you,
Hogwarts Administration
Dumbledore said it was a day to reflect. And so that is what Lucian and Ria are doing supposedly. Taking their usual afternoon walks and "reflecting" as instructed. Though their conversation has been rather casual because it seems like Ria has been rather hesitant and avoid ant about talking over last night's events — for whatever reason, I mean isn't she always avoidant? "I should write to Jocunda soon about having my room cleaned up for when I get home," Ria says, hands laced behind her back. Good thing the sunny weather allows for a shirt and skirt though Ria does wear a wide brimmed straw hat trimmed with a green ribbon to keep the sun out of her face. Merlin forbid she freckle her perfect skin! And once they arrive at the forest edge, she stops upon recognizing the landscape and her mouth crinkles into a frown while she takes a good look around her in thought.
Lucian has let Ria talk her wide circles around the real subject at hand. He can be patient when he needs to be. In truth, he's barely said six words since the attack at Durmstrang, and all six of those were reserved for Ria. He may not normally be the most loquacious young man, but he has been exceptionally, and understandably, reserved. It is when he notices where they are that he starts to look more alert and alive again. Every muscle tenses as memories of this place flood bad. Twins…a fight…a fateful vow. "Alright…enough about your room, and the need for better Drying Charms, and…all of it. You can pretend everything is fine with everyone else. But not with me. Not when we're alone."
It's hard for this place not to inspire mutual deja vu in the both of them. Lucian's voice manage to knock Ria out of her momentary stupor as she takes in the place. The corner of her lips tense up as she glances over at him, her eyes shadowed by the brim of her hat. "I know. You're right. Makes me sick how you can read me by now," she half-smiles. With a deep exhale she looks around the area once more, and speaks softly. "It's crazy isn't it? Just months ago we were here, making Unbreakable Vows. Over what? Who gets to date who? Who stays away from who? How childish. That was such a dumb thing Leander proposed, wasn't it? Making me swear on my life to stay away from Ripley." She lets out a soft and bitter chuckle. "And it was dumb of you to go along with it and dumb of me to agree. And dumb of Ripley to barge in. We were all so dumb."
Lucian sighs, moving over to the large rock that once served to hide their activities from the school at large, laying a hand on it like an old friend. "No, we weren't. We were kids. I don't regret anything, Ria. If we didn't do any of that, we might not have each other now. Yeah…we made too much of a big deal out of things. But so what? That's not what's on your mind, anyhow." He turns to lean up against the stone, reaching a hand out to beckon her closer. "What did you mean in the Great Hall today? That bit about mistakes you said after Professor Viridian's fit."
Ria's gaze follows Luc's hand and she scowls at the rock. "I was sitting on that thing when he bloody attacked me. Found my animagus stuff in my knapsack. Made me get my prefectship suspended." She grumbles and feels around her pockets for a pack of cigarettes. Yes, she knows its forbidden on school grounds, but one couldn't hurt right? Just one and she'll put it away though she does offer one to Luc. "My point is that this whole tournament was a waste, and a joke the second they allowed that French mudblood into the competition. That's where the mistake was made. Like anyone would believe that Durmstrang would just roll over and concede. It's bloody DURMSTRANG!" She says this all with the cigarette hanging from between her lips and shakily she ignites the end with her lighter. "I mean come on! Everyone's mourning over Leander and four of our own being captive when really it could've just been avoided from the start." It's not unusual to see Ria so passionate over purity issues, but there's a strange sense of uneasiness and anger that crosses her face every time she mentions their fallen housemate.
Lucian accepts the cigarette, and takes a light. "Hey, let's not forget it was Durmstrang that came and picked a fight with us. I couldn't give a rat's arse about Beau Boue. But those blokes had shite between their ears. If they really wanted to prove they're better than a Muggle-born, they should've just let the tournament happen, and then blown him out of the water. Refusing to even let him in makes it look like they're afraid."
"No. They came for the mudblood and we should have let them have him," Ria narrows her eyes under her brim. She takes a deep inhale and out comes a puff of smoke. Her hand seems to shake a little less now. "You're misinterpreting it. No one with dirty blood should ever be allowed to participate in such a long standing wizarding tradition. Durmstrang was making the a move to protect the honor of the tournament. In same way, you stood up for the honor of the sport when you dropped out of the dueling tournament." Ria turns to Luc, her words containing no malice or bite. She's simply making a point. "We gave him the boy we would have been fine. We wouldn't have been in danger. I was rash pulling out my wand like that … I should have convinced everyone to just let him go…"
Lucian shakes his head. "Never would have happened. You're forgetting that Seamus Cavanaugh is Muggle-born. Leander himself dated Lois Pym, and she's a half-blood. That fight was going to happen no matter what, and I think Durmstrang knew it. They came in ready for action. Did you see how they blocked the door right away?"
"Then we should have given them all in," Ria is quick to reply, the cigarette linger smoke into the air from her lips. "Seamus is too much of a self-righteous goody two shoes anyway. And I was never too fond of Lois Pym. She … (Ria twiddles her finger trying to look for the word) meddles too much." Her nose scrunches up in distaste. "Leander was just an awkward young man willing to chase any tail that would give him the slightest attention. Had he continued long term with her, I'd consider him a blood traitor, but I say it was confusion." She frowns deeply and somberly, "Anyhow. It doesn't matter. He's dead now." It's as if she's actively trying to sound as cold as possible when she says those things. But she looks back up at Lucian with earnest eyes, "I would have given over any of them to make sure you were safe."
Any and all resistance Lucian might have had to her argument falls flat in an instant. He reaches a hand up to touch her cheek. "The only reason I fought was to keep you safe. If I'd thought for a second that those Viking idiots stood a chance, we'd probably still be at Durmstrang now, sipping tea with Grindelwald." He sighs, taking a heavy drag from his cigarette. "I know you probably wish I cared more about all this blood purity business. I'll be honest, I probably never will. I don't see the point. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that you're passionate about it, and I'll support you. Whatever you need to do, I'm there with you."
Ria closes her eyes and leans her face against his hand, deeply desiring some comforting touch like a kitten. She sighs, "I do wish you would care about it more. Because although I appreciate you always supporting me, there will come a day where you will have to decide whether your in or you out about it. A day where you'll have to make a decision where my passions aren't relevant. What you believe will be relevant." Taking the last drag out, she pulls out her wand and incinerates the butt to ash. No evidence left behind! Removing the hat from her head, her free hand goes around Lucian's waist to pull him close and plant a soft peck on his cheek. "Merlin forbid that day ever come, but until then I still love you."
Lucian rolls to leans in toward her. "Until then? You need to stop worrying about that. It's simple. You're the most important thing in the world to me. Everyone else can jump off a cliff for all I care." He follows her lead, and vaporizes the remains of his cigarette. "But if it's so important to you, convince me. And don't give me some nonsense about dirty blood. Cavanaugh is one of the best duelists at this school. So don't tell me Muggle blood makes him less of a wizard. Why should I care about blood purity?"
"Lucian. That's what its all about - dirty blood," Ria looks up at him with a certain and fervent energy about her. "When it comes down to it, it's perverted for the two to mix. It breaks nature's rules. Take my wand for example." She pulls the sand colored weapon out before them, handles it by the very end and hold it vertically. "Eleven inches of elm. Wandlore and history has shown that wands of this wood prefer pureblooded wizards. Majority of the owners are pure, with a freakish few who may be muggleborn, but the pairing is considered unusual - and from what I speculate there was probably something strange and unusual done to the elm. But it's the most accurate and elegant wood. Why would such a natural thing bother distinguishing between the two? Why would that phenomena even exist?" She puts the wand away and half sighs, "If you really cannot see why blood purity counts when it's so obvious nature itself, I can't find a way to convince you otherwise. With what you've gone through in your life and the abuse you've suffered, I could see why you don't find it so important. But there's nothing I can do to fix that perspective, its only up to you to alter what you think."
Lucian frowns, staring skeptically at the wand. "Everything I've gone through in my life is why I don't find it important. I'm an exceptional wizard, Ria. Call me cocky, but you know it's true. I Transfigured a pile of birds and ropes into a wardrobe in the middle of a duel. How many Sixth Years can do something like that? But I wasn't able to do that because I'm a pure-blood. It's because I worked my arse off to get this good. So did you. Why would you want to cheapen our accomplishments by suggesting it's our blood that made us what we are?"
"Why would you cheapen the accomplishments of our ancestors by suggesting that blood and heritage makes no difference?" Ria throws her hands up in the air in exasperation, her hat and the green ribbon it's trimmed with flutter in the breeze as she does so. To think two lovers were having such an emotional conversation on a beautiful day. "Generations of wizards before us have worked to perfect magic. To perform it elegantly with sophistication and art, and to achieve great advances in magical study and lore. Only wizards like you and I can command it well and with care. If you throw muggles into that mix, you introduce a whole lot of people who join our society knowing nothing of the control that our past generations have given down to us. It's foolish and not to mention dangerous for any crossbreeding to happen."
Lucian sighs, and cannot help smirking a little. "You're adorable when you get frustrated with me, you know." He moves to pull her into his arms and steal a kiss. "The Mudbloods haven't destroyed everything just yet. So far I think they're doing alright. At least no worse than any pure-blood. Though Viridian looked like he could level Hogwarts this morning."
Ria groans in annoyance with a slight grin on her face and can't help but chuckle when she pulled in. "Oh your'e so bloody good at ruffing my feathers too and you know it," she smirks back, leaning close against him. "Yes well Viridian could knock a whole army out with his terrible fashion taste alone." She snickers and pauses raise polished finger so that she can delicately push a hair out of his forehead. Stroking the same finger on his cheek, she plants a peck on his nose and then a long affectionate one on his forehead - Ria goes on her tippy toes for this. "All that matters though is that we made it out safe, and we're here now." Glancing around at their surroundings, the somber looks returns to her face and reality sets back in again. "Come now, let's head back or I'll freckle," she says finding some sort of excuse to get out an environment that conjures up way too many heavy memories for the both of them. So she laces her arm in the crook of his and tugs him back toward the castle.