| Details for Blood Ties |
| Summary: | Gabrielle learns a disturbing truth about the Vengals. |
| Date: | June 3, 1938 |
| Location: | Hog's Head Tavern |
| Related: | A Dark Stranger |
| Characters |
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Another typical night at the Hog's Head Tavern. The dreary, smoke-laden pub has its usual motley of questionable characters, forlorn souls, and those just wanting to drink in a place where everyone knows better than to ask unwanted questions.
Gabrielle does her best to keep herself calm. She has no idea who she's looking for, or even how many. She's got her sketchbook in her hands, although she's trying to not clutch at it. She's dressed in her mother's old green coat, ironically. She'll glance around, not exactly sure where to go. Conall walks in a minute after and will sit where he can see Gabby, but not close enough to listen unless words are spoken loudly.
"Gabrielle," comes the whispered voice. It isn't entirely clear where it's coming from at first. None of the occupants of the tavern seem to be trying to get her attention. In anything, it's quite the opposite.
Gabrielle stiffens, cause , creepy. And she's gonna die. She glances around, not wanting to move towards someone, if it's not them. and then she pin points an…empty table. Great. she'll steel herself and walk over .
A chair slides out as Gabrielle approaches. "Take a seat." The voice is more of a low rumble now…and more recognizable. But it is only a moment later that the air around an opposite chair seems to waver, and the shape of Callus Vengal shimmers into view, drawing back a hood of an impossibly black cloak. He gestures to the empty chair invitingly.
Having kept an eye from a far on Gabby he does make sure to be close enough in case she wants him for anything, but for most part he is keeping to himself. Drinking some soda. Keeping an eye on both her and the character in the dark, himself keeping in another decently dark spot. Just making sure that he can still see what is happening.
Gabrielle pales, she's gonna die. The grip on her book tightens, and her eyes do go wide. She'll swallow and slowly sit down. It's not like she could run anyway. She'll not say anything, but does try to take in anything she can, in case she does survive this.
"I'm not going to harm you," Callus insists. "You got my delivery, I see. It's good that you came."
Gabrielle finds her voice,although it is wavery, "That's not what you said last time." She'll blink a few times, before taking a deep breath, "how do you know my mother?"
"The last time I meant it, too." Callus shamelessly admits to his previous threats to end her life. "But I also gave you a choice. That is more than I would do for most. You see, it's important to me that I should not harm you needlessly, because of your mother." He leans back in his seat, folding his hands over his abdomen. "Have you ever had the chance to peruse your family tree, Gabrielle?"
Gabrielle 's heart starts to pound…he's going to tell her her mother was a Dark Wizard….Merlin. But then he asks about her family tree. She'll narrow her eyes slightly, "I'm the last…besides my aunts." If he knows her mother, well enough to have a photo, then he knows her aunts…and that she's the last. "Why?" She's tense, half expecting him to just unforgivable her right there.
Callus nods patiently. "Your mother's maiden name was Watson. A common enough name. Difficult to accurately track the genealogy. You might be interested to know that some branches of the Watson family tree have intertwined with the Vengal. Your aunts never new this…but your mother discovered it."
Gabrielle just kinda stares at him.She's…related to him? "How….How intertwined?" 2nd cousin twice removed, or something else? She's shaking slightly, "Why…why are you even telling me this?"
"You are family," Callus says bluntly. "Blood isn't just thicker than water, Gabrielle. It's harder than steel. It is the shield that guards us against our enemies, and the sword that smites our foes. I can tell you about your mother. But I must first ascertain if I can trust you."
Gabrielle looks lost, "I….I don't know what you mean. What do you mean trust me? With what?" Her heart is pounding, did he just include her as his group? She'll glance down at her sketchbook, "I..I want to know about her…please." She'll glance up, eyes wide.
Callus's stare is as hard and unreadable as stone. "You were raised by your aunts, weren't you? What a stifling existence. Did they ever answer questions for you? Or did they keep their silence? Tell you it was for your own good? That you shouldn't go poking the ghosts of the past? That isn't how a family should be. A family stands together. A family shares everything, including pain and loss, joy and triumph. A family empowers its sons and daughters. Have you ever wondered, Gabrielle, what it would be like to be a part of something like that?"
Conall has tried to scoot closer. Since there are other creepy people around, other than himself and Callus. Not hearing what is said, but he can hear that there is a lot of talking going on. Drinking from his soda and studying the both of them as good as he can. Trying to make sure Gabby is quite alright. Soon enough close enough to perhaps catch at least a word or two if they are not whispering.
Gabrielle frowns slightly, "I…They love me." She doesn't really have an argument against him about her aunts. She doesn't answer him, but it's slowly dawning on her what he may be hinting at. "I've never had that, because of the fire."
One or two of the patrons give Conall a sideways glare, as the young man is a bit out of place here. But nobody is inclined to butt their noses into anyone else's business.
Callus nods grimly. "Fire can be cruel. It will consume you if you let it. But fire also hardens wood…tempers steel. It can make you stronger, if you learn to wield it. Gabrielle, I think you understand what I am offering. Your mother was family, and that means that you are, too. You could be a part of something much greater. Something with purpose. But know that it will mean sacrifice, as well. Nothing worth having comes without a price. I will give you time to consider. But if you wish this offer to remain on the table, you will speak of this to no one."
Gabrielle tries, and fails, to not pale even more at the mention of wielding fire. She'll nod, she does know what he's offering. "I need to know then…What started the fire? Was it the Fiendfyre? Was in the Ministry? Why did they die?…I can't even consider this, if you…if they died because of something the Family did to them…" She doesn't seem to realize she's already slipped and call them family.
Conall is listening and does pick up on at least a few key words. Raising a brow and continuing to idly sip on his soda. Seemingly quite interested in what is being said, even if he can not hear all of it. But at least enough to get an understanding of what is being said now.
"You are young, and to you, life is full of simple black and white." Callus sits up, and rises from his chair. "I'm not offering you a life of ease. But of fulfillment. But if you are to reach out and grasp this opportunity, you must also learn to discard many of your previous assumptions. You've lived under a veil your entire life. It takes courage to lift it and face the ugly truth of the world. I'll give you time to think it over. Come to Hogsmeade the next time your school allows it, and I will seek you out. I swear, no harm will come to you. Not by anyone's hand." The last few words come out with a hard edge to them, like a warning. He lifts his hands to grip the hood of the cloak and pull it over his head, the air wavering again as he does so.
Gabrielle jaw tightens when Callus doesn't answer directly. "I'm old enough to understand." She'll stand as well,clutching at her sketchbook, "I want to understand." She'll look him over, a frown pulling her brow down. Nervously, she'll tell him as he starting to leave, "I gave the Auror a sketch of you…I thought you were going to try to kill me."
Callus pauses before fully vanishing under the obscuring cloak, smirking over at Gabrielle. "Being an Auror is a dangerous profession. He knew that when he took the job. Next Hogsmeade weekend, Gabrielle." The hood drops, and his form shimmers and vanishes from sight.
Gabrielle blinks as Callus vanishes. She's not even sure is he's gone or not, with the cloak thingie. She'll stand there a moment and then turn and walk out the door.
Conall finishes his soda and a bit after the disappearance of Callus he will start for the door. Meeting up with Gabby further on. To be able to lead her back to school.