the cruel fairy tale [Panda]

[KYRAN ALDRIC SINCLAIR]

The sun was beginning to set, hidden by a small horizon. Kyran's back faced the orange hues, the warmth of the sun's rays catching the area between his shoulder blades, making his back feel warm while the rest of his form suffered in the bite of the September air. As if a statue, he was poised upon one of the benches in the court yard, a tattered book spread open upon his lap. Both of his hands were gloved, and he held onto the top edges of the textbook, fingers curling inward. The title wasn't present, but it had been labeled “Inconsequential Remedies.” It was a textbook he had nabbed from the hospital wing, wanting to do research on eye damages and curses. Of course he was researching for Salem's handicap, the desire to fix her growing every time he watched her stumble. But all of the information was 'common sense' healing techniques; he just found it hard to believe that someone could lose their eyesight during a duel, let alone in the presence of a Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. The whole concept, how illogical it all was bothered him immensely.

Skimming the last chapter of the textbook, he wrung his fingers into the pages and slapped the book shut. Acting like the novel was a nasty insect, he pushed it distasteful off his lap. A thud noise was heard when it came into contact with the solid ground. Ignorance would have been truly bliss to Kyran, if only he could ignorantly accept it as 'Salem's Fault' like his parents had; because it was far too easy to blame a teenage girl for their family's downfall, for her mistakes, rather than consider the possibilities. But Kyran knew the love and affection from his parents weren't unconditional; love was only a form of greed to them. The Slytherin leaned backward, using his arms as leverage by placing his hands to the back of the cement bench. Even under mental stress, his face showed hardly any emotions.

Kyran didn't mind running around in circles for Salem, and maybe he attempting to help his sibling for self satisfaction. He second guessed the entire situation, as well as how Salem had managed her wand. They had grown up together, he knew Salem to be clumsy at times, but she was also a perfectionist – it just didn't seem right, for she always so eager to excel. A sigh escaped him, his lids closing to cover the vast emptiness of his eyes. He was tired of this place sometimes, having to live corridors – as if they were rats meant to be caged. It wasn't fair that Muggles populated most of the world, but it was the wizards who were forced to keep themselves into secrecy... although Kyran wouldn't have minded sharing, why was it the powerful ones who always had to lay low?

There was too much thinking; too much brooding and misery, because no one could answer him.

Lifting his right hand out from his support, he instead placed his palm to his forehead. A subtle throbbing began in his temples. Voices would plague him sometimes, insist he takes other methods; insist he was too weak to regain the power of the Sinclair surname... too weak to help Salem. Sometimes the world was too cruel, sometimes it was just unfair – and it was at these times Kyran would feel it the most.

[pandorah]

She had left the common room not too long ago, curious as to where one of her housemates happened to be. Someone had come with a note for Salem Sinclair and for the life of her Pandorah could not find the girl. She took her responsibilities seriously and was not just going to leave the note with anyone. The urge to look at it was driving her nuts, because honestly she was such a nosy horrible thing but she kept her honor even if in this circumstance it meant nothing. She was looking forward to possibly being Head Girl next year and starting to misbehave and do deplorable things like snooping into other peoples private notes, was not the way to go about it.

The leggy Ravenclaw could have sworn she looked for Salem for a good half an hour. Asking others and searching on her own. Finally it was time to give up, she would just have to leave the damned thing with someone else, someone who came in contact with the girl more often than she did. Or at least one that was likely to see her soon. She knew that Salem had a brother, a Slytherin at that. Now, what was his name again...Ky something. Meh, she would figure it out sooner or later if she asked enough people.

Another twenty minutes and she not only knew his name but how cute many girls thought he was and blah blah, a bunch of information she really wasn't all that interested in. Most importantly was where he was of course, because while names are power they weren't exactly going to take you to the person and she couldn't really accio Kyran Sinclair now could she?

Stepping outside she shielded her pale eyes from the sun which was starting to head on down, the last rays piercing through and hurting her. Pan was not blind like Salem but she did suffer from night blindness and a sensitivity to the sunlight or any bright lights really. Her father had told her that was because of how light her eyes were, which reminded her that she needed to check that out at some point and see if that really was the case. The note was moved to her other hand, to prevent there from being any sweat or too many wrinkles, she had been holding it for quite awhile now.

Finally she spotted the boy, the girls had given her quite the description after all. As she began to walk toward the lone figure she watched him shove a book on to the ground and bit back the immediate flush of irritation. She needed to just give him the note and walk off, nothing more. Reaching him she stopped and peered down at his face. He was atractive as the girls had said but pretty looks only got you so far. A subtle smirk slipped on her full mouth as she cleared her throat and held out the note for him.

“Kyran? You are Salem Sinclair's brother right? Would you please give this to your sister I am tired of looking for her. I suspect it is some sort of admirer or whatever.” The tall girl rolled her eyes at the word admirer and shifted her weight unconsciously. Why people just couldn't come right out in the open and say how they felt or thought she would never understand. Why did they feel the need to complicate things for no reason? Though it would be nice to have one as well, she was a bit intimidating and frightening to most guys and had the reputation of turning down everyone at all times.

[KYRAN ALDRIC SINCLAIR]

He heard the footfalls of another person coming closer. Usually he took the ambiance as a sign that retreat from the area and find somewhere else to figure his complex situation out. His lids lifted now, narrowed into small slits as he watched a girl approach him. A Ravenclaw with a good reputation, someone from a good descent, pureblood, but she was known to have an unstable personality. Yet, it was understandable, Kyran assumed that the female had been pressured and raised 'properly', anyone who was a pureblood would eventually go insane. He knew of her last name, but it wasn't on informal terms with her; the female's first name blurred with every other student's. With the sun beaming behind his back, Pandorah was only greeted with Kyran's shadowed silhouette. She got close enough to see that Kyran's gaze look hostile for a moment.

The female's mouth opened and she started to speak, the green in his eyes, as if dew on morning grass, adjusted into a friendlier stance. She had a purpose to see him, he could immediately tell because she addressed him bluntly and she sounded assured. Other wizards who approached him were usually timid, uncertain and took their time into speaking, as if they had rehearsed a script before coming to him. What lay between the two now was only a discarded, useless, medical textbook. Finally, he dropped his hand from his head and slowly stood up from the bench. It bothered him that he had to crane his head back to look at someone when they spoke, it was improper and in a way, it made him feel smaller and intolerable. Kyran's pale lips shifted into a considerate smile. With his head pounding and the frustration in his veins swelling, he really wanted to lash out at the female... but it would have been unfair to the both of them.

There wasn't a word for him, and he reached out and silently took the note that had been folded. He glanced down at the piece paper, annoyed. Was this a joke? Salem had a hard time with her eye sight, if someone had something to say, didn't they know it would have been easier to approach her sister? Maybe this female had used it as a reason to talk to Kyran, maybe it was used as a decoy for something bigger. It didn't help that the person who delivered it was someone in Salem's own house: a Ravenclaw. Lowering his hand with the paper, his head turned upward to regard the dark haired female. If Pandorah was familiar with Salem, she would be able to see the resemblance – the chill of the green eyes, the raven hair, pale flesh. Kyran could easily miscalculate, maybe the person with the note had wanted Kyran to read it to her, then it made some sort of logical sense. Begrudgingly, he would deliver it to Salem and let her deal with it.

“I will make sure she gets it,” he replied, unsure what else to say to her. Now that she had delivered the piece of paper, he expected her to leave his sight. The Slytherin made no gesture to move, instead he let his eyes fall to Pandorah's pale eyes. The female was near the same height of his own, maybe even a little taller. She wasn't a woman a person could miss, for she wasn't the scrawny type with a lot of make-up, no, Pandorah displayed herself in a more natural light – as would any pureblood. Kyran's right brow rose a little, wondering if she was waiting for an inquiry, or a thank you. He wouldn't openly berate Pandorah, but he highly doubted Salem would have an admirer... maybe for some twisted one night stand, but Salem was a hard person to be around, any handicap person was.

How awkward.

Trying to keep his focus, he couldn't, for that heavy feeling within his forehead came back. Now his eyes were shifting, staring at the empty space behind Pandorah's right shoulder.

[pandorah]

While holding out the note for him to take she let her mind wander. This was just a messenger task after all even if it had taken nearly an hour of her own time. She was actually thinking about him while wandering mentally. Having been looking for him the girls had told her a lot of things. That he had a lovely mouth that was usually frowning or nothing at all and how much they wanted to kiss him, some had even asked for her to bring their names up in conversation. Were they really that desperate? Sure, he did seem to have a nice mouth and now that she looked over him more he resembled Salem an awful lot. Weren't they twins or something?

Llooking at his eyes she noticed his gaze seemed a bit angry for just a moment but then it was gone and she only arched a single brow. Perhaps he had been deep in thought, she would think nothing more of it. The first thing that struck her when he stood up was that she was taller then him. It wasn't something she would be unfamiliar with but sometimes when it came to the boys she was surprised by it. Sure she was tall but weren't guys supposed to be taller? Whatever, it was of no consequence to her. Though now that he was standing she could see his face even better and thought that he was rather pretty...pretty was not a good thing when it came to boys. Being either cute or pretty in her book was almost a near death sentence. Boys were not supposed to be pretty, at all.

Once the note was gone she slowly dropped the arm that had been holding it out and shifted her stance once again, indicating either her impatience or the fact that she could not stand still, a sign of too much energy. Licking her lips she thought to say something, something rude and spiteful when she saw his annoyed look but once again said nothing. There just was no reason for it right now. Yes she knew the girl didn't see all that well but it really wasn't her problem. Someone else wrote the note and she was delivering it, plain and simple.

Nodding to his words she ran a hand through her thick hair, loose more often this time of year because it wasn't too hot. She hated the feeling of her heavy hair on the back of her neck when it was warm or even humid. “Thank you. I have been looking all over for your sister for a good while now and to no avail. So I figured you were the next best thing because I cannot and will not spend all my time playing messenger.” While it may sound as if she was being bitchy it was just a fact. She wasn't the type that wanted to run around taking care of other peoples issues, they were not her own.

Something about the boy made her want to slap him and her eyes widened at the thought. It wasn't even mean or spiteful, but she wondered what he would look like with a crimson colored spot in the shape of her hand across his cheek. What was happening to her lately? The cold and harsh exterior, and even interior, was being replaced by a lot of passion, emotions and confusion.

Much like Kyran, Pandorah just expected to deliver the message and then leave, yet she didn't feel her feet going anywhere. Maybe she was just tired after having walked around for so long, or perhaps she was curious about him, the brother of her housemate whom she neither liked or disliked right now. This year, her sixth, was the first that she was actually starting to pay attention to others and decide how she felt about them. It was easy to see how many people hid behind a pretty face. Beauty was a curse upon the world, it keeps people from seeing who the real monsters are, a thought she believed in whole heartedly.

“Do you know where your sister might be, or whom she could be with? Not that I am nor do I expect you to be your sisters keeper but I find it odd to have spent so long looking for her and not be able to find her.” It was almost idle conversation, almost like an excuse to stay and she had no idea why. Inside she blamed it on being tired from all the walking. She wasn't physically weak but a half an hour, with stairs and after a days worth of work...that would tire anyone out really.

[KYRAN ALDRIC SINCLAIR]

In all the awkwardness, the sun was a tiny dot now, the whisper of warmth on Kyran's back a reminder that he had been here for awhile. He was eager to get away from the girl, not because he had disliked her or was annoyed with her; he was teetered in general. Out of all the years he spent trying to find a cure, he was stupid for looking in such a common book. But it was oh so ever hard to obtain new, dark information. Whatever infected Salem's vision was potent and even possibly deadly, what if the it would slowly work into Salem's system, only to fry her entire nervous system and leave her brain dead? Then he would only be left with a corpse, and he was sure that if it ever came down to it, his parents would dispose of her like trash. His thoughtfulness is what was causing him to stand there longer, dazing off. If this had been a typical day, he would have been filled with conversation, eager to find out Pandorah's story. After all, she had fit Kyran's 'list' of things to look for in a person.

When the female was having ill, violent thoughts of him, it was as if he knew. His eyes flickered back to the girl's face, and it appeared as though he had just woken from a long coma. Instead of addressing her as if she was an obstacle, he was beginning too accept her presence for what it was: company. Kyran decided to drop his preconceived notions about her using the note as an excuse to talk to him, for what did it matter? It wasn't like she was the first to use methods such as that. But if she was putting on an act, then she was performing flawlessly, for he was almost convinced that Pandorah was truly irritated that she had to take time out of her day to search for someone. What she had done for Salem was a nice gesture, but it wasn't a mutual act... Kyran would have discarded the letter a long time ago.

Kyran wasn't intimate with the idea of friendship, so he couldn't understand the loyalty that came with it. If Salem had somehow befriended Pandorah, then he didn't want to scare her away, he would feel guilty for mishandling his sister's friends improperly. Between Pandorah and the bench, a feeling of suffocation arose. He stepped forward, avoiding the book on the ground in the process. By doing this he was in Pandorah's personal vicinity, their chests almost touching. He could feel the heat radiating from the female, for she had been moving around and active while Kyran sat idle, allowing himself to freeze within the fall season. Every movement of his was very precise and accurate that he didn't need to pray his gaze from Pandorah to step around her and the book.

Now he stood in an open space at the girl's side. He had to admit that she was beautiful to look at, but many girl's at Hogwarts usually were. The only thing he found interest in now was a person's status and what they could do for him on his quest. A small breeze passed on by, causing the random layers of hair to move in the direction, making the exposed flesh feel even more numb. Living like this was not the most intellectual thing, he had quidditch matches to attend to and if he wasn't at his healthiest, he may be the reason to cause Slytherin to lose a match. Pandorah inquired about his sister's whereabouts and he truly had no idea where she was off to. “I'm not too sure... she probably is lost somewhere with the way she is.” He was discretely mentioning her impaired eyesight to Pandorah, not wanting to throw her sister under the bus. There really was no polite way to talk about Salem's disposition.

Fighting the impulse to say something rude, he allowed the female her peace. So far, she wasn't really asking about Kyran; for once someone didn't seem interested in him. Then again, Pandorah wasn't the first to only approach him to talk about his sister – people were merely curious about how it all happened, why she is the way she is – why a twin is in Ravenclaw and one is in Slytherin, but even as people asked that, Kyran could still not provide answers. If he had answers his life would have been a smooth sail, his family would be entitled to their wealth and his sister wouldn't be blind as a bat. The stinging in his head was moving to his jawline, causing his jaw to clench. Kyran had to do something to keep himself preoccupied, it was the only way to ween off the pain.

He whispered something under his breath, allowing the pain to drift upward, his body feeling lighter. “Koenig,” he stated offhandedly, “Respectable family. I can tell you're related, but I am not informed of your name.” There was no reason to pry on her assortment when it came to houses. Maybe Ravenclaw was becoming the new Slytherin; maybe the sorting hat had been ill and confused when it all happened. Perhaps that is why Pandorah had come with Salem's note, they were similar in that sort of sense – he could sort of see a bond weaving from that alone.

[pandorah]

There was a tension between then that didn't seem to have anything to do with her. She had no idea why he was so tense or what his problem was and she really didn't give a damn. He was Salem's brother and he now had the note, so she once again should be going but found herself watching him out of morbid curiosity. Kyran didn't seem to want her there but he also didn't seem to want her to go, wouldn't he just say so if he did? Slytherin are blunt and to the point usually, or sneaky and manipulative but he wasn't doing anything to manipulate her, in fact he wasn't doing much at all.

She could focus on him better now that the sun was almost gone. It was darker outside but not so bad that she could not see, in fact she would say she saw better in darker lights then full sun. He was most assuredly an odd one, that was her first thought. Subtle as they were his expressions kept changing and she wondered if he was actively thinking many different things or if he was just crazy. Probably the latter because the Ravenclaw rarely gave anyone the benefit of the doubt and actually considered other people would be as smart as she was, or smart at all. Not until they proved otherwise that is.

If there was a way for her to see into his mind and understand just what he was thinking she may have laughed. Friendship? It was her sense of duty that made her do this and nothing more. Pandorah Romy Koenig had no friends as of right now, though maybe it would change she did not know. All she knew was that in her sixth year she had finally begun to feel something and finally began to notice other people around her as more than just obstacles. It was both a freeing and admittedly frightening experience. She had no idea what to do with these emotions and feelings and ended up being confused and distraught at night when she lay in bed. If his sister were to approach her there was a chance they could be friends perhaps, but the prefect had no idea how to be.

Lost in her thoughts for a brief moment she suddenly felt that he was much closer. Angling her gaze back toward him her eyes went wide and she held her breath. Why was he so close? Kyran was not the type to be forward or flirtatious she knew, the girls both complained and praised that about him. Still it unnerved her and it was obvious, normally she had a marvelous poker face but this was entirely too new. The Ravenclaw had never been kissed, or touched or well anything. Only flirted with and hit on, which she ignored or met with a scathing and withering comment. She definitely had a quick wit and sharp tongue.

The boy wasn't there for long however and she could relax. That was when she noticed that her entire body had been tensed up and now her shoulders ached. Her face was flushed a bit but she could not tell. Her mind had thought of things she normally wouldn't and it bothered her on some odd level. Taking a deep breath, then another she turned enough so that she was facing him again, not entirely comfortable with the odd positioning. The way she is? Oh, he was referring to her lack of sight, or mostly gone sight as it were. Pandorah pursed her full lips and seemed confused for a moment. “I'm sure she will be fine though. If she doesn't come back tonight I will get a party to search for her.” And she would, as Salem was her housemate and somewhat defenseless. If the girl had been any other house the courtesy would not be extended but the Ravenclaw girl was very much loyal to her house.

Impulsively she leaned close to the boy, listening to what he had to say whether it was for her ears or not. “Yes, I am a Koenig.” Again her brows drew close together and she seemed confused. It was like he was ticking off a list of some sort. “I should hope my family name is respectable, we have been maintaining a good face for generations.” Her tone was haughty but it was the truth. Her family had very good standing and more money than sense really. “I'm Pandorah a prefect from Ravenclaw.” If there was a catch to be had at this school she would definitely be in the top ten, if you could get past her rather unsubmissive and bossy personality. Her family was made up of nearly even levels of Ravenclaw's and Slytherin's, mostly the latter however. “Seems you do your homework even if you know next to nothing about me personally.”

[KYRAN ALDRIC SINCLAIR]

Kyran was off today, normally he wouldn't talk about Salem so openly. He was acting this way because he was sure Pandorah was her friend, and he was afraid of burning bridges on accident. Although Pandorah had offered to create a search time if Salem returned, there was a somber appearance on Kyran's expression. Everyone silently worried about Salem's well-being, they spoke of her as if she was a child that needed rescuing – he hated to watch the worry that would flood into bystander's eyes as she walked and stumbled her way to class, and Salem managed to do it with her head held high. Kyran would never admit that his sister was far more braver than himself; he would have most likely taken his own life, but here she was still living today. Salem would be embarrassed if this girl had sent a team after, and a gloss went over the shade of his emerald eyes, making them appear even more icy.

“I wouldn't advise looking for, not even if she doesn't show up for a week,” because Kyran knew that Salem could handle her brother finding her somewhere, but people from Ravenclaw – no, it was far too much. Although he was trying to politely convey his message as he possibly could, there was a threat in there. If Kyran couldn't cure Salem, nor be there at her side, he would certainly attempt to keep other people from harming her, even if it was out of a good intent. Not going to elaborate, or make up for his threat, he would let Pandorah decipher his words however she wished.

“Mobiliarbus,” within a blink of an eye, his wand was drawn. The textbook that was laid upon the ground suddenly zipped upward toward Kyran. Using his free-hand, he reached outward and grabbed it before bringing it into his side. Before he would have let the book sit there, but now he was wary of Pandorah's presence within Salem's life and House. Salem wasn't aware that Kyran was looking for a cure; therefore, neither would this female. His blood quelled at the very thought of her finding anything about him, in fact, she was starting to piss him off. As a brother he adored his sibling, but he couldn't stand her name being tossed around so easily. She wasn't a conversation starter; she never should have been. At the same time he seemed to be holding his wand at an angle, trying to face it in a way so that the girl couldn't see it really. It was a rare piece, handed down through generations, a powerful dark material that made his spells effective, whether he wanted them to be that way or not.

It was his secret to winning those duels, in the way he excelled at everything. But he wasn't like Pandorah, he had not title to be recognized for – he wanted to remain that sort of mysterious enigma, something that no one could figure out or touch.

Predatory eyes were upon Pandorah, watching the way she drew in when he spoke of her Surname. Was she interested? Or was she interested in the fact that Kyran was a walking blood-line dictionary? His lips shifted to the side, a sort of sultry look about the way his pearly whites showed even through the dark, even the way his eyes were illuminated was somewhat unnatural. They were in the same year, of course he was aware of her existence, how could he not? But he didn't identify with wizards based on their first name, he was usually better flipping through surnames. “Homework? Hardly. These days, it's better to know who you meddle with.” There was so much truth to his statement. Muggles, half-bloods, anything tainted were slowly dropping like flies. At least Pandorah or Kyran didn't have to worry over their heads.

Kyran turned so that the girl was looking at his profile, a pause within his words, “I wonder if it's worth knowing you – what did you say ? – personally?”

[pandorah]

This time she could have sworn she felt the shift in him physically. It was almost like a secret heat that flowed from him outward. Either that or she was still a little off balance from how close he was not too long ago. She usually preferred her personal space and maintained a steady distance between herself and other people. When others got to close she bristled like an angry porcupine and would glare and seethe at them without words until they got the hint. If they didn't then she let her dagger-like words stab at them repeatedly. Pandorah was a very private young woman, and even though she was beginning to be curious about so much outside of actual books, she wanted to stay that way.

What kind of brother was he? Her face showed her disgust at his words with an upward sneer and narrowing eyes. Don't go looking for a girl missing that long? She would love to see what the headmaster, or teachers would say if he told them something ridiculous like that. Regardless of the reason it was just plain idiocy in her opinion, to even suggest such a thing. “Well, if I wanted bad advice at least now I know where to go.” Her tone was heavy with sarcasm and her attitude toward this boy began to shift.

Why did the girls like him? She was beginning to see it less and less besides just his face, that was all he seemed to have going for him. Bad boys, every idiot girl wanted one. Bah! They could all get whomped into the ground by the whomping willow as far as she was concerned.

She felt the surge of magic in the air the same moment she heard him say the word and her stance changed. She became defensive and in her hand was her wand, rather long for a female and held tightly. Obviously she had been in duels before and knew what she was up to, though this was not a duel just yet, if at all. She could not be faulted for being at the ready when a strange guy who kept getting stranger by the second suddenly pulled out his wand and began to cast magic for no reason she could think of. Except the book that he now held which she didn't pay any attention to. Pandorah wasn't jumpy, she was prepared.

Of course she tried to peek at his wand, curious as to what type he had but when it became obvious that he was hiding it on purpose she gave up. It was not that important for her to bother with right now. Kyran was giving her a headache.

Again he shifted and she stamped down the urge to throttle him just barely, her empty hand clenching into a fist that ached to punch him as much as choke him. Was he like this on purpose or only to people who were actually trying to be nice to his family. All she had wanted to do was get Salem's note to someone the other girl trusted and then be done with it. There wasn't supposed to be this pseudo-confrontation and all this wand waving. Yet again she still did not go anywhere and was interested in him simply because he was unlike anyone else she had come in contact with before. Unpredictable and seemingly wild. It intrigued her even as it frustrated her.

“All days you should know whose company you keep. Wolves hide easily in the clothing of the sheep.” She may just be referring to herself. With her spotless record here at Hogwarts and her contrary behavior back at home. She was both wolf and, well not exactly sheep but she kept to herself well enough. “Worth knowing me?” Her tone shifted as did her stance. Pan was suddenly standing as tall as she was, mostly legs, pale flesh peeking out from under her uniform skirt. Pale eyes flashing angrily and coincidentally the breeze picked up to whip her hair back just then. Maybe mother nature had a sense of humor, or drama.

“I wouldn't see why it shouldn't be. I come from excellent breeding, I am very smart, never a bad mark. Question really should be is why am I talking to you? I have nothing to gain by fraternizing with the likes of you.” Despite his obvious physical beauty what could he offer her? Money, she had that. Fame, she had that too. There wasn't anyone here who had anything that she could want, because she already had it all. All of what a haughty little witch could want. The only thing she didn't have was something she was sure she didn't want anyway and something you couldn't buy. That love and affection most of her housemates received from others of the opposite sex. Who needed that, especially when they came in packages as obnoxious as this!

[KYRAN ALDRIC SINCLAIR]

He wasn't going to waste his breath on explaining how Salem was, that sometimes she didn't show in places because she was purposely hiding, trying to cope with her loss. Pandorah was completely dense when it came to female agenda; if he had known Salem prior to Hogwarts, then Pandorah would be aware that Salem was adept in wand skills and she was praised by her family. Now Salem was a martyr to the Sinclair family, if anything went wrong, Salem would get an ear full and punished. What he was trying to tell Pandorah was that he didn't need her help in looking after his sister, but her response only caused his broad shoulders to shake in what appeared to be a chuckle. She truly was a beast of a woman! “As if you look for advice,” he chortled, knowing that a pureblood's pride ran thick. The reason they never sought help was probably their biggest downfall, but it didn't matter, it was that type of 'never be weak' notion that kept the purebloods strong.

Wow, amazing! Now Pandorah had equipped her own wand, ready as if Kyran was immature enough to start a duel just because Pandorah was butting into his family's personal life. Even if she didn't do it out of fear, Kyran was aware that she was feeling uneasy around him. Perhaps it was because of the dark power that pulsated when he had his wand out, or because he was hiding the wand in the first place. A person could assume that he was hiding it because he was ashamed, or because he thrived on everything that made him personable. Well, it didn't matter now. The reaction from the female was more enticing, and he wanted to push her to the edge.

Kyran lifted the hand with the wand, moving it so that he could place the tip against his temple, tapping it a few times. His eyes remained slitted, keeping his calm even as though the girl was beginning to feel perplexed about the entire situation, and about Kyran himself. The darkness shrouded what his wand was made out of, but if Pandorah bothered to survey it she would be able to see that it was made from basilisk skin, something so rare and potent that it would most likely never been seen in another Sinclair's hands if they were, of course, Slytherin. The only exception had been his own sister, but she had switched now, knowing full well that it was hard to handle a wand with such explicit powers.

The sheep's skin analogy, he had heard it before. There wasn't really a war going on, and it didn't matter who he picked as a friend or foe – the only goal to his choices in his 'company' would be out of selfish gain. Kyran took a defiant step forward, close to Pandorah in a way that would allow her to feel the warmth of their bodies reacting to each other. His head was craned slightly to the left as he lowered his wand from the side of his head, at this angle his lips were positioned just above Pandorah's because with his weight against hers, she was forced to learn back. “I wonder dear Pandorah, why are you talking to me?” there was a lick of heaviness in his voice, as if he was on the verge of colliding into another language.

With his words encompassing her, his breath was cool against Pandorah's mouth, fresh as it a drop of mint. “I have the note, and you're still around,” and he was delving on how she had spread her wildfire about how great her name was, where she had come from and her status. It was so like a pureblood to do that, and he wasn't sure if he was disgusted as Pandorah had once been by him, or if he was even more interested, as if pulled in by the chains of gravity. “Your head is a little mixed, as it is more proper to really understand what you're gaining. Abandon me now, and you'll never know.”

He smiled above her mouth.

“Isn't logic such a quandary sometimes?”

[pandorah]

It was official he definitely was giving her a headache. Narrow brows furrowed closer together as she glared at him balefully. He was quite the obnoxious pain in the ass individual. The other girls must not actually talk to him and just ooh and ahh from afar. He was still lovely to look at, he had quite the bone structure. Yet, and she kept thinking this over and over, talking to him was more than just headache inducing, it made one want to commit vile acts of violence out in the open and gleefully. She decided, which was probably a good thing, to not even remark on his comment about her not seeking advice. It was true so there was no reason to say anything else on it and it almost sounded like a rude remark and she wished not to tick herself into that angered area right now, she was already confused as it was no sense hurting her brain more.

Pale eyes locked on to his wand and followed it as he began to move it about. First it was upwards and he tapped it against the side of his head, his temple to be exact, just a few times. Her own wand remained firmly clasped in her right hand, her left relaxed just a bit now. Pandorah wasn't sure if she wanted to slap him and walk away or... or what? There were other things she could do to this boy? Well, of course there were, like many different gratuitously violent acts, but her brain wasn't going there and she ended up drawing a little bit of a blank. Though she was smart she didn't have a lot of practical application of certain things that most teenage girls did. She understood the ins and outs but had never felt or wanted to, or tried to do anything. So when her gaze lit upon his beautiful mouth she wasn't entirely certain what was going on.

Now that his wand was more visible she did let her eyes scan over it, always curious about other wizards wands. She had no idea what was inside of it or how flexible it was but she knew her creatures and ingredients well enough to know that the boy had in his hands one very dangerous type of wand. She was surprised, not just anyone could use something like that and it took a whole lot of skill to be able to use it, let alone use it well. Her opinion of him changed just slightly, she was marginally impressed just because of the wand he was wielding.

“Nice wand you have...” Maybe she would say more but he moved close to her again and she froze. Physical proximity she usually avoided and twice now he had gotten awfully close. This time however they were touching and her breath caught in her throat just as her face flushed scarlet. Touching. Still she leaned back away some without actually moving. Somewhere inside she knew that if she backed off she lost, even if she was screaming inside to get away from him. Pride won out over everything else and she put on the air of haughtiness that was a part of her but not as solidly at the moment. “Well, aren't you getting friendly now, Kyran.” Her thick German accent caused his name to sound like something not entirely simple and a bit dirty.

That mouth, the one she had been looking at earlier, was right before her. She could follow each line, it was such an expertly carved piece, lush and pouty but not over so. She decided he had a lovely mouth and then cursed herself for looking at it or even thinking anything about him besides how detestable he was being. What was going on with her right now? Maybe it hadn't been him that was confusing, but her own mind. It was obvious she was in foreign territory and she had no idea what was going on. The girl had never been touched, let alone kissed. “I seem...to have been distracted is all. Simple as that.” Though she spoke again her words were a bit breathier and did not hold as much weight as the earlier ones.

Yes, she should be going but now she was trapped, caught by him in some fashion. Oh how she did not like this and her eyes burned with rage along with another emotion entirely, one of interest, lust even. “A-abandon you? Why would I want to know? I care little for others.” Not much conviction in her words and she reached a hand out instinctively and gripped his shoulder to stop herself from falling as she leaned just a little too far away from him without, once again, stepping back. She was a strong girl and she pulled him closer while pulling herself back up, effectively pushing the front of their bodies up nice and tight against one another. “Logic be damned.” Her words were barely audible now as she had him almost in her arms and awfully close. People would think they were about to kiss, perhaps even make out heavily considering their closeness and how heated her words had been. “You are, confusing.”

[KYRAN ALDRIC SINCLAIR]

Kyran wasn't an agent of words, he could boast about his own bloodline, how ancient and powerful it was. But he didn't need to, the proof was within the items and talents he possessed. After the girl had acknowledged the wand he had politely tucked it away, not wanting the girl to get too riled up. Now he would leave it up to Pandorah to inquire about Kyran if she wished to. Pandorah reached out and used his shoulders as leverage, trying not to fall onto her backside. Kyran was sick and twisted, he could read people's weakness all at the gesture of their expression and words – there were times he had made inaccurate judgments, but getting any type of reaction was fair enough. It was a damnable situation, too. Being outside all day, he found the warmth of Pandorah's body heat comforting. He had wanted to slide his fingers into her robe, just to warm his flesh. Although the idea was nice, he wasn't going to stretch his limits.

He felt the fullness of her chest against his own, and she was holding him as if they were apart of a muggle film. It was romantic in that sense, to be needed and relied on (even if it only consisted of being used as an object so she didn't fall). Using the arm that was once holding the wand, he bridged it beneath Pandorah's back, pressing their bodies even further together. He was killing two birds with one stone: warming himself as well as finding out more about Pandorah, the highly respected pureblood. “I can tell you're distracted,” he crooned, finding it hard to make out the flushed flesh of her cheeks. Darkness had already fell, leaving only their two bodies bent together like this. Their pale flesh had been illuminated by the moonlight, and it made the scene horrific as if they were two massive spiders ready to devour each other in one tangled web.

“You may not care about me, but I am certainly interested. I am used to unrequited situations,” he was speaking informally with the Ravenclaw. The girl could fight him, after all, she had nothing to gain hanging around with Kyran. With the girl's slight movements, Kyran felt the tip of his nose touch Pandorah's. The flesh of his nose was cold, the numbness dimming when Pandorah's warmth brushed over his face. Trying to be polite he turned his face, feeling the girl's soft breath caress over his lower lip, over his chin and down into his neck. The feeling of cold to warmth had caused a chill to run down his spine, but it wasn't a reaction that was apparent for he had hardly flinched or blinked.

The Slytherin took a hefty step back, using his arm to reel the girl upward so that they were now back at that sort of slanted eye-level. Some of Pandorah's hair had drifted into her face, and using the tip of his gloved fingers he had moved the wisp of dark strands from the pale contours of her cheekbone. “Your choice Koenig,” Kyran retreated his hand and took two more steps back, giving the female more than enough room to finally take her leave. “Curiosity doesn't always have to harm.”

[pandorah]

There was surprise evident on her face as she saw him put the wand away. Honestly though what had she been expecting? Though he had gotten far too close for comfort he had not done anything untoward nor belligerent. Likewise she slipped her own wand away and seemed to relax just a tad bit now that wands were not out in the open and could be used if need be. Perhaps she was jumpy. It was dark outside now and they were close together. Kyran was a Slytherin and they all had reputations for being less than savory. Oh, that didn't mean all of them were evil, just like not all Gryffindor were good, it just meant that they could be sneaky and conniving more often than not.

She hadn't thought when she grabbed him, only instinctively reached out for something to stop her fall. It was his fault anyway, that she was leaning so far that her back was arched so much. If he wasn't so close to her she wouldn't have to be leaning at all. Though maybe she should admit if her pride wasn't so large that all she could have done was take a step back, or two even. A part of her mind spoke up then and she cursed it after it had it's say. Maybe she liked the closeness of another persons body, his body as it were right now. Truthfully she could not find anything detestable about it. Yet it was a violation of her personal space and it left her in an odd state. She did not like it no matter what was being thought, or said.

That was it, she couldn't hold it and didn't realize it was coming until it was too late and it had already happened. His hand, which was now at her back and pressing their bodies closer together in a very intimate manner, illicited a soft gasp from her, of both surprise and perhaps enjoyment. “Oh, I bet you can tell.” The words lost their bite with how breathy and soft her voice was in the night. They really should be getting back, this should not be happening. People had seen them, rumors would start. She was going to be questioned far too much about this and she just knew some of the more active of the gossipers would have them in a relationship by morning. Inwardly she groaned, she did not need this kind of attention and was reminded of why she stayed away from people in the first place. Unwanted and unneeded drama and questions. People always assumed too damn much.

His nose then touched hers and thoughts of people seeing them flitted away as she began to believe he might kiss her. It would be her first kiss if he did, she just never allowed people to get this close to her before. This year she had claimed it would be different but not this different and not this soon. The year had barely begun! “Unrequited you say? With all the girls swooning over your dark good looks I am really surprised. You could easily pick and choose from an entire flock of admirers.” Oh how they had gone on and on about what they liked most about Kyran Sinclair, until she just wandered off without even saying goodbye. Boys like him did seem to get a fair amount of attention, whether they tried to or not.

Was she actually waiting for him to kiss her? No, never! He turned his head once more and then finally stepped back away from her, helping her to stand. She was no longer pressed close against him and could finally breathe. Pandorah had no clue that she had been barely breathing for awhile until she sucked in a hearty gulp of air and let it out slowly. This would not happen again. Her face, which had been flushed and confused and almost waiting, twisted into a mask of anger and haughtiness. “It has always been my choice.” Her tone was imperious and she held herself ramrod straight once more. She opened her mouth again, obviously some retort or scathing comment on the tip of her tongue but he touched her cheek, even if it was just a glove, and she jumped.

“I came here simply to do your sister a favor, and I trusted no one else with whatever that note is. I did not come here to have my personal space invaded nor to have you so close I could smell you.” Though he didn't smell bad, in fact she would admit that it was rather pleasant, which was far from the point. “Hands hurriedly straightened out her skirt and top, fidgeting mostly. “Do you always get so close to girls when they talk to you? If so it is no wonder you have what I would swear is half the school fawning over your ever step. They haven't the brains or wherewithal to know better.” She was being harsh now but that was part of who she was. Pandorah had little respect for others unless they had proven otherwise.

[KYRAN ALDRIC SINCLAIR]

He felt this female was a fire cracker, tied by a string that was slowly unfurling and waiting to explode. Beneath her pale flesh and those icy eyes, he knew there was a person who had desired the complexities of another person, their flesh, and several other traits that a person couldn't buy with prestige and money: genuine emotion. Even as wizards, Hogwarts had a caste system much similar to a muggle high-school, the popular and the losers. Kyran did his best not to dwell on those matters, and if he did, it was because he was thinking about his future and not the present situation. Around Pandorah he felt like a boulder stuck in a stream, she would move around him no matter where he stood; to get her to stop he would need a posse, and it wasn't something he was willing to obtain. She had the tendency to want to get a rouse out of Kyran, but he would not entertain her.

Everything she questioned about him, he left her with no explanation. He had presented his grounds earlier to her, and she had made it clear that it was no benefit to knot herself into a friendship, or even a relationship that had made them 'acquaintances'. Pandorah, like Kyran, wanted to keep distance. The Slytherin should have accept her terms for the feeling she had was mutual. If he had pressed for the girl's attention and cooperation, then he would only appear desperate. He didn't have the time to act like a kid, there was a heaping of responsibilities to attend to – adding drama with the Ravenclaw girl would have been bothersome. Pandorah insisted that she didn't want Kyran close, didn't need her personal space invaded, but she had done nothing to move – not even when she had her wand equipped, ready and prepared. Everything she said made her look hypocritical, but Kyran was used to these traits in a person. She didn't appeal to him, for all her worth was in her 'status' now.

Moving his gloved right hand into a slight ball, he lifted his knuckle to his lower lip, acting as if he was about to cough or clear his throat. She was really laughable, but he politely held his tongue. “You sound as though you're an expert on relationships,” he commented after she went on her spiel about how he could have whatever girl he wanted. Perhaps it was true Kyran could date one or two girls, but he knew dating one girl was like dating their friends. All he would have been was a trophy on a girl's arm, and his 'date' would wind up in one of those power trips, getting too comfortable and to the point where she attempted to boss Kyran around. None of his 'relationships' would end well, and Pandorah had not the slightest clue that he was being a gentleman by declining them.

Through the darkness he could tell where Pandorah stood, for her curves were line by a white light that reflecting off of the moon. He wasn't sure if he should have felt sympathetic for her considering all of his emotions were exhausted on Salem these days. “Your head is on right, Koenig... but even me, a Slytherin, wonders if a heart beats in that chest of yours..” The Ravenclaw would be able to see his lashes moving, for he was blinking, only to become a blob of dark patterns that appeared to move backward. This time he was the one walking away. “As logical as you are, I am not willing to tolerate unreasonable behavior. Sometimes it's a wise thing not to be so stubborn, it may benefit you more than you know.”

His sultry voice appeared to travel through the bit of the cold breeze, hanging there for only a second. If Pandorah bothered to talk back, she would find herself alone. Kyran had left.