Walking & Thoughts.

[Anna Dawn]

Setting : A beach in muggle england somewhere. It's a grey cloudy day in the early morning and the waves are crashing on to the yellow sand.
Status: Open -- Adults preffered ((17+))
First Post Summary: Anna is starting to question her loyalties and that of others. She also questions if her 'love' is right, or wether she is simply lying to herself.
General Plot: Eventully Anna has to make a decision where she satnds, as of yet she doesn't know where every one else stands except Nikolas', she finds either by accident or on purpose Clemence's true side.


Anna Dawn often found herself walking on the beach, it served to calm her, the sound of the waves whispering in her ears. She was a lonely person, by choice most of the time, although by who she was alot of the time as well. Her job and idea's took up most of the time and then she spent the rest of the time alone. She didn't mind it, sometimes it was just a bit, lonely. She had had the offers, 'Would you like to come to the theatre' or 'Want to come over for dinner?' Yet the answer was always No.

As she walked Anna's very blonde hair whipped around her face in the wind, her hands were buried in the pocket of her black cloak and her deep emerald robes were covered in sand. All her clothes were made of beautiful materials, whether it be her long fashionable dress or her over-robes and cloak. She could afford it after all. But there was one thing money couldn't buy. Love. And thats what she pondered as she walked.

What Anna had never understood, was how every one needed every one else to love them. She didn't care what people thought, as long as the job got done, yet every one else judged every-one else. Why? It puzzled her and she didn't like something she could never comprehend, or could she. Was it just she was to scared to let anyone in. To scared to hurt any one. Or was it just she was to scared that she would hurt herself.

It wasn't that she that the divination professor couldn't love. In fact, quite the opposite. She had fallen for one person she doubted she could ever have, and that along with the every day strains of life was starting to crack her perfect image. Having grown up in a family that drilled you into thinking love was a weakness, how could you suddenly find your self in love? If it was love at all. And only herself and the object of her affections would know that.

The friends thats she did have were few and far between, and were nothing less then obviously smitten for each other. It wasn't that they were out wardly showing this, but Anna spent enough time aorund them both to know how they felt. It was tearing on the edge of her nerves and she didn't know how to fix it. She could leave Hogwarts, but she would still be very involved in the tangeled triangle she had got herself into .

She didn't know what to do anymore. She didn't know what was right and what was wrong, and ultimatly she was starting to doubt her loyalties. She was starting to doubt if all this was right. Wether she was helping Nikolas' cause because she believed in it or simply because she didn't believe in the other cause. She also had some serious doubt's about her other friends loyalties. Clemeunce simply didn't seem the type to be for the muder of all muggles.

[Robert de Leoncre]

Robert walked aimlessly along the sandy shores of muggle England and watched as the sun came up. The whispy hues of blue and gold greeted him. He was but a man of around seven and twenty. Twenty seven years to have walked this earth was already a long time--for him at least. He walked as the waves crashed upon his bare feet. His pants were rolled up, and he wore an unbottoned shirt. His great-aunt would have killed to see him in such a state, were she alive.

But the once uptight man had loosened up as death took the lives of the people he had loved most. He was a wizard indeed, but he was born and raised a muggle. His parents had died when he was a boy and he did not get to ever meet them. But his great-aunt who was a muggle Contessa from France took him and raised him as her own. He went to Hogwarts in his time, deceiving his great-aunt and making her believe that he was just going to a University in England.

But it had been ten years since he had last stepped foot in the school, and he did not know if he wanted to return to it ever again. He thought back to the days in France when he would have tea with his great-aunt and her friends. He loathed those days, but a gentleman had to tolerate such things, especially if he wanted the inheritance that his aunt would eventually bequeth him.

It was during one of those gatherings that he had met Clemence de Dreux. Her mother was an opera prima donna that his great-aunt had admired. When he had last seen Clemence, she was much older than him, but she seemed quite withdrawn from the world. He remembered the times when they would talk to each other and when he would feel like she never really was there. She was a mystery to him and he could sense that she never let anyone get near her.

It came as a surprise to him to find that she was now teaching at Hogwarts. His old friend, Lucius Gray had asked him about Clemence and he could barely answer him for Robert knew very little about the woman, but for the fact that she was employed by the French Intelligence. Of course, he could not disclose that little peice of information to Lucius.

He was once employed by the Intelligence, but because of circumstances, he was forced to resign from his post and the Intelligence entirely. He fled France, travelling around the world and living on his aunt's money. How he ended up back in England, he did not remember.

Nevertheless, he continued his walk till he chanced upon a young woman of startling beauty. Her hair seemed to flow down from her head like a fountain of gold. He dared not approach her in the state he was currently in. He looked like a mess and he knew it. He felt like he knew her from somewhere, as if they had met at some function or ball, but he couldn't be sure. He had danced with far too many women to remember their names and faces entirely. However, it was too late to turn around and improve his appearance, for he had been staring for a while and without knowing it had already opened his mouth to greet the woman.

"Good morning, madame." he said easily. His fluid charm contradicted his dishevelled looks. It was apparent from his fluency that he was a learned man and that he spent a fair amount of his time out mingling with society, both muggle and magic.

[Anna Dawn]

Upon hearing a mans voice Anna looked up. Her violet eyes scanning the man infront of her. In politness she lowered her head slightly before speaking. " To you as well sir." Anna went back to looking at the man before her, he looked a mess but it was clear that he came from high socity of some sort, wether it muggle or magical. After a few moments Anna spoke again, she was sure that she had met this man before. There was something very familiar about him. Her voice was smooth and elagent, but her eyes were still cold toward the man. " I'm sorry sir, but do i know you?"

Anna knew it was impolite to speak so boldly to a man of clear high class, but to be honest she didn't really care. She had other things on her mind, and she was almost certain she knew him now. Brushing a strand of hair away from her eyes she continued to watch him waiting for a reply.

Letting a slight smile grace her pale face Anna did not force her eyes back down to the ground as she should have done. She wasn't one for following the rules and she wasn't going to start now. That was the problem, no-one could love her because she was to outspoken for a women, she didn't try hard to be pretty in the current style. And, or atleast Anna thought that wouldn't give up her freedom for anything. She was sorely mistaken, for she all ready had.

By giving her heart to Nikolas' she had lost all sense in herself, and once again she followed her head of her heart. Her head told her to love him, not her heart. Maybe one day she would see the sense in that but for the moment, whilst she was still in clse contact with him she couldn't see that.

Waiting for the mans reply Anna let her eyes wonder out over the sea. She loved the way it crashed on to the sand. the whirling noise the water made. The cold grey that was reflected both over the sky and sea.

[Robert de Leoncre]

She fascinated him, and he clearly remembered meeting her somewhere, though he was quite sure that they were not introduced formally. The woman standing before him was clearly unlike most women out in society. She seemed headstrong and educated. She behaved just the way any accomplished woman would do so.

And during their time, not many women could boast of being accomplished. He was not used to the treatment that Anna was giving him. Robert was used to women throwing themselves at his feet, yet the Anna seemed to have no inclination toward him.

He half-wondered if his charm was failing him, though he did not dwell on it. The thing that was persistent in his mind as of the moment was whether or not the lady he was talking to was muggle or wizard. He could only wonder, after all, one did not just ask a stranger--especially if she were a muggle--about her blood heritage. If she were a muggle, he would appear to be dim, and he did not want to appear so in front of such a stunning woman.

Robert stood straighter and smiled when the woman asked him if she knew him. "The name is Robert de Leoncre, madamoiselle." he said in perfect English, though his name was said in its flawless French origin, he emphasized every word perfectly, pronouncing his last name as Lohn-cray. "I hail originally from Paris, but my education was taken in England." he smiled. "Perhaps we met at a ball, or perhaps at the opera. I regret I do not really remember how we've met, but you do seem quite familiar, miss..?" he said questioningly, wondering if hearing her name would do his memory any good.

He ran a hand through his dark blonde hair and smiled easily at the woman. Though early morning, he still could not help but turn on his charm, as he was accustomed to doing so when in company of women, regardless of them being muggle or wizard.

[Anna Dawn]

"Anna Dawn." She said, Her voice the same as it had been before. She wasn't inmmune to the Robert's charm, she simply didn't show how she felt that often. If you showed how you felt you got hurt and if you didn't, you didn't. It was just the way life worked, and it was the easiest way to protect yourself. If Robert had known her better he would have been able to tell she wasn't being quite as cold as she normally was, but obviously he didn't. She recognised the name though. Robert de Leoncre

She paused for a few moments, deciding what to say, she had no idea wether Robert was a wizard or not so she chose her words carefully. "I'm a professor, i have never been to france, and to be quite honest don't have any wish to. You see i'm Russian." As Anna spoke about her home land her perfect english accent lapsed slightly and became more heavily Russian.

"I am sure we have met though, sir." There was something about the man before her that made her think that he was a wizard, she didn't know what it was though, and she wasn't about to test that theory. Pulling her heavy green cloak around her shoulders to keep away the cold Anna let her eyes scan over Robert again.

((Sorry it's a little short, i don't know what to write.))

[Robert de Leoncre]

Anna Dawn. Now why did that name ring a bell in Robert's mind?

"Charmed," he smiled. He racked his brain, biting his lip, wondering just where he had encountered that name. But nothing entered his mind.

He had almost missed what she had said because of his musings, but did not, and his reaction was predictable. "A professor?" he asked incredulously. "But you cannot possibly be serious. The only school I know that would allow women to teach would be Hogwarts." he said. Now was the time to find out if she was a muggle or a wizard, "I am not quite sure if you have heard of the school. It's just a very small one, not a University, and barely a college, but it's quite exemplary in its state." he rambled.

He took another good look at her. She surely did not seem to be the working type, and even if she was, it was highly unappropriate for a woman of such breathtaking beauty to be wasting her time on a profession.

He tilted his head to the side, "Please do tell me that you are not serious about having such a profession. I just cannot fathom that a beautiful lady like yourself would even dream of working." he said, hoping that he would not offend her.

[Anna Dawn]

Anna looked back to Robert, away from the sea when he spoke again. He sounded quite shocked that she actually worked. Not that was unusual, every one thought the she shouldn't work, afteral she was a women she shoudn't work. It was unfortuante that men thought that women weren't as clever as them, for it was a lie. Anna knew plenty of clever women it was just that most of them had never had a chance to work. Once you were married it was a bit of a dead end. And if you weren't you weren't likely to find yourself married very quickly.

So Robert was a wizard, that was the only way that he could have known about Hogwarts. Anna not for the first time had been right about some one. "Yes, I'm the divination professor at Hogwarts." Anna's eyes were becoming less and less cold with time, there was just something about the man before her that totally losen up.

Bringing a elegant hand to brush another strand of lose hair away from her face Anna blushed, she had never really thought of herself that beautiful. She didn't have long dark hair and she was not exactly tall, she simply didn't fit he criteria for beauty in that day and age. " I most deffinetly do teach, how else do you expect me to pass my time."

Anna failed to add that her other job was to assit the Headmaster of the school to rid the world of muggles. She didn't think it was exactly a good introduction for ones self and she was starting to doubt all their plans anyway. Theres was something that wasn't right about killing off all the muggles. After all wouldn't it just end in all the pureblodds having to inter-breed. The only problem was that it was a bit late to back out now.

[Robert de Leoncre]

"Well, most ladies would rather attend balls than take up a profession." Robert said as-a-matter-of-factly. "But then again, you most certainly do not seem to be like most women. Clearly, madame, you are a lady of higher caliber. Forgive me if I sounded demeaning, it was all meant as a compliment. A little smirk drew across his face, but it was not in the least cold.

He paused, staring at the breathtaking sunrise. "Divination, you say," he chuckled, remembering his days back in Hogwarts, "It has always been the bane of my existence. You see, I simply do not possess what my old professor used to call the inner eye and he mocked me endlessly for taking up the subject. But can one blame me for wanting to learn the secrets of the future? he smiled at her.

"Tell me, miss Dawn, in your inferring the future, would it perhaps happen to include me being your escort tonight at the ball that Lucius Gray is throwing in the celebration of the safe arrival of Nikolas Vogel's daughter?" he half-joked with a smile. His blue eyes sparkled as he smiled at her, and he once more brushed back his golden hair with his hand, as it had fallen on his face again. "Do say yes, my lady. Nothing would honour me more than having you by my side this evening."

Such was the character of the men in those days. Perhaps back in the 1200's, men would only be allowed to escort a woman if they were betrothed. But it was already 1821. The 19th century. One only needed to be briefly acquainted with a woman for them to arrive at a ball together, after all, it was the age of reasoning. The age of advancement.

He had asked Anna because he felt as if she were a woman who was much like him. She seemed to free herself from tradition by taking up a profession and remaining unmarried, as he had glimpsed that she wore no wedding ring, but at the same time, maintained the propriety required of a lady. She was, in his eyes, a woman he was unworthy of even talking to.

He wondered about her stand in muggle persecution. Rumour was that it was prevalent in the school, and thus perhaps his journey to England. He was quite outspoken in his belief that muggle born wizards should be treated as equals for they were needed to maintain the wizarding line. If muggles died out, so would wizarding families.

He had spoken to Vogel about this, as Vogel was one of the most influential me, being the head of the school. But had gotten no clear opinion from the man. He knew Nikolas Vogel to be purely professional and as a person who did not let anyone's personal agenda getting in the way of his line of work--educating the children. Robert perceived Vogel to be devoted to his work and his work alone. He did not know just how wrong he was.

[Anna Dawn]

"Walk aside me." Anna said, starting to walk along the sandy beach as Robert spoke. For once she gave her attention entirly to the man beside her rather then doing two or three things at once. There was something about the man that in a way was similar to her if she could have told what it was she would have told him but she didn't, so she didn't. The unusual smile that had replaced Anna's smirk became slightly more soft, she wasn't used to all the compliments she had recived that morning.

"You flatter me Sir." She spoke her tone soft and elagent in the manner that all young women of her age were taught to speak. She may have rebelled against some traditions but that was one that was a little difficult. You can't forget things that you learnt when you were younger.

When Robert spoke of divination Anna's eyes glimmered. Her life had always reveolved around divination, it was the thing she could rely on most of the time. That and music. She had loved music, she still loved music, the violin, the piano she played them both. That had been her true love, but no man how ever open minded was going to let a woman play in his orchestra.

When he spoke of the ball Anna didn't reply immediatly. She would dearly like to go to the ball with Robert, but then what would Nikolas say. Again it was a choice between what was right and what was wrong, wether to follow her heart or her head. Eventully Anna did reply, her voice soft and even. "I think that my inner could see that."

There was only one thing that bothered Anna now, other then what Nikolas would think. What was Robert's views on the muggle race, afterall she was starting to doubt her ideas, he would be one of the people who would help her make her choice. Or atleast she hoped he would be.

[Robert de Leoncre]

Robert smiled at Anna, "Wonderful," he said sincerely, "it would really be such a delight. Shall I meet you there then, or might I be so bold as to send a carriage for you tonight?" he asked. He squinted as the sun went high into the sky. It was amazing how fast the sun rose but how slow the days went.

He walked steadily alongside Anna, wanting to get to know the lady more. Wanting to perhaps have a conversation with her, as not many women seemed as learned as the woman before him.

From a distance, he could already see some people walking across the beach. It was not as quiet anymore. He realised that he had not been home since the night before. How was it that he ended up in the beach anyway?

Perhaps it was a stroke of fate that had brought him here after a night of merry dancing and drinking so that he could meet Anna. His body wanted to go back to his hotel straightaway so that he could get himself a long bath and lots of rest, but he was quite content just walking with Anna along the sandy shores of the beach.

He gave her an easy smile and saw her radiant beauty as the sun shined down upon her. He could hardly believe his luck, but then wondered when it all would end, and he would find himself in the direst of troubles as he usually was.

It would not be long before he started his work defending muggles. He had heard that the French Intelligence had sent someone to deal with the issue, presumably Clemence, but so far, he did not see any improvement. He came out to England because of the society he was in, the Resistance, whose aim was to defend the muggles and muggleborn wizards alike, that he could set things straight.

[Anna Dawn]

Anna kept her eyes cast down to the sandy shore, not becasue she knew she ought to in the presence of other people on the beach but more because she looked for the small white pearly stones one could often find on the beach. These tiny stones were used quite frequntly in divination and Anna never had enough, for once again when she put in an order for the precious stones any mans order came first. She found it was quicked simply to gather her own.

"I do not mind, infact I had planned to aparate to the ball. It makes no change to my plan." Anna said, for indeed it didn't matter to her where she meet Robert, because for the first time in a long while he was some one she wished to speak to more, and it didn't matter when or why. Anna though couldn't place that feeling, she didn't know what it meant so she simply shut it aside letting her mind work as if the man before her were simply one of her friends.

When a glint of white caught her violet eye's Anna bent down slightly in the send, making the hem of her dress sandy. With her small elagent hands she picked up a small almost perfectly round stone about the size of a penny coin. Rolling it around in her hand she let it catch the light.

The sun was now glaring down on the sand, but it wasn't overly hot so Anna kept her cloak around her small frame. It was fortunate that cloaks were still often worn by women in the muggle world so she could walk around in her usual attire without any questions being asked. Perfect for Anna, who would do anything to go un-noticed, or atleast most of the time.

[Robert de Leoncre]

"Marvelous." Robert pronounced. "I shall send a carriage then." he paused, realising that he did not know where she lived. "To what address should my carriage pick you up?" he asked with a smile.

He watched as she picked up the pearly stone and recognised it after a moment's observation. He had quite a fair number of it at home that he never really put to any use. He had never figured out exactly what it was for. "That is a rather lovely stone." he commented. "I have quite a few of that at my villa but heaven only knows what it is meant for, would you care to enlighten me on such matters at the ball tonight, miss Dawn?" he asked with a smile.

He brushed back his hair with a hand yet again. "I am quite embarrased to say this, but I really must get a move on. I have not been home since the morning of yesterday, and my body simply needs some rest. I hope you understand. It was quite a pleasure meeting you, and I really am looking forward to tonight's affair." he said, gazing down at Anna. He took her hand and brushed it across his lips briefly while staring into her deep violet eyes.

"Have a pleasant day, miss Dawn--Anna, if I might call you that. I daresay that it was destiny that I met you." he said smoothly. He took a slight bow and walked away slowly till he disappeared from all view and apparated home.

A contact at Hogwarts. He had made the first move in what would be a grand scheme. He needed all the allies he could get, and hoped that Anna would be one. A part inside of him hoped that they could be more than just friends, but it was far too early to tell. After all, he had just met the woman. He was far too tired to think of anything however. He would let all things happen in time. One day, it would all end well--or at least, he hoped that it would.

[Anna Dawn]

Anna let a small smirk pass over her face, when she was asked where she lived. "You shall find out when that is needed to know." She said mysteriously, knowing that sooner or later that day she would send him a note with her adress. She wasn't one to be straight forward and had always, even as a young child, delighted in mind games.

"INdeed, i would be much delighted." Anna said, letting a small smile slip back onto her face when he spoke of the small ovel stone that still rested in the palm of her hand. "Delighted." She said, her violet eyes watching Robert disappear across the sand. Watching until he had completly disapeared until she herself apparated away from the scene. Not totally sure what had gone on that morning.

Walking back up to her London house, where she spent some of her weekends Anna wondered what she would wear that evening. It hadn't really been something that she had thought of, having no-one in paticular to impress. Yet now the thought was there haunting the back of her mind whilst she thought about the man she had met.

For the first time in a while Anna listened to her heart rather then her head. There was just something about Robert that made her feel different, and now she was more certain then ever she had met him before. The thing that was most prominent in the divination professor's head though was the choice of sides and where she stood. Now she was more mixed up then ever. If only she knew what to do. Maybe deep inside she knew.

[Lilia Dunham]

Thread title:Walking & Thought.
Persons Involved:Anna Dawn & Robert de Leoncre .
Brief Summary of the Thread:
- Anna walks down the beach in the early morning thinking about where her loyalties lie.
- Robert is also walking the same beach and by either fate or coincidence the two meet.
- The two learn about each other and Robert asks wether he can escort Anna to the ball.
- The two both know something is changing, Robert that he has an associate in Hogwarts and Anna that some where deep inside she knows what siide she will chose.