From which rock?

[Artemis Tayern]

Art had been searching for a month, he needed to speak to Drew, things had happened but more importantly he wanted some help with something. Just thinking about it brought more of that warmth, the auburn hair those awesome eyes that he loved to look at, there was only one problem he could figure out how to ask what he wanted to know. He had intensified the search knowing the Raven dorm was on the west side of the castle due to the fact he saw almost everyone in that house come to dinner from the west. He was again searching the area looking for the older boy, Arty hadn't grown much but he had gotten stronger both magically and physically. He had gained some weight putting his weight up at 96 lbs and his height up at about 4'11 still short but he wasn't doing to bad. Drew where are you? Please come out from under your rock so I can talk to you! It was getting late,everyone readying for bed and the corridors were quiet except the soft sound of Art's step on the stone floors. "Drew you around?" He asked the hall hoping the older raven was in the area, he was heading down to the dungeons due to the time but just maybe Drew was around doing a prefect patrol....

(Closed)

[Drew Thornton]

Drew was actually on his way up from the kitchens, stocking up so as not to leave the common room in a few hours when he got hungry again. His deep pockets were full and he was munching on an apple as he climbed the steps to the first floor, hearing his name called out.

The munching stopped and he pulled his wand, not recognizing the voice right away and not wanting to take any chances. He slowly made his way to the corridor and carefully peeked around the corner to see Artie's back walking in the opposite direction. Drew considered heading back down the way he came and finding another route back to his common room, but changed his mind. As frustrating as Art could be, the kid was pretty screwed up and needed a little direction. Granted, the times the prefect had tried, it hadn't gone so well, but maybe this time would be different.

Besides, Artie insisted on keeping in close contact with a suspected Deva member, despite Drew's warnings to steer clear of the former Slytherin. The kid might have some information Drew could use.

"Dude," Drew called out, climbing out of the stairwell and pocketing his wand. "You need me?"

[Artemis Tayern]

Art paused at hearing that voice " DREW! oh thank merlin, I need your help." Were the words that blurted out of his mouth. True Drew rubbed Art the wrong way sometimes but hey, thats the way things rolled, no? Reina wasn't around so he didn't have to fear her at the moment but that was the first thing to address. "Reina showed up twice this summer, on my doorstep. I didn't know what else to do so I just played along like you told me to do. She said she wanted information about Hogwarts and the people there but I don't know what I should tell her or...or anything...." His voice was rushed and slightly panicked. That warm feeling he had been getting since two days ago had vanished with the thoguht of Reina which was like the thought of being stranded in the desert with no water. Just you the rough sand, the hot sun of the devil, and no water.

[Drew Thornton]

"So what did you tell her?" Drew asked, not even bothering to yell at the kid for talking to Reina. Drew had come to the conclusion a few months ago that the little snake was actually playing both sides. Drew would gladly take his information, but would definitely not be sharing any with the kid.

[Artemis Tayern]

" I told her yes that I would do it in exchange for information on my mum's boyfriend..." He admitted looking down. He was afraid of what Drew was gonna say... wasn't that the way things go? You make a deal with the devil and you piss off a saint? " I just don't know she said she would be in contact and I really don't want to do this but she said something might happen to my mum." Art told him, Art was being blackmailed into it and he decided since he didn't have a choice he might as well get something in exchange. His blonde head was hung 'After what she did to me I don't want her near my mother, even with Almeida around... She's helpless against Reina." He told Drew softly revealing something only a few people know... most assumed Art's mom was a muggle, thats just how she chose to live, she was a squib, a complete disaster with a wand but she could make some basic potions... even then you were better of with a first year's efforts.

[Drew Thornton]

He kept saying he didn't want to do it, she was forcing him, balckmailing him, but then he made more deals with Reina, getting in deeper and deeper. This was the main reason Drew didn't trust the kid.

"She's helpless, so you decided to let Reina know the intimate details of her life?" The kid made less and less sense every time they spoke. "Why do you need info on your mom's boyfriend? There wasn't anyone you thought you could ask? Or Reina is so smart and trustworthy, you thought she was the best person?" Again, backwards logic from the young snake.

Drew didn't say anything about Artie's reference to being cursed. If it was even true it had happened, Drew was curious to know what baby version of Crucio the Devil had performed. It couldn't have been anything compared to what Shaw had done.

[Artemis Tayern]

"Not exactly Drew... I needed time and this gives me that time... it doesn't matter what she finds out. I needed the time... I Just need some help Drew i don't know what to tell her and I know she is gonna be contacting me soon and I really want help... It isn't just her, she made it seem like there was somthing else... I'm a second year, and Almeida has to work... I have no choice." Art was scared but he lifted his eyes and looked to Drew he was scared and it showed on his face. He pushed back his hair carefully and just looked up at Drew locking his icy blue eyes onto Drew's.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew still wasn't sure how sending the wolf into the sheepfold bought any time and he really wasn't sure what Art needed time for. Drew had tried on a number of occasions to help the boy yet Art always turned back to Reina.

"You always have a choice Artie," Drew answered. Thornton connections were strong, even in Europe, and if Art had come to him first, he could have done something. Now, things were just worse. "And the decisions you make end up defining what kind of man you are."

[Artemis Tayern]

Art was frustrated, confused, and he didn't want Drew to lecture him on choices, his father had done that a few times but he put the beast of emotion into check and thought things through, still coming up with the same conclusion. " Neither I nor Almeida can protect her all the time, she is a SQUIB Drew, she is helpless, I needed a way to protect her and unless you wild have made the same choices I made, She showed up one night grabbed me and did this thing where we ended up in a huge forest and she told me that she wanted me to keep an eye on things at Hogwarts and tell her about the Hogwarts ongoings or she'd hurt my mother. My choice was to agree to help her at that moment or die in the woods by her hand, and probably have my mother killed as well, I made the choice to live Drew, I don't like helping her anymore Drew." anyone who truly knew Art could tell he was sincere, Drew's previous remark would have resulted in Art losing his temper last year but he had calmed down and he was now presenting the facts to Drew in a logical way.

[Drew Thornton]

Drew was fully confident that with his connections, he could help Art's mother and keep her safe, but he doubted the boy would accept it, as intrenched as he was with Reina. Drew was also wary of exposing his family contacts to anyone who had contacts with Reina, concerned that the boy would put them in danger as well, so he didn't offer. He felt bad for the woman, but when it came down to it, he had to look after his own first, didn't he?

"Okay, Art," Drew answered, knowing that when the boy started raising his voice and getting repetitive, he was just getting angry and less likely to listen to reason. Of course the boy had choices. You always had choices. He had choices when he was locked in that room with Shaw and his partners. And he was thankful he still never gave up anyone, especially someone he cared about so deeply, to a dark wizard. "So if no one can do anything, why are you telling me?"

[Artemis Tayern]

Art paused and he searched his mid for a reason he had come to Drew. "Because... I was hoping..." he paused and thought about what Drew had said, everyone had choices... he looked back to the ground wiped his face with his arm and it hit him like... a bludger... (Lightning is way over-rated) "Because I was hoping you could show me my choices so I know what I can do." Art told hi looking up at Drew with a smile that was like the grin the old Artemis wore when he had a Eureka moment.

[Drew Thornton]

For a flicker of a moment, Drew believed the kid, believed the little snake wanted and would accept help. Drew pushed the notion aside, disregarding it as hopefully naive at this point in the game. Nonetheless, Drew would keep an eye on the boy and see where the kid led him. "Your best bet right now is to tell Raynor," he answered Art. So far it was the only advice Artie had ever listened to and even then the boy had fought the idea of talking to the deputy even as he stood in front of the woman.

[Artemis Tayern]

Art almost knew it was coming but just the same he muttered "alright I'll talk to her soon, Probably tomorrow during break." He had give in accepting Drew's advice he knew it was the only wway out of this he needed friends, allies not people to fight him, needed Reina to go away and stay there. The blonde kid looked like the old confidence restored he was on to better things.... "How do you ask a girl out?" was his question to the older boy he had been neeeding to ask it because he wanted to Ask Fyona to the Haloween ball but he didn't want to seem like a Jerk or get shot down.

[Drew Thornton]

The surprise of Artie accepting his advice was overshadowed by the unbelievably sudden and random change of topic. Feeling like he had just experienced a complete 180, Drew laughed at the shock before it finally registered that the kid was seriously asking.

"A girl? I don't know... you just ask her," he answered, knowing it was a little trickier than that, but not much.

[Artemis Tayern]

Art was not the same, he had mellowed out and really thought about alot of things over the summer. He realized he had been short with Drew and he had asked Drew for help then refused it when he gave it. He was older and just knew things so Art should have respected it more. Art was not going to apologise he was just going to show change. " But that doesn't tell me how, I don't wanna be a jerk about it...." Art said thinking Drew as just messing with him.