I Stand Alone (open)

Karma walked into the graveyard, Nightmare trailing behind her, the coldish overcast weather making her want to visit her mother's grave, which was not a thought she often had. After what she'd done for the last week, she needed someone to talk to. Her mother was the only one she felt would understand, would listen, as the portraits would only laugh and force her other consciousness on her. They'd see it as a weakness.

Karma stopped before the farthest back grave, barely within the confines of the graveyard. It was nowhere near fancy, a heavy-looking stone that she'd had a house elf bring from a cobblestone street, with childish lettering that proclaimed "mom". Karma sat on the ground next to the slight rise in the ground, the only suggestion that the grave even existed, and shivered.

"Hey Mom. I've got you something." Karma pulled out a Chocolate Frog, carefully unwrapped it, and quickly twisted it's head off, so it wouldn't hop off. She placed the offering onto the rise and crossed her legs, allowing Nightmare to crawl into her lap. She pulled out her own Chocolate Frog and bit into it with none of the usual pleasure she'd get from eating chocolate.

"Alot has happened since the last time we talked. I'm an apprentice now, became one way back in Second Year, but I can't tell you what I'm becoming, that's against the rules, you see. I've also joined..." the Fidilus Charm kicked in, but it wasn't as if she was actually going to say something. "A club. I really believe in the cause, and I'm giving it my all. Hogwarts has been a blast, mom, really, I wish you were here so I could show you." Her eyes lowered, her mother would never be there for her.

"Oh. And Colbie!" She exclaimed suddenly. "Cobalt is my mentor, he's the one who is teaching me to defend myself for the war. There is going to be a war mom, I know now that you tried to protect me when I was little, but it didn't go well for you, did it?" Karma sighed, her mood dipping down into dangerous territory. It was almost like... lonliness.

Nightmare meowed and nosed her. Karma wrapped her arms around the cat and smiled a sad little smile. "And Nightmare can change into a Panther mom, a fully grown one, did you know? She's kinda like ol' Daydream, but she's with you now, isn't she?" Karma curled herself around her kitten. "Nightmare never leaves me, that's the best thing. I'm never alone."

Karma laid down on the grass next to the grave, curling her body around her cat so that she was facing her mother's grave. "Let's just stay awhile, like the good old days, alright mom?" She hummed softly, her eyes slowly closing as Nightmare purred. She was soon asleep.

Her half eaten chocolate frog laid forgotten beside her.

After Miles finished visting his brother's grave, he decided to walk around and look at the other graves, he noticed a girl sitting crossed legged at a grave in the far corner, he continued to walk around, looking at the other graves. He made his way up to the girl, her eyes were closed.

Miles tried to look at the name of the grave, all it said was "mom" the grave looked bear, as though it wasn't visted much, Miles pulled out his wand "Orchideous" a bouquet of white lilly's appeared at the bottom of the grave, Miles smiled the grave looked loved once more

Nightmare's purring adruptly stopped, snapping Karma back to conciousness. She looked at the kitten confused before noticing the boy above her. She sat up, watching carefully before smiling softly. "Thank you, mom would appreciate it."

She leaned back on one of her hands, the other petting nightmare. "I'm Karma."

Miles smiled back at Karma, "No problem, its my pleasure" Miles noticed that Karma had a cat, urrgh, cats Miles thought himself

"It's nice to meet you Karma, im Miles"

Miles sat down on the ground opposite Karma, eyeing her cat off, hoping it didn't decide to wander over to him

Nightmare huffed and with her nose in the air, walked back into Karma's lap, her eyes narrowing at the new comer. Karma smirked. "Not a cat person, are you?" She said, petting Nightamre. "Good thing there aren't any cats around." Nightmare looked affronted and hopped out of her lap, choosing instead to curl up on top of the ground. "Oh shut up, there's no reason to be acting like that." Nightmare's only answer was to turn her back on them.

"Sorry about that." Karma apologized with a sigh, her eyes going back to Miles. "She could tell you... uh... don't like cats." She shrugged. "Nice to meet you Miles."

Miles was shocked when Karma asked him if he wasn't a cat person, how could she possibly know, Miles then became further confussed when Karma revealed that he cat could sense he didn't like cats "Oh... yeah im not a real fan of cats" Miles said, trying not to offend Karma. " Well I guess there not as bad as some other creatures"

Miles suddlenly rememered when his cousin tried to breed a Basilisk

" Like last summer my cousin Kaine got a chicken egg and this toad he found in Diagon Alley and tried to breed a Basl..." Miles suddenly stopped himself realising that breeding of Basilisks was highly illegal, and didn't want Karma to think that he was like the rest of his family

God only knows why mum married dad, she hates that he's a dark wizard, she says that she didn't know til after they were married... but how could you not know Miles thought to himself, he quickly looked up at Karma and smiled, trying to cover up his mistake

Karma smirked knowingly. As if she didn't know what a bred a basilisk. "Well, I hope he didn't go through with it, or at least got it wrong." She said earnstly. According to the portraits, Great Great Great Uncle Taurus had bred a basilisk only to die when it hatched and looked at him. If it wasn't for his Familiar, the enitre family would have been slaughtered.

She chanced a glance at Nightmare, who still had her back turned, and lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "Between you and me, Nightmare isn't even a cat." Nightmare glared at her over her shoulder but Karma ignored it. "She's something a little more... unique."

A cold shudder ran down Miles's spine as Karma had already picked up on that his cousin had tried to bred a basilisk, " No, he didn't, i think it was just as joke, becuase we're not into that kinda stuff" Miles said, he let out a small weak laugh, trying to throw Karma off the idea that he comes from a family of dark wizards

Miles then looked at Karma as she stated that her cat wasn't even cat

" So you mean to tell me thats a... human?" Miles asked, he leaned back abit finding this whole situation all very weird, Miles eyed off the cat with cation I knew I hated cats for a reason Miles thought to himself

Karma tried to push down the fact that she was not really buying it, and nodded, smiling. "That's good."

When miles suggested that Nightmare was a human, she giggled. "No, silly, she's a panther." Nightmare, who apparently had had enough of her and her secret-telling, walked away, slithering between the tombstones until she was out of sight. Karma watched her go with some amusement.

She turned back to Miles with a small smile. "Sorry if I creeped you out with knowing all this, the rest of my family isn't exactly... well, light." She said, hoping he'd get her meaning. "There's so many dark wizards and witches in my family, almost every single one you've ever heard about is related to me. It kinda turned out that way when you're born a Black." Seeing that he had an aversion to the darkness that coiled both inside her family and inside her, she skimmed over the fact that she was indeed probably classified as a dark witch, what with being a wet-boy in training and having had already killed a few people, but Muggles were the bad guy in this story, now, weren't they?