Wandering All Alone

Briony sighed a little and she walked down from the castle in the slightly warmer air of the spring time, her black strap t-shirt fitting tight to her body and her skirt flowing out behind her in the light breeze. Like always she wore her hobnail boots and they kept her feet nice and warm and protected from the roots of the trees where she was headed.

Having never attended Hogwarts before she wondered why the forest was Forbidden and she felt sure that she could handle whatever it was that was in there. It wouldn't however look very good if she was caught by another member of staff going in there, she could always say she was looking for students that might have gone straying inside.

As she reached the edge of the trees a smile drew across her face and she walked into the dense forest, after a while she took up rest in the bows of a tree, the bark being smooth and the branch being comfortable to sit on. Briony looked down from her perch high up on the tree into the clearing below.

Hades had business to do and he needed to be in the forbidden forest to do it. He exited the castle and walked along the castle grounds getting ever closer to the forest. He didn't hesitate when he reached the edge, but carried on his pace flicking his wrist slightly and catching his falling wand gracefully in his hand. He gave a quick look over his shoulder before quietly muttering "Lumo." To give himself some light.

He walked further into the forest hardly making any sound.

Briony sighed a little and turned the page of her book, she smiled, she had finally gotten to finish reading it after she had been waiting a good few weeks to get a moments peace to devour the last couple of chapters. She looked down into the clearing again and didn't take any notice of the light bobbing through the trees. She had to do a double take and look back, had she actually seen the light?

It was there, and it was real, so it was either a teacher or one of the students wandering about for a lark or a dare. She silently swung down from her tree and hung from the branch for a moment trying to get a good look at who it was, if it was a Professor she wouldn't bother them but she couldn't clearly see who it was.

Cursing softly she creeped closer to the figure, it looked like a boy from here and she frowned softly, opening her mouth Briony yelled;

"Hey! You! You aren't supposed to be here!"

She waited for the student to turn around and face her, when they did they had Briony's death stare waiting for them and 50 points from their house.

A voice broke Hades thoughts and his first reaction was to spin around and aim his wand at the intruder, casting the light on their face. "Bri? I could of killed you then. You really shouldn't creep up on me." He said lowering his wand so he didn't blind her with the light.

"What are you doing out here anyway, it's dangerous?" He asked brushing down his jackets, twigs and leaves had landed on him as he forced his way through the trees. He turned to look ahead at the path he was taking before Bri turned up then turned back to look at her. "You didn't follow me did you?" He asked one eyebrow raised.

Briony couldn't have been more embarrassed she had thought that Hades was a student! She blushed a little and she was thankful that the light would make her face look paler than it actually was, she shrugged her shoulders a little and moved to give Hades a swift hug but then she stopped and turned it into an awkward looking stretch thing.

"Pfft, I could ask you the same question."

Briony scoffed looking into Hades eyes, trying to figure out why he was here, it couldn't be for anything good otherwise he wouldn't have minded if she had followed him. It might be a contentious issue however so she didn't mention anything about why he was in the forest any more. She did however smile when he asked her if she had followed him, he flattered himself too much.

"No, noodlebrain, I didn't follow you I've been here for about 30 minutes reading my book."

Briony grinned and showed Hades the book protruding from her skirt pocket, it was then she realised just how much of a mess she was in. Her knees were slightly muddy, with a skirt and no tights on you could see that clearly through her pale skin.

"I own the school." He laughed. "I can do as i please, you on the other hand." He said looking her up and down with a smile. "My we have been busy, what have you been up to rolling around in the mud?" He laughed bringing his light back up so he could see her face.

"Hmm." He said turning to look around him, scanning the area. "Did you come alone?" He asked looking back at her face. He moved his wand down to look at the book. "What book is that?" He asked fascinated in what she liked to read.

Briony smiled lightly and tried to dust the mud off her knees but it didn't work very well, shrugging she thought she might as well embrace her inner messy child and she jumped up to the nearest tree bough and hung off it, her legs dangling in the air. With a childish smile on her face, Briony dropped back down when her arms became tired.

"You sure do ask a lot of questions."

Briony winked a little and she wondered silently what Hades was up to in the forest, he sure as hell didn't seem like he wanted to be noticed and that made her curious, she was sure whatever business he had would now have to be postponed since she was here.

"In answer to them, no I haven't been rolling in the mud, I climbed a tree to sit in to read my book. Yes I did come alone because you can't read very well when you're trying to have a conversation as well and this is one of my Dark Arts books 'Tremulous Wraith's Guide to Medieval Dark Practices'"

Briony didn't know how Hades would react to the dig she was planning for him but she had just called him a noodlebrain and he didn't seem to mind.

"What did you think I was doing? Making out in the forest with another Professor? OOoooooOOOOooh the scandal."

He watched with one eyebrow raised as she hung from a tree. "Asking questions is good, how else would you find things out? Like what is your favorite colour?" He asked her not sure if she would take it as rhetorical or not. He kicked the leaves under his feet so the ground beneath him was flat and free of twigs.

"Well i'm glad you're reading that out of the way of the students, i could get into a lot of trouble if you are spotted with Dark objects in your possession. The ministry trust me to be on their side. Which is ridiculous obviously being a Malfoy." He stepped to the side and turned after hearing a twig snap behind him. "Who's there." He asked pointing his wand in the right direction. "Did you hear that." He asked looking back to look at her. "I'm sure i heard something right now." He moved towards the sound slightly holding his wand ready to fight if needs be.

He turned and walked back towards her. "You'd be surprised what i've seen from professors since i've been head. Luckily now i have new staff i wont be seeing any of that, well at least i hope not. If they know what's good for them they won't." He smiled.

"Purple it's the colour of my bedroom, what's yours?

Briony grinned and she couldn't help but stifle a laugh, Hades was so cute and he didn't seem to realise how hapless he was when it came to flirting. Deciding that it was best to cut her losses and either choose to be very blunt or drop it all together Briony walked back to the tree she had been sitting in shaking her head lightly. She was careful but this guy was too tense it was probably a bunny or something.

"Hades, relax. A person would make a much larger sound, it was probably a bird or a rabbit we ARE in a forest after all."

Briony could just see Hades going out into the Forbidden Forest of a night on Professor Patrol looking out for secret smoochies happening in the dead of night away from prying eyes. She secretly wouldn't protest to something that romantic but she wouldn't tell Hades that, it wouldn't be looked upon very well.

"Oh so that means no smoochies?" Briony pouts "Very well Headmasters word is law."

"Erm, either dark green or black i think. I've never really thought about it." He shrugged, he moved over towards the tree and leaned back against it. "I want to know everything about you Bri, every single thing. Your birthday, your favorite number and place, I want to know it all. I want to get to know you better as a person." He said scanning the area with his wand.

"It's not humans i'm bothered about, you never know what hides in this place and i can ensure you there are definitely no rabbits in here." He answered still looking around. "I'm definitely sure i heard something."

"Well i never said that, i just won't allow others to smooch around here, me on the other hand, i can do what i like i run the place." He smiled cheekily at her. "So if i wanted to kiss someone i'm more that entitled to." He said taking hold of her hand and leading her deeper into the forest.

"My birthday is 31st October, I'm 22, my favourite number is 8 and the place that I would most like to visit is Italy because I think it's beautiful and it is one of the most cultured places in the world. I originally came from France and that is where my Grandmother lived. I personally speak several different languages including German, Russian, French, Italian and Japanese."

Briony smirked a little and she began compiling a list of the most basic things about her that Hades should know, after all, there were some pretty basic things there that any friend or any 'friend' should know about. She blushed slightly as he contradicted himself and took her by the hand.

Briony moved easily through the forest walking carefully over roots and brambles her legs getting small nicks and cuts which made her wince a little. Hoping that none of these would become infected she continued to follow Hades, wondering where they were going. She felt in an odd mood today, she supposed it could be described as flirtatious.

"Are you leading me away so you can have your wicked way with me?"

Briony asked innocently

"Thanks for letting me know, it's better to know people." He smiled. "My birthday is September 5th, i'm 25, my favorite numbers are 7 and 2 and i love to visit Italy too, i have a holiday house there. I used to go there all the time with my family. I have always lived in Malfoy Manor in London i also speak Itailan and Russian but that is it from languages. I don't read that often only if it's some dark arts book i can learn from. I hate to lose as i'm not good to it or used to it." He winked with a mysterious grin. "I also hate muggles, i hate feeling trapped." He continued. "Now you know a bit about me." He smiled walking further into the forest, the trees growing more closer together.

"That depends..." He said turning his head to look at her. "... do you want me too? I would hate to do anything that would make a young lady like yourself unhappy." He smiled turning back to concentrate on their path, the forest is a dangerous place.

"How are you with surprises?" He asked looking ahead at the sound of hooves. "Good i hope because we've just gotten one." He muttered nox and pulled Bri behind him so they could move in another direction. "Shh." He placed one finger over his lips listening for any sound of movement.

Briony pricked up her ears, she too had heard the sound of hooves and she snapped her head to the direction of the sound, she still didn't see what the big deal was, it was probably just Cain coming out for a run or another of his friends from the centaur heard. The nervousness felt by Hades however put her on edge and when he pulled her closer to him she wrapped her arms around his neck her heart beating wildly.

"You want to know something else about me? I don't like the dark...stupid I know but..."

Briony whispered that part of her speech and she pulled herself closer to Hades still trying to navigate where exactly they were going but not being able to see well enough, her feet were able to pick out branches on the floor and she stepped over them quietly.

"Hades..."

She whispered softly into his ear, she was scared and her heart hammered more and more in her chest with every snap of a twig that she heard, she tightened her hold on Hades hand and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, waiting for what they were going to do next.

"It's okay just close your eyes and trust me, i will not let anything happen to you." He turned his head to face the noise, keeping Bri close to his chest. He gently kissed the side of her head and wrapped one arm around her waist pulling her closer, freeing the other for his wand.

"Come on." He said moving her round to his side but still keeping her close. He kept his eyes pealed for any sign of movement and his ears ready to pick up any sounds. It just wouldn't be good right now for him to bump into even one of the centaurs, not with Bri here.

"This will do..." He had lead them into a small clearing with a small underground cave just to there right. He lead her over to the cave, magiked a blanket for them both to sit on and sat down looking up to the starry night sky. "You okay?"

Briony gasped a little and she screwed her face up, branches traced along her back and leaves fell about her face, she thought that people were reaching out to touch her and for a few moments all she wanted to do was scream out and use her wand for light so she could see they were only branches, nothing more.

She breathed a sigh of relief when they broke into a clearing. She could see by the light of the stars and Briony moved away from Hades, breaking the grip he had on her waist. Placing a hand to her forehead she looked up into the nights sky and she smiled weakly. At least she hadn't blacked out, that would have been pathetic.

"I'm alright thanks Hades."

She moved back over to where he had conjured a blanket and she sat down next to him, lying on her back looking up at the twinkling stars, her legs slightly bloody and even more muddy than before and her face had a scratch on it from the branches.

"I'm almost glad of the dark, I can feel how awful I look. This is very nice here, you could almost say it was romantic if I wasn't so scared getting here and I didn't look like a train wreck."

"Sorry about that, i'd rather not bump into the centaurs right now. It would end in catastrophe and someone would get hurt, plus i'd rather spend this time with you." He smiled taking hold of her hand again just to hold it. "My father showed me this place, him and my mother used to come here all the time." He smiled leaning back onto his elbow.

"You always look beautiful to me love." he lifted her chin so she looked at him and gently pressed his lips to hers. His thumb drew circles on the back of her hand absentmindedly. "I can't help but want to be with you Bri, i think about you all the time. I think i'm starting to love you." He said looking back up at the sky scared of her rejection. He sighed "Tell me what your thinking, please it's driving me insane." He asked turning to look into her eyes. He could quite easily read her mind but he didn't want to invade her privacy he was beginning to trust her and hopefully she trusted him too.

Briony looked wide eyed at Hades, she didn't want to own up to the fact that he felt this deeply about her, she knew that he must do to tell her all of these things but she didn't want to believe it, this made everything so much more complicated. She didn't want to have to try and choose between the two people that she loved, and, she didn't understand why they loved her in the first place.

Deep inside she wanted to tell someone everything she was feeling she wanted to let everything out, but Briony knew that Hades was not the person to tell everything to. Especially the part where she liked another man, that wouldn't go down well, but she couldn't help but want to tell him everything.

When he kissed her she closed her eyes and wound her arms around his neck, gently kissing him back, but as soon as she had pulled away she felt a shock run through her. She felt awful. She knew, she had to talk to Hades about it, she just didn't want to ruin the night.

"Hades...I think I love you too but it's so complicated. I want to tell you, but you wont want to hear what I have to say, I don't want to ruin tonight but it's best that you know."

He knew as soon as he spoke the words he had made a mistake, he turned his eyes towards the stars afraid to look at her out of embarrassment. He sat up and rested his hands on his knees twisting his ring around his finger.

"If you love me then why's it so complicated." He said turning around to take hold of her hands. "We could be good together Bri, i have changed so much since meeting you. I'm seeing the world in a new light and it's all thanks for you." He said bringing her hands to his heart. "Anything you tell me we can work through it, i know we can. Unless you've killed my father or Arsen." He laughed nervously.

He looked at her face seeing it full of seriousness and his smile dropped. "Bri just tell me, please. The suspense is killing me." He moaned his deep blue eyes staring straight into hers.

Briony looked at Hades, she could see how upset she had made him and her heart broke a little bit in her chest, she had to fight to keep her eyes free of tears and she looked up at the stars, thinking it might be best to not look at Hades while she spoke what she was going to say. It would be easier for her, she wouldn't choke up as easily with emotion.

Wondering how best it was to phrase what needed to be said, Briony decided she best just come out and say it in one big stream.

"I'm scared, and confused. I think I'm in love with two people at the same time, if that can even happen...after we first met in the Leaky Cauldron I met Richard too, for some reason I ended up totally opening myself up to him and we became close. Then when I came to your office I just saw you as a work friend but then...when you helped me and told me all about your past I couldn't help but fall for you too."

Briony looked at him, deep in the eyes, she wanted him to see how hurt she was about what she was doing or what she had done.

"I don't know what to do, I honestly don't know what's going on in my head at the moment but all I seem to think when I'm around you is that you're the one for me...I love you Hades."

She couldn't stop the tears any more and they spilt thick and fast from her eyes, silently though, no sobs and Briony got up from her place on the mat and walked to the edge of the clearing waiting by the trees. She knew that Hades would hate her now, that he would never want to see her again, and that would be fine by her she deserved it.

"I feel like such a horrible person, I feel so low and so bad for not being able to get my head straight. I'm sorry, I'll go now...I know you wont want to see me...ever again and all I can say is that I'm so sorry if I've hurt you but I am hurting a whole lot more. I don't want to loose you Hades because I feel so wonderful when we're together...but I deserve to be alone...it works better that way."

Briony walked into the dark trees and let her tears continue to fall, she knew, despite however much she wanted him to that Hades wouldn't follow her, He was gone from her life.

"You love us both? Is that even possible?" He asked trying to get his mind around this. He covered his face with his hands trying to understand everything that was just said.

"I feel the same way, just forget about Rich and come with me. I can make you happy beyond your wildest dreams. I can give you anything Bri, just please choose me. I might not be the most romantic guy in the world but i know how to treat a lady. That guy can give you nothing, he doesn't even have a home." He said looking up at her.

"No one deserves to be alone Bri not even me, and i've done a lot of bad things. Things you've never even thought about." He said standing to chase after her. He took hold of her arm making her stop. "Don't leave it's not safe, you don't even know the way back. If you don't want to be around me then i'll take you back." He said looking down into her eyes.

"I could just kill that guy." He sighed turning to pace up and down the clearing.

"I don't want to leave, I just thought you would prefer it if I did."

Briony looked up at Hades, tears still streaming down her face, she didn't know what to do so she just went with what her heart was telling her, what she most wanted to do at that moment in time. That just happened to be kissing Hades. She smiled a little, through her tears, softly she moved her head to the side and kissed Hades on the lips gently over and over again her hands entwining in his hair.

"Hades, I'm so sorry...I don't know if it's possible but that's what's going on in my head right now. You should let me go, let me wander around in the forest it's what I deserve. I've been a fool, a complete idiot, besotted by feelings and now look where it's got me."

She watched as Hades paced around the clearing, he often did that when he needed to think or he was angry. Briony didn't want to say anything about Rich because from his last statement he was already close to a swift execution, she sat down on the cold grass and looked up at the stars glittering in the sky.

"I know, I know you could give me anything I wanted when I wanted it and where I wanted it, but I don't love you for that. I love you for the man inside the cool demeanour that you let me see, how wonderful that man is Hades..."

Briony sighed a little and curled herself up in a ball on the cold forest floor, she tried to stop the flow of tears and make herself stop being so melodramatic but it didn't seem to be working. Taking her knife out of her right shoe she held it up in the light, it glittered just like the stars...she wondered if it might be easier to take the cowards way out.

"Rich has been living at my house, when we met, he was going to sleep in a cave I couldn't let that happen...but it's been a bit of a disaster. He smashed my bathroom mirror and cut my Grandmother's portrait normally anyone who did that would be dead now..."

"I told you i love being around you, i can't stop thinking about you when your not here." He sighed he hated this feeling, life was so much simpler before.

He held her close when she kissed him not wanting her to stop, one hand on the back of her neck whilst the other was wrapped around her waist. He reluctantly let go when she did so she could move.

"I can't even imagine how your feel because all these feelings are new to me. I'm still getting used to things but i could never leave you to get hurt, i love you too much." He said wiping a tear off her face. "Don't cry please everything will be fine i promise." He shoved his hands into his pockets and just stood there.

He laughed a little. "Your the first i've heard that from, most people are too scared to approach me." He shrugged taking back up his pacing. He ran one hand through his hair thinking again, he had no idea what to do. Well there was nothing he could do it was all in her hands.

"WHAT? How could you let him stay at you home after he's done that?" He asked not sure how she could live with him after that. If anyone did that to his photos of heirlooms he would kill them without a second thought.

"It wont be fine, I feel so horrible, the first time I let my guard down to what, two people and I end up loving both of them...how utterly pathetic of me."

Briony smiled sadly and she sat down at the edge of the clearing again, a tree root sticking very uncomfortably into her back while she rested upon the bark of the tree. Sighing slightly she tried to stop herself crying but she found that she couldn't she felt so low, like she was the worst person in the world, both men were so kind to her and she had been cruel to both of them.

"Oh, I didn't believe it either Hades, don't worry about that."

She wondered for a moment if she should tell him about what else Richard had done and thought that since this was the moment for sharing things she decided that she would. Even though she found his pacing a little funny to begin with it began to make her feel really nervous. All she wanted to do was make him stop and sit down with her.

"There was something else too...he wanted to duel me, so I allowed it, both of us got a little torn up but...he caught me with some cutting curses and I got beat up pretty bad. I guess it was my own fault though..."

She gazed up softly at the stars and paused for a moment to think what might be going through Hades head at that moment in time, she hoped it wasn't killing Richard.

Hades continued to pace only slightly listening to what she had to say. He walked up and down the clearing trying to clear his head so any rational thought would come to him. He had his back to her when he finally stopped at the sound of her telling him Rich had hurt her. "HE DID WHAT?" He asked spinning round on the spot then taking big steps back over towards her.

"When did this happen? I'm gonna KILL him." He said not even waiting for an answer before he began to storm back through the forest towards the castle to find him.

Briony watched as Hades, face contorted with anger walked over to her she quickly stood up and her face paled after what he had said in reply to her. It was obvious that she had said the WRONG thing, she should have kept quiet, now Rich had to deal with an angry Malfoy which couldn't end well...

"Hades! Hades! Stop! I'm fine look. You couldn't even tell before I told you about it, really, I'm fine, stay here."

She tried desperately to try and keep Hades with her in the clearing and not off on some murderous rampage to kill Rich that wouldn't be good for the school. She had to instill some sort of rational thought into his mind to stop him only she couldn't think of any, she was too scared for both of them.

"Please...Hades...don't."