~Understanding~ **Zad** (moved from pitch)

[Shiloh Alexis Mindel]

Somehow Shiloh had known who Zadiken had been waiting on. How she knew she never figured out before the doors burst open and a Kaliana like she hadn't seen before walked in. A silent gasp and her face paled to the point someone else would have thought she'd been on her death bed were the only things relaying her surprise and fear of the lady who'd just walked into the pub.

She still hadn't realized her hand had been placed on his leg rather incriminatingly high up if he hadn't picked it up and dropped it on the table with a thud. If possible she blanched even more.. It was one thing to lead on the man, another thing entirely to get killed while doing it. Truth be told she hadn't believed many of the rumors going around that Lana had an evil streak. She seemed too much like a goody-two-shoes and liked to smooth the waters to want to wish someone harm. But at that point, Shiloh wouldn't put it past her to utter the killing curse on her at the least.

Shiloh slunk back against the chair as far as she could and still be sitting in it. "Honest, He's telling the truth.. It was just lunch." She said, her voice shaking with utter terror.

[Kaliana Justice]

Kaliana looked first at Zadiken as he placed the potion or supposed potion on the table and offered to take it. Mentally she shrugged, as far as she knew they both could have come up with the idea and just placed simple water in the vial and just said it was 'truth serum'. Either way it was, she knew a test of faith on his part. As he offered her the butterbeer she declined, she hadn't been feeling well and didn't want to add to the stomach sickness by placing alcohol on her still empty stomach.. Or she assumed it was empty with as much as she'd gotten rid of that morning.

Her gaze moved to Shiloh, threatening her to open her mouth again. The woman had obviously had other things on her mind than 'lunch' since she'd chosen that outfit for their little lunch date. She laughed at the younger female who apparently thought she was a dense as a popular tree.

She let her gaze fall on the vial of clear liquid on the table.. Should she make him do it out of spite? Some where back in her mind she realized that would piss the guy off more than solve any feelings of hurt on her end. She sighed and said, "No, thank you.. I don't want the drink right now.." She summoned a server and ordered a water, "As for this... I'm not going to make you drink that.. But I warn you, if you don't tell me the truth and I find out different both of you are out of my castle. Understood?" She said, then thanked the waiter for the water and sat waiting on Zadiken's explanation.

[Zadiken Anvion]

Zadiken looked at Kaliana with his deep blue eyes, looking into hers. He was ashamed of himself for letting this happen to her. He put the vial back and nodded. "As I said, I invited her to lunch. I've done this with every Professor we have just about. Trying to get to know the faculty, basically." he gave a wry smile, and took another sip of his Butterbeer, glancing at the door as students began leaving. Probably because the headmistress was there, and they would get caught drinking actual alcoholic drinks.

He finished his Butterbeer and stared hard at Kaliana. He wondered if her coming here meant more than just scorn and anger... he knew she cared for him, but in her eyes, he saw more... possibly a desperation that he would have never expected. Sure, he was his, but there was something that played on her face that almost gave him a fright. The desperation that she may lose him, because... she needed him. Needed him because of something...

He decided not to press on this right now with Shiloh right there... just to get Shy out of the doghouse.
"What was probably seen was when Shiloh had leaned close to me to hear something I was saying about our incident. she might have gotten too close for my comfort, but I don't think she meant any harm." He would rather Lana NOT know about Shiloh hitting on him and offering to take a peek at him... Mainly because Lana would end her, right there. Not really something Zadiken wanted to deal with. Not. In. The. Least.

He looked over at Shiloh, hoping she'd not panic and play along.

[Shiloh Alexis Mindel]

Shiloh's gaze played ball between the other two, trying to gauge how Kaliana was taking what Zadiken was saying. Sure they were both lying out their asses, but still. Her job and she feared her head was resting on how persuasive the man could be to the jealous woman. Her breathing still on the shaky side she picked up her butterbeer and took a long drink hoping to steady herself.

She let her ears fill with the slight roar that came from drinking too fast on a still empty stomach (Lana had shown up before they'd ordered lunch) and let her eyes focus somewhere past Zadiken's shoulder having figured it was safer if she moved away from him once the mistress got there. Some where through the fog she's placed herself in she listened to the back and forth of the other two occupants of the table... Zadiken's 'this way or the highway' tone and Kaliana's accusing 'I got proof and you can't convince me otherwise' tone battling against each other. Meanwhile she thought better than to add her two cents into the mix other than state that the student's had to have been mistaken.

"I admit, I probably breached a comfort zone or two, but Professor Anvion didn't want the students that had started to file by to get wind of any more information about the Beast in the forest, we'd just come from the Hospital wing where he'd shown me the kid who got mauled to knock me to my senses as he said." she informed the mistress in a rather know-it-all tone that she just keep from sneaking in.

After she'd said what she did, she chanced a glance at Zadiken, and a wary one to Kaliana to see how she'd taken her statement. Then she drifted off in her own little world again letting the two battle their wills.

[Kaliana Justice]

Kaliana sat nursing the water, hoping it would stay down with all the stress that had come about that day. A sigh escaped as Zadiken put the bottle back in his jacket, figuring at least partially that was a sign that she hoped he was going to tell her the truth.. Or his version of it... She still wondered if he truly was in this.....relationship...for the long haul of just until the next younger pretty face walked up. She let the thought cross her mind that she should thank Shiloh if indeed he did tell her the truth, and he turned away from the younger woman. She supposed this could be classed as one of the many 'trials' they'd have to go through.

Her stomach threatened to empty itself again and she began focusing on her breathing, in....out... to force the unwilling to calm down. She made a mental note to visit the nurses when she got back to the castle to get medicine or something that would help with the stomach bug she'd undoubtedly picked up from any number of students with relative ease since Zadiken's arrival she'd been stressed to the max. Or she could just grit her teeth, maybe take a vitalizing potion or two to bring up her immunity that would allow her to fight the thing off.

Throughout she'd been listening to Zadiken's half assed account or dismissal of what the students had relayed between themselves no doubt and Tabby had come to her office in such a harried breath to report. It didn't ring completely true..... Something about it.. And the fact that the woman on the other side of the table was openly a pants chaser, and had been hanging around Tony rather closely until one of the new 7th years had gone chasing a cat to his cabin, and he'd done something stupid in the lake.. Since then she hadn't seen the two together. This worried her.. Knowing she'd also made moves on Zadiken previous had her hackles up.

Shiloh started talking, and those hackles raised even higher, she'd have sworn the corner of her mouth began to move up in a snarl at the younger woman. She made sure she had Professor Mindel's full attention when she said, "Alright.. No one asked you, so if you can't be in the least bit respectful then shut up and get out."

Her eyes rested on Zadiken's face, a partial flush having taken to it, and she said, "Alright, if that's how you say it did, I guess I'll have to believe you. For now.. But I don't see how as many students as saw you got it all wrong." She turned minutely to glare at the other female. She could still get away with the curses. It seemed like a good idea at the time. Her life would be so much simpler.. A dry laugh burst through her lips.... Right.. Simple..

[Zadiken Anvion]

Zadiken let out a mental sigh of relief. Good. No war, hopefully. He grabbed a menu and looked at it.

"I assume you haven't eaten anything, Lana..." he looked over the menu at her, knowing she had been sick, knowing she made herself so upset... She was bad for this, she'd get mad, or hurt, or sad, and she'd shut off all common sense... Going so far as to not eat, sleep, or anything... he looked back at the menu, sliding one to Lana, and another to Shiloh. They both needed to eat.

He wasn't entirely sure on what to order just yet, as he lowered his menu and sighed. "Really, Lana, the daggers... you've visually killed Shiloh at least forty times already... relax." being straightforward with her was the only way he could, really, get to her. He held a hand out and looked at her pleadingly, eyes saying No more, Lana. Stop hurting yourself...

[Shiloh Alexis Mindel]

A sigh of relief broke Shiloh's silence as Kaliana seemed to accept what Zadiken had said as the reason why they'd gotten caught in the hall. Though she knew the woman was still entirely too pissed at her to even try to make any headway with the older woman. Mentally she kicked herself because she knew it was her fault that Kaliana wanted to rid the planet of her right at that moment. In fact she wouldn't have blamed her.

What seemed like a loud rumble in her ears (her stomach) broke the silence and she grabbed the menu that had been pushed her way, hungrily devouring the words trying to figure out something... anything... The first thing that jumped out at her was a French Dip.. Not knowing what that was she ordered it and a sweet tea on a whim. She was in the mood for something sweet, and wanted to try something new.

[Kaliana Justice]

Kaliana looked at Zadiken and then toward Shiloh.. Knowing she was putting added stress where she didn't need it she smiled one of the smiles she reserved only for her love and took the offered menu. The smile turned sheepish as he hit the nail on the head, she had forgotten to grab anything having been stuffed so far in paper work she couldn't breathe. "I guess you're right. I am rather hungry." she admitted, though she knew it wouldn't stay down past the travel back to the castle and sighed. She knew she was doing it to herself, yet couldn't stop herself.. She had too much riding on too little at the moment.

She looked at the menu trying to decide something that might stay down. Nothing fried.. For sure.. Maybe...... a soup of some kind..? Groaning she noticed they only served one kind of soup and it was only at dinner time. With a sigh she picked a salad and hoped that it would last long enough for her to get to her quarters.

Zadiken had placed his hand on the table, resigning herself to believing his radically stupid story for the sake of not wanting....having the energy.... to fight, she took it. Looking up at his ice blue eyes that conveyed the deep worry he felt for her she started to feel guilty that she'd allowed herself to make such a big deal out of a rumor... But he was HERS. No way was he going to slip through her fingers again.

[Zadiken Anvion]

Having seemingly averted Shiloh's annihilation at the hands of Kaliana, he let his eyes play over the menu, though he already knew what he was going to get. Double meat salami on rye. Swiss cheese. Mustard. That was all he usually got here, dating all the way back to his school days. He silently accepted his decision, and glanced between the two ladies, hailing the Barkeep, signaling that they were ready for their order.

Zadiken closed his menu, and silently looked around, taking Lana's hand and scanning the location, an old habit of his from before. He let his eyes play across the room, taking in the appearance of every non-student person in the bar, stopping on one individual. A man had caught his eye. He looked rather thin, long black hair, with long, skeleton like fingers. Zadiken felt a chill go down his back as the man had taken a sip of what looked like a cup of tea.

The man, probably sensing he was being watched, turned to look around, and glanced around the room. Zadiken let out a quiet sigh of relief when he saw the man's face, dark furrowing eyebrows, and a long, dark beard. for a second, Zadiken feared that the man was-


A sudden crash to his left ripped him out of his thoughts, drawing his attention as he saw several laughing students, one on the floor, having seemingly tripped over a loose plank or even an empty Butterbeer bottle. He smirked a bit, remembering his school days, remembering bringing Lana here and having his sandwich (Geez, Zadiken, can't you order anything different for once?) playing pranks on his friends (Mister Anvion, must you insist on disrupting my bar every time you come here?!) and overall having a great time. He smiled at Lana, tightening his grip on her hand just a little, wondering if she remembered those long weekends from the school, exploring the forest, coming to Hogsmeade, being with friends, falling in love...

He looked up as the Barkeep had finally broke away from the patrons at the bar, and made his way over.

"Ohkay, wha' can I ge' ya? Our speshul t'day is-" he looked at Zadiken. "Heh. You." he muttered, shaking his head. "Anywa's, our speshul t'day is the Garlic Potatuh Stew with Butter Crackers." he finished, looking between the patrons.

The girls ordered their food, and Zadiken nodded at the keep.

"I'll have my usual, 'keep, if you can handle that." Zadiken said, smirking at the barkeep.

He then leaned back as the Barkeep went to get their food, and looked between the ladies. "Alright, I got a beef with this." he said quietly, crossing his arms and looking between the two. "You two are at each other's throats. Mindel, you don't seem to have an iota of respect for Kaliana. Lana, you seem to think rather doggedly of Shiloh. For us to work this out, for us to be able to work this together, I think we should spend time getting to know one another better. As Professors (and Headmistress), we shouldn't be fighting over stupid stuff like a smart ass mouth, or a bitchy/bossy attitude. We need to fix this. Now." he finished his speech and looked at Shiloh, awaiting her response. Maybe how she felt about Lana, or even how she wanted Lana to see her. Either way, this needed to smooth out before they went to hunt any monster... or one small break in communication could mean any of their deaths.

[Shiloh Alexis Mindel]

Shiloh sat rather quiet and tried to just vanish into her chair as Zadiken and Kaliana held hands, got into lovey dovey mushy stuff, until he'd ordered his meal and then looked between the two women with an expression of a father scolding two kids. A huff escaped her as he 'let them have it' then sat looking all smug like he knew it all, or had at least put them both in their place.

One thing she didn't like being done to her was exactly what Anvion had tried, and she knew instinctively she needed to get out of there before the headmistress let her boy toy have her end of the argument. Before that though, Shiloh had a thing or two to say.

"Well, look who's getting too big for his pants, don't you say Headmistress?" She commented, looking over at the other woman who's deadly expression had taken direction from her and was now aimed at the unknowing co-worker seated beside her. "I'll have you know, Anvion, that what Mistress Justice and I have between us has nothing to do with this beast.... thing.. And we do not need someone pushing us into something that will not help. This is how our 'relationship' is. How it has been for some time. We need not explain anything to you other than this. So back off." her voice was harsh as she had clenched her teeth forcing her to shove the words past.

With that she shoved back from the table, informed the 'keep she'd be taking her meal to go and took one of the stools lining the bar to wait.

[Kaliana Justice]

Kaliana shifted restlessly in her seat, she had little desire to be in the hot house with anyone, especially now. Sure, her and Shiloh had a hate/hate relationship, but not everyone needed to get along. There was no way she could make everyone happy, most definitely not all at the same time. That was a perk of her job she mused.. There was always someone trying to push buttons, piss you off, or bribe their way some where. She generally let it slide off her back. She couldn't understand why it was bothering Zadiken so much.. Especially why now. She picked up he water and sipped gingerly, hoping for it to ease her parched throat.

She glanced at Shiloh as the other woman commented that Zadiken had no place demanding anything of either of them. A sideways grin toyed with her lips as she mused... that was one thing her and the youngster agreed on.. No one tells either one what to do. "I'm sorry...?? I did not just hear you demand me do something...? Did I?! her teeth ground together at the fierceness she put into her words. No one... No matter who they are talked to her like that. And Zadiken hadn't been there long enough to command that kind of.....respect..? from her as yet.

"As Ms. Mindel said, we do what we do regardless. It's how it's been since we'd met in the muggle world...... I'm the Headmistress of the school, not the goody-two-shoes everyone likes and thinks is a push over. You should know me better than this from out past, Zadiken. As Mindel also stated, this will in no way effect our plans to take out the beast. Especially since only those with histories around these kinds of creatures are going to take part. Sorry, Mindel that leaves you out." She continued, until Shiloh had stormed away.

Left there, pissed off, with a pissed off Zadiken, she laid her head on the table as she waited on their food to get there and spoke no more.

[Zadiken Anvion]

Since when did this leave Mindel out? All of the staff knew. All of them wanted a part in helping rid the forest of this creature. All of them were going to help, so, why?

He shrugged, realizing that this was probably the wrong way to handle it, and left it at that. He closed his eyes and sighed a little, running his hands through his hair, and took her hand. "I'm sorry... that was out of line... Not my place." he muttered, looking behind him towards Shiloh. He took a drink of his butterbeer, and gripped her hand gently.

"Either way, what we need right now is to come up with a plan of attack... this thing will kill if we don't show ourselves to it."

The nights he spent in the Library, in the Restricted Section reading on both creatures showed that they would need to approach directly with a non-magical weapon of some sort. A gun, or a sword, or a javelin would work... he just needed to craft the bullets or the weapons themselves. Either way, the thing needed to die...

He looked down and pulled out some paperwork, sliding it across the table at Kaliana. "Here's a paper that the Minister had sent me about my apparent removal from the Auror department... Did you know about this?" he asked curiously. "I know too much, Kali... they'd have wiped my memory if this was real." he said darkly, furrowing his eyebrows.

Why had they removed him? Had Potter found something wrong? His signature wasn't on the paper, so Zadiken doubted that he even knew... so, why did Minister Noct discharge him? It concerned him, even more so since an official of the Ministry hadn't shown up to Obliviate him...

He felt as though there was something bigger going on, which meant the reports on Crowley's escape was either true, or there was something even more going on that only Aurellis knew about... that crazy old fool.

Zadiken ran his fingers through Kali's hair gently, awaiting her answer.

[Kaliana Justice]

Lana saw Zadiken frown as she told him only the professors with previous creature experience would be taking part. And also that Shiloh wouldn't be taking part. An exasperated sigh showed her impatience.. She'd gone over all this in the meeting she'd required everyone to attend. She'd even suggested those with out experience around creatures would be a hindrance or even a danger to the rest of them based on the fact that they wouldn't know how to handle anything the Beast threw at them or even how to defend themselves against native creatures they'd more than likely happen across with this little adventure.

"Zadiken, we went over this in the meeting.. Weren't you paying ANY attention? We all agreed that those with out experience dealing with creatures would not take part, but would instead stand sentry on the edge of the forest. That would put less people at risk and give us more time to focus on the Beast and not on some unknowing twit thinking they can do anything they want." she reiterated impatiently.

She agreed with his statement that the beast was seemingly getting more impatient or at the least more bold with its actions. She felt that it was because it's toying with the guys around the school hadn't brought the desired result of luring someone higher up into its clutches. Restless nights had been spent in the seclusion of her chambers pouring over any and all information she could get a hold of concerning either creature.. Or their creator as she could. She was past the point of exhaustion having only garnered at most an hours sleep each night. Worry and fear filled every waking moment.. Was she good enough to go through with this? Did she have what it took to protect her school?

Pulled from her revere by the rustling of papers coming from Zadiken's direction a feeling of foreboding rose in her throat. She knew without seeing them what the papers contained and she felt she'd betrayed both the man she loved and one of her professors. Swallowing deeply trying to clear her throat for the explanation Zadiken was looking for unsuccessfully she picked up her water and drank deep the last bit. Silently she listened to his questioning and heard the hurt, anger or worry.. she couldn't place which in his voice. "Yes.. Unfortunately I do know what those are. I'm not sure if you knew but the Minister himself was here earlier. He informed me, no, asked if I would approve of your firing. I neither agreed nor disagreed as the argument he presented was valid. He told me the only way you would be able to be here and continue to help me by retaining your memory was for him to fire you. He said it would put you under no suspicion of having known anything thus they wouldn't come to erase your memories." her voice held a hidden apology as she finished the explanation the only way she could.

The Minister had not parted with much more than that.. Had informed her only a little more in depth about Crowley and his wicked ways, and about the suspicions that he'd some how escaped from his prison. No one knew how, but he had. Lana had been bracing herself for the point in time she felt she'd run into the dangerous man whom so many feared. Yet she knew not when.. She knew soon she'd come across the wizard, she figured posing as nothing more than that.

She shook the dark thoughts from her mind as she took the food that had finally arrived at their table, biting into it like she hadn't eaten in weeks. From her sickness that rang close to the truth, she hadn't been able to keep much of anything down long enough to provide any sort of satiation in about three days, though she refused to let anyone know. She hated being seen as weak, as easily walked on.. So she pushed on. She was three quarters of the way through her lunch and looking at Zadiken who'd only taken a bite or two from his she smiled embarrassed.

"Sorry.. Just... Hungry..." she got out between bites as she tried to force herself to slow down and stop acting like a pig.

[Zadiken Anvion]

"You've seen me since then, no?" he asked softly, not really upset, but merely curious. "You could have told me he stopped by...?" he took her hand again, looking into her eyes. He shook his head. "I'm not by any means upset by this... I feel like he was releasing me from this responsibility so then that way... I can take care of the school with you. He went there when Professor Dippet was still Headmaster... and I guess he loves the school for what it was before You-Know-Who... well, you know." he shrugged. He feared Voldemort, yes, even still today. Not because of him coming back, but out of a fearful respect for the power he somehow gained through the course of the years, through horcruxes, as Potter had reported. As difficult as it was... who's to stop someone else from taking up the Dark Lord's mantle?

He bit into his sandwich and looked over at Shiloh with an apologetic look. He didn't want her upset, but it seemed that she was. OH WELL.

Looking back at Kaliana, he sighed. "Listen... have you taken a test yet?" he asked.. he was concerned largely because he knew she was still iffy about her being pregnant. Of course, she had every right to be. He DID walk out on her. He DID regret it. Now it was time to make sure he reinforced her trust in him.

"I'm not a Dog of the ministry anymore... you can trust me." he said, taking her hand again and looking at her. He gazed into her perfect blue eyes. He loved this woman. Loved her more than everything... than anything. How could he leave her again?

Still, he did need to reinforce this.

He looked at her and smiled, awaiting her response.