Don't be a coward...

[Jack Evans]

Jack was travelling around Europe. He had found that it helped clear his head. He wasn't looking forward to going back to school, since he would much rather be out and about, travelling. He had never understood his cousin's obsession with travelling from country to country, sightseeing and discovering more about the world she lived in, but now, well now he was starting to see that there were some attractions. Being a half-veela, and particuarly gorgeous, he found that muggle girls flocked to him and magical girls enjoyed his company. He felt free, better than being stuffed up in a school with 1st years trying and failing to perform a hex/curse. He found their attempts amusing and had to admit that still belonging to a school had its benefits, but he found that it was confined and stopped him from discovering his true potential in life. He wanted to do something better, but hadn't decided what yet.

Walking through the streets, he soon found himself in the magical half of the town and pulled out his wand, recognising that it was dark and he was on his own. He could duel well and actually enjoyed it, but didn't fancy stumbling across a group of deatheaters on his own. Ever since he had become of age, he hadn't worried about travelling with groups, and preferred to go on his own now. He carried on walking, wondering where he was to end up going. Seeing someone ahead, he held up his wand and lit the tip, trying to take the person in better now. If he couldn't duel him, then he could at least make another friend or aquaintance.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan was lurking in Europe. There was no particular reason for him being here, but his time at Hogwarts had restricted him from going outside of New Zealand whenever he had a holiday, so now that he had left, Dan was making the most of having some time to himself, and Dan loved being free. He wandered down the dark-street, hoping it wasn't a street he would regret lurking on. It was dark and he didn't know who was around, or what possibly un-pleasant surprises this street held at dark. Dan tried his best to keep his head down and his wand away. If he was quiet, he had less chance of getting spotted by anyone lurking around.

It was beginning to get cold, and it wasn't very often that Dan found himself out this late these days, especially in a different country. Unknown places could be dangerous at night, especially in this magical world. Dan pulled his coat over him further as he continued on down the street, hoping he wouldn't bump into any unwanted company. Just as Dan was about to head out of this un-trusted street, Dan spotted a light at the end of someone's wand. It lit up their face slightly, and showed Dan up in the bright shining light. The guy looked young, around Dan's age, but Dan didn't recognize him, maybe he lived around here, and not in New Zealand. It made sense. 'Damn it.' Dan whispered to himself, hoping the guy who stood a few meters away from him hadn't heard him. "Correct me I'm wrong, but the last thing I expected on this street was another teenage guy." Dan spoke up, still weary of the guy, but letting him know that he wasn't picking a fight, he just wanted to get home.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack stood there, still wondering what was going on. "I don't know. Im not from around here." He said slowly, lowering his wand slightly. He glared at this guy, taking him in now. Thinking that if it came to a fight, Jack would stand an equal chance, he raised his eyebrows at the boy. He wondered how old this guy thought he was, after all, he was of age and would soon be out of his teenage years. He felt angry for no reason, and pulled up his wand again. Casting the spell to increase the light, he let it hover over both of the men, like a spotlight. He smiled again, cautiously, wondering if this guy would pick a fight with him. "I don't want to fight." He stated, deciding to let any fears flow away. Lowering his wand for the second time, he smiled faintly. "Im Jack." He said again, deciding to introduce himself so the guy would know that he spoke the truth when he said about not wanting to cause any harm.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan still didn't know whether this guy was to be trusted or not, so Dan was keeping his distance. It wasn't until the guy said his name that Dan knew he wasn't after a fight, although he still didn't fully know what he was up to. "Jack? Okay...I'm Dan..." Dan was still working on creating friendly conversation with other males. His past had taught him never to trust another male, but he thought it was worth a try, if the guy was after a fight after all, Dan would quite easily beat him. But didn't want that to happen, he wanted friends not enemies. "So where are you from then?" He asked Jack, hoping he'd the get a friendly reply.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack smiled at this boy. They seemed to be getting on ok now. "Nice to meet you Dan. Im from France. I go to Durmstrang, in the final year." He said, staying calm but preparing himself incase."How about you?" He asked, trying to join in with the friendliness even though he was still wary of the boy. He had just walked past a pub to his left and smiled at an idea. "Would you like to go for a drink?" He asked, wondering how his friendly attempt would be viewed. He felt slightly strange, asking a guy to go for a drink, but it would be better than staying out in the dark alleyway on their own. Jack had his wand and wasn't afraid to use it, but he would prefer not to. He didn't really take a liking to fighting without a cause or reason. He wasn't sure if he trusted him yet, but going to a pub was a start and it would be full so they would both be safe from each other.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan returned the grin as he saw the boys lips move themselves into a smile. Dan had never been to Durmstrang, he had always been a Hogwarts boy, both in Scotland, and New-Zealand, and as much as he had hated it while he was there, now he had left, he appreciated the help he had received there. "Oh right, well I went to Hogwarts...just Graduated a few weeks ago...and I live in New Zealand, I'm just here in Europe because I feel like it..." Dan trailed off a little awkwardly, before Jack asked him is he wanted to go for a drink. It seemed a little odd, accepting the offer of a drink from a guy he had only just met 5 Minutes ago, but Dan though it was better than hanging in this dark street all night. "Yeah sure...is there a pub around here or something?" Dan asked, he hadn't spotted the pub on his travels so far.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack nodded. He had heard about Hogwarts in New Zealand, and wasn't sure what he thought of it yet. He heard that they studied defence against the dark arts, instead of the dark arts and Jack thought this slightly pathetic. Still, he wouldn't mention it in front of someone who he had started to view as a friend so he just nodded. "Yeh, there is a pub from where i have just come. Or there is a better one a few towns away. Can you apparate?" He asked, wondering if the guy would prefer magical or muggle. He didn't mind either, so left the statement open, figuring that if there was a preference, it would come out soon. He glanced around the street carefully, wondering what he might see, but still he looked. His thoughts were on Amelia, for some reason, they always were now. Shaking his head to try and concentrate on the situation at hand, he smiled and Dan again, holding his light up again.

 

[Dan Adams]

"Yeah I can." Dan replied. He wasn't fussed which pub they went to, but now Jack had mentioned drinks, Dan was getting thirsty, so maybe the closest pub was the best option. "But lets go to the one on this street...it's closer, and besides...I'm thirsty." Dan joked, adding a small laugh onto the end of the sentence. Maybe this guy wasn't so bad after all. As Dan began to walk, he wondered what he could say to the guy to break the awkward silence. "So are you on holiday from Durmy at the moment, or are you just having a weekend away?" He asked, that was the one thing that Dan didn't like at Hogwarts. He felt trapped; always having to stay there when the weekends finally arrived. Dan was enjoying the sense of freedom now he had left the place. But the outside world had it's challenges that Dan was still yet to face.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack shrugged. "Fair enough. Its just down here." He said, waving his wand in an indication. He started walking and turned to look at Dan as he began to speak. He too felt thirsty, that was why he had offered. He wondered what they would both have, for it was different with everyone. "Well, a bit of an extended holiday really. For a few weeks, i am planning to meet up with my cousin and a friend of hers, so i got a longer break than normal. Most people tend to stay around the school, but i feel trapped, contained and what is the point in being able to apparate if you stay close. Do you know what i mean?" He asked, wondering if he was just talking nonsense or if someone if it could be related to other people. "What are you doing now that you are out of school?" He asked. Jack's future was still uncertain to even him. He had thought of joining the deatheaters, but he wasn't sure. He didn't think the ministry was really his type of thing, so if not, or as a cover job, he would fly for a team or become a professor. As he knew, his future was uncertain.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan was glad to hear that this guy seemed to talk a lot. The less talking that Dan had to do the better. It was easy for Dan to get himself into a fight with someone by saying the wrong things at the wrong time. He had done it plenty of times before, but now he had turned his life around, he didn't plan to do it again. "I'm with you on that one...I felt really trapped when I was at Hogwarts..." Dan trailed off, before he listened to Jack's next question. "If I'm honest...nothin'...I've changed since my time at Hogwarts...I messed up my school life...I only just managed to graduate...now I'm just tryin' to figure out what it is that I want to do with the rest of my life..." Dan paused for a few seconds. "I know...it's my own fault..." Dan had accepted that long ago.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack frowned. He hadn't ever heard a grown man talking like that before. It was normally someone else's fault. "What went wrong?" He asked, curious about what could have happened so that it was so bad that Dan felt that it was all his fault. He smiled at him again, wanting to hear what had happened. "What do you want to do then? Not anyone else, you." He asked, trying to get past the barriers of this guy. If he had friends, he needed to know more than a name, but he knew that some people didn't like to go this far. He sighed, flicking his wand between his fingers and carried on walking. They were getting closer to the pub, and he was trying to remember if it was muggle or magical so as to order the right drink.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan was curious when Jack started nosing into his life. His messed up life wasn't something he liked to share, especially not now he was on the mend. Dan spoke up, and he told him the truth, but he wasn't being told the full-story. After all, Dan had only met Jack a matter of minutes ago, he couldn't trust him with the details of his past. Which was the real reason as to why Dan's old attitude to life was so bad. It had taken weeks, even months, infact, the whole of his seventh year for Dan to build up the trust with Professor Weasley enough to reveal his past to her. No way was Jack knowing the full-story. "I dunno..." Dan said with a shrug of the shoulders. "I guess I just messed around too much, treated the Professors like they were dirt..." It was true, he had done, but that was only because he had been brought up in a world where he couldn't trust anyone. But Jack didn't need to know that. "And I don't have a clue what I want to do....." Dan trailed off, that was enough about him. "Anyway...where's this pub?" Dan asked, deliberately changing the subject. He liked this guy, but if Jack continued to be nosey, Dan wouldn't be willing to hang around for too long.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack shrugged. It was obvious that Dan didn't want to talk about it any more, so he just smiled and carried on walking. "OK, fair enough." He said, feeling slightly concerned that something had gone so badly that he wouldn't talk about it, but to be fair, they hadn't known each other for long and he didn't have any right to know this guys secrets, even if he was just being nice. He smiled again as they turned a corner into a pub. "Can i have a firewhiskey." He asked the barmaid, leaning against the counter and turned to Dan to see what he would order. In the dim light, Jack's veela features were highlighted and he noticed the barmaid blushing. He smirked, thinking how shallow she must be to like a guy from a first look. He winked at her as she turned away and then turned his attention back to Dan, deciding that it wasn't the time to flirt with innocent girls with a new friend around him.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan was glad that the guy took the hint and dropped the subject as they approached the pub. Dan laughed to himself as Jack's veela features started to effect the barmaid. He watched her blush then turn away from them, and waited for her to turn back until he ordered his drink. "And I'll have the same please." He added on to the end of Jack's previous order. Not sure what to talk about, Dan thought he'd dig into Jack's thoughts. "So...have you had any thoughts on what you want to do when you leave Durmstrang?" He asked happily.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack smiled at the barmaid again and winked at her as she handed over their drinks. He watched her leave back for the kitchens again, and steered Dan over to a seat in the corner, a quiet spot, but still in full view. Dragging his attention away from another pretty waitress, he turned and only just caught the last few words of Dan's question. "When i leave Durmstrang? I am thinking of possibly joining a flying team or becoming a professor." He said, smiling at the idea of it. He didn't really care what sort of job he got, for he really wanted to join the deatheaters, but thought it unwise to mention that in front of Dan. He didn't know why, he just did.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan laughed again as Jack continued to make the Waitresses go weak at the knees. "Stop the veela powers will you?" He joked, not even knowing if that was possible. Dan had always wondered what it was like to be a Veela. Make people attracted to you just like that. Listening to Jack's reply made Dan think that this guy seemed pretty set for the future, unlike Dan, who was already living his future but didn't have a clue as to which direction his life was headed into. "Oh right...well good on ya mate..." He trailed off, before picking up his drink and taking a sip.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack regretfully dragged his eyes away from the girl, deciding to put his friends wishes above his own choices. "Only the girls have 'veela powers', us lads are just exceptionally goodlooking. Don't you think?" He asked, laughing slightly and wondering if Dan would get the joke. He had some friends that could make a cheesy joke that other people would be ashamed of, but he wasn't sure if Dan was like this yet. Jack didn't really care about being a part-veela, for he didn't really think that it did anything to his natural charm. But, he was vain enough at some points and he smiled now at Dan. "My cousin has got veela powers if there are any though. She knows how to flirt. That is what worries me." He said, smiling at the memory of Amy flooring a few of his friends, just to talk to Jack. But, still, he shouldn't be advertising her like that for that wasn't her true character underneath the prettiness. "Well it is only a basic plan, things will change and knowing my luck, i probably won't get a job that i like." He said, still thinking about using a job as a cover for being a deatheater, but he would still like one that he enjoyed. He took Dan's lead and took a sip of his drink, feeling the familiar buzz as it slipped down his throat, leaving his mouth with a tingly, perfect sensation.

 

[Dan Adams]

Dan laughed awkwardly at Jack's veela joke. "Sorry mate...I don't swing that way." He said with a cheeky wink. Dan wasn't particularly interested in Jack's cousin, he had never met her, and didn't have a clue who she was, but tried to sound interested as he replied. He didn't want to put his new friend off already. "Well it's her life I guess...I've never been one to flirt myself." Dan said with a small smile as he took another small sip of his drink whilst listening to Jack ramble on a bit more. Dan liked him, but he didn't half talk a lot. "Ah I'm sure you will mate...you seem like the clever type..." Dan encouraged, he wished he tried harder at Hogwarts, he could've done much more with his life if he had decent grades not just a simple 'Graduation Certificate.'

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack smiled at the laugh. It seemed slightly awkward but Jack shoved that aside. "Fair enough." He said, returning the wink. "I guess so." He added, his thoughts still on Amy. "Im not really clever..." He said, feeling slightly uncomfortable under the guys words. He sighed, knowing that he was talking too much and that this trait in him didn't appeal to some of his friends. But he had recently met a friend who laughed at all his jokes and made return ones that were too cheesy to class as cheesy. Realising that all friends were different though, he returned his attention back to Dan to hear what he was saying.

(OOC: Sorry for the lame post )

 

[Dan Adams]

"Hey I only met ya a few minutes ago I'm not gonna argue about how clever you are..." Dan joked. He thought this guy could possibly be a good friend to him, but Dan would have to get used to his weird ways. He obviously didn't socialize in the same way Dan did, but he was sure that he would soon warm-up to the guy once they had a few drinks down themselves. "So where are you from? I mean...the worlds a big place...you could be from anywhere..." Dan said with a small laugh.

 

[Jack Evans]

Jack laughed at Dan's easy-go attitude and the things he said. He liked the guy, he found him good company so far, and Jack was sure that they would get along in time. But with some people, it was like that, Jack reminded himself, not wanting to take new, successful friendships for granted. He raised his eyebrows at the question, it wasn't one that he had heard many times before now. "Well i mainly live in France. I was brought up there and my family are there, but i travel a lot now. How about you?" He said, smiling to himself as he remembered Paris and all the good memories that came from there.