Mysteries and Books (open)

[christian]

Christian continued to sit, as motionless as a statue as unsettling thoughts begin to fill his mind. He knew that he really cared about her feelings, even to the point of not revealing to her what he really felt as of the moment. He was doing some sort of reaction formation, which means that he was acting out the opposite of what he truly felt. However, he knew that he could not do this for long because it was also like betraying her by not revealing what he truly feels. He was snapped abruptly from his reverie when Vasilisa said she was sorry and that she was just joking. He was about to open his mouth to say something when she suddenly took his hand, the one he used to ruffle her hair and placed it at her head. When she shook his hand as to mimic the ruffling movement on her hair, he looked down in shame, realizing that she must have already known about what he felt. When she leaned on him and placed her head on his shoulder, his cool facade began to crumble. He placed his hand on her shoulder and pulled her closer to him.

His mind once again was filled with unsettling thoughts, this time about what had transpired between her and Magnus. He could not help but wonder what they could have been talking about. Deep inside, he had a feeling that the guy played a significant role in Vasilisa’s life. He wanted to ask her, to satisfy his curiosity and to put his unsettling thoughts into rest. However, he could not bring himself to do it because it would be like he was highly suspicious of her and that would mean that he did not trust her enough. Casting another glance at Magnus’ retreating figure, he realized that he was a dangerous man and he could possibly cause harm to her. He then looked into her eyes and said, “Although I do not understand what kind of link you do have with that man, I am not forcing you to tell me. All I can say that you should be careful with him for I perceive a threat within him that might endanger you.”

Not taking his eyes off her, Christian’s mind went back to the day they first met. When he first saw her, he thought that she would only be a mere face in the crowd, someone he would only be acquainted to and nothing else. However, fate proved that his initial thoughts were wrong when the inevitable event happened. And that was the time he realized that he really had feelings for her. He began to see her in a new light and the rest they say is history. He had sworn to himself and to her that no matter what happens, he would defend their love for each other and nothing will ever bring them apart. As the last sentence played incessantly on his mind, he wondered whether she remembered that promise because for the first time, he felt a certain degree of uncertainty regarding their relationship. However, he was utterly surprised when she suddenly gazed into his eyes and said the very words which made him go weak in the knees when she said it the first time. He was so surprised that he was rendered speechless and he did not know what to say. At that moment, all the uncertainty that he felt began to disappear and he realized that he was stupid for even thinking such thoughts. At that point in time, he knew that he could not afford to lose her. He then gently released his hand from her and hugged her tight. “Do not worry, I will not forget,” he then said in reply. “I love you too, Vasilisa. I am very sorry for everything,” he added as he rested his head on her shoulder, exhausted with all the emotions he had felt at that exact moment.

[Vasilisa Alyona Konstantinov]

Vasilisa felt relief, happiness and contentment wash over her when Christian pulled her closer to him. But, the feeling did not last long. The thought of that night, the night when Magnus got his revenge, made her cringe and she hid it by coughing. It was a part of her life she did not want to remember. It was a part of her life she wished no one knew about. Technically, she knew nothing of what had happened. All she saw was a piece of note in Magnus’ messy handwriting and lots of pictures taken of her doing all sorts of things she would not even be dreaming of doing were beside her the morning she woke up on a bed that was not hers. She remembered well how freaked out she had been, how scared, how- Then, she shook her head to stop herself from thinking more about it, knowing Magnus was somewhere near and he probably was hearing her thoughts and getting fuller and fuller of himself by the minute. After all their history, she could not allow him to get any kind of self gratification out of her pain. All of a sudden, she found herself wondering why he had been staying away from her for the past year… and then she knew why Janine had been keeping an almost too close watch on her and why her father insisted that she had two guardians… Maybe he knew and maybe Macon Dolohov ‘took care’ of Magnus. If her father did take care of him, why was he here now?

She was still in the middle of questioning herself as to how his father took care of everything, if he even had, when she noticed Christian peering into the windows of her soul, his facial expression hard to decipher. What he said woke anxiety and fear inside her. She worried about Christian thinking of the worst and she feared that he would leave her because of it. Maybe she should just come clean and tell him everything? Show him the pictures? But, she couldn’t. She was too ashamed… She regarded him for a while and she felt her throat tighten and her eyes water. Christian Rosier was too good to be true and for the first time since the day they got together, she felt unworthy of him. “He is a treat. I know him. He is insane. I know he would do everything in his power to get back at me after what I did in second year…” Vasilisa paused, realizing she had probably said too much. “You need to be careful. He knows that you are close to me. He is a threat to you as he is to me.” Vasilisa added, her concern for him obvious on her face.

Her gaze continued to search his face as she waited for his response with baited breath. A part of her feared that, after seeing her unspoken conversation with Magnus, he would not say those three words back to her forever. When he spoke and acknowledged her words, Vasilisa felt her lips curve up into a small smile and her eyes sparkled with genuine happiness when he finally said those three words back. And, when he hugged her tightly, she placed her arms around him, buried her head on his chest and squeezed before stroking his back. Vasilisa sighed in contentment that was once again shattered when she caught sight of Magnus, who stared at her and Christian with pure rage, jealousy and a whole lot of other emotions that made her heart go berserk. Vasilisa averted her eyes quickly and buried her head on Christian’s shirt, trying to forget the look on Magnus face which was certainly etched on her memory.

[christian]

As Christian pulled Vasilisa close to him, he could feel waves of moderate to severe anxiety course through her body. His keen sense of observation and hearing took notice of the physiologic symptoms associated with it. Deep inside, he wanted to ask her the reason behind all those unsettling feelings that were bothering her. He did not like the fact that she was trying to keep all feelings and thoughts to herself just because she was concerned with what he might think of it. It seemed to him that she was trying desperately to suppress whatever it was; it was as if she feared that he wouldn’t understand her at all. Yes, there were times that their wavelength in terms of principles and beliefs do not synchronize at all but he did not care because he had long acknowledged this major difference. As he gently rubbed her shoulder, he sighed audibly and leaned his head gently into hers. All he wanted was for her to reveal and share her thoughts and feelings with him more no matter how trivial or grave it may seem because she would definitely be assured that he would accept it and he wouldn’t judge her. He promised to her that he would always love her just the way she is and he would always be true to her. However, he was bothered by what she was feeling right now. It was definitely something out of the ordinary and until now he does not know what the reason behind it is. “Vasilisa, you seem very anxious. I could feel it, something is definitely bothering you,” he then said softly, with a hint of worry evident on his voice. He knew that she would not reveal anything all of a sudden so he decided to wait for her to speak.

As he warned Vasilisa about how dangerous this Magnus guy seemed, he suddenly realized that he might be the reason why she was anxious in the first place. Although at that point in time, he was quite perplexed as to what role he actually played in her life. His thoughts then flew back to the time when she was being harassed by this guy back in second year. It then occurred to him that he may have been back to antagonize her once again, although he wasn’t that sure. What she then said next almost confirmed his suspicion; he wanted to ask her more, to further probe the reason behind it all but he knew that probing was definitely non-therapeutic and it would seem that he was trying to pry into her life so he maintained a therapeutic silence, knowing that she would choose to reveal it in her own pace. He then placed a hand on top of her head and smiled. “Do not worry, I am always careful. I can take care of myself; it’s you that I am concerned about,” he said as he then took hold of her shoulders gently and looked into her eyes, as though he was trying to read her thoughts but failed. He then removed his hands from her and sighed. “I wish I was a skilled legilimens; it’s really hard to find out what are you exactly thinking,” he then added, looking flustered and sad at the same time. It was indeed wishful thinking on his part.

As he hugged her, he knew that it was the only way he could think of that may help dissipate her anxiety. He decided that he would not try to explore her thoughts by himself; that in time she would reveal to him everything. He knew that only at that point he would be able to help her go through whatever it might be. He was rather surprised when she hugged him back and buried her face on his chest and he merely tightened his hug, although gently so as to provide adequate ventilation for her. He then cocked his head so as to look like he was whispering something to her. “I am really worried about you Vasilisa and it pains me to see you trying to bear the brunt of it alone,” he said softly, concern evident on his voice. Suddenly, he then felt bad vibes emanating through them and realized that someone must have been watching them, probably that Magnus guy again. He then felt nothing but anger and annoyance for he knew that he was definitely up to no good. His hand then found itself on his pocket and with a little bit of expert maneuvering, he faced front and threw a small throwing knife towards the guy. It then hit a nearby tree trunk, missing him by a mere fraction of a centimeter. “It’s a good thing I have not brought my sword with me or else you would have been dead by then,” he then said through gritted teeth, with anger definitely permeating his voice. “What do you really want with her? Can’t you see she is anxious because of you? What did she do to you? Answer me!” he shouted threateningly, his eyes burning with hate.

[Vasilisa Alyona Konstantinov]

Vasilisa’s mind reeled as she tried to puzzle all her theories in her mind. Maybe it had not been her father who asked Magnus to stay away from her after all for it could have been someone else. Maybe it was Adrian… No, it could not have been him. Adrian did not know anything about all this… or did he? Vasilisa knew that if Adrian had been aware about Magnus’ doings, he would have helped her. He was a good brother but Vasilisa found herself placing him on the bottom of the list of people who might have taken care of Magnus in her second year simply because she could not think of a way for him to find out. But, then again she could not be certain so she placed him third on the list containing three people. First was her father and the second was Janine, her guard who would do anything to keep her safe. When Christian started rubbing her shoulders and leaning toward her, she was brought back to reality. The expression on his face spoke legions and when spoke, Vasilisa averted her eyes for a while. She could sense how worried he was. Obviously, he sensed her distress. After a little while, she managed to look back at him. She opened and closed her mouth, not knowing what to say. The girl desperately wanted to say that he was wrong and that he had nothing to worry about, but she would be lying to him if she said that. She never lied to Christian before and she would like to keep it that way. “I’m going to be fine.” She said as calmly as possible, trying to reassure them both. “It’s just Magnus. I’ve never seen him since the time you helped me back in second year. I’m just worried of what he might do this time.” Vasilisa sighed and looked at him. “Stop worrying about me, I’ll be alright.” She said in a convincing manner and even managed a small smile.

She really never saw Magnus after the incident inside the bathroom or maybe she just could not remember seeing him. She did not know how he got her into to trouble months after the incident. Up until then, she was uncertain as to how he did it. Although, she had a feeling that he used an unforgiveable, the Imperious Curse to be exact, on her, she could never know for sure. She still could not believe she mistook him for a sixth year. Magnus was just a year older than she was. The time he spent away from her changed him. Judging by the way he moved and stared at her now, she knew he did not change for the better. Magnus Tarus had changed for the worst and it scared her. What would Magnus Tarus at his worst be capable of doing? As she stared at Christian, she hoped he would take her warning seriously. She would never forgive herself if Magnus tried something on him just because he was close to her. “I know that. But, you have to promise me you’ll be extra careful.” Vasilisa said, looking serious. It was obvious that Christian did not know Magnus as much as she did, that was why she had warned him and she needed her boyfriend to take her seriously. The next thing Vasilisa felt was a pinch in her heart at the sight of his flustered face. “You don’t have to be a legilimens to know what I’m thinking. You are Christian Rosier.” She smiled up at him, her perfect set of white teeth showing. “All you have to do is ask.” She added, her smile wider.

Vasilisa loved hugging people but she had always especially enjoyed hugging Christian. Maybe it was because he had saved her from Magnus but in his arms she had always felt safe. For a moment, as she took in his cologne, one of the best scents in the world in her point of view, she forgot about everything... Magnus and what he did along with all her other problems were all chased away by Christian’s hug. But, again it did not last long. She was snapped out of it by Christian himself when she heard him whispering words in her ear. “I’m not ca-“ Vasilisa’s response was cut off by Christian’s sudden arm movements. To her surprise, out of his pocket he retrieved a knife and flung it toward Magnus. Her scream got stuck in her throat in shock as she stared with wide eyes at the knife that missed Magnus’ arm. Christian’s anger jolted her out of it and she found herself calming him down. “Christian, he’s not worth it. Come on. Let’s just go.” She gave one of his arms a gentle tug, leading him away from Magnus and trying to keep the panic and anxiousness she had inside out of her face. She could not allow Christian to fight Magnus and possibly get hurt. When Christian demanded for an answer hotly, Vasilisa found herself staring at Magnus and waiting for what he was going to say. Butterflies started to go berserk in her stomach as she stared at Magnus’ expression. He was amused and cold dry laughter erupted from his mouth. He stared at her blankly before focusing on Christian, walking toward them, cocking his head to the side and clapping. “Bravo. I was unaware that a flying dagger is a key to get answers. Your logic astounds me.” He said, pure amusement in his eyes. He then smirked and added. “How sure are you that it is she and not you that I want?” Vasilisa shivered as she watched Magnus regard her boyfriend as if he was undressing Christian with his eyes.

[christian]

Beside with rage, Christian struggled to free himself from Vasilisa's grasp. He knew that this guy really deserved to get beaten up. He could not understand his possible relationship to his girlfriend and how she seemed to act nonchalantly about it, as though it was nothing to be worried about. He then raised his free arm and gently laid his hand onto hers, trying to calmly free himself. "This guy...is nothing but a monster. And yet you still find yourself defending him?" he asked her, in a calm but steady manner, his voice permeated with anger. He could not help but think that Vasilisa was actually hiding something from him and that was indeed very painful on his part. It felt like he was being betrayed...though only indirectly. Still, he was sorely displeased by the turn of events and he felt that he hand no other choice but to ask her directly. However, he knew that she would not answer him straight. He could not tell if she was afraid to tell or she just didn't want to tell him. All he knew that whatever it is, it was definitely something grave.

"You...you are definitely hiding something from me," he then added, as he looked at her almost pleadingly. "I am not forcing you to tell me because I know that you will be the one to do so in your time. Please...just let me handle this. Just this once," he finally said as he released her hand gently, having finally succeeded in freeing himself. He then took out his wand and pointed it steadily towards Magnus.

"I still do not understand what your relationship to my girlfriend is, but all I know is that you are nothing but a threat to her. So just get your filthy hands off her," he told him threateningly, as though he was ready to rip him out if he had to. He grimaced slightly when the guy, instead of responding to him, merely looked amused. However, the next few words he said made him shudder with fear. What on earth is this guy talking about? he thought, as he kept his grip on his wand, looking confused. "What on earth do you mean?" he then asked, trying to keep his voice steady. Deep inside, he was totally scared, not only for Vasilisa, but for himself also.