Facing the Inevitable (Alaric)

[Prudence Campbell]

The Hogs head pub was filled with the spirit of loneliness and isolation. It was almost empty, as usual, except for the bartender and a lone customer. On the farthest and darkest corner sat a very anxious Prudence Campbell. A week had passed since the day she lost control and walked out on Alaric. The young Ravenclaw had been evading her housemate ever since. It was only then that she realized that it was good they were not in the same year. If they were, she was certain she would not be able to evade him.

She still could remember the words she said to him. She bit her lip as she recalled the look on his face. She was aware that he was already heart broken before she even uttered the horrible judgemental words she oh so regret after doing some snooping around. Prudence pay no heed on gossips, she focused on her studies, always concerned about her grades. So, after hearing Alaric’s words, she did some investigating and she found out just about how many girls used to love and now hated Justin Law for cheating on them or breaking their hearts. She felt her world cave in on her upon knowing this piece of information. Of course, she still could not find the will to be angry at Justin for he saved her life. The thing was, she wished she could turn back time and prevent herself from committing a huge mistake that cost her one best friend.

Prudence slouched on her chair and closed her eyes as she tried to remember the personal message she sent him. Was the message clear? She asked herself. Prue made a face as she remembered the countless erasures she had made as she shakily held the quill she used at the time. She even used blue ink since she ran out of black.

Ala Lars,

Hel Hi. I wish we Do yo Are you free this Saturday? Maybe you can meet me at the lake? the three broomsticks Hogs Head? I would really appr It’s really important. I hope to see See you at 4:30 5:00 7:30 in the evening.

Prue

She ran a hand through her hair and became, once again, conscious of her new hair color, which was another product of the series of misfortune that seemed to follow her that week. No one saw her and her new hair yet. Personally, she was convinced that her fellow students would laugh at her. She groaned as she realized Alaric might make fun of her blonde hair. It was not the best thing he could do to get back at her but it was a start.

According to the watch Alaric gave her, it was already 7:28 in the evening. Maybe he isn’t coming. A voice told her but she shrugged it off. She would not blame him if he did not come. But, he had to come. A lot was at stake and their friendship was nothing compared to it. Yes, she evaded him for one week but she knew she had to face him when this day came and she was almost prepared to do so.

[alariclarsstouner]

Alaric found himself on top of the clock tower, slouched on the stone floor. He did not know why he was there or what actually made him go there. All he knew was that he was apparently not himself lately. He screwed up on all his homework, he then threw his quills and ink pots out of frustration. He almost burned all of his textbooks; it was a good thing his roommate was there to stop him from doing so. What was actually worse was that he stopped eating and sleeping once again, making him lose weight at least. Ever since he heard those hurtful words from the one girl he hopelessly loved, he felt his world crumble all around him. For him, it was the shocking ending of their otherwise pleasant meeting that almost made him want to kill himself. Ever since that fateful night, she deliberately kept on evading him; he was so desperate to talk to her that he almost tried to hex her while she was on her way to the library so that he would get his chance but his apparent love for her eventually stopped him from doing so. It was a good thing he stopped himself or else it would add up to the list of reasons why Prue hated him so much.

Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair. He realized that he must have been throwing Justin more mud while in fact; he was the one who saved Prue’s life, something that he himself had not done yet. Apparently, he could only think of two reasons why she walked out on him: one, because she had to defend Justin from his slander and two, because she just couldn’t stand him betting his life on the line on a senseless duel while in fact, a death prophecy was literally hanging around him. He sighed once again as he remembered that she was trying to get a vision for him that is why she ended up in Knockturn Alley and almost got killed. He felt nothing but guilt and remorse at the very moment, knowing that she trying to help him was the one reason her life was on danger. He then wondered when he would be able to see her again or just even have a proper talk. He had so many things to say.

As if on cue, an owl came flying straight at him and launched himself against his chest. Lars suddenly woke up from his trance in pain and looked just in time to see the owl settling itself cozily against him. He then picked it up and was apparently surprised to see a letter tied on its leg. “Is this letter really for me?” he asked the owl. He knew that his parents normally don’t send mail over and immediately, he then knew who sent it. He began to open the letter with his hands shaking and one glance over its contents was enough to have him running down the clock tower and into the dorms. When he arrived, he then hurriedly dressed himself in his favorite blue dress shirt and blue striped tie. After which he then hurried out of the common room and in a few minutes, had managed to arrive in front of the Hog’s Head. Suddenly, he then wondered why she chose this bar, of all places. Brushing the thought aside, he opened the door and stepped into the bar. It didn’t take him long to find the person he had to see. He then sat beside her and said, “Good evening. Sorry I was late once again.”

[Prudence Campbell]

Prudence observed the watched Alaric gave her knowing that each second that passed by without him showing up was getting her nearer and nearer to the conclusion that he either did not receive the note or just did not want to come. The former sounded better than the latter but Prue knew that she could not rule out the possibility of the latter since, to her, it is far greater. 7:30, it read and Prue’s eyes darted to the door. Nothing. She sighed and leaned back on her chair.

She got more hopeless as the minutes gone by. The girl felt the need to amuse herself so she decided to buy herself some drinks. Upon seeing the menu, she was surprised that everything the pub offered contained alcohol. Most were hard drinks but she was a little bit familiar with all the names. Her father was good with drinks, they even have a shaker at home. Prudence, however, was not fond of drinking. She bit her lip and ordered a glass of white russian. Alaric was fifteen minutes late by then and he obviously was not going to show up anyway.

After a few moments, she found herself swallowing her third mouthful of the white Russian. She rested her back on her chair and laughed. Maybe Alaric came and did not recognized her because of her stupid new hair color. She was going to kill the person responsible for it. Prudence was done drinking half of the contents of her glass when a very tardy Alaric sat beside her. “Woah! You came!” She tilted her head to the side, a lopsided smile on her face. “I wasn’t expecting your arrival. I thought you won’t recognize me because…. of this stupid. Blonde. Hair. Amelie.” She told him as she brought the glass to her mouth to drink some more.

She focused her gaze on him and smiled. “I’m really glad you came, you know.” She kept on smiling at him, trying to remember why she asked him to come. “I’m going to tell you something… important. Yes, yes. It’s important! However give me time to recall…” She trailed off, her eyes couldn’t focus on anything anymore and suddenly she saw nothing but darkness.

[alariclarsstouner]

Alaric merely observed Prue closely. His eyes darted from her hair, which he noticed was already dyed blond, her eyes which seemed distant, her face which was completely devoid of any expression and the drink on the counter, which he guessed was a white Russian. The change of hair color totally surprised him because he could see that she was clearly vexed with the color change. He almost laughed when he heard that it was Amelie who did the hair coloring. “That girl, she never runs out of pranks for everyone,” he just said, laughing. What even surprised him more was the fact that she was drinking the white Russian. He knew that the alcohol content for this particular cocktail was very high and that because it tastes really great, given the right amount of coffee liqueur, vodka and cream, that you would even find yourself drinking more than a glassful of it. “You don’t drink right? What made you come here to the Hog’s Head?” he asked, rather perplexed by the choice of venue. It was a good thing that they were the only customers at this particular time of night or else there would be a lot of problems.

He then sadly watched her smile right at him. He knew that it was already due to the effect of the alcohol and at that point in time, she was beginning to get really drunk. He could not blame her though, the cocktail was really sweet, you would hardly notice the amount of alcohol you put on it. He then turned to the bartender and asked for the list of drinks. After a few seconds of gleaning over the list, he ordered a screwdriver. After claiming the drink, he drank about half the glass and he just willed himself to listen as she was telling him that she was going to tell something very important to him. He became very curious and wondered what the important thing could be. “What is it that you want to tell me?” he then asked. Suddenly, he saw that she passed out, inevitably because she was already drunk. “Oh no, you shouldn’t have drunk anything at all,” he then said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bottle of pickled plums. He opened the jar, took one out and opened her mouth slightly for her to chew on it. As he watched out for the effects, he then knew that their meeting was indeed an opportunity for them to talk and make up for whatever happened and also a time for him to apologize for uttering harsh words against Justin. He then sighed once more and emptied his glass of screwdriver, after which he then asked the bartender for a glass of Black Russian.

[Prudence Campbell]

“She owes me one heck of an explanation… it better be good.” She told Alaric, grinning. “Of course I drink, Lars. I would have been dead a long time ago if I never drunk.” She chuckled as she drank more of her white Russian. Its taste was far from most pleasant but she found its texture quite soothing. “Hogs head? What are we doing in Hogs head?” She asked him, quite surprised at their location. Why were they talking? Prudence was surprised that they were on speaking terms again. She had been evading him for quite a while by then. Whatever he said next landed on her drunken ears that could not comprehend anything at the moment.

When the familiar darkness clouded her vision, she snapped out of it. Her hands gently pushed the cold glass of white Russian away from her. She was annoyed at what she did. She knew better than to start drinking heavy drinks. Her father would have been disappointed if ever he heard of this. And, her mother would probably give her a long and loud sermon on responsible drinking and responsibility in general. When she felt something being shoved into her mouth, she took whatever it was a swallowed. This made Prudence feel like stupid for it reminded her that Alaric was just tardy, not absent. He must think lowly of her now. She struggled to remember everything she said to him and was glad she did not mess up their important meeting.

After a few moments, her vision went back and she could not be happier. Her gaze landed on Alaric and his new drinks. “Oh no you won’t!” She said a little too quickly as she hastily snatched his glass and placed it on a nearby table. When she realized what she did, she glanced apologetically at him. “I’m sorry. It’s just that what I am about to discuss with you is serious.” It was so serious she was able to put aside what went between them a week ago. She kept her gaze focused on him and once again she felt guilty about everything that happened between them… especially the hurtful words she threw at him especially now that she knew he was right all along. Not knowing how to put what she was about to say gently, she bit her lip and said in a very serious tone. “Lars, I think I saw a vision of your death.”

[alariclarsstouner]

At that moment, Lars felt like laughing as he imagined Amelie trying to explain to Prue why she did the stupid blonde coloring in the first place. Although, he had to admit that the hair color looked really nice on her. “You know, that hair color kind of suited you better,” he then said shyly. At that exact moment, his feelings for her came back and he knew that it wasn’t exactly the right time for him to be having them. As for the reason why they are at the Hog’s Head right now, when he heard her throwing the question right back at him, he then shook his head sadly and sighed. Now, he was sure that she was drunk. However, what actually surprised him was the fact that he quickly went to her when she needed him to be there. Now, he knew that his feelings for her had definitely rekindled.

As he started drinking the Black Russian, Lars still kept watch over her to see if the plums had any effect on her. He then realized that it was the first time he actually saw her drink and pass out. It was definitely a good thing that he brought pickled plums along. He realized once more that the reason why he brought them was that he wanted to have some drinks right in this very bar and maybe have a smoke. However, smoking isn’t really his thing and it kind of made more sense if he just drank the pain away. Maybe getting drunk would numb him from the depression he felt.

When he finally saw her going back to normal, Lars couldn’t be more relieved. It was apparent that the drunken effects of the white Russian had definitely worn off. However, he was surprised when she said, “Oh no you won’t!” and snatched the glass of Black Russian away from his hand. “Coffee liqueur, vodka, cream. These are ingredients that make up a White Russian. Seriously, what were you really thinking, drinking such a hard cocktail?” he then asked her. Her next few words definitely surprised him. That what she was about to say to him was really serious. And his jaw became set and he was unable to speak for a few seconds when she said that she saw a vision of his death. An uncomfortable silence arose for a few minutes, after which Lars willed himself to ask, “Tell me Prudence, what did you see?”

[Prudence Campbell]

Prudence’s eyebrows rose at his comment about her hair before she was reduced into a fit of giggles. “That’s a good one, Lars. That’s a very good one.” She said in between chuckles, acting as if Lars just shared with her the world’s funniest joke. The fifth year just kept eyeing the ravenclaw boy and asking him random questions until the time she got a grip on herself.

She did not only feel ashamed of herself, she also felt like running away. It had been quite hard for her to write him the note after last week’s events. She kept on thinking about how she screwed everything up by yelling at him. But, she knew she could not blame herself because Alaric really was out of the line when he said those hurtful words about Justin. Although, he was right about Justin, Prudence just could not resist the urge to defend the latter from the former because Justin saved her life. However, despite Alaric being out of the line, she could not blame him because she knew he was probably just as emotionally vulnerable as she was that night.

Prudence eyed him shyly when he asked what she had been thinking. Honestly, she had no idea why she started drinking. Her next words changed his facial expression and Prue felt bad vibes envelop her as she tried to recall what she saw. She bit her lip. What did she see? It was both vague and clear at the same time. “I saw you on the ground. Not far from the forbidden forest… you weren’t breathing.” She said slowly, feeling her heart beat faster. She knew she had to do something. Her concern was not only to deliver him his death vision, she was also concerned about saving him. Again, she bit her lip, knowing that she had to manipulate this meeting to make sure that he would just follow her instead of stubbornly arguing. “I suggest you keep a low profile. Avoid pissing people off, especially powerful people and those who are capable of harming others.” She looked him straight in the eyes, looking highly professional.

[alariclarsstouner]

Lars merely fixed his gaze on her, apparently puzzled by her expression. He just could not comprehend that he was looking at a newly sobered Prue. He knew that she merely tried drinking cocktails just to pass the time waiting for him. “Look, I'm not kidding with the hair, it really looks good on you. And I’m really sorry I came in late. If I knew that you would be drinking, I would have come a couple of minutes earlier,” he then said, apparently apologetic for his tardiness. However, he realized that it was the owl that arrived late that is why he only received her message on short notice. He just sighed as he struggled to reach for the glass of black Russian she tried to whisk away from him. After a few attempts, he finally reached the glass and downed it in one gulp. He then put down the glass, deciding to put a stop to his cocktail tasting hobby that night.

He then continued to gaze at her, and he realized that it was indeed a long time since they last talked. He knew that he definitely went out of line for accusing Justin of being a good for nothing womanizer. However, he knew that he only said it because he was apparently enraged because he was rejected. Now, he was definitely ready to take them back, for he knew that Prue merely defended Justin out of gratitude for saving her life. He then took Prue’s hand in his and said, “Prue, I apologize for throwing useless accusations on Justin. I know that none of the things that I have said have concrete basis at all. I’m really sorry for not acknowledging the fact that he defended you.” He hoped that she would be able to accept his apology now.

Lars then stiffened in his seat as he listened to Prue telling something about the vision she saw. He was genuinely surprised but did not say anything for a moment. He was trying to comprehend what this may mean. Seen on the ground, not far from the forbidden forest, not breathing. Lars just couldn’t imagine what could have made him go there to meet his death. Suddenly, he remembered his meeting with Cherry there and the woodsman/student he had just seen. Surely can they be the cause of death for me? That’s absurd, absolutely preposterous! he then thought to himself. He was then surprised to see Prue gazing right back at him and advising him about keeping a low profile. He just smiled at her overflowing concern for him. “Don’t worry, I am trying my best to be careful in my actions,” he just said, smiling. “I would not waste your concern for me, trying to chase death’s shadow. I promise to keep myself safe at all times,” he added. He hoped that she would be convinced by what he said.

[Prudence Campbell]

The astonishment on Prudence’s face was obvious when Alaric mentioned her blonde hair like they were talking about it. Apparently, she really had drunk too much for she could not remember him or her paying attention on her hair being blonde. She blushed at his compliment. “Thanks. I’m glad at least one person likes it.” She smiled at him and waved off his apology. “It’s okay. It was my decision to drink.” She still had no clue why she drank… she just felt bored and drunk. To Prue, she was being very stupid at that time. Prudence frowned as Lars continued with his drink but was glad that he did not order some more.

Prudence was expecting his apology and it was not because she demanded it. It was due to the fact that she noticed that apologizing was in Alaric’s nature. He apologized for scaring her the night they met. He apologized for being late, twice now. So, it would be uncharacteristic of him if he did not apologize now especially since the little things he apologized for before was nothing compared to what happened. However, since Prudence knew that this apology would be coming around the time of this important encounter, she had prepared herself for it. “We both made a mistake last week and these days I’ve been thinking… I don’t care if we’re friends or enemies or just classmates, Lars. That has nothing to do with my duty to save you from being killed or whatever it was that I saw.” She told him in a matter of fact tone. “And, I really don’t want to talk about Justin now. We are here to discuss a more important matter.” She added, giving him a warm smile as she squeezed his hand.

Prudence observed him as he processed what she said. She wished she was a legilimens. It was apparent that he had some theories as to what will happen to him. “I know you are trying your best.” She smiled at him. Suddenly, she had a flashback of the night they first met…

"I could recall her softly calling out to me, and she was crying. I went and knelt on her side, and asked her what was the matter. She slowly sat up in bed and holding my hands, her voice suddenly changed and she went like this,

'I could see that you will die an untimely death...a death so brutal that even people who do not know you well will vividly remember it...yet as brutal as your death will be, it would mean everything to someone...very important to you and your effort would not go to waste,'

...then she whispered to me to come back alive, and then she fainted," - Alaric Stouner

Prudence looked at him and saw him the bloody image of his dead body in her mind. She shakily took a deep breath and another wave of determination hit her. There were a lot of areas in Alaric’s life that they had to examine that night. She closed her eyes and let herself be guided by her intuition. A new theory formed in her mind instantly and she felt gooseflesh on her arms. If that was what was going to happen to him, Prudence would not be able to live with herself. “Lars, what I saw confirms half of what your mother said. You are going to be in a very bad shape when that time comes.” She sighed, feeling very bad about the situation as a whole. “What we are uncertain at this point, however, is the other part, the part wherein you are going to die as a hero… Do you know someone whose life might be in danger?” She asked, a dark feeling suddenly devoured her insides. For the love of Merlin he could not be saving her.

[alariclarsstouner]

Lars merely nodded and smiled right at her. “Well, I’m serious. I guess Amelie’s done a swell job on making it blonde. I’ll be the one who would personally thank her for it,” he then said, chuckling. He was really pleased with the result and he knew that he wouldn’t really miss her brown hair. His brow then furrowed when she mentioned that it was her decision to drink. “You know, I know some pretty good mocktails. I can mix some for you if you wish,” he said, winking at the bartender. He knew that even though the Hog’s Head does serve alcoholic drinks but that doesn’t mean that customers would have to contend with drinking such either.

Deep inside, he knew that apologizing for little or big things have always been in his nature. Even though it wasn’t his fault at all, he’d still apologize. Lars believed that apologizing does not simply mean that he was admitting he was wrong; it also means that he wanted to save the friendship he once had with the person. In his case however, he knew that it was indeed insolent of him to actually point his fingers at Justin for doing something that he himself does not have any knowledge anyway. Although actually he let his temper get the better of him. He was rather surprised when he heard what she said, but he agreed anyway. As he felt her hand squeeze his, he felt secured.

Lars up to now does not know what was actually on his mother’s mind the day she made the prophecy. All he knew was that when he heard what she has to say, he felt the world caving in on him. Days after he heard it, he began seeking ways on how he would be able to protect himself. He studied hard, and began training not only in magical theory but also in different weapons such as swords, halberds and whatever he can lay his hands on. He became more reclusive and preferred to be alone, knowing that he might cause misfortune to someone if he gets near them. However, everything changed when he met Prue.

When he now realized that one of these days, he would get mauled up and die, he knew that he would suffer with a purpose, and that is to save someone who was in danger. However, he couldn’t really think of anyone who would actually be in peril. He just shook his head sorrowfully and said, “No, I can’t actually think of anyone who would be in danger. I guess I’m willing to save anyone who would need my help, even if it means I will have to throw my life on the line.” He then looked at Prue curiously, as her expression suddenly changed. She seemed very anxious and he did not really know why.

(OOC: Sorry, I was supposed to post it earlier buy hypnos took me away and I never returned. )

[Prudence Campbell]

“Oh she did not dye it. She gave me shampoo. Told me it was going to make my hair softer…” She shook her head, feeling stupid for letting Amelie trick her. Suddenly, everything clicked and she laughed heartily. “Who would have thought I could have my revenge by just using the shampoo? Have you seen her lately? Her hair is pink and blonde. She said it was Michael’s doing. The shampoo was probably Michael’s peace offering.” She kept on laughing. According to Alaric, she had a better hair color now while Amelie, the trickster, was still sporting her pink and blonde hair. “I would love to. As much as I hate to kill the buzz, I propose that we drink later. For now we have to focus on more important things.” She told him, smiling. They both needed a clear head if they were going to tackle matters of life and death.

Prudence loved his altruism but she was worried that it was going to lead to his untimely death. His answer confirmed her fears. Prudence nodded at his words. “That was your answer the first time I asked you a question similar to the one you just answered.” It meant he really meant what he said before. Now, Prudence did not know what to say to him. Advising him to stop being an altruist was just wrong. “I guess, in order to prevent your mother’s prophecy from coming true… you also have to stay away from me.” She said in a tone that was different, a tone that scared the heck out of her. “Or anyone else that might cause you to have any misfortune.” She added hastily, quite shocked with her change of tone. Did that mean that her suspicions were right? If they were, Prudence knew she had to stay away from him at all costs. “I’m not implying that I’m going to cause you misfortune, all I’m saying is that spending too much time with me or anyone else does not really spell keeping a low profile correctly. And, that was one of the things that I advised you to do.” She rambled uselessly.

Desperate to change the subject, Prudence resorted to his offer awhile ago. “Maybe it would be nice to taste some of your cocktails now.” She grinned at him, suddenly looking truly interested in his cocktails. “Let’s just not drink too much.”

(OOC: I'm still shocked at this post)

[alariclarsstouner]

Lars merely chuckled as he listened to Prue ramble about how Amelie got her Karma with the shampoo, turning her hair color into a brilliant shade of pink and blonde. “Man, I can’t wait to see her like that. I mean, it’s so freaking funny, can’t imagine the look on her face while she walks all day in that,” he said, chuckling heartily. “Honestly Prue, you should stop worrying about your hair, I’m sure the whole school wouldn’t mind at all, or maybe you may even get complimented for it. After all, there are lots of guys who are absolutely after you,” he added. He didn’t quite like how he sounded when he said his last few words earlier, but he dismissed the thought and merely smiled.

When Prue told him that she wanted to taste his cocktails, he smiled right at her and said, “Coming right up, ma’am.” He then vaulted across the counter and started looking for ingredients. After a few minutes of rummaging through the cupboards, he was able to gather the following: grenadine, and some fresh fruits, namely pineapples, oranges and lemons. He then got a knife from the sink and started peeling and slicing the fruits. After which he started squeezing them manually so as to get the juice out. He then mixed the fruit juices and then mixed it with grenadine to sweeten it. He then sliced a wedge of orange for decoration. In less than a few minutes, he was done. “This is called a Planter’s Punch. I hope you like it,” he then said, smiling right at her, holding out the goblet to her. He then poured himself and the bartender a glass and sat down next to her again.

As he was sipping the mocktail, Lars was listening to Prue as she was trying to shed some light into his death prophecy. He was struggling to pay more attention when suddenly, she told him that he would have to stay away from her…of all people. He was so surprised that he nearly toppled off his seat. “Prue, what are you saying? You know I could never do that, you of all people…” he said in an almost pleading voice. Having to stay away from Prue would mean instant suicide for him and he just could not bring himself to do it. He knew that there are other ways of trying to keep a low profile like staying out of trouble and the like but if all of the ways can be ranked from A to Z, what she was telling him to do would be plan Z. However, he was scared by the tone she used when she told him, it was deathly cold in nature and Lars knew better than answering back. “There are other ways of keeping a low profile, surely this is not really the only way isn’t it?” he asked, a look of pure hope on his face. No matter what, he just could never ever do such a thing to her.

[Prudence Campbell]

Prudence just smiled at him as he spoke of his opinion on Amelie’s new hair. “Well, if she did not give me the shampoo, her hair would have been back to normal. I’m betting she was thinking my hair would be green or something.” Prudence shook her head and snorted at what Alaric said next. “There are lots of guys who are absolutely after me? You’ve gone mad Lars.” Boys normally did not notice her. When they saw her, they were polite but they never ‘went after her’ the way Alaric implied.

Prudence was still quite anxious about what she said and the way her voice changed. Also, she worried that what she said to was too much. The last thing she needed was for him to pick up what she said unintentionally in between those lines. However, she forgot her worries when he called her ma’am. She laughed at the way it that one sentence rolled off his tongue. “Alright, I’ll be waiting.” She said in a mock demanding tone, grinning at him. He really was a fine catch if only the circumstances had been different; they would have been together by then. Absently, she smiled at him, melancholic. Prudence almost jumped when he handed her a goblet of Planter’s Punch. “Thank you, Lars.” She smiled at him as she accepted the drinks he was offering. She sniffed it before taking a sip. “It tastes better than it smelled. Nice.” Prudence rewarded him with an approvingly look and a thumbs up.

When the topic of Alaric’s death and what she so stupidly said came back to haunt both of them, Prudence placed her goblet on top of the table and, this time, took a few moments before speaking. To her relief, Alaric did not seem to have read what she said in between the lines. It was better that only she, and probably Justin, knew about it. At least Justin did not have a death prophecy looming over his life every moment of everyday. And, it was not like she could exactly take Justin out of the picture. By then, he would have known about it. “Sorry. I did not know what came over me. If you stayed away from me, you would be ignorant of my visions, which wouldn’t help the situation at all.” She sighed as she saw the hope in his eyes. “Yes, it is not the only way. I believe that by staying out of other people’s business in general and minding your own is a good way of keeping a low profile. Based on what I saw, you must not leave your dormitory after curfew and stay out of the forbidden forest at all costs.” She eyed him for a while, deciding whether or not she should dole out more information on the theory she had in mind. She decided that what he did not know wouldn’t hurt him so she kept her mouth shut about the bad feelings and the other vision she got. At least, not until he asked or her intuition told her to reveal them.

[alariclarsstouner]

Upon hearing what she said, Lars almost sputtered on his goblet of mocktail. It seemed that Prue has not realized it but a lot of boys were definitely after her. “I know a handful of boys who wanted to get to know you and all,” he then said, laughing as he downed the mocktail in one gulp. “My roommate even teased my saying that I was darn lucky to be close to you. Honestly, a lot of them were after you, believe me,” he then added in an encouraging tone. “Well, you and Amelie can actually compete in terms of the number of boys who got smitten by your charms,” he then said jokingly.

He then refilled both of their goblets and also the bartender’s goblet for he winked back at him and gestured at the pitcher of the Planter’s punch. “Well, I am glad you liked it. It’s been a while since I last mixed cocktails. I think I was concentrating on brewing potions that I forgot to do the very thing that I liked to do all along,” he then replied. He then refocused his gaze on her and said, “Well of course, I enjoyed the learning experience I had when I was altering your potion. After all, it’s for you.” Even though he did not really found out what the potion was for, he was really glad to have helped her in some way. He could see that had their situation been different, they would have been together already. However, a part of him felt that she was hiding something he did not know.

He then nodded earnestly at what she said about other ways of keeping a low profile. “Well, I guess I would be able to do that. Besides, I’m not the type of person who would go lengths to do anything reckless,” he said in reply. However, as he continued to gaze at her, there was really something else that she seemed to hide. He then looked at his goblet of punch for a few seconds before speaking. “Prue, I think you are hiding something from me. Although I would really like to know what it is, I won’t force you to tell me. It may be something that I should not know at all or it wouldn’t hurt me if I didn’t find it out,” he then said as he reached for her hand once again and held it. He knew that she wasn’t really obligated to tell him about it but since it may primarily concern him, he felt the need to know about it.

[Prudence Campbell]

Prudence laughed at Alaric Stouner, literally. Now he was really flaterring her. She waved one hand at him and said. “Hello Lars. Earth to you! You seem out of this world already. How much alcohol did you place in your drink?” Prudence never thought of herself as beautiful. She was just Prue, nothing more nothing less. She just could not bring herself to believe what Alaric was saying. When he brought up Amelie, Prudence had trouble swallowing her drinks. “Me turning blond doesn’t make me look as beautiful as Amelie, Lars.” She laughed, obviously not believing him. To her, Amelie totally belonged to a different group.

Prudence simply smiled at his comment about the cocktail. It really was good and she was telling him the truth. She was the type of person who sputtered bad liquid out of her mouth automatically when she did not like it. “I’m glad that you enjoyed making that potion. Seriously, it had been a lot of help to me. Soon, I won’t be needing it. I can feel my need of it pass as my visions catch up with time.” She smiled at Alaric genuinely. “You’ve been more help to me than I to you, you know.” She sighed.

Prudence nodded in agreement. Lars was not foolish. He would not go chasing danger, at least not when a death prophecy was tailing him everywhere he went. Prudence was surprised at his change in tone. Apparently, he busted her once again. Of course, she was stupid when it came to hiding something. However, she knew when to give a secret up and when to keep it inside the bag. This was a matter of life and death so she’d rather appear like a liar than have him killed by telling the truth. If he knew about the danger that she was subjected to, she knew he would help. And, that can’t happen. Prudence sighed when he held her hand and she forced herself to look him in the eye. “Lars, trust me. This is the moment that you should start following my advice. Stay out of other people’s business.” Prudence smiled encouragingly, finding herself unable to lie to him. Suddenly, she had a feeling that she should tell him more about the secret if not all but a stray owl dropped a letter on her head, preventing her from doing so. The moment she touched the letter, she knew it was bad news. Hurriedly, she opened it.

You better watch your back
and keep your mouth shut.
I already have ways
to ensure your silence
in my mind.

[/font][/center]

Shakily, Prudence handed it over to Alaric for him to read. She knew it wasn’t meant for him but gave it to him anyway. “That’s the first one, Lars. I’m betting there will be others.” Prudence said grimly.[/color]