Good Girl From A Bad Family (Open)

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Vanessa Velmont's life was a simply one. She lived with her lower-middle class foster parents, both Squibs, and foster sister, she had a job as a shopkeeper at the Magical Menagerie, and the highlight of her day was visiting a cute boy who co-ran a joke shop. It was simple, but she couldn't be happier. The reason being was because her life could have been a nightmare. She could have been Vanessa Veltrino, a dark witch among her dark relatives, celebrating her ancestor, the diabolical Victoria Veltrino. But she fled that life as a child, and now lived happily in conditions that others would take for granted.

Vanessa whistled away as she swept the floor of the Menagerie near closing time. She smiled at the animals as she cleaned, particularly her Siberian Husky, Boris, who laid behind the counter. Boris was such a wonderful companion, and had never judged her for what was in her blood. He loved her for being the kind, loving soul she was. Once she finished sweeping, she stepped over and pet her dog.

"About ready to go home, big fella?" she asked.

[Deleted]

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SCREAMS BREAK THE SILENCE

waking from the dead of night

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A lot had changed for Sebastian in the past few months. He'd been recruited into the Black Army, and that meant alterations to his lifestyle. He no longer had to be as careful about where he wanted to go - he had the protection of the Dark Lady on his side. The main reason he'd been recruited was due to his monthly transformations, and part of his training including him channeling his inner canine, and see how he could use his heightened sense to the benefit of the army.

Not much had been going on with the Black Army in the past month or so, but Sebastian had been busy adapting and training. He'd taken to bringing his husky, Kit, with him almost everywhere, in hopes that he would be more in tune to his senses with another dog near him.

Tonight, he was laying low in the village of Diagon Alley. He didn't normally spend a lot of time here, as there were so many wizards around who might spot him as a fugitive, but it just so happened to be where the Knight Bus had ended its route that day. He'd quickly taken to find a subdued corner, in an abandoned alley that connected Knockturn and Diagon. He had Kit with him, and they had spent the better part of two hours napping in the alley, waiting for the sun to go down and shoppers to go home. When Sebastian woke, his back was achey and he had an uncomfortable crick in his neck. He sat up and stretched, his arms raised above his head. Kit stirred as well, his big floppy pink tongue dripping with drool as he yawned. "Come on, let's go find us some food," Sebastian said, scratching him behind the ears and then pushing against the wall to stand himself up. 

The sun was beginning to set on Diagon Alley as Sebastian and Kit made their way up the winding street. Sebastian knew the priority here was making sure he fed Kit before the shops closed - he was less concerned with the achy hunger in his own stomach. Kit always came first. Up ahead he spotted a shop with lots of cages in the front. He hoped it was a pet shop, and not another apothecary or something like that. To his relief, he read the shop sign (Magical Menagerie) and thanked Merlin that it hadn't closed yet. He pushed the door open, and stepped inside, a floorboard creaking under his foot. He winced as the sound was magnified in his ears, but froze almost immediately. There was another dog nearby, he could sense it. "Hello?" he called, warily. He looked down as Kit strolled in, panting lazily. He suddenly went rigid too, his ears perked up with alertness. Seb patted him on the head, reassuringly.

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LISTEN IN AWE AND YOU’LL HEAR HIM

bark at the moon

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# status: finished
# tag: @vanessa
# words: 500ish
# listening to: beautiful - christina aguilera
# mood/where: on guard, a bit hungry; diagon alley
# wearing: see template gif - short hair
# lyrics: bark at the moon; ozzy osbourne

omg, it’s the credits?!

template made by 

ALAKAZAM ! @ CAUTION 2.0

[Deleted]

Vanessa was used to customers coming in at the last minute as many had jobs that meant they couldn't come in earlier in the day. Looking up from petting Boris, she smiled at the man. Boris then peeked out and walked over to the man's own Husky, sniffing him curiously. Vanessa laughed a little.

"Looks like Boris wants to meet your dog," he said. "He doesn't see a lot of Huskies come in here. So what can I help you with this evening?" Vanessa of course had no idea she was talking with a follower of the Dark Lady. Perhaps if she had remained with her family, she would have allowed their darkness to enter her and could have been running buddies with the man before her. But to her right now, he was a stranger that simply needed help with something.

Boris walked back over to Vanessa and sat beside her, staring at both the dog and his master curiously. Being a canine, he could sense the wolf in the man. Vanessa pet him.

"Making new friends, boy?" she chuckled.

@sebastianackles

[Deleted]

c o s t a r (s) :
@vanessa

c l o t h e s : see above picture, short hair
m u s e : the ice is getting thinner - dcfc
n o t e (s) : kit the husky

[ speech | thought ]        template by isabella

l i s t e n *

AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM
BARK AT THE MOON

Sebastian stayed frozen for a moment longer, as he looked the girl up and down. It didn't seem like she recognized him, so that was a plus. He swallowed his initial nerves and let his muscles relax. As soon as he did that, Kit's tail began to wag and he reacted to the other husky. Seb watched as Kit began to sniff around the dog she had called Boris, and began circling him. "This is Kit," Seb said, looking back to the girl. "He needs food." He looked her up and down, evaluating her. By appearances alone, she seemed to be okay. At least she wasn't being snappy about him coming in at the last minute.

He watched as Boris made his way back to his owner, and Kit sat back down, watching attentively. Seb patted him on the head, thankful that he hadn't attacked for any reason. Kit wasn't a violent dog, but he did have a mind of his own. 

[Deleted]

Vanessa eyed and smiled as the two dogs seemed quite attentive to one another and chuckled again.

"It seems they like one another," she said. "Or are just fascinated." She then listened as he asked a fairly simple request. The man was especially in luck given they owned the same type of dog.

"Well, I wouldn't recommend anything but the best, which is what I feed Boris," she said. "It's a bit more expensive, but it's so much more nutritious than most of the other brands." Vanessa was able to afford it because she got a generous employee discount. Otherwise, she couldn't have. "If you'll follow me." She stepped over to a stack of bags with the name Calypso's Magically-Made Canine Chow on them.

"Here we are," she said. As she let him look it over, she chuckled as she saw Boris hanging about Kit again, as happy as a clam. "So what brings you and Kit to the Menagerie so late? Not that we don't get customers this late, but... well... I'm just always curious about..." She then smiled warmly at him. "Not that you're not welcomed of course."

@sebastianackles

[Deleted]

c o s t a r (s) :
@vanessa

c l o t h e s : see above picture, short hair
m u s e : fall out - mariana's trench
n o t e (s) : kit the husky

[ speech | thought ]        template by isabella

l i s t e n *

AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM
BARK AT THE MOON

Sebastian sighed, he had hoped this wasn't going to be very expensive. He couldn't really say no when it came to Kit, though. He followed her to the back of the store, as the two huskies trailed them closely. They definitely seemed to be getting along well with one another. Kit had begun to stick his nose in Boris's ear, sniffing him more intently. 

Seb turned his attention back to the dog food, trying to ignore the price tag. It did seem like the best option, and it hadn't been tainted with that synthetic, potion-made crap. He was scanning the shelf, to see if it came in a smaller portion - he'd really only need it for one night before he travelled back home - when the girl had asked her question. He looked at her, his face perfectly emotionless. Was she trying interrogate him? Was she an auror in disguise? He looked her over for the second time, still feeling uncertain of her. "My shift just ended," he responded, gruffly. He was a man of few words, and preferred to remain closed off. He was perfectly content in his solitude, and didn't want to give anyone any reason to think they had any right to know him personally. "Are there smaller bags of this?" he asked.

[Deleted]

Vanessa nodded and smiled as Sebastian explained that the shift just ended. That of course made perfect sense. She knew her boss' husband Alpin often shopped late for their family pets because of his job at the bakery.

"I hear you," she said with a chuckle. "My shift will be ending soon. And then it's home to my boring life." With a stop by Weasleys' to see Freddie first of course, and that was far from boring.

When he asked about a smaller bag, Vanessa understood that he had issues about spending so much on the bigger bag. Since he owned a Husky and she cared about her Husky and his diet so much, her heart went out to him.

"Look, I can't do this every time, but for now I can sell you a big bag with my discount," she said. "With the big bag, it will be a good while before you have to come back for more. Call it a favor from one Siberian Husky owner to another."

She watched again as Boris responded to Kit's sniffing with an urge to play wrestle with his new friend.

@sebastianackles

[Deleted]

c o s t a r (s) :
@vanessa

c l o t h e s : see above picture, short hair
m u s e : this is our town - we the kings
n o t e (s) : kit the husky

[ speech | thought ]        template by isabella

l i s t e n *

AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM
BARK AT THE MOON

Sebastian was taken aback by her random act of kindness. He wasn't exactly sure where it was coming from, but he knew better than to be rude to such a gesture. "Thank you," he said, shuffling from one foot to the other. "I, uh, appreciate that." He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. He turned his attention to his pup, who was positively responding to Boris. Kit had his butt raised in the air, and tail wagging happily, as he jumped around his new friend. 

Seb often felt guilty the he wasn't able to give Kit very much social interaction. Of course there were the monthly transformations that turned Sebastian himself into a version of a canine, but he wasn't ever in a playful mood. He already regretted what he was about to say now. "Look, I'll get out your hair so you can close, but would you mind if I walked you home? It would really benefit Kit. He hasn't had a play date in a long time." He wanted to hit himself - this was so unlike him. It was usually the other way around, the girl was usually asking to go home with him. He really didn't know this girl at all, and so far he didn't have much desire to. It would only make things more awkward if he ever came back to buy more dog food. But she was being pretty generous with offering him her employee discount... Still, he wouldn't be disappointed if she said no.

[Deleted]

Vanessa smiled as Sebastian thanked her. Vanessa loved doing nice things. For one reason, she wanted to help people because she had a big heart. For another, it reminded her of how her beloved foster parents got her out of a life of darkness.

"You're very welcome," she said. "It's a bit heavy, but if you can give me your address, I can have it sent over tonight." Vanessa felt the man was strong enough to carry it, but it was still a service they offered everyone. After all, a number of elderly pet owners came in for the big bags.

When Sebastian offered to walk her home, Vanessa blushed a bit. Her heart belonged to Freddie, but she still liked the idea of a handsome man offering to do so. Still, if it hadn't been for the dogs getting a chance to play, she probably would have said no. Besides, she could visit Freddie early in the morning.

"Sure," she said as she rung him up. She then gave him the price with the discount, which was roughly half the cost on the price tag. "Just let me lock up here. How far do you live?" Vanessa then realized she hadn't even told him her name. "By the way, I'm Vanessa."

@sebastianackles

[Deleted]

c o s t a r (s) :
@vanessa

c l o t h e s : see above picture, short hair
m u s e : the ice is getting thinner - dcfc
n o t e (s) : kit the husky

[ speech | thought ]        template by isabella

l i s t e n *

AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM
BARK AT THE MOON

Sebastian shrugged, and replied to her, "No, that's okay. I can handle it myself." He followed her to the counter, reaching into his pocket for his small collection of coins. He slid his payment across the counter to her, dropping his remaining coins into his pocket. Even with the discount, he would probably have to skip dinner for the evening. He looked down at Kit, who was back by his side. You better eat every last bit of this, he thought, although Kit wouldn't hear him. He scratched him behind the ears, before heaving the bag over his shoulder. It wasn't the heaviest thing he had ever carried, although he wouldn't want to be stuck lugging it around for an extended amount of time. Still, sending it to his home wasn't an option. It was too risky to give away his address.

He stepped back from the counter, letting Vanessa do whatever she needed to do to lock up. "I'm Owen," he said, giving her his middle name since his first was on the wanted posters. He was sure he would be able to get away from the girl if she recognized him or had heard of him, and attempted to call the authorities on him, but he wasn't much in the mood tonight. "I'll be staying at the Leaky Cauldron tonight, I reckon," he lied again. He'd probably head back to his corner in the alley he'd just left, and wait until the Knight Bus showed up for his next shift.

[Deleted]

Vanessa nodded about the man carrying it himself. It was quite a load, but again the man looked strong.

"No problem," she said.

She smiled when he introduced himself.

"Owen, that's a nice name," she said. And from what he told her, she assumed he was walking her to her home just outside Diagon, and then walking back. "Okay. Well, I don't live terribly far from here. A small apartment and all."

She then looked about for any other customers who might have come in. The shop was empty.

"I guess that's it," she said. "I'm ready when you are."

She didn't realize he would have to skip dinner of course, but by coincidence, she had an extra wrapped cauldron cake in her purse.

"Hungry?" she asked, offering him one.

Once outside, she locked the door, and turned and smiled to watch the two dogs playing in the alley.

"I hope Kit can come back and visit," she said. "Boris loves having friends about. And like I said, this is the first who's a Husky as well." And with that, she turned to walk, knowing Boris would follow despite his excitement.

@sebastianackles

[Deleted]

c o s t a r (s) : @vanessa

c l o t h e s : see above - short hair
m u s e : last night at the jetty - panda bear
n o t e (s) : on the prowl

p l o t w i t h m e !

[ speech | thought ]        template by isabella

l i s t e n *

AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM
BARK AT THE MOON

Sebastian watched Vanessa curiously. She was very pretty, there was no doubt about that. He was intrigued by the way she moved so confidently - he liked that, when a girl wasn't squeamish around him. He listened to her, not responding, but his attentiveness was evident in the way he kept his eyes on her. He accepted the cauldron cake, taking it from her hand, his finger brushing against hers accidentally. He listened to hear if her heartbeat quickened at the contact, as he tore open the packaging with his teeth. 

He tore his eyes from her to look back at the huskies. He doubted he would see much of Vanessa after tonight, which meant this might be the only time Kit and Boris would get to play together. Sebastian didn't make it a habit of his to keep in contact with the people he met. He preferred a life of solitude, but his surroundings constantly changing, along with the people in them. "Kit is grateful for the change in company," he told Vanessa, knowing it was true. Since he had become a werewolf, he had better understanding of canines. He couldn't necessarily communicate with them, but he could interpret them accurately. "I am, too." He tossed the empty Cauldron Cake wrapper into a nearby trash can as they passed it, the cake itself already disappeared into his stomach.

[Deleted]

Vanessa then blush a bit when Sebastian touched her. He was handsome after all. However, she was quick to remember who her heart belonged to. She gave Sebastian a simple smile before turning and opening her own Cauldron Cake.

When Sebastian said he was as grateful for the company as Kit was, she smiled, knowing what he meant. The man seemed like he was lonely, and part of Vanessa wanted to offer her his friendship. But the other part reminded herself that she barely knew the man, and there was the general caution of being careful around a strange man until one knew him better. Vanessa had heard horror stories in the past of men pretending to be friendly to women, and then revealing themselves to be dark wizards. She probably wouldn't have walked with Sebastian if it wasn't for the two dogs being with them. Boris was very sweet, but he could be protective when need-be.

"I hope they can see one another again," said Vanessa. "Even laying in the shop all day around the other animals, Boris doesn't really have a playmate." She then smiled at him again. "Thanks for walking me home and all. It gets a bit eerie here after dark these days."

And then there was the fear of running into Dathan Burke, who would recognize her, given their history.

@sebastianackles

[Deleted]

c o s t a r (s) :
@vanessa

c l o t h e s : see previous
m u s e : we can't stop - miley cyrus
n o t e (s) : on the prowl

p l o t w i t h m e !

[ speech | thought ]        template by isabella

l i s t e n *

AND YOU'LL HEAR HIM
BARK AT THE MOON

Sebastian saw the heat in Vanessa's cheeks, and forced himself to look away, trying not to think of all the blood under the plush skin. It was hard, because it caused her general aroma to be much stronger to his sensitive nose. He tried instead to focus on what she was saying; he nodded along, as if he had heard every word. "It's not a problem," he told her, glancing quickly around the crooked alley. "You never know what you might run into." He felt sarcastic saying this, but he did not give any sign revealing this. Kit and Boris were trotting alongside each other happily, tails wagging and all. Kit, he knew, was having a ball - happy to a full canine companion. He wasn't on guard, as he usually was when it was just the two of them. That left it to Sebastian to keep watch for any suspicious activity.

[Deleted]

Vanessa nodded about never knowing who one would run into in the Alley. What was scarier though was who she knew she could possibly run into.

"Yeah," she said. "I think Diagon is usually safe with the Aurors patrolling. Though I try to steer clear of the area near Knockturn. It seems like people are saying that more and more dark magic users are going in and out of there these days. I definitely don't want to run into one of them... being the frail eighteen year old I am and all." Vanessa chuckled a bit at that. "But I definitely feel safe with you and our two canine friends."

Boris walked along with Kit, making noises as if he was trying to hold a conversation. He probably was. Vanessa chuckled at it and turned to Sebastian.

"It makes you wonder what those two might be talking about," she said. "I always wished I could communicate with animals, especially dogs. I've been a dog lover since I was found by... I mean since I was a child." Vanessa blushed at her near mistake. She didn't like to tell people she just met about her adoption. She felt they would ask questions she didn't want to answer.

@sebastianackles