Ben's Apartment

Spoiler:

Ben kicked the door of his apartment open with a bang. He was sure the neighbors would complain but he didn't care. The second he got inside he opened hit the on button of his stereo and cranked it up. On his way to the bedroom he peeled off his shirt and tossed it into the small laundry room...well area. Surprising since Catalina mentioned it, he had been keeping his house tidy. Well, tidy by his standards.

Even over the music, Ben caught the sharp knocking at his door. He caught her familiar scent and rushed to the door. Along the way he grabbed a clean shirt and tugged it on. The sound of his name brought him to a full run to the door.

"Catalina??" Ben looked around as he practically tore the door of its hinges. He saw her on the ground and fell to one knee by her side. "Goddamn, what's wrong?" Ben put an arm around her waist and helped her to her feet. He brought her into the apartment and kicked the door closed. "You need to breathe Catalina."

Ben held her tightly as if it could stop her trembling. He could feel her hot tears on the front of his shirt. When she explained he honestly had no idea what she was talking about. Instead he just nodded and listened. "Calm down. Who are we talking about?" Ben walked her to the couch. He went into his kitchen and started to heat up some water. On his way back to Catalina he brought back tissues.

Ben took a seat next to her. He never was too good with the whole crying thing. "She was manipulating you into hurting those you love. If you want to be a Death Eater, that's what it's like." He flinched visibly when she said she loved him. "Lupin. A Maurader. Perhaps you should rethink your decision. If you allow yourself to get close, both of you will get hurt."

"He's a good friend then." Ben sighed and slouched in his seat. "If he understood why you needed to do it then he is indeed a friend to keep. I don't see the problem, the curse only causes physical pain. Have you spoke to him?"

"Belatrix will hurt you in every way possible to prove to herself that she is not the only person without a soul. Remus is your weakness and so she exploited that." Ben returned the kiss reluctantly and managed a thin smile. "I understand. Severus? I don't speak to him. But don't think the Dark Lord doesn't keep track of those who can become threats."

Ben put his arm around her and pulled her in closer. He rested his head against hers. "Jealousy. You're a beautiful woman and even if friendship is all you seek, they will never see it like that. Forcing him to choose between a friend or a girlfriend is wrong. But he'll have to see that you mean no harm." Her look drew him to kiss her again. "Do you still wish to be a Death Eater? You'll need practice if you do. For your first time, Lupin was not a good choice."

Ben felt a fire burn in his heart when Catalina kissed him again. She took his breath away, metaphorically that is. Her Veela charm had him head over heels. "I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to understand." He muttered. That kiss was enough to mess with whatever thought process he had going on. "So...pretty much. Your situation would just be that, you're with a guy?"

The pounding of her heart was furiously loud. He couldn't help but laugh at her blushing, it really was too adorable. Her statement was a sudden blow to him. The truth behind it was too powerful to ignore. She was right. He was hers. "Now they're boyfriends can be jealous of what I have." Ben grinned smugly.

"You're not forcing him. It's just a choice that comes along with the package. He's infatuated with her but friends with you." Ben nodded at her words. "He may be a friend and this is the choice you have to make. Are you willing to hurt him again? Can you kill him if he goes to the opposite side?" At this, Ben stood up and walked to face Catalina. "Try it. Disguise your feelings as hate. All you have to do is convince Belatrix that you could care less. But in order not to be like her, you must maintain your humanity. Now, hit me with your best one."

"Show me off?" Ben raised an eyebrow. "I do wish I could see you more often. Well I've snuck in the school once, wouldn't be hard to do it again. I could pass as a student...kind of. And as for pictures...there might be one of me around here somewhere. Alice loved to take photos. There all stored away somewhere."

"It will be hard. He would kill you if you refused." He took a step closer and caressed her cheek. "She might. We can try to hide it. But I promise I won't tell her. " He nodded and stepped back again.

He watched her harness her anger. It took a second for the slap to even register. Once it did though, it stung. He shook his head as if to shake the effects off. His cool hand brought some comfort to his burning cheek. "Ow. First off, your nails. Ow. Second, if you could do that with an Unforgivable, I wouldn't want to mess with you. Good though. Remember what that felt like. The anger and then that feeling of release."

The kettle whistled on the stove and Ben jogged over to take it off. He poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her. "Here, this will make you feel better." He sat back down. "I understand Lupin is your friend. But your alliances are different. Now you can continue to meet in secrecy, for how long I'm not sure. There is a war arriving and I don't want to see you hurt when you can't see him again."

"I don't know, maybe because I might have the urge to bite one or two of them." Ben laughed and bared his teeth playfully. "Okay the forest it is. I'll send you and owl or you send me one whenever we want to meet." He looked towards his upstairs. "I will be right back. Ben leapt to his feet and went up his stairs two at a time. He stood for a second, searching the room with his eyes. A box hidden beneath some books caught his attention. He pulled the box and brought it back downstairs. He opened the dust covered top. It was filled with assorted momentos from his past. "There might be something in there..."

"I don't think I could forget that you are a veela Catalina." He smiled softly and kissed her lightly. "That thought is so disturbing that I'm going to forget you ever said it."

"That's true, it does take hatred to use those curses. Perhaps there is some hidden hatred you have for Remus. Sometimes we just fall for those we can't love. " He ran a hand over his healed cheek. "Thanks.

"I'm really not quite sure either Catalina, to tell you the truth." Ben sighed and looked at Catalina lovingly. "If Remus is a true friend, he will stand by you. He's already accepted you. Give it time. Talk to him about it."

"Or you should just start putting your their boyfriend's faces in your locket. That'd really set them off." Ben chuckled and flipped through the box. He pulled out a pair of dog tags and set them on the table. "Didn't even know I still had those." He continued putting items out as he found them. Finally he discovered some photos tied together. "Ah here we go. Flip through them and see if you can find one you like." He smiled and handed the photos to her.

"Ooo, that would be a horrible way to die." Ben made a face. "Yeah, he was about as attractive as a mailbox. So unless you have a thing for letters...let's keep away from the subject."

"Then that's where the hatred comes from." He put around Catalina and pulled her closer. "You'll find a way Catalina. His girlfriend sounds incredibly annoying. Very touchy and possessive."

Ben took the tags in one hand and ran his thumb over the imprinted metal. "World War II." He said casually, as if it weren't of much importance. "Those photos are from...about 20 years ago I guess." He laughed at the photo she choose. When he turned back to look Catalina had a photo of Alice in her hand. He took the photo from her lightly and gazed at it. It was at the beach, her favorite place to be. Ben smiled at the thought. "Yes she was."

"I like your good side a lot better." Ben grinned and rubbed his cheek. "Oh it's possible. If you had like a rectangular shaped face. It would work."

"Still young, there are plenty of chances to learn. I never liked those type of girls." He muttered. "Control freaks. No."

"No I was fighting on the opposite side. I died when the Germans invaded Poland, I never saw Hitler." Ben chuckled and shook his head. He looked up at Catalina's light touch and met her familiar sapphire eyes. "Later tonight. If you stay the night." He raised an eyebrow suggestively.

"I'm not crazy, I swear." Ben grinned at the name.

"Your personality?" He paused to think for a second. "Well, you can be very flirtatious, not that it's a bad thing. You don't mean to attract a lot of the guys you do. You're lonely but you refuse to show it. You don't have any fears because you don't know what to fear. And you're afraid of getting hurt again. You've opened up to me but I don't think I've seen everything yet. Those who you do call friends must be fiercely loyal to you. You are to them."

"Two days after the attack." Ben whispered in reply. He smiled at her answer. "Me? Of course I won't. I'll even be a good boy and sleep on the couch. If you want of course."

"Geez, the sarcasm level in here." He chuckled as he teased her.

"I hope you're still not lonely." Ben leaned in and brushed his lips against her. "Because that'd mean I'm not doing my job. Why don't you give it a try, what am I like?" He nodded. "Yes you are."

"So many questions." Ben laughed and set to answering her questions. "Well...I don't know who bit me. Just a stray vampire. And my parents were killed in the war, sent to concentration camps. I never saw them after I was turned. Truthfully, I don't remember what they were like." He shrugged and put the dog tags back in the box. "Okay then, you take the bed."

"Well it's there loss. You are just a beautiful, intelligent woman. Jealousy is just an ugly word." Ben smiled softly. "And you're mine, so I wouldn't worry about what they think, because it's just you and me right now."

"Really now? I'd say that's pretty damn close. Though one thing, I'm not brave. It's just the image I have. If I were brave, I wouldn't have abandoned her. But I'm glad I can bring a smile to your face." Ben grinned.