The Williams Manor

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina walked with Ben up to the cold and steely black gates that blocked the way to her house and stared at them for a moment. Sighing, she pulled out her wand and thought Alohamora! She watched the gate creak open to allow them entry. Throwing him a smile, she strolled forward, her face suddenly set in stone. She lead him up the stone path towards her huge front doors and took a deep breath before raising her hand to the bell.

With a desolate frown, she just stood there, frozen in her own despair. She was torn in that moment, not wanting to venture in to see her mother so sick and frail, the very opposite of what she truly was. Catalina felt her soul rip into pieces at the thought of her and she found that her eyes were watering.

Her arm stood poised, but did not move a muscle.

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben stayed close to Catalina but far away enough that he didn't take away her body heat. They walked in silence up to the door of her house. His eyes wandered around the land the house was settled on. They took in every detail, every escape route. It was an unconscious habit of his now. She turned to give him a smile, but he could see the force it took. "One thing Catalina, I'd prefer they don't know I'm a vampire. Not now."

Once at the door he stood with his arms clasped behind his back. Meeting parents was never fun, especially under these conditions. But it was all for her. And after last night, he was willing to die for her. Compared to that, introducing himself to her parents was nothing. It was more the fragile state Catalina was in that worried him. Ben put an arm lightly around her waist when she couldn't ring the doorbell. "First thing's first. Remember, we'll take things as they go."

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina nodded abyssmally in his direction, not really too eager to mention Vampires to her parents after the whole Deimos catastrophe. Her sapphire eyes flashed with pain as she stared at the door in front of her, her muscles still frozen.

It seemed that when Ben touched her, her insides melted and her finger fell onto the button that was so hard to press. The bell clanged inside the darkened manor, and the porcelain finger fell back down to its master's side.

One of the many butlers answered the door, his black eyes locking onto Catalina's immediately. "Bonjour, Mademoiselle . . . Monsieur." Nodding towards Ben, he gestured them inside, his dark brown hair whistling into his face as his head bowed.

Catalina stepped in, feeling oddly out of place, just like she did every time she walked into her house. A coldness washed over her and she stood there in the entryway like a statue. She turned to Ben, eyes wide with terror.

"Votre Maman est dans sa couche," the butler said, his midnight eyes staring into Catalina's in a concerned manner.

The Ravenclaw shivered slightly before nodding and then took Ben's hand in her own, leading him up the stairs and out of the darkened Entrance Hall. She would have never said it aloud, but her house always seemed so morbid and dreary. She had always wondered how the party guests kept themselves in a good mood. She supposed part of it was because they were drunk most of the night.

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

The doorbells chimed and echoed throughout the house. It seemed he stood out the cold with Catalina for hours before the door opened. A rush of warm air leapt out of the house and embraced the two standing outside.

Butlers. Of course, he shouldn't have expected anything less. Ben gave him a curt nod in return and followed Catalina in. His body showed a defensive motion around Catalina. He was wary, even of the butlers.

The house was magnificent inside. Ben felt out of place inside such an elegant place. He'd never grown up near wealth and now here he was. His body stiffened with the look Catalina gave him. It was one of pure terror. His jaw set in firm determination, he refused to show how nervous he was. "I'm right here."

Crap. He'd forgotten most of his French. He gave the butler another hard stare before giving Catalina's hand a reassuring squeeze. Ben walked up the stairs with her, wondering what was to come next.

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina nodded absent-mindedly in Ben's direction, his words calming her although she couldn't really hear them. She continued walking up the steps, her body stiff with elegance. She grasped tighter to Ben's hand when she reached the top of the staircase and veered to her left. The hallway was immaculate, lined with suits of armor and numerous tapestries. The windows were lavishly adorned and built to sustain the most terrible of weather. As if a Wizarding family would need that.

But, Catalina didn't notice any of these things. She just kept walking until she turned right again, down another corridor. Finally, they arrived in front of two very large and decoratively painted golden doors. She raised up her free hand to touch the knob and twisted it slowly. The door creaked open, unpreparing her for what she saw in front of her.

A beautiful woman lay amongst the pillows of the very large mahogany bed on the far right of the room, her frailty clearly obvious. Catalina drew closer, taking in her mother's weaknessess. The woman's bright emerald eyes flashed with affection at the sight of her daughter, a small smile curving the corners of her full lips. Her face was sickly pale, and her black hair was matted with sweat.

Tears welled in Catalina's eyes at the image and she sat down next to her mother. "Maman," she whispered breathlessly, practically collapsing onto her mother's figure. The woman continued to smile and she wrapped her thin arms back around her daughter, before she whispered, "Darling, you are crushing ton maman." She flashed another weakly gorgeous smile before gazing over at Ben.

"'Ello zere, young man. 'Oo might you be?" the woman's accent was clearly obvious as she stared at Ben. Catalina didn't reply for she wanted him to introduce himself. She tried to grin reassuringly at him, conveying the safety he should feel with her eyes instead.

Catalina wasn't worried about her mother's reaction with Ben. Just her father's.

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben followed Catalina up the stairs, his defensive position never wavering. His gaze wandered around the manor, taking in every detail. It was amazing the time that people put into their homes. He wondered how much of their lives were actually spent in the house. It wasn't unusual for the purebloods though. As they walked into the room, Ben let Catalina's hand go. He watched her greet her mother.

He stood back near the door, his eyes down on the floor. While he listened to their conversation, he couldn't help but smile. It was clear where Catalina got her looks. Maybe it was just habit but he was too used to his old lifestyle. Only when he was addressed did Ben look up. He took a step forward and bowed his head slightly. Ben cast a wary glance over at Catalina and her look assured him it was safe. Young man, now that was ironic. "Benjamin Kanst ma'am. Forgive my intrusion. It was my wish to be here for Catalina." He managed a smile. Now was just the problem of telling her he was dating Catalina. Perhaps he would leave that to her.

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina made sure to keep her body away from her mother's just in case she was hurting her and then whispered, "Ou est papan?" Her sapphire eyes sparkled slightly and then she looked at Ben when she introduced himself.

"Benjamin," the older woman whispered, reaching up a weak hand to take his. "No, eet eez no intrusion. You are welcome 'ere anytime." She flashed a small smile.

Mrs. Williams grinned slightly, looking between them. Her emerald eyes glinted with interest as she said, "You love 'im." It was a simple statement that caused Catalina to turn a bright red. She blinked a couple of times and then nodded slowly. "Yes, Maman, I do. Ben's my boyfriend." She flashed another smile, before it faded. Her eyes were looking slightly behind Ben. She swallowed.

"Your boyfriend?" a dark male voice proclaimed. It was an eerie voice, filled with apparent disgust.

Catalina stared at him for a moment, before jumping up and curtsying slightly. "Papan," she whispered.

The man came next to his wife's bed, on the opposite side of Ben and Catalina. His dark blue eyes glinted with hatred as he stared at Ben. "What are you doing here with my daughter?" He didn't take a second glance at Catalina. She looked down at her hands in shame before taking one of Ben's in her own.

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben nodded at Catalina's mother and smiled softly. He took her hand in his, he could feel the fever against his cool skin. "Thank you ma'am." He listened to her talk and shifted nervously. Ben grinned at Catalina but it was quickly dropped when he saw her swallow. The deep voice behind him alerted him to her father's presence. Ben stood straight and followed his movements out of the corner of his eyes. He stiffened visibly as Catalina's father brushed by him. Ben met his gaze with his own, almost challenging. He grasped Catalina's hand before answering. "I requested that I be here for Catalina sir." His tone softened as he looked at Catalina. "It was the least I could do."

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Mr. Williams' cold blue eyes rippled with disgust at Ben's comment. He stared the boy down quite angrily until he felt his wife's hand on his. A softness suddenly came across his features and he quickly gazed down at her, face full of regret and pain.

"Be nice, Charles. 'E 'as done no wrong by you," she whispered quietly, her green eyes silently pleading with him. Charles tilted his head to the side, throwing another glare at Ben before he said, "I suppose you think it chivalrous of you to accompany my daughter in her apparent moment of weakness?" His voice was still chillingly cold.

"Papan, stop it," Catalina murmured, gazing at him hard with her sapphire eyes. She stepped closer to Ben, showing her father taht he was going to stay, with or without his approval.

Charles glanced at his daughter and then back at his wife. "Annaliese, in these strict times, do you think it wise to let a young man we do not know in our home?"

Annaliese flashed him a weak smile before muttering, "If Catalina trusts him, I believe that we can, too, darling."

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben cast his eyes down while her father stared him down. He felt like he was back in the army. Any minute now, Ben was expecting gunfire to burst out. Catalina's father even slightly resembled his old commander. He listened to her parents talk and he looked to Catalina for some reassurance.

His head snapped up when her dad addressed him. "No sir. Your daughter is far from weak. It is not chilvarous what I do. It's a mere duty I have when I told your daughter I loved her." A firm determination set in his jaw as he met his cold gaze.

Catalina stepped between them and Ben fell back into soldier like pose. His once again returned towards the floor.

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina was staring between her father and Ben in this exchange. Her eyes seemed to light up at his words. I told your daughter that I loved her. A small smile flew onto her lips but quickly faded at her father's continuous glare. She should have realized he was going to take it this hard.

His little girl . . . his only daughter.

Clearing his throat, Charles violently tore his gaze away from Ben and bent down close to his wife's face. He kissed her on the cheek very tenderly, tracing his finger on her cheek. "I am so sorry," he whispered quietly. "You were never meant to be involved." His voice was so gentle, so unlike what he was portraying towards Ben.

Catalina stared at them for a moment and then looked back at Ben. She rubbed the back of his hand with her fingers and then said, "It'll take some time, but I think he'll like you soon." She grinned.

Saddening her face at one of her mother's coughs, she turned back to her parents. "How bad is it, papan? Will she be alright soon?"

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben understood why her father was so wary of him. Luckily Catalina was there, otherwise Ben wouldn't have been so "tame". He watched the man change before his eyes, a kindness Ben didn't see. Ben smiled at Catalina. "I didn't expect anything less. I should leave the three of you alone."

He noticed his father was still watching him and Ben knew he would have noticed the Dark Mark on his arm. In fact, he was surprised Catalina's father didn't recognize him. "I'll be right outside Catalina. It was nice to meet ma'am." He bowed his head slightly at her mother. With another look, Ben nodded at her father too. "Sir."

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Charles watched Ben walk out before turning warily to his daughter. "You do know that he is a Death Eater, darling?" he inquired softly, cold blue into sapphire. Catalina walked over to him, her face alight with a small smile. With a simple nod, she whispered, "Yes, I do know." She looked over at her mother. "I have been thinking of joining the Dark Lord's ranks myself."

Blinking many times before replying, Charles said, "I will not allow you to do so, unless you are positive, Tal." He grinned softly before gazing back at Annaliese. "Your mother might not approve."

Annaliese pursed her lips very weakly before coughing. "I want 'er to do whatever eet eez zat makes her happy. She must be passionate about eet. Zat eez all I ask."

Catalina smiled and looked towards the door. "Maman, I have taken a few days off of school to be here, so I'm going to ask you if Ben could stay as well. I need him."

Annaliese stared at her daughter for a long moment before she said, "Bring 'im back in."

Walking over to the door, Charles pulled it open violently before he said, "Come here, Ben."

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben opened the door and stood guard by the door. Occasionally a maid or a butler would pass by. At this Ben would narrow his eyes and watch until they were out of sight. He could hear voices inside but he decided against eavesdropping. Finally the door opened back up and Ben was pleased to see Catalina. He gave her a grin, resisting the urge to reach out and pull her into a kiss. "What's going on?" He asked, arching an eyebrow. Ben followed her back into the room and stood by her, still avoiding meeting her father's gaze.

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

"I would like you to stay 'ere, Ben. For Tal." Annaliese's voice was weak as she gazed at Ben, her green eyes sparkling. "Zere eez a guest bed nearby 'ers zat you could stay in, but only eef you wish eet."

Catalina turned to look at him hopefully. It would be nice waking up to him, in a way. She giggled slightly at the fact that she had already spent the night with him twice now. But, that was something her parents didn't have to know. Especially her father.

"Please, Ben?" she whispered, intertwining her fingers with his.

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Would he? Of course. It was a no brainer. The moment Catalina's mother asked, Ben had to bite his tongue from shouting out his agreement. As she finished, Ben held Catalina's hand and smiled at the both of them. "Yes ma'am. I would love to stay here with Catalina. Thank you very much."

Guest bed? That made Ben smile. With Catalona in the house, there was no way he was spending the night alone in a guest bed. Her parents clearly did not know the depth of their relationship.

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Annaliese smiled at him before gazing at her daughter. "Go show 'im ze room, darling. I must rest anyway." Catalina looked down sadly at her mother before glancing at her father. With a frown, she held Ben's hand tighter and lead him from the room.

To their right, she continued down another corridor, finally coming to a door. "This is my room," she said slowly. Pressing her back to the door, she opened it from behind and then stepped in.

It was very dismal, the light seemingly unable to envelope the room. It was decorated lavishly, most things built with much expense or something frilly. She walked to her closet and opened it up, showing Ben all of the many dresses she had. "Too many to count," she said softly.

Closing the door, she turned and jumped on her bed, after locking her door. ((lol)) She gazed over at him with a smirk. "I never thought that she'd look that bad," Catalina said, "But, if she's still alive, I think she'll be alright."

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben smiled and followed Catalina. He stepped into her room and looked around. This was a bedroom? It was probably the size of a decent apartment. She opened her closet and Ben let out a low whistle.

He watched as she locked her door and a devilish smirk crossed his face. "I suppose there's no point in showing me the guest bedroom?" Ben chuckled and jumped on the bed. He smiled softly, his eyes full of compassion. "It's always a surprise when someone you love looks that bad. What did your father say about her condition?" He leaned in and kissed her lightly.

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina shook her head devilishly at his question. She pulled him closer so that she was on top of him. As she stared into his grey eyes, she whispered, "That's the problem. He won't tell me anything other than the the fact that she'll get better soon." Rolling her eyes, Catalina leaned down so that she was lying on top of him. She stared into his grey orbs very intensely. "Now that I've seen her, I believe him."

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben slid his hands to rest on her waist. "Just trust him then, we'll stay a few days and see how well your mother does." He smiled and looked back at her, searching her sapphire eyes. As she rested on his chest, he could feel her light breathing and he held her closer. "That's good. At least you're not as concerned now."

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina blushed slightly as Ben's hands moved down. Her heart beat faster and she batted her lashes seductively. "Don't do that unless you want something," whe whispered lusciously.

She nodded and then said, "I'm trying to, it's just that he's never been this closed up towards me before." She smiled at him and then kissed his lips softly. "I'm trying not to be. I know that staying positive will help her as well, so that's what I'm going to do."

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben gave her a devilish grin. "After last night, you think I haven't been controlling myself? But much to my disappointment, we're in your parents home. I don't think they'd approve." He chuckled lightly.

"Good, I'm glad to hear that." Ben leaned back to rest his head. "Your house is huge. Didn't warn me about that. Oh and eating is going to be an issue. I can do it, but I'd really rather not. I don't think your father is ever going to warm up to me."

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina giggled lightly, her sapphire eyes flashing brilliantly. "Well, I think you should make an appearance in the guest bedroom, just to be sure." She laughed again. "My father might have a sudden fancy to see if you're really in there."

She blushed. "Sorry. It's not something I brag about. Well, can't you just eat a little something? Just to throw them off?" She touched his lips with her fingers. "He doesn't like anyone, trust me. But, if you stay with me long enough, I'm sure he'll eventually be decent." She giggled.

Out of School Posts : 167 Join date : 2009-05-31 Age : 33

Ben sat up rather suddenly, still holding onto to Catalina though. "You don't think he'd actually check...do you?" He frowned, rather nervously. "Is it close to your room?"

"I guess I could. But only for your sake." He smiled at her touch. "Well I'll be around a long time, so I think he's just going to have to get used to me."

INACTIVE Posts : 491 Join date : 2009-05-27 Age : 32

Catalina giggled at his anxiety. "It's just through that door, there," she said, indicating the door to her left, opposite from her closet. "It's a possibility, but it probably won't be until late into the night. Mother will probably tell him to stay close to her and to leave you alone."

She blushed slightly at his words, feeling the red rise in her cheeks. "Really?" With a tentative smile, she pressed her lips to his, enjoying the coldness of his skin against hers.

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