When it rains, we pour {Leon}

[carson hale]

The day itself proved to match how Cari felt. Precipitation fell angrily upon the ground blanketing it uptil the earth itself could not breathe. Cari knew how it felt. It wasn’t fun being on the receiving end of a bad break-up, it never was but that little fact didn’t stop the unforeseen news from coming. Merlin knows how long he thought of those words, words that would attempt to let her down gently but ultimately rip out her heart and tear it to shreds. It had taken all of her strength to walk out of the Great Hall with some semblance of calmness when all she really wanted to do was rip out the hair of his newest toy, some brunette Gryffindor. How she could have let her heart become so unprotected, Cari didn’t’ know. Somehow he had wiggled his way in then destroyed her from the inside out. Sure that had not been his intention, but Cari needed someone to blame and since he was the break-upper not the break-uppee, he was fair game.

Her feet drug across the ground belying just how downtrodden she felt. It was like everything was a blur without him. She couldn’t even recall how she had gotten out of the castle, for all she knew she had just walked out the front doors amidst the protest of teachers to whom she just replied, “Shove it.” Surely she hadn’t done that, but with her sudden lack of memory it was possible. Unconsciously, her hand reached out and pushed open the door to the Hog’s Head. It figures that she would come here. For some reason the Hog’s Head felt safe, even if it was tetanus ridden. Walking up to the bar, the bartender must have felt pity for her because even though she wasn’t wearing some short revealing dress that made her look of age, he gave her a bottle of firewhiskey and a shot glass. Slapping the proper amount of money on the counter, Cari took off for her favorite table in the back corner. It was a quaint little booth where she was surrounded on two sides by walls, something which made her feel safe and less paranoid.

After making a pathetic half hearted effort to wipe off the seat, Cari sat down. To anyone who knew her, Cari’s appearance alone would set off warning bells. Clad in a simple pair of jeans, black converse, and a loose sweat shirt, Cari was not her usually clean dressed up self. The tears had finally taken a pause leaving wet faintly gray trails down her cheeks from her eyeliner. After pouring a shot, Cari took careful sips, wanting the bottle to last as long as possible. She didn’t even care when the collar of her oversized sweatshirt fell off of her shoulder to reveal the pale bare alabaster skin it had hidden beneath. Nor did she look up when a faint ringing marked the entrance of yet another customer.

[leon cortez]

The weather was...terrible to say the least. Terrible for most of the world with probably one exception. Leon was strangely attracted to the stormy weather. Sure, it wasn't exactly the best thing to get drenched, fully dressed, unless you were running around, maybe with some beautiful girl in a romantic scene with a light sun shower. And sure, lighting could kill you and thunder could scare you half to death, but that’s what made it so enjoyable for Leon. Rainy weather often scared people out of their wits. Even the toughest thug thought twice about committing a crime or coming outside during such a time. This gave Leon an advantage he loved and used often in his line of work. But it also gave Leon a time to rest and settle down for a while to let the storm pass.

Between an umbrella and his wand, Leon was able to stay as dry as if he had been inside all day. His boots made a wet splash sound as he walked down the cobble stone streets. Leon was heading towards the Hogs Head, his favorite pub in town. He was a regular here, especially during off time. Leon stepped through the door and a bell sounded as he entered. The bartender seemed to be worried for some reason until he noticed that Leon had walked in. This momentarily threw Leon off and he quickly reached for his wand. The bartender quickly waved him off. Leon briskly walked over to the bartender before scanning the room. He thought he recognized someone in his regular seating. "What was that about?"

"Sorry about that Leon, didn't mean to worry you. It's just that Carson came in here looking really upset. She ordered some firewhisky, and I know you normally share a bottle with her, but I didn't want to upset her any further."

"No worries Abe. I’ll go see what’s going on with her." Leon took a step away from the bar before pivoting back around to face the man. "Actually, let me get a bottle. I have a feeling that she wont be sharing much today." Leon took out some money and slapped it on the table. The bar tender handed him the bottle before he made his way towards the back. The reason he had not instantly recognized Cari was because she looked a little different then usual. She wasn't trying to look older then she was, and...Well, she was soaking wet, makeup running and all. He cleared his throat before speaking again. She looked up and recognized him instantly.

”You going to scoot over and let me in kid?” Leon put the bottle of firewhisky on the table and took off his long overcoat. He threw the coat over her shoulders, letting it hang like a cape. Leon could have sat on the opposite side of her, but she was probably going to need his warmth and a shoulder to cry on. Leon sat down, and turned to face her. ”So…Cari…am I going to have to break someone’s arm?” He smiled hoping that she would understand that it was both a joke and a true statement. Leon felt a little pained to see her upset, but he was never the type to show his emotions. He just continued to smile and waited for her to respond in some way to what was going on.

[carson hale]

It was funny looking out the window and watching idiots who had forgotten that it was raining running around trying not to get absolutely soaked. Puddles littered the ground creating little splashes when someone would walk through. It would have been a nice day for a game of tackle football. The rain was pouring, mud was literally everywhere, and there was no sign of lightning. To bad Cari wasn’t in the mood to organize a game. It felt like all the fun had been sucked out of her and an ocean of salt water had taken its place. She wanted desperately to shrug off this hurt and return to being happy but her eyes had other plans. Lowering her head to rest on her arms, Cari sighed. Today really sucked.

The sudden clearing of a throat caught her attention. Repressing the urge to groan, Cari stayed the way she was. Mentally she was thinking of what to do. The last thing she needed was some perv thinking that he could get her drunk and have his merry way with her or a teacher reporting her for underage drinking. Slowly, Cari lifted her head until her eyes could peek over at where the throat clearer stood. Her hair curtained her face but Cari knew who this was the second she saw his figure. Leon… Suddenly Cari became hyper aware of her appearance. Using her sleeve she wiped the tears from her cheeks and tucked a strand of damp hair behind her ear.

“Leon! Of course I‘ll scoot over.” She exclaimed, a large grin lighting on her lips as she made room for him. For a moment she forgot her problem and delighted in the fact that she could share a drink with her favorite person. Leon took off his coat and threw it over her shoulders. Considering that Cari wasn’t Leaon’s size, she was engulfed in the coat‘s warmth. His scent surrounded her adding to the comfort of his presence. Leaning her head on his shoulder, Cari closed her eyes and sighed. She loved it when they had these moments of closeness. It was moments like this that made her realize just how inadequate her twin really was when it came to being a big brother.

”So…Cari…am I going to have to break someone’s arm?”

The second the words had left his mouth, Cari wanted to smile. Leon always knew what to say to make her feel like the sky wasn‘t falling. ” I don’t know about an arm, but I would settle for two legs and a head.” She joked back with a hint of seriousness. ” I would let you kick his ass but one, I’m afraid you would be caught and get in trouble. I don’t want you to get in trouble because of me. And two, I want to be the one to make him cry for his mommy.” Her serene smile turned a bit sadistic as Cari thought of the pain she could make him endure during the next Ravenclaw-Gryffindor match. He would learn why you don’t mess with a beater of her caliber.

Looking at the table top, Cari’s eyes dimmed when she realized that Leon too had a bottle of firewhiskey. Normally, the only time they ever got separate bottles was when there was a big problem or a big celebration. Considering the fact that she hadn’t spoken to him in days, Cari could only assume that Leon was having some problems as well. ”So what are you drinking to?”she asked nodding her head toward his bottle.

[leon cortez]

Cari’s face instantly lit up when she noticed Leon. He knew perfectly well that she was trying and was probably going to try her hardest not to bother Leon with her problems. Of course, Leon wouldn’t allow her to slip through the cracks by changing a subject or joking about it. ”Make him cry for his mommy huh? And how do you intend to do that? Jinx him I suppose with some Dark Arts?” Leon was being very sarcastic to say the least. He in no way condoned the use of the Dark Arts. Matter of fact, he hated the Dark Arts more then anything in this world. Fighting against wizards who used such magic was his reason for joining the Ministry in the first place.

Leon watched as Cari eyed his bottle of fire whisky. ”I’m not drinking to anything in particular. No offense, I just thought you weren’t in the mood for sharing.” He was referring to the look on her face and her demeanor right before she noticed he was standing there. ”Which by the way, you haven’t explained to me yet. What did this boy do to you? Cause you know that no law will protect him if he hurt you.” The boy problem was most likely just that. A boy problem, some break up, some heart break. Of course such a thing was nothing more then a learning experience, but it was no reason for her to suffer through something of that sort.

Leon knew enough about relationship problems. In a way, any relationship before the age of twenty five he found comical. Especially those around Cari’s age. The reasons for a break up were simple. Either the girl or the boy grew tired of one another, the two felt they could do better, or the two scared one another out of the relationship by moving to fast or falling in “love.” A memory popped into his head of his sweetheart from the time he went to school in Hogwarts. The thought almost made him throw up. The real tests of a relationship occurred later in life. When one’s career got in the way, when children were born, when family members were involved; just to name a few.

Leon came back to reality and reached for her bottle of firewhisky. He poured himself a shot of it and placed it on the table in front of him. He then reached for the unopened bottle of firewhisky, and placed it on the other side of Cari close to the wall. Cari didn’t even have to ask what that gesture meant. The bottle was for her to keep if she wanted it, but while the current bottle was opened, Leon was going to drink with her. Leon reached for his shot, smiled and downed the shot in a single gulp. The shot sent a burning sensation down his throat. After putting his glass back down on the table, he turned and faced Cari to let her know that he was all ears.

[carson hale]

Cari wanted to laugh at Leon’s suggestion. Thoughts of using the dark arts to get revenge had crossed her mind but Cari would never resort for them. Even if only because of the fact that she feared he would never look at her the same. “Leon, Leon, Leon… You should know by now, the dark arts have nothing on a beater scorned.” Cari laughed, the malicious glint coming back into her eyes. Indeed, during the next game, Gryffindor would have to watch their backs, especially the back of a certain chaser.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Cari was glad that Leon had gotten a second bottle simply because he thought she wouldn’t share. It was better than being depressed and having to fight off the urge to go and hurt whoever had hurt him. Because, while Leon couldn’t hit a lady, Cari had absolutely no qualms about hurting those who hurt her friends. In fact, right about now Cari would welcome a fight or two if it meant forgetting her own problems. “I’m glad you’re ok.” And she was genuine, if only for selfish reasons. At least with one of them thinking clearly, the chances of doing something rash were slim to none.

“It was all my fault, really. I told him from the beginning that it was nothing and it wouldn’t last. You how bad I am at keeping my eyes from wandering and I even told him that. But somehow he got in until I was used to him and actually liked having him around. Then, today at breakfast he comes in and tells me it just isn’t working and that he has been seeing someone else and he had wanted to make sure that relationship would work before he dropped me. After that, it’s kinda blank. I don’t remember how I got here or how I left the castle.” The patterns of the wood grain on the table caught her attention as she began tracing them with her finger. This sucked. Cari hated feeling like this, she knew it would have happened eventually but never had she been the one to be dumped. Usually she delivered the break up speech. This had just been so unexpected.

Turning slightly, Cari watched as he drank down a shot. Suddenly she leaned forward and gave him a hug. She needed a hug right about now. “Thanks for being here.” Leaning back, Cari gave him a half smile. “I think I could get off easier if he was injured due to a ‘Quidditch Accident’ than you could if he were just plain injured. But the thought was nice.” Grabbing her own shot glass, Cari drank what was left in it in one single gulp.

“Which reminds me! You will come to the next game, right? It’s Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor and I promise you it will be interesting. Please, please, please?” In the typical Cari fashion, she put on her best puppy dog pout complete with wide watery eyes. Maybe if he was there, perhaps wearing a brightly colored shirt so he would be easily recognizable, she wouldn’t get lost in senseless violence. Leon’s approval had always meant so much to her, she wouldn’t do anything drastic if he was there watching.

[leon cortez]

”You don’t remember how you got here from the castle? Now, that’s no good. You’ve got to be more careful wandering in and out of this place. Especially if you are coming over from Hogwarts. How many times I got to tell you? Something shady is going on down there. You could get yourself killed.” Leon was a little angry that she had been so careless. She was young and ignorant to certain things, but that didn’t mean it kept her safe. There were an alarming amount of violence growing in the wizarding world, and he didn’t like it one bit.

Cari then hugged him. For whatever reason, whether it because she was still upset with the break up, or because Leon was angry about her carelessness, she had just surprised him with a hug. It was something she enjoyed doing often. Leon wasn’t the type to show much emotion, but he made sure to return the favor. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulder and pulled her in tighter. She leaned back, with a half smile before finishing off her shot.

I would love to come to your next game. Ill even wear my old Ravenclaw colors. Gotta represent the best house in Hogwarts. Especially if you’re going to play against the goody two shoes Gryffindor!” As usual she had put on her puppy eyes, watery eyes and all. ”And you should know me by now, you don’t need to put on that face.” He smiled and poured himself another shot before taking it down.

”So, anything else going on in school that I should know about. Grades still good I hope?” The question was much deeper then a GPA. Of course he worried about how well she did in school, but her safety, and the safety of everyone in Hogwarts was the most important. Good grades don’t matter for dead people. It was a morbid thought, but one hundred percent true. He still hadn’t received the thumbs up to investigate at Hogwarts. Nothing bad enough had happened yet to send in investigators. The justice system confused him sometimes. Why wait for something bad to happen before acting? The reason? You can’t prosecute someone if they have not committed a crime. But still, prevention was more important to him then taking the criminals off the streets. He could always nab them for some other things like conspiracy. There's no way for one man to change a whole system, so for now, Leon followed rules.

[carson hale]

The fact that Leon was upset with her tore Cari to the core. It was like a thousand knives cutting into her heart, a pain that was a million times worse than her recent breakup. Of course, if it hadn’t been for the breakup, she wouldn’t have been oblivious to the world. And if it wasn’t for the breakup, Cari wouldn’t be so hurt by Leon’s anger. Normally she could handle his temper, but today she hadn’t been expecting it and the fact that she was already hurting made his anger toward her hurt more. Boys would always come and go but Leon was one of the few constants in her life, the only one she could really count on. “I know and I’m sorry. I’m so so sorry.” She murmured, the sound decreased to a mumble when she hugged her knees to her chest and buried her head in her crossed arms on top of them. Using this as an opportunity, Cari wiped away the tears on the sleeve of her sweater. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed her wince when he had spoken of her stupidity.

“You would really subject yourself to a bunch of screaming school kids just to see me play?” Looking up at him with one eyebrow raised, she saw his face serious. “You know that by coming to the game you’ll automatically be invited to the victory party in the common room afterwards. Twister and Special Coco all around! I might even convince some of the guys to play strip poker again.” Cari shot Leon a wink before she downed yet another shot of firewhiskey. It rarely happened but when some of the guys got drunk enough, Cari could convince them to play poker as she refereed the game. It wasn’t her fault that she gave the drunks bad advice which resulted in them losing more clothes. No not her fault at all.

As Leon assured her that the puppy pout wasn’t needed, Cari carefully thought of how to word her answer. If only he were drunk and she knew that he wouldn’t remember, then she would tell him the truth. The truth that Cari feared the day that Leon took a wife and forgot about her. “I know.” She dramatically sighed, wiping away fake tears. “I dread the day you are wrapped around someone’s finger other than my own.” Perhaps she had been overly dramatic enough that he wouldn’t pick up on how much truth there was behind her statement.

“Nothing much is going on around the school. Just the same old same old.” If he could not pick up on her hidden answer like she had picked up on his hidden question, then Cari would whack him over the head with the bottle of firewhiskey. He had told her before of the hidden danger at Hogwarts and only death could stop her from telling him if anything had changed. If she knew he wouldn’t get angry at her for it, Cari would send him a few scrolls worth of the schools current gossip. Just to keep him updated. Unconsciously, Cari smiled at the thought. If only she were that daring.