Re: Art Gallery (open)

[Humphrey Williams]

"What do you mean normal guys don't carry combs with them? Are you implying that I am strange Keiba? I have always carried a comb with me, and often it has come in handy. So, despite what you say, I am going to carry one with me." Humphrey told Keiba. "Besides, being normal is overrated anyway, and if this makes me stand out I don't care." he told her, crossing his arms in front of him.

"I have always enjoyed discussing, and picking apart books. But, then again, I am not the standard person am I?" he asked her. Keiba was examining his artwork, and he was content to stand there and talk to her as she looked at his paintings, and some of his sketches.

Then, to his surprise, she turned to him and attempted a smile. The smile came out as a grimace, but it was the thought that counted. She told him that they were really good. And then commented she didn't know he coiuld paint. "Keiba, I didn't know how to paint until Charlotte Smith taught me first year. I practiced while I was gone, and the quality steadily improved. You really like them Keiba? Which one is your favorite? I will tell you which one I think I did best on, but only after you tell me which one you like best." Humphrey told her, smiling in his goofy way.

[Keiba Namid]

Keiba rolled her eyes at Humphrey again. "You talk too much," she said as he elaborated on his purposes for carrying around a comb. For some reason, she was feeling a little downcast. Under the weather, like they used to say at home. She felt tired and not like herself. But Keiba was going to try to be happy, just for Humphrey.

"Mmm," she muttered in agreement. "Apparently." Keiba, for once, didn't feel like saying much. Humphrey could do all the talking for her.

She properly smiled at Humphrey this time. "That's cheating," she said. "You're gonna say that the one I like best is the one you think you did the best on." In the back of her mind, there was a little buzzing thought about how distant Charlotte seemed to be. It was like the Atlantic ocean lay between the two girls, and for some reason, something about Charlotte made Keiba not like her.

Keiba licked her lips and thought about it a bit more while studying the art works. She decided it was because Charlotte always seemed so depressed and shy, even though she was the prettiest girl in the grade, not to mention most powerful seeing as she had ties to the Romains and her adoptive father had shoved his hand through quite a few student's chests.

After examining most of the pieces, Keiba pointed to the sketch of the swallow. "I like that one the best," she said.

[Humphrey Williams]

"I know I talk too much." Humphrey said, grinning at her. Something seemed a little bit off about Keiba. She looked as if she either had a headache, or was distracted.

"Are you okay Keiba? You look a little bit off. Feeling alright?" he asked. He would gladly carry the conversation, but he wanted to know if she wasn't feeling well.

"It is not cheating, and I promise I will tell you what my honest favorite is no matter what you say yours is. I wouldn't lie about my opinion just to agree with you Keiba." he stated.

"So, you like the swallow the best. Fair enough, it is a beautiful bird. My favorite is this one." Humphrey told her. Then he pointed at the painting of a wounded stag in the middle of a clearing laying down on the grass. One of its legs, the back left one, was clearly broken. There was a little bit of blood dripping onto the grass from a piece of bone sticking out of its leg. It was drawn as if by moonlight, and everything had a silver light cast to it. The woods behind the stag also gave it is a slight silhouette. "It is sad, but beautiful at the same time. I have never seen anything else like that before. I simply had to stop and paint it."

"Keiba, I need to tell you something else that happened this summer. It is kind of a scary thing, but you need to know something about me. You know how I said I did a lot of hiking around so I could paint landscapes. Well, one of the days after I had finished and was heading back to my car I was attacked. Something snuck up on me, and before I knew it I was on the ground pinned. I don't know how else to say this, it was a werewolf Keiba." Humphrey explained to her, and tears started to gather in his eyes.

"The werewolf pinned me and, and, it bit me on my left hip. But, the wound healed before I could get to the hospital. It just bit me and left, and the wound was deep. Yet it healed on its own. Now, every full moon, I transform. I'm a monster Keiba, a dangerous uncontrollable monster." he spat out. The words tasted bad in his mouth. "I can't even trust my own body any longer. It controls me once a month, and I don't know what to do about it." Humphrey said. He was terrified Keiba would stop being friends with him when she learned about this part of him. But she had a right to know.

[Keiba Namid]

Keiba shook her head. There might be something wrong, but she wasn't about to talk about it. She pursed her lips and glanced at the painting he said was his favourite. "That one's really depressing, though," she said curiously.

Shoving her hands deep into her jacket pockets, and studied Humphrey curiously. "Werewolf, huh?" Keiba was mildly surprised. "I think you'll be glad to know you're not the first werewolf friend I have."

Images of Zara's dark hair and purple streaks flashed through her mind. Even though the Slytherin hadn't officially told her her secret yet, Keiba had been having suspicions - the fascination with wolves, the reluctance to talk about full moons, the tired appearance whenever the full moon did rock around. It all added up, it was just a matter of time for when Zara wanted to actually tell her.

[Humphrey Williams]

"Yea, it is one of the more depressing paintings. But, it is special too, how often do you see a wounded stag lying on the ground under the light of a bright moon. It is a rare thing, and those are the things you paint Keiba. Those are the things that stick out, and make an impression on you. The things that make you feel something, good or bad." Humphrey explained, trying to get her to understand his fascination with unique things to paint.

"Werewolf." he nodded. Keiba just looked at him with a curious expression on her face, and told him that he was not the only werewolf she knew. "Whoa, you know another werewolf. And you are friends with him or her. Does that mean you are still going to be friends with me Keiba?" he asked her, a look of hope shining in his eyes.

[Keiba Namid]

"I'm friends with her. I don't think you know her, though," Keiba said slowly. Humphrey being a werewolf must be tough on him, but he didn't frighten her.

"Of course I'm still going to be your friend," she told him stiffly. "You worry too much. Being a werewolf doesn't really change anything, just... just don't hurt anyone, okay?" She turned to him, a half-hidden plea in her eyes.

[Humphrey Williams]

"You would be surprised Keiba. I do know another werewolf. Just one other, but for all I know it could be the same one you know." he told her. He was really surprised that Keiba was friends with a werewolf other than him.

"Wow, Keiba, I don't know what to say. I thought, well, I thought people wouldn't want to be friends with me if they knew..." Humphrey told her. "Of course I won't hurt anybody. I already asked Headmistress Romain if I could meet with her. What I am going to ask is if she can give me the wolfsbane potion once a month before the full moon so I don't have to change. And Keiba, thank you for still being my friend. It means more to me than anything else, your friendship." he told her.

[Keiba Namid]

"Really? Are they a Slytherin?" she asked. If it was the same person, then that was cool. But if it wasn't, she wasn't about to give the game away for Zara.

Keiba snorted. "Obviously, you thought wrong. What kind of person do you take me as, Humphrey? I'm not a racist."

A thoughtful look crossed her face. "If you want a wolfsbane potion, wouldn't it be better to ask Professor Valentine? I mean, she is the potions master at this school."

"I know, Humphrey. I know," Keiba said, turning away from him again. She was glad to be friends with him.

[Humphrey Williams]

"Yes really, and yes they are a Slytherin." he told her, now he thought that it was the same person. Hmm, he didn't know Keiba and Zara were friends. Interesting.

"That isn't what I meant, Keiba. I thought you would be scared of me. It didn't have anything to do with racism. You know me, I always imagine the worst possibilities. And for me, that is you not being my friend." Humphrey told her, trying to explain himself.

"Well yea, but the Headmistress needs to know I am a werewolf. And, if I talk to her, she can ask the potions master to give me the wolfsbane potion." he said.

"Keiba, I was wondering about something..." Humphrey said quietly.

[Keiba Namid]

Keiba rose an eyebrow slightly at Humphrey. "Doesn't happen to be Miss Hawkins, does it?" she said lightly, with a lopsided grin.

She shrugged, not wanting to carry that conversation further. She was too tired to think of something else to say.

"Hmm?" Keiba said, turning around to face him. "What?"

[Humphrey Williams]

"It sure does happen to be Miss Hawkins." he said, grinning a little bit. "And I had met her once before, in the summer before second year I met her and Mace. Remember?" he asked her.

"Do you want to go grab a butterbeer at The Three Broomsticks with me sometime?" he asked her. Humphrey asked her, and a blush colored his cheeks.

[Keiba Namid]

Keiba could have hit herself. "Oops, I totally knew that," she said with a pfftt attitude and a wave of the hand. Keiba grinned.

"Hey, sure why not? I've been meaning to go down there sometime," Keiba said with a smile. Suddenly, all negative feelings had vanished. Who better to go with than Humphrey or Mace?

[Humphrey Williams]

"No, you don't get what I am asking Keiba. Let me be more clear, do you want to go to The Three Broomsticks as in, like, on a date?" Humphrey asked her, blushing a bright scarlet now. "You don't have to. But, I thought, well, I thought it would be nice." he said.

"If you don't want to go as a date, we can just go as friends. That would be oka too, but that is what I meant when I asked you the first time, a date."

[Keiba Namid]

Keiba started when Humphrey said he meant it as a date. "I think, Humphrey, for the moment, we should just go as friends. Okay?" Keiba hated to be the one to crush his spirits, but she really didn't want to... you know, have a boyfriend yet.

Besides, she didn't like him like that. He was her best friend, after all!

[Humphrey Williams]

"Okay, that is alright. Just wanted to put the offer on the table. Because, well, you are an awesome girl. So want to meet at The Three Broomsticks for lunch Saturday?" he asked, trying to figure out when they would meet up there.

Humphrey's feelings for Keiba were brand new. But, he thought to himself, maybe I can win her over at a later date. Since he came back, he noticed how pretty his best friend was. Gorgeous really, and he alredy knew he could trust her with absolutely anything.

[MelodyLovegood]

Melody had always been a fan of the art and she was glad that Jinxy hadn't followed her here.She looked around and spotted Humphrey and Keiba but they seemed deep in conversation so she didn't go over to say anything to them.Plus Melody still had her resolve to not trust people.

[Humphrey Williams]

Humphrey was surprised when Melody Lovegood walked in. She was a first year, and very shy. He doubted Keiba would mind if her and her cat Jinxy joined them. "Hello Melody, come over and talk to us. This is my friend Keiba Namid, who you have met since she is in Ravenclaw." he told the younger girl, smiling and introducing her to Keiba. He wasn't sure if they'd met or not yet.

It appeared she liked art. She was looking around at it, very interested. "Yea, those are some of my stuff. They aren't very good, but I enjoy it; so, that is what's important."

[MelodyLovegood]

"Huh?"she said."Oh hi guys.And I think your art is pretty good."I walked over to them with Jinxy following after me.

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