About That...

Jack was certain Silvyr was in a terrible mood. She had just left James in a similar one, but his reasons had become quite separate from what had happened during the meeting. It was late at night now, close to midnight, though Jack hadn't caught a time when she had left the Potters' home. She was certain Silvyr would still be up, and certain he would still be upset. She remembered her first meeting that had fallen to shambles. She knew what he was feeling.

Jack didn't want to run into Matt, so she pulled the hood of her jacket over her hair, slipped in and hurried over to the innkeeper's desk, glancing over the different room numbers. Room number six had the initials 'S.S.' so she walked up to the stairs and jogged up, stealing across the landing until she arrived at room number six.

She wrapped her knuckles twice on the door before saying, "It's Jack."

Leah jumped on the bed and curled up into a ball with her ears sticking straight up. She could feel the energy that Silvyr's body was sending.

Silvyr's mind was racing as he cursed himself angrily for losing control. He knew that was the last thing he needed to do in an Order meeting but he coudn't stop himself at the time. Never would he have spoken the way the young members had at their first meetings. He wanted more than anything to try to bring peace to the two sides of the Wizarding war but how could he get such simple minds to see anything. They were so shallow and oblivious to the ways of the world. How could he work with people who weren't even able to look past the simplest of stereotypes.

Silvyr looked to his quill and parchment that was still sitting on his desk. He knew he had a lot to report and he wanted to do so while his thoughts were fresh. He had never questioned Aaron before but Silvyr didn't believe that his Lord knew the extent of how far the Order had fallen.

Silvyr sat and wrote for as long as he could until his hand had become cramped several times over. Finally he finished the note and heard the pecking of Chouette's beak tapping at the glass. He pulled her inside and attached the second message of the night. "I know you're tired," Silvyr said while petting his friends soft neck feathers with his index and middle fingers, "but deliver this message first before you hunt. I will leave the window open for you in the morning so you can come in and sleep." The owl took off again with the spread of it's massive wings and soared out of the window flapping into the night sky.

Silvyr closed the window behind her and extingueshed the candle that was now burning down in the candle holder. He realized how late it must have been and stretched out his back and neck muscles by reaching towards the ceiling. The fire light rolled on the walls and he could feel his eyes growing heavy.

_____


A knocked at his door startled him as thoughts raced through his head. He reached for his wand that was tucked away, like always, in his back pocket. He couldn't believe how stupid one of the young members that he had angered at the meeting must have been if they thought they were going to ambush him. Or worse.... it could be Matt. Silvyr knew if that were the case he would have some serious apologizing to do. Senior members had no excuse for acting the way that he did and he knew that all actions came with consequences.

Jack's voice spoke softly but firmly as from behind the door. Silvyr let his guard down and pointed his wand at the door commanding it to open it at his silent command. His abilities in the new spell casting technique had continued to grow day in and day out as he used it more and more.

He kept his wand in his hand but by his side until his one friend in the Order put down her hood showing her fiery red hair. He was honestly glad to see her he thought to himself while replacing his wand back in his pocket. "I suppose I have some explaining to do, huh?" Silvyr said sheepishly after seeing the look on Jack's face. He scratched the back of his head and looked down at the flames embarrassed by his actions a few hours ago.

Silvyr answered the door, looking incredibly on edge. Jack knew such a state to be an after effect and symptom to the passionate rage he had fallen into. Jack could see the wand out of the corner of her eye, but she kept her gaze steadily fixed upon Silvyr, trying to express her sincerity and purpose.

He spoke and she shrugged. "Don't really need to explain it do you? I was there." After a second she said. "I'm not going to ask to come in. I got you the place- so I'm going to assume I'm allowed in." Suddenly her face split into a large grin and she slipped inside, glancing at Leah. In a small, dumbly tone Jack said to the dog, "Not a threat. I know you to be pack leader." Dealing with werewolves had made Jack good with dogs. She knew how to appeal to their instincts.

Jack turned to look at Silvyr. "Here hoes the obvious questions, though you can be more candid than I could have simply assumed. I hope you can forgive me for asking a question that I know most of the answer to. How are you feeling?"

Silvyr smiled slightly as he watched his friend, who he had seen kill multiple animals and rip apart muggles who poached their wolf friends, melt at the sound of Jack's voice and scrubbing of her hand on Leah's white fur. Silvyr knew he had a crush on the stubborn red headed girl but now was neither the time nor the place.

His focused continued to be pinpointed into the flames that licked the block of wood in the fire. "I feel fine. I'm just upset is all. I can't stand when I hear mindless judgmental tones for no reason. How hard is it to ask first about the man before completely casting him aside. You saw who we had in that kitchen tonight Jack. If we don't find some way to up our numbers then we're dead before we even know it. You and I have both personally seen what Death Eaters do to young-lings like them and the only way we stopped them last time was through our experience and numbers. Yes, Leah and I were still slightly young at the battle against Grindlewald but we were experienced fighters after living on our own for years in the wilderness. Those children will die if they get cornered by a Death Eater one night during an assignment. Maybe not James but I fear for the rests safety and how can you work along someone if you're constantly second guessing them?" Silvyr said. The amount of passion in his voice still surprised him.

He looked at her for the first time since she had entered, "Tell me I'm wrong."

Jack , once again, patiently listened. She had been learning this skill the longer she lived and the more she met people who had a lot to say. She glanced around and spotted a rigid looking armchair, and she quickly pulled it from its place against the wall and sat in it, looking at Silvyr. She was exhausted. After drinking with James to relive old memories, she had accompanied him to go track down the mother of the child he had never known. Jack had not stopped moving all night.

As he finished, he dared her to disagree and she smirked wryly. "And prove myself an idiot?" She sighed. "I know they are young, and inexperienced, and, yes, foolish." Jack paused. "But you also saw how driven and eager they were. Even if they weren't in the Order, they would somehow get involved. Take it into their own hands to combat Death Eaters, or seek jobs where they would be half-trained and set loose.

"The Order isn't around to protect the public. We also protect each other. If we didn't take these kids and reveal the reality of the situation to them, they would go in thinking they can do anything they believe they can do. They're going to babysit Susans' kids, and realize they can barely do that. They are going to combat low-level threats at St Mungo's, and realize they are out of their depth. They will harden, strengthen, and grow." Jack felt a small grimace appear on her face. "I was like them once. Sure, I'd been battling poltergeists for years and I had a battle under my belt, but I came into the Order my seventh year, demanding information for Potter's Army and involvement for my students." Jack shrugged. "It's the mind of a young person. They can't know what they're asking, because they don't know the reality. They'll catch up though. They will."

Silvyr knew that there was a lot of truth in Jack's words but he couldn't get himself to completely believe that everything was close to being okay. He walked over to Leah and sat down in front of Jack who had moved over to the only chair in the room.

He rubbed Leah's white fur allowing it to move through his open fingers while he chose his words carefully, "I understand it's going to take work from us all in the Order, but each day we fall further and further behind the Death Eaters. What are we going to do about our numbers? What are we going to do when they do finally rise up against us and strike?" Silvyr looked up from Leah and met Jack's eyes, "Do you really think the likes of you and me are going to survive an all out war taking on five to ten Death Eaters at a time?" a hint of sadness in his voice.

He had thought about settling down after he had served his time in the Order but it was clear that those days were becoming even further out of reach than he had once imagined. His chances of a normal life like his parents had surrounded him with as a child was now just a pale shadow in the last glimpses of the sunset.

Silvyr was hurting, as it was clear from his mournful thoughts, and pensive silences. Jack remembered that feeling, the one she had squashed out long ago. She had become a machine- take down threats, protect loved ones, and expect to be taken out eventually. If you moved forward like a robot, soon vital hits bounced off you as though you were made of metal. Jack had lost Elliot, Chase. Her family had moved on and her friends had left. She could move forward without regrets.

"We're falling behind, but what else can we do? We have new members, and they're not always going to come to us ready-made and prepped for action. We take what we get and mold them to our best standards." Jack sighed, saying, "It seems hopeless, but the defense is always easier than the offense. They have much more to figure out and it's our job to endure. We might not have fighters, but we have survivors, and that's a big start."

But Silvyr had worse things on his mind. He met her eyes and she held the gaze, listening as he spoke. "You forget..." she said slowly. "We have Leah." A small small flicked on to her face as she shot the dog a look of approval. She looked back at Silvyr and said. "We're not alone. There's James. Whight. Matt. Jess. Sometimes, Silvyr, you see the odds stacked against you. But the only way to lower them, is to refuse to let them beat you before you've begun."

Silvyr's mind raced behind the sorrow on his face. He continued to pet Leah as he listened to Jack's wise words He couldn't help but smile at her joke about Leah which brought his mood up more than he had anticipated. "I guess you're right. I know I'd be scared if I saw her coming after my wand hand on the battle field."

He knew that there were a few members who were very strong assets to the Order but he also knew where his allegiances lie. He couldn't handle the thought of what would happen the moment he would have to watch Jack fall during battle with him standing on the opposite side. He pushed the images out of his head.

"I need your help with Naomi. Just on finding her. I don't know where she was last spotted and I knew that you would." Silvyr said while nodding at her last words about being beaten. "I know that's our closest shot at getting a glimpse of what the Death Eaters have planned, and our chance to get the edge we need."

Silvyr's smile strengthened her own, for it reminded her that she had not become someone incredibly different. She had always had the ability to crack jokes, always been able to lighten the mood. After a meeting like the one night before, she had appeared so different- stiff, unrelenting, a hard-ass, too serious to even smile. She didn't like the idea of appearing so radically different from her own character.

He spoke of Naomi and Jack leaned back in her chair. "I know where she's leaving, but it's private property, and I'm not on good terms with the owner of the grounds." Jack paused- besides, only she and said owner knew of Naomi's position. It was unwise to let anyone else know. It could easily result in her death.

Jack said, "You give me a date, time, and place where you'd like to meet with her. I'll send her a note that, as part of her parole, she needs to meet with an upstanding community member to have an honest, disclosed conversation. I'll have her officer encourage her as well. She'll be there." It wasn't... what was the word... legal. But Jack had never liked to follow rules anyway.