Even Vampires Get Lonely

Lilyanya had cleaned her entire house and rearranged it for the 15th time in two months. She kept getting bored and she was tired of constantly reading books from the trunk in her room. She felt like the only thing she did every night and day was clean, read, or rearrange her house. Walking into the living room she turned out all the lights and because it was night time she opened one of the curtains. She sat in the windowsill and began watching the movements on the streets.

Lilyanya knew that no one could see her from the street because there was no street lights around her house. It made her house look like a dark glumly place to hang around but she loved every inch of her home. She planted flowers in the front yard which would be in full beautiful bloom next year and her house was a beautiful white with hunter's green for the trim. She had a wrought iron fence around her small yard but it was decorated with Christmas lights that she didn't finish hanging yet. Sighing Lilyanya got up throwing her coat on with gloves went outside to put up the rest of her Christmas decorations.

Getting outside in the cold she noticed that her path was covered in snow so she grabbed the shovel next to the door. Shoveling all the snow wasn't all that much work for her and she was glad to have a distraction for once. Getting to the end of the path she threw the snow over the fence and onto someone walking by.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry I didn't mean to hit you with snow, i didn't think anyone would be out at this time of night. I am so sorry." Anya said as dusted the snow of the man carefully knowing he would probably be furious with her.

"Bloody hell!"

Thank Merlin the owner of the Leaky Cauldron had been intelligent enough to bundle up more than he really needed to. Gloves, scarf, Belstaff trench coat and all. In truth, it was completely lucky that he had done so. Declan just wished that he had thought to wear a hat, considering the snow ended up tossed against his jaw and neck as he passed.

The man had been on his way to pick up some last minute gifts for his parents, who he would be seeing in a few days' time for the holidays. But his trip had been cut short when she dark-haired girl had dumped snow on him. His eyebrows lifted in a further display of shock as she reached out to dust off the lingering flakes of snow.

"That- that really isn't necessary," he pointed out slowly, shifting his weight so his shoulder was out of reach. "Do you often toss snow about, doll? I can't imagine anyone else takes it very well."

Lilyanya pulled her hand back quickly and looked at the man in front of her. "I don't usually toss snow about and usually not everyone walks this late at night on this street. So I wouldn't know what everyone else would think about getting snow tossed onto them. Further more I have a name and it isn't doll thank you very much." She instantly regretted the words that poured out of her mouth to him. Never had she lost control of herself to anyone, but hearing the name doll made her feel like a toy. "Again I am sorry to have thrown snow on you, I did not intend to and it is my fault." She said not once leaving her position by the fence. She knew that no matter what anyone says, you can't apologize for words said once they leave your mouth.

The man in front of her though looked everything like trouble and then some. She didn't know what he would say to her comments to him and she knew that he wouldn't take them lightly. Anya did the only thing she knew how to in this situation, she braced herself for the words that would leave his mouth. She knew that she shouldn't be but she couldn't help take in his facial features. He was handsome but he also looked like a bad boy who would eventually get you both into trouble. Anya shifted her weight from one foot to the other then moved the shovel to right in front of her. She didn't know what the man in front of her was capable of and she didn't like the feeling of not knowing.

A bemused smirk pulled at Declan's features when the girl actually retorted, surprising him into lifting his eyebrows. He crossed his arms over his chest and openly chuckled, the sound deep and warm despite the fact that the laugh came out because the woman was fighting with him. When she apologized again, he shook his head and glanced at his shoulder, noting that most of the snow had already melted or been brushed away. So perhaps he didn't have any real cause for complaining at her. But it was shockingly fun, and he rarely put up with strangers long enough to discover that they were fun to rile up.

"Well, that's the thing, isn't it, doll face?" Declan asked, reaching forward to lean on the fence and invade her space a bit. "You've not given me a name to use, so a nickname had to be given."

Gesturing to the shovel she had rested between the two of them, Declan lifted his eyebrows. "On a side note, though: Who in their right mind shovels at this time of night, eh? Have you nothing better to do? I should think you'd be going out or seeing your boyfriend for the holiday season. So, doll - and, no, by the way. The nickname isn't an insult. It's a positive comment about your looks. - What is it? What's got you so worked up that you have to chuck snow over your fence?"

Anya looked at him when he laughed and couldn't believe it. She knew that he was more than likely laughing at her but she couldn't understand why. When he spoke again he called her doll face and leaned into invade her space. Not letting him get to her she kept her ground and didn't move an inch. Anya refused to have some stranger intimidate her.

"My name is Lilyanya Faulkner, I prefer to be called Anya." She said looking at the man in front of her. So badly did she want to dump more snow on his head but, knew that it wouldn't be wise to do so. "Now you know my name please refrain from using doll or doll face."

Anya looks at the shovel and shakes her head, "I was trying to finish putting up some last minute decorations. I saw that the path was overrun by snow and decided to clear it." She looked at him strangely when he said boyfriend then she laughed softly. "I have no boyfriend. Well what I find strange is what your doing walking at this time of night. Are you lost?" Anya said as she shifted again to the other foot. She heard what he said about the nickname but didn't understand why he would think that. "Why does it have to be something? Why can't I just want to clear the path? Most importantly why do you care? I'm nothing but a stranger to you, not worth trying to understand let alone anything else." She said really looking him trying to understand something about him.

Declan nodded slowly at her retort, making a mental note to purposefully 'forget' her name later so he could continue to irritate her, but then realized that he could probably go for ages without seeing her. So he wasn't at all sure what his point was, but that hardly mattered. The holiday had never been one he knew how to appreciate, so this was at least interesting enough to keep his attention.

"I'll try and remember that," he replied cooly, obviously not taking her frustration seriously. "Just to confirm my point, though, it wasn't an insult," Declan added with a wink and a half-smile on the left side of his face.

"So," he mused aloud, "you thought near-dark would be a good time to hang up decorations. What if you had fallen? No one would have known." Although he wasn't sure that he truly cared, Declan rather liked the idea that he had the more rational view on Anya's attempts.

It was interesting, he decided, that she would so openly admit to being without a significant other, but he decided to let it go for the time being. "Not lost, Anya," he replied with a shake of his head. "I was going out to do some shopping. And it's always something, you know. People don't decide to hang things in the middle of the night unless they're bored out of their wits, or trying to not focus on something unpleasant. Which one of those applies to you?"

Shoving off of the fence, Declan frowned and glanced down the street before returning his gaze to Anya's face. "Look, do you want to get a drink somewhere? You may owe me for dumping snow on my head, but apparently I insulted you, so let's say I'll buy and call it even. What d'you say?"

"Why do I have a funny feeling that you will purposely forget my name?" Anya said looking at him wondering what he really has planned in his head. "If you didn't mean it as an insult, I'm sorry i took it as one." Anya didn't understand what he saw in her looks but kept her mouth shut. "I wouldn't have fallen I have really good balance. Besides most people don't stare at you constantly if you can't be seen. My neighbors are extremely noisy and they tend to make sure they catch me outside. They keep trying to set me up with their son." She said noticeably cringing at that thought of a blind date with your neighbors son.

Anya smiled realizing her mistake, "Well I'm sorry that I interrupted you doing your shopping....Do you honestly wanna know that question? Somethings are better left in the dark and somethings are horrible when brought into the light. The things about me no one wants to know and I don't blame them. Sometimes it's better to hide in the dark where you can't be seen. Rather than be in the light where the whole world sees everything about you." She said looking at him straight in the eyes wondering if he would comment on that.

Taking only a fraction of a second to think and said, "At least the snow melted off and I didn't do too much damage throwing it on you. A drink sounds good right now, I really need one right now." She put her shovel down the snow where it stayed in place as she walked the short distance to the gate. Opening it and stepping out then closing it back she waited for him, that's when she realized how tall he was. "Where to? I don't know of any bars except one but i know it's closed for the night." Anya said looking at him wondering if he had any reason to doing this at all.

Declan nearly frowned at her ability to guess what he had planned, but he covered it up with a shrug and a crooked half-smile. How had she figured that out? He didn't think he was that easy to read, but perhaps he was. Deciding to push off that worry until a later time, he focused on her reply, instead.

"That certainly seems awkward," he admitted, referring to their attempts to put Anya together with the man. "Can't say my mother does that to me, poor guy. He probably feels just as weird about it, you know."

His expression darkened as she spoke of secrets that did not need to come to light, and Declan nodded without realizing he had done it until too late. Shaking away the bad feelings, he drew in a breath and let it out with a quiet huff of air that turned to mist in front of his face.

It only made him uncomfortable when she refused to look away, and Declan found himself regretting his offer to take her to get a drink. But she returned to being polite, so he decided to give it a try. It would likely only be a one-time encounter, anyways. So what did it matter?

"Well," he smirked, shrugging one shoulder to feign modesty. "I happen to own a bar," he whispered, leaning towards her like it was a secret. "It's a safe bet mine is open. Can you get to the Leaky, or should I side-along you?"

"Not really anymore now, he's seeing the funny side to it as do I. She's an older lady and hasn't quite got the my son's not into girls through her head yet. I'm sure though her husband will finally get the hint and make sure she leaves the poor guy alone." Anya said giggling softly remembering the things that the man's mother said. "Sorry I just find it very amusing considering everything."

Seeing his expression darken she smiled wryly and knew that he would probably appreciate it if she didn't say anything. When he nodded at her words she knew that she wasn't the only one who had secrets better left in the dark.

"Well that makes it very convenient for you doesn't it?" Anya said smiling at his words. She leaned forward just slightly to hear his words even though she didn't need to. It was force of habit over the years, "I bet it is. I'm sure I can find it myself but if you'd feel better about it you can just take me along." She smirked at him her eyes lit up with amusement. She then realized that she was flirting with him and she didn't realize it until now.

"Fair enough," he replied, not one to judge the opinions or preferences of others. Declan lifted a shoulder in a shrug, adding, "Yeah, I imagine it would be pretty amusing to watch you both get flustered because of it."

It was a bit sarcastic, the comment, but he belatedly offered her a smile, as if expecting her to be upset about it. He extended his arm, though, when she said that it would be okay for him to take her there himself. In the back of his mind, though, he had to note that the girl was one of the naive ones he usually avoided. She had assumed, without any proof, that he would actually take her to the Leaky, and that he did, in fact, own the place.

It wasn't like he was lying, of course. But it struck a nerve within him, making him frown at the fact that she accepted it so easily. Declan kept his concerns to himself, though, never one to offer unwanted advice. Especially not to women like this one. Regardless, he waited until she had reached out to hold onto his arm, then turned on his heel and tore them away from the cold street and into the warm safety of the Leaky Cauldron.

Declan didn't wait long before pulling away, lifting a hand to offer a wave when someone sent him a greeting from across the room. Giving Anya a gesture that suggested she should follow him, Declan made his way behind the bar.

"Want anything specific? Or should I just get out a bottle of something?" he asked, gesturing to the options on the wall behind him.