RP: Useless Ambrosia

[shh_sanguini]

Date: January 8th, 2005
Character(s): Sanguini and Hermione Granger
Location: The Five Alarm
Status: Public
Summary: After returning from a rather depressing trip, Sanguini decides it would be good to get his mind off of things. How to get drunk without being able to drink? Who knows?
Completion: Incomplete

Comments

[shh_hermione]

It was past dark by the time Hermione arrived back in Stoatshead Hill. A busy morning had become an even busier afternoon, full of meetings and sorting. She'd met with two of the authors whose contracts they now owned and felt rather pleased at how well the meetings had gone. She'd basically explained the situation and gave them an opt-out or an option to remain with Vanateigh Press

[shh_sanguini]

Sanguini was rather lost in his thoughts when Hermione entered the Five Alarm. He had been staring at the same spot on the other side of the room for quite a while, occasionally taking a miniscule sip from the glass of wine the barmaid had brought him. It was just enough for him to taste it, however bland it was to his blood-suited palate, but not enough to make him running to the loo to cough up ash all over the place

[shh_hermione]

The basic wards around her table shifted slightly from the direction opposite the bar. Hermione tensed and lightly gripped her wand in her pocket, ready to defend herself if needed. An unfamiliar voice spoke, low and quiet, barely above a whisper, and male.

She looked up through her hair and straightened in her chair as she studied the handsome man curiously. The face was recognizable, but a name wasn't coming to her yet. Not a classmate, though. Someone else.

"You're not bothering me," she said slowly, trying to find the name from the many in her mind. Finally, it clicked and she looked at him more intently. "Please, have a seat, Mister Sanguini. It is Mister Sanguini, right? I believe we exchanged a few polite words of greeting during a holiday party many years ago at Hogwarts during my tenure there."

[shh_sanguini]

The moment the words left his lips, he realized that he recognized the young woman sitting at the table. Her first name escaped him, but he vaguely remembered Slughorn introducing her as 'Miss Granger'. While she still looked to be in the peak of her youth, there was something in her eyes that made him think she was much older than her body made her seem. Then again, the war had done that to many.

When she recognized him as well, Sanguini allowed a small smile to come to his lips. So he had been right. They had met. He found it rather pleasant to run into a familiar face here, even if he didn't really know anything about her. Well, everyone knew that she and her friends had been part of the resistance against the Dark Lord, but rumors were delicate and easily manipulated things.

"You must be Miss Granger, then," He said as he sat down in the chair across from her, "And yes, it is Sanguini. I'm surprised I did not recognize you. I'm usually rather knowledgable when it comes to faces."

[shh_hermione]

"You're more than welcome."

She glanced up when the door opened and saw Roger. Her lips curved into a smile and she waved back, somewhat disappointed when he went to the bar instead of coming over to say hello. Well, perhaps he was meeting someone, she decided.

Sanguini mentioned having time, and she focused her attention back on him. "I imagine that you do, at that," she said, laughing softly before she became serious. "I imagine it's a double-edged sword, though, isn't it? On one hand, you have a chance to see so much happening in the world and to grow and learn so much. But, on the other hand, you must become so used to losing people and watching the same mistakes made over and over that it becomes difficult to continue witnessing."

She shook her head slightly and arched a brow. "After all I've done?" she repeated, leaning forward to rest her elbow on the table. "I'd not feel idiotic, if I were you, as there's no real reason you'd know me."

[shh_sanguini]

Sanguini frowned a bit when Hermione mentioned the two distinct sides of his immortality. She was right, of course, but that didn't make the subject any more pleasant. Considering he had just returned from visiting both the grave of his lover and his parents, the darker side of eternal life was all the more present in his mind.

"You are correct. The reason I spent so much time traveling is so I'd never really have to know people. I saw wars and times of peace and monuments that have stood for centuries, but in all of that, I never really had to connect to those around me. I suppose now that I'm here, that will have to change."

He thought of Narcissa and how pleasant conversation was with her. Perhaps he should send her an owl so they could speak again. But he didn't have an owl. Then he chuckled. Well, Narcissa did own that shop, so he had an excuse to visit her anyways.

"I have seen many battles in my life, Hermione, but I know that people will remember that of yours your compatriots for decades."

[shh_hermione]

"I didn't intend to discuss something unpleasant. I often ask the questions on my mind without considering whether they're appropriate or not," she explained. "It's a curse of the curious, I'm afraid, but doesn't excuse rudeness."

She bit her lip and considered his words. "In a way, maybe it's not that unpleasant," she said thoughtfully. "Losing people you care about is, of course, but is it worth it in comparison to living centuries without ever knowing anyone? The loneliness of being on your own and not learning from people, never having people you call friend or lover, could be far worse than living, in a way, and experiencing life as well as you can even with the knowledge that you'll continue to live young and beautiful while others grow older."

"We survived," she said simply, leaning back when her food arrived.

[shh_sanguini]

"I had a lover once. After she died, I learned the hard way that love is not always worth the sacrifice. Most vampires are forced to be solitary simply because most mortals are terrified of us. They think we plan to sneak into their houses at night and drain their precious babes of life and soul. Then again, I am the only vampire I know who feeds from blood created by an apothecary rather than feeding off of humans."

Sanguini saw fit to leave the topic of Hermione's involvement in the war alone. It was obvious that she was not comfortable with it, and he didn't want to disturb someone who was offering him a chance to make a difference. He had never truly been in a war, although he had watched many come to pass, so he had no real ground to stand on when it came to how a person would feel after experiencing such a thing.

"Such depressing topics come to our lips. How unfortunate."