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]

"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."

[shh_hermione]

"I am sorry for the loss," she said earnestly. "But would you have rather never loved her at all and never had the time together that you did if it meant not suffering the loss? I'm simply curious, so please do tell me if that's too personal. Love in a romantic way isn't an area that I've experience with, so I wonder if the feeling if worth the loss and hurt

[shh_sanguini]

"Well, the mad philsophers do say that it is better to have loved and lost than never loved at all. As much as it pains me, I will agree with them. During those days with her, I never felt more happy. There are rumors saying that vampires can never truly feel as humans can, but in those moments, I knew such lies not to be true."

Sanguini idly traced his finger around the edge of his glass. He turned his head slightly to see what had caught Hermione's attention. He didn't recognize either of the other patrons, but it was obvious that she did.

"If this is too intrusive, I apologize, but what other projects are you working on? I'm sure the museum and the publishing company aren't everything on your plate."

[shh_hermione]

As she listened to Sanguini, she found herself wondering what it would be like to be loved like that. To be gone but not forgotten because the emotion was so intense and true. While she found the concept of romance to be rather foolish, she couldn't deny that she might like to feel something like that, even if she doubted it would ever happen for her.

"It's not intrusive at all," she said, taking a drink before she answered. "Besides the publishing company and my bookstore, I'm working on the history of magic syllabus that I mentioned, doing a little towards a new library, and trying to get some sort of shelter for stray animals, since there are quite a few in town. There are a few other smaller projects here and there, but those occupy most of my time."

[shh_sanguini]

Sanguini raised an eyebrow at the mention of her building a shelter for stray animals.

"I'm rather fond of animals, but they're not very fond of me."

Besides wolves and a few other predators, most animals seemed to go into a state of panic around him, something that he found rather unpleasant. When he had been mortal, he'd had a huge beast of a dog that followed him everywhere, and he rather missed that. He hoped that if he purchased an owl for Narcissa, it wouldn't fly away in terror.

"What job do you think I would be able to apply for at the museum? A guide, someone to move all of the artifacts around, someone to arrange records?"

He was just throwing out the first possibilities that came to mind. To most mortals, such things would likely sound boring, but Sanguini would be happy to have something to do.

[shh_hermione]

"Perhaps you should try a cat? Or do they also react badly?" she asked. "I seem to recall reading that felines didn't react quite so negatively as dogs did to those with your condition."

She smiled. "I don't know, honestly. Cedric is just now getting the building renovated and is about to have a painting party, I believe, to finish up some of that," she said. "He has some volunteers to help out, but I don't know of anyone who actually plans to work there, so I imagine there's a lot of possible positions open."

"I don't suppose you've learned how to type in all your decades?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure he was looking for an assistant to help a lot with day to day things and a variety of everything. But a guide or record keeper would be useful, too."

[shh_sanguini]

"I've never had a cat, so I'm not entirely sure."

Sanguini stared into the depths of his wine glass, tempted to take another sip just so he would have something to do with his hands. Even after a handful of centuries, he had yet to break the habit of wanting to move his hands around all the time. To him personally, it was rather irritating, so he tried to hide it whenever possible.

"To type? With a typewriter or a..." He struggled for the word for a moment, "Computer?"

Sanguini had picked up that odd skill a few years ago when he was in the United States, namely New York. A teenage Muggle girl had taught him how when he was in a cafe, and he had picked it up rather quickly.

[shh_hermione]

"Well, you might try one then. I have a cat, and they're really quite good companions. If you decide you'd like to try one, let me know. There are quite a few in the warehouse where I feed the strays, so I'm sure we could find one that would like to adopt you."

She smiled. "A computer, I believe, is what he uses, but the keyboard is similar to that of a typewriter," she said. "If you can use one, you could easily learn to use another."

[shh_sanguini]

"I would enjoy that."

Sanguini smiled. It would be nice to have some sort of companion in the basement flat, although he wasn't sure if an animal would enjoy being somewhere with no sunlight. Maybe he would let it out before dawn to explore when it wished to. There had to be some way around it.

"Yes, I know how to use a computer. For typing, anyways. A young girl in New York taught me. They're quite complex objects, really."

[shh_hermione]

"We could go this evening, if you'd like," she offered. "I just plan to go home after dinner, so I could walk you over to the warehouse to have a look."

"Well, if you know how to use a computer, he'll definitely have work for you to do, probably more than you can imagine," she said, smiling before she went back to eating her sandwich. "I've just begun to really learn how to use one, myself. There wasn't any need when I was younger, but I have one for business now so it's necessary."

[shh_sanguini]

"If it's no problem, I would like to."

They had just really met, so Sanguini didn't want to impose. He did look forward to speaking to her more, however, and going to the warehouse was an opportunity to do so.

"I look forward to working. I'm so used to traveling that it's rather boring sitting in one room all day. I never really had need of any possessions when I traveled, so my flat is rather bare right now."

[shh_hermione]

"That's settled then. As soon as I finish, we can walk over there and see if a cat will react poorly or not."

She picked up the other half of her sandwich and listened, nodding slowly. "I traveled for seven years, so I had little when we settled here. I managed to get a few things, mostly books, from my youth, but it's really required just taking what was leftover in the house when we acquired it and finding bits and pieces of things to make it our own as time passes."

"And, yes, the boredom can drive you insane. I have to have projects to keep me busy or I'd end up pacing back and forth constantly."

[shh_parvati]

Parvati made a detour to Hermione's table on the way out the door. She hesitated a little ways away from the table until she could catch Hermione's eye.

"Hello again, Hermione," she said, clutching her cloak tightly, and trying not to be nervous about the stranger sitting across from her.