Hanging Around [open]

It had taken quite a bit to drag Celyn from his flat today, or rather a rather strong longing for the great outdoors. It had still taken a lot for him to convince himself that he'd be fine leaving. He had a horde of half kneazle kittens that he was looking after, kittens who were sure to have utterly trashed the place by the time he got back. Sure, he might have confined them to their own room with plenty to keep them occupied but had never made a difference in the past. No, the nature of the clever kneazle meant that they were always getting into a bit of trouble, and they were more than good at wrangling their ways from locked rooms. He'd gone so far as to ward the room, just to make sure that they wouldn't make their great escape. There hadn't been much trouble yet, but they hadn't had quite enough time to adapt to his new tricks yet.

Celyn had made his escape quite early, there was still dew on the grass. Garmr, Celyn's dark gray kneazle tabby had insisted on coming along, curling around Celyn's shoulders to avoid the cold ground. Celyn had made his way from his flat in Diagon Alley to Hogsmeade, trying his best to escape the crowded city for a bit. Making his way to his favorite little field on the outskirts of the town, easily sprawling down on his back with a grumbling Garmr taking up a place on his chest. He reached a hand down to gently stroke the cat's fur, his eyes studying the sky avidly. It wasn't too horrendous weather, a bit chilly but nothing he couldn't handle for now.

"Say, Garmy, do you figure that one's a cat?" Celyn's eyes traced the clouds as he grinned, but the kneazle just grumbled in response. "I think it does, perhaps a bit like you. Except more white." He sighed, stretching an arm behind his head and getting comfortable. "Maybe that one's tuna. I bet you'd like tuna." The cat was ignoring him, but that was fine. Garmr had been listening to his chattering for years anyway. He was bound to have stopped listening by now, but that didn't make his company any less valuable. Now, human company, that'd be a different story.

 

Camille walked to the small field just beyond Hogsmede. It was a place she'd go to on much warmer weathers but right now she just needed to breathe from all the work she'd had to do the days before. She took care of some paperwork and had to finish her lesson plan for the sixth years who were supposed to be polished enough to take their O.W.L.S next year. Camille remembered that test. It wasn't particularly hard. Then again Camille was a book worm who loved to read so studying up for the exam wasn't too much for her. She was looking for a way that the sixth years would enjoy learning about charms and have it retained in their memories after all their are thousands of spells out there and more and more are being made. It was improbable to teach all of them. She knew she needed to only teach the charms that were most useful to them. 

Today She'd come from the school, she'd just finished teaching a charms class and has free time. She was looking to have a rather quiet read under a tree, feeling the breeze on her skin and reading up a good book sounded like the perfect afternoon to her. In her hand an enchanted satchel where she kept all her books. She held it by the handle with her two hands.It was a fine day today; the cold breeze blew through the small field. Camille would prefer it to be just a bit more warm. She loved the warm sun on her skin but the breeze was fine too. It was a rather eventful class today. One of her first year students did one too many swishes while she taught them the simplest wingardiom leviosa; he was able to execute the spell but he ended up levitating one of his other classmate's glasses right off her face. Camille found it funny be she couldn't laugh in front of her students of course. It was always the funniest class she had, class with the first years.

She spots Celyn and walks calmly to him. She'd known Celyn rather awkwardly as he found out through some research about her half-breed nature and was scared at first to befriend him in fear of people accusing her of using her Veela magic on him. But when she found out that he was not interested in her that way she became more comfortable around him. He was afterall, to the extent of her knowledge, the only other person who openly knew about her heritage. Camille sat beside Celyn and smiled. "I had just finished reading this book about dragons and I checked, it's not one of your books" She smiled at him bringing out the book from her beige satchel."I found it informative and rather fascinating." She then realized her sudden intrusion of Celyn's private time. She smiled weakly internally apologizing with her smile. She noticed Garmy on Celyn and smiled. She didn't try to touch the neezle she just looked at it and blinked at it. 

Celyn trailed his fingers lightly through Garmr's fur, easily separating the little tangles as he stared up at the sky. Past the clouds, it was empty of anything past the few birds darting about. Now, if it was in the image of his perfect world there'd be quite a few more dragons and Hippogriffs, though maybe not together. That would be a disaster just waiting to happen. Dragons were probably better off on the reserves, away from the people who might harm them, but Celyn was certainly inclined to dream about seeing all of his creatures in the same place. No having to track them down in remote countries, in even more remote locations. Even if all of his magical creatures could never coexist, at least without trying to eat each other. Survival of the fittest might be a fascinating phenomena but he wasn't keen on throwing any creature onto a battleground.

Celyn hefted himself up into a more or less upright position when the sound of footsteps reached his ears, carefully using a strategically placed hand to stop Garmr from rolling off of his chest. He turned his head too grin a bit tentatively at Camille as she approached. He certainly wouldn't mind her company, at least he knew her to some extent. "Oh, did you?" He asked curiously, a smile playing across his lips. "Yeah, I enjoy dragons and everything but I haven't exactly been around them enough to write so extensively about them." No, Celyn preferred the relative safety of the toxic breath of the Nundu over the fiery breath of the dragon. He watched as Camille retrieved the book from her satchel, peering at the cover. "Is it new? I don't know if I've read this one." That was certainly a rather rare event given that he devoted himself from staying at the top of his field, fully informed.

"I'm sure it is interesting, though. Dragons tend to be." Celyn shrugged, they were rather fascinating creatures even if they had a temper that was rather difficult to anticipate for the newly initiated. "I find most of the difficulties are in finding reliable books." He sighed, running his fingers through Garmr's fur to calm his mild irritation at that fact. "You can find a lot of people who know nothing about any magical creature, no experience, trying to write books about them." It was one of the reasons he had started trying to publish his own work, and why he volunteered his expertise whenever possible. Especially when it meant getting folks to pay attention to accurate information, instead of just conspiracies.

Camille nodded at Celyn's statements."Oh yeah, I found it in the library. It's by one of my colleagues at Hogwarts." She turned the book around and handed it to Celyn "Charlie Weasley." She paused again, her eyes fixated on the neezle. "It is very interesting and I believe he knows what he was talking about due to the sheer detail in the book." The breeze blew toward her making her tuck her hair behind her ears. It was a windy day indeed. It was actually colder than she preferred.

She reached out her pale hand and slowly tried to touch the neezle on Celyn. She was mesmerized by it. Not that she had never seen a neezle, she had, but not this close a proximity to her. It was so fluffy and cat-like She was rather nervous to touch it as she knew that it wasn't all too easy to approach animals especially magical creatures that may actually have lethal consequences if she mishandled them. Then again, this didn't stop her. She, very slowly drew her hand closer to it.

Celyn grinned at the mention of the author, "Oh, I know Charlie Weasley." That certainly was a bit of a relief, he knew from his own experience that Charlie absolutely knew what he was talking about. "He certainly knows what he's talking about, we met during my apprenticeship up on the reserve." Celyn added, Weasley had always seemed more than knowledge and like he had all control of his facilities. More than he could say about some magizoologists that spent all their time travelling among creatures ... not that Celyn was one of them. "I'm certainly not thick headed enough to say Weasley doesn't know his stuff." No, not with the first hand knowledge Celyn had of just how good the man was with dragons - he was rather marvelous at it. Something that Celyn more than appreciated as a magizoologist.

Celyn watched in amusement as Camille made a move to pet Garmr, briskly scooping up the kneazle and setting him down rather suddenly on her lap. Garmy made an annoyed noise at Celyn before planting his paws on either side of Camille's neck, golden eyes peering into hers intently. Celyn snorted at his show, shaking his head at the kneazle, "He rather likes ear scratches, if you want to give it a go." He shrugged, pulling his legs up to cross them in front of him. "He'll behave, too, since I know you don't have bad intentions." Otherwise, Garmr tended to have a bit of a temper on her and was more inclined to lash out. Celyn knew better than to put him into a situation that might lead to that, though. The Ministry tended to be overtly cruel whenever something happened regarding magical creatures, and there was no way anything was happening to his kneazle.

Camille was caught off guard as Gramy was suddenly placed on her lap and was even more nervous when she placed her paws on her shoulder. Camille heeded Celyn's suggestion and very carefully scratched the kneazle's ear. This was an exhilarating experience for her. She'd never owned pets when she was young let alone a magical creature. She knew that the ministry was rather strict with all the creatures and looks at them as a danger to wizard sometimes but, with all the books she's read and time she spent with Celyn, she couldn't see why they'd fear such magnificent creatures. There were of course rather large and dangerous looking ones but as all the books shes read always said: You need to know how to approach them. They only lash out when threatened. Spending most of her days in the company of books, she could only imagine interacting with magical creatures. 

She turned her attention back to Celyn as she continued to scratch the kneezle and pet it soothingly. "Oh Yes, Charlie is very knowledgeable." She recalled the times they'd talk in the halls and in the great hall. He was, like Celyn, a fascinating person for her. She gravitated to people who were very passionate about their works, something she sometimes lacked. Not that she wasn't passionate about charms and spell casting; something about the fierce passion that she found in Celyn interested her. To be able to love another living creature, in celyn's case his creatures, was all but known to Camille. She sometimes felt there was something wrong with her for going on about her life, after the wizarding war, not feeling the need to sacrifice her life for something else. "It's amazing that you know each other. Then again, I'm not surprised. You guys are kind of similar with your knowledge of magical creatures and your affinity for them and all."

Celyn watched as Garmr seemed to find whatever he had been looking for in Camille's eyes, seemingly content that she was even a passable person, and curled himself up in her lap. The kneazle purred contentedly at the ear scratches he was receiving as he heaved a sigh and settled back onto Camille's lap to nap. Celyn snorted and rolled his eyes at the cat, Garmr was mostly only temperamental with him since he would put up with it - plus their familiarity. "I've had him for a while now, he's pretty laid back. Except when he wants to push my buttons." And Garmr certainly enjoyed pushing his buttons every once in a while. Letting kittens out of their rooms, and leading them out to reign chaos on his flat. It was interesting to see, if quite irritating in the moment.

"Yeah, it's mostly coincidence that we know each other." Celyn shrugged, his field wasn't so big with competent people who cared for magical creatures that he wouldn't know most of them. "I think my master had a contact at the reserve or something." There had definitely been another old man that he had been talking to while he had shown Celyn around. "It's amazing to watch them work with the dragons. Like some sort of dance." Keeping enough out of the way of the dragons so they wouldn't provoke their tempers, and avoiding their flames when they did get a bit riled up.It was something that Celyn had certainly envied when he was younger and first starting out. To be so in sync with the animals he was around that he could predict things like that, see their behavior in their movements.

Camille found herself at a loss for words. She was never too good in carrying conversations, she was a shy girl after all. Her eyes wondered around the field. The grass swaying from the blow of the wind. It was pretty serene. It reminded Camille about how small she was as compared to nature and, even though she was magical, that she was some how just a speck int he large spectrum of things. Her thoughts ventured back to the kneazle on her lap. She had been thinking about getting a pet. Something rather familiar like a cat. Though she wasn't totally object to caring for a magical creature, she just wasn't versed in their care enough to actually own even one. "She's a very adorable" She commented still petting Garmy's head and back.

She nodded at Celyns statements. She's never really seen a dragon up close. She could only imagine what Celyn was saying. It would be nice though if she could get over her shyness and actually travel the world like Celyn did but Camille was a person who liked comforted and was rather scared of uncertainty. Although, she is working on taking more risks everyday, she isn't to the point that she'd drop everything and fly around the world. "Do you miss it?" She paused and thought to herself. It may have been too much of a personal question but she'd already started asking. "Traveling, I mean." She finished hoping that it wasn't too intrusive. 

"Yes, he certainly is. Though they're rather tricky magical creatures." Celyn would never recommend them for anyone who didn't have the proper combination of knowledge and experience. Things could end up getting a bit sticky if the potential owners didn't. "The Ministry requires licenses, since he's a pure kneazle." It had never been much of a hassle for him since he was already getting licenses for the broader variety of creatures that he had at home and in the shop. "Plus, they're rather tricky to own to begin with, given how finicky they can be about who they trust." Something which meant that Celyn couldn't go bringing Garmr into the shop as often as he would have preferred. Too many people came through the shop, and he could never risk Garmy trying to take a bit out of them - or something equally nefarious. It was difficult enough to keep the shop animals in line without adding the troublesome kneazle to the mix.

Celyn shrugged lightly at her question, "Sometimes." Mostly on days when dealing with all of the people in the shop got to be too much and he just wanted to escape for a bit. "But there's only so much you can see on your own dime, or a Ministry contract." And the Ministry was more than happy with just killing things that they didn't understand or didn't want to deal with, for the most part. They rarely just called magizoologists up to send them into the field and find out more. "I still get to do some travelling, just not as much as I used to." Celyn still didn't know whether he preferred it this way. He rather missed spending his nights sleeping in forest or on the Savannah, but there was only so much you could do with limited funds. It always ended up being more waiting around than seeing creatures and as much as that might be worth it, it wasn't exactly practical.

Camille nodded. She understood Celyn's dilemma. It wasn't particularly cheap to travel around the world looking for magical creatures. It was even more of a challenge to have people realize that they were no threat and were very much as magical as wizards and witches are. The wizarding community wasn't exactly the most accommodating group of people out there. It was probably because they knew that they were special, the wizards. They didn't particularly like half-breeds like Camille either. So she could kind of see the side of the Magical creatures, kind of relate to them in a way. "It's a shame" She said. "people need to understand magical creatures aren't that different from them" She knew that she was, technically only half a creature. Veela's are considered magical creatures, what with their ability to transform into harpies and all. Camille has never transformed into a harpie. She didn't even know if she could. She just knew that she had been misjudged a lot of people because of her heritage. 

She smiled as she looked down on Garmy still napping on her lap. She would have loved a kneazle for a pet but then again she trusts Celyn's words when he said that they have trust issues. Maybe next time she encounters a kneazle she won't get lucky. "how does one exactly win the trust of magical creatures?" She was curious after all. 

Celyn bobbed his head in agreement, "They're all to willing to stick to the way things have been instead of accepting the new knowledge." He hated it so much, but there was only so much that he could do in his field to grab their attention and just hope that a bit of it sunk in. Even then, they'd have to stop with the whole 'kill first, ask questions later' approach which would be a struggle in and of itself. "You'd think the world would have changed a bit more after the War, seen how terrible it was to be so un-accepting." Celyn sighed, some things had certainly changed but not enough - not in a broad enough scope. Humanoid 'creatures' who fell into that scope had had it better, certainly, but since most of his creatures weren't so vocal about what they wanted they tended to fall by the wayside. Unless he was their giving them a voice.

"It really depends on the magical creature, honestly." He shrugged, it had been a rather tough but interesting learning curve for him. "For some the proper treat is more than enough, and for others it's just being your genuine self." Much like with Garmr, he couldn't get anything past the cat because he would know, and be more than irritated at Celyn for trying to get something over on him. "Bowing works with Hippogriffs, but they have to trust you too." He sighed, it was such a large range that it was rather difficult to explain sometimes, and it varied between creatures who had been raised in captivity or were born in the wild. The latter brought alongside it a significantly larger amount of unpredictability and distrust, no matter how long he might linger and associate himself with them. Safe to say, it was more than complicated.

Camille nodded looking at the kneazle on her lap and stroked its fluffy body. She couldn't imagine spending most of her life with magical creatures and trying to understand how they were. The patience is a requirement. By what Celyn expalined though, it seems that magical creatures aren't too different from wizards. "That makes sense, Even I wouldn't go near some one I don't trust" Then again it was especially hard to Camille to trust anyone with any of her secrets. Not that she didn't trust them, more on that she's scared that they'd shun her away. In many ways, Magical creatures were the same, as she started to believe. They have attitudes and tempers and demand respect just like any other person. The difference maybe that was is that magical creatures were more open to the idea of befriending people. 

She smiled leaning back placing her hands on the ground behind her. She tried to soak in what little sun there was that day. "Don't you have work?" She was reminded. Camille knew he worked in the Magical minagere to care of the creatures there. Camil. le didn't really go to that shop often because of her schedule

"Yeah, I certainly wouldn't." Celyn might be forced to be civil through his job, but that didn't mean he wasn't having second or third thoughts. Especially when someone came in to purchase a creature that they were very clearly unprepared to even begin to take care of. "Though, the special knack that magical creatures have for that sort of thing is rather fascinating." It was something that he had been rather interested in studying, but it was rather difficult to provoke reactions when you were being genuine. They knew all of your tricks and it was insanely difficult to get anything past them, something which made researching them and the predictability of their actions terribly time consuming - and sometimes impossible if you weren't going to put yourself at risk. Something that most people weren't all too willing to do at first, even less willing in the case of a more dangerous creature.

"No, I don't have work today." It was one of the few days that he had been pushed into taking off. "Though, I might end up going in if they get anything particularly dangerous in today." Celyn would certainly be more than willing to, usually when he was getting called in it meant that something really interesting was going down. Last time it had been a rather young Runespoor who was stopping through on its way to a reserve, it had been a privilege to take care of the intriguing little creature. "Do you work today?" Celyn asked curiously, "Have any youngsters you're meant to be lecturing?" He certainly wouldn't have been able to teach, leave him to his marginally predictable magical creatures any day.

Camille laughed a bit reminiscing about what had happened just today. She certainly had her hand full from all the students she has; charms being a seven year subject and all that. She has an interesting batch of students. First years were always her favorites though. "No, I'm on a short break right now" She smiled to herself remembering all the funny happenings in a first year class. "Its really interesting to be teaching such young minds the ways of spellcasting" She laughed "I've had some really funny moments in class teaching the first years" She then remembered house she was back in the school days. She definitely was a straight A student and practiced her magic to the tea. Sadly she wasn't one to make the class laugh with a miscasted spell. She did, however, poked her eye during the first day of charms class while practicing the swish and flick. No one noticed it. or if they did, they were polite enough not to point it out. 

She then remembered that Celyn was not a Hogwarts alumnai. She then wondered what it is like in france. Was it completely different from Hogwarts? Camille was never too fond of traveling it wasn't something she ever tried before so she doesn't know if she'll like it. the farthest distance she travels is from Edinbourgh, where her parents lived, to Hogwarts, where she currently is living. "How is France different from the United Kingdom?" She asked blatantly. How different was Beauxbaton different from Hogwarts

"Ah, so you're escaping from the pint-sized masses up here with me?" Celyn certainly would have to if he chose to subject himself to tens of little students each and every day. Back to school time was always dubious enough, with all of them tugging at the cages and driving the magical creatures mad. He certainly didn't mind children in small doses, but them ganging up and wreaking havoc together was another thing altogether. "I'm sure it is, but large groups of children can get rather out of hand." He wouldn't mind teaching in small groups of ten, but it certainly would never work out that way - and so he would be stuck with his true calling. "Oh, what sort of funny?" He couldn't quite imagine, and he was rather dubious that they would be turning each other into all sorts of creatures.

"It is rather nice, especially Beauxbatons. Quite picturesque, I'd say more so than Hogwarts, but I'm biased." Celyn shrugged, he had mostly pleasant memories from his days at school - but it had been his home, utterly and truly. "Though, my favorite part was the Abraxans in the stables." Not that that would be much of a surprise, given his chosen profession. "The holster was never much opposed to let me in to get to know them." Perhaps one of the spotlights of his time at school, past the rest of the magical creatures he had gotten to meet - and receiving Garmr. The people had always been quite nice, his surrogate family almost. The ones who had cared for him after his parents had dropped him off, nearly all year long for seven years. It had been his home, at least the one that mattered the most.