A Walk with Death

Will had wondered when it was the last time he had taken Hades a walk around the Lake. So far, he had taken Hades around the greenhouses, but after Hades leaked on what looked like expensive Runespoor fertilizer, Will didn't really want Professor Ellis to catch them and go bonkers over it.

Hades had grown from an annoying five pound husky puppy that ripped through his sock drawer, to a forty-five pound crazy beast that had taken a liking to tackling Will to the floor every time he came back from classes. Hades' demonic personality had shifted very little in the past year.

As he walked Hades down the now cold grass, he had one hand wrapped around his leash while using his other hand to read through a book on husky breeding, hoping there was some way to cope with such a monster.

Huskies are good family pets, but need a patient and devoted owner.

Will frowned at the text, then looked at Hades, who was determined to pull him toward the Forbidden Forest to chase after small game. "Good family pet, my arse."

Reaching a tree, Will quickly tied the relatively long leash around the trunk and after tightening the knot, sat down by the trunk, flipping through the pages. He covered his cloak tightly around himself as a cold wind breezed by.

Hades tested his limitations of frolicking and, discovering how limited he was, growled at Will and tugged on his leash in rebellion.

Will glared at his pet. "You remember the last time I let you off your leash? I think Madam Rosey resigned because of you." Finding images dedicated to the different types of husky dogs, he aimed the book up to compare it to Hades.

"What the heck are you---hold still, prat!" He warned as he tried to compare Hades' markings to the pictures.

"Huh..." Will finally said as he whistled Hades over with a bit of his favorite dog treat. Defeated, Hades reluctantly sat beside his master and munched on the treat. "You're not a husky at all, Hades. The shopkeeper was a bloody liar," He showed Hades the page. "You're a freaking Alaskan Malamute."

Hades made a strange sound in response that Will hadn't heard in other dogs. Like a 'wooing' sound. Will closed the book with a snap and sat back, contemplating this revelation. Malamutes were one of the most difficult dogs to train, being of the 'survival of the fittest' gene. No wonder Will had a tough time with him.

Setting the book down, he absently petted Hades' gray and white fur. "I wonder what other surprises are in store."

Hades wooed discontentedly in response.

Wait! is that a dog?

Alex was, as usual, walking 'round the lake. I eat so less and walk so much, no wonder I feel hungry all the time!, when she thought she saw a dog. thought because it was quite a big one and she was at a distance. Alex wanted to go near and introduce herself but, whoever it was, did not seem in any need of company. Alex bit her lip as she debated.

Hades' ears perked up and he immediately jumped forward, bounding after what Will saw was a Hufflepuff girl. He watched dispassionately as Hades whined as he reached the end of his leash and was determined to go after the girl, wooing with sharp barks. He was always like this when he saw strangers.

"Shut up, you brute," Will said as he tugged on the leash, though there was no way to reel the dog back when Hades was in curious mode. He wondered if he could use the shrinking transfiguration charm on Hades and see if it would make him smaller...

"I knew I should not have stopped!" Alex cursed under her breath ass she saw that dog tug his or is it her?- Its leash and try to come towards her.

The first second that Alex saw the dog's actual size, he looked comparatively smaller from where she had been standing, Wait - Had been standing?!

Alex looked around her to confirm what she thought had been a stupid thought on her side but - yup she had moved subconciously towards the person and the dog. The person looked like a Ravenclaw, and seeing that all Ravenclaws she knew were friendly and that she missed Poseidon. She squared her shoulders and walked up.

I hope it was a good idea!

Will watched with something akin to amusement and curiosity as Hades tensed when the Hufflepuff began to move closer to them. A lot of Hufflepuffs seemed to have grown a bigger spine than what he was initially told about the House. Obviously not betting on the girl coming closer, Hades leaned backwards on his hind legs, as if to lay down for a moment before springing, though his tail was wagging furiously.

Will rolled his eyes at his dog. He was always more keen toward girls than guys. He still hadn't forgotten how Hades as a pup leaked near Raven's bag back on the Hogwarts Express.

"He's harmless," He found himself saying aloud to the obviously nervous girl. Hades began to hop on his hind legs sideways back and forth, obviously now in play-mode, his tongue wagging.

'Could have fooled." Alex muttered under her breath, then added, "I guess we should not judge a book by its cover?" in her normal tone, seeing the dog hop. Seeing it in a playful mood Alex relaxed and smiled as she tentatively extended her hand to pat the dog, "Whats its name?"

Sitting up slightly, Will tried to pull the leash back again, but it proved fruitless as Hades pretty much jumped at the chance for contact from the girl. "His name is Hades."

Hades wooed at the mention of his name and stood on it's hind legs, trying to hug (though Will rather believed trying to tackle) the girl in obvious delight. If he grew anymore, he could tower over the small Hufflepuff.

Alex laughed at the over enthusiastic dog as Hades tried to tackle her. He was very much succeeding in pushing her down but Alex fought hard to stay up and she did manage it in the end.

"Hey you know whats really funny? Even I have a dog named after one of the Greek Gods. Poseidon." Alex said in between her laughs and Hades insistent pushing, hoping the guy understood her. "Why is he so hyperactive anyways?"

"Really?" Will grinned. A lot of people seemed keen on naming their pets after mytho characters. "My friend Raven has a crup named Loki. Small world I suppose," Then again, Raven was a mythology nut, so it was pretty understandable. He only named Hades because the dog was a bloody demon when he bought him.

He curiously pondered over her question as Hades began trying to lick her face with a slobbering tongue. Hades was such a bloody traitor---picking girls over guys.

"I guess I haven't been taking him out much," He admitted. "Every time I do, he always ends up causing mayhem. Only Hagrid appreciates me visiting him with Hades. Says that my dog is just misunderstood or something like that," Though, he once heard a rumor that Hagrid once had a dragon's egg decades ago, so his 'authenticity' on dangerous creatures were somewhat biased.

"Really?" Alex asked as she quirked her eyebrow. "Have you ever thought that if you take him out more often, he will stop causing the 'mayhem'." Alex added with finger-quotes around 'mayhem'. "He seems pretty nice. just a little..." she trailed of as she thought of a suitable word watching Hades run around in circles, "bored." she finished.

Alex gazed at the sky line, deep in thought as she tried to remember what the obedience training guys had done to train Poseidon. "Wait!" she said as her eyes suddenly brightened and she started tumbling out the contents of her bag, looking for something.

"He's been insane when he was a pup too, so I doubt giving him a bigger free rein would do any better," Will said darkly, looking at Hades obviously pulling an over-the-top show of his playful prowess. "And the last time I let him fully off his leash, he chased Madam Rosey off from the greenhouses. Letting him free might make him more rabid, if I go on my theory." He blinked when the girl proceeded to search her bag. Hades jumped back down in response.

Alex paid little attention to the boy as he explained why he did not give Hades a freer reign, she was way too focused on finding the 'thing'.

"I know I kept it! I mean I knew he will probably resent me forever for not taking him to Hogwarts so I had gotten it with me to trick him when I return. So he thinks that I got a new toy for him, while actually I just gave him his old toy back!" Alex muttered to herself as more stuff tumbled out of her bag. "Finally!" she said as she held out what she had been looking for all of the time. It was a toy bone.

"Here!" she said as she tossed the toy to the boy. Hold it! BOY! I still don't know his NAME? I ask his DOGS name but not his own! God just kill me now!

"By the way, what is your name?" Alex asked sheepishly.

Will caught the toy bone with one hand. It squeaked when he applied pressure to it. He looked at it for a moment until he realized that Hades had strange expression on his face and he bounded after the toy, preferably Will himself.

"Uh, it's Will. Will Bla---!"

Will squeaked in alarm when Hades tackled him down, excitedly trying to get the toy, wooing loudly. "Get off!" Will said with a grunt as Hades tried to snap at the bone. Out of instinct, he threw it a little ways away, forcing Hades to go bounding after it.

"Will what?" Alex asked calmly as she knelt down to collect all of her things. She paused as she came to one particular object, her heart and stomach joined teams to protest but nevertheless, Alex tossed the sandwich packed neatly in a ziploc bag she had chucked from her mother.

"Pat him and give a piece of this to Hades when he returns." Alex stated as she barely glanced up from her task.

Will caught another item. This girl seemed keen on throwing him things. However, as he looked at Hades happily chewing on the toy, squeaks coming out in rapid succession with each chew, Will thought the toy was a rather good idea. It kept the mutt busy.

Sitting back up properly from the tackle, he straightened his cloak. "It's Will Black," He finally said. It was rather strange that he had not met everyone yet, especially since the year was nearing at the end in a few more months. "You?"

Alex gave him a funny look before answering, "Alexandria Black."

Great! Not only is my first name common, even my last seems to have a hall lot of fans! Oh the joys!

"Is your dog a...what do you call that type that look like a wolf, wait, got it, a malamute, right?"

Will raised an eyebrow. He had heard of another Black in Hufflepuff, but thought none of it. Black was a common surname after all.

"Funny, there's an Alexandra Black in Ravenclaw," He grinned. "But the surname is fairly common. There's only two I know that are readily related to me in the least." Actually the only two he knew were Alex Black and Reina Nox who dwelled in the more unsavory branch of the family tree. The lack of potential offsprings were always the woe of a pureblood family. Inbreeding tended to be a last resort though. He shuddered at the thought.

He changed the subject. "He doesn't look like a wolf to me. More like a pot-belly pig," Hades looked up from his chewing to give Will some sort of annoyed look. "Yeah, he's a malamute. The shopkeeper said he was a husky though. But the big guy's too big and furry to look like one." He patted the dog book for emphasis.

"Do NOT remind! Oh the horrors of having a common name AND surname! really lucky, right?" Alex asked as she settled up on the grass, next to Hades.

"So since you are from the Black family, are you like related to that Sirius guy, I have got his chocolate frog card." Alex asked as she absent- mindedly ran her hands through Hades fur. "Are you a pure-blood? The Black family's really into it right?"

Will blinked at the rather strange outburst. Though he had to admit, she really did have really common names. Hades was completely oblivious to the whole thing, only munching happily on the squeaky toy. Some guard dog.

"I'm...not directly related to him, no," Will said finally. He wondered if it was okay talking about his lineage to the rather mercurial Hufflepuff. "My line comes directly from his brother, Regulus. Though, if you're interested in Sirius, Reina's a better candidate. She's the one with the direct line to him."

"And no, I'm not a pureblood," He continued. "My mother was a muggle-born. I suppose you can say that my family's a little incentive about blood purity..." Of course, it was an understatement, but he felt that he didn't need to elaborate more on it.

Alex nodded in response, she was curious as to who exactly was this Regulus guy but Will clearly did not want to discuss about that with her so she searched around looking for a safe topic, her non existing lineage was out of question. Even if he had asked her about it, she would have most likely skimmed over stuff, hating to see that look of pity on his face.Pity for her.

Her eyes landed on Hades, "Why did you get a dog for yourself, Will, when you clearly do not like to take care of it?"

Niiiiice! Now that sounds like an accusation. Oh well!

Will shrugged, uncaring of a rather accusing question. "In my family, a creature that snaps at you chooses you. It is a sign of dominance and respect. When one fully tames it does one call it a companion," He glowered at Hades, who gave a similar expression back. Plus, he was a rather cute thing when Will bought him, but he wasn't going to admit that.

"Your family is really weird." Alex stated, then realizing that probably Will would take it offensively, she added, "Not that I mean any offense, my family's pretty weird too. Just the funny sorta weird not the dark brooding sorta weird."

"So what are your hobbies?" she asked to change the subject. She sang 'A Boulevard of Broken Dreams' by Green Day to pass time as she waited for Will to answer

Dark and brooding? Will tried not to smirk. Dark maybe, but not brooding.

Ignoring the strange whistling tune, Will contemplated saying anything about himself. After all, he barely knew the girl himself. Though girls seemed to have the habit of wanting to know a person, so he allowed a few generic answers to placate her.

"String instruments, learning and Quidditch," He said, righting his cloak.

"Learning?" Alex echoed in confused tone. The suddenly her expression cleared. Ah! a Ravenclaw! Like Duh!

"What position do you like to play as in Quidditch?" Alex asked, once again. She was the only one trying to make a conversation and wondered if she was bothering him.

"A Keeper or a Beater," Jasmeet butt in, she had been walking on the grounds of the Hogwarts castle, when she had seen Alex and Will talking to each other. She couldn't help but listen to what they had been saying, and choosing the right moment, had included herself in the conversation.

Remebering her manners, she said, "Hey Alex, Will"