Above Ground: Well-Preserved Classroom

"I already know you like Demyan." Darius said unabashedly. "And Will's probably going to purpose to Lara any day now."

"Personally I don't get it." Darius said sighing.

"I think I'd like Defense Against the Dark Arts." Darius said grinning. "So we can get those purgers!"

Rossa blushed, really was she that see through? It seemed like the whole Keep knew about her feeling for Demyan execpt Demyan him self...

"Merlin... Am I really that obvious?" she said trying to hide her blush.

She did however let out a small chuckle at what he said about Will and Lara... Seems she and Will were both smitten with the two Eldest Kaminski children.

She nodded at what he said about Defense... in truth she was more advanse in that subject.. even though it wasn't her favorite. She didn't like fighting, but they had to it could mean between life and death one day..

"Ya.. I know what you mean.. Transfiguation is my favorite subject.. but I am more further along in Defensive stubies becuase of Purgers.." she said.

"Have you met or had to fight any purgers yet?" She asked simply curious, when she was his age she had incountered quite afew... but that was before they completely moved to the Keep and after her parents died.

"No," Darius said. "But I can tell." He winked.

At the topic of Purgers, Darius shook his head. "No, Will and Eliza, and Mum and Dad don't let me." Darius pouted.

Rossa blushed, "Oh.."

She nodded, " Tav won't let me either, but think about it Darius.. if they let you go out to fight. What could you do?" She asked curious as to what he thought he could do. No doubt Darius had heard how dangerous they were.

"I could help," Darius said indignantly. "I could - I could watch their back while they're busy with their front." Darius had heard how dangerous it was, but he had worried so whenever someone he knew were out there facing them. He'd rather be with them, than waiting for them. He knew he could help.

Rossa sighed and nodded, she had used to think that to..... Then when she was finally in a fight.. though quite by accident. She had been doing surpriseingly fine, but a group of purgers snuck up behing her and fire a rather nasty, painful curse...

Kaylie... her sister in law.. Tav's wife had taken the curse for her as she had not been fast enough to move out of the way.. Kaylie died hours later form the curse...

She took a deep breath pushing the guilt down once again..

"I was in a fight with purgers once you know... I was the same age as you, I was doing alright mostly, but another group of them came up from behind me, and fired a curse... Someone died for me that day Darius and to this day I wish it had been me that died instead. Your family not only want to protect you from injury Darius... but from other pains of war....like watching someone die a painful death, someone you love... watch someone give there life for you..." she trialed off before she turned it into a speach.

"I know how you feel, you want to fight long side your loved ones, protect them... fight for what you all believe in. But most of the time things don't go according to plan and evil things happen." she tried to explain, but for some reason she had the feeling he had heard all this before.

"How about a demo eh? lets see what you got? up for a practice purger battle?" she asked taking out her wand.

Darius felt slightly ashamed after hearing what happened to Kaylie. But... he would rather watch someone he loved die, actually be there when the spell hit instead of sitting pretty at home waiting for the news arrive. He wanted to know the exact moment they died, he wanted to be there, to see, or else the what if's would just kill him.

Will had been in a fight once where he'd barely escaped alive. He was bloody and pale when Darius saw him. Will was unconscious for three days. And for those three days, Darius stayed by his side the whole time. Afterwards, Darius would panic whenever one of his family members were out. He even attempted to beg them to stay home with him all the time. But of course, that was silly.

"I know," He said quietly. "That you think I'd just be in the way in a fight. That I'd just distract people from fighting because they'd be much to worried about me, but..."

He sighed. "I think that's selfish. I worry about them too. Asking me to just sit safely somewhere while they fight for me is something I cannot do."

"I am not stupid, I know I cannot beat the Purgers. Especially since the spells they use are much different from mine. I'll stun them while they try to kill me. I'll throw them a bat-boogey hex while they would crucio me. I know that I'll probably give more weight than I'd lift but..." He looked down at his feet. "Maybe if I tag along, they'd think twice about being a hero. Maybe if I tag along, they'd decide to stay home instead and not risk their lives at all."

Rossa raised an eye brow, and couldn't help but feel irritation at Darius, did he think that Tav will and the others went out looking for fights?... she hoped not.

No... when attacted it is always by surprise ambush when they are out getting supplies. The purgers were everywhere... if there was a war it was now over.. purgers had won... all that was left was them. Fighting just to survive... Barely surivive.. That was why there were plans to go to the past.

"They don't go looking for fights you know, at least as far as I know they shouldn't, it achomplishes nothing but pain... which is something all of us have enough of... And of course you worry, all of us worry Darius, and all of us do things we don't want to do, like sit and wait for our loved once fight, Or go out and risk there lives so all of us can continue living." she said almost not believeing she had had to say this, She knew how he felt, it was horrible when ever her brother and Val went out, she watched little Jamie and her nephew Caleb wondering what would happen if there fathers died..
She wanted to fight the people who had brought such pain to her family and killed most of it. Here she was trying to explain that pain to someone who did know that pain... had come close she was sure.. but had never lost anyone.. He didn't know how lucky he was.

She sighed pushing her anger down, Darius was just a kid.. as she was.

Darius could sense her irritation and felt embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." Darius sighed and made a move to leave. "Just forget I said anything. I... I dunno what I was saying."

Rossa nearly cursed her self.... she had snapped without meaning to.

"Darius wait, I am sorry I shouldn't have snapped, I didn't mean to really.... I am sorry, just a sore spot I guess. Lets move off the topic of purgers eh? back to Hogwarts or something." she said feeling bad for letting herself take her irritation out on Darius when he didn't know any better.

"No," Darius said getting a little bit red. "I... I don't know... I'm just..." Darius remained silent unsure how to articulate what he thought and felt. "I'm sorry." He looked at her sincerely. "I didn't mean to..."

"It's really silly of me to say things like that, I haven't lost anybody." Darius said quietly looking down at his shoes again.

Rossa sighed, "It is alright" she said. Really she couldn't be mad at him just becasue he was lucky enough to not have lost anyone, yet was also living in war time.. or post war time of a war that was lost.

She rose from her seat, and put a hand on his shoulder, "Really it is fine, think nothing of it, okay" she said and she was being honest.. What else could she say, what was the point.

Darius looked at her and nodded, slow and silently.