Amuse Me [Benjamin]

[Sylvanna Beauclaire]

Sylvanna was roaming around the HQ like usual. She was bored and it was a while before school would even start. She had gotten the Ancient Runes position. And as far as she knew, there were two others with her: Cain Redferne and Benjamin Burke. the former was young and from what she was able to gather, the Redferne family had always been Neutral, if not Light. However, it did not escape her that the Light had abandoned the children when their mother had died, which probably was the turning point as to why the said Redferne had become a Death Eater. Revenge on the Light. Benjamin Burke on the other hand, she knew very little of him. Sylvanna was older than him but the man had been to Azkaban ones and it didn't seem like it did him any good. Which was why he was now looking for the man to see him with her own eyes.

Though she had been a Death Eater longer than the other had, she didn't really mingle much unless they were on a raid and would have to work with the others to make sure they were successful and not get caught. But due to the recent and permanent downfall of their Lord, Sylvanna still was against the muggles and was very much pleased that their lord's son had stepped up to take the reins and continue what the previous Dark Lord had planned: to eradicate the muggles and defeat the Light.

As soon as Sylvanna reached the potion's lab of the HQ, she opened the door to reveal the resident potion's master and of Hogwarts: Benjamin Burke himself. She smirked as she leaned on the door, "Well, are you trying to continue Severus' reputation for being a dungeon bat, Burke? Because if so, your doing very fine so far." she teased.

[Deleted]

Benjamin had himself locked up in the dungeons of the mansion. There he had his own private lab which won’t be disturbed unlike the one at Hogwarts. Here he prepared all his secret potions such as Veritaserum, Blood-Replenishing Potion, Forgetfulness Potion, Polyjuice Potion and of course his Wolfsbane. All quite complicates potions but as easy as baking an egg for Ben. He could make all at once, which was pretty much needed with all the upcoming missions.

This, the trainees he had and his job as Professor and head of Slytherin was all causing a lot of stress. Not to forget about his monthly problems which needed to kept hidden. All the stress and his time in Azkaban might have made the man look years older than he actually was. Every time he seemed rather moody and hard, both towards the students and his trainees but he could not really help it. The man only wanted them to be spared the things that happened to him.

Working rather hard on each single one of his potions, he was rather annoyed when he heard a voice from the door opening. Just adding the last needed ingredients and stirring it clockwise, he looked up. As he did, he recognized the woman to be the Ancient Runes Professor at Hogwarts. Benjamin felt slightly sorry for the current head master who had three death eaters employed. Well then he perhaps should have done a better job. Slightly frowning at the elder woman, his gaze went over his potions.

“Don’t you dare to compare me with that half blood traitor. I have always remained loyal no matter what sacrifices I had to make.” He growled at her, slightly pissed off about her comment. How could she? Severus Snape always had been a spy for both sides, in the end he sided with the order. That all was found out just very recently after his death. How was that man being compared with him? “What do you want? As you can see, I am rather busy.” He asked her as he put off the heat of the Polyjuice potion that one should be worked on again later. “Don’t touch anything.” He already warned her before she barely entered the room.

[Sylvanna Beauclaire]

Sylvanna couldn't help but be awed a bit at the thoroughness that was Benjamin Burke. The way he moved amused her greatly. And when he had spoke, she couldn't help but raised her hands in mock surrender and looked at him with a smirk on her lips. "Relax... I wan't comparing. Just commenting that you are well on your way to becomeing Hogwarts Next Dungeon Bat. And you need not remind me of your sacrifices, Burke. I have been there when you came. I saw it all when you got your mark. I was there from the very beginning." she said the last part seriously.

She entered the room and looked around but kept her hands to herself. "Again, you need not tell me that I shouldn't touch anything. I know it already. And as for what I want, nothing really. I was just... curious. So I came here. Come term, you and Redferne will be Heads of House as well as Professors. Oh I wonder how we all managed to get jobs there. Surely the current Headmaster or Mistress would have made sure that the people she higher won't be questionables. From Hogwarts' track record, Dumbledore didn't have a steady DADA instructor. Even our previous Lord was able to be there. He was able to plant a man as well." she said passively as if it was nothing.

Sylvanna had pledged her life and her magic to the Dark Lord Voldemort. which then was transferred immediately to his son, Donovan Riddle upon the Lord's demise. It was still a bit strange for her to work under a child but she was willing to do it as long as the boy would be able to hold up to the expectation.

[Deleted]

His frown slightly deepened on his face as the woman mockingly apologized. “Other people their opinions don’t matter to me. Call me anything you want. And maybe I don’t mind being alone working on stuff that will help everyone in the future.” He decided calmly before he moved on to the Veritaserum which needed to be stirred three times now. “Oh great, you feel important because you are one of the old ones. What do you want now, a cookie? Perhaps I have a few in the closet over there.” He rolled his eyes and nodded towards one of the cupboards in the room. Which actually had a pot of cookies in it but he did not say that. Yet he did not like the comment back about her knowing all about his sacrifices maybe she did know about his time in Azkaban but nothing more than that. Well perhaps he might warn his trainees sooner or later about what they could loose.

“You want to know why I got the job? I thought you were all high and mighty and knew everything. You disappoint me Ms. Beauclaire.” He tried to tease her a little because she had tried the same with him. If he had anything to say, he would have kicked her out of the lab before she started asking him about what he was doing here. “If you still wonder how I got the job. Severus is dead, Slughorn chickened out and I was invited for a job interview. That is how things go, right? You apply for a job and then you have a talk. Not that the head had much of a choice. There aren’t many really outstanding potions masters. Not that I claim to be one but yeah, I know my way.” He shrugged and also turned off the heat of the Veritaserum. “I guess that we are all being kept a watch on. That is why I try to be present at the school as much as possible.” He added.

“So... What do you think about Riddle Jr. ? The opinions around the elder members are mixed. I still don’t know what to make out of the boy actually. But I am prepared to follow him if he is capable of great things.” He wondered just randomly as he began cleaning most of his mess.

[Sylvanna Beauclaire]

Sylvanna was so amused at how the man seem to respond to her. She chuckled in amusement. "Old? I am not that old, Burke. I'm sure Lucius and Bella as older then me. Even her husband is older than me. And no, I don't like cookies at all. You can keep them. Thanks for the offer though." she told him as she kept looking about. It amused her how people like Burke and their profession was so different from her own.

When he spoke again, she narrowed her eyes on him. Such arrogance from a man that had been imprisoned once before. She thought how much damage the Dementors had done to his state of mind. But it didn't do much to damage his skills nor the charm that surrounded him. "True that they really didn't have much of a choice since they don't have anyone else with such skills. It just amuses me how three of us got in whithout much hassle really. My own interview wasn't as demanding or as careful." she said as she smirked at Burke.

Sylvanna was no potioneer, but she knew well what potion Burke was making at the moment. The most potent turth potion known to man: Veritaserum. Created by Severus Snape himself. "You indeed should keep yourself seen at the castle at all times. Better to be safe than sorry." she suggested with a chuckle. Then she narrowed her eyes once more.

"Riddle Jr indeed... I know very little of him in truth. But if he is as capable and his goals are in line to that of his father, I will serve without hesitation. As I have pledged my life and my magic to the Dark Lord Voldemort, I shall continue to do so with the son of the most feared." she told Burke with pride. "How about you? What do YOU think of him?"

[Deleted]

“My apologies, I never meant to call you old. It is very rude to comment a lady about her age. With ‘the old ones’ I meant the ones who were there from the beginning.” He explained politely. It didn’t happen often that Benjamin forgot his manners especially towards his superiors. Just now because he was quite annoyed with all the extra trouble his trainees had cost them and the tension between Mr. Fawley and the young lord, his patience should not be tested. Besides he was quite busy with the potions. May he make the slightest mistake, he could screw up an important potion. Bad things could happen with each one. But now he feared what could happen if his wolfsbane ever screwed up. Davion had let him stay for as long as things went smoothly. Only if one thing anything goes wrong he would be kicked out. Well better that than to imagine what could happen if he failed the same potion and transformed in Hogwarts.

“Well it is always good to know that at least someone is amused.” He mumbled in reaction to her words. Still not giving much of emotion off other than grumpiness. Yes, it had been a very long time since Ben last amused himself. Or let alone even felt cheery for a moment. Not that he cared much, he was a man with a goal and certain things should not be in the way. He really did not want why this woman had chosen to bother him. There were several other people in this house, weren’t there? Yet he nodded to her when she said that her interview wasn’t careful. Very different from his apparently. Of course everyone with the slightest motivation to do their research could find out that he had been a prisoner of Azkaban for some years. Even when he was proven innocent(which he knew wasn’t true, there were even more crimes he had committed than the once he was judged for.) and released, of course everyone would keep an eye on him.

“I don’t like it there. Too many people, those teens drive me even further into insanity.” He growled as Beauclaire suggested him to stay more at the castle. Furthermore, he had no idea why he even agreed on becoming the Slytherin head. Maybe it was that he wanted his own former house to succeed. Somehow he was glad that his own daughter wasn’t a Slytherin, which made it slightly easier to avoid her.

Shrugging a little as the woman spoke about her opinion of their young leader. She did have some points but Ben saw some holes in her views. Yet he did not point them out, for he wasn’t the type of man too. Looking slightly up when he was asked the same. “Not sure yet. I owe him a lot and I guess my opinion has not much of a value. Uncle Fawley isn’t very fond of the boy. I guess the young leader still has to prove his qualities.”

[Sylvanna Beauclaire]

Sylvanna accepted the apology. Though he did have a point since she was indeed one of the people who were part of the 'old group' which was the Inner Circle. She had been a Death Eater just after the Dark Lord announced his presence to Magical Britain. At first Sylvanna and her husband choice to be neutrals but after what had happened in her life: the lost of her child then that of her husband, neutrality was the wrong choice. And how she love where she was and what she was now.

"Better to be amused than anything else. Which makes me want to ask you, Mr. Burke, just how did YOUR interview go? Did they not even ask anything about your... 'vacation' at a small private island not too long ago?" she asked as she finally found a chair and sat on it, a few good feet away from the man and potions. Sylvanna was not a potioneer but knew well to keep away since she had not skills like that of the Potions Master before her.

She smirked as she crossed her arms and legs, "Then you coming Head of House was not really in your best interest? I know and had spoken to Redferne myself and he himself admitted that he was offered the position and took it willingly. Well, willingly because he'd have perfect access without being questions why he would be doing what he will when term begins." she told Burke with amusement laced on every word.

Sylvanna narrowed her eyes on him. She had heard about Fawley of course. Who wouldn't. "I don't agree with the part that your opinion is not of much value. Yes, he had indeed helped in getting you out and clearing your name as much as it can be cleared. But you still have an opinion. And true that the new leader had yet to prove himself. Which made me wonder if he would indeed be able to match the skills and goals of his father.. if not improve them and actually achieve them and bring an end to the Light side once and for all."

[Deleted]

Beauclaire went on about his interview and Ben pretended not to listen anymore. He had no idea where this woman was heading and wished she could just leave him be. “I don’t see how that is any of your concern.” He said coldly and shot her a glare as she started about his time in Azkaban. “But in case you didn’t know, I was proven innocent and released. They only had my sanity tested because most people who leave that forsaken place lost theirs.” Well it seemed that she still got somewhat of his answer. The fact that he indeed was a prisoner of Azkaban wasn’t much of a secret. However the reason why he was kicked out of the inner circle two years ago was. And now the Dark Lord’s son had let him back in. Benjamin did not understand why Donovan was so easy with beasts. The young leader had Alex as his guard dog, the man that Ben hated the most. That man was the one who gave him this disease and took his humanity.

Looking up to the woman as she sat down and crossed her arms and legs, he wanted to move on to the next potion. However he froze for a mere second as he noticed that the potions was his wolfsbane. Instead of working on it, he lowered the fire so the reaction between the ingredients would go slower. That way he could work on it when she would have left him. “No I wasn’t too happy with becoming ha head of a house. If it wasn’t Slytherin I would not have accepted the offer. You see, I have way more important things to do. The only reason why I am a Professor is that I have to earn some money and it is a pretty good cover. My business is not in the school. I try to keep it separate from the students. We are trying to create a better world for the younger generation so I want to protect them.” He explained. Knowing but all too well that his daughter was in that school too. Despite that he had avoided her ever since he started working there.

Benjamin almost could laugh at the inside. The woman told that his opinion did matter, if only she knew. No Ben knew his place in this world, he only didn't want anyone to find out. There were already too many people who knew, Donovan, his best friend  Davion, his own daughter Bella, his ex-wife Isa and of course Alex himself. “I guess I will just see how things go for now. I’ll for fill the missions given to me and take the time to develop my opinion. The only thing is that I don’t care about who leads, the only thing that matters is that we can develop a better world.” 

[Sylvanna Beauclaire]

Sylvanna had hit a nail right on the head when she got a cold answer accompanied by a glare from the man. She chuckled. "I have no doubt that your sanity is more or less intact. Not that I can say for the rest of the population in that school." she muttered for a little bit. She knew few little of Benjamin Burke aside from the fact thta hse wasn't human anymore, that the fact that he was imprisoned and kicked out of the Inner Cirlce a few years ago. What surprised her was that he was able to be all calm when the reason for his... furriness was the pet dog of their new leader.

"I would like to ask, and feel free to not answer if you don't like, but how do you deal with the fact that our dear leader's current guard dog is of your species?" she didn't know if it was of common knowledge about Andrews being the reason why Burke was now a were. Those house elves had their uses and Sylvanna paid them in kind. Now she just waited for the answer.

She shifted in her sit and looked amused. "Well, true that you indeed are a busy man and that you have to earn money to fend for your needs... and that you want a better future of the children. But doesn't that clash with your not so fondness with children?" she was curious and too bad that her curiosity at the moment was aimed at Burke. She had done the same to a couple of other people and had gotten more or less, milder reactions; seeing as she was of the 'older crowd' and all.

Sylvanna narrowed her eyes at him and smirk. She knew the look on his eyes. He was laughing inside. When he answered her, she knew he was careful of what he spoke to her and she simply nodded a little. "You wouldn't care who led as long as it is for a better world? What would happen if the better world would eradicate your kind? What would you do then?"

[Deleted]

Benjamin’s jaw tightened but his expression didn’t change much as he tried to keep up his poker face. For what he just heard quite shocked him. It was one of the things he had tried to kept hidden the most. How in Merlin’s name could she know? “I have no idea what you are talking about.” He spoke calmly and acted like he really confused. Well yeah he was confused but in another way. Turning to himself he went through the various things that he might have let slipped.

There was one day that he had taken it into this house and went through his change. It had been the day that two students thought it was funny to put stuff in his drink. Only didn’t they know what a mistake they made. Benjamin had snapped at the two who had no idea what they did wrong. Usually he did the monthly thing either in his office locked away or at Davion’s place. Only that day his son was there and Ben knew that he wasn’t safe. So that resulted in him being locked up into the well enchanted basement of the Riddle Mansion. Nobody could have heard or seen him. It was impossible. The only people present that day were Davion and Donovan.

No it could not be, she could not know, she had to be lying or he could have misheard it. OUT! He wanted her out of this place. Yet if he suddenly got all aggressive that would only betray his secret. So he remained calm like he always did only a little grumpy but that wasn’t something new either.
He was quite relieved that Beauclaire decided to move on to another topic to this he shook his head. “You’ve got it wrong. I don’t hate children, in fact I think they are wonderful. Does it seem like I hate my students? Look I know that I am often cranky and strict but that is just who I’ve become.” What he meant was that he had forgotten what it was to feel true happiness and laugh in real joy. Those dementors weren’t to be underestimated. People who met him now may never believe it, but once Benjamin was a happy man. Of course he had his dark times like everyone but he was glad and proud of his family and his shop. All that was lost and forgotten. He remembered only a little himself about the man he once was.

Her next statement brought him back down again. “In order to achieve a perfect world, sacrifices have to be made. The world shall burn and from its ashes a new one shall rise.” He mumbled almost hypnotic it were one of the things he often told himself during his years of isolation on that island. He did not go in about her comment about his ‘kind’, and acted like he didn’t hear it. Because people like Alex were not who he was. He was not a thing just a man with a sickness, but he fought it and he had managed pretty well until now. No Alex let himself become a beast, Ben would never do such a thing.