It's ironic, isn't it?

The night before had not gone as expected. Not for twenty-five year old Ryo Hiroku anyways. It had started off as normal as any other night with the Order would have. They had a brief meeting, gotten their orders and they set out to do what they had been ordered to do. Ryo was no different. He'd gotten orders to investigate something going on in Knockturn Alley which was to be expected, he thought, that was where all the bad guys ended up going. And it made it super easy to catch them.

He'd waited, wanting to catch his target off guard and red handed. What he hadn't expected though, was that he would have to give chase to one of the two people that had been sighted. One had been extremely keen and had noticed the other man with him, causing him to run. Ryo had told the other man, a couple of years younger than him, to stay with the one they had already secured while he chased after the other.

The ex-Hufflepuff was surprised when he finally caught up to the other man. His eyes had widened in surprise and he couldn't bring himself to say anything, let alone capture him. "Go." The single word that made him an accomplice, and he returned to the younger man a look of sadness spread across his face. He was comforted, "you'll get him next time." But Ryo wasn't so sure. He didn't think he'd actually be able to catch him, the Hufflepuff inside him had his stomach in knots because of who it had been.

He didn't want to believe it. He couldn't.

Not Adrian. He couldn't be. There's just no way. No matter how much he thought that it couldn't have been his friend, the timing was just too perfect. They'd agreed to meet up that day, but they'd both had a change of plans. Adrian's call had come first, asking for a rain check and Ryo had been relieved, telling the other man that he actually had something come up as well. It had worked out for both, and now as much as it pained him, Ryo could see why. "I have to know why." He'd muttered to himself and that was why he was at the Leaky Cauldron now. He'd asked Adrian to meet him there, he wanted to confront him before making any assumptions.

"Please. Let me be wrong."

If something looks easy, sounds easy, shouldn't it be easy to accomplish as well?

They forbid him, rather than just telling him (maybe he would have listened to them that way) not to go to Knocturn Alley that night, and going there was exactly what he did. If he was being honest with himself, he went there just because he wasn't allowed to and although there weren't many things he regretted, not listening to them that night was one of those. It wasn't because his partner got himself captured because he decided to abandon the before-planned mission and follow Adrian like a lost puppy. It was silly, especially because Adrian told him to stay away, he was better on his own and didn't want to babysit some kid. Adrian would even say that Louis deserved it because he wasn't strong enough to stand his ground and fight back, or escape leaving Adrian there, Merlin knows Adrian would do the same thing if the circumstances were different.

It was so easy to forget that Adrian hasn't escaped either, not really. Yet, he was pretty damn close to escaping, if there wasn't for his chaser and that one last spell that hit him straight in the back and knocked him to the ground he was sure he'd make it. However while he laid on the ground, cold rain slowly soaking his cloth, trying to reach his wand although at one hand he knew it was too far away and he won't be able to reach it on time, not unless he move himself and moving was something he still couldn't do because of the spell; Adrian could see what will happen next – his chaser will catch him, he'll be captured as well as the other guy and taken somewhere, he couldn't tell where because although he often acted like he knows everything, he had no idea where the Order members usually take their prisoners. Prisoners? Will he become one, now? Will they go that far and send him to Azkaban? There was only one thing he was sure about – he could tell his career and life he used to live before all oft his happened - goodbye.

If Adrian could go back and do it all again, he'd listened to the leader and stay the hell away from the alley. Not only because it led to capturing him, it was also because his captor let him go. That wasn't something he'd ever imagine happening, yet neither he would imagine seeing Ryo's face above his and realizing it was him who chased and caught Adrian. He always did his best to keep Ryo out of everything, not let him suspect anything. Why? He wasn't sure, maybe because the majority think Death Eaters are really awful people, and since Ryo was one of the very few people who could actually stand being around Adrian for more than five minutes, he didn't want to ruin everything with letting him know he's a part of that organization. Or something else? It was too late now, anyway. Ryo already saw his face, recognized him and let him go. The only thing he could do now was to meet with Ryo and try to get some answers, maybe offer some answers as well since he wasn't exactly in a position to avoid them, doesn't matter how much he'd want to do just that.

Adrian made it to the Leaky Cauldron way early for the meeting, on purpose, of course. He wanted to make sure that he'll be able to find a table where no one could eavesdrop them. If he was the one to ask they wouldn't have this conversation in public, hell they wouldn't have this conversation at all, but if he couldn't avoid it, which he can't, he'd chose more private place, like his house or Ryo's, but the Leaky Cauldron is neutral ground so he could understand why Ryo chose it, and although he wasn't thrilled with it, maybe a neutral ground was just what they need.

He noticed when Ryo entered the bar but didn't raise his eyes to meet his. He wasn't sure why maybe he didn't want to see a look of repulsion Adrian imagined he'd see when they meet and he wanted to postpone that moment. His eyes stayed glued to a glass full of firewhiskey on the table, the glass that stood there ever since the bartender put it there because Adrian hasn't touched it, he thought about it but decided against drinking anything because he needed a clear head for this conversation.

Raising his head after hearing Ryo's words he offered him ironic smile as an answer. Rather than telling him anything about the incident, how he liked to call it, he made himself more comfortable in his chair and looked Ryo straight in the eyes. "Just ask me whatever you want to know." It was easier to answer his questions than start talking about it. This way he won't accidentally offer more information than he thought Ryo could handle.

Or find out more information than he could handle.

(occ: Sorry cause it's weird, I haven't written anything in more time than I'm willing to admit)

He knew it was a bad idea to have this conversation in public. He knew he also shouldn't expect much from it. But he needed answers, he needed to know. It was strange, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, as though his heart were hurting. It was impossible though, for him to feel anything as he was dead. Well, undead technically, but those are petty details. Ryo wanted to know why the pain in chest was there, was he expecting something to go wrong? Something bad to happen? That's what it seemed like, and he wouldn't doubt something bad was going to happen.

Adrian was a Death Eater.

The words from his thoughts haunted him. They floated around in his mind, constantly banging against his brain wanting to engrave themselves in it so he didn't have a shadow of a doubt of what his so-called friend was. No. Not so-called. Ryo refused to use that phrase, Adrian was and is his friend, no matter what had happened. That was the Hufflepuff in him, he supposed, unable to really see the bad in anyone he considered his friend.

Ryo shook his head, he was being naïve. He knew he was, and it was strange that a twenty-five year old could still be as naïve as he believed himself to be. The vampire didn't know what to do about it, though, he just knew that for now.. He had to talk to Adrian somehow. That was why they'd agreed to meet where they had. Ryo wanted to talk to him, but there was a part of him that didn't feel safe being alone with the other man in case there was an ambush of sorts. It was a precaution, to meet at the Leaky as it was neutral ground. Ryo knew what he was doing, he thought.

Once he entered the Leaky Cauldron and saw Adrian, he felt a frown tug downward at his lips, a frown that he couldn't help. "Hi, good to see you too." Ryo responded to his statement with a half joking tease. He sighed and sat down across from the other man, his body tensing as he thought of how to ask him what he wanted to ask. There was no easy way of saying what he wanted to. He cursed silently to himself, he was being weak. He wanted to turn back time, back to that night, to get out of the mission or somehow stop Adrian from going on it so this wouldn't be happening. But the more he thought about it, the more he knew that it would happen anyways, the more he knew that eventually they would have met up.

"I want to know when.. This.. Happened." He started, not knowing how to place his thoughts into sentences. "When did you become.. One of them? Why did you do it?" Ryo's voice cracked, something that didn't happen often, something that showed he had more emotion than he sometimes led others to believe.

"I want to know. Tell me, please."

Instead of answering Ryo's questions Adrian pulled his chair back moving away from the table and stood up almost spilling his drink in the process. He avoided Ryo's gaze letting his hair fall on his face and creating a dark blonde veil that separated two men.

"I…“ Adrian started but abruptly stopped and checked their surroundings searching if anyone is listening to their conversation. "I need to go to the bathroom, I'll be back in a minute." He turned on his heel not waiting for Ryo's answer and moved away from the table walking toward the bathroom so fast someone might assume he's running away. He was, in some way, but he has to go back. There's no other option than going back, anyway, considering there's only one way out of the Leaky and he would need to pass next to Ryo to get out of this place.

He nervously glanced back to check if Ryo was still there before disappearing behind bathroom doors. The man waited until he heard doors closing behind him before leaning back and exhaling sharply with eyes closed. He let himself only a couple of moments in that state before checking if all the stalls were empty. They were, he laughed to himself, Adrian knew they were empty because he had a clear vision of bathroom doors from his table, it waa nothing more than an attempt to steal some more time.

After unbuttoning wristband on his shirt Adrian rolled his sleeve up and walked towards the mirror above the sink that seemed not to be working and glanced at his reflection.

The man that returned his gaze had something haunting in his deep blue eyes. Something he didn't want to name just yet. He glanced on his forearm studying black lines embedded in his skin shaping well-known tattoo of the skull and a snake. The skull looked like it's trapped in snake's death grip, the same way he sometimes felt trapped in the organisation, yet he never wanted out. Thinking about that now he wasn't sure whether that was because of his loyalty or because somewhere deep down he knew he was too deep within the organisation to ever be allowed out. Even if he would be allowed to say goodbye me to all of that he couldn't guarantee he would choose to step out.

However, there was one thing he was one hundred percent sure about – the man would do anything in his power to avoid this conversation with Ryo. Why? Usually, someone's opinion meant nothing to him yet he found himself wondering if Ryo will leave once he gives him a glimpse of his own life. He would do that if he was in his place. He'd bail the scene never looking back, but the real question is – what will Ryo do? Options are endless, looking at his reflection for the last time Adrian covered the tattoo again and relaxed  his shoulders, options are endless, that was true, and it was time to find out.

"Only a glimpse,“ Blanchard said aloud and exited the bathroom heading back to the table.

"Everything started when I finished Hogwarts. I joined the organisation but soon left for Switzerland,“ he drained his drink in one gulp and looked Ryo straight in the eyes, "not many people know that there's one branch in the Switzerland that used to be led by….“ By Carmen, Audrey, Iveta or whichever name she uses today. Her disappearance from his life was still a raw wound in his chest although it happened months ago. "It was led by a woman, and sometime during my stay in Switzerland, I became her right hand.“ Adrian skipped over the details of how exactly did he get to that position, as well as what he lost in the process. He never said those details aloud and he didn't think he was ready to acknowledge their existence just yet. " After I returned to the UK I re-connected my ties with the UK's branch."

"That's pretty much everything since there's not much to tell about my reasons for joining – they seemed to be the best option so I joined, I've never regretted that decision. What about you and the Order?“

He'd barely had time to get his thoughts in order when Adrian jumbled them up again by his abrupt reaction to his question. He was the one who'd told the Hufflepuff to ask him anything, so why was he running away now? He was so taken aback by what had just happened that he couldn't find words or movements to say or go after him. It was so strange, was there something he wanted to hide and he needed to regroup in order to get it straight?

Ryo was concerned, but he didn't follow Adrian, thinking that he just needed a little space to get his thoughts in order. Just as he now needed to redo to prepare himself for whatever it was that he was told by his friend.

Adrian finally returned, Ryo looked up at him having sat down to wait for the other man. He listened to Adrian's story but his face twisted in confusion as he spoke. He wasn't really explaining why he'd joined, but from what he was saying it seemed like he was a pretty high rank in the Death Eaters and that caused his confusion to turn into sadness as his eyes began to change to a gold color to represent the sadness.

Finally, he was asked why he's joined the Order and Ryo found himself at a loss for words. All that preparation and it was for nothing. He still struggled to get his thoughts out and he sighed, running a hand through his messy blonde hair. "My mum." He started bluntly, there was no point in beating around the bush.

"You know she's been gone for years now, but as a student I couldn't do anything to look for her. So when I graduated, I figured the Order would be able to help me, they'd be able to do something to find her." He'd been sort of right in thinking they could've helped him, he'd been able to find some clues about her, but he hadn't been able to find her. It also helped that he worked at the ministry as he was able to keep in touch with Order members that were also Aurors easier in case there was any news.

It had been going well until the case went cold and he'd decided that maybe it was just time to give up for good. There was no way his mother could've been missing so long without any trace at all. He'd decided to give up, to finally accept that she was gone for good.. But at the same time he couldn't. He'd just learned to deal with the pain he felt.

It hit him once again just how selfless the man in front of him was. He reminded himself that he shouldn't be this surprised considering he befriended him a long time ago just because he thought he could use him, however, his plans fell into the second plan when he got to know him until they completely disappeared from his mind not leaving a trace of ever being there in the first place. Ever since he found the truth about Ryo he tried to think of a reason that made the other man join the Order. Adrian thought about different scenarios, from fame, the need to feel heroic, knowing how good natured Ryo is, feeling the need to actually protect humanity from people like him, Death Eaters. The bad guys.

Now when he was completely in control of his thoughts, again, he could admit Ryo's reason for joining seemed like a truth. Hah, how one occurrence, one accident could push him back at the very beginning of his friendship, wondering if ex-Hufflepuff waa lying. Until this moment he hadn't realised just how much he used to trust Ryo. Is that time over now? Is their relationship ruined beyond repair? He couldn't tell. Merlin, a month earlier he'd claim he knows Ryo quite well, now he wasn't so sure anymore. Does he know him at all?

Mom. Though he never met Ryo's mother he knew of Ryo's love for that woman as well for his numerous attempts of trying to find her. Although he never said anything about that subject Adrian doubted he will find something. Too much time has passed, either she doesn't want to be found which is highly unlikely since her own son is searching for her, or there's nothing to be found anymore. Nevertheless of the answer, he felt it wasn't his place to say anything about the subject.

However there's one thing he was certain of – he wasn't looking at right places. It was pure logic, if someone went missing, someone like Ryo's mother, Blanchard doubted the Order would give a damn. Those noble freaks never looked beneath the surface, they never liked to get their hands dirty.  As a result of all that – they never accomplished anything significant.

"Have you ever thought about…“, Adrian started, carefully choosing his words out of fear he might say a wrong word and ruin everything, "have you ever thought that perhaps you chose wrong way to start looking for her?“ He moved closer to the table and leaned in, placing his elbows on the table and placed head on his palms. This way he could speak silently, but loud enough for Ryo to hear him, especially considering his vampire hearing was far better than his, and he heard many things his human's ears couldn't catch.

This new position also enabled him to watch Ryo's face more closely and hopefully being able to notice all those little unconscious acts that say whether a person is telling a true or is trying to make a fool of you. "I doubt that The Order has resources, manhood or the energy to search for someone.“ He stopped and waited for couple of seconds for his words to hit Ryo.  

"Also, even if we choose to ignore those three things we can't ignore the fact that the Order brags about following all the laws so they aren't involved in half of things that happens at night that can't actually be considered legal… Do you want a drink?“  Adrian suddenly added than signalised to the bartender to get him another firewhiskey, before focusing back on Ryo.

"If I was in your place, I would have started with another big organization.“ Blanchard didn't feel the need to say the name of the organization he was referencing to.

It was well known.

Ryo will figure it out by himself.

The choice of the Order or the Death Eaters. The age old story.

There was always someone who had to choose between which side they wanted to be on. If he'd gone by the way things seemed to work at Hogwarts while he was there, it was obvious why he'd chosen the Order of the Phoenix rather than the Death Eaters when he decided he'd join a faction. Gryffindors and Hufflepuff were supposed to be the ones who'd usually join the Order, because they were supposed to be the "good" houses. Ravenclaws were always up in the air but they had enough ambition that would usually drive them to the Death Eaters with most Slytherins.

But everyone knows how that goes now. The Houses don't matter anymore, Gryffindors can be Death Eaters and Slytherins can be Order Members.

Ryo never wanted to think that he'd done the wrong thing. That he'd chosen the wrong faction from the beginning. He'd held onto a shred of hope for his mother still being alive, even though he knew that at this point if they'd never heard anything from or about her, it meant that she was gone for good. It'd been over ten years since he'd last seen her and it was time to finally let her go. For someone who didn't have a beating heart, Ryo could sure be emotional. Especially when it came to his mother.

He'd say there quietly, contemplating what Adrian was saying to him. He didn't want to admit that he was right. He shook his head when the other man offered him a drink, not wanting to accept anything and not wanting to speak either. He felt as though any sanity he had in his mind at the moment would break if he didn't think things through before he decided to actually speak again.

Could Adrian be doing what he thought he was trying to do?

Surely he didn't think he could convince Ryo that he was on the wrong side. Ryo had always been loosely tied to the Order, not wanting to get involved too deeply in anything because his motives for being in the faction were to benefit himself for the most part. Even if he were thinking of leaving, joining the Order would be the last thing he'd want to do because he had friends in the order, and in their junior faction. He didn't want to shatter anyone's view on him.

Not Rose, not Hit, not his sister. Granted, Sayuri already had a pretty bad outlook on him. But Rose and Hit he definitely didn't want to let down. They were the only two who always believed in him. He didn't want to let them feel betrayed because of his decisions. (It's a good thing he doesn't know his mother had been involved with the DE's shortly before going missing.) His opinion would change in a heartbeat.

"Are you mad, Adrian?" He asked. "If you're suggesting what I think you are, forget it. I can't do that. I won't."

Adrian's lips twitched. The man couldn't say he was surprised with Ryo's answer. Not when he was expecting the very same words that left Ryo's mouth. Suppressing a chuckle that threatened to escape, Adrian cocked his head and examined fellow companion's face expression. He took a part in this play for many years and knew it won't be easy, but unlike every other time when he took it upon himself to find and recruit someone new, this time, he truly believed in what he was saying. Thus, Adrian Blanchard wasn't sure if the other man was ready to examine both, pros and cons of what he was offering him, so he nodded, accepting Ryo's answer and decided not to push it as directly as he originally planned. It wouldn't lead them anywhere because this was Ryo's decision, all Adrian could do is offer some, bot not too much info since that could put him in danger, and wait for his answer hoping he'll bring the right one.

"Calm down, it was only a suggestion. A good one, per se, but I'll drop it.“  For now, he finished in his mind and offered Ryo a reassuring smile. "Though, it's a shame, really. The resouces are endless. But it's your call.“ He finished, his eyes following the bartender as she was coming closer to their table carrying his drink. Ex-Ravenclaw glanced at Ryo, wondering if he was aware of her presence and hoping he'll wait until she leaves before saying anything.  

Accepting his drink Adrian raised his eyebrows at Ryo, silently asking him if he changed his mind about the drink. When the other man shook his head, Adrian gave her a couple of galeons with a smile and polite thank you, then waited for her to leave before he turned his head back to Ryo.

He opened his mouth, starting to speak but stopped himself watching warily.

"Merlin, this is weird" a dry laugh escaped him so he tried to masked it with coughing but failed. "I've never imagined we'll have this conversation", he relaxed his posture seeing no threat coming, "I've never wanted for us to have this conversation, to be honest" he admitted quietly.

"Even when I had no idea you were an Order member", resentment in his voice when he said the Order's name was pretty clear and he did nothing to hid it. His stance about the Order was pretty well known, he thought they were a bunch of idealists without a real cause. "I never planned to tell you about my involvement with...", he glanced around, paranoid that someone will hear him, "with the Death Eaters. Hiding something like that might make me look like a bad person in someone's eyes, however, regardless of my connection, I truly believe they.. we could help you in your search. You just need to let me do that." Adrian told him sincerely.

He could relate to him. Did he want to...help him? Maybe it was because of his situation with his mother. Because he couldn't help his mother, he could only watch her, drifting in and out of sleep, watching her forgetting words, phrases, faces and waiting for her to forget him. That's the main reason Blanchard was ready to offer him any help he might need in his search, although it was too late for him to help Evangeline Blanchard, it might not be too late to help Sayori Hiroku.

The Hufflepuff couldn't help his growing discomfort with the topic.

It was definitely uncomfortable to have this conversation with someone he used to be so close to. With someone that he'd just re-connected with and had desired so badly to rebuild their old friendship. It was a disappointment, to an extent, because he'd wanted nothing to get in the way.. But he couldn't help what had happened. He couldn't undo what had already been done and he couldn't change the decisions that had been already made.

Neither his nor Adrian's.

It really sucked, though, that things had turned out the way they had. That they both had ended up on the opposite sides of the spectrum, because if he really thought about it, they would've made great partners for missions; regardless of what faction they might have been in. The twenty-five year old tried really hard to ignore his comments about the Death Eaters being the better faction, the ones that could actually be able to help him, but he found that the more he wanted to ignore the other man's words the more interested he became in what Adrian was saying to him. He wasn't stupid though.

Though his words sounded genuine, Ryo couldn't shake the feeling that the other man was just trying to get him to change sides, to get him onto his side. Ryo didn't like the thought of becoming a traitor though. Especially not for Hit, who looked up to him, though sometimes he thought she did so for the wrong reasons. He wasn't anything extraordinary, but she'd looked up to him since they'd met because of his job, his hobbies, and his species.

Hit liked magical creatures, creatures like Vampires and Werewolves, and she showed a clear, greater like for the former than the latter. He ran a hand through his messy blonde locks and lifted his gaze to meet Adrian's briefly. "You and me both, mate." he said softly, watching the waitress walk away after turning down the drink for a second time.

Once she was out of hearing range, Ryo sat forward just a bit to continue listening to the other man. He bit the inside of his lip, fangs gently rubbing against the skin as he stared at his hands clasped together on the table before him. He didn't know what to do, he didn't want to become a traitor to anyone, but he also felt like he'd lose a friend if he decided to go against him. He didn't like the sound of either option and in a perfect world, he'd be able to have everything he wanted without consequences, but this wasn't a perfect world- in fact, it was far from it.

Lifting his hands to the sides of his head, Ryo brought some of his hair up to cover his hands as he passed them through it, stopping just in time for only some strands to fall into his face. "You've seriously gone mad." he said, stopping to think for a second. "Or maybe it's me that's gone mad for even saying this but, I- I need time to think about it."

He honestly couldn't believe the words that were coming from his own mouth. A part of him screamed that he shouldn't do it, that there was no debate on what he should do and he should just flat out refuse to go with anything Adrian was saying. But another side of him, the side that still thought his mother could be out there, liked the pretty words coming from the Ravenclaw's mouth and though he was probably being gullible, he wanted so badly to try.. Just to see if any results were given.

"Give me some time, okay?" Ryo almost pleaded, finally letting the rest of his hair fall into his face as he let his hands drop to the back of his neck.

( :O I'm so sorry for not replying sooner, I completely forgot about this topic :S)

Adrian pulled a packet of cigarettes and pulled one out. "Do you mind?" He asked politely and waited a few seconds before he put the cigarette between his lips and lit it with his wand. This whole thing gave him a perfect excuse to procrastinate with his response for a couple of seconds. "Take all the time you need, Ryo." He hoped his tone lacked his ordinary resignation he grew so fond of but found inappropriate in this moment. "I'm not trying to push you into something you don't want or you're not ready for." He exhaled a smoke and his eyes followed its trail until it disappeared in the air. "That was never my intent, I'm just trying to give you a friendly…advice? The second solution, if you ever decide you're not satisfied with how things are run."

"This might be inappropriate to ask but… will you tell anyone about… how things ended that night?" Adrian was pretty sure Ryo would have already told someone if he ever intended to and he would be in cuffs long time ago but he needed to check it one more time. It wasn't his freedom that was on the risk, it was also his career which would be ruined beyond repair if any journalist gets his hands on this topic. He could already see all the headlines with his face on the first page, Death Eaters always made it on the first page, even if there wasn't for his almost ten years long Quidditch career that might end with only a couple of words. Funny thing but Adrian's life was literally in Ryo's hands now.

He finished his cigarette much faster than he usually would. Nervousness that he was feeling forced him to take inhales too fast and he could feel a bitter taste in the back of the mouth that reminded him why he usually liked to take his time smoking.

"I'm also curious, if that's not a secret, do your coworkers know anything about your…extracurricular activities?" He gazed at the ashtray, doing his best to avoid Ryo's gaze until his rush of nervousness disappears, "how do you pull it off along with working a regular job?" It might be a silly question but in Adrian's mind jobs with 9 AM to 5 PM working hours took most of the free time from the employee. It was the very same reason he fought so hard to pursue his Quidditch career – so he'd have a freedom he guessed much of people didn't have, so he'd have a plenty of time to live his life, enjoy in it.

Or maybe because the idea of having an obligation like a normal job scared the hell out of him.