Wandering (Gin)

Ginevra was unsure of how she felt gazing forward to see Darren completely unfazed by her escalation. For the entirety of their friendship, the two had gone through periods that were not necessarily healthy. Personally, she experienced things intensely and in the moment. He had never left her to try and fend herself when she burned with the more intense of heat, though he had nearly always been visibly irritated with her behavior, her emotion. There had been a time while on the run when Andrian had tried to describe Darren’s protective behavior regarding her as love and she had shut him down. Ginevra knew that Darren was protective, but she had never logically attached a reason to why. He cared about her, sure, but was it any different than how he treated his other friends? It was. She never admitted that, not truly. Why, in this moment, had he decided to keep his cool? How was he keeping collected when she so openly could not?

In her Hogwarts years, she had kept a photo of her and Darren propped up in a corner of the mirror above her dresser. When she had no longer been able to stomach living in that house, she had taken few belongings. To this day, one of the few possessions that she had ensured to take with her was that photo, folded and creased, always in her backpack. Ginevra had only been twelve in the photo, Darren fourteen. The early years of their friendships had consisted of her trying to use a muggle Polaroid camera to catch him in the middle of mundane activities. The one that she kept with her was a rare chance she had captured a smile- a smile that made her feel like she would always be okay. Ginevra was a sentimentalist and despite all her efforts, it was likely the main contributor to the lack of passion she could invest in detouring towards any sort of healthier, or even simply mutual, love.

There was a brief moment where Ginevra felt the need to interrupt, to argue. She allowed it to pass and she thought back on how he had proved in the past that he would defend her, even when it cost him his final breath. Seemingly, it was the verbal communication he was providing her that she found was causing struggle. She believed his action, she was used to that being truth. Words? Darren rarely ever expressed his emotions and when he had, she had pried it from his insides through force and a will that did not quit. Perhaps this crossed over into her career now, having a knack for dealing with the quiet, brooding types that entered the ward for care- she had been practicing for a majority of her adolescent and now adult life.

Allowing a slow nod to escape, she continued to look at him, as if searching for signs of deceit or sign of a trap. ”You were never like them, even when they were alive.” she mumbled, holding true to her tone. It was far too easy to recall the fear that Darren would try to hide in his tone at the thought of his father being home while they were there. She had always appreciated what her own father had taught her, the time he had invested in raising her, when she saw the contrast to what life could have been like if her mother had decided to marry a pureblood wizard. She cocked her eyebrows up at the word ‘distant,’ trying to avoid spiraling in what a close friendship may have been if she had not been.. close.

Ginevra tried to take her focus off of the use of past-tense in her voice. How he was out of care for her and how maybe there was more. Was he seriously trying to tell her that after all of the effort she had tried to place into investing her time, her energy and her love, that he had caused her heartache out of some quest for a higher road? Subtly letting a snort escape her, she remained quiet and allowed him to finish the reflection he was working himself through. This took a lot of effort, so much so that her body remained fairly stiff as she stayed across the alleyway to him. Holding back her voice, remaining a distance away from him as to not comfort him on instinct, it was taking all of her willpower.

Emotions rippled like a storm around her as she let the silence float around them for a long stretch, processing. ”Prove it.” she finally said. ”How am I supposed to believe that you have hidden all of this from me, as absolutely absurd as your reasons definitely are.” it was a test. Words alone were not going to get him through this, she needed to see for herself in the way he had always shown her something she struggled to grasp: through action.

As she went quiet, Ginevra could have sworn she felt her younger self holding in a breath.

Standing up again, Darren was reminded of just how small Gin always seemed to him. Combining that with the evident hurt in her expression, he wanted nothing more than to hold her tight in comfort. He didn’t, though. “Prove it?” he repeated incredulously, looking directly at her. “How can you doubt it? From the moment I first met you until now, I’ve never felt the same way with anyone else.” Darren didn’t believe in soul mates, but there had been something about Gin that had immediately made him sink into feelings of protectiveness, love, and vulnerability that he had never experienced before or since with no one else. And the time they had spent together in childhood had only heightened these emotions. How could she not know any of that? Sure, Darren was not an expressive person normally, and with Gin he expressed even less of what he actually felt. But he had always thought that she could see through the act. “Why do you think I’m even here? I don’t need to go to Gringotts, that was a lie.” After lying about Lucretia, this seemed like a relatively benign lie to admit at the moment. “I’ve been staying at the Leaky Cauldron and going around Diagon alley for the last three days just to try to get a glimpse of you. To know you’re alright.”

“But just because I feel this way about you doesn’t mean we are meant for each other,” he added. The rational side of his brain, usually completely dominant over the emotional side, had long ago concluded this fact. And it had since been sustained over the years then through sheer stubbornness. Perhaps in the back of his mind Darren could admit, just barely, that he might have been wrong about it all. It was certainly true that their relationship would have unique challenges that they wouldn’t have to deal with if they just chose different partners. But love didn’t work that way, and in the end all his rationalism had done was lead him, and perhaps her as well, through years of loneliness.

“That’s why I stayed away from you entirely. I thought that, without me in your life you would eventually move on… Find someone, be happier than you could ever have with me.” Darren had always thought that, for a wide variety of reasons. Perhaps it was primarily triggered by insecurities he had developed as a child. His inability to protect his mother and sister, and later his friends. Gin, as the person he undoubtedly cared for the most in the world, induced feelings of protectiveness in him, and yet he did not trust himself with that.

“But I guess that didn’t happen either, did it?” It wasn’t an entirely rhetorical question. She may have more or less just admitted she hadn’t moved on, but Darren needed confirmation. He wasn’t sure what exactly he even wanted to hear. Part of him had always envisioned a future with her, especially while he had been with Lucy. An alternative future that perhaps would give him the purpose, and certainly the passion, he was lacking. And yet, he had never felt so vulnerable as he did now, his emotions had not been so heightened in a long time. Every word spoken had to be wrenched from his will. Darren was not sure if a life of quiet apathy was necessarily a worse alternative. This was precisely the type of difficult conversation and self-reflection he had always turned away from.

Ginevra thought her eyes might bulge out of her head when he asked her how doubt could exist. He was kidding, right? Ginevra could not remember whether he had “officially” had a girlfriend in Hogwarts and she was fairly certain he had not, but she also knew that a majority of information regarding other girls she had tried her darndest to block out. ”I was not in Slytherin, so I thankfully didn’t see much, but I have ears. I heard the whispers and they were about Alesy, not me.” This, of course, casually left out the factor of whispers not being necessary. Their friend group had always been quite vocal in pointing out the tension between her and Darren, whether that be positive or negative. Ginevra had started to believe that maybe some of the inclinations had been correct until Darren had promptly rejected her. This had been the longest stretch of time that they had been apart.

Letting out a quiet snort when he admitted to lying, she subtly glanced towards the exit of the alley. He had been looking for her? Instead of feeling nostalgic, Ginevra felt her temper rise and her nostrils flare. ”So what you are trying to tell me is that you planned to glance at me through a window and not acknowledge my existence? That’s a sure fire way to see if I am alright.” she replied, bitterness lacing her tone. Entering the Leaky Cauldron replaying in her mind, Ginevra found that she was regretting not hugging him like she would have in the past. The excuse to wrap her arms around him was pulling at her like gravity. This only made her plant her feet harder against the ground. She could stay strong. She was no pushover.

Taking her turn to kick the basket of fruit and send it flying, she welcomed the throb of her foot as the basket righted itself again. ”You twit.” she started. ”You don’t think I would love to meet a guy who absolutely adores me and ensures I don’t forget that? A guy who welcomes the love and the crazy that I have to offer? Who can see me as a wife, a mother? I may be a werewolf now, but I still have a heck of a lot to offer.” Growing up, Ginevra had not thought much about a white picket fence type of life. As she aged, living in the muggle world had her focusing on the families around her, the simplicity of working at a job she was passionate about with the option to travel to fill her need for change. Lately, she had avoided travel due to the question: what if it got a little too lonely without someone to share the world’s wonders with? But also, who would miss her if she decided to never come back? Lacking a purpose was one of her biggest fears, right next to having no one who would miss her if she was gone.

”I am still a catch, a catch others have noticed and wanted. But no, I haven’t been able to accept that into my life. Not knowing that you still have my heart.” Ginevra looked directly at Darren as she finished her statement, confirming she had not handed her heart to another. She had not moved on. Before she registered what she was doing, Ginevra started to process that she had slowly started inching towards Darren as her rage had escalated again. Moments later, her hand was on his chest and she was reaching up on her tiptoes. When their lips meet, Ginevra instinctively went to place her other hand towards his neck. Instead, her mind caught up with her body and she froze, her body momentarily stiff.

Stepping away as fast as she had reached up to kiss him, Ginevra twisted around and sunk down with her knees bent, her arms resting on her thighs. Why had she done that? At least she had stopped herself before he pushed her away. The memory of the last brief kiss they shared resurfacing. ”It’s always been you.” she mumbled towards her legs, cursing herself for allowing vulnerability. Placing her fingers in her hair, Ginevra had not planned to send her morning contemplating her life choices.

Darren’s eyes narrowed upon hearing Alesy’s name. It had been so long since he had heard her name. He had not quite forgotten her; having become close with so few people in his life meant that each person meant that much more to him. With Alesy in particular there had been some romantic energy, but largely one sided. As far as Darren could recall, his earliest intimate feelings had been towards Gin. Interest in other girls then, as with dating Lucretia now, had mostly been part of a failed effort to forget about Ginevra - and to make her forget about him. He  realized now that it made some sense that she would get the impression he wasn’t as interested as he really was. But even so, Darren couldn’t believe she remembered Alesy after all these years.

Deciding to ignore that topic for now, Darren looked away again as she continued to scold him. He felt like just walking away at that moment. It felt almost too difficult to have this conversation now. All the feelings he had bottled up for years were surfacing. Everything he had tried for so long not to say. “I thought that you might have moved on,” he explained cautiously. He had certainly thought that, although a large part of him had hoped for confirmation otherwise, and certainly no part of him would have been overly joyed if she had.

Indeed, as she continued her outburst, he found relief mixed with his remorse and regret, as she gave him confirmation that she had never moved on.  Before he could respond, Ginevra stepped forward, closing the distance between them. The feel of her lips on his was an abrupt, shocking sensation that eliminated his train of thought. It was brief, too brief, and she pulled away before he even had time to process what was happening.  

The kiss had interrupted his train of thoughts, but as she sunk to the ground, his mind started racing with different thoughts. Time had started to feel like it was accelerating past him, in part no doubt due to the monotony of daily life. It only occurred to him now how much time had passed by, and how much of it had been wasted. Had things gone according to plan today, he would have seen Gin, thought about her a lot for a few days, and then go back to watching time slip away in monotony. Instead, events had slipped out of his control, and it had become a day that could change the rest of his life. He had tried and failed so long to find something to give meaning to his life, but nothing had ever felt as real to him as this, his friendship – his love – for Gin.

Abruptly, Darren leaned down, taking her hand and pulling her up to her feet. He could see the hurt in her eyes, the uncertainty that lingered despite his confessions. With his other hand he brushed her hair back, before cupping her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin and her slight tremble. “It’s always been you too,” he said. He wondered if he should say more. That he had been a fool? That he had forced himself, and her, into a life of loneliness because of his paranoia, his insecurity, his bigotry, his elitism? But there had been enough apologies, enough talking. Darren gave himself to impulsivity, to his desire, and held her against him to kiss her back. He had longed for this moment for years, and as he kissed her now, Darren knew once and for all that he loved her against reason, against tradition, against all discouragement that could be.

One of the biggest pet peeves that Ginevra had was when people tried to avoid difficult or uncomfortable conversations. For over ten years, Darren had been the king of trying to distract her mind away from topics he did not want to give her more details on.  In his defense, there was usually a good chance that if approached correctly, she could get temporarily sidetracked- this was not one of those days. Ginevra had always had mixed feelings on Alesy. A large part of her never wanted to hear about another girl gaining Darren’s affection, the other knew she would likely never settle without some semblance of raw honesty. Wrinkling her nose as Lucretia briefly roamed through her thoughts, she had at least understood how someone could be attracted to Alesy. Darren’s ex-fiancee? She seemed several shades of vile.

The moment that Darren looked away, she felt the volcano that was her emotions threatening to erupt. There had been instances where her frustration got the best of her but ever since becoming a werewolf, she had tried to use the heightened senses to reflect on herself as well. Closing her mouth momentarily, she breathed in deep through her nose, feeling her chest expand and slowly allowing it to be released. ”You have always walked away from me.” she mumbled and took her own turn to glance away from him. ”People don’t talk when there is nothing going on.” she, of course, knew this was not completely true. Gossip was prevalent in all schools. Years of the rejection, hope and inevitably, the hurt cycle resurfacing had her projecting the more vulnerable side of her thoughts. Honestly, it made her want to vomit a little. Ginevra had spent years finding a balance of boundaries and vulnerability. After working the night shift, she had not anticipated ending up in the back alley feeling as if she could implode at any given moment, all that progress thrown to the wind.

After Ginevra had been attacked, it was not often that she let her guard down. Prior to the attack, she had been fairly unaware of her surroundings. As far as the stereotype went, Ginevra had her moments of being a blonde and Darren had always been there to point it out. Now, turning her back on another person, especially in an otherwise empty alley? It was a sign of comfort, of trust, one that she did not realize her body allowed her to naturally until she continued to register the close proximity of their bodies returning.

Ginevra had been aware of footsteps approaching from behind, the hand that reached out and pulled her to her feet and now, the hand that rested below her chin. Her breath caught in her throat as he uttered words she had yearned to hear for years. There was no further time to process or reply as she felt her lips met his again. Her eyes had closed and then opened wide, shock rippling through her. Impulsivity had always been her character trait, not his. Digging her heels into the opportunity, she placed her hand on his chest and walked him back until she felt his back hit the building wall. Deepening the kiss, she really wanted to shrug and yell, “damned if you do, damned if you don’t.”

Resisting pushing Darren’s limits in this burst of what could only be momentary insanity, she pulled her head back and rested her forehead against his. ”Your dad is rolling in his grave right now.” she whispered, unsure of what else to say about what had happened. Ginevra could feel the confusion catching up with the logical side of her brain. How could any of this be true? Was she more sleep deprived than she had originally registered? Had she really mentioned his dad after he had finally initiated a kiss?

In that moment, all she knew for certain was that no level of intimacy she had experienced with another had ever felt so right.

As he felt his back press against the wall, desire - raw and undeniable - flared within Darren, along with a profound sense of belonging that he hadn't felt in what seemed like a lifetime. The rest of the world receded into the background, replaced by the feel of her hand on his chest, her lips against his, and the faint scent of her hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her against him. The feeling of her body against his was intoxicating, the rightness of it seeping into his very bones. All the years of denying his feelings seemed like a foolish mistake in hindsight.

Their foreheads rested together, and he opened his eyes to look directly into hers. He reached up, brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear with a tenderness that surprised him. It felt unfamiliar, being happy. It wasn’t a feeling he had experienced in a long time. And sometimes, strange as it may seem, one had to learn to accept being happier than they thought they deserved. As if fate was playing some trick with him, Darren almost expected that he would wake up at any moment.

He had never experienced anything like this. Physical intimacy, yes, but mixed with the passion and the decade of withheld emotions, it was entirely different. His passion had manifested in jealousy, possessiveness, but also in defending her, in caring for her, in loving her. But until now, it had never really manifested in anything physical. “Good, fuck him,” he whispered, as he kissed her again. He didn’t want to hear about his father right now, and all the elitism and bigotry he had indoctrinated Darren with. But holding Gin in his arms, feeling her lips on his, it made all of his reservations about being with her stop making any sense at all.

Reluctantly, he broke off the kiss. He didn’t want to let go of her, but slowly became aware that the alley, while relatively abandoned, was still not the most private place to be. “This almost feels like a dream,” he murmured as he let her go, and reached down to clasp her hand in his. “Lets get out of here.” He didn’t want to think of the future right now, but deep in his subconcious, his mind was thinking about Gin as his wife, as a mother. It seemed like a vast terrain of uncertainty, but Darren was sure, at least at this moment, that there was no meaning in his future without her.

Ginevra felt her muscles threaten to melt as Darren’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her in closer. Standing there in silence, she moved her fingertips feather light against his bicep, absently stroking, craving that skin-to-skin connection. Her cheeks were flushed, the shade of pink staining against her pale skin. His body language was relaxed and while a part of her wanted to dig her nails in and not let go, she focused on his breath and smiled into his lips as he whispered to her. Letting a small grunt of disapproval leave her lips as he pulled away.

Ginevra was completely aware that she could be a nightmare. The ability to manage her own emotions had improved significantly since her teenage years, though she definitely was not at a stage with Darren where she had managed to find tools to stay stabilized when he heightened her. Ginevra had known she was in love with Darren for over ten years, never had that truly been validated. It made this moment, these feelings, hard to not spiral into the worse case scenario. Had he experienced a stroke? Was he too young for a midlife crisis? There were still so many questions that she needed answers too. Darren had also yet to ever physically heighten her. Ginevra was unsure of what to make of the physical intimacy, especially in a situation where she had not solely intimated and known how it would end. For her, the mutual yearning? It was throwing gasoline on a fire that had been slow burning for as long as she could remember.

She had heard about the “once in a lifetime” kind of loves. She had wondered if she would find another to bring out the highs and the lows, the desire to spend the down time she had away from work investing energy in another person. After kissing Darren, truly kissing him, she was certain that he was that love of her lifetime. For her, it had always been him. As he looked back at her, she was wondering if he also saw a forever in her.

Trying to hide the look of surprise and apprehension on her face, she allowed Darren’s hand to slide into her own. Ginevra knew of a few ways that she could find some of the answers she needed, one of those being her house in the muggle world. As she went to suggest they head there, she paused and realized making all the decisions- she had been here, she had done that. What did he want to do, where did he want to go? If he truly wanted her, he would have to give her more than a show of what he could later call a momentary lapse in sanity. Her heart was not ready to accept actions as equal to words. Quite frequently over these last few minutes, her heart had threatened to beat out of her chest. Surely, an erratic organ was not a very reliable source to depend on, not when other parts of her body were yearning to be close to him every second that stretched by.

”For once, I think I agree.” smirking slightly, she gently squeezed her hand in his. Glancing beside her, she was unsure of what Darren had been thinking when he had said they should leave. Staying there in that moment, it was his move.

Darren nodded as she voiced her agreement, and closed his eyes, and apparated to his home right from the alley. The familiar feel of the breeze and the smell of the sea filled his senses, signaling that he was home again. He opened his eyes to look down at Gin, making sure she was still there and alright before looking up at the house.

Like most old pureblood homes, the place was unplottable on maps. Purebloods also tended to ignore any muggle laws and build wherever they wanted, and the Nott family had chosen well. Poised on the precipice of a cliff, amidst the serenity of the English countryside, sat the Nott manor, a testament to an era of grandeur long past in its old walls. The house was starting to show its age, but that only added in its antiquated beauty, its aged architecture sitting comfortably against the crisp azure of the surrounding sea.

“I suppose you know what this place is, considering you surprised me here 3 years ago.” It probably wasn’t the greatest memory to bring up, but he knew he had to face his mistakes. “I wish things had gone differently then,” he said, looking down at her and feeling that the picturesque background just magnified her beauty. “I wasted so much time…”

Looking back up at the house, Darren thought of the many years he had dwelled here alone after graduating, watching time slip away. Life had not always been happy for him at this house. It seemed like an odd place to bring Gin. But it was the only place he had been happy, other than Hogwarts, and Hogwarts wasn’t quite an option. And Darren wasn’t about to take her back to his shabby room in the Leaky Cauldron either. Besides, the house, with its beautiful view of the English countryside and sea had seemed an appropriate place.

Suddenly it occurred to Darren what Gin might feel knowing that Lucretia had lived here for quite some time. The thought had only occurred to him now, and he involuntarily grimaced at the thought having not crossed his mind before apparating here.

He hesitated, but now that they were here, there was no point going somewhere else now. His hand still holding hers, Darren walked up the steps leading to the house.

The air constricted around her as quickly as it reappeared, the darkness presenting itself and fading all the same. Ginevra allowed her chest to rise as the air filled her lungs, her other senses taking a second longer to catch up. As she opened her eyes, a mix of emotions rushed in. The Nott Manor had always been exquisite; no one would be able to deny that. The grounds were vast and surrounded by what most muggles only gazed upon in photographs. Ginevra had always adored the detail in heritage homes but there was never a draw beyond that. When Ginevra thought of large homes, she thought of the isolation and distance in families that haunted the halls.

There had always been details of Darren’s upbringing that she had been unsure if she wanted to know further, the pieces she was currently privy too finding a place of sorrow for what she had been privileged to experience. As much as one pureblood parent had raised Ginevra, she was half-blood through and through. She had been raised in a muggle dwelling, bought toys that did not blow up for fun and had photos that did not all move. She had been closest with her father, his love for the family fostering a lot of the warmth she currently directed to her career as a healer. Her mom, albeit always well meaning, had been sporadically absent. She had choose to leave the lavish, pureblood lifestyle she had been raised in for love and although Ginevra did not feel her mother regretted it, there was an attachment that was never fully rid of. Ginevra had been taught the proper manners; the expectations and the general knowledge that would help her understand the dynamics of the world Darren knew without having been personally immersed.

The tang of salt water coated her nostrils, sure to act as a stimulant if the intimacy with Darren had not already shot adrenaline through her bones. Awareness came to her as Darren went to lead her forward, the tug felt on her hand as he strode forward. Ginevra stared at the manor as they inched closer, her feet subconsciously slowly the pace. Her teeth ground together as her hand slipped from his, her arm hanging loosely at her side, fingertips absently grazing against her thigh. She continued to walk a step behind him, trying to gather the mess her mind had become. Of all places, why had he chosen to bring her here? It made sense in theory, he presumably still lived here, but the house had history.

Ginevra tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, not realizing that Darren had glanced toward her, her gaze consistently on the front door. Her muscles had tightened and the bodily reactions had not been an anticipated reaction when leaving the alley, considering the lava they had been threatened to turn to only ten minutes previous. ”Your house.” she mumbled. ”Should.. is anyone else home?” she added, taking that moment to look over at him again. Was Lucretia living here? What did his life look like now? How many women had he had in his life? Was there anyone before, anyone… after his fiancée? It was unclear how, why or when Darren’s engagement had ended. The realization of just how many holes were present in regards to his life sunk in. Ginevra had anticipated the test in Darren’s will that would surely come, but she had not prepared for her own. She had been ready to follow Darren to the end of the earth for years now. Why then, was it taking everything strand of will to follow him through the front door?

Feeling the familiar coolness of the manor's door handle in his hand, Darren paused, looking back as Gin's voice floated up to him. The afternoon sun had shifted, casting a strong light right behind her, yet he could not miss the uncertainty in her eyes. His eyes narrowed in response.

“Yes, of course. My ex, who I broke up with months ago, still lives here. That’s why I brought you here, naturally” he said sarcastically. He was feeling more natural around her now, and with that the biting sarcasm also returned. Lucy, possessing a manor of her own, had no reason to stay at his place after the relationship had ended.

His expression became more tender though. It wasn’t Darren’s nature to be particularly empathetic, but perhaps it was just the heightened emotions, or perhaps it was just how beautiful she looked in the late afternoon sun. He thought about how he would have felt if she had become engaged to someone else. Her reaction was relaxed and mature compared to how he would have reacted. His other hand still grasped hers, so he pulled her towards him and towards the door she was hesitating to enter. He kissed her again, quickly and tenderly this time, just to let her know what had just happened in Diagon Alley wasn’t just a moment of madness. It was certainly impulsive, and he would almost certainly have second thoughts about it, but at the moment at least he was fully committed to the decision he had made.

Darren thought briefly of taking Gin somewhere else. Lucretia had certainly left her mark on the place, and no doubt once they entered Gin would notice that. But there was no point turning back now that they were here, and in any case, Gin would no doubt expect him to come to her muggle shed she called a house at some point. And this was his home and he wasn't ever going to leave it. “You really think I would bring you if she was here?” he said sternly, deliberately avoiding Lucretia’s name. “It’s just you and I here... And I don’t want to mention her again.”

He turned and looked around at the entrance hall. Two staircases on either side led to the second floor landing. Portraits of his ancestors had previously decorated the walls, but Darren had removed all of them, except one. Thankfully, his mother was soundly sleeping in her portrait. In his peripheral vision, he spotted two giant bulby eyes watching them. He turned to briefly see his house elf’s head poking out from the hallway leading to the kitchen, but she quickly vanished. Darren smiled. “Well, you, me, and my house elf, that is,” he corrected. “She’s rather shy.” That wasn’t entirely true. Darren was sure that Lucretia’s treatment of Blinky had caused her aversion to strangers.