she speaks like the rain, but she howls at the moon (ceri)

"But can't you see?!" Kit paused his heated debate to take another long puff of his cigarette, carelessly flicking the ash in the tray right between he and his companion. They were in the middle of a discussion of what Kit would argue was a history of the ministry's covering up and unfair treatment of magical 'beasts.' All the signs were there. How could no one else see this? The brunette man shook his head at the thought of the naivety of some people. If his father's legacy had proved anything, it was to question everything, and Kit certainly obeyed. His cynicism was not shared with a lot of his peers, but the man had no problem trying to convince them otherwise.

"Like I said, mate," Kit absently reached a hand to the scruff covering his jaw. "It's their world, we're just living in it...." He shrugged, flicking his his electric green eyes around the small London pub the duo found themselves in. It had been a long work week for the healer and a Friday night in the city was exactly what he needed to blow off some steam. Keg & Fig was one of Kit's favorite hole-in-the-wall bars in wizarding London -- he had been going for years because it was just up the road from his office. Despite it's old school, effortlessly cool atmosphere, eclectic decor, and badass staff, the place had gone relatively unknown by most because of it's location. Without previous knowledge of it's whereabouts, the underground door in the bustling street was completely camouflaged.

"Puppeteers!" Kit threw his hands in the air and pretended to manipulate invisible puppet strings. "Do you really want to be a puppet, Callum?" He pushed the envelope even further. "Protest is next Sunday, right outside the ministry," Kit took a swig of his beer. "I'll be seeing you there?" His question was more of a statement, as usual. His friend was more easily persuaded then most, and Kit knew that his job would be easier than it was with most. Not that he had any trouble in that department, though -- his way with words had a strange way of transfixing people into agreement, even if they didn't want to. This had the tendency to work in his favor.

After a very long day at the shop, the very last thing that Ceri wanted to be caught dead doing was heading to the bar. Bars were her worst nightmare since she didn't drink and didn't really thrive in social situations. At a bar, she'd be forced to talk to some guy who would want to buy her drinks and bring her home, or she'd be at risk for being knocked into something by a stumbling drunk. She'd have beers spilt on her, she'd have her toes stepped on, she'd have her hair pulled and her dress stained by something. Bars were the very last place on Earth she would ever choose to go, but Bronwyn had just gotten a promotion and Ceri couldn't refuse.

After a handful of drinks consumed by Ceridwen's older sister, she was left sitting at a square table by the bar, watching everyone else very closely. The only benefit to coming out was that she could laugh at all the stupid things that people did. She was having fun people watching, and having more fun listening to the conversations of others. One in particular was catching her attention over and over again, despite efforts to stop listening minutes before. She couldn't help but listen to this blathering idiot spew off some ignorance about the ministry. Didn't he know how much work they did to keep society running? To top it all off, he was puffing on a cigarette. Gross.

Ooh he was a complete moron. Being unable to bear his speech any longer, Ceri whipped around and glared at the man, whom she came to realize was one that she went to school with. In fact, she used to crush on him. Awkward.

"You're an idiot," She said, plain as day, black and white. "And you're offensive and obnoxious." She insulted so readily for someone so shy, but in the heat of the moment, Ceri couldn't care less about being kind. "I'll have you know that my entire family works their asses off to make sure that you and your friend here are safe and well cared for." Ceri stuck her nose in the air, obviously miffed that Kit Emberton would be so arrogant, even when he had been so awesome and cool in school. She had no idea he felt this way about the ministry, and she almost wanted retract past feelings, citing her own misunderstanding of his character. He was a conspirator, obviously. She would have no interest in the likes of people like him. Besides, smoking was positively repulsive. Especially in that manner.

You're an idiot. Kit's gaze lazily travelled to where the source of this annoyance had spouted off from. Attractive, he noted -- no doubt where that unabridged self-entitlement came from. Where did this complete stranger get off interrupting, in Kit's opinion, a very tame conversation between complete strangers in a bar? The woman had apparently taken a page out of his own book that lacked general rules of right and wrong. "Oh, we've got a live one..." The Healer nudged his mate in the arm with his elbow, keeping his voice just out of her earshot. Kit was content with a little exchanging of words, but the digs flying in his direction were certainly out of left field, especially coming from that mouth. He couldn't keep the smirk from tugging at the corners of his lips. Oh, this would be fun.

Kit adjusted himself on his barstool so that he was now perfectly facing his new opponent, the grin never leaving his face even as she continued her heated rant. To be honest, he could have put her on mute the second she said 'entire family'. As far as he was concerned he had this woman figured out. Wealthy family, likely pureblooded (or so they believed) and skilled in the art of brainwash and/or cover up. There was no way, in his eyes, that she spoke these words on her own accord. Kit failed to see the hypocrisy in his rash judgement of her character.

Despite every fiber in his being telling him not to, Kit found himself studying this woman who challenged him. He would never admit it but there was something to be said for a girl with that kind of fire in her, even if she was playing for the other team. The brunette shook himself out of his own thoughts and refocused his gaze. "Oh, were you finished?" Kit put out the cigarette he had been puffing on in a deliberately slow motion before flicking his eyes back to her own. "Usually ministry droids have a bit more to say than thaaat?" He teased, raising a thick eyebrow. "Was that all you had to memorize? Hm," Kit pushed the envelope even further. If this woman wanted a fight, she was certainly going to get one. "I'm sure your entire family is very proud. Bravo," He added sarcastically before turning back to his friend, although he secretly hoped this wouldn't be the end of their game.

Ceri felt her blood boiling from the moment Kit started smiling at her. She could feel how condescending he was being without him even saying anything, and though she might've brought this bad feeling upon herself. She knew that he was looking down on her, not just literally. To him, it didn't matter that he was insulting her entire family, or that the ministry did everything to better the witches and wizards of Great Britain. At this point, it wasn't about the ministry, it was about human decency. But maybe calling him names didn't help. She wasn't about to be the first to apologize, even if he was her first school crush. His hair was far too long now, anyway.

Ceri wasn't even the type to argue with someone out of the blue like this, and so she did a lot to keep her temper under control. Sometimes it was harder to keep under wraps than others, but right now she was having trouble not cutting him off mid-statement to get a few words in. She interlaced her fingers and rested her hands on her lap, waiting for him to stop calling her a mindless droid before she began speaking again. Meanwhile, a man knocked into her, and she broke her gaze for a moment to glare at him instead of Kit. Was this whole room filled with rude, inconsiderate men? She didn't need a reminder of why she hated bars. Speaking of, where the hell was Bronwyn?

With a raised brow, she looked down into her lap, probably making herself appear more stuck up than she would've liked. She waited a moment to compose herself after he'd finished speaking, not wanting to look like a hot pot just spouting off passionate, mindless anger. She wanted to feel more calculated than her temper allowed her to be. Logic was her best friend while she was in arguments.

"I was merely saying," She started, looking back up at Kit, who had turned back to his friend. "That you never know who you could be offending in public, so maybe you should watch your tongue." She looked back down at the glass of water in front of her, and she took a quick sip before her brain came up with a bit more to throw at him, though it was now all in defense of herself. Her ego and pride were easy to hurt, so she went on anyway. "You can think what you like of me, but I think you're being awfully ignorant." She sat back in her chair. "Have you ever considered what might happen if, say, we didn't have a Department for Magical Law Enforcement? How would we convict all the snatchers, all of the Death Eaters?" She took another slow sip from her glass, glad she had her temper back under control. "How about the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures? I suppose you'd think it proper for people to do what they like with dragons? For dementors to fly amuck?" She smiled matter-of-factly up at him, eager to learn his stance.

"Oh is that what you were saying?" Kit's eyes flicked from the beer he was bringing to his lips back to this stranger who had declared herself some sort of ministry cheerleader over the course of a minute. "I could've sworn you said that I was.... what was it again?" Kit happily swung his legs on the barstool to fully face her, the small smile never leaving his face. It wasn't hard to see what buttons to press with this one based on her huffing and puffing. "Idiot," The wavy haired man held one finger in the air and started to count. "Offensive and obnoxious," He wiggled the three fingers around for proof. "Not exactly the queen of holding your tongue," Kit clicked before taking another swig, his electric blue gaze never breaking her own eye contact. It was a game of ego, and he wasn't about to back down just yet.

"You never know who you could be offending in public, y'know?" Kit fought laughter, mirroring the woman's words from just moments before. He hard worked so hard at this charade, letting it slip up now would be a terrible waste. Besides, this was way too much fun to stop now.

"Not have them?" The Healer repeated, placing his mug on the bar and tilting in his head in her direction. "Oh I never said that now, keep up," Kit grinned. "But, having a department that practices fair trial and objective decision making would be a start," He shrugged his shoulders. He was particularly proud at his ability to not go on for hours on the subject, he had the feeling that approach would not be accepted by his new debate friend. "I'm Kit," The man offered his hand across the busy walk-way, shoving some people out of his way with a scowl. "Bloody idiots..." He spoke loudly to the men who had walked right into his arm. "Would you like to sit with us? Or is that below you, ministry cheerleader? Someone might see," Kit joked with a small wink. He loved a good argument, but truth told anyone with that kind of passion, regardless of what side they were on, intrigued him.

Ceri hated an instigator, and she especially hated an arrogant one. Kit clearly thought that he was above her, but she didn't agree with that at all. Just because she had respect for a governmental body that did so much good for Britain, wizarding or otherwise, didn't mean that he had a right to put her down. She held her tongue for her own sake, knowing that she wasn't very far from an angry outburst. Normally her temper didn't rear it's ugly head so soon, but the way that Kit was speaking to her was enough to make Ceri blow a head gasket in a matter of exchanges. She glared at him from her spot. He was right, it was wrong of her to have an outburst like that; She shouldn't have called him names. It certainly was disrespectful of her, immature even. Though she was past apologies and she hoped he wouldn't hold his breath waiting for one.

She wasn't even sure what her next move should be, but she knew that she didn't want to talk to him anymore. If walking away from an argument with dignity was an option, she would do it in a heartbeat. He would probably holler something after her or feel as though he had won, and Ceri didn't want either of those things. She thought that she had made a good point at any rate. Whether or not he liked the ministry, Kit had to admit that the world could not get on without it. Perhaps he was just generalizing, and maybe she should cut him a little slack, but to say that he had something against the Minstry for one reason was foolish. While waiting for him to respond, she wondered to herself what it was that he was so bothered by. Did he let something slip while in school? She couldn't recall.

But just then he gave it away. He had something against the Wizengamot. Perhaps he was a criminal, or maybe he had one-too-many run in's with the law. "Oh, so that's what it is." She gave a knowing smirk, thinking she had him all figured out. "I think that the Wizengamot is the picture of just law enforcement." She said, shrugging and taking another sip from her water. Looking up at him again, she rolled her eyes, a smug smile on her face. "I know who you are," She said, narrowing her eyes at him. Surely he remembered her from school -- They had been in classes together! Perhaps, however, he was just that oblivious

There was no arguing with this one, Kit had decided. Not because of her debating prowess, oh no. Because the spouting out of ideals quite obviously force fed to her by her family without any backing was something that he couldn't counter with a drop of educated intelligence. He hated to believe it, but some people really were just that easily misguided. Apart from her own inflated opinion, it seemed that this woman had no tangible evidence to support herself. Kit scoffed, breaking the plaster of a constant smile that had been tugging at the corners of his lips the entire conversation. Quite the high horse this one rode on, he mused. "That's what it is?" The Healer repeated plainly, not even attempting to hide the confusion in his tone. "Do share, then? Your point of view is rather fascinating, really," Kit lazily ran a hand through his messy hair.

"Ooooh," The twenty-seven year old cooed as his head shook back and forth. "That's your picture of fairness? Honestly?" Kit couldn't believe his own ears, even coming from her. Even staunch ministry supports eventually admitted that their beloved system of governance had it's flaws. "What a terribly ugly picture you are capable of conjuring up...." He mused, turning to his beer for another sip. He was going to need all the alcohol he could get his hands on to sit through this debacle. At this stage, his mate had resigned to the fact that he had lost Kit to debate and had turned the opposite direction to chat up the busty brunette on his other side.

Upon hearing her next statement, Kit leaned back in his chair, blue-green eyes studying her own for some sort of recognition. Nope, nothing. He was certain he would remember a face like that despite all his efforts to deny it. "Do you now?" The Healer bided his time while chewing on the corner of his lip in deep thought. "Well I doubt we've met at any sort of protest," He nearly let out a laugh at the idea of it. The day she had any similar interests to his own, Kit was sure that Hell would have frozen over, twice. "I think you've got me mistaken..." Kit decided. "I'd remember a mouth like that... I'm certain of it," He shrugged his shoulders as a sickeningly sweet smile played over his features. The man was torn between two very conflicting emotions swirling around somewhere beneath his chest. On the one hand, this woman infuriated him, and on the other he was completely enamored.

"Your sarcasm doesn't phase me, you know." She stirred her now iceless water with the straw provided. She leaned back in her chair cooly, still finding it difficult to not get up out of her chair and make him shut up. She was over this conversation, but that didn't mean she was going to lie down and let him win. It was clear that he had his mind made up anyway, who could get through that thick, stubborn skull. She knew that he didn't really find her fascinating, half the time people didn't. She rolled her eyes, sighing in obvious disdain for all that he stood for. "From my point of view, people who think that there's something wrong with the body who upholds the law tend to be people who have been ruled against." She shrugged, raising her eyebrows and crossing her arms across her chest. She glanced over at his friend, who had dropped out of listening the conversation, obviously finding it uninteresting as Ceri did. She considered jabbing him in the ribs over that point, that he was being poor company to his friends, but decided that it would be best if she kept her blows above the belt.

Perhaps her assumption came from her own affluence, but she never considered it for a moment. Ceri never had run-ins with any sort of law enforcement, and she was sure if she did, her father could get her out of it quickly and easily. It was something that she didn't think of very often, but it was obvious by her demeanor that Ceridwen was spoiled. She stuck her nose into the air, she scoffed at dirty things, and she assumed that a man with long, shaggy hair and a big mouth was a criminal. Even though she knew him from school, she wasn't sure what he had been up to since graduation, but apparently making assumptions was the same choice, and apparently her assumptions didn't need justification.

"Of course it's fairness!" She said, raising her voice and sticking her hand out in front of her in an obnoxious, typical argument gesture. "What's more fair than a trial where witnesses and evidence are presented, and then ruled on by dozens of witches and wizards from all walks of life and all over Britain?" She retracted her hand, bringing it to clutch her glass in fury. He was being utterly irrational. "I'm sure you have an absolutely genius plan, right? Since you know all about it, since you're the king of fair trials, how would you do it, big shot?" She was letting her temper get the best of her now, but it was like a big, heavy train. There was no stopping her now.

"Yes, of course I know you. We had class together at Hogwarts." She furrowed her brow, frankly a little embarrassed that he had no idea who she was. Maybe he was just joking. Sure, they'd never had so much as a real conversation in school, but she thought that surely he might recognize her from some way, even if he didn't know her name. Though her temper had dissipated slightly, it riled right back up again when he pointed out that he would've remembered a mouth like hers. Not only did she find it mildly insulting, but she also remembered just how quiet she used to be. Was this what it would've taken to get Kit's attention back in school? She should have reamed him out years ago.

"Love, you'd know if I was trying to phase you," Kit spoke frankly with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. As far as he was concerned, he was going easy on this woman - tearing apart her theories would be easy, but for some reason he held back. The Healer assumed this was clear, but again, it seemed he overestimated this opponent's wit. Kit watched her mouth move with a faint smile, impressed by her ability to maintain such snobbish entitlement despite what he believed was a seriously flawed system of backing.

"And in one statement you've proved just whats wrong with the system," He began, biting his top row of teeth down to his lip. "Friction," Kit rubbed his hands together in demonstration. "Questioning things. Being ruled against. That's what prompts change. That's what keeps us improving," He explained, the passionate fire behind his blue eyes now burning. "I'm happy to be the one being ruled against. At least I'm doing something," Kit continued, trying to keep off the soap box.

As Ceri's words became louder and more passionate, the brunette couldn't fight the grin from overwhelming his features. "Oh, big shot? You flatter me," A hand fluttered over the fabric of his shirt just above his heart. "Get rid of the corrupt puppeteers running the show... to start," Kit blinked back at her plainly. "Implement a legal system in which everyone is given equal rights," His words were more emphasized now as he got to the heart of what he was fighting for. "Everyone and every being," Kit corrected himself, throwing a finger in front of him.

"Easy on your glass there..." The brunette nodded at her once delicate hand that was now strangling the body of her drink as if it would keep her under control. "Didn't do anything to you..." Kit gave her a smug smile, quite pleased he had in fact been able to phase her.

"At Hogwarts?" He nearly flew out of his chair. Sure, they had grown up quite a bit, but he was certain with a mouth like that there was no chance he could have missed her. "Well look at that..." Kit muttered to himself, closing his eyes for a moment to scan the faces he could remember from his schooling days. The man had a selective memory, and apparently Ceri just hadn't made the cut. "What house were you in?" He piped up louder. For a moment, he felt bad for being so forgetful, but then he remembered how nice it felt to kick her off her high horse. Ceri seemed like the type of girl who would be mortified by something like this happening. He could only hope.

"I don't suppose you have a name then?" Kit pursed his lips to keep from smirking at her. She probably assumed he knew everything about her past at Hogwarts -  the circle of popular girlfriends, her quidditch captain ex-boyfriend, the whole lot - but Kit genuinely didn't have a clue.