A/N: Here was the first real chapter of Iris, if you remembered. I've edited it a few times to make sure that there would only be a few grammatical errors/typo. Also, thank you to my friend, Ginniegins, who took her precious time to review this story of mine. Maybe some of you are wondering why the first chapter was like that, but please hold on to your seats because those characters will be revealed along the way. For those who are also reading, Life Goes On, the next chapter will be posted sometime this week and I'll try to make it very presentable for you guys.

Please enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review. :)

Chapter 1: The Destined Meeting

"In your life, you meet people. Some you never think about again. Some, you wonder what happened to them. There are some that you wonder if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again. But you do." -Anonymous

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"I was . . . glad that the last I will get to see are those brilliant emerald eyes I love so much."

Than opened his eyes. It was just a dream.

He looked around and wondered who the person in his dreams was. He knew that voice, somewhere inside his heart, he knew her. But he was not the person that the girl was pointing to, he was sure. But why did she look at him with such tenderness and love? He didn't have emerald eyes, they were black. He sat on the edge of his bed and closed his eyes as he tried to grasp the image of girl's face.

When he finally found it in him to go to the bathroom and get ready for the day, the girl still lingered in his thoughts. With a sigh, he asked himself, would something different happen today?

Always, the same things happen every day. The sun rose and set, time passed while you tried to catch your breath. There was no adventure, not even a tinge of happiness, of fulfillment, no sense of. . .life.

He went out of the shower and wore his usual black wardrobe. When he was ready to leave, he stared at the wall where the dining table was.

If this person was unusual, so was his home.

It was very simple, really. His home consisted of only a bed with a bedside table, a mirror, a bathroom and a simple table for two. But if one would enter it, only one thing would catch the person's eyes.

On the wall before the door was a calendar with the dates of death of famous people all around the world. Today was September 7, 2005, the day that William Steward Halsted, Father of American Surgery, died. The cause of death was pneumonia. Below the name was another, one that was unknown to him, and around the calendar, pictures almost filled the whole wall.

Those pictures were of various people that weren't even related to him. Almost all of them, he did not even know. He took one last look at the wall before he fetched his wand from its case and put on his usual black sneakers. Then, he ventured off to work.

Than was an unusual person, a very unusual person. If his home and his wardrobe weren't enough to tell you that, one thing that would was that he didn't remember anything else besides the fact that he lived alone in a small flat inside the city of London. He knew how to use magic and could do loads of different spells. He was also wise and intelligent, yet he didn't remember how or even why.

At the age of 24, one would not be able to tell how old he was for he looked a lot younger. He was tall and muscular, with messy, jet-black hair and almond-shaped black eyes that were as cold and dark as the night. He knew no emotion inside him; his face, always stoic, and his expression, unchanging. He had no friends and never thought he required any. He lived because he was needed for a job, a job that demanded all of his time.

Every day was the same. Get up, get ready, work, and sleep. The cycle was always like this and he doubted that it would ever change. After all, he was one of the few people who were suited for their jobs.

Today was no exception, except for the fact that he was to accompany someone for a few days. For him, it was a very odd request.

His job normally required a range of a few minutes to a few hours per person. Days were not usually needed for this, especially when there were so many people in need. But having so many clients was also the reason that he was not alone in this kind of work.

As he pondered about these thoughts about his change of routine, he thought about his life.

Is this life really called 'living?'

I have seen many people, been to many places. I have seen the many faces of humans. Seen hatred, fear, love, joy, sadness, grief. . . and I have also seen what it was like to have a family that always cared for you, true friends to comfort you and a partner to love you. Yet, despite all of these things, I am still unable to feel the emotions that they felt. My heart, like my eyes, was black. It knows nothing of some sort.

With a sigh, he wondered if he would get the chance to experience being human.

He Apparated to the park where he was to meet the person he would take care of for a few days. When he saw that there was no one there, he sat on the nearest bench and looked around.

It was a beautiful park. The bench he was sitting on had an arch of yellow bells that bloomed the brightest of colors; around him, the trees danced. The ground was covered with freshly mown grass and the air was so clean as the breezed passed him by. He exhaled and looked at the sky. It's so peaceful here. It feels as if nothing's wrong with the world.

Fully satisfied, he conjured a book with his wand and began to read. In a few minutes, the person was supposed to meet him somewhere here, in the large tree in front of him. Many people passed the area, some with their respective family, friends, love. . .others, alone.

He didn't know how he failed to notice her as she walked along the road behind him. She looked everywhere, impatient as she glanced repeatedly at her watch.

It was after a few minutes before she noticed Than, who was oblivious to everything but his book. He knew she was there, he could feel her gaze. He closed his eyes and tried to feel this person. He felt her nervousness and how she tried to calm herself. There was something in this person he recognized, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was.

"Excuse me?"

He's heard that voice before. He raised his head and looked at her as his eyes scanned her from top to bottom. She had this wild chestnut hair that hung neatly in a ponytail and a bossy sort of voice. She wore a white shirt over a blue cardigan: it was a very simple style of clothing for a girl her age. She raised an eyebrow at him as he critically analyzed her features.

And there was something about this person, her startling chocolate eyes that seemed to comfort Than. Without knowing it, a small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Silence enveloped them for a few minutes and when Than realized that she wasn't going to back down, he finally looked at her.

"Yes?" His voice was plain and cold, almost like he wanted to make her go away. Normally, when people asked him something, they got scared. To his surprise, the girl remained before him, he knew she could never hide her uncertainty and surprise and yet she tried to keep her cool.

And that, for Than, was something. Something else entirely.

She cleared her throat and tried to sound friendly, albeit her annoyance never seemed to fade. "I am kind of lost and I don't know where I am. I was supposed to meet someone but I really don't know where we were supposed to meet."

He looked at her, amused by her expression. It was a mixture of emotions yet he distinguished something quite easily. The woman was looking at him with such an intense gaze as her soft features produced a frown. It was like she wanted to ask who he was, yet there was also a look that told him that she was unsure of it.

She tried several times to open her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The woman closed her eyes, as if in pain. Confused, he looked at her as a frown marred his handsome features. "If you are looking for directions you might as well talk to the locals, for I am also a visitor to this place."

The girl snapped out of her reverie and cast her eyes downward as a tinge of pink crept to her cheeks, disappointment etched in every feature of her face. "Sorry. Well, if you don't mind, I could use a little help. It's just that you remind me of someone I knew, someone close to me."

Someone you once loved? He only smirked and looked around. There were so many people in this world that he was now very familiar with these emotions that lingered upon every human's face. Yet, something about this woman was so different. He smiled as he finally realized who she was. Wasthis the girl that they asked me to take care of and accompany?

"You were saying that you were waiting for someone, am I right? Tell me, how will you identify the person you were looking for?"

Startled, it took her a while to realize what he was asking and she rummaged inside her bag for a note. He watched her, fascinated.

"The note they gave me only said that I am supposed to meet with a person who could conjure a badge that looked like this." She handed him the note that he carefully examined, as he wondered why such a person would actually be his client. She handed him a drawing of a badge, a phoenix on flame, hugging a black orb.

He looked at her and returned the note. With a flick of his wand, he conjured the drawing as the phoenix came alive and cawed.

The girl looked at him, surprise was written all over her face. "So, you're the person I was supposed to meet?"

"Yes." For him, it would be evident that the girl would be disappointed. After all, she would be stuck with him for days and he looked like he wasn't fun to be with at all.

Yet, when he tried to read her, he sensed a sense of relief. Than easily noticed these emotions, especially with this person. Yet, he didn't know why.

He never knew that she was very curious that he, who looked so much like the person she loved, was the one that was chosen to accompany her.

For a moment, the woman smiled at him. He didn't seem to care about it in the slightest and resumed reading his book. But she was fast because she took it from him and smirked, a sense of victory welling within her when he finally looked into her eyes.

When he realized that he had no choice but to pay attention to this troublemaker, he looked at her and sighed. Then, she held her hand out as a sign of friendship and waited for him to shake it.

"I am Hermione, by the way, Hermione Granger. And you are?"

He looked at her. She didn't need to know. After all, she will be here for a while. His face was still stoic as he stared at her warm eyes.

A sudden emotion welled in his heart as he reached out to this Hermione Granger. "Than. My name is Than."

A/N: Reviews would be appreciated! Thank you for reading. :)

fia's rapier

November 1, 2011