Andre & Adelaide...and thirdly, will you marry me?
Lucius & NarcissaMark & HannahJavier & SidneyIoan & CaitlinTom & FionaNate & BreeHe couldn't believe she'd said yes again
...but, when she saw him standing there looking slightly goofy with that grin, she couldn’t help the smile that split across her face. Huh.
Nate considered him incredibly lucky to get to even talk to her, let alone go on a date.
“I don’t want to mess up our nice time with my issues, I’m just a bit crazy. Oh, I mean. I’m not crazy, I’m just… No, no, I’m crazy. But not in a bad way, I don’t think. I hope.”
He just asked her out again, didn’t he?
“Zombies, oooh dear.”
"There are rules to surviving a horror movie, you know. And special ones for surviving a world filled with zombies,"
She was a grown woman there was no need to get overwhelmed by a boy’s arms around her shoulders or the close proximity they were in. But ohhhh it was such a good feeling,
Well damn it, she was going to start doing what she wanted now, and without much of a thought she pushed forward and kissed Nate on his jaw-line, hoping he’d get the hint.
She'd... just kissed him. His jaw. She'd kissed his jaw. With her lips, right?
It wasn't just his imagination or his wants making him believe she'd done it.
Oh good, he was kissing her back and not calling her a whore for wanting to on the first—second date, whatever it was.
Merlin, she was kissing an Auror.
“I bet it was a good movie.”
“Thank you, ... For coming out with me. For taking a chance."
"Good cat,"
“I----“ she wanted to tell him that she hadn’t meant to actually speak to him and was going to admit that she was a coward and should probably stop dating all together and the human race would be better off,
---Bree stepped toward him and it felt like her brain shut off as she burst into tears and flung herself at Nate, kissing him hard.
His entire mind was focused on Bree and how she was kissing him and oh god, it felt like such a rush.
Nate didn't care if he passed out from lack of oxygen, he didn't want to stop.
----oh, she wasn’t even going to fret about where this might be going because she was already screwed
Okay, so apparently she was loud when going through the motions.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered against her lips.
...it was just far too much for her to really comprehend anything other than Nate Dawlish, who made her feel like a real woman, not just pretty face with no opinion of her own.
...knowing that Bree might cause a ruckus, for the first time in her bloody life.
Bree knew that---oh, God, she was in love with him in that---that way where if you didn’t see him in days, weeks, months, the first mention, the first sight of him would send shivers throughout her body.
And, well if everything went wrong, he would still have this, this moment right now and that was almost worth the heartbreak that would cause.
“I…hadn’t planned on that.”
“I think you’ve killed me, though, ... I don’t think I’ll be able to move from this couch ever again.”
A few weeks ago, marriage would have sounded like a completely horrifying idea, but now… with Bree in mind, it didn’t seem so bad. In fact…
“What-what would you say, and I know it sounds completely insane, and utterly mad, we just started to get to know each other, but, gods, Bree, do you feel it? This… connection? What, what would you say if I asked you to marry me?”
“Like, elope. Stuff everyone else and their goddamn preconceived notions, just… us. Just together and, romantic like. Who cares and I know I love you and… it’s foolish and naïve, but I don’t think I’ll ever love anyone like you.”
…it’s…it’s a lovely idea,”
“I…love you, though.”
“I want to be ready.”
“Not now, Soleil!”
“I don’t know about five,”
“It’s been talked about; I’m ready to say yes, I just need him to ask me again.”
Yes, yes she’d said that!
They were engaged to be engaged, or---were they already engaged?
“Just think, in thirty-five years, this is us,”
—it was just, finally, finally Bree had something wonderful to bring home to the family
“I know this seems fast; no, it is fast, but if it’s any consolation, if I’d met Bree a year ago, I know for sure that I would be right here in front of you still.”
“So, yes, you have permission to marry my---“ There was a crash in the kitchen and loud shrieks from both women at the sound that turned into laughter.
“Do you want to? I do, I’ll do it,”
“So, we’re really doing this then?”
“Scott Erickson Dawlish, hmm? Do you like that name? It’s going to be my name too, you know.”
"Oh, man, your parents are going to think we’re insane, doing this all ass backwards."
Family was her life, and to be starting her own, even if they were doing it ‘ass backwards’ as Nate so eloquently put it, well. It was hers, and that’s all that mattered.
“Are—are you---you’re okay, you—you---don’t do that, oh---I would have---”
Bree wanted to be the one he came home to after a hard day on the field.
“Hurry back,”
---it had started off as such a boring day.
“I’ll be back. I love you, so much, so---go to sleep.”
"So. I leave you alone for a few hours and you turn our son into a streaker," "No, I think he's inherited your morning rituals,"
"Oh--you need underwear, hold on---really?"
A new job (even though it would probably suck more) with better hours and an evening with his wife where he wasn't dog-tired. Perfect.
"Here you go, love, white cake with extra thick icing and fake strawberries and preserves in the middle and a dentist appointment for me tommorow,"
Ooh, cake.
Well, it's a funny story.
In the beanbag, eh?
Nicholas & MadeleineTiberius & ElenaFrank & AliceSebastian & MackenzieMacon & NoëlJames & LilyIt was well known around the castle that the broom closet on the fifth floor three doors down from the arithmancy classroom was James and Lily's broom closet.
...no one in their right mind dared to use it for their own personal needs, because either one of the two would catch them (it was like a sixth sense, knowing someone was in their closet) or the closet itself would chuck them out and serve the canoodling couple a detention, 'courtesy of your Head Boy and Girl.' Brilliant prank put to wonderfully good prefectly use.
James and Lily when together, really could not be beat.
Potter, haha. She'd said it a million times since last night, but it was still giving her goosebumps.
--did it matter? No, apparently, because the thought of all that the name Lily Potter meant still made her dizzy, whether it was him thinking it or her.
"So I take it you weren't too smashed to remember last night's conversation." "I'll remember if it's okay with you to remember it,"
...up later on during the night, he'd turned over and looked at Lily and---bugger, anyone in Hogwarts could tell you that James Potter had always wanted to wake up next to Lily Evans, but now the question of whether or not he wanted to wake up beside her for the rest of his life had arisen, and it was stupidly (but amazingly) terrifying (but brilliant) that he'd immediately thought 'yes.'
"I shouldn't be able to allow you to remember anything, but it would be a lie to say that I wish you wouldn't,"
--she wanted to look at him, because looking into his eyes when he admitted that the idea of marriage didn't completely freak him out was soaring to the top of her 'most amazing feelings in the world' list.
The one. It. All she needed for the rest of her life.
"Tell me where we're going, James, I'm all yours."
They weren't going anywhere because she'd just killed him and he was going to die and float up to heaven in this broom closet.
---she had to know that he was hers, she'd known that since he'd tripped her on the way back to the Gryffindor common room that first day in Hogwarts--oh, holy crap, he loved her and knew he wouldn't be able to function correctly if she wasn't there for the rest of his life, if she wasn't his wife and--
He let go of his hold on her and dropped to the floor, not because he'd fainted (but he was about ready to), but because he'd gone to a knee and before James could even realize that he was kneeling in something wet,
"I want you to marry me, Evans."
"You're i--insane if you think I--that'd I'd say--I mean, I--I love you so mu--I--put that damn ring on my finger, Potter!"
LILY EVANS HAD JUST ACCEPTED A MARRIAGE PROPOSAL FROM HIM, JAMES POTTER! LILY EVANS WAS GOING TO BE LILY POTTER BECAUSE SHE'D SAID YES TO MARRYING HIM, JAMES POTTER!
This had to be the best moment of his life. And having sex with Lily was pretty fucking hard to beat, but this managed to do it quite nicely.
For a second the transfiguration professor kept the same scolding glare on her face, but it melted away and she clamped her hands to her mouth, and what James thought was a little jump of excitement. See, everyone approved.
They! Were! Getting! Married!
James really did enjoy her all disheveled this way; reminded him that Lily Evans (soontobePotter, a thought that always crossed his mind when someone said her last name) had let him in to her what had once been a fortress of solitude personal space.
He kissed her once, twice, a few more times before kissing her hard. Guh, he loved this girl.
"More jewlery? You're really going to spoil me," she chastised lightly. "You don't want me to get used to this kind of thing, do you? By our fifth I'll be demanding diamond rings and tennis bracelets for every year we've been married."
"Okay. It's---it's not anything new or---well, it is shiny, but---it's been in my family for ages and---you deserve to have it. I should've--this is what I should've proposed with."
"Er--well, yes. I mean. This is what my dad proposed with and, erm...And--my mum, she, well, last year, she gave it to him, before she----and, cause I'd told her about---you and---it's yours."
"I love it, I love you--so so so much, Merlin, I--I don't know what to say---" "Ooh, okay."
...for some reason his hand was shaking as if he was actually proposing for the first time.
...she was going straight to them to squeal and be excited right after she was done with James. Of course, that wouldn't be for a while, she thought with a smirk, because she was so not even close to done with him.
Right now all she wanted to was snog this silly man senseless, this silly, wonderful, amazing, great man, Merlin's coathangers was he the most magnificent person in the world and as she tackled him quite suddenly back onto the bed, she couldn't help but thinking she was the luckiest girl on earth. ¤
Without hesitation James walked them back to the door and made a show of shutting it and jumbling for his keys while managing to keep Lily up in his arms. That’s how you did it, right?
“DON’T TOUCH HER---GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!”
"FUCK YOU!" she screamed in a voice that was not her own. She had never heard herself like she heard herself now. "FUCK YOU! LEAVE US ALONE, YOU BASTARD, DON'T YOU SPEAK A WORD TO HIM!"
If James didn’t know it before, this was the reason why he married Lily.
Just agree to come along with me, and I’ll let her go. It’s simple, really.” “Fuck. Off.”
“Kill her.”
...that door and James beside her and that was all she needed to force herself to keep moving.
Merlin’s pants, it was the best feeling in the world, Lily’s grip on his arm,
-what could she think of, what was happy enough to call forth a real Patron--oh. Lily's eyes flitted to the man beside her and in a split second the answer dawned on her. Well, it was obvious, wasn't it? All she had to do was think of him and--
"Expecto Patronum!"
....and while it may have taken her two more days after that to stand up, to let her feet cross that threshold into the rest of the house, to decide that she needed James so much more than she needed to sit alone in a bedroom and protect herself, she had done it.
SMASH!
James knew he wasn't going to give up on her.
Though---there was life in her, there was a fire, and that was more he'd seen from her in almost a week---
...it was like seeing him had torn the voice and her fighting spirit right out of her and stomped it on the floor with the rest of the living room.
She felt his forehead touch hers and he spoke softly, almost too softly to hear, but all she could do for the longest time... minutes it must have been, but it felt like years--was listen to him repeat her name over and over and over and--
The thought of Lily being okay, or at least, getting back on the road to getting better was too much for his mind to handle at the moment.
She felt bad enough already for having slipped him the drugs once; twice would be too much, even if it was for his own good.
She had slipped her husband sedatives, and she knew that it had been--at least in part--due to the fact that she needed a break. What kind of a wife did that make her?
...he longed for Lily's touch because it seemed to be the only thing that managed to soothe him lately.
"I bought stuff to make a cake--chocolate with strawberries, yeah?"
They understood each other completely, and it was because of that in times like this that they let them try to help the other out.
It was one of the most comforting things in the world, Lily thought, to have someone who she had such a thorough mutual understanding with.
"I love you, you know,"
James didn't care about sounding cliché anymore; hearing those words escape Lily Used-to-be-Evans-but-is-now-Potter's mouth always made him melt. Always, even if it wasn't a full out flush across his entire body like it was right now. Sometimes it was just a quirk of his lips or a wink of his eye, but every time James heard Lily tell him that she loved him some part of him was ready to burst with happiness. Some days it was the only thing that could get him to push on, and James loved her even more for it.
--no, no James reckoned one of the things Sirius would want for him was to get laid
She thought she could feel a shag coming on,
Ha--in a little over a week was their first anniversary. The thought made James lean over and kiss the top of Lily's head.
--seriously, could you believe they'd been married almost a year now?
Except he hadn't pulled a prank like that in what felt like years, how amazing would it be to actually set one off with Lily and not have her scold him for setting a bad example?
Oh, what the hell was she talking about? Lily wanted to prank the hell out of someone and she knew it. Damn him and his bad influence.
"Give me one too, then! I married her, I'm just as---targeted as she is!"
"I'll let them mark me ten times over before I let them touch you."
"Oy, Evans. What do you say about ditching this party and finding our own?"
"It would be so unfortunate if I were some anonymous fourth year, Professor."
"Miss. Evans, I think I'm going to have to make sure you don't say a word."
Lily leaned forward to brush her lips against James' ear, and smiled wickedly. "Oh, I don't know. I'm quite a screamer."
And it helped that over the course of their relationship James had managed to turn Lily into some sort of sexual deviant.
So she wasn't the virginal goody-two-shoes she'd been for seventeen years of her life. She was at a married-ish woman, wasn't she? It was her right to be ridiculously dirty when it came to her husband thing.
Oy, had they been this bad of role models when they were the Heads?
"In our broom closet, was this where I got that sticky gunk on my knee? Is that what happened in there?"
...he supposed the matron along with most of the other staff at the school still saw him and Lily as the bickering duo that filled the halls with loud, angry cursing or ridiculously sappy moments. Sometimes he still thought of himself that way.
"You know, you are worse than a small child,"
What if she was being serious and was ready to push him through the wall in estrogen induced rage?
"I'm going to knock you off the Astronomy Tower if that doesn't turn positive, Potter."
James was not going to let anything happen to their miraculous might-not-even-be-conceived baby.
"I've got a feeling, Evans."
Okay, so he really hadn't stopped thinking about babies.
She had almost dropped it. She had almost dropped it.
WHICH WAS FIZZING BLUE
She was going to be a mother. Holy shit.
They weren't supposed to get this, they never got the happy endings like this.
No, she couldn't cry, she had to say something--cute or---silly to James---or maybe tell him it was negative, just to get back at him for before.
...and he just need to touch her because that vial had turned blue and that meant that it was a boy and that meant that the Potters were going to have a baby.
James had kept himself up and moving because he knew Lily would kill him if he didn't. If he didn't come home to her, if he didn't get to see her one more time, then there wouldn't be a point in trying anymore.
As much as James hated sounding like an over dramatic, constantly emoting, angst-filled victim of life and society, there was no doubt in his mind that he would die without Lily.
...just being able to touch her again sent a new surge of strength throughout him.
"Just--lie with me, will you?"
James Potter did not get to leave her alone now, of all times.
"There's nothing else I'd rather do."
Still, because people had told him in fourth year...that he would get over the insanity he exuded when Lily Evans was in the room. Ha! Little did they know that he still made an arse out of himself once in a while (okay, more than once in a while) to get her to laugh, or smile, or simply look over at him, and he didn't mind it at all.
"I like Harry."
"Harry Potter?" "Harry James Potter."
James, Lily, and Harry. It made them sound like a family.
Dimitri & GabrielleAlex & GracielaJohn & MatildaTomas & AvisEdgar & GillianEmmet & ClaraIan & LizJonathan & MeganWilliam & AnnelieseRafe & ErinCaden & EstellaArchie & Isobel"I happen to like both my feet on the ground, not twisted into any funny shapes, thank you very much!"
"Get the mat, do the exercises, and I will be all yours for as long as you need me,"
Oh, but this woman was infuriating! There were laws to be upheld! Miscreant behavior to be attended to
Archie crossed his arms and glared at her.
This man was an absolute nitwit.
Karma would take care of him justly.
Ah--she could spot Mr. Twitchy (he'd moved on to a new nickname, now), and she smiled upside-down at him.
Well, as long as he wasn't on the mat doing that ridiculous bend (now really, it was a bit gratuitous the way she was looking at him right now. Or rather, from where she was looking at him now).
What kind of self-respecting witch did yoga any--oh, that was an inappropriate position, gods, that was an inappropriate position.
Miscreant behavior or not, this woman was deadly with her ability to fold herself into smaller shapes.
Archie had often been accused of insane behavior.
"Oh, er, Miss Egg, ... if you would, er... well, if you would have dinner with me?" "What? ... What is wrong with you?!"
"Is that... er, is that a yes?" "I---suppose it is."
"Icantbelievethisnonsense,"
Squinting, he raised his head to look at the shape more clearly, and the face of Isobel Egg came into focus. Well, this was a peculiar dream.
"Oh, god."
At least it had been good---ah, oh God, had he poisoned her, or something?
"This is all your fault!"
"You've got to stop blaming me for things that don't go exactly as planned, Miss Egg,"
"You're the one that held the door open for me!"
Gods, but he was a bit happy she didn't. NO! Where were these thoughts even coming from!
"Bloody toerag!" she let out before grabbing the side of Archie's face and pulling him down into a kiss that she was sure knocked out some of her teeth. At least now he'd shut up.
She was DEFINITELY snogging him.
A very pleased, relaxed miserable, but miserable all the same. There weren't many good ways to be miserable.
This was totally going to make up for the berating she was sure to give him afterward.
"We're in a public area, she can't curse me"
"Are you always intolerable? ... In every aspect of your life, do you need to find some way to be absolutely and infuriatingly---"
"These were for you, y'know, as a... happy birthday... thing. But I, er, squashed them, slightly. Sorry about that."
Izzie really wanted to be mad.
Merlin, he was a stalker.
Don't leave him standing there like a fool after he's given you flowers, Izzie! Yes, yes that had to be it, she was just being nice.
Maybe they could finally have a friendship (relationship? He wondered), or something else that was normal. That, instead of her hating him and him chasing her around like a maniac, waving his hands and yelling, "See! Safe! Perfectly so!"
Izzie had done a lot of research on love potions these past few weeks.
So---as her hands clumsily unbuttoned Archie MacMillan's shirt, the thought that he must have developed a new kind of love spell to use on her came to mind.
He had to be a love potions master.
But of course, in a way that was becoming shockingly habitual, their latest encounter had appeared to be taking a turn for the hormonal.
"No. More. Sex!"
"Who said there was going to be any sex?" "Because there's always sex."
I-- and I don't want to do this with you anymore-- I mean I do! ... But not like this. I'm tired of casual and meaningless and--and I do want something more. So I'm putting my foot down. You can have all of me, or none of it."
Oh fuc--did he seriously just give her an ultimatum here?
"What, are you asking me to be your girlfriend? You're not doing a very good job of it. Stopping the sex, and all."
"Well, yes, I suppose I am asking you to be my girlfriend. It's just--I mean, we don't have to do anything differently, it's ju--titles. I like titles. I think titles are nice."
--she had been shagging him, right?
"Though---things better be different, ... Seeing my boyfriend once every two weeks for an hour isn't what I call a healthy relationship."
"You can see me as often as you like,"
Life had certainly taken a few odd twists and turns in the past few months.
"They can't be that bad! They produced you, after all,"
Maybe... I could save you from them, ... I could defend your honor and everything."
"So first you're the bad guy, ... and now you're my knight in shining armor?"
"And if it isn't terribly forward of me, Miss Egg, there is a sofa that looks incredibly lonely just in the other room..."
"My stomach hurts," "Your stomach is fine,"
"Well, I was lucky enough to have met Isobel. I think she's the Egg for me."
"I think I love you, Mr. MacMillan."
"I'm rather glad to hear that, Miss Egg, ... Because I have been waiting to find the proper time to say that to you."
"Did you say you
think you love me?"
She supposed it wasn't a surprise to her, that she felt like she loved Archie---hell, if she wanted to be really honest, all that sexual attraction she hadn't been able to explain during their first interactions had probably something to do with falling in love with him.
"Isobel, I know you're home. I have--presents!"
Oh--oh, stupid---hormones! Hormones and---being absolutely miserable, that helped too.
"I'm----I'm pregnant."
...
He--who--that was--
...
Unexpected...?
...
"Oh, ... Your--presents--I brought--presents, ... I mean! ... W-w-w-when did you find out...?"
"Idontcareaboutpresents!"
"I---I tell you that I'm----pregnant and you talk about-----PRESENTS?"
"You! You can just! You can just go and I will take care of it---him---or her by my--self! ... AND DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE BECAUSE I WILL KILL YOU!"
WELL, THIS WAS GOING VERY BADLY INDEED.
He'd never--this was--WELL! THIS WAS THE FIRST CHILD HE'D EVER--oh, holy--Merlin, she was pregnant!
"...When--ISOBEL!" His eyes flew open and Archie's expression turned panicked. "We're not married!"
They weren't married. This was--this was a child conceived out of wedlock. Oh, dear. Ohhh, dear.
"THAT IS NOT WHAT'S IMPORTANT RIGHT NOW!"
He probably shouldn't be doing this to exacerbate the angry pregnant lady, should he?
Archie used to be good at that, didn't he? Before he found out Izzie was pregnant. B.C. Before Conception.
"Two--two weeks. I---I ruined Christmas!"
All right, he lied. There was no way his head would ever stop spinning from this.
Fact One: Isobel was pregnant.
Fact Two: They did not know the sex or how far along Isobel actually was.
Fact Two, part two: Which also meant they did not know when Izzie was due.
Fact Three: They were not married.
!!!!!!It was eight in the morning.
"Why are you knocking down my door?"
"We've been together now for quite some time, have we not? And despite a somewhat--rocky beginning, we've done rather well for ourselves, wouldn't you say?" "Yes, rather well,"
"I've given this an immeasurable amount of thought, Isobel Egg. And I strongly believe in championing propriety. The last thing I would ever let happen to you is, for some reason, leave you in doubt of the level of commitment I have to you. Which is why ... Isobel Minerva Egg, will you marry me?"
A big glop of jelly fell to the floor as her eyes followed Archie to the ground.
...her boyfriend--on the floor, bent down on one knee with a box that looked remarkably like a ring box and then he said----he---he just---proposed.
"Are you out of your mind!"
He had definitely not proposed the day before yesterday. Why was he proposing today?
"You're proposing because of the baby, ... I don't want to get married because of the baby,"
"The baby is just a wonderful reason for me to do things properly."
"What do you say?"
She was thinking about a house, and a backyard, and first days of schools and silver wedding anniversaries.
--she wanted to know that Archie was seeing this as more than a right of passage for a proper, sophisticated, pureblood man.
Though she had to give him, he was really good at picking out jewelry.
"I want you to--to want to grow old with me and---and I want to----want to make your lunch for--for work and---and I don't--want--it to be--expected and---This has to be--this can't have anything to do with---traditions and rules. You---I want you to---want me."
"I don't want anyone but you, you silly, lovely girl."
Wait, was he her fiance, if he hadn't put the ring on her finger?
Ah--huh. Officially make her the future Mrs. MacMillan. If you'd told her that five months ago, she would have torn the lips straight off your mouth.
"Yes--yes, I'll marry you,"
Archie loved married life. Even though he had only been in it for two weeks, and that was their honeymoon, which was nothing like real married life, and his wife was pregnant by about four months, that didn't matter!
Izzie was sure her chakra had never been this crystal clear.
"We have a forest-like clump!"
"Greece. We're going back to the island. That's it. Back on the honeymoon."
"MY BABY'S GOING TO LIVE IN A FOREST!"
It was a good theory, but didn't hold much water for the MacMillans (here, he would like to interject, albeit somewhat dejectedly, that they are finally the MacMillans)
Isobel MacMillan was very tired of not sleeping with her husband.
So, she was going to stay with her husband at the ruins of the manor.
Archie MacMillan was not finding married life to be the sweetest.
AIEE! he almost cried
Except he couldn't deny that seeing Isobel was positively the nicest thing that had happened all week.
So the part of him that said to hell with the rest of the world was insistently tell him to 'shut up, you damn fool, and go kiss her!,' while the far more sensible part of him cried in protest, '"Damn fool"! You'd be a damn fool if you let her stay here, that's for certain!'
Though she supposed that having scales would be rather annoying, but.
"I want to wake up next to my husband,"
"No one will be able to resist the cuteness of our child."
"We should christen our tent," she murmured, raising her eyebrows. Her hormones were going mad, after all. And her chest was huge, they clearly had to take advantage of all of that, right?
Before he became fully, fully committed to the simultaneous christening of their tent and welcome his wife home, Archie found himself vaguely hoping the tent was both sound-proof and not opaque in the slightest.
The house was a death trap.
"That's simple! If it's a boy, we can name him Archie, Jr. And if it's a girl... we can name her Izzie, Jr.!"
"Izzie Jr.?"
...but as soon as she mentioned an "Archie, Jr.," he had a brief little fantasy which involved teaching the ten Secrecy Statutes to a darling little boy who dutifully repeated them back, verbatim.
"I wonder if she'll like me, ... Or he. Whichever." "Of course they'll like you! ... Look how excited he---or she gets at your voice!"
...kissing her as fiercely as he could to communicate with her just how blessed he was to be doing this with her, and how much he loved her, and how wonderful she was, and how they were starting out on the right foot, in spite of all the setbacks and flubs and nuisances that always seemed to plague them.
Everything about this was right.
Izzie just really hoped Archie liked Ernie's name, when he woke up.
Thin threads of the finest gold, lashing out at him in an exasperating manner as they suddenly appeared and disappeared in his field of vision. Then he saw, they weren't ribbons, they were hair…
There was only one person in the world with hair like that who could cause him to be so flustered.
Izzie tried to decipher what he was saying, but she couldn't contain her excitement and dipped closer to kiss him quickly. Just for a second.
"Archie? Hello, love!"
"C'mon Ernie, say hi."
With his finger extended towards his son, Archie said, with tears starting to spill from his own blue eyes, a pained but incredibly genuine small smile, "Hallo."
Archie and Ernie!
Finn & JoyElphias & PhoebeRabastan & OctaviaGraeme & GiadaDedalus & Eliza"...but I felt like being a damsel in distress, is all." "So what does that make me, your knight in shining armor or something?"
Their sweet kiss wouldn't do for corridor snogging, however
"Eliza blank Dedalus ... Equals ... Equals what?"
"Dedalus loves Eliza, too."
There was something about the man you're in love with checking you out that was so, so incredibly sexy
She supposed that meant their sex life was good, that they kept changing it up and---haa...
"Okay, um...okay, you can't say anything about this. To anyone. Ever. Okay?" "All right ... I promise." "Okay. Good. Alright."
"I mean, I owe you something really nice, and I know that Hogsmeade isn't really...well, special, but I just wanted to do something...good."
"They're at the---you're in both places at the---so--That's remarkable."
"You want to time travel? With me?"
"You're incredible," she mumbled into his mouth. No matter if she wasn't allowed to tell her friends what her boyfriend had done for her; she knew that he'd literally made more time to spend with her.
Just to hold him, just to let him know that she was there for him and she would--always be.
"You're so brave,"
He needed to have her there, and he needed to hold onto her, because right now, it was the only thing that was giving him any sort of comfort at all.
In all honesty, Eliza would not be surprised if they hadn't left his dorm (and more specifically, his bed) in two days.
It was really astonishing how much you missed sex when you couldn't have it for a while
He was only thinking about how comfortable his bed felt at that moment, since he was absolutely exhausted. But…this time it wasn’t because of studying all night long. Heh.
So, of course when they were able to be around each other again, they were going to celebrate a little. Or, you know…a lot.
“I’m sorry…” "Me--me too, I'm sorry, I just--I'm sorry."
God, she hadn't kissed him in weeks. That was completely ridiculous and wrong
It was something he had never felt before in his life. Feeling like part of him was missing. Feeling like he was without a limb when he wasn’t around her.
It was like…everything before her was just building up to her.
“I can’t even remember the last time we were both home so early…” "Last Wednesday, ... I remember, because you said the same thing, last time."
There was nothing he wanted more than to just be with Eliza, and just…exist.
...he wanted to just lay beside her, or hold her, and not have to worry about any sort of responsibilities.
There were no words to explain how broken he would have been, had something happened to her at Mungo’s that night. He owed Peter Pettigrew his life, for saving Eliza’s
She kept him steady when he felt like he was about to tip over and fall, and kept him floating whenever he felt like he was about to drown…
Eliza was easily getting lost in his touch. She craved for it all the time, when they passed each other in the corridors and it was just a quick slide of their hands---she swore she could feel the sensation for the rest of the day.
He had just been the kid who always knew the answer in class, the kid who was always the most awkward and geeky person anyone had ever met. But with Eliza, he was so much more than that.
She accepted how awkward and geeky he was, and she loved him for it.
She needed to stop thinking. He needed to stop thinking. He just needed to kiss her, and hold her, and love her.
Eliza smiled up at him, ready to tell him that she was just fine. She'd turned into him, wrapping both of her arms around his waist in a loving manner. She could stand like this all day, every day.
“…do you feel better, now?” "No, it's not---I'm pregnant, Dedalus,"
“Y-your…your p-…p-p-pre-…”
"I think---I think I love this baby as much as I love you ... "And that's a---a whole lot, Mister. Head Boy."
It's a boy?
Baby Blue Boy Diggle.
We did promise it would be extraordinary!
Should I call you Mister Fiancé?
I was telling this to you before, and I can't stop thinking about it and I can't wait for you to come home from work, but I cannot wait to be your wife. I promise I'll say it again, because I cannot stop with the mushy stuff. // And I can't wait to be your husband. Honestly, if I could marry you right now...I would. Also, I don't mind the mushy stuff.
Would the Ravenclaw in you like to look up the meaning of the word 'elope' or should I explain :)
Fredrick & AgathaRalph & MirandaShe was totally going to kill him.
"I don't want to talk about it," "Well, tough shit, Merridew."
"I--I am your girlfriend and I deserve to be told things and...and when it seems serious, you have to tell me what's going on, I refuse to be treated like some tart you've just--just up and shagged and then dropped in the morning!"
Oh.
"Ralph Jackson Merridew, you wake up right this instant!"
Miranda. Ralph suddenly felt incredibly awake.
"Don't do that to me,"
She was having an epiphany, and it included never letting this man go, because she simply could not live without him.
"You are stuck with me, Ralph Merridew, you are stuck with me no matter--no matter what. Is that clear?"
This--- this--- this was Miranda, how could he have been so stupid to think that--- that not being with her would be okay? He needed her.
Miranda was it, she was--- the one, because no one had even come close to make him feel like this before; it was impossible to love someone as much as he felt about her right then.
"What would I do without you?" he asked tenderly, just above a whisper. "You're---- Miranda Daisy Dodderidge. I can't live without you."
This was definitely the most romantic thing that had ever happened to her, easy.
Holy hell. She was going to be with Ralph forever.
Miranda didn't hesitate when the snogging became more heated, and soon---ah, could they do this here? Oh--yes, yes it didn't matter
Miranda really had no idea how truly relieved Ralph was now that she was back. And, you know, not dead.
"People 'oohhed' and 'ahhed' at it,"
Okay. It was now officially a mission. Well, it always had been, but. Right. Anyway.
...just the simple fact that people knew she was wearing Ralph's clothing was a good enough reason to do it, annnnd she loved it, just like she loved him and sigh
Ralph Jackson Merridew was absolutely perfect and amazing and Miranda couldn't kiss him hard enough
"Ooh, this one's got a hot tub,"
"Nothing's new with me, I work at an ice cream parlor,"
Because, really. Ralph was way more important than being famous.
See? She was totally growing up.
"We are wasting valuable hot tub time,"
"Weellll, ... Let's go, ... I'll even carry you in,"
They were totally going to christen this hot tub the right way.
"Don't--- scream, okay?"
"Ralph--!" "Hi."
At least he knew he could always count on Miranda to be a constant staple.
---tighter than she'd been holding him before, and Miranda was sure this was what perfect bliss was supposed to feel like.
This was--- he shouldn't lead her on like this.
"I'm leaving," "Leaving? Leaving? What's that--what do you mean? You can't--leave, what do you mean---why, why--"
What a shitty time for logic.
"---what are you going to do without--what am I going to do without you? I can't--I can't---we promised, Ralph--"
He really just wanted to rip his heart out. That would be much less painful than this.
Didn't he know she couldn't live without him?
They were meant for each other! They were destined to grow up, get married and have children and--- grow old together, because this was Miranda Dodderidge. His-- his---
But if they were meant for each other, then why was it so hard to stay together?
"Forget about everything."
She really didn't know what was worse. Thinking Ralph was dead, or knowing that he was alive and well and didn't want to be with her.
"Aren't you going to say goodbye?"
"Goodbye,"
So--she---really---liked----snogging.
Snogging was always the best distraction to put off things you didn't want to do. Luckily for him, however, Miranda was the greatest distracter he had ever known (in many ways)
"I joined the Order,"
Her boyfriend was a right genius.
Bad reaction, bad reaction, bad reaction.
"You're going to kill me with this!"
"You already---I had to deal with you dying once, Ralph, and I---I--- ... I c-can't do that again!"
"I'm not going to die!"
He rejected that statement as potentially coming true because he knew deep down in his heart, that he and Miranda were meant to grow old together, and have as many babies as she wanted and him dying would prevent all of that
All she could do was cry, because for some reason she believed the bastard.
"You're an idiot," "But I'm your idiot,"
"Don't try to snuggle with me, Mister,"
"When I'm starring on the West End I'll be sure to dedicate all my performances to my idiot boyfriend."
It was her Ralph. The sound of his voice, much clearer and louder now, gave Miranda a new sense of strength
"Oh shit,"
Her arms slung over his shoulders and for a second felt like she couldn't do anything more, but it was Ralph and he was here!
Miranda didn't feel strength, she just felt the desperate need to cling onto him as if her life depended on it, which, at this moment, it probably did.
"Don't freak out,"
"Don't pass out,"
The frown on her face definitely could not be wiped away by chocolate.
"Mmmm, chocolate cake." Ralph brought the pastry up toward his face (a whole one, he might add. Miranda had better see how much he loved her through the price tag of this thing alone)
Why did the stupid cake have to smell so good?
"I can't do it, I'm too stupid to get it." "Noooo, noo!"
"Help me---think of something, to think about," "Remember when I stopped being a prick, and you got back from Mungo's---" "You were a bit of a prick,"
but---that night, they had reaffirmed to each other that they were always going to be together, no matter how stupid they might behave.
And they could be pretty damn stupid.
"It has feet!"
He could sing, he could dance, maybe attempt to perform both at the same time.
They were not making it to the park today.
Pregnant. She. Was. Pregnant.
Sure, she and Ralph had a lot of sex, maybe sometimes unprotected and in a variety of places, but for the most part they were careful!
She and Ralph had been together for three years and had managed to...to not be this stupid!
What-- how--- well he understood how but--- he didn't--- they--- pregnant?
"--- talktome!"
Noah & OdetteElliot & ElsieChandler & WendyJonas & KobeDrystan & BessEuan & RebeccaEmmeline & CaradocCaradoc stood at her doorstep, trying to not look like he had just sprinted down a flight of stairs, raced out of Mungo's front door, apparated in the middle of the street to Bristol, and jumped up three steps in front of Emmeline's flat all to bang furiously on her door.
What he really wanted to do, and he really shouldn't, it wasn't--- she probably would stop him anyway, but--- "Oh, fuck it," Caradoc promptly stated, then didn't wait another second to move his both hands to roughly clutch both sides of her face and push his lips forcefully on her's. Minor details later, much later.
This man was absolutely fucking insane.
Thud.
Emmeline was kissing him back, (rather hard, he might add) and holding onto the back of his neck in that way that made his body jump alive.
"Thought---You---sick."
No thinking, just no thinking; that would ruin what he was enjoying too much.
Oh, for fuck's sake how were they still standing?
Caradoc cared, he cared and she couldn't be more thrilled to have such an understanding even if it was the most unexpected thing she'd ever experienced in her life.
...in all of her years of knowing Caradoc Dearborn she'd never seen that look in his eyes and that look sent a chill through every bone, vein, artery, nerve in her body.
He was unable think, unable to breathe, and Caradoc scarcely noticed the falling boxes and potential breaking possessions around them. It didn't matter, he would buy her new possessions for fucking sake.
Emmeline's hands felt almost too hot on his skin to handle. But just bearable, more then bearable because it felt good, so good.
He couldn't let go of her; just the thought of doing that in the moment was simply impossible.
Every fiber from the tips of his fingers to the bottoms of his heels were tingling, jumping, longing, and she was there, creating every single jump to course through him.
It was agonizing to the point of---- oh thank fucking--- a bed.
Hahaaa.
Nooo.
Without any other option, he left, knowing fully well he was dead the next time he saw her.
"Motherfucker!"
It was a good thing that his will was already written out, because Caradoc was fairly confident Emmeline was going to kill him for more reasons than one.
...she opened it [the door], glared at Caradoc with the meanest, sharpest glare she could muster, and then slammed it shut in his face.
"You're not allowed to sit on my couch,"
"Alright, look. The Dark Lord wants you dead, if we're going to honest."
"I'm the death eater." "Bullshit."
"And...so---so what? What are you going to do? With---me?"
"This is what Sunday was about?" "No."
"Why aren't you over here?"
"I'd rather have you distract me from all this trouble you've brought." "Mmmm. I think I can do that."
"What brings you out here? Reminiscing? Picking up Nibbles? I'm sure Juliet misses him so." "Why--- to see your shining face, of course."
"Oh, darling, I knew you cared!"
"Are you going to give me a kiss goodbye before you leave? I came all the way out here." "Carry my trunk and you've got a deal."
"You're going to miss me," And he knew she would, because he would miss her, which obviously meant that she would miss him to begin with. It was a complex system.
The last warning whistle blew, and he reluctantly pulled away from her. For the most part; he really just moved his face to the side of her head, getting a good whiff of her hair as he spoke through a light smile. "You don't really need to go."
Merlin, anyone could tell you that she'd fancied Caradoc for years (not that she'd ever admit that to him, never, ever--) so her subconscious had been waiting to do this, to hold him and kiss him and miss him when he was gone.
"You're taking me to Hogsmeade!"
He had much better things to focus on, like Emmeline's neck, and pushing her up against the wall to make sure anyone who saw them knew, and snogging her senseless, and---
"You did not just tie that thing onto me,"
Oh, honestly. Caradoc was quite lucky she was stuck between him and the wall.
"And you think you'll still be allowed to snog me now?"
Caradoc was nearly sure, at this point, that he could get away with almost anything. Well, maybe not everything.
"I'll only forget---- your first name. Promise."
How much more slack could she get from dating the Slytherin older brother of one of her best friends? Honestly? Oh---and one who just happened to be a death eater, a spy for the Order. There was nothing more that anyone could really say that hadn't already been said.
No, no, she was quite happy with this whole snogging-Caradoc Dearborn-freely thing.
Although he couldn't exactly be aggravated with her, because she--- ohhh, he hated her, he really did. He did not like what she was doing to him.
"Something more important come up?" "A bit, yes."
Emmeline wasted no time in turning to kiss him goodbye a bit harder than she should have; mostly because she was worried, but partly to distract him as she swiftly tied the string back around his wrist.
He liked where he was, here, even if it did include Emmeline still tying that random piece of yarn to him. It felt--- he didn't want to go into it, but it felt good.
"Look at you, you're already falling apart,"
...her confused expression turned into a strange mixture of shock and joy at the sight of Caradoc---how the hell had he---ohhhh, Alice was in trouble.
That smirk of his made her want to jump him quite badly.
While all she physically wanted to do was kiss him and pull him close, mentally Emmeline knew that Frank was a good five seconds away from coming out here and spotting them and probably blowing something (or someone) up.
If he was going to get Emmeline to do this, then he needed to dazzle her completely.
No, ah---she really couldn't do this here, it went against various rules of nature.
This was what he wanted, and she had been starving him for weeks---months. Months. Multiple months.
"I want to have sex, I want to have a lot of sex...and I know you want to have sex---do you see how I'm enunciating? It is very important that you understand how much I want this. Are we going to your flat, or not?"
If it had been within him, Caradoc would have pouted. Deeply.
Actually, he was finding it very hard to focus on what she was saying at all. He just couldn't. Wouldn't? Couldn't. Either way, she had lost him at the point of wanting all the sex. It didn't matter what Emmeline had said after that
Caradoc quickly found himself not caring so much about staying here than before. A lot of sex most definitely trumped some sex.
Emmeline was beyond amusing him, it was almost of a giddy feeling coursing through him because of her. A dangerous giddy feeling that he knew he shouldn't feel thrilled about, but--- that was for later.
"I get it. Yes."
It didn't bother him that she had demanded he come at such a late time, surprisingly. In fact he felt quite content about it.
"You are not allowed to seduce me right now."
"What the fuck are you saying!" "What the fuck are you saying?"
He suddenly felt very, very angry.
Why did she date, again?
How---had she managed to lose this? Juliet would be so disappointed in her, unbelieveable.
"Emmeline. Emmeline. Emmeline." "Oh, my, God!" He actually could get more annoying!
There was something terribly wrong with this man.
He had thought, once he finally did get the chance to poke around her inner thoughts, that he would be better able to understand Emmeline. But, no. That obviously would never happen.
...didn't she realize that no one was to going to be able to even touch her now with him here?
"Beautiful, Caradoc, really. Can you see what I'm thinking now?"
"Would you---would you leave, if you could? If--things got worse?" "Yes, but that would never be able happen"
"I'd want you to---if---it--if you could, I'd want you to go." "I'm not going anywhere, Emmeline." "Why not?"
"I trust you, you know." "Why! Why should you! You shouldn't!"
He really couldn't get over the fact that she had brought him a cake. What kind of cake was it?
See! He was growing, he was refraining from destroying the moment that they were in.
She had thought a lot about it, put a great deal of effort into obtaining it (these were not easy to come across, he would know), only showing that--- he suddenly felt extremely uncomfortable.
Had she made him happy?
Why hadn't she listened to him when he had curtly stated all he wanted for his birthday was sex. And a cake.
He could accept Emmeline's deep affections for him. After all, that was what he had been trying to achieve so....Nope. The thought still made him want to go on one of his instinctive destructive paths.
Caradoc did not like this feeling in his stomach.
She just wouldn't only give him sex. She just had to be a normal girlfriend, and give him a a normal gift that showed she cared (which, by the by, meant he had to get her a fucking unicorn with wings next month)
"When are we having sex?"
"I'm surprised it took you this long to ask. Whenever you want, I suppose."
If Caradoc wasn't so shocked by Emmeline's very unpredictable display of her body, he might have been able to reply something sarcastic back. Or witty. Or form words for that matter.
"Now,"
Mmm, lavender.
She was always naked before he was, she really couldn't understand why or how, not that she was complaining. ¤
Just because mistletoe was stupid didn't mean you could go and not obey it.
This is what happened when you had a strong, enthusiastic liking for someone.
Caradoc did not waste time acting on Emmeline's seemingly crazed decision.
It had been set, he had made up his mind--- until she had turned over in her sheets, exposing her face directly to him. Yes, that had definitely been enough to stop him.
"You--happy new year,"
"I thought I could handle it--- take care of it,"
"Alert the prophet."
"I can't see you anymore. Ever." Caradoc looked in straight in the eyes, leaving no room for her to mistake what he was saying for anything but what it was. "I don't want to."
She wasn't useless, she'd been a part of the Order just as long as he had been and---ever?
--ever?
Did he have to say it so---they weren't something you just ended, right?
"Is that it, then?"
Surely... she could not have truly believed that she was as unimportant to him as he was treating her now.
How could she think that she was that meaningless to him? Was this what she--- ah.
He longed to touch her, to hold Emmeline's face and feel the warmth of her skin against his. Because then--- but he couldn't.
He was leaving? He was really leaving?
----oh.
"I fancy you," she blurted, flushing deeply, "--still, always, I--Just---just so you know."
Caradoc was fully aware she had never said that to him before (he had never to her), so hearing it out loud was... she was forcing him to stay.
"You're a bloody terrible boyfriend most days."
"Why weren't you ever afraid? You were never afraid, and now--- don't you understand? You should have never trusted me."
He was honestly breaking her heart.
And this time Caradoc wasn't going to save her, he was actually who she should be running from.
Except her body wouldn't move, and some insane, irrationally, completely fucking devoted part of her brain kept yelling at her that he wouldn't.
He would do whatever it would take to get them---her, through this.
Caradoc wistfully waited for just a few more moments. Perhaps... no. That was the best of a goodbye they were going to get.
This was... over.
There was a raging battle going on somewhere in the countryside, and all Emmeline could do was worry about how she looked.
"You're leaving?"
She just wasn't going to let him go, was she?
"I needed to see you,"
Caradoc felt his chest twist agonizingly as he took her in, knowing fully well that this was because of him. Him!
She hadn't seen his face in days.
She could---she could tell him that he made her chest ache more than any torture she'd ever endured.
She could go, would that make things better? Would they still want to kill Caradoc if they had her?
"Stop. Stop thinking."
"It's not your fault,"
She needed to know that, she needed to understand that he didn't blame her. For this, for--- everything. And at that moment, it became perfectly clear to him that with everything, everything he had been dealt with... Caradoc honestly wouldn't have had it any other way. Funny.
"No regrets."
The most ironic of smiles played on his lips as he finally let himself reach for her, his hand lightly brushing itself against her cheek. Ahhh.
This was it. This was it.
No, no. This fate was much better than any of that. No regrets, he was right.
"I can't come up with anything remotely impressive to say,"
Lulled by that fact, he did not hesitate to wrap his arms around her and relinquish what little was left. She felt hot against him, but in the most pleasant way imaginable.
"I have to go,"
His smile fell, and it took him much effort to finally look away from her.
