Closed; Reality Check

[daphne_x]

Daphne finally made it home on the Thursday after the bizarre magical black out that weekend, shuffling in after a busy morning of meetings with new clients with her bags trailing right behind her. It was such a relief to have magic back again and Daphne wasn't about to take it for granted, using magic even more often than usual now just because

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[ccecilia]

It had been three days before Cecilia was able to break away from the hospital. The moment the magic came back, it was as if there was a free for all, all the Healers and wards doing what they could to get their patients back to their healthiest selves. And for some, they retreated back to the way they were from their own magical blackouts. It was a startling difference the way some grew better and some grew worse. She peeked in briefly at the Janus Thickey Ward, watching with a strange tug at her chest as Frank and Alice Longbottom withdrew into themselves, their memories once again tarnished

[daphne_x]

With a flick of her wand Daphne's bags went floating down the hall and into her room, where they would start unpacking themselves. Tippy was due in the morning for a few rounds of laundry and dry cleaning, which were much needed.

Then again, she could just buy an entirely new wardrobe and spare Tippy the trouble of the dry cleaning. It wouldn't be the first time.

"Love, so much has happened but I'll spare you most of it, considering some details are dirtier than others," she told her, grinning as she kicked off her heels and took a seat next to Cecilia.

"I told Cormac that I love him."

[ccecilia]

Cecilia settled into the couch, letting her body shift as it sank into the memory foam cushions, resting her head back against it with a quiet sigh. It had been such a long few days filled with confusion and chaos and a lot of tragedy- varying in ways Cecilia never expected. As much as she came to detest, sometimes, what magic was and where it led her, she had no idea how she'd ever manage without it.

It had been incredibly unsettling.

When Daphne sat down beside her, that familiar quirk of a grin tugging at her lips, she couldn't help but return the gesture. They could always count on each other to be a good distraction when the time came.

"Really?" she asked, turning her body to better face her. "Merlin, I can't believe it took you this long-"

[daphne_x]

There was honestly no other person that Daphne wanted to tell, happy to just sit around with Cecilia and gossip for the rest of the afternoon if her schedule would allow it.

Though, she wouldn't have complained if her sister, Astoria would drop by to join them.

Or if Pansy was well enough to actually engage in the conversation.

"Have I been that obvious?" she asked her, rolling her eyes- though it was mostly at herself. Love sick wasn't exactly a term anyone would have used to describe a Greengrass.

[ccecilia]

When Daphne had confessed to Cecilia that she had fallen into something with Terry Boot, she had to admit she could understand. No matter how nice or seemingly average Terry seemed, for a girl like Daphne or Cecilia- it was a bloody adventure to be with someone like that.

Especially given the type of bloke that settled in the Slytherin house - of which she knew far too much about what they were like in relationships.

She had seen something similar in Gabriel (though, even then, that had been something so twisted, it pained her to still think about it).

But while Cormac might have been different, it all made an incredible amount of sense.

"Maybe a bit-" she ventured, offering Daphne a shrug. "But that's good, isn't it? I haven't seen you two together very often but you're giddy all the time. It suits you."

[daphne_x]

There had been no question that Daphne had been happy with Terry, at least for a while. He was different and safe with a large, wholesome family that loved each other and sat down for family meals every Sunday. It was exactly what she had needed in her life back then- stability.

Something had always been a little bit off, something she thought they would both grow out of or she could put behind her.

In the end, she couldn't.

But Daphne didn't feel that way with Cormac, realizing how well they complimented each other now. There were moments when he was exactly the same of man she imagined she'd end up and then, all of a sudden, he was a completely fresh breath of air.

"It's fantastic, honestly, Cecilia. He's completely wonderful," Daphne told her, trying not to gush.

"This is completely new for me. Something just clicks-"

[ccecilia]

"That's really good-"

That was how she felt about George. No matter the strange details surrounding their very first meeting or how odd it might look on paper, there was something there that just worked. And she'd never looked back.

So, she could completely understand where Daphne was coming from.

"I'm so happy for you, Daph-" she said, her hand reaching to squeeze Daphne's briefly.

She looked so happy, Cecilia wasn't sure how she'd be able to break the news.

[daphne_x]

It really wasn't unusual for Daphne to get wrapped up in her own life, coming in here and insisting that they talk about her. After all, something wonderful had happened and it was almost life changing.

Love was a big step and she never actually thought she'd make it that far with Cormac. And to think, she had almost walked away from him.

But she definitely noticed something different about Cecilia, a bit of hesitance there.

"Is something wrong?" she asked her, frowning. "Did something happen?"

[ccecilia]

Cecilia didn't say anything at first.

She had hoped she'd put on a happy enough face for Daphne, not wanting to ruin her moment. But she knew how much Daphne cared about Pansy- the two of them much closer than Cecilia ever was with their old friend.

She had to know.

"Well-" she paused, sighing softly. "On Saturday- what with everything happening- well, Pansy-"

She faltered again.

"Pansy is gone, Daph."

[daphne_x]

Daphne's entire expression went blank at Cecilia's news, though her insides were tugging and twisting and already starting to ache.

At first she thought she had heard her wrong or at least hoped that there would be a until magic returned- piece to this story.

But there wasn't.

"No. She can't be-" Daphne started, fingers balled into fists so that her nails dug into the soft skin of her palms.

"How- Cecilia- no. No."

[ccecilia]

"I know-"

Cecilia shifted where she sat, drawing her legs underneath her frame as she turned to face Daphne properly. She frowned, shaking her head.

"She was only managing with a few spells-" she admitted. "I didn't even think-"

She swallowed.

"There wasn't anything we could do-"

[daphne_x]

Her mouth felt dry now as the lump caught inside of her throat, biting back the emotion that she wouldn't let herself give into now.

Pansy wouldn't have wanted her to fall apart.

Well, no. Actually, Pansy would have wanted the entire world to fall apart with out her in it, just to prove that she was just as important as she always thought she was.

"I should have realized," Daphne told her, nodding and sounding very level headed and rational about the whole thing.

That's what she did. She didn't allow herself to feel it.

[ccecilia]

Cecilia had seen Daphne in situations like this before, knowing that her best friend would never allow herself to show any sort of reaction or emotion. It only made Cecilia feel worse, knowing that there would be a moment when it would all come crumbling down on Daphne when she least expected it.

It was exactly how Cecilia had been for a long time.

"No-" she said, reaching to squeeze at Daphne's shoulder. "No one would have known- hell it's not like we knew we'd all lose our magic-"

[daphne_x]

While Cecilia may have grown out that, learned to cope with her emotions much better by now, Daphne definitely had not. She still felt that she had to be strong all the time, unwavering at all cost.

There was far too much buried deep to let it spill out now.

"No, she was hurt much worse-"

Than me- There was no way that she could say it, still refusing to acknowledge that she had been in the same position as Pansy for two weeks. There was a time when they didn't think she'd wake either.

"We should have realized."

[ccecilia]

Cecilia didn't really know what to say. She had been over thinking the entire day, trying to understand what had happened and all the articles in the Prophet about whatever had happened in the sky didn't explain anything further. It only left her more and more confused.

But she couldn't escape the odd tingling she felt in her stomach when she realized how much tragedy had happened that day and how awful the clean-up had been for so many people.

And to lose Pansy-

"There's going to be a wake this weekend-" she said.

[daphne_x]

There was an intense feeling of guilt starting to tug at the pit of her stomach, not quite sure how she'd gone so long since Pansy's passing. She'd been so wrapped up in her own life and Cormac that she hadn't even thought about the disastrous effects that the blackout would have had on the rest of the world.

Maybe her relationship was already leaking into her life in the way she had always tried to avoid.

"Right. I'll need to get a new dress," she said, doing her best to choke down the feeling.

"She'd like that, knowing she helped us grow our closets."