Strength does not come from physical capacity
Category: Pink Sheep RPG
After he'd handed his cloak to the doorman, Julian entered the lavishly decorated gallery, his customary half-smirk present on his lips. Astoria had, predictably, outdone herself if the number of guests milling about the room was any indication. He'd have to find his little snake and offer his congratulations.
But first, he spied another woman in need of his attention. Snagging two champagne flutes from a passing waiter, he slipped into the crowd, reappearing at Penelope's side.
"We meet again, Penelope," he said, his voice low and smooth as he presented her with a drink.
"Julian," the brunette replied in welcome and gladly accepted the drink as hers had just recently gone dry. She was surprised to see him again, here, though she couldn't think of a reason why he couldn't be present. It wasn't a unpleasant surprise, however. "Been well, I hope?"
"Very," he said, clinking his flute with hers and taking a sip. "And you?"
"Quite lovely. Though a part of me is bereft that I haven't been by your establishment again."
"What a coincidence," Julian drawled, eyes trailing over her lovely body, hidden beneath a form-fitting dress. "I too have been pondering upon your return to my burlesque house. It has been too long."
Penelope smiled into her drink at Julian's appraisal, pleased that she could elicit the reaction even though she spent too much time working and not enough time sleeping. Or doing anything else, really.
"Well, now that I know my patronage was missed, I'll have to find a free moment to visit. My schedule permitting, of course."
"Of course," he murmured, mentally recalling the way her soft curves felt under his hands. "I do understand you've quite the schedule, with the upcoming Cumberland trial and all."
Eyebrows popping up in surprise, Peneleope tried to keep her face as neutral as possible at the revelation that Julian knew things about her.
"Well enough. We're feeling confident," she answered vaguely. "I had never pegged you as the clingy type, Julian."
"Hardly," he said dryly. One of the many life lessons his grandfather had taught him was that 'knowledge was power.' Even if it seemed trivial, you never knew when blackmail would be necessary. And although he sincerely doubted he'd ever need to blackmail the lovely Miss Clearwater, it was better safe than sorry.
"I'm rather relieved," Penelope lied offhandedly. "Just a well-informed citizen then? I didn't think those existed anymore."
"I consider it my civic duty," Julian replied with a small smirk, taking a sip of his champagne. Civic duty, indeed.
Penelope's response was to hum in a disbelieving tone, her blue eyes flashing with amusement. "I can think of a few other duties that you should be attending to."
"Oh really? And what civic duties am I neglecting at the moment, Penelope?"
"The one where you're making me scream for more, of course."
His brow rose and his face contorted into an expression of wry amusement. "But we've only just arrived," he replied, "unless you'd rather I make you scream my name in the hallway."
"Tempting," Penelope nearly groaned, "but I don't think it'd do my reputation any good. Interested in an after party?"
Julian's lip curled in a small, satisfied smirk. After their night together, he knew Penelope' body, and knew how to make her carefully constructed composure fall apart with the touch of his hands. He looked forward to doing so again later that evening.
"Very much so," he replied, leaning in to brush his lips over her ear, whispering, "My name sounds so sweet falling from your lips in pleasure."
Penelope shivered from the slight touch and shifted away, the openness of the venue was off-putting to her, but she still couldn't help a grin. "I seem to recall something resembling my name coming out of you, as well."
"That I do not deny, mia dolce," he murmured, eyes darkening as she moved away from him. It was practically an open invitation, one he could not resist heeding as his hand slid to the small of her back, drawing her closer to him again.
A mixture of annoyance and desire flashed through her as Julian pulled her tight. Her hand landed on his bicep and squeezed tight, half-hoping that she'd bruise him. "And what exactly do you think you're doing?" She glared up at him but still failing to ignore the warmth in her belly.
"Just giving you a little something to look forward to," he murmured, his tone amused as he leaned in to give her a brief but searing kiss. He hadn't missed the desire in her eyes, much as she'd tried to mask it.
Penelope Clearwater's emotions were clear to him indeed.
Frustrated, she nipped Julian's lips as he pulled away. She wasn't sure who she was angrier with at the moment, Julian for his behavior or herself for rather enjoying it. "Inappropriate displays in front of my closest friends and clients? I'm overcome."
His smirk was wicked at her words. "Oh come now, Penelope. Isn't the thrill of the unexpected half the fun at a masquerade?"
"A matter of opinion, I'm sure," she scoffed and pulled away again. "Go mingle, Mr. Vaisey. I wouldn't want to deprive our company of your many charms." Softening a bit, Penelope smirked, "Find me later."
Taking Penelope's hand, Julian brushed a kiss over the back, letting his lips linger over the soft skin.
"As you wish," he murmured, mischievous gaze catching hers before he released her hand and melted into the crowd.
She watched him go, sipping at her drink, ignoring the tingling on the back of her hand, and anticipating the rest of her evening.
*~*~*~*~*
Astoria knew her brother was about somewhere - he was her official escort for the evening, after all - but just now she was trying to get a few things in order and such was left to no one but herself this eve. As much as Romy had done to plan this with her, she would not have her pregnant friend running about attending to the minutiae of the evening. And her brother could just wait. Not that he’d mind. For as little as he spoke, he still seemed to attract people to him. Baffling, that.
Just now, though, there was no time to think about any of it. Something was wrong with the wards on one of the statues they’d imported from Greece for the event and she’d spotted several people reaching to touch them and succeeding in doing so.
She needed Euan though. He had the ward lock list on his person and she couldn’t repair the one if she didn’t know which spell had been used. It was standard procedure to mix it up so that if one piece was tampered with or stolen, the same lock-pick couldn’t be used on others, but it was bloody unhelpful at times like this.
Spotting the sandy colored head of her personal assistant, Astoria wove through the crowd toward him. “Euan, love, I’m sorry to interrupt, but your assistance is required for just a few moments,” she said pleasantly as she sidled up to him, her gaze politely apologetic to the people he’d been conversing with.
Saluting the others with his glass, Euan excused himself and followed his boss. "Everything okay?" his voice was light, easy. Despite her cool exterior, he knew there was a great capacity for stress in the petite woman before him. Oh, she'd never show that she was ruffled, but he'd rather her be able to enjoy the fruit of all their labours.
In her heels, Euan was eye level. Besides his general calm, knowledge of the arts and work ethic, it was one of the things she appreciated about him. "The wards are malfunctioning on the Grecian statue in the west wing. I'd have taken care of it myself, but you have the master warding list, yes?"
He tapped his sporran. "Right here. I can see to it now and let you get back to the guests if you like, unless you want to oversee?"
She knew he was trying to spare her. She wanted to oversee to make sure everything would be well, but she trusted Euan. She did.
The tension left her shoulders then when she willed it away and she shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She met his gaze, her own showing the briefest glimpse of the unsureness that still plagued her at times in this job. Edward was sure she could do it and she'd not had any major mishaps thus far, but sometimes she wondered. She was no expert in the arts, no real authority to exert so much over so many people. "Just watch them, yes? We've a contract that I'd rather not tamper with."
Rolling his eyes, Euan took the somewhat unorthodox action of pulling his petite bosslady into a hug. "You're good at what you do, you know. You're a large part of the success of this night. People are anjoying themselves, art is being appreciated, and we're doing all that good cause stuff. Enjoy the fruits of your labours." He hoped he sounded wise, even if he was sure he wouldn't take his advice completely. Euan was quite sure the worrying about social events was one of her mechanisms for maintaining her figure.
The hug was unexpected, though it was easy to let herself relax into the light embrace. There'd always been something about Euan that put her at ease and she let herself soak it in for a moment.
"Thank you," she whispered, nose nuzzling lightly at his cheek before she pressed a more proper kiss there and pulled away. It would be trite to say she was glad he'd come to work for White Chapel, even though she was. Instead, she nudged him, a tiny smile curling her lips. "Go on then. Save our Grecian visitor."
He struck a noble pose. "Anything for a lady."
A delicate snort escaped her and she reached to nudge him again. "Then get to it, my tartan'd noble sir."
*~*~*~*~*
The whole thing was Padma's brainchild, really, and as Michael sipped his scotch on the rocks, he'd spotted her several times. She'd never been alone though, not with the publicity she'd generated with her story along with this event. The testimonials on the walls were a nice touch.
But Michael didn't let himself think on it too much. The thought of Padma, or any other woman he cared about, any other woman, period, being hurt in a sexual assault made him angry. Anger was a foreign emotion to him, but the wolf slithering beneath his skin was friendly with it and if he dwelled too much on what, exactly, he'd like to do to Padma's ex ... well, it was just best if he didn't. His eyes would start to glow as the wolf rolled behind them, he might growl and then there'd be questions.
Pushing away from his lounge against the wall, he meandered his way through the crowd towards her, slipping gracefully beside her when there was a brief break from the throng that had been following her about all night.
"Breathe," he instructed, arm snaking around her waist. He met several approaching gazes over her head and the few who'd thought to invade her space again melted back into the crowd.
Padma nearly sighed in relief when she heard Michael's familiar voice, felt his familiar touch. Unconsciously, she leaned into his side, trying to draw strength from his never-faltering fortitude.
"I'm trying," she murmured softly, tipping her face up to look at him properly.
"Sometimes it's all you can do," he acknowledged, eyes level on hers. "We're all here," he reminded her, squeezing her closer.
"I know," she said, the mention of her friends bringing a smile to her lips. "Thank you."
"It's how it works." And it was. He'd not known because he refused to prod through his friend's thoughts even though he could. The wolf insisted he should have, should have ripped her ex to shreds, but the animal kingdom was much different than the wizarding one, the human one.
"You're doing good tonight, pidg," he said, lips twitching as he added, "should have been in Gryffindor."
She laughed softly. "I think that's probably the fifth time tonight someone has said that," she said softly. "They forget that cornered animals do desperate things for survival. I'm no more courageous than any other person."
His eyes swept past her and about the room - to the testimonies on the wall, to all the people who were intimate with her story and had come out in support of her and those like her - and then back to his friend. "I'd not say that. This is the first of it's kind."
And it was. While he knew Muggles had laws and awareness to protect women who'd been hurt like Padma, the wizarding world was always slower to follow in such things. They had laws, of course, but no one talked about it and that was the most damaging part.
"It needed to be done," she murmured, her gaze following his. Other women suffered far worse than her on a daily basis; yet she was being lauded as brave. It was almost laughable.
Glancing back up at Michael, she whispered, "I'm sorry."
He hugged her to his side. "Nothing to be sorry about," he promised.
There was lots to be sorry about, but this was not the time or place to bring them up. "Thank you," she said again.
*~*~*~*~*
Natalie moved through the large room, holding her dress away from her feet as she observed the couples dancing around the floor. Even though she'd been extremely reluctant to attend the masquerade, Kingsley had felt that the presence of a few female Aurors would help the Ministry's image and lend more credibility to the very serious threat domestic violence posed to society. When she'd made the argument that no one would know she was an Auror- those pesky masks, you see- he'd merely waved her off and told her to charge her dress as a business expense.
Which was exactly what she'd done, along with shoes, her mask and undergarments. She'd taken the charms off her hair, letting its natural brunette hue shine through, and covered up her tattoos- yet again at Kingsley's request. Her partner was somewhere in the room, though she'd yet to find him or his escort. He didn't know she was attending, and the look on his face when he saw her would most likely prove enough amusement for the next month or so.
Justin's gaze slid over the tall brunette in the black and pink gown. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't place it. It would come to him, eventually, once he stopped thinking so hard. He looked down at Hannah, her mask perched neatly on her nose. "Enjoying yourself, Han?"
The blonde nodded, tucking some hair behind her ear. "It's a lovely event. And its for a good cause." Hannah looked back up at her friend. "A better question would be, are you having a good time?"
"It's alright." Justin shrugged. "As far as formal masques go. At least I have friends here." He nodded in the general direction of where the pair had last seen Ernie and Lisa. And it's for a good cause." As he looked around again, his eyes landed on the mysterious dark haired woman.
His companion followed his gaze, lips curling up in a smile. "Go ask her to dance," she urged, patting him on the arm.
He looked down at her. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I told Ben I'd look out for you."
She gave him a mildly annoyed look. "I don't know what it is about you men, but you all seem to think I wouldn't be able to tie my own shoes without one of you around." She pointed in the direction of the woman. "No go. Or I shall be forced to do something that would scandalize you."
"Like what?" Justin asked, a grin forming.
"I don't know yet. But I will." Hannah pushed him in the woman's direction. "Now go."
He stumbled a bit, but caught himself. "Alright, alright. I'm going." Shaking his head, he moved towards the mysterious woman. His back straightened as he straightened his mask."May I have this dance?" Justin asked, holding out a hand.
Natalie started a bit as a very familiar voice sounded from her left. Her eyes widened ever so slightly behind her mask even as her lips curled up in a small smile. It was obvious he didn't recognize her. So much for those stellar Auror skills.
"You may," she replied, her voice lilted slightly in disguise, as she placed her hand in his.
Justin led the woman to the dance floor as they fell into an easy waltz. Apparently all those childhood dance lessons paid off. "May I ask you your name?"
Dammit. "You may ask," she mused. Doesn't mean I'll tell.
He spun her out before bringing her back in. "I may ask," he repeated, "but I suppose that means you won't tell me?"
"Isn't mystery part of the point of a masquerade?" she asked as she let him lead her around the dance floor.
"True," Justin said. "But it would be awfully awkward to dance in complete silence."
"Touché," Natalie replied. "I've never been one for silence." And if you knew to whom you were speaking, you'd agree. Of course, you probably wouldn't have asked your partner to dance. Would you, Finchy?
"So if we aren't trading names and other pleasantries in order to keep the mystery, what shall we talk about? Ladies' choice."
"Hrm... house at Hogwarts? I was a Gryffindor," she offered, figuring that was vague enough. If you met a witch or wizard who had atteneded Hogwarts, there was a twenty-five percent chance they'd been a lion.
"I was a badger, I'm afraid."
"Afraid?" she asked, raising a brow. Inside, she was smirking. It was hilarious to hear all this small talk from her partner, a man she'd known for nearly six years.
"Just a turn of phrase." Justin smiled. "Have you been enjoying yourself this evening?"
Natalie shrugged. "I'm not usually one for formal attire, but I suppose it hasn't been too awful. And you?"
"I prefer khakis and a jumper, I must confess." He resisted the urge to pull at his collar like he was all of fifteen again. "But the night has been agreeable. And it goes towards a good cause."
"A very good cause," she agreed. "I think all women should be able to properly defend themselves."
"Of course they should. And they shouldn't have to live in fear of their significant other." All too often his case load included what was officially entitled a domestic disturbance.
"No, they shouldn't." The thought that she'd taken him down in training on more than one occasion crossed her mind, prompting a small grin to light her face briefly.
"Did I say something that amused you?" Justin spun her out again. "For you'll have to tell me. Apparently, I'm an accidental comic at times."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. I was thinking about a... friend." There, that was close enough to the truth without actually telling the truth. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm an Auror." Justin smiled. "It's a lot less glamorous than it sounds. Nobody ever talks about the paperwork."
"Paperwork is the devil," Natalie proclaimed. "But the rest of your job sounds interesting." Oh, she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when- if- she told him who he was dancing with.
"I enjoy helping people," he said. "Though I agree with your assessment about paperwork. So shall I assume that your job entails a lot paperwork as well? Furthermore, may I ask what it is you do, or would that detract from the mystery?"
"It would," she agreed as the music ended. "But my job does entail a lot of paperwork, you'd assume correctly."
As the music--and their dance--ended, Justin took a half step back, bowing slightly. "Thank you for the dance, madame."
Natalie gave him a small curtsy. "Thank you, Justin." Her lips curled in a small smirk as she waited for his reaction.
His eyes widened minutely behind his mask. "I seem to be at a loss. You know my name, but I do not know yours." He slipped his mask off. "But since it seems the mystery has ended, may I inquire again about your name and identity?"
"You may," she said, fingers going to the bow tied at the back of her head. She slipped her black satin mask off her face and gave her partner a grin. "Miss me, Finchy?"
"Natalie?" Justin blinked owlishly. "You look..." Good. Different. Beautiful. "Nice."
Nice? "Um, thanks," she said, not sure of what else to say. "You don't clean up so badly yourself, either."
"Thank you, Natalie. You're a good dancer." He bowed slightly again. "Would you like me to get you something to eat? Drink? The canapes are excellent."
This level of civility from her partner, especially in light of their recent tension, was a bit unnerving. "No, thank you. I'm not particularly hungry." She glanced around and caught sight of the blonde Hufflepuff glancing their way. "Did you come with Hannah?"
Justin followed his partner's gaze. "Yes. She's been antsy though. She and her boyfriend are getting pretty serious. This is probably the last time I'll ever be able to get her to join me at one of these things again."
"She looks pretty," Natalie commented. The thought that this was probably the first time Justin had ever seen her natural hair color flitted across her mind, but she dismissed it.
"The dress suits her." His friend looked spectacular tonight, he almost felt bad that he was the one accompanying her tonight rather than her boyfriend, Ben. The pub owner was a decent bloke. Perhaps he'd escort Hannah over the the Raven's Nest once this whole thing was over.
"Very Hufflepuffy."
"That's Hannah. The Hufflepuffiliest." Justin fell silent, wondering what was the next topic they would settle on for small talk.
Merlin, this was awkward. "I, um, I should let you get back to her," Natalie offered, nodding towards Hannah.
He nodded shortly. "Perhaps. It was nice to dance with you, Natalie. I'll see you on Monday."
"Yeah," she nodded, slipping her mask back on and tying the silk knot amidst her brown curls. "See you." With one last half-smile, she turned and slipped back into the crowd.
Making sure his mask was back in place, Justin made a detour towards the refreshments to gather the type of items Hannah was gravitating towards that night. He returned towards where he had left his friend. "Miss me?"
"Always." Hannah took the small plate from him, popping a piece of cheese into her mouth, before leaning up to press a kiss onto his cheek. "Did you enjoy yourself?" She had been watching the Auror like a hawk, not that she would ever tell him, of course. As much as he would have protested the description, Justin could be very fragile, she had been ready to swoop in if some hussy had dared make an unwarranted move on her friend.
Luckily, he seemed to have enjoyed himself. The only unfortunate thing was that that enjoyment seemed to have been sapped as soon as it was discovered who his dance partner really was. Natalie looked lovely. Hannah made a note to herself to find the woman at some point later in the night and compliment her on the dress.
"I did. You didn't get too bored, did you?"
"Nope. I spoke to Dean Thomas for a bit when I went to get something to eat. I haven't seen him in years. He's gotten so tall, bless his heart. He's been fluttering around Parvati Patil or Lavender Brown all night. He's a barrister now, has a dual practice, both magical and muggle, right here in London."
Justin nodded, sipping his champagne, letting Hannah's chatter wash over him as he let his thoughts wander.
*~*~*~*~*
"Ah, it's my turn to introduce you to someone new," Cassie said as she spotted two very attractive ladies coming their direction. One was brunette with a broad smile and a friendly face while the other had ginger hair and an expression that one might call 'calculating'. What they had in common, though, were bright, round blue eyes nearly identical to Cassie's own. "Mira's brought our eldest sister Alexa along tonight. I'll do my best to get you through the encounter unscathed."
"That sounds ominous," Stephen replied, wrapping one arm around her waist. "I take it she isn't of the same temperament as Mira?"
She actually cackled at the suggestion. "Oh no. Mira's feistier than you might expect, but Lex... Well, you'll see."
The Imperial March was playing in Stephen's head as the pair of women approached, though he didn't let his outward appearance betray the incredible sense of nervousness that the appearance of Cassie's other sister had brought on. "I suppose I will," he commented, pulling her just a bit closer to him.
Cassie rose to her toes, pressing a quick kiss to her boyfriend's lips before her sisters arrived. Then her attention went to her sisters, a smile blossoming on her face. "MiraSophia, Alexa. How are my beautiful sisters tonight?"
"Tolerable," Alexa replied, as she looked Stephen up and down. She made no attempt to hide her regard, her assessment. Cassie and she rarely agreed on anything, fought about nearly everything, but she was still Cassie's big sister and this man was ... her eyes narrowed slightly.
Mira squeezed lightly on Alexa's hand in hers. Easy, Lex. Still, the smile that lit her features was genuine as she looked from her sister to Stephen and back. "We think we've found a fantastic piece to gift Mum and Papa for Christmas. So far, so good," she said before leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her twin's cheek and grinning impishly at Stephen. "Hiya."
"Good. You'll have to point it out to me," the blonde replied before glancing up at the man to her side. "Stephen, you know Mira, of course, and this is my older sister Alexa." Cassie cast a look at her ginger-haired sibling, urging her silently to be pleasant. As pleasant as Alexa ever was, at least. "Lex, this is Stephen Cornfoot, my boyfriend."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alexa," Stephen replied with a nod, taking the other woman's hand in his and brushing a kiss over the back of it. "Cassie speaks very fondly of you." Okay, so that might've been stretching the truth just a tad bit thin, but he was hoping for a good impression.
Releasing Alexa's hand, his eyes moved to his girlfriend's dark haired twin and a small smile graced his lips. "Hallo again, Mira."
Mira's lips turned upward, blue eyes bright.
"Cassandra says what she will of me," Alexa replied to Stephen's remark, brow lifting slightly at her sister at his side before she turned her attention back to him. "You may ask me to dance," she informed him.
Mira nearly giggled. It seemed it was test time.
"In case my sister was too subtle," Cassie said, refraining from sticking her tongue out at Alexa just to irritate her, "that wasn't really a suggestion, love." Stephen was a big boy, he could handle a single dance with their black widow. It wouldn't speak well of him for her to try to stop it, in any case.
"Not at all," Stephen said, lips curling into the barest hint of a smirk at his girlfriend's pronouncement. Cassie had yet to meet his family- a meeting he'd be putting off as long as possible- so she didn't realize it, but Alexa was cut from the same cloth as his parents, brother and sister-in-law. The consummate family of Slytherins, shining examples of cold calculation and old society.
He gave the eldest Montgomery a small bow and held out his hand. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?"
"The honor, yes," Alexa sniffed. She briefly squeezed Mira's hand before releasing it and set into Stephen's waiting one. We shall see if you're good enough then...
*~*~*~*~*
"Do you suppose he's safe with her?" Cassie joked as she watched her boyfriend lead her eldest sister around the dance floor. Of all her family members, Alexa was the one with whom she tended to butt heads. Just the same, she knew her big sister loved her and that the protectiveness she felt for her siblings was every bit as strong in the ginger-haired one of the bunch.
"The question is, will she eat him or just claw him up a bit. Never if, but when," Mira said wisely, lips curling at the edges when she met her sister's blue gaze - the Montgomery women trait.
Cassie's brow creased as she pondered the options Mira had presented. The only claws marks on Stephen's body should be from her, but watching her elder sister devour him wasn't a pleasant thought either. "I suppose as long as she spits him out again..."
Giggling, Mira's nose crinkled as she slipped her arm through her twin's. The doubtful look on her sister's face as she watched her boyfriend dance with their bitchy older sister made her giggle all the more. "At least he'll know more fully what he's getting himself into. He may have you, but we're not ever far away. Montgomery women stick together," she said with a short nod.
"That we do," Cassie agreed, squeezing her sister's arm with affection. Her family life, even with the bickering she and Alexa did, was vastly different from Stephen's. Now that she realized what he meant to her, she really hoped he'd be accepted into the Montgomery fold. He needed family, and hers was the best to be had.
Casting a furtive glance at her twin, she asked lightly, "Do you like him?"
"You like him," she said, blue eyes darting to her sister from the pair they'd been watching on the dance floor. There was something different in the tone of her twin's voice, in the not quite sure she was aiming at her. "That's enough for me."
Cassie's teeth dug into her lip. She knew she could tell Mira anything, there was no one in the world she was closer to. The voicing of her feelings made it real, though. It was a little scary. "I think... No, I know that I don't just like him." Looking into her twin's big blue eyes, she admitted, "I'm in love with him."
Mira's eyes went wide and her arm tightened, bringing her sister even closer. "Really!?" It was a whisper, but an excited one. She'd known Stephen was different from the beginning. He was the first man her twin had actually introduced to her. That Cassie was in love though... she squeaked. "That's so exciting!"
"It's terrifying," Cassie whispered, knowing she could admit such a thing to her twin and never have to worry that it would be repeated. "We've never talked about the future. What if love isn't what Stephen's looking for right now?" Her eyes were round with worry as she finished, "What if he doesn't love me back?"
"How could anyone not love you back," Mira insisted, eyes darting to their elder sister and Stephen to be sure they were occupied and not looking their way before she darted in to give her twin a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Pulling back then, she made sure she met the blue gaze as clear and bright, though much more anxious than her own. "You certainly weren't looking for love, but it found you. Just listen to what it's telling you and be happy."
She hadn't ever been in love herself and couldn't quite grasp the fear she could see in her twin's eyes, but she knew it could be a wondrous thing. Their parents were a shining example of what it was. "And in any case, if he hurts you in any way I'll just hex his bollocks off."
Laughter bubbling forth at Mira's frank statement, Cassie hugged her twin tightly. "You're a peach, MiraSophia. A darling, sweet-faced, vicious peach." It was true. Cassie and Alexa were more open with their violent tendencies, but Mira's sweet nature disappeared in an instant when it came to her family being upset. The few who'd had opportunity to witness such an event were completely taken by surprise.
Pulling back, she raised a brow. "I prefer his bollocks right where they are, though, if you please."
Mira's nose crinkled. "We so don't need to go there, even if I did start it."
After he'd handed his cloak to the doorman, Julian entered the lavishly decorated gallery, his customary half-smirk present on his lips. Astoria had, predictably, outdone herself if the number of guests milling about the room was any indication. He'd have to find his little snake and offer his congratulations.
But first, he spied another woman in need of his attention. Snagging two champagne flutes from a passing waiter, he slipped into the crowd, reappearing at Penelope's side.
"We meet again, Penelope," he said, his voice low and smooth as he presented her with a drink.
"Julian," the brunette replied in welcome and gladly accepted the drink as hers had just recently gone dry. She was surprised to see him again, here, though she couldn't think of a reason why he couldn't be present. It wasn't a unpleasant surprise, however. "Been well, I hope?"
"Very," he said, clinking his flute with hers and taking a sip. "And you?"
"Quite lovely. Though a part of me is bereft that I haven't been by your establishment again."
"What a coincidence," Julian drawled, eyes trailing over her lovely body, hidden beneath a form-fitting dress. "I too have been pondering upon your return to my burlesque house. It has been too long."
Penelope smiled into her drink at Julian's appraisal, pleased that she could elicit the reaction even though she spent too much time working and not enough time sleeping. Or doing anything else, really.
"Well, now that I know my patronage was missed, I'll have to find a free moment to visit. My schedule permitting, of course."
"Of course," he murmured, mentally recalling the way her soft curves felt under his hands. "I do understand you've quite the schedule, with the upcoming Cumberland trial and all."
Eyebrows popping up in surprise, Peneleope tried to keep her face as neutral as possible at the revelation that Julian knew things about her.
"Well enough. We're feeling confident," she answered vaguely. "I had never pegged you as the clingy type, Julian."
"Hardly," he said dryly. One of the many life lessons his grandfather had taught him was that 'knowledge was power.' Even if it seemed trivial, you never knew when blackmail would be necessary. And although he sincerely doubted he'd ever need to blackmail the lovely Miss Clearwater, it was better safe than sorry.
"I'm rather relieved," Penelope lied offhandedly. "Just a well-informed citizen then? I didn't think those existed anymore."
"I consider it my civic duty," Julian replied with a small smirk, taking a sip of his champagne. Civic duty, indeed.
Penelope's response was to hum in a disbelieving tone, her blue eyes flashing with amusement. "I can think of a few other duties that you should be attending to."
"Oh really? And what civic duties am I neglecting at the moment, Penelope?"
"The one where you're making me scream for more, of course."
His brow rose and his face contorted into an expression of wry amusement. "But we've only just arrived," he replied, "unless you'd rather I make you scream my name in the hallway."
"Tempting," Penelope nearly groaned, "but I don't think it'd do my reputation any good. Interested in an after party?"
Julian's lip curled in a small, satisfied smirk. After their night together, he knew Penelope' body, and knew how to make her carefully constructed composure fall apart with the touch of his hands. He looked forward to doing so again later that evening.
"Very much so," he replied, leaning in to brush his lips over her ear, whispering, "My name sounds so sweet falling from your lips in pleasure."
Penelope shivered from the slight touch and shifted away, the openness of the venue was off-putting to her, but she still couldn't help a grin. "I seem to recall something resembling my name coming out of you, as well."
"That I do not deny, mia dolce," he murmured, eyes darkening as she moved away from him. It was practically an open invitation, one he could not resist heeding as his hand slid to the small of her back, drawing her closer to him again.
A mixture of annoyance and desire flashed through her as Julian pulled her tight. Her hand landed on his bicep and squeezed tight, half-hoping that she'd bruise him. "And what exactly do you think you're doing?" She glared up at him but still failing to ignore the warmth in her belly.
"Just giving you a little something to look forward to," he murmured, his tone amused as he leaned in to give her a brief but searing kiss. He hadn't missed the desire in her eyes, much as she'd tried to mask it.
Penelope Clearwater's emotions were clear to him indeed.
Frustrated, she nipped Julian's lips as he pulled away. She wasn't sure who she was angrier with at the moment, Julian for his behavior or herself for rather enjoying it. "Inappropriate displays in front of my closest friends and clients? I'm overcome."
His smirk was wicked at her words. "Oh come now, Penelope. Isn't the thrill of the unexpected half the fun at a masquerade?"
"A matter of opinion, I'm sure," she scoffed and pulled away again. "Go mingle, Mr. Vaisey. I wouldn't want to deprive our company of your many charms." Softening a bit, Penelope smirked, "Find me later."
Taking Penelope's hand, Julian brushed a kiss over the back, letting his lips linger over the soft skin.
"As you wish," he murmured, mischievous gaze catching hers before he released her hand and melted into the crowd.
She watched him go, sipping at her drink, ignoring the tingling on the back of her hand, and anticipating the rest of her evening.
*~*~*~*~*
Astoria knew her brother was about somewhere - he was her official escort for the evening, after all - but just now she was trying to get a few things in order and such was left to no one but herself this eve. As much as Romy had done to plan this with her, she would not have her pregnant friend running about attending to the minutiae of the evening. And her brother could just wait. Not that he’d mind. For as little as he spoke, he still seemed to attract people to him. Baffling, that.
Just now, though, there was no time to think about any of it. Something was wrong with the wards on one of the statues they’d imported from Greece for the event and she’d spotted several people reaching to touch them and succeeding in doing so.
She needed Euan though. He had the ward lock list on his person and she couldn’t repair the one if she didn’t know which spell had been used. It was standard procedure to mix it up so that if one piece was tampered with or stolen, the same lock-pick couldn’t be used on others, but it was bloody unhelpful at times like this.
Spotting the sandy colored head of her personal assistant, Astoria wove through the crowd toward him. “Euan, love, I’m sorry to interrupt, but your assistance is required for just a few moments,” she said pleasantly as she sidled up to him, her gaze politely apologetic to the people he’d been conversing with.
Saluting the others with his glass, Euan excused himself and followed his boss. "Everything okay?" his voice was light, easy. Despite her cool exterior, he knew there was a great capacity for stress in the petite woman before him. Oh, she'd never show that she was ruffled, but he'd rather her be able to enjoy the fruit of all their labours.
In her heels, Euan was eye level. Besides his general calm, knowledge of the arts and work ethic, it was one of the things she appreciated about him. "The wards are malfunctioning on the Grecian statue in the west wing. I'd have taken care of it myself, but you have the master warding list, yes?"
He tapped his sporran. "Right here. I can see to it now and let you get back to the guests if you like, unless you want to oversee?"
She knew he was trying to spare her. She wanted to oversee to make sure everything would be well, but she trusted Euan. She did.
The tension left her shoulders then when she willed it away and she shook her head. "No, I'm fine." She met his gaze, her own showing the briefest glimpse of the unsureness that still plagued her at times in this job. Edward was sure she could do it and she'd not had any major mishaps thus far, but sometimes she wondered. She was no expert in the arts, no real authority to exert so much over so many people. "Just watch them, yes? We've a contract that I'd rather not tamper with."
Rolling his eyes, Euan took the somewhat unorthodox action of pulling his petite bosslady into a hug. "You're good at what you do, you know. You're a large part of the success of this night. People are anjoying themselves, art is being appreciated, and we're doing all that good cause stuff. Enjoy the fruits of your labours." He hoped he sounded wise, even if he was sure he wouldn't take his advice completely. Euan was quite sure the worrying about social events was one of her mechanisms for maintaining her figure.
The hug was unexpected, though it was easy to let herself relax into the light embrace. There'd always been something about Euan that put her at ease and she let herself soak it in for a moment.
"Thank you," she whispered, nose nuzzling lightly at his cheek before she pressed a more proper kiss there and pulled away. It would be trite to say she was glad he'd come to work for White Chapel, even though she was. Instead, she nudged him, a tiny smile curling her lips. "Go on then. Save our Grecian visitor."
He struck a noble pose. "Anything for a lady."
A delicate snort escaped her and she reached to nudge him again. "Then get to it, my tartan'd noble sir."
*~*~*~*~*
The whole thing was Padma's brainchild, really, and as Michael sipped his scotch on the rocks, he'd spotted her several times. She'd never been alone though, not with the publicity she'd generated with her story along with this event. The testimonials on the walls were a nice touch.
But Michael didn't let himself think on it too much. The thought of Padma, or any other woman he cared about, any other woman, period, being hurt in a sexual assault made him angry. Anger was a foreign emotion to him, but the wolf slithering beneath his skin was friendly with it and if he dwelled too much on what, exactly, he'd like to do to Padma's ex ... well, it was just best if he didn't. His eyes would start to glow as the wolf rolled behind them, he might growl and then there'd be questions.
Pushing away from his lounge against the wall, he meandered his way through the crowd towards her, slipping gracefully beside her when there was a brief break from the throng that had been following her about all night.
"Breathe," he instructed, arm snaking around her waist. He met several approaching gazes over her head and the few who'd thought to invade her space again melted back into the crowd.
Padma nearly sighed in relief when she heard Michael's familiar voice, felt his familiar touch. Unconsciously, she leaned into his side, trying to draw strength from his never-faltering fortitude.
"I'm trying," she murmured softly, tipping her face up to look at him properly.
"Sometimes it's all you can do," he acknowledged, eyes level on hers. "We're all here," he reminded her, squeezing her closer.
"I know," she said, the mention of her friends bringing a smile to her lips. "Thank you."
"It's how it works." And it was. He'd not known because he refused to prod through his friend's thoughts even though he could. The wolf insisted he should have, should have ripped her ex to shreds, but the animal kingdom was much different than the wizarding one, the human one.
"You're doing good tonight, pidg," he said, lips twitching as he added, "should have been in Gryffindor."
She laughed softly. "I think that's probably the fifth time tonight someone has said that," she said softly. "They forget that cornered animals do desperate things for survival. I'm no more courageous than any other person."
His eyes swept past her and about the room - to the testimonies on the wall, to all the people who were intimate with her story and had come out in support of her and those like her - and then back to his friend. "I'd not say that. This is the first of it's kind."
And it was. While he knew Muggles had laws and awareness to protect women who'd been hurt like Padma, the wizarding world was always slower to follow in such things. They had laws, of course, but no one talked about it and that was the most damaging part.
"It needed to be done," she murmured, her gaze following his. Other women suffered far worse than her on a daily basis; yet she was being lauded as brave. It was almost laughable.
Glancing back up at Michael, she whispered, "I'm sorry."
He hugged her to his side. "Nothing to be sorry about," he promised.
There was lots to be sorry about, but this was not the time or place to bring them up. "Thank you," she said again.
*~*~*~*~*
Natalie moved through the large room, holding her dress away from her feet as she observed the couples dancing around the floor. Even though she'd been extremely reluctant to attend the masquerade, Kingsley had felt that the presence of a few female Aurors would help the Ministry's image and lend more credibility to the very serious threat domestic violence posed to society. When she'd made the argument that no one would know she was an Auror- those pesky masks, you see- he'd merely waved her off and told her to charge her dress as a business expense.
Which was exactly what she'd done, along with shoes, her mask and undergarments. She'd taken the charms off her hair, letting its natural brunette hue shine through, and covered up her tattoos- yet again at Kingsley's request. Her partner was somewhere in the room, though she'd yet to find him or his escort. He didn't know she was attending, and the look on his face when he saw her would most likely prove enough amusement for the next month or so.
Justin's gaze slid over the tall brunette in the black and pink gown. There was something familiar about her, but he couldn't place it. It would come to him, eventually, once he stopped thinking so hard. He looked down at Hannah, her mask perched neatly on her nose. "Enjoying yourself, Han?"
The blonde nodded, tucking some hair behind her ear. "It's a lovely event. And its for a good cause." Hannah looked back up at her friend. "A better question would be, are you having a good time?"
"It's alright." Justin shrugged. "As far as formal masques go. At least I have friends here." He nodded in the general direction of where the pair had last seen Ernie and Lisa. And it's for a good cause." As he looked around again, his eyes landed on the mysterious dark haired woman.
His companion followed his gaze, lips curling up in a smile. "Go ask her to dance," she urged, patting him on the arm.
He looked down at her. "Are you sure?" he asked. "I told Ben I'd look out for you."
She gave him a mildly annoyed look. "I don't know what it is about you men, but you all seem to think I wouldn't be able to tie my own shoes without one of you around." She pointed in the direction of the woman. "No go. Or I shall be forced to do something that would scandalize you."
"Like what?" Justin asked, a grin forming.
"I don't know yet. But I will." Hannah pushed him in the woman's direction. "Now go."
He stumbled a bit, but caught himself. "Alright, alright. I'm going." Shaking his head, he moved towards the mysterious woman. His back straightened as he straightened his mask."May I have this dance?" Justin asked, holding out a hand.
Natalie started a bit as a very familiar voice sounded from her left. Her eyes widened ever so slightly behind her mask even as her lips curled up in a small smile. It was obvious he didn't recognize her. So much for those stellar Auror skills.
"You may," she replied, her voice lilted slightly in disguise, as she placed her hand in his.
Justin led the woman to the dance floor as they fell into an easy waltz. Apparently all those childhood dance lessons paid off. "May I ask you your name?"
Dammit. "You may ask," she mused. Doesn't mean I'll tell.
He spun her out before bringing her back in. "I may ask," he repeated, "but I suppose that means you won't tell me?"
"Isn't mystery part of the point of a masquerade?" she asked as she let him lead her around the dance floor.
"True," Justin said. "But it would be awfully awkward to dance in complete silence."
"Touché," Natalie replied. "I've never been one for silence." And if you knew to whom you were speaking, you'd agree. Of course, you probably wouldn't have asked your partner to dance. Would you, Finchy?
"So if we aren't trading names and other pleasantries in order to keep the mystery, what shall we talk about? Ladies' choice."
"Hrm... house at Hogwarts? I was a Gryffindor," she offered, figuring that was vague enough. If you met a witch or wizard who had atteneded Hogwarts, there was a twenty-five percent chance they'd been a lion.
"I was a badger, I'm afraid."
"Afraid?" she asked, raising a brow. Inside, she was smirking. It was hilarious to hear all this small talk from her partner, a man she'd known for nearly six years.
"Just a turn of phrase." Justin smiled. "Have you been enjoying yourself this evening?"
Natalie shrugged. "I'm not usually one for formal attire, but I suppose it hasn't been too awful. And you?"
"I prefer khakis and a jumper, I must confess." He resisted the urge to pull at his collar like he was all of fifteen again. "But the night has been agreeable. And it goes towards a good cause."
"A very good cause," she agreed. "I think all women should be able to properly defend themselves."
"Of course they should. And they shouldn't have to live in fear of their significant other." All too often his case load included what was officially entitled a domestic disturbance.
"No, they shouldn't." The thought that she'd taken him down in training on more than one occasion crossed her mind, prompting a small grin to light her face briefly.
"Did I say something that amused you?" Justin spun her out again. "For you'll have to tell me. Apparently, I'm an accidental comic at times."
"I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. I was thinking about a... friend." There, that was close enough to the truth without actually telling the truth. "What do you do for a living?"
"I'm an Auror." Justin smiled. "It's a lot less glamorous than it sounds. Nobody ever talks about the paperwork."
"Paperwork is the devil," Natalie proclaimed. "But the rest of your job sounds interesting." Oh, she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when- if- she told him who he was dancing with.
"I enjoy helping people," he said. "Though I agree with your assessment about paperwork. So shall I assume that your job entails a lot paperwork as well? Furthermore, may I ask what it is you do, or would that detract from the mystery?"
"It would," she agreed as the music ended. "But my job does entail a lot of paperwork, you'd assume correctly."
As the music--and their dance--ended, Justin took a half step back, bowing slightly. "Thank you for the dance, madame."
Natalie gave him a small curtsy. "Thank you, Justin." Her lips curled in a small smirk as she waited for his reaction.
His eyes widened minutely behind his mask. "I seem to be at a loss. You know my name, but I do not know yours." He slipped his mask off. "But since it seems the mystery has ended, may I inquire again about your name and identity?"
"You may," she said, fingers going to the bow tied at the back of her head. She slipped her black satin mask off her face and gave her partner a grin. "Miss me, Finchy?"
"Natalie?" Justin blinked owlishly. "You look..." Good. Different. Beautiful. "Nice."
Nice? "Um, thanks," she said, not sure of what else to say. "You don't clean up so badly yourself, either."
"Thank you, Natalie. You're a good dancer." He bowed slightly again. "Would you like me to get you something to eat? Drink? The canapes are excellent."
This level of civility from her partner, especially in light of their recent tension, was a bit unnerving. "No, thank you. I'm not particularly hungry." She glanced around and caught sight of the blonde Hufflepuff glancing their way. "Did you come with Hannah?"
Justin followed his partner's gaze. "Yes. She's been antsy though. She and her boyfriend are getting pretty serious. This is probably the last time I'll ever be able to get her to join me at one of these things again."
"She looks pretty," Natalie commented. The thought that this was probably the first time Justin had ever seen her natural hair color flitted across her mind, but she dismissed it.
"The dress suits her." His friend looked spectacular tonight, he almost felt bad that he was the one accompanying her tonight rather than her boyfriend, Ben. The pub owner was a decent bloke. Perhaps he'd escort Hannah over the the Raven's Nest once this whole thing was over.
"Very Hufflepuffy."
"That's Hannah. The Hufflepuffiliest." Justin fell silent, wondering what was the next topic they would settle on for small talk.
Merlin, this was awkward. "I, um, I should let you get back to her," Natalie offered, nodding towards Hannah.
He nodded shortly. "Perhaps. It was nice to dance with you, Natalie. I'll see you on Monday."
"Yeah," she nodded, slipping her mask back on and tying the silk knot amidst her brown curls. "See you." With one last half-smile, she turned and slipped back into the crowd.
Making sure his mask was back in place, Justin made a detour towards the refreshments to gather the type of items Hannah was gravitating towards that night. He returned towards where he had left his friend. "Miss me?"
"Always." Hannah took the small plate from him, popping a piece of cheese into her mouth, before leaning up to press a kiss onto his cheek. "Did you enjoy yourself?" She had been watching the Auror like a hawk, not that she would ever tell him, of course. As much as he would have protested the description, Justin could be very fragile, she had been ready to swoop in if some hussy had dared make an unwarranted move on her friend.
Luckily, he seemed to have enjoyed himself. The only unfortunate thing was that that enjoyment seemed to have been sapped as soon as it was discovered who his dance partner really was. Natalie looked lovely. Hannah made a note to herself to find the woman at some point later in the night and compliment her on the dress.
"I did. You didn't get too bored, did you?"
"Nope. I spoke to Dean Thomas for a bit when I went to get something to eat. I haven't seen him in years. He's gotten so tall, bless his heart. He's been fluttering around Parvati Patil or Lavender Brown all night. He's a barrister now, has a dual practice, both magical and muggle, right here in London."
Justin nodded, sipping his champagne, letting Hannah's chatter wash over him as he let his thoughts wander.
*~*~*~*~*
"Ah, it's my turn to introduce you to someone new," Cassie said as she spotted two very attractive ladies coming their direction. One was brunette with a broad smile and a friendly face while the other had ginger hair and an expression that one might call 'calculating'. What they had in common, though, were bright, round blue eyes nearly identical to Cassie's own. "Mira's brought our eldest sister Alexa along tonight. I'll do my best to get you through the encounter unscathed."
"That sounds ominous," Stephen replied, wrapping one arm around her waist. "I take it she isn't of the same temperament as Mira?"
She actually cackled at the suggestion. "Oh no. Mira's feistier than you might expect, but Lex... Well, you'll see."
The Imperial March was playing in Stephen's head as the pair of women approached, though he didn't let his outward appearance betray the incredible sense of nervousness that the appearance of Cassie's other sister had brought on. "I suppose I will," he commented, pulling her just a bit closer to him.
Cassie rose to her toes, pressing a quick kiss to her boyfriend's lips before her sisters arrived. Then her attention went to her sisters, a smile blossoming on her face. "MiraSophia, Alexa. How are my beautiful sisters tonight?"
"Tolerable," Alexa replied, as she looked Stephen up and down. She made no attempt to hide her regard, her assessment. Cassie and she rarely agreed on anything, fought about nearly everything, but she was still Cassie's big sister and this man was ... her eyes narrowed slightly.
Mira squeezed lightly on Alexa's hand in hers. Easy, Lex. Still, the smile that lit her features was genuine as she looked from her sister to Stephen and back. "We think we've found a fantastic piece to gift Mum and Papa for Christmas. So far, so good," she said before leaning forward to press a quick kiss to her twin's cheek and grinning impishly at Stephen. "Hiya."
"Good. You'll have to point it out to me," the blonde replied before glancing up at the man to her side. "Stephen, you know Mira, of course, and this is my older sister Alexa." Cassie cast a look at her ginger-haired sibling, urging her silently to be pleasant. As pleasant as Alexa ever was, at least. "Lex, this is Stephen Cornfoot, my boyfriend."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Alexa," Stephen replied with a nod, taking the other woman's hand in his and brushing a kiss over the back of it. "Cassie speaks very fondly of you." Okay, so that might've been stretching the truth just a tad bit thin, but he was hoping for a good impression.
Releasing Alexa's hand, his eyes moved to his girlfriend's dark haired twin and a small smile graced his lips. "Hallo again, Mira."
Mira's lips turned upward, blue eyes bright.
"Cassandra says what she will of me," Alexa replied to Stephen's remark, brow lifting slightly at her sister at his side before she turned her attention back to him. "You may ask me to dance," she informed him.
Mira nearly giggled. It seemed it was test time.
"In case my sister was too subtle," Cassie said, refraining from sticking her tongue out at Alexa just to irritate her, "that wasn't really a suggestion, love." Stephen was a big boy, he could handle a single dance with their black widow. It wouldn't speak well of him for her to try to stop it, in any case.
"Not at all," Stephen said, lips curling into the barest hint of a smirk at his girlfriend's pronouncement. Cassie had yet to meet his family- a meeting he'd be putting off as long as possible- so she didn't realize it, but Alexa was cut from the same cloth as his parents, brother and sister-in-law. The consummate family of Slytherins, shining examples of cold calculation and old society.
He gave the eldest Montgomery a small bow and held out his hand. "Would you do me the honor of a dance?"
"The honor, yes," Alexa sniffed. She briefly squeezed Mira's hand before releasing it and set into Stephen's waiting one. We shall see if you're good enough then...
*~*~*~*~*
"Do you suppose he's safe with her?" Cassie joked as she watched her boyfriend lead her eldest sister around the dance floor. Of all her family members, Alexa was the one with whom she tended to butt heads. Just the same, she knew her big sister loved her and that the protectiveness she felt for her siblings was every bit as strong in the ginger-haired one of the bunch.
"The question is, will she eat him or just claw him up a bit. Never if, but when," Mira said wisely, lips curling at the edges when she met her sister's blue gaze - the Montgomery women trait.
Cassie's brow creased as she pondered the options Mira had presented. The only claws marks on Stephen's body should be from her, but watching her elder sister devour him wasn't a pleasant thought either. "I suppose as long as she spits him out again..."
Giggling, Mira's nose crinkled as she slipped her arm through her twin's. The doubtful look on her sister's face as she watched her boyfriend dance with their bitchy older sister made her giggle all the more. "At least he'll know more fully what he's getting himself into. He may have you, but we're not ever far away. Montgomery women stick together," she said with a short nod.
"That we do," Cassie agreed, squeezing her sister's arm with affection. Her family life, even with the bickering she and Alexa did, was vastly different from Stephen's. Now that she realized what he meant to her, she really hoped he'd be accepted into the Montgomery fold. He needed family, and hers was the best to be had.
Casting a furtive glance at her twin, she asked lightly, "Do you like him?"
"You like him," she said, blue eyes darting to her sister from the pair they'd been watching on the dance floor. There was something different in the tone of her twin's voice, in the not quite sure she was aiming at her. "That's enough for me."
Cassie's teeth dug into her lip. She knew she could tell Mira anything, there was no one in the world she was closer to. The voicing of her feelings made it real, though. It was a little scary. "I think... No, I know that I don't just like him." Looking into her twin's big blue eyes, she admitted, "I'm in love with him."
Mira's eyes went wide and her arm tightened, bringing her sister even closer. "Really!?" It was a whisper, but an excited one. She'd known Stephen was different from the beginning. He was the first man her twin had actually introduced to her. That Cassie was in love though... she squeaked. "That's so exciting!"
"It's terrifying," Cassie whispered, knowing she could admit such a thing to her twin and never have to worry that it would be repeated. "We've never talked about the future. What if love isn't what Stephen's looking for right now?" Her eyes were round with worry as she finished, "What if he doesn't love me back?"
"How could anyone not love you back," Mira insisted, eyes darting to their elder sister and Stephen to be sure they were occupied and not looking their way before she darted in to give her twin a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. Pulling back then, she made sure she met the blue gaze as clear and bright, though much more anxious than her own. "You certainly weren't looking for love, but it found you. Just listen to what it's telling you and be happy."
She hadn't ever been in love herself and couldn't quite grasp the fear she could see in her twin's eyes, but she knew it could be a wondrous thing. Their parents were a shining example of what it was. "And in any case, if he hurts you in any way I'll just hex his bollocks off."
Laughter bubbling forth at Mira's frank statement, Cassie hugged her twin tightly. "You're a peach, MiraSophia. A darling, sweet-faced, vicious peach." It was true. Cassie and Alexa were more open with their violent tendencies, but Mira's sweet nature disappeared in an instant when it came to her family being upset. The few who'd had opportunity to witness such an event were completely taken by surprise.
Pulling back, she raised a brow. "I prefer his bollocks right where they are, though, if you please."
Mira's nose crinkled. "We so don't need to go there, even if I did start it."