I just got to get it right
WHO: Bart Allen, Mulan Fa
LOCATION: Starts out in the potion lab => eventually Gryffindor Commons/hallways
WEEK: Romance Event
TIME: late morning => late afternoon
WHAT: They just got accidentally married to each other. ;D Drama (and hilarity... eventually) ensues.
RATING: None yet!
( Before I make it wrong )
LOCATION: Starts out in the potion lab => eventually Gryffindor Commons/hallways
WEEK: Romance Event
TIME: late morning => late afternoon
WHAT: They just got accidentally married to each other. ;D Drama (and hilarity... eventually) ensues.
RATING: None yet!
( Before I make it wrong )
"You are not a burden! Ever," she stated, squeezing his hand again as she pulled back slightly, staring up at her new and sudden husband with a hurt look. She couldn't even believe Bart would say such a thing! Nevermind that he actually hadn't. "You are incredible. Sometimes I can't follow your train of thought as fast, but that doesn't mean you're immature, or wrong, or hard to deal with. You're intelligent, skilled, fun, understanding and ... and I'm lucky to have you in my life. Without you I... I don't know."
Mulan stopped, she wasn't trying to upset him or herself with all this going on, but she didn't want to to think about not having Bart around. That was a very painful thought, especially so for the moment. She loved him and while Jasmine and Kairi were her adopted sisters, Griffith and many others her brothers (honestly, there were tons of those) and a certain former blue Ravenclaw held her heart, Bart was different. It was as if he was part of her soul, he knew her so well.
"Very different," came the soft reply to his reassurance. Shaking her head, Mulan smiled again, "I know we will." After a second, a hint of mischievousness flicked through her eyes. Teasingly, she trailed off; "I wasn't about to marry anyone. But if you were..."
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"Th-thank you," He finally managed to say, his face turning beet red. Wait. Did she just say that he was part of her soul? That was weird. Bart couldn't help giving Mulan a Look, almost as if to say 'so I'm like your brother and not your brother?' Soulmate would probably be the right word. Probably being the keyword.
"Nah," He said, looking at her with a smile. "I'm not much for the c-word, remember? I'd rather hang out with you and Griff-Griff than think about some girl." After a moment, he amended, "So I guess maybe this spell isn't half-bad. I lost my choice, but considering you were my choice anyways...."
Funny how things worked out like that.
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"You're just, you've always been there. Ever since first year," she tried to explain aloud. Sure, he drove her away first, sending her into a rare fit of tears, but that was how they met Griffith. And after that particular incident the two had been pretty much inseparable. As the years had past, they just formed a strong bond to where they knew each other and would be there. It felt right, as if that was how it should be.
"The c-word isn't that bad. We've been in a com--- ... friendship for years," Mulan pointed out, smiling back and resting her head against him. It was interesting how they fit so well, she had never thought about it before. "No, I guess it isn't... Not really." She laughed. "I remember when you announced that."
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Oh. Right. The time Bart'd publicly announced that he, Mulan, and Griff-Griff would get married as soon as they left Hogwarts. By now, he'd had enough classes - and experience - to know that marriages didn't work like that. "I kinda wish the world worked like that," He confessed, grinning at her as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "It'd make life so much easier. Why does the world believe in monogamy anyways?"
He was totally joking--and in the innocent sense too. They both knew that Bart didn't really grasp the more adult connotations of polygamy; heck, Bart didn't want to know. "But I insist. The c-word is a horrible, horrible thing no matter what you say."
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Her expression changed to one of amusement at the memory of Bart's sudden announcement. She honestly didn't think there had been a more interesting lunch period the entirety of their Second Year, or anything else that Griffith had encouraged so-not-quite innocently during that year, either. And Bart had always wondered why she had given their best friend such surprised looks when they were younger... Back then Mulan had understood the implications rather well, the idea and details of marriage ingrained in her through her cultural upbringing, the implications of what would go on in relationships learned through necessity for particular potions, but she didn't mind because it was Bart and Griffith. Marriage or not they'd be together somehow. Truthfully, a part of her had also wished that was how the world had worked, too. It definitely would of made life much easier.
"Some parts of the world hold that belief," she informed simply, feeling comfortable in his grasp. Mulan didn't go into more specifics, Bart was probably not ready nor would he want to hear anything about them. Raising an eyebrow, she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear and glanced up with an innocent look. He would learn when and when not to challenge her on things. Eventually. "So, it's a horrible thing that I'm completely committed to you?"
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As far as he was concerned, that was it. This wasn't bad either! Now that they were slowly accepting it. Still, he wanted to give her the chance to choose.
"Nooooo?" He said slyly, his face turning red at the thought. "Nothing at all!" Okay, so maybe being committed to Mulan wasn't bad. Really. "I think it's actually pretty awesome."
He paused, amending, "but I'm still going to find us a way out of it."
Should they get back to cleaning...? Bart lazily glanced at their surroundings before deciding that no, he wouldn't budge. Not until someone decided to kick them out.
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Leaning up, Mulan tucked a bit of hair behind her ear and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek. Friendly, reassuring and no amorous connotations behind it, it was one of those things they did without thinking and lead the way to other's assumptions. "Marriage or not, I'll still be committed to you," she explained before nodding. "I know, this... this isn't us. You deserve a choice. We'll find a way."
Following his glance, Mulan looked around the potion's lab and took out her wand reluctantly. She didn't feel like cleaning, no matter how much that was ingrained in her when it came to potions. After this morning, all Mulan wanted to do right now was just relax with Bart. Cuddle up to her best friend (now new husband), maybe take a nap. Yet, with a practiced hand she mumbled a few incantations in Chinese and watched as things began to come alive and carefully fix themselves, nothing startling into any more explosions or flashes of light.
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He felt reassured at the thought of them finding a solution. Really, the idea of 'choice' didn't matter so much as them just... not being married. They were best friends! Who somehow got people thinking they were boyfriend and girlfriend when they really weren't. (Those people were just idiots who didn't know the meaning of love. Or lust.)
"Thanks," Bart remembered to reply, grinning as he watched the potions lab repair itself. Mulan'd always been better at the practical stuff; Bart knew that if he'd tried that same spell, it'd flop. Miserably. "... So I guess we'll talk to Professor Raith once this's over and see what I end up getting for my final. I mean, we did technically do the potion and all." He figured that at the very least, a potion that'd end up with two people married would earn him a solid C. He was happy with those marks! They weren't downright terrible!
Still, he just wanted to cuddle with Mulan and... not do work. Stupid grown-up world. "Hey," He said, knowing full well that she probably thought the same, "After we get all this crap done, you wanna steal the usual couch in the commons?" It might've sounded weird to outsiders, but to Bart, it was just regular, ordinary behavior. Best friends cuddled each other, right? (Or well, married couples did at the very least.)
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Mulan ducked her head in a slight smile, peering at him sideways. "You don't have to meet anyone," she said with a slightly amused tone. She really had no intent of forcing him to do something, at least not this, that he didn't want to. Truly, Mulan would only force Bart to do something that was good for him--even if he didn't see it that way at times. "I was just saying you could view an offer to see how some of the mindsets are elsewhere. Only if you wanted."
She was opposite in thought, partially. Though Bart was the one who had calmed her down and first adamantly stated they would find a solution and she agreed, his reassuring furthering her own feeling of such, it was the choice of the matter that meant more to her. She knew what it was like to not have a choice in life altering decisions and never wanted her best friend to have to deal with that...this. Being stuck with someone Mulan wholeheartedly trusted and loved wasn't anywhere near as bad as, not bad at all in comparison to, being stripped of your choice. Really, if it wasn't for her family honor at the behest of her parents, she wouldn't of even gone to see that Matchmaker last year.
"Maybe not an 'Outstanding', but I think you'll at least get an 'Exceeds'! Definitely better than an 'Acceptable'," Mulan mused, giving the remnants of his potion in a cauldron the same critical eye any other potion's mistress or master would. Bart had made the potion flawlessly, she knew as she had been watching him brew it (Some of his best work, honestly. Much better than their third year fiasco all knew not to mention. Ever.), and it wasn't his fault that the ending result was their marriage. Just because potions weren't his thing, didn't mean that Bart wasn't smarter than a lot gave him credit for. She knew. A part of her still felt that she personally should of reviewed his suggestion more, there must of been something...
At his suggestion of the couch she stopped going once more over what had happened and perked up. Waving her wand with a finishing flick, she turned to him and nodded. "Definitely," she stated leaning towards the door a bit, unable to keep some of the need out of her voice. Nothing sounded as good to her--not even a cup of her favourite tea--as that couch did at the moment.
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Maybe it was the small-town Alabama boy in him, but Bart was pretty sure that the Chinese mindset and the Alabama mindset were similar in one aspect: if you're married, you're married. (Granted, his hometown was a lot more hush-hush about divorce than say, Birmingham, but it still reeked of "let us not talk about such things.") "Maybe when I'm older?" He finally said, knowing that it was an awful way to side-step the situation. "Right now, I think I'd just glare at 'em for thinking of taking you away from me."
Focusing his attention back onto the potion, he grinned. "Seriously?" He hadn't gotten an Exceeds in years! Well--not in the classes that actually mattered, like Potions and Herbology and Weapons Mastery and the like. His only Outstandings came from Studio Art, Time Magic, and Charms. (The last one surprised pretty much everyone, Bart included.) "That's awesome! Well, not for us, but for my gradebook..."
He knew he'd dig himself in deeper, so he didn't bother to continue that line of thought.
"Sounds good to me," Bart pumped his fist, completely losing himself in the moment. "We'll get teas and cookies and it'll just be. Perfect."
But life called first, so Bart reluctantly let go and started to clean up the rest of his mess (including his schoolbooks lying everywhere). At least he could take solace in the small things.
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"I don't want to marry them... and I wouldn't do that to you," she reaffirmed a bit stubbornly and trying to quash down on the hurt, guilty feeling she was getting from bringing this up in the first place. Before it went through their bond. She still wasn't sure how that worked exactly but Mulan was sure that she hadn't meant to upset him, she just wanted to offer him a view of a different world, so to speak.
Besides, they were just people she had met, though the circumstances hadn't been what she would of called great with them being potential suitors at the time, and kept in occasional contact with. She couldn't help how she'd become friends with them, just like she couldn't help that Bart had become married to her. But one thing she did have control over was the fact that she was never going to betray Bart, be it the mindset of her people or not, it was of Mulan's mindset that she followed her heart and her heart would never allow her to do such a thing, not in that way. Never in that way.
With a smile, Mulan nodded. "Really," she stated, happy to see his usual excitement--it was a becoming quite infectious today. Charms aside, she knew his core classes grades weren't at the top of the class, but he did try and he did get the theories incredibly well. At least something from this event was turning out to be great. That thought in mind, she refrained from bringing up her faith in his knowledge any further and instead focused on something else.
Tea and cookies and the couch. Perfect was right. They couldn't leave soon enough, she thought.
Unfortunately, potion remnants aside, the classroom did need a bit more straightening up. Following her new husband's reluctant lead (Not that she blamed him, as much as she loved potions she was reluctant to stay in here any longer than she had to. Brewing more to settle her nerves just didn't work in this case.), Mulan set to work tidying up a bit of the other areas in the room.
As she finished up the area she was in, a small scroll popped into place next to her. It was tied up in a golden ribbon, complete with a Gringotts seal. Staring at the rolled parchment for a brief moment, she untied and unfurled it. Blinking, she glanced over towards Bart and then back at the scroll. As far as surprises of the day went, this new development really didn't matter to her but she was uncertain as to how he'd take it. It sort of piled on a bit more cement to their status as a married couple, if the Goblins recognized it.
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The minute something apparated in his wife's hands (weird, wife--how often did he say that? Never), he rushed to her side and read the contents carefully. He raised an eyebrow, resting his head on her shoulder as he murmured, "Guess it's official." If even they acknowledged their marriage, then it was more than just a simple marriage spell.
Good to know. Truthfully, he'd probably forget it in a couple of hours - if even that - and move on with his life. Bart snorted, "If Gringotts knows, it makes me wonder how much longer until everyone finds out. Knowing my grandmother, she'll probably apparate in an hour and demand a reason as to why I suddenly have a lovelife."
He made a face, "Nevermind that mine was non-existent from Day One."
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Reading further into the document, she murmured just loud enough for him to hear, "They want to know if we want to consolidate our accounts, and where our main account will be located at." All of these things they'd have to go through as husband and wife, it was a bit overwhelming to think about. She really hoped it was the last thing to pop up for a while.
At Bart's remark about his love life--what would supposedly be their new love life--she stiffened under his touch and blushed. "My Grandmother would just ... send sex related potions and say it's about time," she sighed, bringing her hand to her face in a gentle facepalm. She didn't even have to think about that, she knew her Grandmother well enough. It wouldn't even be surprising in the least!
"It... Gringotts is quite adamant about their customers privacy. It would only come to someone's attention if you're listed on their family tree and they're looking at it or are the head of your family," she informed, her blush subsiding. She knew a bit more about these things than most, largely due to her upbringing. Of course, her Grandmother being the head of her family meant those potions and notice of well wishes would be on it's way soon. She tried to push that thought out of her head.
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"Does that mean we'll have to live together?" He said after a moment. "I don't know what the school'll do about us, but have students been married before?" The answer was yes - he remembered the stories - but he couldn't remember how the school treated them.
He had no response about the potions besides a look of abject horror. Bart'd met Mulan's grandmother once - and that one visit (where she called him some freckle-faced American) had been more than enough for him - and he really had no desire to meet her again. Even if she was a nice lady. He squeaked, "C-can the kids wait until after we graduate?"
Really, the thought of doing something with Mulan - beyond the whole snuggling and cuddling and Eskimo kisses - was awkward. Yes, he loved her, but no way was he having kids until he was in art school. Or working for Pixar. Whichever came later.
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"Maybe. In Marriage Quarters, probably," she stated, glancing up at Bart. She could sense her friend--husband's (that would still take time getting used to) unease about what would happen now with the school and squeezed his hand lightly in reassurance. Once again, she thought on how change wasn't always a good thing and hated that so much was happening, so quickly. If he brought up life after school, well, she was prepared to tell him she'd go wherever he did--if he wanted her. This was an unconventional marriage, to be certain. "I don't know where they are but I remember hearing about them. It's probably a Hogwarts ruling, when marrying young was much more common in years past. They should still be around."
Biting her lip at his look of horror, Mulan twisted about in Bart's grasp and came face to face with him. When she realized what was wrong, her eyes grew wide and she stiffened up again, channeling his own fear of the subject through the bond and into some of her own. This new forged bond seemed intent to drive them into throws of emotional upheavals until they learned to control it or dealt with whatever new was thrown at them.
"I... I don't think I'm ready to have any yet," she laughed nervously, ducking her head as she blushed deeply with a mixture of concern and a few other emotions. Mulan wanted kids - really she did - some of her own and some she'd adopt, but the idea of suddenly having a child now was rather jarring. Particularly, the act involved, committed with someone she was suddenly married to, even it was Bart. Even if she did trust him with everything she was and had. That was one of the whole reasons she hated forced marriages, there was no choice in it, no love. But she did love Bart, deeply, just ... just never like that. The thought hadn't honestly ever crossed her mind.
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