A/N Comments are very much appreciated!

-Improper-

Regina eyed the couples that pranced around the park. Some, as she denoted thanks to the chaperons that accompanied them, were definetely young and still in the process of knowing each other. Others, as she could see, were nothing but already married couples that sometimes looked on their general direction; the harsh color of her dress certainly noticeable enough in the soft pastels and greens that seemed to fill the garden. As bland, - she reflected- as the ones that enjoyed it.

There were also other kind of couples of course, old men speaking between not so hushed tones and certainly a healthy amount of children that, accompanied by young girls who could be nothing else than their nannies from the upper class, jumped and laughed, sometimes together some other times alone. Girls were also painting and being instructed how to properly seat at their benches. A practice Regina herself had always hated. The mere thought put a sour expression on Regina's mouth and she straightened her posture even more, walking towards one of the garden's corners she already knew would be empty from strangers and curious ones alike.

The spot was certainly as free of people as she had predicted and, feigning to look at the flowers, she let her mind wander, thinking back on the party she had considered appropriate to attend the past week on the manor near the edge of town.

The Whites had been stationed in the city for over a year now and had already become quite popular, not only between the stuffy upper classes but on the lower classes as well; well-mannered and soft it wasn't strange for a servant of them whisper excitedly about how good Snow White and David White were.

"I have heard they had adopted an orphan" That was one of the last things Regina heard about them during her morning stroll. However, as soon as she had come closer to the young lanky brunette that she knew already from her many years at the town both the gossiper and her audience had stopped talking whatsoever. The rumor was proven to be true a few weeks after that when a sweet boy had first appeared by Snow's hand during one walk Regina had been able to take. Regina hadn't really wanted to come any closer to the couple but it had been the boy who, after looking at her dark clothes with the unabashedly curious glance every kid had, had come nearer, a beaming smile dancing on his lips as he did so.

"My name is Henry." He had proclaimed, not in least following proper etiquette. "I'm new in town."

Of course Snow had appeared at his side the very second the boy had stopped talking, a look of pure and obvious mortification crossing her eyes as she looked at Regina, seeming to pledge for the woman to forgive the disrespect. "He is still becoming accustomed." He started, her voice bearing a high pitched tone Regina found incredibly grating.

"Don't worry." She had answered while pretending not to be interested in the young boy's appearance. "He did nothing wrong."

And he hadn't. Not really, and she found slightly refreshing to be able to speak with someone else apart from her staff; the only ones that still talked to her.

Thanks to that meagre moment Regina had received a small invitation the day after that asking her to think about attending a party the Whites were having back at their manor.

"We would be delighted to have you there" Could be read in flowery handwriting Regina had had the feeling that hadn't been written by Snow herself.

At any other moment she would have refused, not wanting to approach a social endeavor knowing full well that the town would be full of gossip by the end of the following day. This time, however, the thought of being able to see the orphan again made her curious enough to send Sidney with a response. The man had returned slightly out of breath but with a note that even though was written with a very similar flowery calligraphy, seemed to have been forged contrary to the previous one.

That's how she had presented at the White Manor with her black and mauve dress standing painfully obvious between the soft colors of the dresses of the many other attendances. She had smiled to herself when she had noticed the lingering looks on the mauve tone but did nothing to either explain herself or say anything to the few men that had dared to come closer, the question obvious on their gleaming eyes.

It hadn't mattered after all, the brunette had thought to herself, the following day she would dress the black they were all accustomed to see her wearing and the gossiping mill would never stop.

Her musings had been cut short when both David and Snow had approached her; the two of them sporting equally bland but happy smiles Regina had glanced at once before deciding that the amount of nauseating love the two of them irradiated was enough to give her stomach ache.

"We are delighted to have you here." Snow had said, doing her best not to ogle the color of her dress as she approached her, the soft tones of the lilac perfume she wore surrounding them both for a moment.

"I could not say no to your invitation." Regina replied with a demure smile, looking alternatively to both Snow and David, the later seeming uncomfortable on the suit and cravat that oppressed his neck.

"Henry insisted." The younger woman commented of-handedly and the information was curious enough for Regina to raise an eyebrow. She, however, couldn't ask about it to the host since a new set of newcomers had arrived and both David and Snow were off to talk with them, possibly more than thankful to be out of her sight.

That had been the moment, as she walked between the other guests while making small talk between the few of them who dared to approach her -always men, always curiously glancing to her dress and perhaps a little too much at her chest- when she had seen Henry boringly looking at everyone around him but being otherwise forgotten by the adults of the party. Next to him there was a blonde young woman, possibly several years than Regina, seeming impressed by the party happening around her but otherwise completely focused on the small boy. Regina saw the clothes the woman wore, the way she had probably been instructed to look and pass as someone from a higher social class than the one she actually was and she felt somehow intrigued.

Coming closer and smiling at the boy until the brown's pupils glowed in recognition she smiled at Henry, the smile in itself feeling strange on her lips but it seemed to placate both boy and woman who had protectively come closer to Henry for a second before the boy had beamed back at her.

"I'm Regina Mills" She said, still looking at the boy. "It is nice to be finally introduced to each other."

Of course she suspected that the blonde had already been informed of who she was, new as she seemed to be the small town could do nothing to stop the rumors about her or her name so her deliberate use of her surname would already be obvious enough for the blonde to catch it.

The boy giggled and nodded. He could not be older than 10 years old and for a moment Regina questioned her own sanity; coming to a party with the only hope to find a boy that had smiled for the briefest of seconds a few days before. Her thoughts, however, were cut short by the voice of the young girl, the one that had probably been instructed by Snow to keep an eye on the boy.

"I'm Emma."

Regina had glanced at the blonde, slightly amused to the obvious lack of modals the woman sported but her somewhat cutting remark died on her lips as she finally took on the woman's green eyes, ones that seemed to be completely entranced by her.

"Well." She had thought. "This can certainly be interesting."

It wasn't on her nature to play mouse and cat -that was something more close to what Mal would do- but she suddenly realized that she could get something else from the party than a few stuffy conversations.

And so she had flirted with Emma Swan all night long, delighted to see the blush growing on the woman's cheeks whenever she whispered something obvious enough to be more than common talk. If the others at the party realized that they spent almost the entire party talking they never pointed out and Henry, sweet Henry, had been delighted to have the somewhat total attention of the two of them.

"I'm new around here." Emma had said after a particular remark Regina had taken the delight to hear her stammering through. "I have been asked to care for Henry and instruct her as good as possible."

"Are you a governess then?"

Emma had smiled at that and had nodded once, something inside her eyes making Regina feel curious. "Something like that." She had remarked before turning to look at Henry, the boy already yawning.

That had been the moment Regina had said how she would take her morning stroll the following week at the Storybrooke garden, one of the places that hadn't been changed much ever since the elite had started to come to the place, and how it could be a good idea for both Emma and Henry to meet her there.

"Are you… sure?" Emma had stammered and Regina knew that at any other circumstance she would have probably said no. Emma, however, was a gorgeous creature, one she knew Mal already would be delighted for her to have tried to taste and as boring and repetitive her existence in the small town was it could be a nice distraction. For a few days at least.

"Don't be late." She had answered, smiling secretly at Emma for a moment before sparing one last glance to Henry and deciding that it was already late enough for her to go. "Good night Miss Swan."

Snow had tried to stop her on her way out but Regina had feigned to not have seen her and soon enough she was out of White Manor with a mischievous smirk curving her lips.

A fine distraction indeed.

She was brought to the present by the cheerful voice of the boy she already knew well enough. Henry seemed to be delighted to have been carried to the park and his eyes were filled with interest on the various flowers that grew on that particular corner of the place. Next to him stood Emma, her skin standing against the whites and greys she wore on her dress. Her eyes also seemed to shine, even if slightly nervously, as she nodded at Regina, a minute nod the brunet laughed warmly at, knowing full well what her laugh could very well do.

"Do not be shy." She instructed while looking at Henry, the boy shaking his head before seeming to fall completely entranced by some or other bug. "It is a pleasure to see you again."

"The pleasure is mine… Mrs..."

"Regina would suffice." The brunette interrupted and she almost wanted to smirk at the way the blonde's eyes widened.

She intended to do quite a few things to the girl, she thought. Or, at least, see how far she was able to take her. Raising a hand and distractedly caressing the blonde's cheek she saw something there, shining as strongly as her own desire, that made her tilt her head, suddenly intrigued. Perhaps Emma Swan was not the meek governess she had considered her to be.

Perhaps, she thought while narrowing her own eyes, she was something else.

In any case she wanted very much to learn about it.

A/N. Background because apparently I can't contain myself when writing about these two in the setting: Daniel is dead and is him the one Regina is mourning. Regina is friends with Maleficent who had obviously taught her how to charm young girls whenever the "need" arises and Regina finds herself attracted to Emma. As she sees those kind of advances more like a game than something serious she decides to pursue Emma, enjoying the way she can get her all riled up. Emma is Henry's mother in this story and the boy had been taken by the Whites after Snow learnt of Emma. A girl she remembered from the days her father was the head of the White's state. -Bear with me and let's pretend that David would take her last name in order to carry on with Leopold's reputation- Henry's father is Neal of course, a scoundrel that got Emma pregnant and fled. Emma either tried to steal from Snow and was caught or she was seen by the woman eliciting the good Snow to take the boy with her as well as her childhood friend making her be the governess of the boy. And that is xd -glances at the story- I would have loved to write more but I was having the feeling that I was already making this too large for being the short drabble that was supposed to be so…
Also! Some trivia from my enamored self xd
During their period of mourning widows were supposed to wear a series of colors indicating the time of mourning in which they were. From black to grey to mauve to white... -considered half mourning- At the Whites Party Regina was messing with everyone's heads by wearing mauve, a tone that says that a part of the mourning has passed, but still knowing she would go back to black the following day. I'm deeply sorry for the length of this, I cannot contain myself if I'm asked to write a Victorian setting xd.