Nine

"Walking into warmth
From the cold evening air
Numb white fingers push
Greasy rain through my hair
You walk into view
From shadow thrown against the door."

Anne Clark, "Homecoming"


Lavinia:

Bloody stupid idiot. Me, I mean. Or Yaxley. I'm still not quite sure. Maybe even us both. Made me go all teenager girl again. Even got me to floo Artemis for a good old-fashioned "Men are pigs!"-rant. And all because of three sentences: "I appreciate your offer. Really, I do. But I suppose it wouldn't be... appropriate for me to accept it.", said in this incredibly blasé voice aristocrats like him are bred for.

"Wouldn't be appropriate.", my arse. We're both adults, and this is not Regency where we need a chaperone to watch over our every move. Besides I wasn't proposing or anything, just asking him to move in with me. Nothing improper at all.

But maybe still stupid. In a bout of frustration I hit the water I'm lying in and little bubbles of "Bridget Bollingworth's Best Bath Bubbles" flow around and burst with a little plop. I sigh and lean back, closing my eyes. Soft candle light, warm water, fluffy foam and the scent of lavender surround me. Usually this helps me to calm down – those magically mood-adapting bath bubbles are worth every last sickle – but today… it seems as if it just won't help.

I think it's mostly because of this little voice in the back of my mind which keeps insisting on the fact that Orion maybe is right. That suggesting we move together was inappropriate. After all we only saw each other again a week ago. And calling that "a rocky start" would definitely be an understatement. If we really want to get back to something you could really call friendship we still have a long way to go. Plus all the emotional baggage we are both carrying around.

I groan. Oh yeah, the bloody baggage. One by one, moments I thought I had long forgotten – or repressed, depending on your point of view – come back to me. The time he told me about the mortal danger Tony was in if Avery found out I was seeing him, because he would automatically think it had been Tony who had rescued me from the edge of the Forbidden Forest. It was one of the only moments I ever had the feeling that he could be… dangerous. He'd been very determined – dragged me into the broom closet, magically closed the door and told me in no uncertain terms what would happen if Avery found out about Tony, all without letting me utter a single word.

Strangely enough I'd found a whole new form of respect for him that day. And… to be honest… somehow I did feel attracted by that behaviour. Took me at least three weeks to convince myself I like the supportive, nice type of guy – i.e. Tony – and not the determined, arrogant, dominant type – i.e. Orion. But what was worse: Somehow… we grew closer after that day. I remember the night we somehow ended up talking about each others' nightmares in said broom closet and then falling asleep leaning on each other.

Or… or that one kiss in the infamous closet. I still don't really know how it happened. One moment we were arguing about something and the next we... weren't. Instead we were kissing like there was no tomorrow, and I was kissing him back. Granted, in the moment I realised what I was doing I broke the kiss and ran out like there was a herd of Hinkypunks chasing me.

Accompanied by an angry "NGH!"-sound my hand splashes into the water again and more bubbles flow around. How can this one man manage what Tony never did? As long as I can remember I've never been infuriated or at least agitated with something Tony did. I didn't even go through that "How could you get yourself killed and leave me here all alone, you jerk?"-phase a lot of friends of mine were going through when loved ones fell victims to the Death Eaters. No, Tony and I… we had our rocky phases, but compared to what Yaxley and I were and are going through that was nothing. And still I… A sound pierces through the heated fuzziness of my bathroom.

It's the door bell chiming, but I just groan a "Go away." It chimes again. Unfortunately I left my wand outside in the living room so I can't even silence the bell with a quick flick. And again. Hey! Oh, another time. It's starting to sound… urgent. Dammit. I should have bought one of those that tell you who's standing at the door so you can choose to ignore them. But as it is, obviously I have to get out of the bath and go to the door. After all, it could be someone important.

Sighing I get up and grab my bath rope. Grumbling a little I traipse to the door and open it. Yeah, could have been someone important. But it's Orion Yaxley.


Orion:

Back on Lavinia's doorstep. Again. I can't believe I'm doing this.

At first, I had been determined to go through with my answer. I was strangely touched by Lavinia's offer, but how would it look of someone found out? And hadn't Lucinda Carrow shown that she was on my trail already? After Linda, all I needed was another story about me and Lavinia.

I had entered my office late, which was unusual, but not disturbing, as we are all very flexible in our working hours. It had even been a rather quiet, uneventful morning. But in the afternoon, things started going wrong again.

The editor-in-chief paid me another visit, showing me Carrow's Article. He asked me, very rudely in fact, what this all meant and I couldn't honestly explain it all to him. Nor did I judge it necessary. Apparently, people were constantly asking him about this story and if it was true; because I simply wasn't the kind of person to do such a thing.

Officially, I'm still married and happy. It became increasingly more difficult to conceal it that my wife had – in truth – not just left me but kicked me out. I couldn't concentrate the whole afternoon. I mixed up appointments I couldn't blame on my secretary because I had set them myself. It was embarrassing, because I never get things like this wrong. And people let me know, all the time.

At teatime, I had been queuing up in the cantina and overheard a discussion of two Witch Weekly interns about my love life. One of the girls was convinced that Miss Carrow had written the truth and thought it very cruel and unfair against my wife. I had to restrain myself not to go there and correct them because they obviously weren't aware of my presence. The other was doubtful, but still told quite frankly that she didn't like me at all.

I'd probably never admitted it, but it was hurtful, listening to people talk about you in such a way. And to know that this kind of remarks weren't just made here, among journalists, but also in most of the wizard households in Britain wasn't reassuring in the slightest.

Finally, I received an angry memo from the sports department again, still concerning the interview with Lavinia and the intrigue they thought was behind it. That was the moment when my thoughts got back to her. And I realised that it was unbearable to go back to the manor and the house-elves and the silence again. Her offer sounded more and more tempting as time went by. And in the end, after a short detour to the manor, I found myself in front of her door again. I had even packed all the stuff I needed, transfigured, made transportable and all.

Now, she hasn't answered the first time I rang the bell; nor the second. I start panicking slightly. What if she isn't home?

At last, she opens, wearing nothing but a bath robe. I blush. She smells of lavender. I don't know where that thought came from. Before I can say anything, she's closed the door in front of me.

Oh no, you've invited me, you'll let me in. I continue pressing the button of the doorbell, shouting: "Lavinia! Please let me in! I've changed my mind!"

She opens the door again, looking annoyed. "What, your Victorian Pure Blood morals deserted you?"

I roll my eyes. "Please Lavinia, at least let me come in. I don't want anyone to see me here." Perhaps I sound a little panicked. But who wouldn't, with Miss Carrow on his trail?

"Oh, so you don't want any of your Pure Blood friends to know you're having social intercourse with any unworthy blood traitors?", she dares telling me and looks like she's going to explode again any minute.

"Why, aren't you an incredibly clever girl, always drawing the right conclusions.", I say, unable to conceal my anger under the sarcasm. "I'm sure you'd love Lucinda Carrow showing up here taking pictures and writing some absurd story about us, like she did with Linda. It would be even more interesting. She's just a writer, but you… you're even kind of a celebrity. What a story! The people will like it. Now let me in."

At first, she's eying me like I had lost my mind or something. I already think about leaving again. She sighs. "Okay, fine, be that way. And while you're at it, come in. My feet are starting to get cold", she says, and don't wait any longer.

I lift up my bags and get in, watching the empty stairways suspiciously.

I take a deep breath after she's closed the door behind us. "Thanks", I manage to say, even though I'm not sure if she'll let me stay or not.

All she does is shrug slightly. "You were sounding a little desperate", she tells me and suddenly blushes, if only a little. I blush, too, I can't see it but I fear it's more than her. She's still in her bath robe and half naked. I catch myself just before you could call it staring at her. She thankfully is forgetful about it.

"Um... would you mind if I go and change into... something else before we dissolve this whole mess? Just... sit down and wait a minute", she stammers and all I'm able to do is to nod. It's quite difficult not to look too intensely when she turns around to leave.


A/N: Mwahahahahahaha, I made Orion blush :D Um... okay, and Lavinia blushed, too. Err... well.

Anyway, we want to thank all our faithful readers for staying with us. And we'd love those who don't belong to our message board to disguise themselves just once. Pretty please?

On a last note we want to thank Justine who gave the name for the Mary-Sue-bath-bubbles the twist in the right direction. All hail to the Queen Of Alliterations!