A/N: Argh sorry sorry for taking a week to update this fic (for me that is an ungodly amount of time to wait between updates). Still things are really hectic at work with my new shift and I'm also looking for a new job as well, and that's a full time job itself you know. Anyway I trying to get myself on track, trying to flesh out this story and write it to the end. As always, your support is just fantastic!
As she entered the dimly lit room, she felt the degree of the air drop, making her shiver slightly. If this was the Ministry's way of casting some mysterious aura over the idea that magic was really 'magic' and sacred then they were doing a good job of it; even if it felt a little bit of a ruse.
"Please step onto the platform," an ethereal voice commanded.
Christ, what was it and them trying to sound all fit and mysterious? Rowan thought as she stepped onto a platform. Glancing to her side, she saw that there were four other contestants also standing in a circle, all of their backs facing inwards, their faces looking up into the enigmatic sources of the voices. Then, on their own account, the platform began to move, so that they revolved slowly in the air.
This, Rowan thought disgustedly to herself, was disgusting, it was if they were sweets on display in a muggle cake shop, being revolved so that the buyer could see which was the most succulent and delicious looking sweet to buy. She had half a mind to create some kind of mini explosion to end this façade but kept her temper in check.
"Welcome to the 563rd Baranabus Finkly Competition for Exceptional Spellcasting. Each of you have been hand-picked by your schools, tutors and mentors to show the magical community how the limits of magic continued to be pushed and what new developments have been made.."
"You will each perform five spells of magic that you've created in front of us, and then part two, each of you will duel each other until the last one is standing."
Survival of the fittest, Rowan grimly thought as she figured out whoever was left standing and still in one piece, was the winner.
Rowan tuned herself out of the competition as she found out she'd be performing last. She watched critically as the first contestant stepped on the platform that the rest of them abandoned and turned to face the shadowy judges. He didn't speak, but instead raised his wand and conjured up millions of water bubbles that hovered in the air. Rowan raised her eyebrows, oooookkkaaayyyyy. Then with a flick of his wand, the water bubbles halved themselves by growing into bigger bubbles. Then he started stirring his wand as if he was stirring something in a crockpot very fast and the bubbles began swirling around him faster and faster and then suddenly with a large "bang!" the water exploded in and in place were hundreds of real life, glittering fairies. Surrounding him, they gave him a holy glow that he was silhouetted against.
Ok fine, she had to admit, that was a bit of special, beautiful magic. Rowan herself had always been drawn to the more edgier, darker, more straight-forward kind of magic, magic that could be useful in life or death situations. But she was a deep admirer of beauty and to see this kind of unique beauty in a spell was well,magical.
The first contestant repeated this process four more times, and Rowan quickly figured out that his aesthetic and style of magic were lyrical, beautiful and most of all, romantic. Everything was beautiful, no fiery explosions, thick screens of smoke or any those "side effects" when working with unknown magic. And while she could admire the sheer beauty of the magic and presentation, she didn't see any use of the magic the contestant was performing. If a death eater was chasing your ass, what good was it going to do by conjuring up fairies? Blind them to death with their pretty lights?
This process repeated itself five other times before it was finally her turn. With each contestant, Rowan was quick to identify the style and aesthetic of her competitions. So far there had been no one with a twisted mind as hers...this could be both a good thing and a bad thing. Although, there had been some spectacular displays of fire and explosions that had nearly unseated the nerves of the judges. She had contestant number three to thank for that.
And then finally, it was her turn. She felt as if she had been waiting a quarter of a century for this. Her hands were trembling slightly as she stepped onto the platform but she quickly clenched them into fists. Glancing up at the shadowy judge's corner, she tilted her head for a moment and studied the darkness up above her. A slight smirk made it's way on her face. Rolling up her sleeves she pointed her finger at the pitcher of water that was on a table along with a few other objects that each contestant was to have requested beforehand. with an effortless flick of wrist, the pitcher transformed into a magnificent, sleek, dark bird. The bird opened it's beak to make a sound, but with another wave of her index finger, no sound came out of the bird.
There was silence in the room, this was nothing spectacularly new to any of them, the only new part was the fact that she could do it without a wand. But she was not quite finished yet. Rowan turned in a circle as she let the bird walk around her in on the platform. an almost apathetic look came on her face as she raised her arm in a sweeping motion propelled the bird up in the air where it remained, suspended in mid air, just as she had done to Regulus nearly a year ago at duelling club.
The bird was helpless, and at her mercy, it couldn't move, twist, or turn. it could only blink. Rowan almost felt a shred of remorse for the poor bird but remembered that it was a pitcher transfigured. Then she lifted both her hands brought down the bird gently, before throwing an invisible handful of something at it.
Then, the bird became rooted to it's spot, its legs fused together and twisted around each other, the feathers started turning into bark, the wings began to transform into branches in which leaves began sprouting from it. Everyone watched in fascination coupled with mild horror as the bird began transforming into an olive tree, the feet becoming more twisted and gnarly as it rooted itself down, and then the face was the only thing left of the bird, and it had become petrified, leaving it perfectly intact, and forever etched in it's surprised expression.
With a careless wave of her hand, the tree disintegrated into dust. she turned her attention on the remaining magic she was going to show to them, and probably, scare them a bit. But that's ok. A little bit of ambiguous magic never hurt anyone.
If Rowan had describe the aesthetic and style of her magic, she'd immediately respond with the words "sleek", "efficient", "potent" and "potentially dangerous to receiver of it". Her style of magic corresponded fittingly to her personality which was "don't fuck with me, otherwise I'll fuck you over ten times worse".
The rest of the magic she performed was brilliant, twisted, but brilliant and the judges couldn't help but lean forward and watch her take command of the natural elements such as water and fire and use her bare hands to perform the magic that she was doing. Somehow she had managed to create a celestial sky in the darkroom where it rained fire, leading the contestants to scurry back from the platform in case it spread to far. She had become so engrossed in what she was doing that she felt a sharp sense of loss when she finished performing her last bit of magic.
With a slight toss of her head she jumped off the platform. She had did her best, now all was left to do, was the fun part.
Duel everyone until she was the last one standing. And she would be the last one standing because she always was. Always.
"Bow to your partners," the judges ordered. Rowan bowed to her first partner, which happened to be the first contestant who had conjured up the fairies.
"Step ten paces back," Rowan lifted her head and an enigmatic smile appeared on her face. Her partner looked at her nervously. She winked at him.
"Wands on the count of three...one...two...three!"
"Paralysis espite!" Rowan roared in her head and pointed her finger at her poor partner. He collapsed in a heap on the ground, clutching his head with his hands as if it was on fire. He was unable to do anything, one of the judges looked over at him and saw his watch. "One...two...three...four...five..." Rowan mentally counted and the judge signalled that her opponent was finished.
And he was down for the count. Five others left.
Her other opponents were tougher and she really had to bust her arse on trying to outmanoeuvre them against her, and one of them was incredibly god at non verbal spells, he had nearly knocked Rowan out of the competition with a lethal magical combination of the jelly-legs curse and the furnunculus curse. But she managed to think straight and raised her boil and hive covered arm and shout "Flipendo Duo" in which a mini tornado came out of nowhere and blasted him off his feet and off the platform. She felt sweet, sweet relief when his curses were lifted off her since his concentration had been broken.
The duelling was the most exhausting part and she suddenly felt very thankful for all the years she had spent in Duelling Club. This, she reasoned was where the judges really saw how their magical capabilities stacked up once they had to be on their feet. There was some interesting spell work, to say the least, but definitely none as so much interesting and twisted as Rowan's was. She was doing magic without a wand that they had never seen before. The judges were also impressed by the way she moved; she moved effortlessly as she weaved in and out, twirling away out of hexes and curses, she was like smoke, elusive, shadowy and no one really seemed to be able to capture or her do grievous bodily harm to her.
They heard her laugh, a husky, dark laugh, as the last opponent threw a disarming hex at her. One of the judges leaned so far down that he was close to falling off his seat, and his eyes widened as he saw her block it effortlessly with her hand as she said "Is that the best you've got?"
The first thing Rowan did after she staggered out of the Ministry of Magic with the ten thousand galleons in a neat sack was totter right up to Gringrotts and deposit a good chunk of into her savings account.
The second thing she did was take a few galleons out and ask the Goblins working there to convert them into muggle money. Then she divvied up the remaining amount into little accounts for various things she needed. After crunching some numbers and with the Goblin's assistance she managed to make a good budget for the things she needed or wanted to do.
The third thing she did pierce her left eyebrow.
It was something that she had always wanted to do, but had to wait until after school to do it. She was very lucky she got away with her nose ring and multiple ear piercings, something she knew that bothered McGonagall. Over the years some professors had docked a few points from her because of her piercings and the fact that it didn't really meet school dress code.
She also wanted to get a tattoo, but that was reserved for the day she turned eighteen, July 17th which was in less than a month. For now, the eyebrow piercing was enough.
Rowan had ducked into a muggle piercing and tattoo shop, got the anaesthetic applied to her eyebrow and then promptly felt her nerves shatter as it got pierced. She had winced and cringed but it was temporary pain and it was worth it. She felt herself smirk a little as she made her way back to the Leaky Cauldron.
On her way back she had ample time to think over things and made some important life decisions. Rowan felt exhausted, elated and apprehensive of where her life would go from here.
Rowan was unsurprised to see the gang settled at a table in the Leaky Cauldron with various drinks in front of them and food. She glanced at her pocket watch. It was seven in the evening. Whoops. She had spent an awful amount of time puttering about in the muggle world apparently.
"Evening," she said throwing herself down into a chair next to James.
He widened his eyes and spat out a mouthful of his drink. Rowan made a face and dabbed her face with a napkin.
"What the hell did you do to your face?!" he sputtered.
The rest of them craned their nicks and Marlene's mouth dropped open. Peter covered his eyes and Sirius cocked his head to the side. Interesssssstttingggg.
"I pierced my eyebrow," Rowan replied placidly studying the menu trying to decide what she wanted to eat.
"Why on earth would you do that?" Lily cried.
"'Cos I can," she answered as she eyed her drink gratefully.
"You know Rowan, sooner or later that rule of life of yours is going to get you into a shit ton of trouble," Remus shook his head.
"My funeral!" she said cheerfully.
"So how many piercings do you have now?" Peter sighed.
"Seventeen and counting. Only three more until twenty,"
"You're absolutely bonkers,"
"So are the rest of you. Sirius has tattoos and you don't make a big deal out of them,"
"Yes but he's not tatted up to high heavens! He's got like…two," James exclaimed.
"Three now," Sirius corrected.
The group whipped their heads and stared at him. Rowan felt a smile creep on her face. "You got another one?!" Remus cried.
"Yup," Sirius replied popping the "p".
"Why?!"
"Like Ro said, because I can. I'm financially stable, plus it was a little "good job for finishing school without dropping out or anything" kind of present to myself."
"Where is it?" Marlene asked interestedly. Lily shoved an elbow in her side and Marlene gave her an apologetic look.
"Lower chest, towards the side and no you cannot see it right now. It's still all red and tingly from getting inked last week." He said sternly.
The girls pouted and Rowan rolled her eyes. She had finally decided on what she wanted for dinner and placed her order.
"So again, why did you pierce your eyebrow?" Peter pressed her.
"Because I can, and I could afford it."
"Afford it?" Lily echoed confused.
"What's that supposed to mean? Don't tell me you got a job as an exotic dancer. What would all of our former teacher say?!" James cried.
"No you prat. I did not become an exotic dancer. I am financially stable now. For awhile. Or until I run out of money. Whenever that is."
"And how, may I ask, are you financially stable now?" Remus inquired.
"Because I won ten thousand galleons," she answered quieter.
"WHAT?!" they cried out in unison.
"You won?! You won what?!" Marlene asked standing up.
"You won the Barnabus Finkley Spell Casting Award! Congratulations! I am so proud of you!" Sirius said forgetting about the current fight they were in. He jumped out of his seat and ran around to hug her. Rowan broke out in a smile and hugged him back tightly and he pressed a kiss on her forehead.
"You won?! Oh my goodness, Rowan this is such good news! That's such a prestigious award!" Lily exclaimed also hugging her.
"Thank you!" Rowan replied flushed with pride.
"Well look at you, little Miss Badass, all pierced and the winner of one the most reputable awards in the magical world," Remus said genuinely happy for his mate.
James was so proud and pleased with Rowan that he ordered a round of champagne for everyone on him and gave a toast to Rowan, to all of them and their future. It was a happy night for all of them and they spent most of the night laughing, talking, eating and generally being a group of normal young adults enjoying the fact that they had finished school and were entering the next stage of their life.
Later on that night, Rowan knocked quietly on Sirius' door and was relieved when he answered with an easy smile.
"Hey," she said softly.
"Hey yourself, come in," Sirius stood and ushered her for to come in. "The room is in a bit of a tizzy, sorry bout that,"
Rowan waved a hand. She sat down gingerly on the bed and studied the night sky outside of the windows. Sirius threw himself down beside her and tapped her thigh.
"Sucks to be fighting eh love?" he said.
"Yeah it does. I don't like fighting with you." She grumbled.
"But we're still on for the States yeah?"
"Course. That's the one thing I'm looking forward to right now. That and the fact that I'm relieved that I'm financially stable now."
"I'm really happy that you are, truly Rowan. This is a good thing for you, it'll make working for the Order less stressful," he said reasonably.
"Yeah. And it'll make living in general less stressful," Rowan flopped back and stretched.
"I like your eyebrow piercing by the way," Sirius said sidling up and facing her on his side.
She turned and faced him too, a small smile on her face. "Oh yeah?"
"It suits you. I think it looks sexy." He said decisively.
Rowan burst out laughing and she lightly whapped his arm. "May I see your new tat?"
"Is this an excuse just to see me shirtless? You know that now that you're my girlfriend you have permission to see my shirtless any damn time love," Sirius grinned.
Rowan narrowed her eyes and she poked Sirius' chest. "Sirius sometimes you're too cocky for your own good,"
"You love it," he shrugged.
Rowan smiled at this, thinking that she indeed did love it. It was part of his charm, his personality. "Let me see!" she insisted.
"Fine, fine, fine," he huffed tugging his shirt over his head. He sat up and twisted a little bit so she could see.
She immediately itched to touch it, trace her fingers over the tattoo design. But she knew it was still sore and that he had to rub petroleum jelly over it twice a day.
"It's beautiful," she said sincerely. And it was. Sirius had gotten an intricate tribal pattern tattooed up the side of his left side, it crept all the way up his left side nearly to his chest, and then it sprawled a little in the front hovering above his left hip.
"You want to touch it, dontcha?" Sirius sniggered.
"I do, but I know better not to,"
"Good girl," he patted her head patronisingly. She stuck her tongue out at him but nonetheless traced her fingers over his collarbones and other tattoos.
He studied her curiously; she was in a funny mood tonight. "Something on your mind love?"
"Can I rub the petroleum jelly on you?" she asked suddenly.
Sirius had to take a minute to process what was going on. She had switched tracks very fast. "Erm, um sure. If you'd like to."
"I'd like to," she replied quietly.
"It's on the dresser," he motioned towards the bureau.
Rowan got up and fetched the petroleum jelly. Carefully, she started applying it over his tattoo.
She wasn't so much as carefully applying as she was almost tenderly applying it. Something was definitely amiss. Oh god, he thought mentally face palming himself. She was gonna break up with him!
"If you're going to break up with me, you shouldn't be so goddamn nice and just rip off the band aid." He grumbled.
Rowan gave him a sharp look. "Pardon?"
"You're being spotty. You're going to toss me now aren't you?"
"Sirius you're a real tosser. I have no intention of breaking up with you. Now. Or any time soon." Rowan rolled her eyes and continued to rub in the cream.
"Then why are you so nice to me?"
"'Cos." She muttered.
"'Cos why?" he insisted.
"'cos I'm bloody lucky to have you all right? Now shut up and don't say anything about me being sentimental." She growled. She threw the tub of petroleum jelly across the room where it bonked off the bureau.
"Oh. So this living thing…when do you move in Kol?" Sirius asked switching tracks very fast.
"I'm financially stable now. I can get my own place technically." Rowan said not looking at him.
"Are you serious?" Sirius said annoyed.
"Or I could just rent out one of your spare bedrooms if you get a two bedroom place," she said softly not sure how to walk into this conversation.
"Hold it, you make a big deal about us not living together and now you want to rent a room from me? What the hell woman? You're mad."
"Well I wouldn't exactly be living in that room…all the time. Just when I'm tinkering on magic…or when we're in a tiff and we need some space. Or you know. When I'm being an idiot."
"And where would you be living the rest of the time?" Sirius asked sarcastically and a little bit confused.
"Well…if you still want to…I guess I dunno. Perhaps share a bed with you? I promise, I will bring my own blankets and quilts because I have to admit I do like hogging them," she said not quite meeting him in the eye.
"You want to live together? Are you shitting me?" Sirius asked incredulously.
"We could give it a go I suppose," she said tentatively.
"What made you change your mind?" he demanded.
Rowan shrugged. "I'm financially stable now, so I don't feel quite like I'm depending on you, and I don't know. Lily and Marlene talked to me and blahblahblahblah and well, do you want to live together or not?!" she huffed.
"Of course I do!" Sirius exclaimed.
"But," she warned.
"Oh god I knew there was a 'but'. There's always a 'but'" Sirius moaned.
"But there has to be some rules, some ground rules otherwise we will end up killing each other," she talked over him.
"Such as what?"
"Rule number one, I want a second bedroom cos once in a while I'm going to need some space cos otherwise when I'm practising magic I'm gonna loose our rent deposit."
"Fine. Makes sense."
"And two, we have to have a toaster and a microwave." She said authoritatively.
"What the fuck is a microwave?" Sirius asked utterly bewildered.
"Oh believe me mate, it's awesome. You're gonna love it. So wherever we live, we're gonna have to have electrical outlets,"
"Electical what?" he asked confused mispronouncing the word.
"Trust me we're gonna need them," she said solemnly.
"Love I'm not gonna question what made you change your mind about us living together but I am gonna question your sanity. If you electrocute us or cause us to die, I'm gonna haunt the fuck out of you in the afterlife,"
Rowan tipped back her head and laughed. "That's fine. I'd owe you anyway."
"Too right you will, c'mere," Sirius ordered and she obliged. He kissed her hard and Rowan wrapped an arm around his neck, unconsciously swinging a leg over his hip.
As James both rightfully said, both had alpha male complexities so whenever they ended up snogging each other, it always inevitably ended up with both of them fighting for control, for dominance, trying to get the other to loose control first. So far they had both won and loss some battles, but Sirius had to admit, Rowan was more experienced in certain areas that he had never ventured to.
Rowan however mentally swore a blue streak when Sirius' clever mouth found that sweet spot on her neck and shivered pleasurably as she felt his teeth on her skin.
Her hand tightened in his locks and she growled. Damn Sirius for having a clever mouth and even smarter hands! She was very aware of his hands travelling all over her body, gripping her back, cupping her breasts. She felt quite smug about this. So smug that she let him roll them over so he was on top of her nestled between her legs.
His mouth grew hungrier, his kisses more demanding. More. She thought. She needed to have more.
Rowan was exceptionally pleased that he was shirtless and when he she felt his fingertips skim her skin underneath her own blouse, she reached for it impatiently and dragged it over her head.
She felt him still in his movements and looked at him with darkened eyes. "What?"
"You took your shirt off," he said dumbly.
"You're shirtless," she said plainly.
"But you've never been shirtless."
"So?"
"So?! The first time I get to see a real live girl's naked knockers, you bet your arse I'm gonna stop and look." Sirius exclaimed.
"This is your first time seeing a half naked girl?" Rowan found this hard to believe.
"Ha, ha, ha. A real one. Pictures don't count. Nor do works of art. Although I have to admit, Venus does have some great ta ta's." Sirius said thoughtfully.
Rowan started chuckling and stretched out her arms overhead, preening a bit. "Look away mate. You know, you also have the right to touch them too,"
"I know! I'm appreciating them. Let me be a bloke for a moment would you?"
"Sirius, believe me, I know you're a bloke," she muttered. It took Sirius a minute to understand what she was referring to.
Once Sirius had his fill of looking (and touching for a good measure or so), he was even more surprised that after they had exhausted themselves from blowing way past second base (which they had done frequently ever since they had gotten together, bypassing niceness and politeness right from the start) when Rowan casually stripped off the rest of her clothes and slid into bed.
"Are we in a post apocalyptic universe?" Sirius asked after brushing his teeth and standing at the bed.
"Love we're gonna be going off to the States for nearly two months, sharing beds in hostels all over the place cos we're cheap cos of principle and we're gonna be shacking up together. Plus, we have shared a bed before," she pointed out.
"Yes, but not with you naked," he pointed out. Rowan smirked at him. "Does that bother you?"
"No. I sleep in my boxers nearly 100% of the time, I'm just asking because before you made a big deal about sleeping in the same bed together, and that was clothed."
"Yes but we weren't together then, that's different," she said in a haughty voice.
Sirius let out a bark like laugh and shook his head. Nonetheless he climbed into bed and drew her close to him. She gave him a crooked smile and kissed him before turning over.
He didn't say it then, but he knew that the words were going to come out their own, very, very soon. He couldn't hold the words in him any longer. All he could do was hope he wouldn't make himself look like a complete prat and say it at a somewhat right moment.
A/N: Aaaahhh I do love bringing out the sweet dark notes in Rowan's character. Expect a lot more of those notes to appear as time goes on. I hope to update much sooner than next week. Please review! xoxoxox
