~*Every Other Time*~

Epilogue: She Likes Me for Me

Thalia: We're... done. *faints* Snarky  and sneaky 'til the very end. Oh God I'm going to miss this fic so much.

Dove: I feel so terrible for being a bad co-author and only writing when inspiration happened to match up with free time but… well… it took over a year, but it is done, and it is a classic.  Bow down, all ye who love us.

Disclaimer: Yes, I think we should own them too.

"She likes me for me, not because I'm tough like Dirty Harry,

Make her laugh just like Jim Carey, unlike The Cable Guy,

But what she sees, is that I can't live without her,

My arms belong around her,

And I'm so glad I found her once again…"

-Blessid Union of Souls, "She Likes Me for Me"

            All was not entirely well in the Li household.  While Su had managed to play the obedient daughter over Christmas holidays and somehow make her parents stop giving her Avada Kedavra looks for not making Head Girl ("But Hermione Granger's in my year!" didn't seem to be a suitable argument, to her great distress), returning home after graduation… well.  She had not dared bring up the idea of finding her own flat somewhere in London.  While her internship in the Foreign Affairs division of the Ministry of Magic, a plum position, really, would placate them to a point, she had a feeling her father would look at her over his glasses in that way he had and enquire what a young girl could possibly know about living on her own.  The retort that came to mind, namely that he only thought her so young because he wasn't around for most of her life, didn't seem quite appropriate.  Accordingly, she answered questions about her employment vaguely, saying only that she was looking into it, and spent the first few weeks of her new freedom visiting with friends, going to Quidditch games, and enjoying the small freedom of whipping out her wand whenever she felt like it without looking around covertly for someone to chastise her.

            She saw Cassius several times, though once she had to practically sneak into his building, past his drones, past the secretary she later informed him wore her skirts too short, into his office, plop down on his desk and inform him that he had been neglecting her.  While that whole escapade had had a rather pleasing outcome, it had also netted some uncomfortable questions from her mother about the state of her hair when she returned home quite late that night.  This had also been the time Su had decided she needed a flat of her own, and began stepping softly, wondering just how to broach the subject.

            Then those thoughts were blown out of her mind by something much more urgent.  "So," her father said to her at breakfast one day, "When do we meet your young man?"

            Su was so startled she dropped her spoonful of rice porridge into her lap and stared at her mother.  "My… who?" she managed.

            "You think your mother is stupid?" her mother said acidly.  Clearly unsure of her ability to get a straight answer from her daughter herself, she had resorted to dirty tactics and told her husband.

            The look on her father's face was not one that boded well for her, so Su hid her face as she wiped at the mess on her lap with a napkin.  "He… well, he… I should bring him over," she finished weakly, wondering just what kind of hell would erupt when she brought Cassius Arrogance Warrington under her parents' scrutiny.  "Soon," she added lamely.

            "He come to dinner next Sunday," her mother said decisively.

            Su didn't have to look up to know she was defeated.

***

            "Why is your face like that?" Cassius asked her when she managed to get the fireplace private.  "You look like you've swallowed something very sour."

            "My parents want you to come to dinner Sunday," Su answered, the sour look not fading for a moment.  "Please, please try to be a little less…" she waved her hands in the air, clearly unable to come up with a proper adjective, and finally finished on a sigh.  "Oh, never mind.  One shouldn't ask for miracles."

            "Besides which, you would find me terribly boring if I did."  He reached his hand out of the fireplace and ruffled her hair, which had grown out and was now a respectable black once more, and brushing her shoulders.  "What time Sunday?" he asked jovially when she slapped his hand away.

            "You sound as if you're enjoying this," she complained.

            "Oh, I intend to."

            "I'll just bet you do," she grumbled.

***

            Sunday evening found Su Li, dressed up in a rather pretty and (in her opinion) over-feminine blue dress, pacing a bit anxiously at the door of her parents' house. Her father had, thankfully, not asked too many questions on the identity, personality or intentions of her "young man", though the look in Qian-Wei Li's eyes promised a thorough interrogation of Cassius when he arrived.

            Perhaps not quite the lesser of the two evils, after all. But there was nothing that could be done. She was hard-pressed not to pout, and he was supposed to arrive in five minutes.

            Just as she was counting to a rather nervous two hundred ninety-eight, the doorbell rang. Su would have rushed to open it had her mother, obviously expecting it, reached the doorknob before her anxious daughter. Yan-Chun Li's face was unsmiling as she pulled the door open to reveal-

            An impeccably dressed young man who was wearing a startlingly proper and non-smirking expression upon his face. Smiling at the middle-aged woman in a manner that Su deemed calculatingly charming, Cassius inclined his head and held out a hand. "Mrs. Li, I presume?" he said softly. "It is an honour to meet you at last."

            And even as he grasped Yan-Chun's hand in his right, his left held out a bouquet of fragrant white flowers. Su's unsmiling mother gave him a look of unabashed surprise.

            "You bring jasmine?" she queried, letting go of his hand to finger the delicate blooms. Suddenly, she gave a smile. "My favourite."

            "Lucky guess, then," he replied, still wearing that infuriating smile. "My name is Cassius Warrington."

            "Of Mnemosyne, biggest supplier of pensieves in Europe?" Su's father's incredulous voice joined the conversation at that point.

            "Oh, that..." Cassius had the cunning to look unduly modest. "Yes, I do work there."

            Su remained in a numb, expressionless state of horrified shock as her boyfriend, in a genteel voice and manner rivaling that of the most placid Hufflepuff, conversed with both her parents at once. Yan-Chun bustled off soon to put the jasmine in water and take the steamed dumplings off the fire, and Cassius agreeably followed Su's father to the living room, where a discussion on business, profits and the best Arithmantic spells to calculate them started almost at once.

            Surely it had to be coincidental that the great, manipulative prat could converse upon Chinese abacus spells with great ease?!

            Deciding that she would have to throttle him later, Su excused herself to go to the washroom, and though her father waved a dismissive hand at her, Cassius caught her eyes for a moment, his own glinting in amusement, as if to say that she should have expected machinations of this sort. She shot him a disdainful 'No sex for you; I mean it' look, which only brought another beatific smile.

            Dinner passed much in the same manner, with the arrogant, abominably smug git using chopsticks with ease ("I learnt how during a business trip we made to Beijing—lovely city. Far better food than anything offered here—that's a very nice-looking dish, Mrs. Li. Thank you for the offer of help in arranging for other business associates and ties with Asia, Mr. Li, I'll be sure to get back to you on that..."). Su remained fairly quiet and tried not to squirm.

            Finally, Mrs. Li set down the chopsticks and picked up the steaming pot of chrysanthemum tea with a satisfied smile. Filling the white porcelain cup in front of the guest, she beamed at the handsome young man. "You a good boy, Mr. Warrington."

            "Please, call me Cassius," he replied smoothly.

            "Such a mature, stabilizing influence on daughter," Yan-Chun mused happily, not to be deterred. Su made a spluttering sound that she barely hid with a series of uncomfortable coughs as she sat next to him, and if he felt the kick she aimed at his ankle, none of it showed upon his face as he helpfully thumped her back.

            "Su-Yu," Mrs. Li turned her attention towards her unusually silent daughter, her face stern, "why you not introduce him to us before today? Such a nice young man!"

            Su gritted her teeth under the galling smirk that the nice young man shot her. "I wasn't sure that you would like him," she said in a deadpan sort of voice.

            "I think that I shall enjoy my acquaintance with your parents, pet," Cassius interjected calmly. "They seem quite lovely."

            In a sentiment reminiscent of the beginning of their... interesting, if not perfectly beautiful friendship, she frantically wondered if she could get away with murdering him with the nearest pair of chopsticks, and finally deciding against it on the grounds that others might eat with said instruments later and be corrupted. Well, that, and the whole 'love' thing...

            Finally, as the sky grew dark, Cassius rose to leave, accepting many words of praise from Mrs. Li and an approving handshake from Mr. Li, both of whom told their daughter to see her mild-mannered young suitor to the door. Su unceremoniously grasped his hand and dragged him through the foyer.

            As soon as they were outside, her face contorted into a glare. "What was that all about, then?"

            "What, me earning the complete adoration of your family?" H had the impertinence to smirk down at her, ruffling her hair.  "It was necessary, of course. Surely I couldn't let them come to some sort of dreadful conclusion that I was an evil, depraved, perdition-bound demon with dishonourable intentions, making off with their only child?"

            "But you are," she poked him in the ribs, "an evil, depraved, perdition-bound demon with dishonourable intentions."

            "Ah," he mused thoughtfully to himself for a moment, "but see, there was a purpose to all this. Now that your parents adore me because of my natural and multitudinous charms, assets and skills, you're going to have to marry me."

            "And where's the logic behind this?" she asked, her eyes glittering up at him.

            "Naturally, when even your parents have come to the understanding that I'm the best for you... a 'mature, stabilizing influence' was it, you can't have any more complaints."

            It was a minute or two before she started laughing. "You are an awful, two-faced, egocentric git," she informed him. "Although... I suppose that is one of your more sterling qualities. I shall look forward to watching my mum fawn over you until you want to strangle her."

            He chuckled and pulled her close. "Your mum's a nice lady. And I shall look forward to more comments about my positive influence over you."

            "You utter pillock."

            "Why thank you, Li," he drawled, reaching down and cupping her face. Bending his head, he kissed her lips briefly before pulling away. "I love you too."