A/N: Hmmmm......, can't think of a thing to say. Except,
as always,
Enjoy.
Disclaimer: What? Still!? Honestly!
CHAPTER FORTY-NINED: Three's A Charm
A.K.A. And Marrying Liquor Is Still Illegal
Katlin continued to stare at the ring in her hands. After a few moments she stepped back over to the fire.
It just seemed so utterly right to her.
Married. To an Auror. To an Unspeakable.
Nothing in her life ever felt so right.
Carefully she slipped the ring out of the box and tilted it against the light of the fire. It was absolutely beautiful. It winked happily at her, begging her to slip it on her finger.
Very carefully Katlin eased the gold band over her scarred and wrinkled skin until the ring came to rest at the base of her third finger.
Two arms encircled her without the slightest hesitation. All the love that was ever in them still held her as Orion pulled her gently against him. "It fits perfectly." he commented over her shoulder. "That's a good omen."
Katlin gave a small smile. Maybe it was.
"You charmed it." she replied skeptically but with a small, pleased smile nonetheless. "So no matter the size, it would fit."
"I did no such thing!" Orion lightly chide her suggestion, his arm pulling her a little tighter against him. "It fits because that is where it wants to be."
Katlin frowned slightly as she turned her hand this way and that as she admired the ring.
"Oh," she cooed in a slightly disappointed tone, "and I was so hoping to get to do this once more."
"This?" Orion asked in a puzzled tone.
"Fall in love with you again." Katlin explained.
Orion gave a half-hearted sigh as he pulled his wand out. "Well, I think we can accommodate such a small request."
Katlin turned in his arms and stared up at him with a cautious look as he stared down at her. Tapping his wand to the very tip of her nose, he spoke a quick spell, but putting absolutely no force behind it at all.
But Katlin, on cue, still gave him a perfectly blank stare. She then quickly looked about.
"Where am I?" She stated in a dramatic tone. "This isn't my house."
"If you don't remember, how do you know?" Orion asked with a teasing smile.
"Oh! Good point." Katlin quickly turned to him, giving him a puzzled stare. "Do I know you?"
Orion looked crushed. "Don't you remember me?"
Katlin studied him for a moment, then shook her head. "Not at all. But you look familiar." Katlin studied him again. "In fact, I would swear I was falling in love with you."
"How very coincidental." Orion told her sincerely. "For you see, you, in fact, were madly in love with me before."
"Was I?"
Orion nodded emphatically.
"Well, I was obviously also a woman of very good taste."
Orion smiled at her. "And you're luck was very good too. For you see, I just happen to have a ring with me, which, is, oddly enough, already on your finger."
Katlin's eyes lit up again as she studied the ring on her finger.
"So," she asked as Orion brought her hand up to his lips and placed a loving kiss on the ring, "do you just make a habit of asking clueless woman to marry you?"
"Only the pretty ones." he replied, kissing her hand this time.
Katlin slowly pulled free of his embrace and stepped a few feet away from him. She spoke a quick spell, and almost instantly a near blinding light enveloped her, fading as Orion turned questioningly to her.
In her place again stood the tall, statuesque beauty.
"It's not vanity." she answered his stare, returning to his welcoming arms. "It's pain. I can't stay in that form for long without suffering the pain of it."
Orion nodded his understanding. "So, what was so important about doing this again?" he ask.
"Because this is the third time." Katlin replied.
"So?"
"That's good luck!" Katlin stated happily. "You know, three's a charm."
"But this is the fourth time, Love."
Katlin shook her head slightly. "Sier doesn't count. I didn't know it was you."
"Well then." Orion replied. "Since you're so into numbers and such, since tonight is the third of the month, why don't we get married tonight?"
"Tonight!" Katlin's mouth fell open. "You can't be serious? Orion, we have to plan...."
"For what? My parents are traveling abroad. No other member of my family could be here either. Charly wouldn't come. On your side, I just don't see Voldemort shopping for wedding presents, and I would bet on Treaks waiting for the end of the week."
"But you can't arrange for a wedding in one night!"
"And I think we have very little choice, as that you are suppose to be marrying Treaks in three days."
"But he has nothing to hold me by now, Orion. I can, as you suggested, tell him to 'blow'."
"Love, he'll keep coming back. He'll find something else. Now, I want you free of him once and for all. I love you, you love me, you don't love Treaks, and we're this far. I see no good reason to stop now."
"But how can we do this now? We haven't made any arrange..........."
Orion cut her off as he pulled out his wand again and pointed it at the fire.
"Arthur Freesher."
A man's voice quickly answered the call.
"Merlin's Beard! That was quick!" A tall, thin, blond haired man stepped out of the flames and stood before them. "Bride said 'yes'?" he inquired with a disarmingly pleasant smile.
Orion immediately shifted his attention to the newcomer, altering his expression as he nodded happily.
"Poor girl." The man looked Katlin over sympathetically before turning back to Orion. "So when does the Confundus charm wear off then?"
"Hysterical." Orion replied. "Just what I wanted. A Justice of the Peace with a sense of humor."
Katlin stared up at the man. "Justice of......"
"The Peace, dear girl." The man finished for her. "We've been known to do weddings."
"What exactly were you doing?" Katlin asked Orion as she turned to him with a half-serious look. "Hiding him in a closet?"
"We're also known to accept retainers." The man informed her.
"Retainers?"
"For several months." The man shot Orion a quick look. "Merlin's Beard! It certainly took you enough time to screw up that infamous courage of yours."
Orion shrugged slightly.
But Katlin kept her stared fixed on him. "You had been planning for months to ask me to marry you?"
Orion simply shrugged again, getting a bit more uncomfortable. By his watch, they should have been married by now. "It does prove I'm not marrying you for any of the reasons you think though." he hopefully pointed out.
Katlin had to agree with that one. "And you were so sure I was going to say 'yes'," she said, "you kept a Justice of the Peace on retainer?"
"More like wishful thinking." Freesher supplied.
Katlin turned a questioning stare to him.
"He, in fact, wasn't sure you'd say 'yes' at all. And I wouldn't count it all on his getting up the courage to ask you. I mean, had to sobered up long enough to remember to ask you to marry him."
Orion sneered at the man. "You're really not helping Arthur." He stated. "And I'll have you know I haven't had a drink in months."
The man returned a very concerned look. "Months?" He asked forlornly. "This....this isn't like.,...for good, is it? Just some sort of a phase? I mean, I might have some Beefeater stock I'd like to drop."
"Hysterical." Orion replied in a deadpan voice. "Just get on with it, will you?"
The man looked Katlin over for a second, then turned suddenly back to Orion. "Waaaait a minute!" He stated. "This isn't going to turn out that as soon as you slip the ring on her finger she turns into a bottle of Tanqueray, is it? Because I've warned you about that, Black, and it's still illegal. You can not marry a bottle of booze. I don't care how much you swear you love it."
Orion turned his attention to a very puzzled looking Katlin. "Don't worry, Love." he reassured her. "It's all perfectly legal. And once the medication kicks in, he starts making perfect sense."
"Nice." Freesher replied, opening the book that appeared in his hands. "O.K., moving right along. Do you, Orion Sirius Black.........."
"Sirius?" Katlin broke in quickly.
"Here! No interruptions!" Freesher put in. "I gets nervous. Can't do it proper like then."
"Sirius!?" Katlin stated again, ignoring the man in front of her and turning to her husband-to-be.
"So my parents weren't terribly imaginative."
"And what's your brother's middle name then? Orion?"
Orion simply stood and looked at her, saying nothing.
"Wonderful."
"All set then?" Freesher asked. "Good. Moving on. Have you, Orion Sirius Black, utterly lost your mind, decided that a life of loose woman, wild, late night parties, drinking with your mates until all hours, and drunken orgies no longer suits you, mate?"
Orion gave the man a perfectly somber stare. "Absolutely."
"And you are perfectly satisfied that for the rest of your life you will be waking up to the same woman in your bed?"
"Thrilled out of my mind."
Freesher sighed to himself, then, with one last look, turned to Katlin. "All right then, you silly co........." Freesher caught Katlin's narrowing stare, "cooooooo.....nfunded, poor, misguided child," he amended quickly, putting on his most charming smile. "Do you have any idea whatsoever what you're getting yourself into?"
"Yes." Katlin answered plainly, continuing to give the man a narrowed stare.
"You're sure?"
"Positive."
"Really?"
"Really."
Freesher sighed and turned back to his book. "Right then, moving on. Where are we at? Ah, yes. Does anyone have any objections to the wedding?"
Katlin stood silently for a moment, but then slowly raised her hand.
"Uh oh." Freesher observed quickly. "This is not a good sign, Black. Your bride is objecting to the wedding." The man turned a perfectly sober stare to Orion. "Confundus must be wearing off. Care to have another go at it before we proceed?"
But Orion had turned his attention to his soon-to-be-bride. "Katlin?"
"I'm not objecting." Katlin assured him. "It's just that....Orion, have you really thought about this? I mean, what about Johnathan?"
"Johnathan?" Freesher inquired with interest at the man's name.
Katlin turned briefly to him. "The man I'm engaged to be marrying in three days."
Orion sighed quietly as he turned back to Freesher. "Give us a moment, will you?"
The man held his hands up. "I'm paid by the hour, Black. Argue all night for all I care." He added, turning to the small bar set up. "You have vodka?"
"Oh, please. Help yourself. Don't let this little personal crisis interfere with your drinking, Arthur."
The man shrugged as he poured himself a drink. "Hasn't before. Why change now?" He offered, taking a seat on one of the stool at the counter facing the two. "Now look, the way I see it, you really have only one problem here, excluding that the present groom is a drunken lush."
"You should talk!" Orion spoke up quickly. "That's not exactly a glass of water you have in your hand there, Arthur."
"Knowing you, Black, half of it is. But aside from you watering down your liquor, the problem to me seems to be you have one groom too many. Solution, get rid of one. Problem solved."
Orion turned to Katlin with a pleased smile. "Arthur is our Departmental problem solver."
Katlin stared at the man in disbelief. "People pay for your advice?"
Freesher reached into his pocket and presented Katlin with a small white card, which she took and read.
"Arthur Freesher. Marriage Counselor?" She asked. "But we're not married yet."
"So this is a freebie."
"Look, Love, the point is I beat him to the altar, all right?"
"And your 'Departmental Problem Solver' there just suggested we get rid of one groom without ever offering the helpful addition of 'how'."
"That would cost you extra, darlin'" the man replied. "But don't you worry. I know the right people. We can make him disappear, nice and clean like for ya'. I'm even willing to cut my usual rates. Sort of a wedding present."
"He's joking!" Orion answered her worried stare. "You're disturbing my bride, Arthur." he stated, turning to the man who was now pouring himself another drink.
"Too late." Freesher replied as he toasted them. "She marrying you, mate, she's already disturbed in my opinion."
Orion sighed as he took hold of Katlin's hands, turning her to him. "Love, listen to me. In just a few more minutes we won't have to worry about Johnathan anymore. You'll be married. Now, you were the person to come up with this scheme in the first place, so it must have been a good one. Because you, Love," he added, kissing her on the forehead, "only have wonderful ideas."
"Here!" Freesher stated. "No kissing the bride 'til the 'I do's' is done."
Orion all but ignored the man as he stared down at his bride. "All right?" he ask.
Katlin paused for a moment, then nodded finally with a small smile.
"All right then," Freesher stated, positioning himself back in front of the couple, "if there are no further objections, problems, or general issues needing resolving, it is my duty, my pleasure, and my right to pronounce that........."
Abruptly Freesher's next words were cut short by an alarm sounding. The man appeared to give it absolutely no notice whatsoever as he slammed his book shut in front of them.
"......I hope you both have a wonderful day. Black, you ready?"
"Noooo!" Orion screamed at the air as the alarm sounded. But he quickly grabbed the man's arm, looking for all the world like he was about to have some sort of breakdown.
"No....., Freesher," Orion plead, "mate, come on. One more line. Be a good lad. One line."
"Sorry." he stated, tucking the book in his jacket pocket. "Alert and all. Lets go."
Freesher turned back to his fellow agent to find himself staring down the business end of the man's wand.
"One line." Orion repeated in a low dangerous voice. "Be a good mate and say it."
Freesher considered his options for a minute before turning back to the couple before him as he yanked the small book out of his jacket pocket and rapidly flipped it open. "Fine!" he stated resolutely. "Right-o. I now pronounce you man and wife, kiss the little darlin' and let's get going."
Katlin turned quickly to her new husband with a confused look and was met by a quick peck on the lips.
"Orion?" she ask past a questioning look as he pulled back.
Orion sighed as he scowled at the alarm. "It's a Departmental call, Love. No refusing it. No waiting. No questions. It sounds, you come."
"Only reason they would be ringing that bell there, Darlin', is an emergency. So, come on, Black. We gots to emergency our arses to the office."
"Wait a minute? Why is he going?" Katlin asked, pointing at Freesher.
"I'm Departmental Chaplin, Darlin'." Freesher quickly answered her.
Katlin grabbed his arm. "But, Orion........."
Before Orion could respond to her plea, Freesher's hand suddenly shot out, catching hold of her wrist. "Here! Wait a minute!"
Orion didn't even realize what had attracted the man's attention until, with his hand wrapped in a tight grip about Katlin's wrist, he forced her arm over.
Showing clearly at the base of her arm was the telltale signs of Voldemort's mark.
Freesher grabbed the sleeve her shirt and pushed it up her arm, uncovering the rest of the mark. The man instantly turned a dumbfounded look to his friend.
"Mate, what's going on here?" he ask in barely a whisper.
Orion already had his wand out, pointed at the man. "Nothing you're going to remember." he replied.
A few minutes later Orion was setting the stage for their departure, picking up as though they had only just heard the alarm. Orion had explained to Katlin that this way was for the best all around. They were married, but they were also the only ones who would know. Which Katlin had reluctantly agreed was for the best.
Katlin watched through sad eyes as Orion roused his friend. Hardly an expression one expected on a woman who had just been married.
Freesher reacted to the sound of the alarm as though nothing at all had occurred but that.
"Time to go, mate." he stated.
"Katlin, I'm sorry." Orion apologized again to her cheerless expression. "I have to go. This has to be very serious. I'm sorry."
Freesher was standing near the bar, pouring himself another drink. "Black!"
Orion gave her a pleading look for understanding, then joined Freesher.
"Lovely." he stated. "We're headed into who knows what and you're drinking?"
"Look, what we're headed into is Bale running rampant through the department, ringing that bell. I need a good stiffener, I do."
Orion turned to Katlin one last time. "Love, I'll be back soon. I promise. Stay here. Whatever's going on, you'll be safe here."
Katlin stood watching the two men disapparate. The last thing she saw was her new husband lay a hand over his heart as he disappeared. She smiled slightly at the gesture, knowing that just under his hand, under the material of his own shirt, a gold ring hung from a chain around his neck. She had given it to him just before he woke Freesher up from the spell. The soul of forethought, Orion had had the rings already purchased, and, having had the foresight as well that they couldn't wear the wedding bands openly, had bought identical gold chains for both of them.
Katlin answered his gesture with one of her own as she laid her hand over her own wedding band, suspended from the same chain as her diamond pendent. She had not wanted to wear the band separate from her pendent. And so she had slipped it onto the small silver chain, where it now lay snuggly against her heart.
But as soon as they disappeared Katlin quickly grabbed her cloak and headed for the door. Whatever was going on, she bet it had something to do with the Deatheaters. And in that case, she needed to be at the lair.
Q&A
ENEMIES
Silverfox:
Seems to me someone's been first an awful lot lately.
Anyway, of course they posted the downtime notice late. They were down.(HA!)
I think they go by California time, which is unlike anyone else's time.
O.K.. Treaks. Good. Just wanted to make sure.
Who else is deserving? And still alive? I'm not sure, Dear. I'll have to take a poll on that one someday. I mean, there's always Voldemort. He's a Deatheater....and still alive.
Please, Dear, let's not have another philosophical discussion. I've managed t narrow it down to an entity with a personality. We're just going to have to work with that one.
Yup. Truly the sign of a good spamblocker when it deletes itself as spam.
I don't know that Bo's connection with Dementors is so much telepathic as just plain magical. I mean, are boggarts telepathic? We were never told specifically how they manage to know what you are most afraid of.
I don't know how, or if, an animal would effect a boggart. But my guess would be not at all. Animals understand fear, but it is more of a 'fight or flight' thing for them. I don't know that showing them a scary movie would bother them much. Also, I think boggarts are limited to effecting things of a slightly higher level intelligence. Hence, they seek out humans. Plus we're just so much fun to scare. And so dang easy.
Bo taking a tour of Azkaban? Not in the near future, Dear. As I said, Bo des not like Dementors. Going to a place that is literally crawling with them would be counterproductive to his avoiding them.
Skahducky:
If I have accomplished nothing else with this story, I learned to spell your name.
Orion has told Katlin everything she wanted to know? Hardly, Dear. He's told her everything she could remember r make reasonable associations about. Past that, he just hit the highlights. However, there's a matter of a certain lair that is no longer standing. And he has not seen fit to mention that yet.
Katlin has no intention of showing her 'real' face to any more people than she absolutely has too. So far, only two people have ever seen it. (Three, if you count Katlin herself.) The other two are Orion and Voldemort. So 'no', she is not planning to show her 'real' face to Treaks.
Family Relations is trying REAL hard to get posted early in 2005. But tomorrow I am meeting with my neurologist and we are discussing the possibility of my having to have surgery on both hands. This would be a problem with my posting anything any time soon, as that recovery is 12 weeks. Bummer. But keep in mind, that while it may not be being posted, it is being worked on. And the longer I take, the better (and longer) the story is. Currently I am revising it and making some adjustments to the story line. My guess is the story will run slightly longer than Family Life. I only hope it lives up to everyone's expectations. But that is currently my most read story, clocking in at over 121,000 hits. (Shameless plug.)
Thank you for being understanding about the delay, Dear.
Nessie:
Dear, I got tired just reading that!
I have heard Spyware is a bad thing.
Do not let parents play with your computer, Dear. This is also a bad thing. Worse than Spyware.
HEY NOW! I worked for Dell!!!!!! PAR is an official DCSE. (Dell Certified Service Engineer) So there!
Let me tell you about internet withdraw, Dear. I can not tell you how many time during our little weather power outages, tired of trying to read by the light of my small flashlight, I would get up, having decided to instead kill time by playing with the computer, only to be confronted with that horrible, shocking fact of life. (Computers do not run without electricity.)
In fact, during the first hurricane, I was confronted by three nasty facts of the relation between electricity and my current lifestyle.
1. If you do not have A/C, you do not have fans. (Funny how that works.)
2. Even if you have running water, the washing machine does not work without electricity.
3. I learned the nasty correlation between electricity and hot water in the shower.
Sits staring at the computer screen.
You have WHAT, Dear?
You didn't think about the scarring thing? Good heavens, woman! Have you not been following that lovely discussion I have been having for like the past ten chapters with Silverfox? That one's been unrelenting trying to figure Katlin's secret out. (And doing a good job of it, too.)
The chapter that was in was, I believe, What's In Your Cellar.
Orion is madly, hopelessly, head-over-heels, foolishly, stupidly, happily, truly in love. And no, it does not matter one bit to him what Katlin looks like.
'Lost'. Isn't that about the plane crash? I'm sorry, Dear. PAR needs shows that wrap up in an hour, not a season. Same reason I could never get into '24'. I am just too busy to have to schedule my life around making sure I'm home one specific night to watch a show. Same reason I gave up soap operas.
Besides, I've heard about the theories abut the show, ranging from they are dead and in purgatory t that they are part of some government experiment. Also, when you are writing a TV script, which is my current 'Wow, I'm being paid for this' project, I find watching TV distracting, although somewhat encouraging. I mean, have you seen the cp they have on!
Hobbits?! Where were you during that movie, Dear?! The dude playing the king was very nice eye candy. I don't remember much else.
Sorry for the regular updates, Dear. I am trying very hard to keep a schedule going here.
FAMILY LIFE
Potions and Snitches:
I am glad you like the story, Dear. And I have no problem with it being posted on other sites, as long as due credit is given.
Dedicated to the mentoring relationship between Harry and Snape? Well, there's a refreshing change. Most of these sites are dedicated to something a little less savory between Harry and his potions teacher.
Oh, well.
Very nice of you to include me, Dear.
Reviews are as of 11/14/2004.
And remember;
What's another word for Thesaurus?