Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Thanks so much to my reviewers please R&R
Confessions of a Potter Princess XVI
February
"So I was thinking this lace we could cut into a flower shape and have it as a lace overlay on the skirt" I said holding up an intricate white lace and gesturing to the final sketch of the wedding dress I'm making for Delilah. The next day the two of us sit on the bed in the guest bedroom I'm using while staying with Maxim and Delilah at their new home Morningsong Manor. She had woken me early that morning and we were both in our pajamas still. It's been two months since their engagement party and with Jude's nomination and the awards show last night time had gotten away from me and the orders from my recent fall/winter show were pouring in, so I needed to get started on the dresses for the wedding party.
"That's gorgeous are they going to be on the bodice too or are we going to go with the pearls" Dee said fingering the delicate fabric
"The pearls for sure, and we can put them on this ribbon…if I can find it" I said standing up and walking over to a blue Lambertson Treux leather traveling case and looking through my different spools of ribbon.
"Hmmm, hmm, hmmm, la dee da, hmm, hmm" I sang to myself quietly while searching through the silk ribbons.
"Are you humming?" Dee said
"What?" I said whipping around to face her, I could already feel my cheeks burning up at being caught.
"You were! You were humming. Ooo why? Or should I say who?" Dee said teasingly.
"I wasn't humming." I insisted "I was simply-" I trailed off waving my hand in the air
"Mm hmm, and what may I ask has you so happy this morning"
"Nothing, I'm just so excited about your wedding" I said knowing that would get her off topic.
"Oh I know isn't it marvelous, I mean Maxim and I finally getting married and us we're finally going to be sisters. I've always wanted a sister. Can you just imagine? I'm going to be Mrs. Delilah Potter."
"Don't you mean Mrs. Delilah Marigold Potter?" I snickered using her dreaded middle name. That's what you get when Luna Lovegood Longbottom is your mother though. I loved Aunt Luna, but she's a little crazy sometimes she reminds of those muggle hippies from the sixties except you know without the drugs.
"At least I'll be a missus somebody."
"Fine truce, now what about this orchid color for the bridesmaids gowns. I know purple is your favorite color and it would look fabulous because you have orchids in all the bouquets."
"Yea okay but I think this shades a little dark how about we go a shade lighter."
I wrote a note on the sketches to remind myself to get a fabric dyed in a light orchid. There's a tap on the window and Dee gets up to let in the owl fluttering outside in the cold winter air.
"It's for you" she said handing me the letter.
C
Lunch at the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade at one.
H
That was all it said. I looked at the clock on the nightstand and I took off the big t shirt I had slept in and pulled on a pair of jeans and a Kelly green cardigan and grabbed my black and white herringbone coat out of the guest armoire. "Sorry it seems I have an impromptu lunch meeting in half an hour at the Three Broomsticks. Some couture client in desperate need of a gown." I said pulling my long red hair out of its bun so it fell on my shoulders in messy waves. I slipped on my favorite black leather boots and slicked my full pink lips with a little berry lip stain. "I promise I won't be long"
"Take all the time you need the decorator I hired is going to be here in a bit anyway." Delilah said.
I didn't know why I didn't tell her about Hart. I told her everything, she's my best friend, but I guess I still I wasn't sure about him.
I walk down the hill from Morningsong Manor into Hogsmeade. It's snowing lightly outside and the village looks absolutely beautiful. I walk into the warm welcoming restaurant and spot Hart sitting at a table in the back alone.
"So you showed. I wasn't entirely sure you would." He said sipping what looked like mulled mead.
"Yeah, I couldn't just let you get away with kissing me and have that be it" I said taking off my coat and sitting down.
"Can I get you anything Miss Potter, butterbeer, cream soda?" asked a waitress.
"Just black tea with honey please" I responded. She walked away to fill my order.
"Sort of bittersweet I see" Hart said
"Something like I that. Does this make you intoxicating?" I joked referring to his drink of choice.
"I prefer the term insatiable"
"Well aren't you self-assured"
"You know I tell myself that everyday" We both laughed at this. He had a sort of raspy laugh, deep and yet quiet. He was the perfect example of why you couldn't judge a book by its cover.
I had heard about him and his reputation before, he was a tabloid favorite. A bad boy, the kind of boy you never brought home to your mother. Known for being arrogant and a into the whole sex, drug and rock and roll thing he was probably exactly what I didn't need. But to tell the truth, I don't care. There was something about him.
"I was thinking about you this morning. I haven't been able to stop thinking about you since we met last night" he said plainly placing two cigarettes between his lips. Most guys would say something like this to be charming, but I don't think he tried to charm anyone.
He lit both the cigarettes and handed one to me. I could feel him watching me as I puffed on my cigarette and blew a stream of smoke into the air above our heads. I bit my lip and ran my free hand through my wavy red locks nervously not knowing what to say. He made the girl who had been taught to always say the right thing at the right time absolutely speechless. The waitress came back and placed my tea in front of me but I didn't touch it.
"Does your fiancé know you're here?" I asked finally as the silence was becoming unbearable.
He laughed "Is that what you're so worried about? I told her I was going out if that's what you mean."
"Oh Merlin I shouldn't be here you're practically married. You're a father. Fuck your only five years younger than my father." I blurted out suddenly. I put my cigarette back into my mouth to keep from saying something else.
"I was under the pretense that it didn't bother you"
"It's not really an issue. I just feel a little guilty. I mean whether you believe in it or not you made a promise, a commitment to a girl and she, she has a ring on her finger that says you're going to keep that promise"
"We haven't done anything to be ashamed of" he said frankly, but he crossed and then uncrossed his legs and I knew I was making him nervous as well, "I mean I would never purposely hurt Brenna. That was never my intention when we met last night. Can you help it though? You feel it too, whatever this is, this whole connection, you wouldn't be here if you didn't. You wouldn't be so upset if you didn't."
It was mostly true what he was saying. It was more me than anything. I mean as much as I was intrigued by Hart, as much I wanted to be around him, I couldn't help but be a little scared of what I was doing.
He reached across the table and grabbed my hand. I squeezed it gently without meaning too. I looked at my slender pale hand in his broad guitar calloused hand. His crisp white long sleeved collared shirt had been rolled up and I could see his bare forearm where faint track marks exposed a dark secret.
"It's been a little over ten years" he said following my gaze.
"Do you mind if ask what made you quit?"
"I was already into drugs but, this girl I was seeing, well not even that, she was more of just a groupie, but anyway this girl Penny, she got pregnant. I started using even more, just because I didn't know what else to do. She miscarried three months later. She had used a lot before the pregnancy and the drugs had messed her up. We broke up and the band started getting big, but I got worse again before I got better. I met this other girl Mandy a year later. We were serious for awhile, but I was still using. She got pregnant five months later and I knew that I had to get my act together if I was going to be a good father. I couldn't make the same mistake twice. At first it was hard, but once she had Molly, once I held her in my arms for the first time it got easier and I haven't used since." He said, an obvious glow in his eyes reflecting the love he had for his children. It was so sincere, so desperately vulnerable, so unlike the way he was supposed to be.
"Was that the one you were married to?"
"Mandy? Yeah we tried it because we figured that's what your supposed to do when you have a baby, or well before you have a baby, I just tend to do that backwards." He said smiling a little bitterly. We were quiet again for a long time, but it wasn't that strange uncomfortable quiet.
I bit my lip again without realizing it and intertwined our fingers.
"Don't do that!"
"What?" I said pulling my hand back, light it had been burned
I ran my hand through my hair and bit my lip subconsciously.
"Will you stop it!"
"Stop what?" I asked exasperated tossing my hair over right shoulder
"Stop that and that right there" he said pointing to my mouth "Just stop it"
"What are you talking about?" I asked not getting what this was all about. He was really being ridiculous.
"Come here" he said gruffly pulling me towards him in a kiss. Our lips met and I swear I felt it all the way down to my toes. I thought that I would feel immediately guilty if I kissed him again. But, now that it was happening I couldn't really think at all.
"You made me do it" he said accusingly, when we finally broke apart "You and that stupid irresistible lip thing. And your hair, don't touch your hair your driving me crazy"
"I should go" I whispered to him leaning in until our faces were mere centimeters apart
"Why?" he whispered back
"I'm scared of what might happen if I stay"
"You don't trust me"
"I don't trust me" I said softly closing the miniscule gap between us and kissing his cheek.
I stood up and slipped my coat back on.
"Tomorrow night at the café at the Crown Royal at seven" he called to my back as I started to walk away. I smiled to myself but just kept walking.
"I'm back!" I called out as I walked into the grand entrance of Morningsong Manor. Morningsong Manor is a grand chateau style house with eleven bedrooms and a separate guest house on the acres of gated property. The house is ancient and full of charm but Maxim and Delilah had only moved from their Diagon Alley flat a month ago and the place still didn't have much furniture
"Oh merlin can't you at least tie a scarf on the door handle or something!" I yelled as I walked into the vast living room where Dee and Maxim were in the process of removing each others shirts while kissing on the bare crimson carpeted floor. They immediately hastened to straighten themselves out, catching their breath smoothing out their clothing.
"Hey charlotte" Maxim said to me "Thanks for ruining my lunch hour"
I rolled my eyes. "Nice to see you too. I thought you said the decorator was going to be here?"
"Oh he is, or well was. He had to go pick up the sketches or something at his office. He accidentally brought along the plans for a different home" Delilah said fixing her hair.
"Right, well, anyway…I'll let you two finish up in here. I'm just going to go"
"Oh wait. How was your lunch meeting? Who was it with again?" Dee asked innocently enough
"Um, just a, just a couture client, she needs a gown for next weekend." I said, my face however was heating up. I also couldn't help but smile at the thought of Hart. We hadn't known each other long but I felt dizzy just thinking about him. Dee just pulled a "yeah-right" face knowing I was lying. I smiled even wider then glanced at Maxim.
"All right, all right I can see when I'm not wanted. I have a meeting with Lee Jordan in half an hour anyway. See you girls tonight" Max said grabbing his coat and heading out the door.
"Client my ass, you were with the hummer weren't you?" Dee said excitedly once Max was gone
"The hummer? Yeah I guess if that's what you want to call him" I said avoiding her gaze as I walked into the kitchen looking for something to eat with Delilah following.
"Well, hello, who is this guy?" She asked as I grab an apple out of a fruit basket lying on the counter.
"I don't know yet. I can't quite figure him out" I said truthfully smiling sheepishly to myself.
"Didn't you just eat lunch?"
"Well, no we never got around to eating…no nothing like that" I said noticing her bewildered expression "I swear on Dumbledore's grave we were just talking, with maybe a little bit of kissing"
"Are you going to tell me who he is?"
"Not yet, I'm seeing him again tomorrow night. I need to be sure about a few things first."
"Miss Delilah, I'm sorry for the delay I have the interior design sketches with me now!" called out a male voice of what I assumed to be the decorator.
"Oh shit, he's back already. I hope whoever he is works out for you." And with that she went to go pick fabric swatches for the new parlor curtains.
I sat up on the old granite kitchen countertop. The stone is cold against jean-clad legs and as I take a bite of my apple my thoughts wander of course to Hart. I wonder what he is doing right now. Is he still at the Three Broomsticks? Is he in the studio recording a new album or writing a song? Is he at home playing with his kids? Is he spending time with his fiancé? What is it that he wants from me? What am I to him?
I don't know if I trust him, I don't even know if I really like him all that much to tell the truth, but I certainly lust for him. Right now, after spending only maybe a total of four hours with him over the past two days I knew I was too far in it to not give him a chance.