Chapter 22 Tuesday, Sept. 29 - 10:34 pm

The Quidditch match was exciting as ever. It had taken little time for Roarke to lose herself in the action of the game and the conversations of the friends she hadn't seen in such a long time. Everyone from her old team at school had been invited, and some of them even brought dates of their own. Tarquin, whose own team had been eliminated two games ago, had taken on the task of personally seeing to Roarke's own enjoyment, not allowing her to even mention work while she was at the game. With each passing minute, Roarke felt better and more light-hearted than she had in a very long time. Sirius was right; she did need to take a break every now and then.

As can happen in Quidditch, the game had lasted nearly all day. The group munched on the typical game food, but it wasn't filling. Once the match ended in a thrilling victory for the Ballycastle Bats, the group decided to grab a bite to eat at a local pub. Roarke went along for it willingly quite caught up in the energetic discussion over some of the plays of the game and the fairness of a few of the calls made by the referee. It had been too long since she had had an evening like this. She needed this. Besides, Tarquin insisted she stay out a while longer.

Time always flies by quickly when conversation is good and butterbeers come non-stop. After a while, Roarke glanced down at her watch only to find three hours had passed without her even realizing it. Suddenly, visions of all of the work she needed to do came rushing at her. She thought of the sleep she should be getting and the headache she would most likely have in the morning. Shifting in her chair, Roarke started planning out her excuse to be the first to leave the party.

"You all right?" Tarquin said quietly in her ear.

"Yes, I just realized how late it was."

He looked at his own watch with a frown. "Half past ten isn't really late."

"It is if you have to work in the morning."

"Very true," Tarquin said. Without warning he spoke up so everyone could hear him. "Hey you bums, I'm going to take Roarke home. Some people have real jobs that require early mornings," he joked. He stood and pulled out Roarke's chair, all the while saying goodnight to his friends. Knowing that she shouldn't Apparate after all the butterbeer she'd consumed, Roarke didn't argue with Tarquin about the escort home.

They left the pub after a few long good byes and Tarquin offered her his arm, which she took casually, as friends do. Having just left a noisy and crowed pub where the temperature seemed a bit too warm, Roarke welcomed the cool air of the calm autumn night. They walked for a bit before she sighed and leaned against him, tired from the long day. "Thanks for tonight, Tarquin."

"You're very welcome," he said wrapping his arm around her and holding her close.

"I needed to get out. I needed a break."

"I told you. You've been working non-stop for the last few months."

Roarke let out a small laugh. "I'm amazed some of my friends still recognize me!"

Tarquin's arm tightened around her. Quietly he said, "As if anyone could ever forget your face."

The comment made Roarke laugh. "Right," she added, looking up at him.

"I'm serious, Roarke. You're absolutely gorgeous and whoever tells you otherwise is a total moron."

Roarke rolled her eyes. "Don't say that. You'll spoil the evening."

Tarquin stopped walking. "How does telling you the truth spoil the evening?"

"Because I'm not...gorgeous. And it's weird to hear you say that."

Tarquin turned her to face him and brushed a stay hair out of her eyes, his fingers lightly dancing against her face. "Well, it's the truth from my point of view."

Something clicked in Roarke's head and she realized, for the first time that evening, that Tarquin was not just being friendly. The consumption of too many butter beers had obviously left her clueless to the whole situation. His eyes connected with hers preventing her from looking away. "Tarquin...I think..."

"Shhh," he hushed. "For one moment, just stop thinking." His face lowered and he brushed his lips over hers tenderly.

Roarke's mind froze. Her body froze. She knew she had to move before any thing else happened. Time was moving very slowly as Tarquin pressed his lips against hers more passionately. This wasn't right...or was it? Was this what she wanted?

She closed her eyes and tried to just relax into the moment, but her brain wouldn't let her. In the next instant her mind screamed out at her that Tarquin wasn't the one she wanted to be with right now. It wasn't Tarquin's face that she saw when she closed her eyes. Giving in to this was wrong and unfair, not only to Tarquin, but also to Liam.

Liam...

As if she had been hit by lightning, Roarke jumped away from Tarquin with a gasp. Her heart was racing in her chest and she knew her face was red. "I'm sorry," was all she could whisper. "I didn't...I mean..."

"It's okay. I...."

"No, really Tarquin. You don't understand."

"It was too fast."

"No, that's not it."

"It's not?"

"No."

"Then why did you jump away like that?"

"Because..." Roarke found herself on the verge of actually admitting what she promised herself she would never admit. "Because I don't feel that way about you."

Tarquin looked genuinely hurt. "Oh, I see."

"I care about you, Tarquin. I really do. But it's more of a brotherly kind of thing." That seemed to hurt him even more as he groaned and rolled his eyes. "What I mean is..."

"It's all right, Roarke. You don't have to explain. In fact, I think I would rather not hear it."

"But it isn't you. It's me."

He turned to her, puzzled. "What does that mean? It isn't me? You don't fancy me that way, so it must be me!"

"No, really. What it is...is that I...I think you're great. I think any girl would be quite lucky to have you in her life romantically."

"Just not you."

"No, not me," she said quietly. "You deserve someone who feels the same way about you that you feel about them. I can't do that."

"Can't or won't?"

"Can't," she said with a telling blush to her cheeks.

Tarquin licked his lips and thought for a moment. "That guy – the Aussie?"

Roarke nodded hesitantly.

"Does he know you feel this way?"

Not wanting to talk about it, Roarke shook her head. "It doesn't matter anyway. He's gone now."

"Seems to me like it does matter – at least to you."

Roarke met his eyes. "I...just..." Going against her instincts, Roarke allowed Tarquin to know what she was feeling. "I just can't get him out of my head. And until I can do that – until I can move on without thinking of him – then I can't start a relationship with you or anyone. So it isn't you."

Tarquin stepped closer. "I'm not sure what happened, but if he hurt you like I think he did, then he doesn't deserve these feelings from you."

"I know that. That's what makes this so hard! I want to forget him. I want to move on, but he's always there at the back of my mind."

"And having a good friend come on to you is probably the worst thing that could happen right now."

"Oh, Tarquin. Don't - "

"No, listen to me." Tarquin looked her in the eyes. "I am your friend first, last, and always. Did I hope for something a bit more? Sure. Will I survive this? Yes. What I want you to know is that I want our friendship to survive, too. I'd hate to look back on this and know that it was my stupidity that made things worse for you." Tarquin paused to let Roarke think for a moment. She gave him a small smile and sighed deeply. "So can we both just forget this happened?" Tarquin asked.

"That won't be necessary. I'm flattered that you would think of me that way."

"But," Tarquin said, drawing out the vowel sound and leaning his body against a tree,

it doesn't change the fact that you're in love with someone else."

Roarke gasped, her mouth agape. Her mind wanted to object and tell him that wasn't true, but deep in her heart she knew that it was. Accepting defeat, Roarke closed her mouth and looked down at her feet.

"You know, drowning yourself in work isn't going to help you forget him."

Roarke sighed. "Merlin, you sound like Sirius!"

Tarquin laughed. "I think that's the first time anyone has ever said I sound like a lawyer! I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted."

With a smile Roarke said, "If you're going to laugh at me then take it as an insult!"

Tarquin placed a hand over his heart dramatically. "The lady wounds me."

Dropping the smile and turning serious, Roarke looked up at him. "I didn't mean to hurt you, Tarquin. I mean that."

"I know. As nice as it would have been, I think I kind of always knew that it wouldn't work."

"And why's that?"

"Because at some point I would have to face Malcolm." That made Roarke laugh. "But I had to at least try. I hate going through life thinking 'what if', you know?"

"Yes, I know. I've been thinking that a lot lately."

"Well, it's not allowed! From now on I will make it my goal to see to it that you stop thinking that way! It makes you gloomy, and I don't like it."

"Just what do you intend to do then?"

"What else but take you to more Quidditch games!"

Roarke chuckled. "And how will that stop me from thinking about what could have been?"

"Did you think about it at all today? I mean, until just now?"

"No," Roarke said slowly.

"See? It works! And since I happen to have tickets to next weeks game, I expect you to join me."

Roarke shook her head, a smile playing at her lips. "You're mad, you know that? You're the only man I know that would ask a girl out again after just being turned down."

"I'm not asking out a girl, I'm asking out a friend who happens to be a girl." When Roarke didn't agree right away, Tarquin added. "Say yes and I promise I will behave myself next time."

Roarke pursed her lips, fighting back a smile. "All right. But I'm going to buy dinner."

"It's a deal." Tarquin offered her his arm again and they resumed their path to Roarke's flat, the light of the full moon piercing through the darkness.

Thursday, Oct. 8 - 7:45 pm

The blur all around Liam slowed as the Portkey brought him to his destination. He blinked his eyes a few times, allowing his mind to adjust to the slightly dizzy feeling that lingered, and glanced around for the familiar face of Sirius Black.

In the back of his mind, Liam was also looking for another familiar face. He hoped she wouldn't be there...but a part of him also wanted her there. When he didn't see her, he felt a mixture of regret and relief. He wasn't ready to face her just yet. He knew that in coming back to England he would eventually met up with her again. He just wasn't looking forward to that happening tonight. That's why he asked Mr. Black to please not mention his arrival to any of the Lupins, but most especially Roarke.

Liam had no intention of returning to England ever, as the country held so many miserable memories for him. When he started reading Mr. Black's letter suggesting that he leave Australia, his gut instinct was to flat out refuse. However, there were two comments in the letter that made Liam reconsider the whole situation. First of all, Black informed Liam that the Goblins were going to start a massive restructuring of Gringots bank due in part to some damage that occurred over the previous Christmas holiday. Architects were welcome to submit ideas and bid for varying aspects of the job. Liam had never worked with Goblins before, but he knew that they were just as intolerant of humans as they were werewolves or any other type of creature. He just might have some luck in getting some real work.

The second item in the letter that gave Liam pause for thought was a comment about Roarke and what she was up to. Apparently she was very busy starting law school and working as an apprentice for Mr. Black, who promised not to mention anything about Liam to Roarke. She was also spending time with her good friend Tarquin, and had even gone on a few dates, Black had told him. Clearly, Roarke had moved on with her life. Liam's plan had worked.

After a great deal of thought, Liam decided that he couldn't refuse Black's offer. He had to return to England. There was the possibility of work in England. The laws, though still not totally acceptable, were more tolerable than the laws in Australia. And now that Roarke was focused on a new life, both socially and academically, it was "safe" for Liam to return. If he happened to bump into Roarke now, it would be as casual acquaintances and nothing more. And Liam was fairly confident that he could manage not to bump into Roarke any time soon.

Liam exhaled slowly as Black approached him with a broad smile. "Liam! I'm so glad you decided to come!" Black extended a hand, but quickly realized that Liam was unable to shake hands due to the baggage he was holding. "Here, let me help."

"Thank you, Mr. Black. I really don't know how I can ever make this up to you."

"Please, it's Sirius."

"What?"

"Call me Sirius. Formality was never your style."

Liam smiled. "Yeah, but you will be my land lord."

"True, but I would still prefer if you called me Sirius."

"No problem."

The two men made their way through the small crowd to a clearing. "Do you remember where the house is?" Black asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Then I'll meet you there, right out front." With another nod, Black Disapparated leaving Liam alone.

Liam took a moment before Apparating in front of the Black's home. One of the main concerns Liam had about returning to England was finding a place to live. He didn't have much cash on hand, and any place willing to take in a poor lycanthrope was sure to be a dump. The Black's offered to let Liam use the small set of rooms once reserved for staff quarters in the basement of their home until he could find a place of his own. Wanting to make it on his own, Liam nearly turned them down, but at long last decided it was another offer he couldn't refuse. Besides, he would pay them back as much as he could, just as he planed to do for Black's services in the trial.

Once Liam arrived at the beautiful house that would be his home for the next few weeks, Black didn't waste time in showing him around. The flat had it's own entrance off a set of stairs on the side of the house. The rooms were small, but they were in better shape than the last place he lived in England. They were in better shape than the last place he lived in Australia, too. It was set up more like a studio apartment with just one main room, which was fine for Liam right now. All he really needed was a place to eat and sleep, and this would do just fine.

Black handed him a key. "If you need anything at all, feel free to come to the main house. I know you don't have any food in here, but Liz and I are usually awake around seven in the morning if you want to join us for breakfast tomorrow."

"Thanks, but with the time shift I'll probably be asleep when you wake up."

Black nodded. "True. I hadn't considered that."

"I think I'll just unpack and...try to make myself feel at home."

"Oh yes, absolutely. And I should warn you that my wife is quite pregnant and eats some rather odd foods. So, if you smell garlic bread baking at around three in the morning, you'll know why."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind."

The silence was heavy for a moment as the two men just looked at each other. The whole situation was a bit unusual, and Liam wanted nothing more than to just be alone for a while in his new environment. Black must have sensed this for he shook Liam's hand and excused himself. Then a sudden thought hit Liam.

"Mr. Black – I mean Sirius?"

"Yes?" Black said from the doorway.

"You have a few weeks to think about it, but er..." Liam had to ask the question, no matter how embarrassing it was to do. "What would you like me to do...for the full moon?" Black looked puzzled for a moment as Liam very quickly added, "I mean, I can go somewhere else if you're uncomfortable. I just need to know so I can start looking... "

"No, no," Black said with a wave of his hand. "That won't be necessary, so long as you are taking the Wolfsbane potion. I think it's safe to say that I have spent more nights with a transformed werewolf than you have. I won't be uncomfortable if you won't be uncomfortable."

"Right," Liam said looking down at the floor. "Okay then."

Black smiled. "Good night, Liam. I'm glad you decided to come back."

"Thanks."