AN: This is the "edited for content" version of the chapter. For the full version, visit the Mirrored Yahoo Group. Thanks!

Chapter 30

Sunday, Dec. 6 - 7:02 pm

"This is a bad idea."

"Can you at least try to be optimistic?"

"Optimistic? I'm being realistic, Rory. Tell me, have you ever known your father and me to be in the same room together for more than five minutes without arguing with each other?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Easter."

Liam stopped walking for a moment before adding, "Yeah, but that was before he knew that I wanted to...-" Not wanting to say too much, Liam didn't finish the sentence.

"Wanted to what?"

Damn! He hadn't wanted to mention the idea of getting married just yet and here he had nearly blown it. Thinking fast on his feet, Liam said, "Be with you."

Roarke smiled. "True, but I doubt my parents would have invited us over for Sunday dinner if they just wanted to yell at us."

The couple came to a stop at the Lupin's front door. "Yeah I guess you're right. They wouldn't want to cause a scene in front of your brother and sister."

Roarke knocked on the door, puzzlement on her face. "Malcolm and Annie won't be here."

"What?"

"Annie is still at school. The term isn't over for another week. And Malcolm told me yesterday that he and Em are having dinner with her parents."

"So it's just you and me?" Liam said incredulously. "Oh God, this really is a bad idea."

"Shhhh," Roarke hushed as the lock on the door clicked, signaling to them that someone was about to open it.

Indeed, it did open. Liam had been desperately hoping that Roarke's mother would greet them at the door, but alas, it was just her father. "Roarke, Liam, come on in before you freeze to death." Liam found his tone to be suspiciously cheerful.

Liam glanced at Roarke, still tentative to the whole situation, and followed her inside the house. Mr. Lupin closed the door behind them, helped them with their coats, and lead them into the living room where they all sat down stiffly, unaware of what to do next. The silence was thick and heavy, and only confirmed to Liam that this was going to be an unpleasant experience. Luckily, Roarke's mother entered the room with a smile and ushered everyone into the kitchen to help.

"Mum's motto - no one eats for free," Roarke whispered to Liam as they carried food into the dinning room while her parents remained in the kitchen. "But she's never asked a guest to help."

"What do you mean?"

"Just that I find it unusual that mum would ask you to help her in the kitchen," she explained, setting down her basket of bread.

Before Liam could comment, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin joined them with the final touches and signaled for everyone to sit down. Since there were only four at the table, Liam found himself sitting across from Roarke rather than next to her, which he would have preferred. It would have put a greater distance between him and her father, but as it was, Mr. Lupin was directly to his left.

Helping himself to a spoonful of potatoes, Mr. Lupin smiled and started right in on making conversation. "So, Liam," he said searching for a simple topic of conversation. "How is Gringotts coming along?"

"As well as can be expected," he answered, nervously awaiting the slight that was sure to come next.

"Are the Goblins giving you headaches?" Mr. Lupin asked with a chuckle.

"Yes. They change their minds every day as to what they want. I don't expect to be done any time soon." Liam tried to keep the confusion he was feeling from showing on his face.

"That not a surprise. In the mean time, we all just have to manage our banking around the mess." Mr. Lupin smiled brightly at Liam.

Not sure what was going on, Liam shot a puzzled look at Roarke, who looked back at him with just as much uncertainty. The conversation lapsed into silence that made Liam quite uncomfortable.

Passing the next serving bowl of food to Liam, Mr. Lupin looked as if he were thinking hard. He was evidently searching for another safe topic, and made it clear that he had thought of one by asking, "What will you do once you finish with the Gringotts project, Liam?"

Ah ha! So THAT'S it. He wants to know how I plan to support Roarke. I see....

Liam dished out some vegetables. "One of the contractors has become quite a good friend. He's pointed me in the direction of a few more opportunities. Nothing as big as Gringotts, of course, but enough to pay the bills." Liam made a point to emphasize the last bit.

"I wish you well with it." The older wizard said. Mrs. Lupin exchanged a strange look with her husband. Liam got the distinct impression that she was encouraging him to say something else, but he couldn't determine what

Liam noticed that Mrs. Lupin shook her head at her husband before saying, "From what we can see from your work at the bank thus far, you are certainly talented, Liam."

Again, Liam looked to Roarke questioningly. She shrugged her shoulders and began buttering her bread.

"Do you suppose you will ever work on houses?" Mrs. Lupin asked.

"It's possible, but there are more Galleons in commercial contracts."

"I suppose you will design your own home, however." The comment came from Mr. Lupin, which shocked Liam, especially considering the way his eyes darted between Liam and Roarke.

Is he suggesting what I think he is suggesting?

"Probably, yes," Liam confirmed, approaching his next comment tentatively. "When the time comes for my own home, I would like to design it." He again looked at Roarke, but this time for support.

Boldly, Roarke said, "Just be sure to run the design by me first."

Liam nearly dropped his fork. He glanced over at Mr. Lupin, expecting a rude retort, but none came. The older man cleared his throat, and rubbed the back of his neck in obvious discomfort.

The meal continued in much the same way with the Lupins asking questions and Liam answering them. Liam felt as if he were being interrogated to some degree. As if he had to prove to them that he was an acceptable choice for Roarke. It was all very polite and respectful, however, which only made Liam more nervous. Certainly, something was bound to be said that would upset Mr. Lupin. No one is that capable at feigning pleasantness.

The tension grew considerably when Mr. Lupin asked, "Do you ever intend to return to Australia?"

Again Liam looked to Roarke for a queue on how he should proceed. She only looked back at him with as much interest as her parents did. "I suppose it's possible, but - " He stopped talking at the sight of Mr. Lupin giving his wife an I-told-you-so look of disappointment. "Why do you want to know?" Liam asked coldly.

Mr. Lupin looked rather stunned. "I'm just making conversation, Liam."

Liam laughed. "If you think I'm falling for that, then you must really take me for an idiot." Roarke glared at him. "I'm sorry, Roarke, but this is insane." He turned his focus directly on Mr. Lupin. "I want to know what's going on here. I can't take this interrogation anymore."

"It's not an interrogation. It's an attempt at getting to know you better."

"Why?" Liam asked without hesitation.

Mr. Lupin frowned. "Because, Liam, it's necessary if you intend to be a part of my daughter's life."

Liam nearly fell off his seat. "What?"

Mr. Lupin's eyes darted to his wife's face and back to Liam.

"Roarke, love," Mrs. Lupin said standing, "why don't you and I go dish up the dessert."

Liam looked over at her and tried to communicate with her to stay. He really didn't want to be left alone with her father, but Mrs. Lupin was determined to convince her otherwise. She took roakre's hand and gave a small tug. With a short head nod, Roarke followed her mother into the kitchen, leaving Liam handle the unavoidable conversation on his own.

Mr. Lupin took a deep breath. "Why don't you come into the study with me. I'd like to show you something."

Liam repressed a groan and pushed his chair back from the table to follow Mr. Lupin into the study. He knew that Mr. Lupin used this room primarily as an office, but the leather sofa and chair made it seem more like a comfy gathering room for the family. Mr. Lupin went to the bookshelf behind his desk and picked up one of the many framed photos.

"Did Roarke ever tell you that her maternal grandparents are Squibs?"

Liam raised his eyebrows in surprise. "No, she didn't."

"My wife's family moved to America when she was just a little girl, cutting off all contact with the magical world. Her parents live as Muggles – as if Magic had never touched their lives. It's made things a bit complicated for us over the years. It's only natural that they have taken an interest in their grandchildren, but they don't often come to visit."

"Roarke told me she's never been out of the country," Liam said, thinking somewhat out loud.

"She hasn't. We can't go to California because there would be no way for Katie to brew my potion, and she refused to go without me. So her family has been here a total of two times. The first time we did everything we could to make them comfortable. We agreed as a family that we would do nearly everything without the aid of Magic."

Liam had no idea why Mr. Lupin was telling him all of this. It seemed rather pointless as it had little to do with the fact that he wanted to marry Roarke. It didn't matter to Liam that she was related to Squibs.

"I can see you're wondering where I am going with this," Mr. Lupin said intuitively.

Liam nodded.

Mr. Lupin held out the photo for Liam to see. It was of Roarke when she was about eleven or twelve. She was lying on the couch with her leg wrapped in some sort of splint, her face smiling rather wearily. "What happened?"

"Katie's parents insisted on letting us go away for the weekend alone. They assured us that they could care for the children. So, we left, making sure that the children were aware of the rules. Roarke, however, disobeyed us and went flying. Roarke and her broomstick were nearly inseparable, and living on the ground for more than a week was more than she was willing to do. Naturally, she chose that weekend of non-magic to fall off her broom and break her leg."

Liam looked at him aghast. "And they didn't fix it?"

"Oh, Katie healed her when we got home, but that wasn't until the weekend was over.. She ended up spending three whole days without the use of her leg. You would have thought we had tortured her."

Confused, Liam asked, "Why are you telling me this?"

Mr. Lupin sat the photo back on the bookshelf. "Because, Liam, I wanted you to see that accidents will and do happen. You can never be too careful. It's rather impossible for you to promise that you will never hurt my daughter. All I can hope for is that you do your best to make her happy."

Liam licked his lips, anxious to know if he had actually heard Mr. Lupin correctly. "Do you mean...are you..."

"I've had a lot of time to think over what you said to me the other night."

"Oh," Liam said, worry setting in. "I suppose you're angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you, Liam," Mr. Lupin said shaking his head and looking much more serious than he had all evening. "I was, certainly, but after a great deal of thought I came to conclusion that Roarke deserves to be happy, and you seem to be the thing that brings her the most happiness. I just want you to promise that you will do everything in your power to maintain that happiness."

"Absolutely," Liam confirmed.

"And I have one request."

Afraid of what that might be, but knowing he should at least hear what the older man had to say, Liam nodded. "All right."

"Wait."

That wasn't what Liam had been expecting. "Excuse me?"

"Wait a while before getting married. She's only nineteen. Her birthday's in June and I ask that you wait until after her birthday."

Doing the maths in his head, Liam said, "Seven months. I...well...we..." He didn't think he had the will power to last that long, but explaining that to Mr. Lupin was going to be rather difficult.

"Married, Liam. I'm only asking you to wait to be married."

The way he emphasized the last word caught Liam's attention. "You mean wait for the rings and flowers and dresses and all that."

Mr. Lupin nodded.

There was a very long and heavy silence broken only by the voice of Mrs. Lupin announcing that they should move into the living room where the cake and tea waited. "The fire is lit and we all will be much more comfortable," she said once she appeared in the doorway.

Mr. Lupin stood and wrapped his arm around his wife's waist before walking with her into the other room. Liam thought it was all too casual and didn't quite know what to make of the whole situation. Surely it wasn't going to be this easy.

Roarke hurried over to Liam, a hopeful expression on her face. "What did he say?"

"I'll tell you later," he whispered.

"Well, at least tell me if it went well."

Liam took her hand. "Yes, to a degree."

Roarke fought to repress a squeal of delight.

"But I don't want to jinx it by talking about it right now."

"Okay, okay," she said, trying to contain her giddiness.

"Just calm down." he said with a chuckle.

"I can't. I'm on cloud nine." Without warning, she pulled his face down to hers and kissed him. Liam didn't resist, wrapping his arms around her and fitting his body against hers.

"Roarke? Liam?" Mr. Lupin called from the other room.

Liam jumped away from Roarke as if he had been splinched.

"Your tea is getting cold," Mrs. Lupin warned.

"We'll be right there," Roarke called out, laughing at Liam's horrified expression.

He shook his head at her. "Come on." Taking her hand, he let her lead him into the living room where her parents waited for them.

Dessert was one of Mr. Lupin's favourites, or so Mrs. Lupin said; chocolate cake with raspberry filling. It was delicious, and Liam told Mrs. Lupin so. "Much better than Roarke's," he added with a playful nudge at Roarke's side.

"Hey!" she said, looking at him in mock anger. "You asked for some horrid Aussie concoction that I had never heard of! And besides, if it was so bad, why did you eat nearly half of it?"

"Because the only other option you gave me was soup."

"I've tried to teach Roarke how to cook, but she's always been more interested in flying and Quidditch, and getting dirty," explained Mrs. Lupin. "Believe it or not, but Malcolm is the best cook of all the children."

Mr. and Mrs. Lupin were more than happy to share more comical stories about Roarke's childhood, many of which elicited gasps and exasperated phrases like, "Daddy, no!" But it was the story of her first crush that made her blush and beg her parents to stop the torture.

"All right, all right," her father said giving in. "We'll stop, but you're depriving us of our fun and ending Liam's much needed education."

Liam turned his head in surprise.

"You see, Liam, Roarke takes after her mother in the fact that she is an alpha." He pointed his finger at Liam. "Keep that in mind from now on."

"You sound as if it's a bad thing," Mrs. Lupin said with a playful smile. "I've never once heard you complain. In fact, if I wasn't so demanding you and I would never have married."

"True," Mr. Lupin admitted. "I just wanted Liam to make sure he understood who would wear the pants in his family."

"Yes," Mrs. Lupin agreed, turning her focus to Liam. "But that doesn't bother Remus as he prefers to wear robes."

Roarke made a short giggle sound before covering her mouth with her hand.

Liam was befuddled. "Excuse me? Are you saying I'll have to...wear robes...if I...marry Roarke?"

Mr. Lupin shot a piercing stare at Liam, clearly taken aback by the mention of Marriage. He wet his lips, glanced from Liam to Roarke in wonder, and sighed. He settled his gaze on his daughter. "A bit dense, that one," he said forcing a joke and indicating Liam with a jerk of his head. "Are you sure you want to marry him?"

Roarke beamed at Liam. "Absolutely."

This is it. The insults are about to fly.

"Well then, Firecracker, my only advice would be to never make any lycanthropic jokes around him as he apparently doesn't comprehend werewolf humour."

Liam was stunned. He starred at Mr. Lupin in total disbelief. "I'm sorry...what?"

"Jokes, Liam. You know. Anecdotal stories intended to cause the listener to laugh."

Again Roarke sniggered.

Mr. Lupin continued. "I was joking with you about Roarke being an alpha...which you didn't quite seem to..."

"No, I got that now. Alpha wolf. I just..." Liam paused. He considered directly addressing the issue by flat out asking, It is all right, then, that Roarke and I want to be married? But he decided he should just let the conversation go. After all, Mr. Lupin had asked them to wait to be married...so that must mean he approves. Better to let a sleeping dog lie than to press the issues.

They finished their dessert and an uncomfortable silence fell over them. Feeling uneasy, Liam hoped that Roarke would find an excuse for them to leave. It worried him that the longer they stayed, the more likely it would be that an argument would happen. As the evening had gone so very well this far, Liam didn't want to risk ruining it by over staying his welcome.

Roarke came through brilliantly by announcing that she had work in the morning. "Sirius gets on my case if I'm late."

"Yeah, I have to be at the bank early, too." Liam stood up and offered his hand to Mrs. Lupin. "Thank you for dinner. It was wonderful."

"Yes, thanks mum."

"My pleasure."

Trying not to look anxious, Liam then offered his hand to Mr. Lupin. "Thank you for inviting us over, Mr. Lupin."

"Remus," the older wizard said.

"What?" Liam said, pausing mid handshake.

"Call me Remus. Mr. Lupin is a bit too formal, don't you think?"

Liam was speechless.

"I agree," said Mrs. Lupin. "You should call us Katie and Remus, but only if you're comfortable with that."

Liam wasn't totally comfortable with it, but he didn't dare say that. The offer was unexpected and totally surprising. From the look on Roarke's face, she didn't believe it either.

"All right," Liam stammered. He was still shaking Mr. Lupin's hand. "Thank you...Remus." He wet his lips in nervousness. "And thank you, again...Katie."

The Lupins followed them to the door where they said good night. Liam helped Roarke into her coat before slipping into his own. With the air of normalcy, Roarke and Liam bid good night to her parents as if nothing monumental had taken place.

"Did that just happen?"Roarke asked, stepping out into the cold night with Liam directly behind her.

"Yes it did,"he answered, restraining himself from grabbing hold of her and kissing her right then and there. The Lupins might still be watching them.

"So then...."She looked at him with the most flabbergasted expression. "Everything's...fine?"

He was itching to touch her. "More than fine," he said. Keeping himself in check, he calmly took her hand in his and gently began pulling her to him.

"So what do we do now? We've been worried about this for so long. It seems unreal that it's all over."

"I have a suggestion,"he said once her body was against his own. He glanced back at the house to confirm that no one was watching. Lowering his lips to meet hers, he kissed her slowly and meaningfully.

"Your place or mine," she said against his mouth.

He couldn't hold back the moan that rose in his throat. "Mine," he said, not knowing if he was simply answering her questions or expressing his possessiveness. His mouth met hers fiercely as the mood shifted rapidly from gentle and soothing to desperately sexual.

Roarke pressed her body against his suggestively. Liam could hardly restrain himself. He had to touch her. He had to kiss her. And yet he knew they needed to separate their bodies soon or he wouldn't be able to concentrate well enough to Disapparate. "Go," he commanded, stepping away from her. "My place."

"Right behind you," she said with one last kiss.

A moment latter, Liam was where he wanted to be, in the bedroom of his flat. He tossed off his coat and looked for Roarke. However, he found himself alone. Roarke was no where to be found. He sat down on the bed, tense and confused as the minutes passed. She said she would be right behind him. Maybe she's just not ready. He collapsed back against the bed with a groan of frustration.

I went too fast.

But the sound of footsteps in the living room jerked his senses. "Rory?" he called out, standing up.

"Sorry," she said with a smile from the bedroom doorway. She had obviously left her coat in the other room. "I popped home for a moment to get something." She blushed slightly as she held up a delicate little nighty for him to see.

Liam sighed in relief. "For a moment there I thought you changed your mind."

She smiled brightly, "Not on your life!"

Not waiting another moment, he wrapped one arm around her waist, burying his free hand in her hair. His fingers went to the nape of her neck as he impulsively pulled her against him in a feverish kiss. She responded by kissing him back with equal passion. "Bed," he mumbled through the kisses. He felt Roarke nod in agreement.

Unwilling to pull his lips from hers, he managed to steer her to the edge of the bed by directing her as one would lead a dance partner. Once there, he guided her to sit down on the mattress. Rolling his forehead against hers, he panted out his next comment. "You realize that you won't need the night gown, right?"

"I could quickly hop into the loo and put it on," she offered.

"And deprive me of the chance to undress you myself? Not on your life." Gently, he lowered her down and knelt above her, his hands gliding up and down her arms. "We've waited too long for you to waste precious time in the bathroom."

"But I wanted to look special," she explained.

"You do," he said as his mouth, firm and confident, covered hers.

He ached to know every part of her body. Boldly, his hands traveled up and down the length of her, familiarizing himself with all the curves her clothing covered. This will not do! "Off," he said, working the buttons on her blouse until it fell open. "Gorgeous," he whispered, pulling the unwanted item down her arms before tossing it on the floor.

He resumed his task of covering her body with hot kisses and letting his hands roam over her, hardly noticing where Roarke's own hands were. It took a gentle squeeze on his rear before he stopped and looked down at her again. "Yes?"

"Lean up a little."

He did as he was told, allowing Roarke to grab the bottom of his jumper and pull it over his head. Liam jerked his arms free and the garment went flying to the other side of the room. The sound of Roarke's joyous laughter thrilled him, and he kissed her to make sure she knew just how thrilled he was.

He reveled in the feel of her skin under His. She was so warm and soft and her body heat penetrated every inch of his chest. With his hands on her hips, he met her eyes with a dangerous grin. Her face was flushed, her lips red and swollen from his kisses. She smiled seductively up at him through her lashes.

His mouth found her throat and he kissed her fervently. She arched against him. His name fell from her lips over and over. Liam was lost in the feel of her writhing body. He had to have her. There was no question about it. And he wanted her now.

"I want you," he said breathlessly against her cheek. "Forever." He pulled back just enough to look directly into her eyes. "You understand?"

"Oh, Will," she sighed, taking his face in her hands and kissing him deeply.

Anxious to remove the remaining barriers, Liam rocked back just enough to reach the waistband of his pants. Stopping the action, Roarke sat up and grabbed his hand. "Wait."

"What?" Liam said with a touch of frustrated anger.

"Let me, please."

"Why," he panted out, knowing that things would go a lot faster if she would just let him do it.

"Because..." she said, eyes lowering in shyness. "I've never...done this before."

For the life of him, Liam couldn't figure out why that should matter to him. All he cared about right now what resuming his course of action. His mind could focus on little else.

Roarke bit at her lip and muttered another, "I know it sounds silly, but I just...don't want things."

Having had a few seconds to allow the blood to return to his head, Liam started to understand what she was trying to say. He swallowed, suddenly feeling dreadfully stupid. He was going to fast. In fact, he realized he hadn't been that attentive to her so far concentrating more on his own pleasure. He didn't want to be a man that was all take and no give. Roarke deserved better.

"I'll do whatever you want."

And he did. He allowed her to take her own time, no matter how difficult it was for him – no matter how tempted her was to ravish her. It was a slow and somewhat awkward journey of discovery for the both of them. Once there was nothing more to separate them, Roarke blushed deeply under Liam's gaze.

"I didn't think I'd feel this way?"

Liam waited, not wanting to talk right now but willing to let her have her say.

"I feel so...well...nervous. Which makes me feel so silly because I shouldn't be. I want this. I really do, but it's so different and new and...oh Merlin. Listen to me. You probably think I'm being incredibly virginal and naïve not to mention analytical and clinical." It all came out rapidly in one breath.

What Liam really wanted to say was that her hot and cold nature sure did have bad timing. Instead, he said what he believed was the correct thing to say. "I don't think that at all.

"You don't?"

"No. It's natural to be nervous. If you makes you feel any better, I'm nervous, too."

Stunned, Roarke stretched out beside him. "You are?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well, you've done this before."

"Yeah, but..." he placed a hand on her hip and squeezed. "I've never been with you. And I've certainly never loved anyone like this before."

There was a long silence as they just looked into each other's eyes. Liam could feel his heart race increase as she began leaning into him until their lips met. He kissed her passionately, absorbing the taste of her. His senses heightened, taking in her scent and the soft thump of her heart. He rolled over her, entwining his legs with hers. Her lips met his as an indescribable hunger sliced through him. Their bodies mingled, their souls met, and soon, the two became one.

Once the passion had consumed them both, it took a long while for Liam to focus clearly enough to speak or to even find the will to move. The emotions he felt were jumbled and confusing. His body was totally alive, and yet he had never felt so relaxed. The love making had left him weakened in energy even though he had never before felt so strong. The only thing that was clear to him was how connected he was to Roarke, both physically and mentally. It was as if her soul had linked to his and he could hardly tell where his spirit stopped and hers started.

It was nothing short of amazing.

Roarke sighed beneath him, her finger tips lightly grazing over his arms. "Oh, my God," she panted out softly.

Finding his voice, Liam shifted slightly against her and asked, "Are you..." he swallowed and tried to steady his breathing. "Okay?"

"Okay?" Roarke whimpered.

"I'm sorry," he said breathlessly. "I didn't mean..." he panted out, "to hurt you."

Roarke's breathing was shallow as she said, "You didn't."

Forcing his own breathing to grow steady, Liam leaned up a little to look at her flushed face. Her neck was red where his mouth had been – where his teeth had been. "I bit you," he said, unaware that he had done so.

"Yeah," Roarke said, her eyes dropping closed.

Liam buried his face in her hair. "Oh, God, are you sure you're okay?"

"No," she breathed. "I can't...describe it. But this is definitely not 'okay'."

Liam pushed himself up again, worried. "I'm so sorry. I tried - "

"Will," she stopped him. "I feel...fantastic – on fire – every inch of my body tingles." She smiled brightly. "I am so much more than simply okay."

Liam was lost in her eyes. For the first time he understood that saying about the eyes being the window to the soul. He could truly see her. More than that, he could feel her. Pressing his forehead against hers, he breathed in her scent. "I love you."

"And I love you."

Their lips met in a gentle, but passionate kiss.

"I'm sorry it went so fast," Liam said against her mouth.

"Quit apologizing," she ordered. "It was wonderful."

"I promise it will be better next time."

Roarke pulled back from the kiss. "Better?" She laughed. "Is that possible?"

Liam grinned. "Well, practice makes perfect, right? And that was only our first try."

Roarke laughed again and ran her fingers lovingly through his wild hair. She stared into his eyes and told him how beautiful their golden color was to her. His only reply was to kiss her again – and again. Liam was lost in a world of only Roarke, and she was lost in him. Their only peace came from finding each other in the night. And even with their energy spent, it was a good long while before either of them drifted off to sleep.

AN: Once again, this is the edited version. If you would like to read the full text, you can find it at and at the Mirrored yahoo group until the WWR story archive comes back on line. Thanks!