dedgulung "vexed italicizing trouble magnet" black (regulus) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2008-08-27 01:36:00 |
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Entry tags: | ! [1979-08] august, julianne wilkes, regulus black |
RP Log: Regulus & Julianne
who → Regulus Black & Julianne Wilkes.
what → Julianne needs to get out of the house, so she and Regulus go out for awhile. (Unchaperoned, omg the scandal)
when → Tuesday, 26 August 1979; just before dinnertime and just after this.
where → St James, Westminster; a wizarding park near the Wilkes' townhouse.
warnings → None.
status → Complete.
Julianne could not stand to stay at home. Sitting in the Wilkes' garden did absolutely no good as the frustration only continued to build. She felt the overwhelming sensation of wanting to both scream and cry, yet she sat apathetic, doing neither. The first person that came to mind was Regulus. He had been in her situation before and if she were to speak to anyone about her situation, it would be him. However, she had already come to the conclusion that she would not speak to this with her dear friend. He didn't need to worry himself over her issues, especially when he had other more important things to deal with. Leaving Twinks with very specific directions, Juls was quite confident that she could leave the house undetected for the night. She would tell Twinks to let her parents know that she wasn't feeling well at dinner and leave her door locked. Hopefully Jacqueline would cover for her, although it would not be with the right intentions. Perhaps she would be able to get the hint that Julianne did not wish to speak to her twin at the moment and that their last conversation did not warrant any kind of peace between the two. Putting on a light summer robe, Juls pulled the dark blue hood over her blonde hair carefully before giving one last nod to Twinks. Absent-mindedly, she made her way toward the park, taking a few minutes longer than she had intended, but arriving nevertheless. Her blue eyes scanned the grassy areas around her before finally resting on a figure standing near the apparation point. A slight sense of relief washed over her as she made her way over toward him. Getting out of the house had not necessarily been a trick for Regulus, but it was a delicate enough situation that careful consideration was needed. While he was not forbidden to leave (or at least it did not seem that Bella was intent on determining when her house-arrest order was ending or if it was still being carried out), it was not a place that was necessarily conducive to coming and going as one pleased. He feared that leaving without his mother's permission would trouble him greatly, and having Kreacher lie for him would only get Kreacher in trouble as well, and truly, he was uncertain if he was even capable of lying to his mother, especially with a guilty conscience. And then she would only be angry, and she was terrifying when she was angry, and he was doing well enough that the last thing he had wanted was to cause unnecessary problems. He wasn't doing anything wrong, but it was difficult to tell what his very volatile mother would say about much of anything, and he did not wish to be held up and leave Julianne all alone at the park. Despite his hesitancy and uncertainty, however, there had been no option but to discuss the matter with his mother, so why he had dared entertain a thought otherwise was beyond his more reasonable thoughts. The reaction had been a rather pleasant surprise, no matter the mild stress that led to his request for permission, and she had seemed almost pleased to be sending him off to meet Julianne. He could not quite be certain if it was his imagination or not, as she was not one to spend much time being pleased about things, but despite the hour and it being nearly time to eat dinner, he was permitted to meet an unmarried lady without even the question of a chaperone brought to light. Which was fortunate, because that he would have lied about, as there was clearly something bothering Julianne, and the chances of her sharing what that something was significantly decreased if there was a third party present. Stepping outside of his home, he made his way to the nearest Apparition point and made the nearly instant trip, finding himself within an easy walking distance of the desired park. It was a typically cloudy evening, but the temperature was comfortable, and the area was nearly clear with only a single with playing with her young son in the playground area. A wave of comfort washed over him knowing that everyone in the area would be magical, but he made no motion of friendliness to whoever the woman was. Rather, he stood still, straight, and watching until he saw Julianne's form come into view. "Good evening," he said with a polite and pleasant nod. She did not appear to have anything physical wrong with her (though she had not sounded injured in the first place, it was still something he felt he ought to note), but she did not seem particularly cheerful, either. "Are you well?" There really was no point in lying, but if there was a moral to this particular event that Jul had been going through, it was that sometimes, some things were better left unsaid. Besides, she didn't think that Regulus would really want to hear about it anyway.. "Things have gotten.. difficult.. with Jacqueline, I couldn't stand to stay at home," she started, her gaze seemingly unfocused on him before giving him a weak smile. "Thank you for meeting me on such short notice." As an afterthought, Julianne began wondering if perhaps Regulus was not the person she should have called. He would undoubtedly take Jacqueline's side as he had been through much because of his disowned brother. Maybe there was just something wrong with herself after all.. Letting out a soft sigh, she considered taking her hood off for a moment before deciding to keep it on. All Juls wanted to do was disappear, go to some camp that would set her right, not rely so heavily on her heart but more on her brains, like Jacq. "I do not mind in the least," he said replied with a slightly furrowed brow -- a touch of reassurance coloured his voice, as he know quite well the sort of affect that quarreling would have on the twins. He could not recall many (if any) truly difficult times he had seen pass between them, and the only thing he could tink of that could remain as that wedge -- well, he certainly did not wish to think on that right now, as the blood traitor had a rather fresh wound associated in his own mind. And he was doing so well. "Sometimes it is healthy for one to step outside and away from the drone of everyday life," he continued with a small nod, though he supposed he did not actually live such advice on a daily basis. He scarcely left his home at all unless it was entirely necessary, such as the completion of missions, but that did not mean he felt that his advice (pulled conveniently and rephrased slightly from his cousin Narcissa, naturally) was not important to impart: Julianne seemed rather down, and he did not wish to see her feeling less than her best. No one ought to be making things difficult for her, much less his brother...but as they were no longer speaking, he could not tell Sirius to stop it, and Regulus would instead try to protect Julianne with situations such as these. It did not particularly matter that he did not really know how to go about comforting people, and the very idea made him rather uncomfortable...but he supposed he could try, at the very least. Perhaps. Juls smiled genuinely at Regulus before putting her hands in her robe pockets and began walking at a slow pace on the concrete path. She knew that Regulus may feel uncomfortable in such situations, the last time he had tried to comfort her was after Georgie and Orion's death in which Regulus was giving very dutiful answers and ended up in silence. In truth, it was the silence that ended up giving Juls a sense a comfort, that at least a friend was there with her. And here she was again, calling upon Regulus to hopefully cure her of her sadness that she knew would inevitably return the moment she would step back into the Wilkes' manor. "But if it's one thing one can count on, it is the repetition of every day life, is it not? Sadly, it seems that I have been stripped of that luxury as well." Who knew what the next days would bring? Of course life was what one made it to be and it was in their hands to make the best of it, but no amounting of writing events in planners could have prepared her for this. Julianne couldn't remember the last time she had actually argued with her twin as it was more likely that they were to get in an argument with Georgie than each other. Juls realized that she was looking down at her feet and straightened her posture, looking sideways to Regulus, giving him an almost apologetic smile. She wasn't going to vent to him as she didn't wish to be in distress in front of him, nor did she want him to feel uncomfortable in any way. His presence was enough. "How have you been spending your week? It seems I haven't spoken to you in some time." "Life's treatment of our friends and families, as of late, has been rather unfair," Regulus agreed in a nearly matter-of-fact manner, shutting off further thoughts before they could once again accelerate in his mind. The last thing he needed was for his thoughts to run bitterly away from him while he was in the middle of a potentially amiable conversation with Julianne. He would not muse upon it. Musing could wait, and to let everything he said eventually turn to their sufferings was not an effective conversation strategy, he supposed. "But I cannot say this week has been unkind to me," he soon continued, taking the for once truthful turn toward something vaguely optimistic. It had become something to celebrate when things actually went right -- or rather, that they did not go wrong. Even rarer was the event that he found it necessary to point out the contentment they could find in tragedy's absense, no matter the mundane nature, but when they had little else to grasp onto, it seemed appropriate to actually answer the question when it was posed. As accustomed as he was to parroting or even lying, this time there was actually decent news to impart. "In fact, this month as a whole has not been unkind to me, as my...endeavors have carried out favourably, nothing ill has come upon those I care for, and I have had ample time to further hone a set of particularly useful spells." His words were careful with the public air around them; the chances of passers-by or the mother across the part listening were slim, but the quiet unsettled him, and to be explicit was to be foolish. There was nothing inherently suspicious in his words, as it was, and he allowed himself the indulgence of satisfaction that their efforts had been so successful. Focus on the goal, rather than the losses of strangers, and there was nothing to gain in sentimentality, was there not? Nothing to gain in dwelling, and he would not dwell. "I do hope your own week has gone favourably," he finished, though there was a vague touch of a question in the words. He would not press if she would not offer, and he knew the he did not like talking about quarrels with Sirius -- not before he left, and certainly not after, though Regulus supposed the latter was for safety reasons in addition to a desire for privacy. He wasn't even certain he would know what to say if she did did speak of her troubles. The Black family was never one to speak openly of thoughts and feelings and concerns -- and even his own pressing curiosity was overriden by a tendency to value avoidance. He would wait, observe, react accordingly. At the positive change in her dear friend's life, Julianne genuinely smiled. A month going by favourably for Regulus seemed to be rather rare and he very much deserved it. To be honest, Juls had no idea what Regulus was really up to nowadays, and while she preferred to know the truth, it seemed like Reg was more determined to merely glaze across topics or remain vague about it. With recent events regarding Sirius, Julianne was beginning to wonder that perhaps the most effective method of surviving in society was keeping some things secret, even from their own blood. The very thought pained her as her mind drifted over to Jacqueline. Julianne closed her eyes for a few long seconds before letting out a soft sigh, attempting to push all such thoughts away. Regulus was kind enough to come meet her on such short notice, she should be grateful and not plague him with any of her worries.. "I had actually been cleaning out my room this past week, going through my old Hogwarts notes and essays. It made me hope I hadn't lost any of my dueling skills, although I have no idea why I would still need them." It was now more than ever that Julianne missed having to worry about nothing more than exams and prefect duties. She had a feeling that many others felt that way too. But there was no stopping time or going back. She had to make the most of everything.. "Do you believe in karma, Regulus?" she asked, turning her attention to him as she met his gaze. "That what you do eventually comes back to you, all the good and the bad?" The issue with this question was, however, the definition was good and bad. Killing others were bad, but if it was done with a motive for the betterment of the wizarding world, did it make things okay? Did it make it good? Not speaking to Sirius due to obligations to family and society was good, but abandoning a childhood friend not because of traits but because of affiliations was bad. Or was it good? The world they lived in had no black or whites, despite how most saw it. Things were seen in the light that it was presented in and accepted by most. Perhaps Juls was fighting a losing battle. Perhaps she was the only one still fighting. "I believe that with hard work and dedication will come the success we desire," he responded after a moment of thoughtful silence. He supposed that was not precisely what she was saying, but it was along similar lines; if you do good things, good will come back to you. If you fight for the good of the Cause, success would be granted, and the suffering of your mistakes would no longer touch you. Or at least the pain would numb enough to bear, and that was plenty to ask. "The noble will rise and overcome their trials, after all, and that is our ultimate purpose as...purists, preserving our lines." With a subtly less serious expression, he added, "I can certainly understand, as one goes through all the trouble of learning skills in school, so one might as well keep them." Julianne had no idea how Regulus was so good at answering questions by not answering her question, but she couldn't have put it better herself. Good or bad, hard work could result in success, she supposed, but that didn't answer if he believed that everyone got what they deserved, which is what she had been meaning to ask. Juls nodded at his statement both out of politeness and agreement. Whenever she went into the most slightest of, dare she say, philosophical questions, he always resorted to Proper Answers. Perhaps it was all he knew or how he always answered his questions, but Juls imagined he and Jacqueline could talk for hours. "Speaking of Hogwarts," she started, remembering the conversation she had with Narcissa over tea. "I was wondering if you would like to take me flying. Or, let me keep you company while you fly, would be the more appropriate way of saying it. You know how I am with height," she said with a half smile. To be quite honest, Julianne had been meaning to ask Regulus to go do so but month after month were tragedies and complications and proper time never came around. But what better time than now to ask if he had been doing so well? "Barty would love to join us." Juls almost went back and corrected herself to add 'I'm sure that Barty would love to join us' but decided against it. Perhaps that would be more effective in persuading Regulus. The request pulled a tiny ghost of a smile onto his face, tugging gently at the corner of his mouth. It was less of a smile than it was neutral, but he could not help the flicker of approval; he very much enjoyed her company, even if he had to push away any and all suspicions lest he embarrass himself with abnormal behavior. Spending time with Julianne was enjoyable enough, after all -- she was a very good friend, and he enjoyed flying, so he did not see anything to object to. "I think that sounds like a wonderful idea. If you ever wish to try your luck again, I would be more than happy to offer moral support. Or-" A sudden wave of unexpected and rather inexplicable awkwardness washed over him when the thought crossed his mind to just allow her to ride on the broom with him to prove that it is not scary, but it did not take more than a split second for the filter in his mind to realise that it was not a particularly appropriate suggestion, and even if it was, it was a mildly embarrassing thought in the first place, and he had no idea where it came from or why it inflicted itself upon his thoughts when he did not even like for people to be in his space, but it was fortunate that the thought was now sufficiently banished. "Or whatever it is that you feel is best when the time comes." Julianne quickly picked up on his smile, relieved to know that he approved of her suggestion. He had always seemed to enjoy Quidditch so much, but just because he had left school didn't necessarily mean that he should stop doing things that he liked. In a few years, it may just well be that he was too old to ride Quidditch, or maybe he would grow out of it, if it was ever really a phase. Juls tried to imagine Rodolphus riding a broom for fun and then decided that Rodolphus didn't necessarily seem to go with the word 'fun.' Removing the bizarre image from her mind, she focused back on Regulus. At his suggestion, Julianne mentally cringed. However, it wasn't because of what Regulus had in mind, rather, the thought of having to be even remotely off the ground made her feel uncomfortable. She had two feet because she was meant to stay on the ground, not up in the air. But as Regulus seemed to pause, Juls quickly picked up on the odd vibe. Without thinking, she quickly blurted out "How about if you go then I'll try it out. Once. A deal that'll come around just once in a lifetime," she said with a small smile. "Deal," Regulus replied with the tiny hint of a smile pulling up the corner of his mouth again. The previous awkwardness was dispelled by the easy way in which they glazed over his hesitation, and he was exceedingly relieved that it was not pointed out – refraining from acknowledging makes it as though nothing happened at all. And one must keep his head clear and focused on very particularly things, that not being one of them. "You can stay near to the ground, and I will remain by you, if either of those would be reassuring." Immediately, Julianne wanted to throw her hands over her mouth. While offering to try riding a broom again was a very noble and kind thing to do, Juls had nightmare all throughout her first and second year about falling off her broom and still occasionally had such dreams. But what was said was said and she wouldn't be able to take anything back anyway. Putting all thoughts of even going near a broom to the back of her mind, all previous fears were temporarily forgotten as she saw the slight smile upon Regulus' face. "Well, I was trying to stay near the ground last time.." She scrunched her nose slightly, remembering the terrifying moment and looked over to Regulus to see if he remembered it. "Hopefully this time things will be different. As long as you can assure me that if my broom seems possessed and I drop from Merlin knows how high, you have to make sure I don't--" Break bones? Die? Humiliate herself? "Well, just be sure to catch me." Without bothering to remain sullen, Regulus nodded with quiet confidence. He remembered quite well the catastrophe of the broom-attempts that had set Julianne off of the idea of flying in a very permanent manner, and although flying was not essential for her in any manner at all, he did not wish for it to remain a lasting terror, either. Even if the (what seemed to him slightly unreasonable) fear was charming in the way that begged of its need for protection, he would much prefer there be one less thing that had the potential to distress her. One never knew the situations that might fall upon them, and who knew -- perhaps a reason for flying would surface, and it was potentially dangerous to leave her without the confidence to save herself in such a situation. "I will," he said, leaving no doubt or uncertainty, as he would not allow her to hit the ground while he was standing there. The words came to him with a strange ease that was uncommon in his often regimented speech, but rather than stifling them out of any allegiance to necessary silence, he continued, "It has been years since your last try, and there will be no one watching or making you nervous. I shan't laugh at you or let you hurt yourself, so try not to fret about it. Rather, think of what a good feeling it will be when you are successful at overcoming this troubling fear." While she held a sense of self-confidence at the moment, she tried not to think of what fears may surface when the time came to actually try. Julianne suppose she would ignore such thoughts for now, taking relief in that Regulus would enjoy his time flying around on a broom again, if anything, with the excuse that he was escorting her. If she ended up getting cold feet, he would not pressure her, and she could settle with a good book while watching Regulus and Barty, just like their Hogwarts days. Amidst of visiting relatives, having tea with others, and attending events, Juls was glad to have an event that would be something she could look forward to. Something that didn't require thinking over what to say several times before actually saying it, somewhere she could simply be herself. After all, she wouldn't dare getting on a broom and embarrassing herself in front of other socialites. "Luckily, it's a worthy fear and not a complete irrational one." Although it had escalated a tad bit since her first year, falling from a reasonable height was most definitely a rational fear. Julianne still had the scar on the inside of her ankle to prove it and she was in no rush to add another distasteful scar to herself. "I will keep that in mind, thank you." More than relieved that Regulus had not shot down her attempt to fly once more, a sense of peace comforted her temporarily, all earlier troubles leaving her. "I will try and find out when both you and Barty are free and find an appropriate time and date for this rather momentous occasion," she said with a slight laugh before coming to slow stop. With a more rational mindset than before, she realized that it was already getting dark and they were unchaperoned. While Julianne was unsure of how Regulus had managed to get out, she supposed this wasn't the time to ask or to question a perfectly positive meeting. Her family would be finishing dinner soon and it would be to her advantage that she was back in her room by the time Jacq would undoubtedly come knocking on her door. Her smile seemingly disappeared at the thought of her sister and their previous conversation as she let out a small sigh. She looked up to Regulus and gave him a small smile, although somewhat forced. "I'm afraid I barely noticed the sun set. I don't wish to keep you much longer and I should be heading back as well.." "And I do not wish to keep you out, either. I am sure that arranging an appropriate time will not be difficult, and once again, do not fret. It is worthy, but that does not mean it is insurmountable, if you wish to overcome," he responded with a pleasant tip of the head. He had easily noticed the subtle fading of her smile for reasons she opted not to speak of, but as always, such a thing was not to be pointed out. What she wished to keep to herself was her right to hold onto, just as he would demand the same for himself. The original reasons for their meeting had not been of a pleasant nature, so he could imagine without trouble how unpleasant it was to be in a home in which you were suffering tension with your family. "I hope the rest of your evening treats you well. Would you like an escort back to your home?" While Julianne didn't like anyone ever going out of their way to do something for her and it was getting dark. The two were not chaperoned and her family did not know that she was out. To have anything happen would cause much distress and, to be honest, Juls didn't want to walk back alone. Something at the back of her mind told her that even if she had offered to walk back alone, he would have escorted her nevertheless. The thought eased her mind. "Yes, please." With her permission (though, indeed, he would have insisted even without permission), Regulus stepped forward to lead the way back to the Wilkes' townhouse. It was not a long walk in the least, and he could never in good conscience leave a young lady to walk back home in the dark, alone and open for any predator to walk by and inflict tragedy or inconvenience upon her. An easy silence had fallen over them, contented and unoppressing as the sun set further below the horizon, and it seemed unnecessary and tainting to try and fill the comfortable void with meaningless words or forced conversation. Mere minutes later, they had arrived at their destination, and stepping back, he allowed Julianne to make her final approach to the door. "It was a pleasure to see you, and I do hope you enjoy the remainder of your evening." With the utmost poise and propriety, Regulus gave a polite bow and stepped back for her to enter her home in peace. He knew it could very well be much to expect, given the tension between the twins, but with enough hope and enough statement, perhaps the situation would sort itself. It was not until she was safely inside that he turned to leave, and with an unexpected lightness to his mood, he walked back to the Apparition point to return home. |