meaghan mccormack is a wrecking ball of love. (secretheart) wrote in blurred_lines, @ 2008-12-10 16:50:00 |
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If there was any immediate lesson to be drawn from last night, it was that sometimes, if a person seduced her boyfriend and then went to sleep immediately afterward, that person can wake up to a whole ton of shit she wasn't expecting to have to deal with that day. It had been over her morning tea, after her run, that she had seen the various entries into the saga that was Octavius Pepper and the Order of the Phoenix. Her reaction was multi-faceted, coming over her in waves until they layered one on top of the other, until she was unsure how to think properly. True, Pepper had done something she considered wrong. However, Pepper wasn't the type to do something without a reason. And he wasn't a bad person, so the reason couldn't have been because he wanted to get them in trouble. Tabitha and Elsie had overreacted and been unnecessarily mean--still, that was understandable, if still not right. Then immediately following, Dumbledore's announcement. She had tried to say something and then decided against it. Albus Dumbledore deserved a lot of respect and shouldn't be henpecked with her concerns when she couldn't even articulate them to herself. She most definitely needed to be sure of her thoughts, and then she could say what she needed to say to the organization at large. Her immediate concern about her family's safety satisfied when Pepper eased her mind about her secrecy, and after talking with Jo, Meaghan finally finished her cup of tea and left the kitchen, stepping out into the wind-swept back garden in search of her Caradoc, who would know how to help her think properly. If there was anyone intimately familiar with the craziness that was the inside of her head, it was he. After having witnessed the Order's melt-down via parchment, Caradoc had taken a final long pull from his coffee, shrugged into his old work-coat and gone out of doors where he indulged in weaving even more complex, intricate wards around their little sanctuary. While his trust in the Order - and in Pepper, to do what needed to be done when it needed to be done - was as strong as ever, he could not help this instinctual urge to protect what was ultimately his. Blood was thicker than water. At least the Purists had that part right. No matter if they decided to Oblivate Millicent Bagnold or not (but he couldn't see Tabitha agreeing to be her mother's bait), he was intent on his current course of action. Plenty of time taking wards down in ancient, out-of-the-way places had given him a certain kind of creativity when it came to linking one spell to another and he took great pleasure in the process. She pulled a sweater over her head quickly as the cold hit her, her body shaking with shivers as she crossed the grass toward him. He had his wand out and a very serious expression on his face, so she could guess what he was up to. From her pocket she produced a only slightly-smooshed scone, a peace offering to ease the mind she hadn't disturbed. "Good morning, Ginger." Envisioning the threads of magic before him like glimmering silken strands in a spider's web, he connected the last loose end to the greater body of work and turned to Meaghan as she approached. He could only imagine the reason for such an approach (such a peace offering) and so let the corner of his mouth draw upward as he accepted his gift. "More wards," he said and took a bite. "Meaner wards." She followed the scone to his mouth and dropped a kiss on the corner of his lips, her now free hand sliding down his arm to grasp his. A nod. "You heard, then." She pressed her lips together, a look of consternation. She didn't like that he worried. "I wrote to Pepper, he didn't give her our names. And it seems like he can't, now." A protest against the spread of crumbs was smothered by his returning kiss before he wiped his mouth of the back of his hand and divided the scone into smaller pieces, throwing it into the yard for the birds. " ... and all hope of a working relationship with Bagnold disappears with his membership, of that much I am quite sure. Especially if we entertain the notion of Obliviating her." Pause. "That's good of him. Makes me think he only outed the ones who needed outing - the law enforcement types, anyway - and the Order's going to need every under the radar member it's got." She brushed away any crumbs, eyes following the pieces of the pastry as they scattered on the grass. She usually prided herself on her independence, the partnership between equals that their relationship was, but today she depended on him. Squinting into the gray sunlight, she angled her body toward his, as if he would shelter her from her own plaguing thoughts. "I don't think it was the right decision." She said finally, vocalising what had been weighing heavily on her mind. "I don't think it was the right thing to do." Brushing the crumbs from his hands, he cleared his throat. "It was rash and I think, ultimately, it's going to hurt us." Bowing his head, he traced the wandering blue lines on the back of her hand and sighed. "Nothing to do now but regroup and stay on our toes." "Do you think there's anything we can do? I mean, I trust Dumbledore, and I'm sure his reasons are sound, but still, I feel like no one was able to stand up and say anything against him being kicked out. I just hate that the only people who said anything were people in hysterics." "I'm sure that we could bring our grievances to Albus but, honestly Meg, I'm afraid the decision's been made and there's no going back." A small squeeze to her hand. "I don't know how Albus expects people to trust when, at any point, it seems like we could get kicked out if people squawk loud enough. But that's the cynic talking - " Stepping in to shelter her from the vigorous air, he drew his arm tight to her waist. "I think 'business as usual' is important, here. I think getting back to normal should be number one on all our lists - and I'm going to have to set another ward for the safehouse." Another frown, her face burying into the warmth of his chest. It simply did not sit well with her and that ruffled her feathers, left her unsettled. "Maybe next week, when things have calmed, I will speak to Abe and see how he feels. That seems less scary than talking to Professor Dumbledore directly." A little sigh. "Normal, normal, normal. Nothing is normal anymore." Smoothing a palm across the nape of her neck, he pressed his lips to her temple and if she could have seen his face, perhaps she would have read fear and confusion in equal measure. "If you invite anyone over who isn't Mum, the nanny or Kirley, make sure to tell them to put a lapis lazuli stone in their pocket." His words brought a smile to her face, and despite the mood and the grayness of the day, she rewarded him with a real smile. "Even your wards are esoteric, Professor." A swift kiss met the tip of her nose. "Looks like I can't seem to understand you young ones and your new-fangled Magic." A real, genuine laugh at that. "Sometimes I think you actually want me to tease you, you leave me so many openings." Her hands slid into his trouser pockets, fingers seeking the warmth of his skin. "Next you'll be bemoaning my newfangled guitar music records." She got an arched brow for her efforts. "Alright, young one. Want to hear how I walked twenty miles to school in the snow? With no shoes?" "Sir, I went to your school. Albeit, a century later, but I don't recall having to go outside at any point during the winter to get to classes." He snorted, pulling back to extend her arm over her head and give her a little twirl. "You got me." She nearly protested the loss of warmth when she spun away from him, but it was too adorable a gesture for her to find much fault with it. "And you've got me." |