victoria dolohov has gotten herself into trouble. (ex_dochka687) wrote in itwillhaveblood, @ 2010-06-21 13:03:00 |
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Entry tags: | - 1980 june, thomas wilkes, victoria dolohov |
LOG: Victoria Dolohov and Thomas Wilkes
Characters: Thomas Wilkes, Victoria Dolohov
Setting: Thomas' office around noon
Plot: An announcement and a backing into a corner.
Rating: PG-13.
One day. That was all she'd needed to get her plans in order. Victoria was good at bouncing back from shocks, at shrugging off her fears and her worries and moving forward. It helped that she was always, somewhere in the very deepest recesses of her mind that at some point she would be forced to marry and reproduce - although she had hoped it would come in reverse order and that she would have more time and warning. Oh well. It was time to warn him - even if it was only a few hours advance warning. She would have to talk to her father, too, a conversation she knew she feared. But it wasn't necessarily for herself that she feared about that one. Once she gave him a name, who knew what he might do to the man, even a fellow Death Eater - or maybe especially a fellow Death Eater. She'd invited herself over on the journals, giving him only warning that she was coming. She'd worn a dress, a vice one that flaunted but was still somehow modest. He would be expecting sex, she assumed, but he was not going to get that. A knock on his door announced her arrival before she pushed the door open. Then she shut it behind her and smiled, mask perfect, greeting him with, "Hello, Thomas. How is your day going?" Though Victoria's arrival had not been unexpected, Thomas had been particularly enthralled in the stack of papers before him when she arrived. So much, in fact, that the knock that preceded her entrance barely registered. He heard it, surely. But then, he could also hear the clock ticking on the wall, the pattering of rain against the windows behind him, the scratch of his quill against parchment. The knock was just one of many ambient sounds he tended to acknowledge and then disregard. When she walked into the room and greeted him, Thomas gave a start and glanced up at Victoria. He realized that, had she not arrived when she did, it was entirely likely he would have forgotten that he was expecting her. For what reason, he wasn't sure. While sex was hardly out of the question - was, in fact, basically the only reason they saw each other - something about what she had written told him not to make any assumptions. The office wasn't exactly off limits, but he liked to think she knew enough to realize he wasn't going to drop everything for an afternoon tryst. Maybe, after hours...his eyebrows raised as he stood. "Victoria. Good afternoon. It's...well, actually, it's going very well." Thomas greeted her and shuffled a few of the papers needlessly. He replaced the quill he'd been using in its holder and screwed the cap back on the bottle of ink. Hopefully, whatever this was, wouldn't take long to discuss. Thomas didn't like being interrupted in the middle of the work day, and even less so when he was completely engaged in what he was doing. "I've been working on some correspondence for the last hour or so. Yours?" "Sounds fascinating," she told him, a touch of sarcasm to it, though her voice was not unkind. As much as she disliked her station in life, his job did not interest her much, as she had told him and used to often tease Evan with. While the actual courtroom battles intrigued her, the custodial work, the papers and "correspondence" were just plain dull. But he turned the question on her and she knew she had to tell him... pretty much now. She took a seat in one of the chairs across from him, crossing one leg over the other and perching in perfect, unconscious socialite fashion. "Not as good, honestly," she began with an air of calm indifference, as if this topic was nothing. "As it turns out, I'm pregnant." Pregnant. The implications of this statement were, intially, lost on Thomas. Perhaps it was because his mind was still largely on what he'd been doing ten minutes ago. However, it was far more likely that the thought that Victoria's pregnancy could very well involve him didn't even seem plausible. In fact, the first thing to come to his mind was just why she was telling him this. At the very least, he supposed, this might mean they'd have to stop what they'd been doing. Unless, it suddenly occurred to him. But no. That couldn't possibly be what she meant to tell him. It was highly unlikely that...but not impossible. Thomas' stomach did a little flip, the way it had years ago when he was about to take on his first case in court, having only just finished his apprenticeship. His jaw clenched and his eyes involuntarily flicked down to Victoria's stomach, as though seeking some physical proof of her statment. Again, he shuffled the papers. "Oh." His hands went to his hips and he stole a glance over his shoulder. Still raining. Clearing his throat, Thomas considered sitting but couldn't fathom doing so right now. "I assume there is only one reason you would be telling me this." Victoria couldn't help it, but her hand twitched toward her wand when he put his own on his hips. All of her, despite her serene presentation, was on edge. There was no telling how a man might react to news like this, especially one in their circle. But she forced her hand to relax, keeping her face calm. "You assume right. It's your child. And I have yet to tell my father, but I am this evening. I'm... giving you forewarning, I suppose." A part of her got sadistic amusment out of the idea of her father taking out his anger on Thomas, but she knew that would not be fair. It wasn't the best way to start off a marriage - not that she'd point that out until she'd given him time to process this part. For a moment, Thomas thought Victoria seemed nervous, or at least uncomfortable. But just as quickly she was back in form. He changed his mind again and took a seat, back straight and hand flat on the desk. A silence came over him, one that he was in no rush to break. His mind was racing now and he set to organizing his thoughts. Foremost was this: how was she so very sure it was his child? As far as Thomas knew, they were both still of the understanding that there was nothing exclusive about their relationship to one another. He still saw other women, and he had no reason to doubt that Victoria saw other men. And at this notion, he felt suddenly angry. Disregarding, for now, the fact that Minister Dolohov would be finding out about this within the next few hours, Thomas frowned and looked pointedly at Victoria. There was no use in trying to word this subtly. "How can you be so certain it's mine?" he asked evenly, nothing accusatory in his tone. The words themselves were enough, and he knew she would get the implication. Lips pursed, eyes narrowing. She knew where he was coming from and where he was going with this, but she was still irrationally annoyed. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she forced out the anger, remaining calm, cool, and collected. "You're the only man I've slept with since my last course," she told him, lie flawless. It was not the truth, but the choice was between him and two Muggles she'd Obliviated. She'd pick him any day. She may have to sacrifice a part of what was left of her reputation by getting knocked up, but she would not let it out that she slept with Muggles. If she was wrong, she doubted it would matter. Both of the Muggles had light eyes and her dark hair should dominate, so chances were in her favor about the genetics. "I can assure you, Thomas, I wouldn't say it was yours without perfect certainty. I wouldn't force someone into a marriage like this without being positive." Thomas narrowed his eyes and studied Victoria doubtfully. He had a hard time believing that she truly hadn't been with anyone else for the past...how long would it have had to be? Well, long enough. It didn't seem to fit with what he knew of her. Which was perhaps less than he thought, he admitted. He had to consider the options now, as they stood. Victoria was pregnant, by all accounts with his child. If Thomas had any doubts to the veracity of this statement, there was little he could easily do to prove it. And if, as she said, her father would be shortly informed of this, what then? Was Thomas going to try and suggest to the man, to the Minister, that yes, he'd been sleeping with his daughter, but they each slept with so very many people, the father could be anyone really, even if she seemed sure. Yes, he could try. But not if Thomas valued his own comfort, his career, his reputation, and, quite possibly, his life. Perhaps he was being overly dramatic about this. The idea of marriage had not occurred to him. It should have, given the nature of their social circles. Thomas was still trying to wrap his mind around the idea of having a child, and Victoria saying the word made him look sharply across the desk. This was a nightmare. A rapping knock at the door snapped him out of his reveries, long enough for him to bark "Not now!" After another pause, he met Victoria's eyes. "Marriage." In the back of her mind, Victoria was quite thankful not only for the general unavailability of and difficulty to make Veritaserum, but also for the fact that she could bluff flawlessly and offer that she would take it if only it weren't toxic to fetuses. But then he didn't even challenge her and a feeling of general relief came over her. She could be forced to take it after the child was born and she didn't want to put the idea into his head, however far away that date was - even if, by that point, there was little he could do if he wanted to divorce her. His surprise surprised her, as well as both amused and exasperated her. How had a sharp lawyer like he not realized the implications yet of what she was telling him? His family may not be as wealthy or influential as hers, but he still lived in society. He knew how these things worked. A man gets a society girl pregnant and generally that man is made to marry her, do right by her fast so as to minimize scandal. With a sigh, Victoria ran her fingers through her hair and decided she was going to have to hold his hand through this process until it really became real for him. "Yes, marriage. Honestly, Thomas, do you think I would even bother telling my father if I didn't plan on having to marry you? I'm going to tell him I'm pregnant and give him your name and - assuming he doesn't kill you, of course - you will be forced to marry me." She uncrossed and recrossed her legs in the opposite direction, uncomfortable emotionally and transferring it to a physical discomfort. "The other option, of course, is me taking care of it and it never having had happened." She'd had to do that twice, when there were no suitable pureblood candidates to assign the blame to. "However, I have no intention of killing this child - and if I did, I would never have bothered telling you about it. I will have this baby, in February, and you and I will be married - quite soon, probably." She tilted her head, a curiously amused, resigned smirk playing on her lips, as though she'd just tasted something very bitter but was very pleased with herself for trying it. "On the bright side, Thomas, it is a boy. I had the Healer do the gender spell. You will get your heir." He sat quite still, head bowed slightly and his eyes wandering over the objects that covered the surface of his desk. As Victoria spoke, Thomas listened, but also distracted himself by systematically cataloguing the things before him. This was slowly beginning to solidify in his mind, and as the only realistic options were laid before him, all he could think was that he hated being told what to do. Loath though he was to admit it, Thomas felt like a child who had done something very, very naughty and was now made to face the fact that the punishment was going to be quite severe. And so he was angry. Something was said about an heir - so it was a boy. That hardly seemed to make this situation any less bleak, in Thomas' opinion. He reached forward and rearranged a few bottles of ink, as though they weren't already perfectly in order. "And why, exactly, are you so intent on having this child?" He sat back, trying to relax his posture but finding it difficult. "You said yourself, there are other...options." Thomas didn't relish the idea, and it felt cowardly to suggest it, but it seemed to be the only way out. That wasn't necessarily what she had expected to next come out of his mouth, but it was a fair reaction. Her left hand very subtly moved closer to her wand, so she could grab it if needed - she'd heard of men attacking women who brought similar news in an attempt to get rid of the child - and passed off the move as just slightly adjusting her position in the chair. A perfect sculpted eyebrow raised as she considered how to explain this as she wasn't even entirely sure why this baby was not getting the same fate as the other two accidents. "Because it's my son," she finally said very plainly. "It's my pureblood son, my flesh and blood, and I will not have it taken out of me and destroyed." Her right hand, the one not waiting to grab her wand if needed, pressed protectively to her stomach, as if she could actually feel the little thing inside it, as if it was more than just a three-week-old ball of cells still growing inside her. She didn't even have morning sickness or much else to give her a sign that a life was growing inside her. But she knew and she was going to protect it. An irrational tinge of anger shot through her. "We're getting married, I'm having your boy, and you--you will have to just get over it, Thomas!" A long, heavy sigh escaped Thomas' lips. Far from releasing any tension, it only made him feel more aggravated. He crossed his arms across his chest, then just as quickly uncrossed them and placed his hands back on his desk. Barely a moment passed before he'd shifted again, leaning forward and pressing the heels on his hands over his eyes. When he looked back up, Victoria was still there, beginning to seem riled. He'd noticed the hint of what seemed like hysteria creeping into her voice. Thus far, he thought he'd controlled himself fairly well. With each passing second Thomas began to worry this wouldn't last much long. He didn't want this to become loud - this was his office, his territory, and there were too many people around. Scowling at Victoria, he sighed again, with more ire. "Is that all?" he asked bitterly, unblinking. He drew a breath, seemed as though he wasn't going to speak again. Something occurred to him. He couldn't be sure of it, but right now it seemed completely logical. Before Victoria could answer, he quickly added, "This is...this is your fault, do you realize that?" She let him have his sighs and scowls and glares and bitter moods. He asked if that was all and she wasn't entirely surprised he was through - but then, before she could answer, he added on that accusation and she snapped. That was not something she was going to let him have. "I am perfectly aware of what has happened, thank you." In the blink of an eye her wand was out and there was a loud bang as she hexed him. It wasn't anything major, an Impediment Jinx just strong enough to slide his chair back and tip it, and he'd be able to catch himself if he was quick, but it made her feel better. The chair slid back several feet, stopping short of the wall. Thomas managed to shift his weight to keep it from tipping all the way back. He had been taken by surprise, but the anger was still dominating. This was her fault, he thought. That night, they'd danced, and they'd gone back...his wand had fallen out of his robe pocket and slid under the bed and she'd told him not to bother with the usual charms...that had to have been it. He was always so careful with these things but ever since he'd been with her that first time Thomas should have been able to see the change in himself. He was becoming careless, questioning himself more, and - Instinctively, he, too, went for his wand and very nearly pointed it at Victoria before reigning himself in. What he planned to throw at her, even he didn't know. He was no longer thinking clearly, that much was certain. "Just go," he snapped. Suddenly he felt, and probably looked, very tired. He wanted to be left alone, and to finish his work, and to end the day out as if it were normal. And he didn't want to see Victoria. Thomas stood and began pulling the chair back into place. "Please." Her grip on her wand tightened as he grabbed at his wand, throwing Protego up before noting that he wasn't going to hex her. Still, she did not put her wand away or make the invisible shield go away. She wasn't foolish enough to think that just because he hadn't yet used his wand on her he wouldn't. He was angry and she'd attacked him first, a move that still surprised her. At his request, she moved toward the door, but never turned her back to him. Her hand settled on the knob but she still had something else she had to say, real quickly. She, too, wanted to just leave, but it was important. "I'm leaving. But remember to keep this contained. I'll tell your sister, you can tell Oliver if you must. And Evan." Not one she wanted to tell herself, so he could do the honors. "But this goes no further than that. We can do this quickly enough to keep suspicion at a minimum." She opened the door and added as she slipped out of it, "You're still expected to give me a ring." Then she shut it behind her and quickly Apparated. As the door clicked shut Thomas stood behind the chair, leaning on the back and letting his head hang, feeling the stretch in his neck and listening to the clock tick. This whole thing was...unfathomable. He could sense self-pity coming on fast and straightened up, taking in the room as though for the first time. Halfheartedly, he flicked his wand at a pile of books across the room and sent the heavy volumes scattering across the floor and into the wall noisily. With Victoria out of sight the anger was ebbing away. Thomas's mind was clearing, and all he wanted now was to finish what he had been working on. He sat stiffly, dipped a quill into the inkwell and began writing. When the secretary from earlier returned with a newly arrived set of files, there would have been no telling that anything out of the ordinary had occurred just a half hour before. |