Who: Dirk and Ophelia When: The next day Where: Diagon Alley… then Ophelia’s home What: Dirk comforts Ophelia… and is confused. Rating/Warnings: Dark themes Status: {Closed, Complete}
Dirk had read in the papers about what happened with Evan’s family. That, combined with what happened to Elizabeth’s family the week before had him rattled. Elizabeth came from a muggle family, like he did, and Evan’s stepfather had been a muggle-born wizard. Dirk was glad his family didn’t live near London at all, and hoped desperately that they would be safe in their small seaside village. The knowledge that Ophelia had been with Evan when his family was killed had made him scared for her too, and he had sent her an owl asking if she wanted him to stay the night. He’d suggested meeting in Diagon Alley when he got off work, but really he wanted to be able to be alone with her.
Ophelia agreed to meet up with him in Diagon Alley, suggesting Fortescue’s. She could do ice cream, it might make her feel a little less worn down by dealing with the ministry. It was not nearly what she imagined Evan got, and she had only had to turn on the tears when they brought up the thought of him with Elizabeth to get out of there. She apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and headed through to the shopping area, looking around to see if she saw him yet.
Dirk smiled when he saw Ophelia, relieved that she looked okay. They would have a snack and then, when they got back to her house, she could tell him more, if she wanted or needed to. “I’m, um, glad you could come meet with me.” He was conscious that they were in public after all, and that meant they were just friends. He was dressed in a new set of business robes - well not new now, he’d worn the same set of robes all week long, since they were the only set he had, but he looked sharp and suitable for a young banker.
“I am always glad to see you, you know that.” Ophelia gave him a quick hug and then looked him over with a smile. “A real businessman. You look really good with those robes…” She seated herself at one of the outside tables, motioning him to sit as well, and smiled slightly, though she lowered her voice for the next bit. “The Ministry is now...aware of Evan’s relationship with his Ravenclaw. I am expected to be the distressed fiancee for a while…”
“You helped pick them out…” Dirk grinned shyly, pleased anyway that she thought he looked dashing. At her admission, he nodded softly. “So… its okay for me to be your, umm, supportive friend?” Dirk asked. He wasn’t used to the intrigues of Slytherins, but he hoped he was intelligent enough to keep up with them. “Ice cream sounds like the right sort of thing for an emotional upheaval such as you experienced today?”
“I believe you are expected to be such, honestly. I can’t imagine anyone would fault me for not wanting to be around him at the moment, even with everything that has happened.” A tiny smile and she shrugged. “Plus the fact that I believe he is with her even now…” This again whispered, she did not want to give off the fact that she was not concerned about him being with her, that she accepted it. That would simply not do. “I believe though that ice cream should help me feel a bit better.”
Dirk let her order, and then paid for both of theirs, with a small, “I don’t have to save it all now, since I’m working in the wizarding world this summer.” He settled across from her at one of the small tables enjoying his treat. Ice cream wasn’t that different between the worlds, although the flavours were. Muggles didn’t eat nearly so much pumpkin everything as Wizards did. “Is it totally out then? That he’s got a lover?” Dirk mostly mouthed the last bit, not wanting to out it if it wasn’t.
“The Ministry knows, which means eventually someone will slip to the Prophet, I’m sure. That tends to be how things happen for the most part.” Ophelia laughed and shrugged. “Of course I will have to play the part of forgiving and whatnot, even though I don’t much care, as I said. It’s not like I’ve been intimate with him…” This said softly because it was obviously another fact she did not need circulating.
Dirk couldn’t imagine not being intimate with Ophelia. She was beautiful to him, intelligent, and caring. He found her incredibly attractive, both mind and body. And even though he was friends with Elizabeth, he found her a little prone to being coldly rational. Ophelia was warm.
Ophelia was happy to be out with Dirk, if she was honest. It was a welcome relief from the stress of what had happened with Evan. She did not need to deal with more stress, not right now, and so just being out with him and sharing ice cream like nothing had happened was amazing, in her mind. “Being out with you is brilliant, as always…”
Dirk couldn’t help but grin. Being with her was brilliant too. “Are you gonna be okay? With the talk that might happen and all? What they might say?” It wasn’t that long ago that her courtship with Regulus Black ended either, and now it would seem like Evan might be doing the same thing. Perhaps not to the same degree since Evan was just courting her, there was no implied exclusivity, but a consideration of possible marriage in the future.
“Talk has always surrounded my family, and others close to it. I’m not unused to it, and honestly? Faith in a husband tends to be a rare commodity among purebloods.” A tiny flicker of a smile and she shrugged one shoulder. “I am assuming they’ll just write it off to Evan being a teenaged boy, or things will swirl about me not being willing to sleep with the males courting me. Either way, I am not all too affected.”
Dirk felt relieved at her casual description, and the fact that she wasn’t worried about it all that much. He turned his attention to the fact that he was done working for the night, and that he was going to spend it with Ophelia. “Do we need to get anything to make dinner later? Or did you take care of the shopping stuff earlier?” He liked the idea of making dinner with Ophelia, that kind of quiet domestic activity appealed to him, and made him feel like family.
“Shopping is all done, so we’re set whenever we head back to my home. You’re staying tonight? Or do you have to head out after?” She liked him staying with her, though she understood that his family needed him. Part of her though wanted to just transfer some of her money to muggle funds, to help the family have down-time as well.
“I’m only working weekend’s now at the restaurant.” Dirk’s family understood that he had other commitments now, and had expected - hoped - that he would eventually be able to not work in the family business. “So I don’t have to go back tonight.” He smiled at her. “I just gotta call them to let them know.”
Ophelia grinned. “Good. I like it when you stay over. It’s nice. Sort of feels right, don’t you think?” Even though Evan was the one that was actually courting her, she felt much better being able to curl up with Dirk, and she was pretty sure he felt the same way.