Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 13, 2024 11:35:40 GMT -8
Dane had been ecstatic when he moved into the dingy little one-room flat in London. It wasn’t the first place that he’d ever lived in by himself. That was the much bigger, much nicer flat that his dad had paid for when he got accepted into the Auror program. “Big time Ministry employees don’t live with their parents,” Marcus had said with a wide smile, though Dane knew it was as much about publicly distancing himself from the Caspars as it was pushing this particular baby bird out of the nest. It didn’t benefit Marcus Caspar to have his son suspected of spying for the family, so the flat made sense. Dane loathed it. He was the only eighteen-year-old living in a three story townhouse with two bathrooms and a full kitchen. It reeked of the kind of entitlement that had haunted him his entire life. No, his single room was exactly what he deserved.
It didn’t take much to move him out. In his little flat Dane had a bed, a desk, and whatever was in the refrigerator. He kept all of his collectables in the office where he made them. Maybe one day he dreamed of having his own office with books and shelf space to display his model stadiums, but pride in one’s possessions didn’t suit the monastic lifestyle that Dane had affected. He lived his life outside of the Caspar family like he deserved to be punished. He did this because he knew none of the other Caspars would. He carried the karmic burdens of half a dozen family members.
But Romy had come along and changed everything. After all of this, after forcing himself into isolation and defining his life around monotonous busy work at the Ministry, suddenly Dane wanted to be selfish. Suddenly he wanted to define himself not by his career accomplishments, but by the company he kept. He’d fallen in love with Romy quickly, and he knew that it was never going to go away. He only took her into his flat the one time, the last time, to collect whatever it was that he had to collect there. With her help he packed his clothes from his closet into a single enchanted box, and they left for their new lives together.
It wasn’t the first time that he’d been to Romy’s flat, but there was the feeling that all of this was permanent. It wasn’t just a dream. This was a real, attainable thing. They had made choices that could never be changed. He left his lumpy old bed which he’d bought from some stranger off of the Muggle internet. The plan was to set Dane up in his own room with his own bed, but in the time in between Romy was willing to offer up her bed as a temporary solution.
Dane couldn’t sleep that first night. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable in an unfamiliar place. His mind kept racing, imagining everything that waited for them in the future. At half-past two he rolled over to wrap his arm around Romy. He took her hand in his own and felt the soft skin of her fingers against his. But the stillness of the moment was interrupted the cold metal of the ring around her finger.
Dane’s breath caught in his chest. Without much more thought, he gripped the ring and slid it from Romy’s finger. He rolled over in bed and held the ring up to study its pearl in the moonlight. What power did it have over her, he wondered. Why was she always wearing it? Why hadn’t she thrown it back into Max’s face when he presented it to her?
Rosemary Carter
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Year/Job
Wizengamot Admin. Services
Steph
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Post by Rosemary Carter on Mar 14, 2024 11:06:25 GMT -8
There were so many emotions running through Romy, she was practically bouncing around all day. Excitement, accomplishment - with a big dose of butterflies fluttering in her stomach any time she had a second to think because she couldn’t believe it was actually happening - and maybe the anticipation of stress. She knew moving out was stressful, but the feeling never arrived for them on moving day. Dane fit all of his belongings in one box. There were no arguments about how best to pack something or what he should leave behind. That was life with Dane for Romy.
When they settled into bed that first night, Romy pulled Dane close, letting their foreheads touch, and she let out a sigh of relief followed by a light laugh. She wasn’t sure how she managed to calm herself down enough to fall asleep.
When she opened her eyes, Max was standing right next to her. Romy blinked in confusion while her eyes tried to focus and take in her surroundings. They were back at the Caspar Estate, in the ballroom once again, it had been transformed with rows of seats covered white lace. There were white roses everywhere; on the chairs, on the floors, hanging from the crystal chandeliers in the ceiling, and down the long aisle leading to the exit of the room when the silhouette of a man stood.
Romy could feel her chest tighten, her heart racing, her hands shaking and clammy. She’d never experienced something like this before. And it was all because Max was hovering over her, reaching out to pull her close. Before he could touch her, Romy made a run for it. The long white dress and veil trailing behind her were weighing her down but she kept going. She wanted to scream out for Dane but when she opened her mouth nothing came out. The more she ran, the longer the aisle got until the exit was far off in the distance. And then Max was right next to her. She couldn’t move as he bent down and slipped the ring on her finger.
Romy’s eyes fluttered open at the sensation of the ring slipping back in place. She wasn’t sweating or gasping or sitting up suddenly. Just laying in bed motionless for a few seconds while her mind caught up with her and tried to reassure her it was a dream. Her chest was heaving a bit though as she turned on her side and saw Dane next to her. By this time, his back was turned to her and his shoulders were moving slightly with each breath he took, so she assumed he was asleep.
Romy moved closer, pressed her body against his back, and rested her left hand on his shoulder. That damn pearl was so bright in the moonlight. Ever since Max presented Romy with it, she had nightmares, but she didn’t take it off. She had tried multiple times but something kept telling her not to do it. There had to be a reason, right? Her brows furrowed in confusion, her mind was blurry again and she tried to shake it off.
Dane’s presence was enough to calm her down, especially when her fingertips caressed the nape of his neck and his hair curled around them. “I’m so happy you’re here,” Romy whispered to him even though she was sure he wouldn’t hear any of it. “I love you so much, Dane.”
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Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 14, 2024 13:01:58 GMT -8
Dane felt even more restless as he slipped the ring back over Romy’s finger. It took all of the strength inside of him not to chuck it out the damn window. He knew that the fight over Romy with Max would one day dominate a stretch of their lives, but he was content with the private, quiet moments for now.
He rolled back over and drifted off into a surprisingly easy sleep, settling into dreams of his future with Romy. Dane was only pulled from his rest when he felt the brush of Romy’s fingers on the back of his neck. He heard her soft whisper, “I’m so happy you’re here. I love you so much, Dane.” A smile spread across his lips as he lay there, letting Romy wrap her arms around him and hold him for a little while. He didn’t respond, preferring not to disturb the peace in that moment. Again, he slowly drifted off to sleep, this time in Romy’s soft embrace.
Dane woke up before Romy the next morning and he sprinted out of bed. Romy had admitted that she wasn’t much of a cook, but he hoped that she kept her refrigerator stocked with food, otherwise he’d be running down the street until he found the first little takeout breakfast place he could find. Thankfully, she had breakfast sausage and eggs, so he whipped Romy up an omelet as he waited for her to awaken.
When she wandered into the kitchen still looking half asleep, Dane smiled. He turned the skillet down onto a plate and placed the omelet in front of her on the countertop. “Good morning,” he said. “I love you too.”
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Year/Job
Wizengamot Admin. Services
Steph
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Post by Rosemary Carter on Mar 15, 2024 7:41:09 GMT -8
Romy held Dane close for a while until she drifted off to dreamless sleep. She didn’t dream of an expensive Caspar wedding, or a giant version of Vivian stepping on her, or being a little chess piece along with Max’s family - okay, so her dreams really had been weird lately when she really thought about it. She didn’t even dream of Dane. Somehow, this was the best sleep she’d had in a couple weeks.
She stretched out in bed, regaining consciousness as the sun filtered through the curtains, and when she didn’t feel Dane next to her, Romy slowly sat up. Was this another nightmare? No, she reassured herself. She was being ridiculous by thinking that Dane was lost forever.
Thankfully, she found him in the kitchen. She was still fighting sleep and dragging her feet, her pink slippers making a shuffling noise on the floor, but as soon as she saw food (and Dane) she perked up.
“Good morning,” she said, wrapping her arms around his waist. She smiled up at him. “You love me too? I haven’t said anything.”
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Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 15, 2024 8:24:30 GMT -8
"Right," Dane smiled, pretending like the moment in bed wasn't fresh in his mind. "I can just see it on your face. So, what do you think?" He nodded toward the plate in front of Romy. "Our first breakfast after our first night together."
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Year/Job
Wizengamot Admin. Services
Steph
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Post by Rosemary Carter on Mar 15, 2024 8:40:57 GMT -8
It was obviously not the first time Dane had slept in Romy’s bed, but this was completely different. It wasn’t her bed or her apartment anymore, this was now their space. Romy pulled him close and buried her face in his chest, enjoying the privacy their home provided. Even though no one ever really ventured down to their little corner of the Ministry, they weren’t free to show affection.
“I like it, a lot.” She had yet to taste the food but she was convinced it would be amazing. “What about you? What do you think?”
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Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 15, 2024 9:28:01 GMT -8
It was a little strange waking up to someone in the morning. It wasn't the first time Dane had spent the night with Romy, but it was the first time that he'd woken up and knew that he was already home. But strange didn't mean bad.
"I had trouble sleeping all night," he said, taking a link from Romy's plate. "I was so excited to be here with you. I got to be next to you all night, and the sound of your breathing was too enchanting to sleep. I really love it here."
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Year/Job
Wizengamot Admin. Services
Steph
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Post by Rosemary Carter on Mar 15, 2024 9:43:38 GMT -8
Romy had shared a room with three other girls for the last seven years so she was still used to sharing her space. She had been a little worried that Dane, who had graduated more than four years ago, would have trouble adjusting. Maybe Romy would move around too much at night and her thrashing would wake him up, but he was sound asleep as far as she knew when she woke up in the middle of the night.
His first sentence confirmed her fears, but then she was relieved when it turned out it was just excitement keeping him up. Romy grabbed a fork from the drawer and started to dig into the omelet. “Does it feel like home?”
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Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 15, 2024 9:56:54 GMT -8
What even was home to Dane? For most of his life it was a place of terror where he couldn't escape the judgment of his parents. Now the only people in the world who could understand that, his siblings, had turned against him because of his decision to dissolve the family business, and it would certainly get worse when everything he was doing with Romy came to light.
The truth was he'd long stopped thinking of that place as home, and had begun to accept the idea that he never belonged anywhere.
"I think it's been home since I first stepped inside," he said. "As close to a home as I've ever had."
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Year/Job
Wizengamot Admin. Services
Steph
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Post by Rosemary Carter on Mar 15, 2024 11:47:17 GMT -8
Home wasn’t really a concept Romy was too familiar with. Any warmth in the Carter household had died with her brother. He was the only person who showered Romy and her sisters with love. After graduation and finding her first apartment, Romy latched on to pieces of furniture that reminded her of what she imagined a warm home would look like growing up, but it was an imitation.
Nothing gave her that feeling she’d been chasing until Dane was standing in her living room one night after dinner.
Romy nodded her head at him and said, “I think I understand that feeling. I’ve never felt at home anywhere else. This place didn’t feel like home until you came along.”
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Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 15, 2024 12:27:09 GMT -8
The one thing Dane and Romy hadn't talked much about was her brother and how dramatically his death had changed her life, but Dane could always feel the sense of melancholy that lurked just beneath that sunny disposition. Maybe that was why they were so good as a couple. Together they were more like each other than they could have imagined, Dane's creeping dread being more of an affectation than actual state of being, and Romy's optimism being a crutch to cope with a number of tragedies and bad people in her life.
Dane placed a kiss on her forehead. "Let's build one together, then," he said. It felt so natural.
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Year/Job
Wizengamot Admin. Services
Steph
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Post by Rosemary Carter on Mar 15, 2024 13:39:03 GMT -8
Romy kept Clark’s death clouded in mystery because the truth was never made clear to her. All she knew was that Clark Sr’s influence over his son’s life cost Clark Jr his life. Another reason to fight against everything her father stood for. In time, Romy would open up more to Dane about it but this was not the day. She didn’t want to think about the horrible things that happened in the past or his family.
She took a mouthful of omelet and let out a small, satisfied hum, then she lightly shook his arm. “This is amazing,” she said and forked another piece of it to hold it up for Dane. “I know you said you were teaching yourself to cook but I didn’t think you were this good. I think I will keep you after all.”
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Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 15, 2024 14:16:05 GMT -8
As far as Dane was concerned, there was no reason to think about any of that awful shit right now. The question was if Dane would ever get tired of smiling around Romy. Dane had been a happy enough kid, but he rarely smiled like this outside of a Quidditch stadium.
"I thought I'd try a casserole for dinner tonight. Do you have any special requests?"
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Year/Job
Wizengamot Admin. Services
Steph
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Post by Rosemary Carter on Mar 15, 2024 15:37:32 GMT -8
“Casserole?” She repeated the word back and blinked up at him.
Romy spent her whole life being served the best food her parents could buy, or more like the best food their cook would make. A casserole was never on the menu. Was she a little out of touch? Yes.
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Year/Job
Auror In Exile
Break your back to earn your pay, and don't forget to grovel. |
Travis
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Post by Dane Caspar on Mar 15, 2024 23:39:25 GMT -8
Truthfully, Dane didn't know if he'd ever had casserole either. He just thought it seemed like the next challenge in his cooking education.
"It's a baked dish," he explained. "I think anything can go in it, but what's important is that it's layered. Or something." They were both so good at this being normal, middle class people thing.
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