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Post by Alex Kameren on Oct 8, 2011 20:34:19 GMT -5
Idling his time away was not something he was used to, but he’d actually found himself doing so over the past two weeks. Between Tynan absolutely refusing to involve him in the investigation-- something about keeping it “by the book”-- to spending time going through the Estate, there was just more time in the day. He was grounded to deskwork, a task he had never enjoyed. At least he was allowed to work on the Minister’s investigation, but he was just a lackey. He was seen as too involved.
Only his own authority as an auror had gotten him out of being actively tried himself, which Alex regarded as pure bull, given as that hadn’t stopped any investigation or trial in the past. At the very least, he was an accomplice. Seeing his brother go through the wringer yet again while being unable to help was galling.
And yet, not all of the last few weeks had been wasted. After his release from the hospital there had been a period when he had been on leave from any work whatsoever, and he had spent much of it at the Estate, clearing out dust and old memories. He’d even spent some time with Elle Callahan which wasn’t work related for either of them. He had found that more enjoyable than he’d initially thought.
He entered the pub, dust-streaked and worn from his day’s labour. It required a great deal more work than he’d initially expected to clean the immense library, and that wasn’t helped by the books that had grabbed his attention while he worked. Alex took the back corner table that he was accustomed to and ordered a beer. He had no plans for the night, but he knew his brother often came here in the evenings, and he hoped to find him.
Hopefully Curse would show up soon.
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Post by Curse Kameren on Oct 8, 2011 22:53:36 GMT -5
"Where have you been?"
Curse Kameren looked flustered, dropping his bookbag by the door as he entered the auror offices. He looked up at Karen, running a hand through his hair worriedly. "Sorry, I meant to be on time but Ari's sick again." He took a seat across from the Head of Department's; at least once weekly, he was spending time at the Ministry working on his defense. Being on trial again was almost like working at the Ministry again. Hopefully they'd be able to keep him out of Azkaban this time around. "I kept an eye on her class until she was fit to teach."
"Poor thing, what does she have?" Karen took her seat behind her desk, her words sincere though her face was stoic. She flipped through Curse's files, coming to a stop at one and writing notes in the margins.
"Some kind of stomach flu, or something." Curse shrugged. "It's been going on nearly a week and a half now, every morning she has these bouts of sickness."
"Every morning..." Karen's eyes didn't glance up at her Junior, but it was obvious she was thinking of something. "Kris, do you remember between Caulfield's murder and when I took you on? I was sick?"
"Yes..." Curse's eyes rolled upwards towards the ceiling as he recalled, crossing his arms as he sat in the chair. How was this relevant?
"I was sick every day for a while, and then I found out I was pregnant with Danny."
"Yes, I remember."
Karen looked up at him pointedly. Curse stared back blankly, obviously not getting the insinuation. She sighed, tossing her quill aside and resting her head on her hand. "Best mind of his generation and he still doesn't get it. I was sick because I was pregnant."
Curse arched a brow at Karen. "Karen, what - " His face froze in a surprised 'o' as he suddenly understood. "You think Ari..."
"Congratulations," Karen rolled her eyes before looking back down at her paper.
.. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Curse needed a drink.
It had been a very, very long day. After helping with his defense at the Ministry, Curse left in a bit of a panic. Was Ari pregnant? If she was, what were they going to do? Obviously they'd be having the child, but would it affect the wedding? Not like Curse didn't have experience with having a child outside of marriage. Would Curse be able to provide for another child? What about further in the future, when he was gone? If they were having a child, he would have another loved one he would be leaving behind far too soon. Another loved one who could be put in harm's way if he wanted to stand and fight. How was he going to balance his growing family with his dark past? It brought tough questions to light for him, and his head was spinning by the time he let himself into the Three Broomsticks.
"Oi, Kameren. What you havin'?" The new barkeep raised his eyes from where he was polishing glasses, smiling at the professor in greeting. He found Curse's intolerance for alcohol hilarious. "Water, tea..."
"Firewhiskey." The barkeep sent Curse a wary look before getting him his ordered drink. The burn in his throat felt just right as he took a deep gulp of the drink. He would be sick right beside Arianna tomorrow. He hadn't told her what Karen said when he returned to Hogwarts, he was still a bit shocked by the realization himself.
Curse took his drink and turned his back to the bar, his sharp emerald eyes falling to another tall figure in the back corner. HIs curiosity overtook his worry for a moment. He took his drink in hand and crossed the bar, coming to sit next to his younger brother with a curious brow arched. "How've you been, Alex? What brings you to the broomsticks?"
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Post by Alex Kameren on Oct 9, 2011 2:28:44 GMT -5
There he was, as expected. Alex had no idea why his brother would prefer travelling to the Broomsticks instead of staying safely inside his quarters at the castle, but the fact remained that he did, and at least it made it easy to find him. Alex wasn’t all that enthusiastic about returning to Hogwarts. Those hadn’t been some of his best years.
"How've you been, Alex? What brings you to the broomsticks?"
Instead of answering, Alex matched Curse look for look with a curious one of his own. “Firewhiskey?” He knew it didn’t mix well with Curse’s medication. He was usually careful to avoid alcohol now, so seeing him with a drink in hand surprised Alex.
“Thought I’d find you here.” Alex said in short explanation, taking a drink. “I thought I might come by.”
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Post by Curse Kameren on Oct 9, 2011 19:21:07 GMT -5
“Firewhiskey?”
Curse took a cigarette out of his breast pocket on his jacket, lighting the end with his thumb. "Rough day." He didn't elaborate, and didn't invite Alex to ask. They'd probably come to the subject sooner or later, but Curse didn't want to talk about it just yet. He still needed to inform Alex about being Best Man, which he knew was going to be a chore to get him to agree to.
“Thought I’d find you here.” Alex said in short explanation, taking a drink. “I thought I might come by.”
"What ever for?" Curse asked, blowing smoke with the words, though out in the open window's direction away from his brother. Better to make the effort not to bother Alex with the smoke, than to get a disapproving look for the action to start with. Like he didn't get enough disapproving looks from his brother. "I hear you're cleaning out the Kameren Estate. Preparing to take your rightful place as head of the Kameren Bloodline?" Curse's voice turned deep and pompous at the end of the sentence, mimicking Cedric's. He leaned back in his chair with a content smirk, taking another sip of his drink. He'd missed firewhiskey, more for the taste than the alcohol.
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Post by Alex Kameren on Oct 10, 2011 21:19:32 GMT -5
"Rough day."
His day had undoubtedly been rougher than Alex’s, so Alex said nothing, merely shifting to a more comfortable position. Alex’s day had been rather long, and he hadn’t eaten since a little before noon, but it wasn’t a particularly taxing day. Curse looked like he’d been run through a wringer after being made into chop suey.
"What ever for?"
“Usually when we see each other some sort of disaster is at hand.” Alex pointed out, raising an eyebrow at his brother. If he hadn’t eaten since noon, when did Curse eat last? He snagged a waitress and ordered a meal. “You hungry?”
“No disasters this time, though.” At least, so he hoped. It had become a rather alarming trend, and he had no intentions for the evening other than to sit here and enjoy his beer and dinner. Conversation with Curse was easy, they had similar views on life, and neither felt overly burdened to fill the time with chatter. Alex could do without chatter.
“I hear you're cleaning out the Kameren Estate. Preparing to take your rightful place as head of the Kameren Bloodline?"
If Alex had been possessing of a more playful nature, he would have swatted his brother. As it was he shrugged, leaning comfortably against the back of his chair. He wasn’t too sure on his own motives even now, but it seemed the right thing to do. Now that Cedric was gone… He shot a sudden look at Curse.
“How’d you hear that?”
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Post by Curse Kameren on Oct 10, 2011 22:42:05 GMT -5
“Usually when we see each other some sort of disaster is at hand.”
Curse chuckled, but there was an edge of uneasiness to his mirth that was only compounded by the rather generous gulp of firewhiskey he took afterwards. Having another child definitely wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't something Curse had seen coming. It wasn't something he was equipped to take lightly, and though he did already have a child the idea of Arianna being pregnant made him feel like a new parent. He had met Max eight years after he was born, after all; he hadn't experienced pregnancy and taking care of a newborn before. With Arianna, as well. Were they ready for the commitment raising children would take?
“You hungry?”
"I had dinner at Hogwarts." Curse took a pull from his cigarette, quietly thanking the waitress as she turned away with Alex's order. He had sat with Arianna at the staff table during dinner, trying to help her as best he could as she fought to keep her dinner down. Max had approached the table as well to check up on his aunt, telling Curse about his studies in the process. It had been a struggle for Curse not to voice his worries to his small family at dinner.
“No disasters this time, though.”
"Yeah." Curse agreed sheepishly, and a lull in the conversation fell between the two. Curse was the one to break the silence, leaning back with his half-spent cigarette. “I hear you're cleaning out the Kameren Estate. Preparing to take your rightful place as head of the Kameren Bloodline?"
"How’d you hear that?”
Curse shrugged, meeting his brother's green gaze quizzically. "Heard mutterings about activity at the Kameren Estate, so I apparated there to check it out a few days ago. I noticed the place was being cleaned, so I figured it was either you or house-elves." Curse frowned, shrugging simply and pausing for a sip of his drink, "Have you thought about putting a Fidelius Charm on the Estate? Might keep wandering eyes from watching. The pure-bloods will be especially interested since Cedric's passing."
"Oh, and you're my best man for the wedding in December." Curse tried to tack the last bit of information on non-chalantly, in an attempt to keep Alex from turning it down.
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Post by Alex Kameren on Oct 13, 2011 20:58:57 GMT -5
Curse shrugged, meeting his brother's green gaze quizzically. "Heard mutterings about activity at the Kameren Estate, so I apparated there to check it out a few days ago. I noticed the place was being cleaned, so I figured it was either you or house-elves." Curse frowned, shrugging simply and pausing for a sip of his drink, "Have you thought about putting a Fidelius Charm on the Estate? Might keep wandering eyes from watching. The pure-bloods will be especially interested since Cedric's passing."
Alex dismissed it with a shrug. He honestly couldn’t care less about the purebloods and their opinions. Whether or not he was cleaning out the Estate wasn’t exactly some huge secret anyways. “I… don’t see why. Its not like I’m host.. ing wild parties or plotting the downfall of the wizarding world.” Hiding something the size of the Kameren Estate would be quite the trick too. It would call for large amounts of magic. He took another drink as his stomach rumbled.
"Oh, and you're my best man for the wedding in December."
“What!?” It was said nonchalantly, quickly, as if trying to slip by Alex’s defenses. However his brother’s tactic failed and Alex choked on his drink. He coughed to clear his throat, his voice hoarse. “Wedding?”
Best man? Wedding?
Just when he thought his night might remain uninteresting.
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Post by Curse Kameren on Oct 13, 2011 21:35:10 GMT -5
“Wedding?”
"Shit, I forgot to tell you didn't I?" Curse pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing out smoke as he did. He was already quite annoyed with having to tell everyone about their engagement; as least Arianna had the ring to tell people non-verbally. "The night Mosrael attacked, Ari and I got engaged. The wedding's in December. You're my best man, and no, you don't get a say in the matter."
Curse took a sip of his firewhiskey, meeting his brother's eyes non-chalantly. Putting Alex into any kind of situation that surprised him pleased Curse. Getting a reaction out of him was amusing anytime. What if he told Alex about the nagging suspicion he'd had all day? What would he think? Would he think they were only getting married because they were having a child? In all honesty, Curse was scared. He didn't know what was going to happen next.
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Post by Alex Kameren on Oct 15, 2011 15:57:12 GMT -5
"Shit, I forgot to tell you didn't I?" Curse pinched the bridge of his nose, breathing out smoke as he did. He was already quite annoyed with having to tell everyone about their engagement; as least Arianna had the ring to tell people non-verbally. "The night Mosrael attacked, Ari and I got engaged. The wedding's in December. You're my best man, and no, you don't get a say in the matter."
“Of course I don’t.” Alex said wryly, putting down his glass. Of course they were getting married, how could he not have seen it earlier? Although in his defense he hadn’t seen it coming the last time they got engaged. He was just as surprised to hear when they had gotten engaged. Curse had been close to the edge then, far closer than when Ari had run away the last time. Perhaps it was time to think again about trusting her.
“Er, congratulations.” It was awkward, but offered genuinely. He was happy for his brother, but he was not good at this, dammit!
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