|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on Apr 21, 2011 21:40:29 GMT -5
Curse Kameren looked around carefully before he stepped into the phone booth on a quiet London street, tapping 6-2-4-4-2 into the number pad. He glanced out the windows once more; Max's mum, Amelia, seemed rather suspicious of his 'business' he mentioned when he dropped off their son, and he wouldn't put her above spying on him. He hadn't told her about the Wizarding World yet, and this would be a bloody awful way to have to explain it.
"Name Please?"
"David Smith," Curse replied into the phone's automatic messaging system, "Researcher, Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
He waited while the phone verified. Merlin, he hated using the Muggle entrance. It always took ages. "... Confirmed." He sighed as the platform started to move down at a snail's pace.
"Finally," He muttered to himself as the platform locked on the Ministry's main floor and the glass walls casing him in vanished. He headed toward the lifts, up towards level nine -- The Department of Mysteries.
Curse hurried through the department towards the filing offices. He was in a bit of a rush today; lots of papers to grade. He was going to take advantage of his kid-free weekend by getting work done. Well, hopefully. No weekend was kid-free at Hogwarts.
"Lo," He sighed, smiling crookedly at the filing clerk. The clerk nodded curtly at him. The workers at the Department of Mysteries were always so cheery. He swung his backpack off his shoulders, opening it and shuffling through it. He piled a few papers on the clerk's counter while he searched.
"Are these them...?" The clerk arched a brow at the professor as he grabbed for the papers.
"Nope." Curse didn't look up at the clerk as he shuffled through his papers. "Those are fourth-year papers on adhesive potions. You can take them if you really want them though." He shrugged, frowning as he kept fishing through it. "I can't bloody--AH! There they are." He grinned as he handed the thick stack of papers over; the pile of research was even larger than the pile of papers. "There you go. If this place paid by the page I'd make a bloody fortune."
The clerk was not amused by his joke. "I'll go get your check."
"Sounds lovely," He replied as he shoved the students' papers back in his backpack. Curse sat impatiently as the clerk walked away. He stood up, sighing as stepped outside the cubicle and leaned on the wall.
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on Apr 21, 2011 22:18:05 GMT -5
Arianna had not been back in England for very long but she already loved her job. The information available to her in the department of mysteries was more than she had imagined. There was so much she could spend her entire life studying the contents of the department and still know only a sliver of it. Not that she had the clearance level to know everything. Still, she had access to enough at the moment.
With a small, pleasant smile on her face she made her way to the clerks area to drop off her completed reading materials and reports. As usual her arms were clutched around a stack of books and papers neatly clipped together. She did not trust her wand to deliver these precious (to her) documents safely. The worn parchment contained rare information on their long dead ancestors. Carefully she entered the maze of small cubicles of the clerks office. She turned a corner and nearly tripped over a stretched out leg. Only a few books and paper clumps fell but she was a little peeved. This was the second time in less than a month she nearly destroyed books because of tripping over someone else.
"You shouldn't...." Her gentle rebuke stalled in her throat at her brown eyes stared at the face of Curse Kameren. She couldn't move, her mouth formed a little oh, her eyes wide. A coldness spread through out her body. Her busy mind stilled, not even thinking that she should be thinking of what to do. She'd scolded herself when she had dreamed of this moment, the different various scenarios having played out in her dreams.
"Hi." She managed to say in a soft, breathy voice. Her body suddenly began working again, and she fidgeted, a flush warming her neck. What was he doing here? One of their old friends said he didn't work at the Ministry any more. He was obviously healthier but it wasn't like she could ask him if he still heard voices. She blocked out the memories of the day he held her against the wall. The only time he had ever hit her. Did he regret that day? Or did he still think she was a Italian spy? A small, smarter part of her, told her to walk away. Ignore him. It would be the safe thing to do. But she was tired of running. She shouldn't have to live in another country just because they broke up.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on Apr 21, 2011 23:22:52 GMT -5
Curse sighed as he waited for the clerk, dripping his backpack on the ground next to him. "He's really taking his sweet time with that bloody check," the ex-auror grumbled to himself, pushing himself off the wall and taking a step towards the cubicle. He collided with another Ministry worker, stumbling back against the wall as she fell to the floor.
"Oh, sorry--"
"You shouldn't...."
They both stopped. Curse froze as his gaze locked on to her black eyes. Those black eyes. He couldn't breathe all of a sudden. He felt like his heart was in his throat. His mind was blank; no papers, no anything. Just her. How was she here? Why? This couldn't be happening, this couldn't be real. He was hallucinating. For Merlin's sake, he was at Mungo's yesterday and he was fine. Snap out of it Curse, come on! Move, for Merlin's sake!
Curse kneeled down onto the floor, picking up the things she'd dropped for her and holding them out to her. His ears suddenly flushed red when he realized he still had his engagement ring on his finger. He quickly gave her her things and shoved his hands in his pockets. Uggh, he couldn't do anything right.
The ex-auror was white as a sheet; this was the one person who truly terrified him. He didn't know what to do. Should he apologize? He wouldn't know what to say, he didn't even know what he did. Should he ask her how she is? Would that be too nosy? Could he tell her he misses her? His head buzzed with thoughts, all circling around those black eyes that stared up at him with as much shock as he reflected. He opened his mouth and nothing came out.
"Hi."
"Ah--" Get it together, Curse "Hey." His eyes fell to the floor as he snatched up his bag and started fidgeting with it. He was still dumbstruck. He opened his mouth to speak, but stumbled again. The potions master closed his eyes, letting out a breath to try to compose himself. It didn't work. "Ari--Wha--?" He stumbled over his words again. God, she probably thought he was even more of a madman than when she left.
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on Apr 23, 2011 15:36:28 GMT -5
Fate was obviously having a hearty laugh today. Here, Arianna was thinking that she was safe. After all she was tucked away in one of the supposedly most protected areas of the magical relm where very few entered. Sure, she was in one of the more general areas of the department but even here no one was here by chance. For a second, Arianna wondered if Curse was a ministry test subject. She wouldn't put it past some wizards to want to dissect his magical abilities and attempt to recreate them in another person, or animal. Curse Kameren had a rare magical talent and it benefited the ministry greatly to uncover his secrets. Despite his loyal, protective nature he was dangerous. She'd learned that the hard way.
Awkwardly, Arianna stood there, her mind and body frozen before launching into hyper mode. She fumbled slightly, as she took the papers he had gathered for her. Warily she watched as he approached her, subconsciously aware that he might very well be insane. A frown pulled at her pink lips as she watched him rapidly pull away from her stuffing his hands in his pockets. he was acting as if she were the diseased one, the crazy ex-fiance that would, out of nowhere, turn into a banshee trying to bite his flesh. Or turn him into a zombie by touching him. A part of her brain laughed, of the two of them it should be she who was scared. Still, she would not run away. She would get through this encounter and prove to him that she was no longer in love with him. She was an adult who was very much stable and confident. Not that meek little twit he'd met in the Leaky Cauldron. She could take care of herself now.
If Arianna wasn't so nice or nervous she would have burst out into laughter. The great Curse Kameren could barely speak. She was about to tease him about his inability to string a sentence together when a through ran across her mind. What if he lost the ability to speak properly? Perhaps the illness that had changed him destroyed his ability to talk without a stutter. Compassion flowed through Ari, even though she wanted to remain angry. She could not feel for him again. That road only led to disaster.
Cooly, she tried to keep her distance. "What am i doing here?" She asked, hoping she sounded cool and aloof.
"I'm a researcher here. Still working for the aurors?" She asked politely, even though she was deadly curious. She had heard he'd been forced to retire but the gossips wouldn't tell her much, Curse Kameren was old news. She was several years to late to pick up really juicy gossip and her coworkers weren't really the social type.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on Apr 24, 2011 1:15:07 GMT -5
This situation was a disaster. A wonderful disaster, but none the less awful. Just seeing her again was enough for him, though he could tell by the frown on her lips that the feeling wasn't particularly mutual. He let out a sigh as his shock started to fade; he tried to smile, but he couldn't tell if his face responded to him. He still felt numb. He crossed his arms as he leaned on the wall, casually but carefully making sure to cover the finger that still had his ring. It would be utterly mortifying if she noticed he still had it.
"What am i doing here?"
"Yeah," the tips of his ears turned hot red again and he glanced down. He was such an idiot. Around everyone else he was fine. Intimidating. Powerful, even. Somehow, Arianna Blackthorn turned him easily into a pile of mush.
"I'm a researcher here. Still working for the aurors?"
He shrugged, still keeping his eyes on the floor. He wanted to keep his ability to speak, after all. "Not really, just consulting. After I finished treatment I went back to muggle university for my DSc, and now I teach." He tried to shrug his treatment off non-chalantly, doing his best to impress her without looking like he was trying to impress her. He was sane now, was what he mainly wanted to communicate. He had gotten help. She didn't have to look at him like he was a monster, like she was now. God, he wished he knew what he'd done to her.
The professor ran a hand through his white-and-brown patched hair, looking down the hall for the clerk. Where was he with his check? Would this awkward situation never end? "So, What brought you back to England? I heard a little about those Anglo-Saxon ruins they found under Cambridge..." He trailed off, unsure what else to say. He didn't think he wanted to talk to her about his illness, but he knew for sure he didn't want to stop talking to her.
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on Apr 24, 2011 10:46:19 GMT -5
A bit restless, Arianna shifted her weight from foot to foot. Confusion washed over her as what seemed like a thousand different emotions waged war. Standing in front of Curse, it was hard not to feel something for the man. It had been foolish, but she had loved him. Did she still love him? She wasn't entirely sure what the answer was. A part yes, but they were different people now. Arianna gazed at him from underneath thick mascara thick eyelashes, her head titled slightly. He was as tall and lanky as ever, pale too but his eyes had lost the hallowed, haunted look that had consumed them the weeks before she left.
Her keen mind picked up on the word treatment and she smiled encouragingly in response. It was a small twist of her lips but she was glad he had finally seeked help. What had caused him to get aid he had refused when she offered? Did her leaving finally convince him that he had lost his grip on reality. Where had he gone for treatment? Was he keeping to his medication. Arianna couldn't help but remember her mother when she had forgone her meds. It was a disaster.
"Congratulations," She said softly, her attempt at being entirely aloof failing. Arianna wasn't a cold person. She was still distant, hesitant and mistrustful but she was genuinely happy for him. After his little sanity revelation Arianna tried to meet his gaze, directly for the first time but he refused to look at her. What was so interesting about the ground? It irked her that he wouldn't talk to her directly but she shoved it aside and just kept staring at him, willing him to look at her. She wasn't going to back down. Not anymore.
"Where do you teach?" thinking that it could have been the muggle world, she was curious.
"Actually, I was brought in to head that project. They've found some magical runes among a few artifacts. It might possibly be the oldest find in England. It's..." She abruptly broke off, realizing she was about to launch in to a very animated discussion about things normal humans thought very boring. She shrugged slightly, "I won't bore you with the details, but it's one of my many projects."
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on Apr 24, 2011 19:46:32 GMT -5
"Congratulations,"
"Thanks," He smiled sheepishly, his eyes staying on the ground. He could tell in her voice that she was genuinely happy for him. He remembered that she had begged him to enter treatment when his hallucinations started and he had refused. She should have just made him go; they might not have been in this awkward situation now. Arianna wasn't in the business of helping people change, however. At first he had liked that quality in her, but there were times when it was respectful not to interfere and times where it was irresponsible.
"Where do you teach?"
"Oh, Hogwarts." He glanced up for a minute, keeping her stare for a minute before breaking eye contact again. "Potions. They offered me DADA, but I figured it was probably too soon." He shrugged, looking around for the clerk with his check. The clerk had probably seen them and turned back; Curse was one of the Ministry's main subjects of gossip, so naturally everyone knew about he and Arianna. He wondered if Arianna knew half the Ministry knew about their business. He decided not to ask her.
"So, What brought you back to England? I heard a little about those Anglo-Saxon ruins they found under Cambridge..."
"Actually, I was brought in to head that project. They've found some magical runes among a few artifacts. It might possibly be the oldest find in England. It's..." Curse laughed lightly as she broke off her rambling. They would do that to each other often, he remembered fondly; they would get so wrapped up in their respective subjects that they would just blurt to each other as soon as asked. It had always been something he loved about Ari; she was so passionate about what she did. "I won't bore you with the details, but it's one of my many projects."
"I don't mind," He smiled lightly, shrugging as he dropped his backpack back on the ground. He would stake out that damned clerk if he had to. "I'm doing some physics lectures over at... umm, Cambridge University, actually." He frowned slightly, thinking about that. Ari probably wouldn't be pleased about more opportunities to run into her insane ex-fiance. He suddenly felt uncomfortable as an awkward silence filled in between them.
"Ari," He sighed, crossing his arms. His brow furrowed. "Could we get lunch or coffee or something sometime? Not in a date way, obviously. Just, we need to talk about some things." He met her eyes now, not backing down. There were things he needed to hear from her, and there were things he needed to tell her. She had left too many questions when she left him, and he needed some closure. Also, he needed to tell her about Max; she had already left by the time Amelia came around, and Curse didn't want Ari hearing about his son from someone else. She was still important to him after all, and he didn't want to disrespect her. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
|
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on Apr 24, 2011 20:16:22 GMT -5
For just a second, she wished he'd look at her. This weirdness between them kept pushing at her and it was very uncomfortable. The thing she had liked about being with him was that for once there was no strangeness. She had found someone that was smarter than her, someone who not only could speak with her about everyday things but could so ramble on about scientific or historical incidents without lying or being bored. The simplistic easiness they had was shattered, parts were there but the wholeness was absent. She missed that. But she knew better than to get involved with him romantically again. He probably didn't even want to date her again. She had hurt him too. She hadn't even bothered to leave a note. Hadn't thought he'd noticed. Besides if he had been sane enough to find the ring, it would have been answer enough. She had to escape before she had lost herself.
"Where do you teach?"
"Oh, Hogwarts."
A slightly shaggy eyebrow raised up, nearly disappearing under her side-swept bangs. She was glad that he had his problems under control enough to get a job with students. She hadn't thought he'd go the teacher route, not at Hogwarts but was glad that he had. Being an auror was far too taxing on him. He probably wouldn't have gotten so ill if he hadn't been doing that stupid job.
His laugh warmed her slightly and she couldn't help but smile slightly. He had the warmest laugh. Slightly rusty but genuinely sweet. For a second time rewound and they were laughing in the hallway of their apartment just enjoying each other. Then it was gone and they were back to being not quite enemies but not friends. An in-between filled with long stretches of uncomfortable silences and yesterdays. the coward inside wanted to dash around the corner and forget she ever saw him. Life would have been so much easier if they had never met. But then life would have also been emptier. She'd been to focused on her studies before she met him. Had never wanted to do anything but read, uncover the latest fast. It was work, work work. Now? she still worked like crazy, especially now that she was in charge of her own project but she had made room for more interests in her life.
"I'm doing some physics lectures over at... umm, Cambridge University, actually."
her traitorous stomach gave a little excited hop at the thought of accidentally running into Curse. The rational, not in love with Curse, or thinking about the possibility, side of her called it nerves because she was scared, not wanting to run into him.
"It's a large school and most of my work will be done at night, in case I need to use my wand." She said softly, reassuring him and herself that there was no need to panic, they would probably not see each other at all.
"Could we get lunch or coffee or something sometime? Not in a date way, obviously. Just, we need to talk about some things."
Arianna stared at him, her eyes wide as they stared in his serious orbs. It would be dangerous to meet with him like that, too much like the past, a part of her cried. Another part of herself laughed, pointing out it was just a meal and they really did need to talk. She glanced away first knowing that she had to say yes eventually. But she wasn't ready. Not yet.
"I'm still settling in," she said meeting his gaze, "coffee in a few weeks?" by then she'd be ready. She'd harden that silly part of her that might entertain the idea of getting back with him.
|
|
|
|
Post by Curse Kameren on Apr 24, 2011 21:58:19 GMT -5
"I'm still settling in," she said meeting his gaze, "coffee in a few weeks?" "Sure," he said, his crooked smile breaking across his face for a moment. By the initial look on her face he was expecting to be turned down. He knew it might very well be just as awkward at this was, but at least she had agreed to see him. Don't get ahead of yourself, he told himself. Things were far from what it used to be between them. He hoped time would mend that somehow. Arianna had been Curse's closest friend; even though he was sure there wasn't hope for them getting back together, he wanted to have that friendship again. Though he wouldn't admit it, he-- do do dooooo..."Sorry, phone." Curse frowned as the familiar sound of his muggle cell phone went off in his pocket. He took it out and flipped it open, looking apologetically at Ari as he answered. "Hello?" "What in God's name have you told my son?" " Your so--" He glanced at Ari for a second, cutting himself off. He didn't want to tell her about Max just yet. "Amy, what the hell are you talking--" "Don't give me that, you psycho bastard. Dragons? Potions? Where the hell have you been taking him? Is this some kind of drug thing? I told you you couldn't bloody smoke around him--" "And I haven't. Amelia, calm down. I'll be there in a minute. Tell him I said to do the invisible thing, that should hold you over until I can explain." "What--" Snap. Curse let out an exasperated sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. "This is not what I need right now," He growled, stuffing the phone in his pocket and picking up his backpack full of student papers. He glanced at Ari one more time, quick coming up with an excuse for the yelling voice from the phone. "Student emergency. Better get back." He met her eyes, smiling warmly at her in a way that reminded him of old times. Better times. "It was good to see you, Ari." There was the utmost sincerity in his voice as he slowly turned to go, quick pointing his finger at the clerk's cubicle and flashing a blue bolt of light. The light etched words into the wall of the cubicle: You owe me a check. -C.He didn't stop to look at his spell as he went, just hurried out of the building with restless thoughts of Arianna on his mind. ooc: exit Curse. Was a short but sweet rp. =) p.s. yes, Curse's ringtone is the doctor who theme. I went there. lol |
|
|
|
Post by Arianna Blackthorn on Apr 24, 2011 22:16:51 GMT -5
It was that bright, crooked smile that melted Arianna every time. For a second her breath was gone, then replaced by a bitter loneliness. If only he hadn't gone crazy. If only she had stayed...If Only...
'this is stupid.' she told her self firmly. She could and would not stand her pining over her old life with Curse. Things happened for a reason. They'd probably have killed each other by now...Bad train of of thought. It wasn't a good idea to think about Curse in that romantic way. She was past him. Sure she missed what they had but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been. She'd mourned for him already. She accepted that fact.
Arianna had opened her mouth to spit out some mundane dribble about how nice it would be to catch up and that they should just be friends when a strange sound emanated from his pants. Curse pulled out a small muggle cell phone. Surprise but not shock appeared on Ari's face how did he get that contraption to work in the magical realm? Most muggle devices went berserk near magic. Curiosity blatantly written over her face, she watch amused as he talked into the thing as if he were in a muggle building. Who was he talking to? It wasn't a Hogwarts mum, they'd have used owls. Was he dating a muggle woman? Why did she care anyways? It wasn't as if Curse was out of control and the female populace had to be on alert.
She didn't believe his lie a bit, there was something more too it but she was too caught up in his smile to call him out. She chuckled when he etched a message in the clerks desk. Served the man right. Reluctantly Arianna, turned to not watch Curse walk away. She would resist the view. Shoulders squared she continued on her way through the department, aware of all the heads quickly disappearing behind papers and walls. There goes her theory that no one remembered Curse Kameren.
|
|
