Post by Rowena Jones on Oct 28, 2017 20:08:37 GMT -5
DAY ONE
He was gone. Rowena sighed as she turned to leave, taking the lift alone, and choosing to exit via the street rather than go back to an empty house. She wandered the streets for a while, just giving herself time to think about everything. Anything. Merlin. So much had happened, so much had changed, least of all her relationship status. And she supposed more would change again when Max came back with what she hoped would be good news. She caught sight of the pumpkins and fake spider webs in the shop fronts and smiled despite herself. Rather like her love for fantasy books, she had a special fondness for Halloween, amused at the Muggle depictions of witches and all sorts of magical things that actually often lived right by them.She was roused from her musings when the skies opened as they were wont to do at this time of year, and the rain poured down in a heavy torrent that quickly soaked through the clothes she had chosen. Rowena hadn’t really planned on being outside, had thought she’d go straight home and had dressed for that occasion. Now, drenched in cold water and with Octobers bitter wind blowing about her, it seemed the weather was forcing her home regardless of how little she wanted to be alone.
The witch hurried to a suitable apparition spot away from prying Muggle eyes and with a quick pop! returned to the quiet hallway of her house. She was allowed all of two seconds respite, which she used to drip a large puddle around her feet, before she was greeted with the usual mob of her two large Maine Coons. She laughed at their looks of disgust at her wet state. “I agree, I should get changed,” she said out loud in an attempt to make the house seem less empty. It was odd that it had never bothered her before Max. That she had such a large place for one person had never really registered, but having had anothers presence become such a part of her routine had really changed the feel of it.
Her mood down again, Rowena trudged up the stairs, when she heard the telltale sound of her phone buzzing. A message. Max? They’d agreed to only talk later that day, once he got his bearings and had a bit more of an idea of what he’d portkeyed into. The witch took her phone out from her bag, which luckily she’d waterproofed a long time ago, and glanced at the screen.
Hey darling. Have lunch with me today. Convent Garden, midday? Please say yes.
Not Max. Rosalie. It maybe didn’t do much to fix her moping heart, but it did bring a smile to her face. Lunch with Rosie sounded like the perfect remedy for absent boyfriend blues. She typed in a quick YES YES YES! before actually looking at the time. She’d been wandering the streets of Muggle London for longer than she’d thought. She had just enough time to change out of her wet clothes and make herself look a little more presentable.
That done, Rowena grabbed her phone and the mirror and put them into a small bag before shooing the cats out of her bedroom and closing the door behind her. Grey scarf and gloves and ankle boots should be enough to keep her warm she figured but she cast a quick warming charm on herself all the same.
And then it was 11:55 and she apparated to the closest apparition point, before blending into the Muggle crowd. A couple of texts later and she finally found Rosie waving at her from beside a woman painted all in gold who was startling passersby when she suddenly moved. Rowena hurried over, laughing as Rosie enveloped her in a hug.
“So glad you said yes Rowie. I really wanted a chat without that brother of mine dominating the conversation. Now we can have a proper catch up,” she greeted and Rowena grinned in reply. “I was thinking Chez Antoinette. But we can go somewhere else if you’d prefer?”
“No that sounds perfect. I love their chocolate cake. And I can’t wait to hear more about your life in Italy. I’m rather jealous.” Rowena said as the pair walked in the direction of the Tartinerie.
They sat, ordering their food, before spending the next few hours chattering away about their missing years. If Rowena had thought seeing Michael after all these years had been great, catching up with Rosie was even better. There was just something about gossiping with another girl that made Rowena relax. It was only when her phone buzzed that they paused for breath and Rowena apologized as she checked the screen. Now?
“I just need to say hi to Max for one second,” she explained, pulling out the mirror and grinning when she saw her boyfriend’s face looking back at her. Luckily they were in a quiet corner of the restaurant and Rosie shifted helpfully to hide Rowena from view.
“Hey, I can’t really talk right now,” she said. “Just wanted to let you know I’m still ok. Told you I’d be fine.” Rowena stuck her tongue out at him playfully, “But can we do this again later? I want to talk properly and hear all about your day.”
She smiled as Max agreed, before putting the mirror away and looking back at Rosie, unable to wipe the happy smile off her face. “Oh he must be very special indeed to have you looking like that after only a minute,” Rosie teased, laughing at Rowena’s blush. “That was pretty cool though. Two way mirrors? How do you know when to look at it?”
Rowena hummed an affirmative reply, before taking a sip of her lemonade. She blinked at the sharp taste before glancing at her phone. “Text first. We just wanted to be able to see each other while he’s away and text is all we can manage where he is,” she explained.
“That’s sweet. So spill. Tell me everything about him. How did you guys meet?”
Rowena laughed, waving away her friend’s questions. “Oh no. Not so fast. You got married. And divorced. You definitely have the better story.”
Rosie conceded on that point and over chocolate cake, proceeded to regale Rowena with that tale. From there, the conversation devolved to several random topics as conversation is wont to do. It was only when she glanced outside and she noticed how dark the sky was getting, that Rowena realised they’d been talking for hours.
“Oops. We should probably leave before they get mad at us for stealing a table the whole day,” she joked, putting down enough money to pay for both their meals. She waved away Rosie’s protests. “Want to come back to mine? I feel like there’s still a lot more you haven’t told me.” The other witch nodded and Rowena remembered too late about the Fidelius Charm but it would be awkward to go back on her offer, plus, she still did think Max had been paranoid. They walked to the apparition point and she took Rosie’s hand, turning on her heel to take them back to her home.
“Make yourself at home,” Rowena said nodding towards the sitting room as she walked towards her kitchen. “Do you want water, wine, juice…? Or I’m sure I can find something else if you want it?” Rowena asked, shooing the cats out and towards the other room.
“Water’s fine!” Rosie yelled her reply as she studied the numerous books lining the walls. “Merlin’s balls Rowie. You can’t say you’ve actually read all these?!”
Rowena appeared in the archway with a laugh and two glasses and a jug of water floating by her. “Actually, I have,” she admitted, frowning as her cats refused to go and sit next to Rosie. Odd. They usually loved new people. The witch shrugged, pouring a glass for her friend and continuing the conversation, though this time, Rosie ensured that Rowena gave a thorough retelling of her relationship with Max.
By half seven Rowena’s voice felt a little hoarse and she coughed, looking bashfully at the other witch, who stood with a stretch. “I should get home anyway. Michael is probably having a fit by now. He hates it when I don’t tell him what I’m doing,” Rosie giggled. “I swear he acts more like my father than my brother most of the time. Can I come by tomorrow though? There’s something I want to talk to you about. Didn’t want to ruin the mood today, but after hearing about everything that’s been happening to you… well I think you should hear it.”
Rowena started. “Well you can’t say something like that and expect me to wait until tomorrow,” she said indignantly but then she felt her phone buzz and she bit her lip. It would be getting late for Max… “Fine. Tomorrow. First thing,” she said with a playful glare. “Oh, but you’ll need to be able to get through the wards. And here,” Rowena scribbled out her address, passing her the note before keying her in to the wards.
“I promise Rowie. I’ll tell you it all tomorrow,” Rosie said with an amused glint in her eyes. Another hug and then she left with a pop. Rowena fell back into the sofa with a tired sigh, before pulling out her phone to message Max and then look into the mirror.
“Hey you,” she said happily, “How was it?”