Not a Date [Michael]

[Rowena Jones]

Rowena had chosen the Italian because it seemed like a good compromise. She knew Michael expected a certain level of sophistication, had been the same once upon a time, but she also didn’t want him to think this was a date. It was just dinner between friends. She’d wanted something more casual but Andina which was her favourite go to restaurant, well it had memories now. If she was going to go to the Peruvian restaurant again, then she wanted to go with Max to erase her idiotic dramatic exit on what had been an otherwise lovely date.

Michael had also insisted on a Wizarding establishment which had eliminated the rest of her usual choices. She enjoyed Italian food and if she was being honest, she'd just picked the first one that had semi-decent ratings.

It was only on entering the restaurant that she realised her mistake. Why had the reviews not mentioned how stupidly romantic this place was?! The whole room was lit with floating candles, roses were on every table and there was a piano playing soft mood music in the corner. Shit. Rowena turned to leave, she'd make an excuse and find a different place for the next day. She couldn't meet Michael here!

But of course the universe hated her and she turned right into the man in question. "Michael! Hi!" she said flustered.

[Rowena Jones]

Michael had been pleasantly amused at Rowena's suggestion, though he suspected she didn't fully know what she'd chosen for their dinner date, sorry meeting. The witch had been very clear that this was not a date, the memory of which brought another chuckle to his lips. Maybe not today, but soon. He crack the stubborn woman's resolve. She could only pine over that idiotic Kameren for so long when faced with the obviously superior choice.

So it was with a confident strut that Michael walked into Momenti, only to be almost bowled over by the half of his dinner party as she tried to leave. He grabbed her gently by the arms to steady her, raising an amused eyebrow at her flustered appaearance.

"Michael! Hi!"

"Hi Rowie," he replied, a soft chuckle evident in his voice. "I think our table is the other way though darling."

He turned her around, draping his arm over her shoulders as he guided her to their table, pulling out her chair with a friendly smile. "Nice choice by the way. They make excellent lasagna here."

[Rowena Jones]

"Hi Rowie," he replied, a soft chuckle evident in his voice. "I think our table is the other way though darling."

She was so flustered about being stuck in this candlelit hell with him that she didn't do anything to stop him from leading her to their table. She sat down dumbly in her chair, cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment.

"Nice choice by the way. They make excellent lasagna here."

His gentle ribbing finally broke through her dumb exterior and she gave him a short glare even as she aimed a quick kick at him under the table. "Michael! Don't tease. I didn't know I'd suggested this!" She leaned closer to him to hiss "you could have told me this was Diagon's version of Puddifoots when I mentioned it." Rowena leaned back, her amber eyes still sparkling with amused annoyance at the whole affair. 

"So since you've obviously been here before, what else do you recommend?"

[Rowena Jones]

"Michael! Don't tease. I didn't know I'd suggested this! You could have told me this was Diagon's version of Puddifoots when I mentioned it."

He leaned back chortling, even as he rubbed the shin she'd managed to kick. "And miss out on this? I don't think so." He picked up the menu and had a quick perusal of the options, glancing at his companion as she glared at him. 

"So since you've obviously been here before, what else do you recommend?"

"How about I order for us both and you deal with your obvious anger management issues. I see not much has changed in the last decade," he said continuing his teasing. His smile widened as her eyes narrowed. "Ha.You're much too easy to rile Rowie."

He paused as the waiter came by their table to order a bottle of wine and a few nibbles to start them off. "Now, I suppose you didn't summon me here to be embarrassed, so what did you want to talk to me about?"

[Rowena Jones]

"How about I order for us both and you deal with your obvious anger management issues. I see not much has changed in the last decade," She was going to argue that she could very well choose her own meal but then she looked around at the restaurant and realised that maybe she wasn't all that good at choosing after all. Plus, she wasn't overly hungry. Eating wasn't really the main point of this evening after all. But his last comment was a bit much and she narrowed her eyes at him. It wasn't anger issues. It was rightful indignation. He'd knowingly let her walk right into this flouncy excuse for a restaurant!

"Ha. You're much too easy to rile Rowie."

Rowena had forgotten in her initial pleasure to see him after so long about his impossible nature. It was strange how different it was in her mind from the banter she had with Max. Though there was no harm in what Michael did or said, he had a way of making her feel like a child again, of feeling rather diminished. It was more condescending than her relationship with Max. With her boyfriend, she bickered and fought and argued but that was just the way it had always been between them. They were equals pushing each other to be better and continually challenging each other. Only whereas before it had ended in headaches and anger, these days it usually ended much more pleasurably. A soft satisfied smile graced her lips as she remembered that morning, waking up next to Max after weeks of absence. Between his attack and then their fight, it had felt like an age, but finally things were right between them. Better than right, amazing. She was head over heels in love and it was mutual and the feeling was blissful.

Michael ordered a bottle of wine and Rowena opened her mouth to tell him she didn't feel like alcohol (and did they really need to add to the atmosphere?) but he spoke before she could get her words out. "Now, I suppose you didn't summon me here to be embarrassed, so what did you want to talk to me about?"

Rowena frowned, glancing at the man across the table from her. She hadn't noticed it in her misery over losing Max, but Michael was more annoying than she'd realised the past few days. And she felt weird too. Now that she was thinking about it, why was she letting all this stuff slide? What if she'd been going somewhere in an emergency when he'd found her at the door. He hadn't even considered what she was doing. Granted, she had just been trying to escape but the point remained. And now he was ordering food and drink for her, something that if Max ever did, she'd hex him to Mars and back for. 

A not so subtle cough drew her out of her musings and she shook her head. She'd think about it more when she was alone. "I just wanted to thank you for all your help with finding Ravenna. I couldn't have done it without you," she said. "And for being so nice this past week. I know I haven't been easy to be around."

Her phone, a brand new one purchased that day, buzzed and she gave Michael an apologetic glance but the wine had arrived and he was busy tasting it before taking it from the waiter to pour it himself. Rowena rolled her eyes at the overly generous glass he poured her. Was he trying to get her drunk? But then she saw the message she'd received and forgot all about her suspicions as she read the message from Max. She couldn't help the giant grin that spread across her face. Was it possible to be this happy because of one person?

[Rowena Jones]

"Now, I suppose you didn't summon me here to be embarrassed, so what did you want to talk to me about?"

Michael scowled at the lack of immediate response. What was distracting her so much when she should be focusing on him? He let a tendril of his power curl out, wrapping unnoticeably around the woman opposite him, coaxing her back to the proper response. He felt her confusion and frowned. One shouldn't think too much, too many questions were dangerous. He coughed pointedly as he applied his powers and smiled when he felt the shift in her aura.

"I just wanted to thank you for all your help with finding Ravenna. I couldn't have done it without you," she said. "And for being so nice this past week. I know I haven't been easy to be around."

The wizard shrugged, a half smile tugging at his lips as he waved away her thanks. He was going to reply when the wine arrived and he busied himself tasting it to make sure it was up to standard. Michael didn't miss Rowena take her attention off him again as her phone buzzed. Who was contacting her now...? He took the bottle, satisfied with the taste and poured out their drinks, adding a few drops of something extra as he'd been doing to all her drinks when they were together when she wasn't looking. His powers were considerable, but Rowena had a fierce stubborness that required a little more persuasion than the average person. That ex of hers was also annoying. Their run in the previous day had been unfortunate. Empaths were immune to his charms, though it had been a while since he'd encountered one. Luckily the man was out of the picture though there was a content thrum in Rowena's aura that had Michael pausing.

He passed her the glass of wine, watching as she took a small sip to please him, before settling back in his chair. "I hope everything's ok...?" he said amiably nodding towards her phone. 

[Rowena Jones]

Rowena took the glass of wine with a sigh, but couldn't deny that she was thirsty and Michael's expectant stare had her sipping at the ruby red liquid. It was a good vintage she admitted, though she could hardly expect any less with her companion's high expectations for everything.

"I hope everything's ok...?"

The witch nodded, the smile reappearing on her face as she put down her glass. "Yes. Very much so. Turns out I needn't have been such a Moaning Myrtle all this past week at all. I went to see Max last night after that run in yesterday," she shrugged, playing with the edge of the tablecloth nervously. Why was she suddenly nervous? Wasn't the whole point of tonight for her to tell Michael that there was never any chance of anything romantic happening between them? But she couldn't fight the feeling of oppressiveness surrounding her even as she felt obligated to continue her explanation. "Short story, we're back together again. And it's great between us. So I won't be all sad anymore. Maybe I can introduce you properly now?" 

[Rowena Jones]

"Yes. Very much so. Turns out I needn't have been such a Moaning Myrtle all this past week at all. I went to see Max last night after that run in yesterday,"

She'd done what?! Michael couldn't control the anger that filled him at the thought of Rowena with that inferior man. His eyes darkened as his powers rose with his fury, making the atmosphere around their table heavy. Invisible tendrils wrapped gently around her mind coaxing out the rest of her story even as he sensed the fear within her.

"Short story, we're back together again. And it's great between us. So I won't be all sad anymore. Maybe I can introduce you properly now?"

He let his rage fill Rowena, enjoying the terror as her mind attempted to protect itself from the nightmares he was inflicting. The body remained still, paralysed in fear as darkness waged war behind her eyes. It was the greatest joy for him, that he'd been given true Shadow powers. Dark, secret, invisible. Manipulating people's minds wasn't easy, it had taken him years to master. To get people to act the way he wanted them to, to see what he wanted them to see without suspicion. But with the help of one person in particular, he'd done it. And when it was a little more difficult, he'd found certain potions helped. Life had been easy for him ever since. And he'd thought it would continue so with his latest mission.

But fuck Max Kameren. All he'd had to do was stay away from her and Rowena would have seen that she had a better option in Michael. So what if he'd had to use his powers on her to convince her out a few times, to dampen her suspicions, allay her worry? She was supposed to be his. Would have been if that prick had left well alone. And now Michael was going to have to work even harder to do what needed to be done. 

"Oh dear dear Rowie," Michael cooed, "That wasn't part of the plan. I can't have you two together. That's not allowed at all." He sighed heavily, his fingers twitching as he showed her exactly what he really wanted to do to her in his anger. 

And then he noticed their waiter approaching, and he released her partly, his powers already wiping away the most recent memories. Obviously she couldn't remember what had just happened, but it had been good to release some of the frustration he'd been feeling. 

By the time the garlic bread, soup and tomato salad was placed in front of them, she was back to looking at him questioningly, still waiting on an answer to her question. 

"Of course Rowie. I'd love to meet the man properly. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."

[Rowena Jones]

"Maybe I can introduce you properly now?"

Suddenly, Rowena understood why she'd felt so restless and uneasy. Her mind had sensed the danger but been unable to understand where the threat was coming from. Instinct had kicked in, adrenaline flooding her body in preparation for either fight or flight... but nothing could have saved her from what occurred as she finished speaking.

The darkness that filled her mind was total, the anger had her cowering in terror, trying to find an escape, any way to save herself from the evil that smothered her. This was Michael? Michael?! Her Michael who had played with her as a child? Who had taught her the complexities of the Magical World, taken her under his wing... Rowena struggled to understand even as she couldn't deny the familiar feel of him as he crawled around in her mind.

She fought to free herself from his grip, only dimly aware that this was all happening inside of her. That she had no control of her fear-frozen body, that she was stuck here staring into the eyes of the madman she had once called friend.

"Oh dear dear Rowie," Michael cooed, "That wasn't part of the plan. I can't have you two together. That's not allowed at all."

What was he talking about? The plan? Dread filled Rowena that wasn't even a part of Michael's fucked up influence. He was one of them...

And then a new nightmare began, one of specific detail of the punishment that would have occurred if they weren't in such a public setting. Of cuts and red lines of rich red blood creating script that she did not understand, of bruises colouring her skin in vivid shades of blue and purple, blossoming over her like watercolour flowers. And throughout it all, the utter powerlessness, the knowledge that she was completely at this monsters mercy.

And then suddenly it melted away and she smiled at Michael, waiting for his answer expectantly. She really wanted them to get along, the two men left in her life. It really meant so much to her.

"Of course Rowie. I'd love to meet the man properly. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine."

"Great! And you're ok right? I just don't want there to be any, confusion or upset or anything? I love him so.. urgh. What I'm trying to say is that I appreciate having you as a friend.... but that's all..ok?" Rowena rambled finally getting to the point of what she'd wanted to say the whole time. She was with Max, planned on being with Max for a very very long time. She didn't want Michael to get any wrong ideas.

[Rowena Jones]

"Great! And you're ok right? I just don't want there to be any, confusion or upset or anything? I love him so.. urgh. What I'm trying to say is that I appreciate having you as a friend.... but that's all..ok?"

Michael let out a roaring laugh that had several other patrons look their way in a mixture of surprise and annoyance, even while he seethed inside. So she thought she could just brush him off, put him in second place behind that filthy excuse for a Wizard? How the Kameren line had fallen...to have so much Light...

But he could control himself for now. So he had to change his plans a little... he still had information that the idiot couldn't provide. He'd soon show Rowena who was better to have by her side. But first he had to reassure her. "Of course Rowie. We're just old friends getting to know each other again and help each other out. Speaking of, can you meet me tomorrow at the Archives? I have some information that might be of interest to you?"

The rest of their food arrived, and the conversation lulled a little while they ate. Michael brushed away the waiter as he attempted to ask if they wanted dessert, leaning forward to talk to his companion. "Before I forget, let's make plans for Friday. I have a surprise I've been dying to share with you. I know you'll love it."