Who: Emmeline Vance and Caradoc Dearborn
What: Snogging in the Christmas spirit gets interrupted by an Angry Patronus
Where: Her garland filled flat
When: Around the time James' patronus was sent? >>
Max was
not entirely covered in garland, Emmeline would like to point out. Her dog only had a garland collar, thanks, and a pair of reindeer antlers she'd managed to stick onto his rather big head. Not that he seemed to be enjoying them; his refusal to come out from under the dining room table clued her onto this. But the last few weeks had filled Emmeline with more holiday spirit than she'd ever experienced in her life, and as it was, she was taking on a new philosophy for life. Trying not to be so cynical, just enjoying what made her smile even if it was childish (giving out candy to trick-or-treaters had been
such fun) because Emmeline had realized that she hadn't ever been
allowed to be childish.
And she
also had a lot of time on her hands, seeing as the Order had been rather quiet and
Witches on the Move was a bi-monthly publication.
"Maximillian! Maxi
milian," she hissed, reaching under the table as she attempted to grab the stocking her dog had taken hold of. Emmeline was contemplating getting Frank a giant squid, because that would be the only even trade for giving her a dog that grew to such a huge size, when there was a sharp rapping at the door. Emmeline barely managed to stop herself from slamming her head into the table, and crawled out with a pointed finger at the dog.
She hurried to the door, but not before swiping a bundle of green off the table. Emmeline was glad that it had gotten much,
much easier to convince Caradoc into doing things (not that it was easy at
all, but compared to the past--), and she pulled the door open quickly and held up the small bit of mistletoe she'd scooped up at the store, high over her head.
Maybe joined with a ridiculous grin on her face.
Caradoc considered just waltzing right in once he arrived, as he usually would, but the thought of walking into the green and red winter
wonderland that had obviously taken over Emmeline's flat with a giant green monster running around did not appeal to his taste. So--- knocking, yes.
Knocking would prevent all unwanted holiday surprises from rushing into... him. Or at least so he reasoned, because the dog tended not to bombard him when it didn't seem like a 'surprise' visit.
"Cheap," he stated, jerking his head toward her hand once Emmeline did opened the door. Did she honestly think she needed a tool to force him to snog her?
Really, Emmeline, really. Using a silly thing like mistletoe? It was almost unsettlingly disgraceful. Nonetheless, Caradoc wasn't too miffed by it, because a few moments later he pulled her close to him with a broad cheshire cat smile spread across his face.
Just because mistletoe was stupid didn't mean you could go and
not obey it. It was one of the few unwritten Christmas laws. Obeying mistletoe, and spending the actual
day with family. Though this year, Caradoc figured that would be extremely difficult, seeing as Juliet still wasn't talking to him over the whole Filkes event.
"I should have known there would be mistletoe," Caradoc said through the sides of his mouth as he pushed his lips against Emmeline's again and again. So perhaps the holiday season wasn't all that bad. But he was still going to put up a fight about going to buy a tree with her if she hadn't already. No, no, that he was going to have to oppose. Because honestly, how sappy was that? Caradoc ran his hand through Emmeline's hair, pushing it behind her ear in the process.
The mistletoe dropped to the doorstep as her arms proceeded to wrap up and around his neck.
See. Emmeline knew the extra few knuts would be worth it (yes, it actually
had been cheap, she'd sent some to Anneliese and Ellie--Juliet would just stuff it up Nott's nose). A slow, barely there snowfall had begun in the surprisingly warm winter, but the literally freezing breeze could not stop the warmth that had run through her. It was a familiar feeling by now, but still very much thrilling and Emmeline had no concerns about enjoying it too much. Her good mood was increasing by the second and the mere fact that she
was in a good mood made her feel even
better and she had eaten
way too many candy canes on the way home from Diagon Alley.
Pressing far too close to Caradoc for what could be considered decent in a public place (her doorstep
was rather visible to the street, it being a doorstep and all...), Emmeline broke the snog to mutter incoherently about the snow for a second before getting to the point of her pause, "Garland can wait, I think."
Emmeline's grin widened flirtatiously for a split second before pushing forward again to kiss him. It would take something tremendous (or an insult slung at her decorating skills) to break this up, she was sure. At least, she wasn't going to allow anything that wasn't worthy of her attention to attempt to.
He laughed quietly as she mumbled toward the ground, and Caradoc didn't move his hands from around her face. Mmm, good. Little to no garland exposure for him. Just how it should be--- because if Emmeline hadn't noticed already, the holidays weren't really his thing. Granted, he didn't hate them as much as his sister did (Christmas there should be buckets of fun this year), because don't get him wrong, the drinking and present receiving weren't all that bad. But he could do without all the obnoxiously happy people wanting to sing carols and be jolly all the time. It was just a holiday, not the bloody coming of a new and brighter day.
But that really wasn't what he was focusing on now.
Emmeline tasted especially sweet today (no doubt that was where her rush had come from), though that didn't mean Caradoc minded. He enjoyed it when she tasted differently--- and was forward with him, for that matter. Because honestly enough, he definitely did not mind showing off to some random muggles walking by. What were they going to do---
yell at them? Oh no.
Caradoc's hands moved from in Emmeline's hair down to under her jaw, brushing his finger tips lightly over her neck every few seconds.
This is what happened when you had a strong, enthusiastic liking for someone, Emmeline believed. It was freezing outside, snow was falling and there were people who could see them and right into her flat, but did she care? No, not in the slightest, because the exhilarating feeling Caradoc
always gave her when they were in a mood that didn't have anything to do with annoyance (which occurred a lot, she'd admit, but not as often as it used to be) made her mind blurry and nearly useless.
Well, not
nearly useless, but it was a good way of explaining how she felt around him. She'd never dare admit that out loud unless she wanted to be teased mercilessly (or dumped), but Emmeline kind of enjoyed keeping the thoughts to herself, that way they couldn't be corrupted by the real world. Again, it was like going back to that part of her life she didn't really get to experience; it wasn't
her fault that she'd bloody fancied Caradoc Dearborn for as long as she could remember. And now she got to snog him? All the
time?
Honestly, you really couldn't blame her for losing her mind most days. Emmeline's hands reached up into his hair and she bit back a sound in her throat, "Inside," she said, tugging Caradoc forward because, there was only so
much public displays of affection she could allow. Decent displays, anyway.
She didn't have to tell him twice to go inside. As fulfilling as it was to keep standing where they were, going inside definitely meant much more
fun activities than Emmeline would ever allow to happen on her doorstep. With a smug smile firmly on his face, Caradoc let her tug him forward into the house without any restraint. His back hand fumbled only slightly behind him before grasping the edge of the door and proceeding to slam it shut quickly.
And, he couldn't help himself, he had to look up to see what Emmeline had actually accomplished so far with her garland overload. Caradoc's smile broadened even further as he noticed little of the decorations were actually where they were suppose to be, and instead just on the ground in piles. Ah, see. This, he could live with. Maybe without all the piles being certain colors and certain decorations, but still. He would put a lot of galleons on the fact that about half of these decorations would not be put up in an orderly timed fashion without the help of someone else. Which was not going to be him, so! Another day.
"Well you got
extremely far, didn't you?" he asked, smugness completely consuming him as he leaned forward to her slightly. Caradoc leaned forward more, as if getting ready to continue what they had started outside. But he lingered slightly, just
that away from her face for a few moments, breathing deeply. No, no, this would not do. With a quick glance over to the couch (even if it hadn't been empty he would have moved anything there anyway), Caradoc dropped his hands and grabbed Emmeline's wrist, pulling her over toward the middle of the room.
After a few seconds, he had placed both of them comfortably on the couch, making it extremely easier to restart now. Much better. Standing in doorways--- psh. Caradoc smiled again, his mouth wide.
Ooh, it had been a very good decision to keep the couch clear. It had been where she was doing all of the planning and moving and swishing of her wand. Emmeline liked to work in piles, as was made obvious by the Christmas decorations. Finish one pile, move to the next, it was the only way she'd ever been able to organize herself, doing short tasks and completing them efficiently. And, as Caradoc pushed her down into the couch, Emmeline was quite ready to start another job with the utmost profession.
She barely paid attention to how little time it took to get to these sort of positions with Caradoc, anymore. In the beginning Emmeline would think about it, try to hold it off for as long as she could and---never really that long, to be honest. But at least then she would
try. Now? Oh, what was the point? She was in a good mood, Caradoc was taking advantage of that, and she couldn't be more pleased that he was.
Shoes, gone, cloak--tossed aside, oh, yes, this couch was ideal for this new course of action. Emmeline could definitely deal with an undecorated flat when she got Caradoc to press hard against---
"
GET TO THE FUCKING HOGS HEAD, NOW!"
Emmeline, once again, managed to avoid knocking her head with something hard (this time, Caradoc's forehead) as the booming voice of James Potter erupted from the shimmering stag patronus that had appeared in the middle of her flat. She gaped as the stag stomped around, repeating the message, and she looked up at Caradoc with an extremely perplexed expression, "Do you have---any---idea?"
And
that was what he wanted to hear right now--- Potter's obnoxiously unneeded voice ringing through his ears. And no doubt overreacting to something completely unnecessary, as he always did and would. Caradoc watched as the stag continued to blabber on, refusing to disappear while it raged from one side of the flat to the other. Really,
really Potter? Was it
really that fucking necessary to make the thing not go away after the first message. It wasn't like they were deaf, though now, as he had before, Caradoc wished he was because he was sure all their voices were eventually going to make his ears bleed.
"No," he stated simply, letting out an aggravated sigh as he shifted toward the end of the couch. Caradoc grasped at his cloak on the ground, pulling at both pockets for a few seconds until he produced his wand in his left hand. And, oh but of
course the damn stag was still going. Caradoc wouldn't be surprised if the stupid thing continued to harass them until they left---- Potter wasn't far above that.
"So---" Just as Caradoc was about to speak again, Emmeline's small
mammoth came pounding into room, barking madly every which way, nearly knocking a lamp over in the process. Really.
Really? He held back just attacking everything at this point, but that would include moving; he refused to move from his spot. No, no-- outside forces were not going to ruin this.
"---it can't be that important," he finished loudly, shifting again to let his left arm hang over the back side of the couch freely. Caradoc had always wondered whether one patronus could fight another properly, since they were the same life form type, and all. He regretted that he had never tested this inquiry out before (all the wasted opportunities...), though now seemed like a perfect time to try. He propped his elbow up on the couch, aiming his wand in the general direction of the stag.
The silvery substance that came out of his wand began to form into the beginning of an octopus, and Caradoc pondered over whether it would be able to choke the stag to get it to stop, or not. He bet it would.
Emmeline had immediately leaped up at the appearance of Max, and with a bit of a struggle managed to drag the dog away and into the bathroom. He continued to bark, but she shut the door and knew she would find him sitting in the tub like a scorned child when she came back. Emmeline attempted to pat her hair down as she returned to the living room, but stopped at the entrance at the sight of two patronuses tossing and turning about in what seemed to be a battle for dominance.
Her head tilted slightly at the sight, and then she let out a sigh, shooting a look of disbelief toward Caradoc.
"Would you stop it---" she said with a sigh, moving toward the patronuses in an attempt to push them away. She wouldn't dare touch them--not only because she didn't know how they would react, but there was something strange that tugged in her gut about touching someone else's patronus. She'd always seen it as part of a person's soul, and---no, she just shooed them off to the side the best as she could; maybe they would take their battle into the kitchen.
What could Potter be hollering about? And the Hog's Head? That didn't make much sense, it was a much more public place than they'd ever actually held a meeting, so surely it couldn't be that important--it was probably a bloody Christmas party. Emmeline bit her tongue and stared at the still dueling patronuses for a moment before looking back at Caradoc. Well. She was not going to rush because Potter wanted to get sloshed. Coming forward, Emmeline pulled her shirt up and over her head, tossing it to the floor as she knelt into the couch beside Caradoc.
"I'm sure they can do without us for a
little bit."
Pleasantly enough, Caradoc found out patronuses
were able to engage in combat with each other. Honestly, he had been doubting if they would be able to for a moment there, because fighting wasn't exactly a good, pure, or holy thing to do. But no, there it was, happily occurring before his eyes. Or maybe it was just that the patronus shared his hatred toward Potter enough to want to completely knock the stag out. Either way, it was great.
Caradoc shot a glare toward Emmeline as she tried to break them up (he was
winning), and let out a gurgled sound to get her to stop. It was pointless, though; he knew she was going to make him get get up in about a minute, and put his shirt back on too and then rush out the door. Or at least that was what usually happened--- but not today. Today he was not going without a fight--- no, no. Whatever Potter was hollering about, still hollering about, could wait. And even if it was important, Caradoc honestly didn't care. It was the whole principle of the matter. Who was
Potter to just make everyone drop their lives every time he beckoned for them? They were not his little minions to order around.
And what the fuck, no one went into Hog's Head unless you wanted to be a complete sketch.
He turned to declare to Emmeline just how stupid this all sounded, but his tongue got caught in his throat. Caradoc looked at her for a few seconds, completely unable to hide his shock. Emmeline was... was she
aware of the screaming deer in her living room? That was telling them about this apparently impromptu Order meeting that they must go to right now? Since when did she just not--- he was not going to question this. Questioning her would be completely stupid, like moving too quickly around a skittish undecided animal. So with a flick of his wand his patronus disappeared with a poof, and Caradoc did not waste time acting on Emmeline's seemingly crazed decision.
