Who: Delilah and that Fawcett girl
What: Delilah has a few things she needs to make clear.
When: Nowish
Where: Coffee Shop.
There was no denying that it was winter, and even with all the hats, scarves and warming charms, Delilah could still feel the chilled air on her ears. She hadn’t missed her hair as much as she did when a gust of cold wind blew against her face. How many more days until summer?
She shuffled into the cafe quickly as the wind picked up again. Why had she even bothered leaving the house? Yes, she was suppose to meet with Ethan for dueling practice, but that wasn’t for at least another four hours. Four hours she could have spent in her warm flat, potentially bribing Matthew to bring her the hot coffee and muffin that she wanted so badly. But no, she had to make an effort in self sufficiency, leaving her amazing
World Cup Seeker of a boyfriend to practice without distraction.
Pleased to have a warm drink and pastry soon to be delivered, Delilah had been scanning the room for a free seat when her gaze landed on a particular brunette. One that if she were smart she would avoid for at least another week or two. Allow time to soften the rude words that came to mind at the mere sight of the young woman. Unfortunate that Delilah had never been known for her patience or politeness.
“Penelope, ” she greeted evenly as she slid into the booth across from the girl. She already felt the anxiety of a bad idea, of Charlie potentially finding out and not taking kindly to the fact that Delilah took it upon herself to confront his ex. But she was already committed, and with Charlie taking the high road and not even speaking of what happened. Well, the Fawcett girl should have a chance to explain herself before Delilah went on hating her on mere principle. “How are you?”
Penelope looked up in surprise as the person sliding across from her at the table was not Max returning from the toilet, but a woman.
A woman who happened to be the sister—the twin sister—of the wizard she had just broken up with, to be specific.
It would have happened eventually, she thought heavily, particularly such a place as Diagon Alley. True, Penelope had feared more running into Charlie, but a family member or friend was even more likely, and stood to be an even more awkward encounter.
Closing the textbook she and Max had been poring over, she refrained from sigh, though the urge was strong as she warily readied herself for whatever Delilah would next say. In spite of how painful their last encounter had been, Penelope had truly thought it was as mutual a parting as could be, under the circumstances. Had Charlie villainized her so horribly that his sister felt the need to go out of her way to confront her?
The thought saddened her, and with a barely discernible glumness, she slid the book aside and clasped her hands on the table top with her attention turned to the seat across the way.
"Hello, Delilah," she said softly. "I'm all right, how are you?"
Delilah offered the girl a small smile. “All things considered, I am doing well. Only trouble is figuring out how to navigate the tricky waters of having both my brother and boyfriend playing in the world cup for different teams. I had intended to ask your advice on the matter, but well--” she trailed off, not bothering to even attempt to hide the tone of disapproval thick in her voice.
Propping her chin in her hand, Delilah looked around the room as she tried to figure out what she wanted to say. She had no plan when she sat down, and now that she was here she realized there wasn’t much to say on the matter. At least not much that would leave her unscathed by Charlie’s wrath should he ever find out. “He won’t speak an ill word against you, you know.” She said turning her attention back to Penelope. “In fact, I doubt I would even know you two had even broken up had I not brought up your name myself. Listened to me go on about Matthew for ages without saying a single word. Hasn’t even told me what happened, just that it was over.”
She wasn’t even sure why she was saying this to Penelope, Delilah wasn’t even sure that she understood just how much that even meant. How much Charlie had grown in the past two years and somewhere along the line became more mature than Delilah was. And sitting here now, wanting to tell this girl just how much of a fool she was for breaking her twin’s heart, the realization that a lot of her brother’s new found maturity might just be because of her.
“I don’t know what I thought I would say when I decided to sit down after spotting you here. I imagine it was along the lines of you don’t deserve him anyways or something equally horrid and hypocritical. I don’t have much room to speak when it comes to breaking hearts.” Smoothing the fabric of her robes, Delilah looked straight at Penelope. She couldn’t bring herself to blame Penelope. How badly she wanted too, though. How she wished she could hate her. But she had no idea what was going on in her life. And not that she thought this was anything like her previous relationships, she knew all too well how suddenly feelings could change. “I guess, what I really want to know is, are you sure? Are you
sure you want to throw everything you have with Charlie away?”
She ignored the stab of hurt and indignation she felt at the other woman's words, and forced herself to think before saying irrational or off the cuff. Penelope had no doubt that, were her brother aware of the situation, Drystan would have more than just unkind words to say to Charlie if their paths crossed. Family was a thing one should count on to do just that, so she could hardly blame her.
In spite of herself, Penelope found herself wondering if Delilah really meant what she said about Charlie not speaking out against her. If he wouldn't even have told his own sister without prodding, had he told anyone else? Penelope hadn't. Not really. She had always been a private person, and a relationship with a high-profile Quidditch player had only forced her to become more so. Her housemates, having witnessed the break up for themselves, were the only people in her life who knew.
She dreaded the day she'd have to tell her brother.
Finally, she felt that she could speak reasonably. Absently dragging a fingernail along the spine of her book, she asked without censure, "Were you sure you wanted to throw away what you had with Richard?"
She should have expected it, but even if she had Delilah was sure the question would have still caused her breath to catch. She had a good thing with Matthew now, and really couldn’t imagine being with anyone else, but everything that happened with Rich, with
Scott, it still made her tense up. How poorly she acted, how it all still had a chance to come around and ruin things for her.
“No.” Delilah said looking away from Penelope. “I broke up with Rich moments after deciding that it might be a solution to what I was going through. I didn’t give myself time to think about it at all.” All Delilah knew at the time is that she felt like she was suffocating. That she when she looked in a mirror she was no longer a person she wanted to see. For all she knew, Rich could have helped make it better, she just never gave him a chance. “I wasn’t sure. Not even close.”
Though at the end of the day, she was happier now. It had all worked out in her favor, and who was to say the same wouldn’t happen for both Penny and Charlie. “Honestly Penelope, I don’t know much about you. I spent a majority of your relationship not even knowing that it was there, and Charlie spent the rest making sure I didn’t scare you off. He was so protective of you, that I actually listened. Two years, and I barely know the girl that my brother was in love with.”
Delilah wanted so badly to blindly hate the girl sitting across from her. Charlie couldn’t bring himself to do it, so Delilah should harbor a grudge for the both of them, but she was finding it incredibly difficult. She was sure if she knew the reasoning, she would find herself understanding a lot more than she wished too. And even with all this, Charlie was a better person, having dated Penny. “I do know that you are an incredibly hard person to hate, and I am the last person that should be casting judgement. So I just hope at the end of the day you made the right choice.”
Perhaps what Delilah was saying, that she had been a part of Charlie's life for over two years and they still considered one another something of a stranger, was just another indication that they had made the right choice. The two of them had craved privacy for their own reasons, but to never establish a real bond between either family? Surely that was indicative of something, surely it meant happiness and harmony together would be hard to achieve, or at least sustain.
Had Penelope made the right choice?
She had been a scared, shy, unhappy girl of all of eighteen when she found herself in that cupboard with Charlie Spinnet. He had done a great deal, knowingly and unknowingly, to help her move past the darkest period of her life, and she hoped very much she had helped him in some similar way. Penelope knew, just as she knew a part of her would always love Charles, that she would never stop questioning
what if… but had they not ended things, she felt very strongly being together would not have brought them happiness, at least not as they were.
In the future… well, it was too soon to contemplate that, but Penelope was sure that even if the Charlie Spinnet chapter of her life had ended, truly ended, it would not be the last time he appeared in her story.
"I hope that I did too," she said, honestly. Against her better judgment, had she really even been thinking, Penelope timidly reached her hand across the table and placed it on Delilah's gingerly. "Everything happens for a reason. I want nothing more than happiness and love for your brother. It's something we both deserve, but, perhaps… we can't find it together, anymore."
Delilah pursed her lips together. Penelope was right, everything did happen for a reason. That didn’t make the situation at present any more pleasant though. She gave Penny a small half smile, looking at the hand on hers. Surely they would have been friends had things worked out differently. “Unfortunately, that is how it seems to work sometimes. Nothing is ever so simple or easy.” With nothing left to say, Delilah slid her hand away. If she stayed any longer, she would feel the need to console Penny, and while she couldn’t hate the girl, that would feel like a betrayal to Charlie. “I should go. This was--” she paused not exactly sure what this was. She was going to say that it had be a mistake, but she really felt that it wasn’t. It could have been. There was a definite potential for this conversation turning sour from the moment she sat down, but now she could clearly see what Charlie meant by ‘all right, but not all right’.
It didn’t make sense then, but now it did. “I’ll let you be. Sorry I interrupted your day.” Delilah took a step to leave, hesitating for half a second before turning back to Penelope. Her mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to figure out what needed to be said, what was keeping her from walking away. Whatever it may have been though, was lost when the barista called her name for her coffee. With a small half hearted wave, she turned to leave. Maybe one day, they could figure out how to be the friends they should have been when Penny was dating her brother.
