WHO: Juliet Dearborn & Rhys Nott
WHAT: She wants to break up, he just doesn't think so.
WHERE: Diagon Alley
WHEN: August '78
Rhys and Juliet walked in complete silence down the winding, narrow streets of Diagon Alley. It wasn't as if it was normal for them to really make small chat--“Nice weather, huh?” always sounded so annoying to her, most of that stupid stuff did--but this afternoon it felt like it was something a bit more than their usual preoccupation with their own business creating the silence. Rhys probably couldn't put his finger on it, but Juliet definitely could.
She had been fine this morning when she had Apparated to his apartment so that they could leave, but the further and further they got down her school supply list, the further and further she felt perturbed about the whole situation. Juliet and Rhys had seen each other every day (or at least every other) since her fourth year, so now what was it going to be like to be going back to Hogwarts and know that meetings with that kind of frequency just weren't possible anymore? Call her insecure, call her a pessimist, but the more she thought about it, the more Juliet had convinced herself that this just wasn't going to work.
She had been intending upon telling Rhys for blocks now, but couldn't quite figure out the right way to put it. So she kept silent, all that escaped from her lips a small “hm.”
Juliet was right; Rhys couldn’t exactly put his finger on what seemed to be keeping them especially quiet today. Because there was a difference between mutual silence and strained, uncomfortable silence. It was subtle, sometimes unidentifiable, but he could tell it was definitely there. Toward the beginning of the day, he had just let it go, choosing to not think about it too much. Juliet had her days and he had his. But now, it had gotten to a point where he almost needed to know what was going on
“Hm?” he copied her, letting an eyebrow rise as they both walked. Don’t be mistaken, by this time, Rhys had been more than alert for any sound she was willing or would to make. It also helped that he was close to her, but he would rather believe it was because of his suburb hearing skills.
Rhys knew what ‘hm’ meant, that had been established a very long time ago. Now it was only the time to try and guess what ‘hm’ was concerning. He supposed it could be a lot of things, but--- with her parents dead, Juliet had been in an especially good long-lasting mood. So, waiting was the only option.
Juliet should have expected that he would echo her, because he always echoed her because that was how he asked what was on her mind. But honestly, she had been so absorbed with what she was thinking that she had been caught off guard and not expected it at all. And because she had been caught off guard, Juliet ended up saying something that she didn't quite mean to come out just then.
“I'm breaking up with you.”
Not as if she wasn't going to say it in the first place, but she was disappointed with the way she had just blurted it out then. Honestly, best case scenario, they would go back to his apartment and she could tell him there... but what was done was done, she supposed, and Juliet was thankful only that the business was determined for her.
Ah. Almost as if Rhys had not heard her, he stuck his hands into deep his pockets and stopped walking to look through a nearby shop window. Actually, to tell the truth, he had been expecting something like this. Juliet was his girlfriend, after all, and after the years he had gotten to know her well enough. So, that had been what was bothering her? Hm, yes, well, he would take care of that quickly enough.
“Mmmm… I don’t think so,” he stated most calmly, finally retreating from the window to look at Juliet expectantly. Rhys knew why she wanted to break up with him; because she was going back to school soon and they wouldn’t see each other everyday, which would make it hard, he supposed. Or at least, that’s what girls usually thought. He personally didn’t see the problem she was obviously seeing. Well, one because there wasn’t actually one and Juliet was just being herself but--- it could work. There were Hogsmeade trips, and holidays. It wasn’t like when she left on the train in September she would be gone until June again.
“What’s next on your list--- I want some ice cream.”
Juliet blinked a couple times, not quite sure if Rhys was joking or--no, that was stupid, he wasn't joking because neither of them really were that great of jokers, he was serious and... “Ex-cuse me?”
Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, the Ravenclaw crossed her arms over her chest and watched her boyfriend's--not boyfriend's--back until he noticed that she was no longer walking with him with an agitated glare. He couldn't actually think that she was joking, that he was so wonderful that she didn't want to break up with... well, that was the wrong road to go down, because Juliet didn't exactly want to break up with Rhys and he was... not wonderful, you didn't use that word to describe Rhys Nott unless you were his intolerably bubbly sister-in-law, but he was definitely the only person that she would consider tolerating that was of the male persuasion.
“I don't know if you heard me,” she tried again, her voice clipped. “I am breaking up with you.”
He shifted to look over his shoulder, still with the expectant look on his face. What? Juliet had said what she had obviously wanted to say, and he, Rhys, had responded. It was very simple really. He was just refusing to let her to something irrational. And plus, he didn’t really want to break up with her, because they had gone through that before. And as much fun as it had been to date Narcissa Black, Rhys didn’t exactly feel inclined to date another one. So, no. They weren’t breaking up, if he had anything to say about it.
“I heard you,” Rhys replied in a crisp tone. He knew what she was doing, where her thought process in this was---- so yes, he found it quite irrupting and something they should jump over quickly with. “And I’m telling you no.” He gave a quick look to his watch, and then back at Juliet. Maybe this wasn’t the best way to handle it--- he knew she was not going to like the way he was treating her, but it really just was as simple as that. He liked Juliet, and as much as she thought this was for the best… it really wasn’t. In Rhys’ humble opinion.
“So.”
In fact, she didn't like the way that he was treating her. Being Rhys, she knew just how he was and some part of her mind may have even anticipated this sort of reaction, but it was completely unfair. Juliet Dearborn didn't do unfair--in fact, she often strove for the exact opposite for herself. No boy was going to stop her now, and he had better watch out because now he had spited her.
“I don't believe that it matters a bit what you say or don't say on it,” she said, shrugging. “It only takes one to break it off, I'm electing myself as that one, good bye and good riddance.” Fine, if he wouldn't have it, she'd just have to force it on him--Juliet turned on her heel and began to walk the other way.
Rhys watched her walk away for a few moments, and then heaved a sigh. She was going to make his difficult, wasn’t she? Yes, actually, he should have expected that. Maybe he had gone a bit too far in trying to shut her down to the idea, but… what was done, was done, he supposed. And, Juliet was known to be extremely stubborn, from time to time. Sighing again, he quickly moved his legs to follow her. Well he certainly couldn’t let her walk away like this.
“Juliet,” he called after her, watching her hair sway back and forth as she walked. It wasn’t that hard to pick her out, Diagon Alley was always less congested these days. “Juliet,” Rhys tried again, eventually catching up to her again. He reached out for her hand, and held on tight once he finally caught it. He would just have to show her, then. “Why?”
Juliet was genuinely surprised the he had moved to follow her. Honestly, she figured he'd just get annoyed at her stubbornness and walk off in annoyance, so when he grabbed her hand, she let him, having not been prepared to have to make a getaway. Bloody fucking--didn't he know that it'd be a lot easier if he just left?
“Because,” she said, turning her head and giving him a look that said that she thought he was a complete moron, “I am going into my seventh year and this relationship is too much for me to deal with along with N.E.W.T.s. I'll hardly ever see you and I don't have the extra time or energy to be spending trying to figure out when we can visit each other because once a month is not nearly enough to keep up a real relationship. Now, will you let me go?”
Too much for her to deal with? Come on, she at least could have come up with something better than that. That was complete crap, and Rhys knew it. Juliet was more than capable to handle N.E.W.T.s if at least with good marks. And, if anything, it would be easier for her because they wouldn’t see each other. There would be no distractions, no stupid relationship problems. Actually, it could be quiet nice, they really would have no time to fight at all. His inner skepticism showed on his face, and Rhys ignored the ill look she sent him.
“That’s shit,” he stated bluntly. “That’s shit, and you know it. We don’t have to break up just because you think there won’t be a relationship.” If she hadn’t noticed, theirs wasn’t exactly a normal one to begin with. Besides, Will and Anneliese weren’t breaking up, and they were no different than him and Juliet. Except possibly weirder, but that was a different story entirely.
“No,” Rhys continued stubbornly, now refusing to let her go away thinking that this was actually happening. Because it was not, and he wouldn’t let it. “I’m not going to acknowledge this.”
“I think I already said something along the lines of ‘it only takes one’,” Juliet said, just as bluntly as Rhys. Merlin's pants, he was really fighting this--she had to wonder for a moment what had gotten into him. Of course, she hadn't thought he'd make it easy, but that he was actually standing in the middle of a sidewalk in Diagon Alley and arguing with her and trying to keep her there... interesting.
The Ravenclaw turned back towards him and gave her not-boyfriend a deadpanned stare. “In all reality, I’m giving you two options; let me lay them out for you in terms your tiny mind can grasp. Option one is that you let me go, accept that we're over, and go on your merry way. This is the easy option. Option two, which I would rather not deal with but am fully prepared to work around is that you stand here, don't release me, have me get my hand back by force, watch me walk away, and then go back home and live in a state of utter denial and self-pity for the rest of your life. So go ahead, choose and let's get on with our days.”
Rhys resisted the urge to let his top lip curl up in ignorance and spite. She was just going to be extremely stubborn about this, wasn’t she? He was never one to show drastic emotions, but now, he was finding it increasingly challenging to not grip harder onto her just to make her feel that uncomfortable and show just how angry this was getting him. There was no reason for this, and Rhys knew that she knew this too.
“We will talk later,” he managed finally after a short silence, his jaw becoming very tight and restricted. Rhys unclenched his grip from Juliet jerkily, as if his fingers had been stressed into that position. He did not like this at all. Stepping back from her, Rhys only directed one last stern look at his girlfriend (not ex-girlfriend, because it was not possible that she had just tried to dump him) before turning on his heel and leaving the scene entirely. She wouldn’t be able to get rid of him that easily.
