Welcome to Forbidden Desire!

[Felicity Warren]

Though days in this particular suburb were usually quiet, this particular afternoon went against the grain - thunder rumbled in the distance and a line of traffic seemed to stretch on forever, full of tourists and day-trippers eager to get back to the city. A soft mist fell over the tiny town that just happened to have a major highway running through it, blurring the harsh lines of traffic lights into soft circles that seemed to be looking out for your safety more than trying to delay you from getting back to London. Several honks rang out every minute, due to slippery roads from the storm that had ended less than an hour ago - its brother seemed to be looming on the horizon.

The scene was viewed through kaleidoscope eyes, reflecting the sky and watching with a half-interest. Felicity sat on her roof, legs curled under her petite frame and a drink in her hand. Raising it to her lips absently, the sour taste of the alcohol burned down her throat and she wondered why she was drinking it in the first place - that stuff must have had been in her refridgerator for a half a year. Though it was unusual to see her drinking, neighbors had grown used to seeing the young blonde woman on her roof all the time, watching whatever scene happened to be going on at the moment. She never spoke to anyone but Felicity was always quite enraptured with the goings-on in her town. She never saw anything big, instead watching traffic jams and sunsets, rainstorms and the occasional bike race. Rain was her favorite, though, and she was already soaked to the bone from the last thunderstorm. Raising her eyes to the sky again, Felicity squinted into the sky and heard yet another rumble of thunder, yet there was no lightning in sight. She was glad - the damned lightning bolts forced her to go inside to the warmth of her home, something others might like, but not this woman. The natural electricity simply spoiled her fun.

The past few weeks hadn't treated Felicity particularly well, what with all of the...personal problems. The invitation still lay on her kitchen table, stained because of an unfortunate coffee spill - it mocked her, it seemed, everytime she walked past. She hadn't responded the out-of-the-blue request for her appearance, though the small 'répondez s'il vous plaît' at the bottom flashed into her mind every time she thought so. Felicity was always one for keeping her options open, though - she knew that there was a large chance that, had she said that yes, she would of course be there, she would chicken out and skip it and be considered even filthier than that family already thought she was.

She didn't know what Theodore had been thinking, sending her an invitation. Did he honestly think she would like to watch him marry another woman, a woman that wasn't her? Hours had been spent contemplating what had been going through his head, but Felicity had come up with so many reasons that she simply gave up and instead spent her time trying to decide whether or not to go. Perhaps he saw it as a peace offering of sorts, and wanted to reconcile - maybe Theodore had simply thought that she would want to be there. And the last of all the reasons she had buried in the back of her mind, because she didn't even want to get the hope up that it might be true...that maybe, just possibly, he had wanted to see her again, once, before he was tied to another woman for the rest of his life.

Groaning and running a hand over her matted blonde locks, Felicity felt a few drops of water land on her upturned face as the skies opened. It drizzled, then it was raining, and now the rain was coming down in sheets and she lay back, a smile spreading across her face. It was ironic that she felt happiest, the most alive during what was considered widely as the most depressing of all weather. The moment was too perfect for her to think that it was going to last, though - lying on top of her tiny yellow cottage, happy as a clam while being pelted by freezing-cold rain in the closing days of November. Honestly, she was going to be so sick tomorrow...But there were always consequences. Hangovers for drinking too much of the lovely friend named alcohol, and a cold for laying for hours in the rain. Well, she could deal with a cold.

But company? Now? Who would be coming now?

The thought ran through her head fast as a racehorse as she heard her doorbell ring and she sat up slowly, yawning and standing, walking to the edge of her low, sloped roof. Looking over the edge, careful that she wouldn't fall, Felicity spotted a dark figure who seemed to be peering through her door to see if she was coming. "Can I help you?" she called down, carefully seating herself and sliding off of the roof - it was only about a ten foot drop, her house being only one story. Feet squelching into the mud of a flower bed, she wrinkled her nose and neared the figure, who turned and -

Oh.

Felicity felt the air rush out of her lungs at the sight of Theodore Nott, and she was sure that she might faint. Eyes wide, she opened her mouth but couldn't seem to form any coherent words - he had changed so much - or rather, aged. Eight years it had been, and Felicity knew that she had changed both physically and mentally, also. "How- what are you doing here?" she spluttered, her cheeks reddening as she realized that her clothes were soaking wet and growing moreso every second. Nothing but a letter inviting him to his wedding in eight years, and now he was here, at her tiny, modest house, looking as though he didn't even know who she was. But with the marriage ceremony in two days...what was he doing here? Shouldn't he be worrying about namecard designs or something ridiculous like that?

Edging past him quickly, she kicked the bottom of her door twice to get it to open and motioned for him to enter the warmth of the shabby but altogether liveable home. His eyes, oh God, still had that expression of confusion in them and looked at her like she had changed so much.

He didn't know her anymore, and that saddened her. Because, at a time, there had been no one who had known her better.

[ Eh, not my best. Sorry =) ]

[Theodore Nott]

He smiled cordially, bending down to allow the old woman a peck on each cheek. She was a bit dodgy, a bit forgetful and admittedly as loud as a fog-horn and refused to get her hearing checked, but he had nonetheless always been fond of his great-aunt Sylvia. She was widowed and eccentric and had lived in Hastings for over seventy years - a bit forgotten by the nouveau Nott family. Theodore had come calling today on the behalf of his soon-to-be wife, whom the duty of calling upon those who had not yet responded to their wedding invitations had originally fallen upon. He had not been able to stomach the thought of another day spent inside the manor; lace and frills and flowers and candles and silverware and dresses and shoes and copious amounts of food, food, food were all that filled every cranny of his once much-beloved residence. Plus the never-ending stream of congratulatory mail and presents that his mother and all of her immediate family [who had unfortunately already arrived a week prior] cooed relentlessly over. He didn't want to think about it, he didn't want to have it shoved happily in his face and be forced to act like he was genuinely pleased about the whole sodding business. Two days. Two days. It was too much. So he had grabbed the 'unknown' list and hurriedly explained he would let ______ sleep in instead [to another round of coos by those damn women] and take the driver around the cities. Apparition was out of the question when it came to this time of day, not to mention most of the residents he was to call upon didn't live in purely magical habitats. Still, the idea of driving was more appealing anyway; if not for anything except the elongated time he would be away. Plus, well, as his eyes had scanned the last name on the list Theodore had realized if he were not being driven to her house the possibility he would not have gone was quite high. It was one thing to chicken out by yourself, but to do it in front of a man who admittedly looked as if he had killed several people was out of the question.

Theodore closed Sylvia's door firmly and hurried down the rain-soaked steps and into the comfort of the waiting car's back seat. Meeting the eyes of Urri and nodding the burly man tapped a piece of parchment with his wand and glanced at the last address as the most recent one disappeared. Arching an eyebrow the driver cleared his throat and implored about the distance, tapping his watch silently. Theo stayed quiet for a few moments before setting his jaw firmly and croaked out his desire to go forward anyway, closing his eyes and winced slightly the moment the engine rumbled to life again. The familiar cramp had wriggled its way back into his stomach and he tried to busy himself with drying off his suit as the rows of modest townhouses crept slowly past - thunder rumbling softly across the pregnant clouds. He was running out of excuses as to why he felt clammy and sick every time he thought of standing in Felicity's presence again.

How long had it been? Eight years? He hadn't even known her for eight years. And here was, scared as anything to ring the bell and come face to face with the girl whom he merely dated for a summer. Even saying it in his head he acknowledged that simplified version was a lie. Merely dated .. It had been much more than that - the details of which he would give anything in the world to have erased from his memory. For a year or so Theodore had thought he had. It wasn't until he met _______ and the tedious process of trying to force himself into love became impossible that he knew something was wrong. Felicity had done something irreversible to him. At least, well .. enough so to make him encourage his parents to allow her to be present at the wedding. An improbable, absurd idea that had seemed to make perfect sense at the time. And now he didn't know what the hell he was doing. That idiotic, simple little piece of paper couldn't possibly do anything but pour salt on still-open wounds. It hadn't surprised him that she had not responded. For all he knew she was married with children, completely over the few years they had spent together and hardly desirous to see him ever again. Oh, Merlin. The cramp appeared again and Theo rolled down the window - appreciating the stinging rain upon his face. Obviously that was not what he wanted. He didn't know what he wanted ..

An hour or so passed and the sky gradually darkened. It had been a long time since Theodore had traveled through England in the back seat of a car. After they had rolled past Royal Wells the land took on an almost moorish-appearance. Loping hills and low-settling fog that covered lush green grass and the odd remnant of an old castle. Residences out here were scarce, although it was only a little over thirty kilometers south of Warren's bustling city dwelling. He felt for a moment as if he was back in the Nott's summer residence in Scotland, were it had always been silent and utterly still - and where he had promised to take Felicity some day. Rolling up his window he sighed internally and turned his attention back to the front of the vehicle, fingers tapping absentmindedly against the leather seats. Merlin he could use a drink.

Half an hour later and his pulse quickened as Urri suddenly pulled up alongside the curb of a busy street, clearing his throat in celebration of their arrival. Glancing out the window Theo spotted the modest yellow house that belonged to the address on the list. It was quaint and pleasant looking - surrounded by equally charming cottages and the such that exuded the feel of a small town. He swallowed and pulled down on the door handle - stepping outside into the pouring rain and pulling his overcoat tightly around him. He pushed the door shut gently and raised a hand in thanks to Urri, though the man had already situated his hat over his face in anticipation of a nap. Walking toward the gate he paused momentarily as a man rushed across the sidewalk, hand clutching a quickly deteriorating newspaper over his head. Continuing his jaunt toward the house Theo came to rest under the little alcove above her front door and steadied himself. To walk away now would be yet another act of cowardess on his part. Rolling his neck he found the bell and pressed the button resolutely, jaw settling into his usual position of defiance. A moment passed and he went to press the bell again, though this time he was stopped short. "Can I help you?"

The voice shot through him like lightning. And, Merlin, she dropped out of the sky just like it. Jumping down from her roof, drenched to boot, it was an absolute reminder of her overall character. He turned and opened his mouth, though the shock of seeing Felicity as a woman of twenty-four, not the girl of sixteen, drove him into a momentary pause equally matched by her own. Of all the times he had played out this moment in his mind he had imagined himself talking to the little Ravenclaw girl. The change was startling, and threw him off his already precarious balance; he could feel himself start to retreat into himself as his common self-defense mechanism set in. He unabashedly surveyed her quietly, confused eyes meeting her own after a silence that was more astonished than awkward. "How- what are you doing here?" she queried, motioning him past the stubborn door and into her humble abode. Theo nodded cordially and stepped through the entryway, finally ripping his eyes away as she followed him through. The question hung in the air as he looked quickly around, determined not to look at her for a time. "I--The task of inquiring upon those who have not yet responded to their invitations has befallen me, I'm afraid .." he said stiffly, though not unkindly - eyes unwillingly flickering back to hers for a moment. The idea of telling her he had taken on the task himself seemed like to much for the moment to handle.


[Psht. Are you kidding me? ^^;]

[Felicity Warren]

Though she didn't wish to admit it, Felicity had imagined the moment that she would see Theodore again many times. It went against the rules set up years ago, after they were first apart - no thinking of him, of anything having to do with him. But in recent weeks, the guidelines had been harder to follow but her daydreams showed him with another woman, someone more beautiful, more intelligent, more capable of great things and, above all, more accepted by his parents and friends than Felicity. It killed her, slowly and surely, and this wasn't who she was - she was strong, independent, and didn't rely on silly dreams of maybe, one day, having him again. She had never respected women who were so torn over a certain male - her mother had gone insane, had taken her life because one asshole had ruined what life she still had left in her. Though Felicity had goals for herself and knew that she was above that, she feared becoming that woman every day. It was hard to imagine, though, letting the man before her walk out today without telling him...everything. She thought that he already knew, though. Or, at least, he should know how much he affected her, and how big of a blow it had been when that unassuming envelope had arrived in her mailbox, saying that the small bubble of hope in her chest could now be popped. Because, really, he was never going to come back to her when he had an undoubtedly beautiful, pureblooded fiancee. Maybe she was a dolt, but Felicity highly doubted that it mattered.

Her home was a lovely one, but maybe only in her eyes - it was so unique to her person, to her character and being. Maybe Felicity loved it so much because it was her's, it only belonged to her. She had paid for everything, had painted everything, had built her life with no help from anyone. Though it was small, space wasn't needed. There was no one else here, as she was constantly reminded when she returned from work, the house dark and silent except for the purrs of her small kitten, Oliver. A small smile rose at the corners of her lips at the sight of Theodore Nott examining her three-room cottage. He lived in a palace, elves waiting on his hand and foot. But Felicity wouldn't let her pride fade, she wouldn't be embarrassed of what she had made of her life. Looking up quickly as he said, "I--The task of inquiring upon those who have not yet responded to their invitations has befallen me, I'm afraid ..," Felicity felt her smile fade a little. It wasn't cold, just oddly formal. His eyes burned into her's and she felt her heart flip over once, twice, three times because even though it had been eight years, he was still...himself. Beautiful, perfect, the love of her life. Too bad I'm not his, she thought quickly and sighed, closing the door and entering further into the modest home. Oliver was dozing on the mantel above her small fireplace, one of his usual haunts, a paw hanging over the edge and his tail tickling the picture of her and Andromeda.

"Sorry about that," Felicity answered quietly, letting her eyes fall to the floor. "I've been rather, well, busy...I- and I hadn't decided whether I was up to going or not." Her voice held its usual truthfulness because she hated beating around the bush, though this seemed a prime situation where one might do so. Scratching her head absently, she shrugged and the two stepped from the end of the dark, narrow foyer into the living room and kitchen, rolled into one. She waved a hand, signaling for him to sit on the couch before the wood-burning fireplace and headed for the kitchen area of the room, pulling her hair into her hand and wringing it out into the sink. It felt as though she needed a way to occupy her hands at all times, so that she wouldn't instead do something completely insane, like try to touch him, hug him, kiss him. "Yeah. I'm sorry," she said quietly, sitting in the chair beside the couch, curling up her legs. A smile graced her face, because in all reality, she didn't feel awkward. Astonished, afraid - yes, those two she felt. But Felicity was never anything but comfortable around Theodore because he understood her so much. She didn't know how he did, but something about him just knew her, instantly. More than anyone else.

A deep breath filled her lungs and silence reigned in the room for a few moments. Rain slapping against the large windows as her cat yawned and stretched, leaping from his place on the mantel, beside captured moments of her more recent life, and into Felicity's lap. She scratched behind his ears and finally looked at Theodore, a troubled look covering her soft features, like the black clouds covering the free, white ones for a rainstorm. "Why did you invite me?" The question was simple, five words and a question mark, but it had been troubling her since she received the cordial request of her presence. It came off ruder than she would have liked and Felicity mentally slapped herself, fiddling with a piece of hair that was dripping into her equally wet Beatles shirt. "I mean..." She shrugged - maybe she didn't really know what she meant. "Like, do your parents know? Or am I going to be kicked out on my ass when they see me?" Her peculiar eyes met his and a tiny grin crossed her face. Old habits die hard, and Felicity knew that she sometimes smiled at inappropriate moments.

"It just seemed very...out of the blue," she finished. A meow sounded from her lap and she looked down at the tabby kitten there, who was pawing at her hand. Thunder rumbled outside particularly loudly and the rain's tirade on the small town continued, pelting it with water drops the size of golf balls - or so it seemed, at least. For a moment it seemed as though it was her sixth year again, before...everything. Watching the rain with the one that she hesitantly loved, and it wouldn't last. She had learned that in time...everyone who she loved had let her down. Maybe it was why she liked rain so much - it always came back. No matter what.