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Post by Ted Tonks on Jul 23, 2009 0:06:18 GMT -5
The Auror Department lately had been a rollercoaster of good and bad news, losing Aurors and gaining new ones.
While it wasn't Ted's idea to have a social event for the Aurors, he sort of made himself in charge of planning it. It was a good idea afterall. They had too many new Aurors that didn't really know anyone (Kevin, Cynthia, and Kit, not to mention the other Ministry officials like Greyson and Kate that associated with the Aurors a lot).
Besides, Roland Ferrera had miraculously risen from the dead, though Ted was one of a small handful of people that knew the story behind it. He'd pushed Riley into telling him everything one day, but was then sworn to secrecy. He hadn't even told Andi, and it was eating at him. But Roland's return and the fact that Riley didn't look ready to collapse every day was something to celebrate.
So for the night, the Auror Department would be the place to be. He and Andi were the first ones there, simply because Ted had helped organize so much of it, and in the few moments they had to themselves, he made sure to kiss her and tell her how much he loved her.
Soon, the other Aurors and those often seen around would be arriving. Geoffrey Montgomery was even sent an invitation, but Ted didn't know where he stood with Riley yet. Still, he hoped the guy came.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Jul 23, 2009 0:36:50 GMT -5
Just as the department itself seemed to be on a roller coaster ride, so was Andi. Her hormones were already all over the place, and she could be filled with energy one moment, and crying for no reason the next. At least the morning sickness was starting to even out.
She leaned into Ted's kiss, smiling softly. "I'm glad we're doing this," she said. "We need to lighten the air a little. Everything has been so heavy and stressful, and all the new aurors have got to feel really awkward. I'm sure things will get better now that Roland's back. That is, once his suspension's over. I still don't understand why Angelique suspended him and Riley, but I guess it's her call."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Jul 23, 2009 0:49:54 GMT -5
Hormones and all, Andi was the most beautiful, perfect woman alive, and Ted would have never let her tell him differently. He was excited as all hell to have a child with her. Just as long as it came out with ten fingers and ten toes, he'd be all right. Everything else they could figure out as they went. Her mood swings had him on edge a little, but only because he wanted to be able to adapt quickly. She was carrying a baby now; the least he could do was be whatever kind of emotional support she needed.
Unlike his wife (and Ted loved calling her that), Ted knew exactly why the Aurors had been suspended, and to be honest... that was the least they could have gotten. He was pleasantly surprised that neither one of them was outright fired. "I guess she just figures Riley needs the time... she's been through a lot, and Merlin knows she'll never take it off on her own. And Roland probably needs the time to adjust to being back." He still didn't know how they were going to explain her pregnancy, but Ted would keep quiet about so that at least he wouldn't be the cause of the questions.
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 13:12:49 GMT -5
Riley was getting ready at the apartment, deciding that since it wasn't really business, she was going to go in muggle clothes. More than that, she and Roland were both still suspended, so how much more trouble could she actually get in?
She was dressed in a red skirt and a blouse that complimented it well. Truth be told, she would have opted for slacks, but she knew Roland liked when she wore skirts, and she found herself wanting to do little things for him that she knew he liked.
She didn't take long to get dressed and made up, and she looked herself over in the bathroom mirror. She was still too skinny, and even she saw that, but her eyes weren't as sunken in, and she looked like she was sleeping well again. She nodded at her reflection and went back to the bedroom, looking for a pair of shoes. "Roland? Are you almost ready?"
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Post by Kevin Flanagan on Jul 23, 2009 14:31:05 GMT -5
Being Irish, anything that resembled a "party" was in good in Kevin's book. He also felt like he'd been transferred to the department at the wrong time. They were going through a lot, and everyone seemed to be in their own little world. He couldn't blame one of them, but it was hard to make himself feel at home. Mostly, he stuck to Angelique and what she told him to do, and he liked talking to Kit.
He showed up on time, though the only other people around were Ted and Andromeda Tonks. He smiled brightly. "Well, the most important of us are already here, I see."
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Post by Hayden Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 14:50:58 GMT -5
Hayden wasn't going to be late for the party. He thought about just not going and finishing up a few things then going home, only to go to bed or maybe go get a drink on his own. However, Hayden didn't want to be the only one that didn't show up, plus Ted, Riley, Roland, and Cyrus were going to (or were supposed to) be there.
Walking up, he put on a slight smile. "Ted, Andi," Hayden said with a nod. He then turned to one of the newer Aurors. "Kevin, it's good to see you."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 16:35:32 GMT -5
Riley was getting ready at the apartment, deciding that since it wasn't really business, she was going to go in muggle clothes. More than that, she and Roland were both still suspended, so how much more trouble could she actually get in? She was dressed in a red skirt and a blouse that complimented it well. Truth be told, she would have opted for slacks, but she knew Roland liked when she wore skirts, and she found herself wanting to do little things for him that she knew he liked. She didn't take long to get dressed and made up, and she looked herself over in the bathroom mirror. She was still too skinny, and even she saw that, but her eyes weren't as sunken in, and she looked like she was sleeping well again. She nodded at her reflection and went back to the bedroom, looking for a pair of shoes. "Roland? Are you almost ready?" Like Riley, Roland had also decided to wear muggle clothes. He wasn't sure he could get used to wearing robes all the time, after not wearing them for so long. Muggle clothes were so much lighter and easier to move around in. If he ever became Minister of Magic, he would change it so that robes were no longer mandatory for Ministry workers. He wasn't sure how formal the affair was going to be, so he dressed in a pair of black pants, and wore a casual jacket over a light blue shirt. Altogether, the effect made him look fairly well put together, or so he hoped. He was freshly shaven and ready to go well before Riley was. He was leaning back on the bed, and had ordered Phoenix to stay on the floor, to prevent getting dog hair all over everything. When Riley came in, he couldn't breathe for a minute. "You look beautiful," he told her, ignoring her question. "We should probably leave as soon as possible, or I might not be able to keep my hands off of you." |
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 17:59:26 GMT -5
"What if I want your hands all over me?" Riley asked, raising an eyebrow. She was only slightly teasing him. "Thank you," she added for the compliment. When Roland told her she was beautiful, she believed it, and she felt beautiful. It made her smile and made her cheeks warm, and she didn't think she would ever get over that feeling when he looked at her like that.
"You look nice," she told him, coming over to sit on the edge of the bed while she did the straps to her highheels. It felt so domestic and coupley. She couldn't get enough of this.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 18:29:58 GMT -5
Roland smiled. "Don't ever give me an invitation like that," he teased. "We'll never leave the house."
As much as he wanted to go to the party and try to get back into the swing of things, it really was hard to tear himself away from her. He was already thinking about ways they could make an early exit, or perhaps sneak off to find a linen closet.
When she sat down on the edge of the bed, he moved a little closer to her and put his arms around her from behind, then pressed his lips against the side of her neck. "So, what do you think? Will they be mad at us if we're late? It's just a party..."
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 18:39:47 GMT -5
Riley smiled. "I'd be okay if we didn't even go."
She wasn't joking at all, but they had to go to this little party. Even his question asked against her neck made her sigh, and she wished she could tell him that they could be late. Already, she knew that she wouldn't be able to walk away from him at the party, than their hands would be entwined the entire time, and it would kill her that it was all they could do.
"Roland, you're half the reason they're even throwing this little event," she reminded him, turning so that they were face to face, and she smiled. "And imagine how much I'll want you after having to stay away all night. And hopefully how much you'll want me."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 19:15:23 GMT -5
"Well, I never asked them to throw me a party," Roland said. "It's not like I need the ego boost."
He was better able to accept the idea of a party to help the new people get to know everyone. There were new aurors he hadn't even met, and it made him feel a little out of touch. Especially since they probably all knew about him. But he certainly wasn't comfortable with being the guest of honor at a party. In the past, he had usually spent social events like this hiding quietly in the back. At least now, he would have someone to hide with.
"OK, OK. We'll go. But let's hurry before I change my mind."
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 19:45:39 GMT -5
Riley smiled, mostly to herself, and when her second heel was latched in place, she shifted her position and pulled out of his arms so that she could turn to face him. She pulled herself up on her knees and put her hands on his shoulders. In this position, she was a head taller than him, and there was a playful glint in her eyes went she looked down at him.
"I only said half the reason," she told him before capturing his lips in her own. Maybe it was cruel, but she wanted to make it really hard for him to keep his hands of her. She imagined when they got home later it would be well worth it though,
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 21:33:52 GMT -5
Roland closed his eyes and let himself get lost in her kiss. She was right about one thing--being so close to her and do nothing but hold her hand was going to drive him crazy. And the wait would make things that much sweeter when they got home.
He had his hands in her hair, gently pulling it out of the bun she insisted on wearing. "You really should wear your hair down," he whispered against her lips.
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Post by Hestia Jones on Jul 23, 2009 21:57:55 GMT -5
Hestia stepped into the room and the first thing she noticed was that there were couples freaking everywhere. She rolled her eyes. She'd much rather be punching a bag, lifting weights, or something productive. But she didn't want to be insociable and she didn't know anyone in the auror department...at all. She took a deep breath and walked over to the refreshment table and grabbed a drink. Hopefully, someone spiked this, because it was going to be a long night.
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 22:37:45 GMT -5
Riley sighed against his lips as he pulled her hair down. It had been tightly wound for a while, so it lay against her back in loose curls. It was one of the things that made her look young, and even she admitted that it made her look prettier. She didn't know why she kept her hair long if she was just going to put it up all the time.
"I'll leave it down tonight just for you," she told him, pressing their lips more firmly together again.
"We're going to be late to your party."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 23, 2009 23:04:15 GMT -5
He sighed reluctantly and pulled away. "I guess we should go, then."
At the mention of "his" party, he shook his head. "It's not my party," he insisted. "This is my chance to meet all the new people who have started since I... left. You should tell me a little about them, if you can. I don't like feeling like I'm going in cold, when they all know who I am."
He got to his feet and extended a hand to her to help her up. "You can tell me all about them on the way."
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 23, 2009 23:49:49 GMT -5
Riley laughed at that. "God, Roland. You think I've been socializing the whole time you were gone? I barely know them." But she took his hand as they left her apartment, locking the door and saying goodbye to Phoenix. "Kit likes to put her foot in her mouth. Kevin reminds me a little Arthur, but maybe it's just the red hair. He's very Irish. Uhm... Cynthia's nice. I like her. Who am I missing?"
None of this helped him, she was sure, but she'd been so wrapped up in other things that she hadn't really had the time to get to know these other Aurors either.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jul 24, 2009 0:20:09 GMT -5
[Kole: I don't think we're there yet. We were... distracted...]
Roland shrugged. "Well, you know more about them than I do," he replied. "I didn't even know there was a Kevin." He laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "I think I might have met Cynthia, and you complained to me several times about Kit. I actually can't wait to meet her."
He pressed a kiss to her lips, then apparated them both to the Ministry.
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Post by Kit Cunningham on Jul 24, 2009 14:14:36 GMT -5
Kit couldn't deny that she loved parties. Back in America, she was usually the life of the party, drinking too much, dancing too much and flirting too much. Of course, she had no idea if those kinds of antics would really fly with these staid Brits, but she didn't intend to let that bother her. She was going to have a good time, and if she made a fool of herself, well, it wouldn't be a new thing. After all, since arriving in Britain, she had done a perfectly adequate job of making a fool of herself while sober. Maybe she'd do better drunk.
At any rate, she was very curious to meet the Famous Roland Ferrera, as she referred to him in her mind. Since her arrival, it seemed like all she heard was his name. And just adding to his legendary status was the fact that he'd risen from the dead. How many people could say that? She hoped that maybe now that he was back, Riley wouldn't hate her quite so much.
She didn't dress up or do anything to her hair. She was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, just as she would be any other day when she was off duty. She didn't see any reason to dress any differently... it was a party, after all, not a formal affair.
Once she was ready, she apparated to the Ministry. As luck would have it, she arrived just a fraction of a second before Roland and Riley.
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Post by Riley Neves on Jul 24, 2009 14:16:42 GMT -5
Riley rolled her eyes. "You're probably going to love Kit, I'm sure."
Though really, now that things had slowed down a little, she figured she owed Kit an apology. Rumor had it that the girl helped look for her while she went AWOL, and she really wasn't so bad. Brash, and never thought before she spoke, but there were times in Riley's life when she could identify with that. Maybe she could even like the girl.
When they arrived at the Ministry, she squeezed Roland's hand, and then smiled, seeing who else was there. Well, speak of the Devil. "Kit," she said, catching the blonde's attention.
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