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Post by Roland Ferrera on Apr 6, 2010 23:20:05 GMT -5
Riley and Andromeda were having a "girls' night out" dinner, which meant that both Roland and Ted were alone for the evening. Rather than spend the night alone feeling sorry for themselves, Roland suggested they go out to the Leaky Cauldron for drinks. After all, he owed Ted a lot after everything that happened.
Still, Roland hadn't forgotten the last time he went out for drinks with Ted and Arthur and Fabian. He'd very nearly gotten into a fight with Fabian because he'd been so insanely jealous that the other man was dating Riley. And even though Roland had ended up with Riley after all, he knew his behavior that night had been bad. Luckily, this time it would just be him and Ted, and it was unlikely that Fabian would be showing up.
Roland got there first and was sitting at the bar sipping a firewhiskey (he just couldn't bring himself to just drink butterbeer) when Ted arrived.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 7, 2010 11:31:24 GMT -5
Ted would have been fine home alone on this night, while Andromeda was out with Riley. Of course, he and Andromeda didn't have the same story as Riley and Roland, and there wasn't the same urgency that he sensed around those two.
But he was glad that Roland mentioned going out. They had both been pretty elusive since the night Roland came back, and Ted was genuinely interested in how they were- especially Riley, for whom he still felt at least a little responsible. So he eagerly agreed.
Finding the dark haird man with a firewhiskey in front of him, Ted smiled that boyish, easy going smile of his, and joined Roland as he tried to catch the attention of someone who could get him a drink.
His first inclination was to make a joke, because that's what Ted did, but he curbed this urge and instead honestly said, "You look really good, Roland. Better than the last couple of times I've seen you." Sure, he looked happy at the Auror party a few weeks back, but still sort of... out of place.
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Apr 7, 2010 15:16:38 GMT -5
Roland straightened up, giving Ted a “man-nod” in greeting. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ve been… easing into things. It’s good to be back at work, though. Makes everything seem more… normal.”
It still somewhat surprised him how hard it had been to get back to “reality.” He had never really been the most social person in the world, and events like the auror party and even his “heroic” return had placed him a little too close to the spotlight for his taste. This is not to say that he couldn’t hold his own when the situation called for it, but he usually preferred to sit back and observe or just talk with a few people, rather than everyone.
But being away from everyone for so long, he’d gotten comfortable. It had just been him and Riley, and it felt rather like they had been living in their own little fantasy world. It wasn’t easy having to leave it, and that was why he and Riley spent so much time alone with each other.
He took another sip from his drink, then asked, “So, how’ve you been?”
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 12, 2010 13:32:41 GMT -5
Ted nodded. "Yeah, I might go stir crazy if I was kept away from work." Or hidden away from civilzation in a safe house. He didn't voice this particular thought, however, since even in his head it sounded like there was a touch of malice to it. He didn't mean it that way- well, not really. But those were his opinions and they were unsolicited and he didn't see a need to give them.
Ted looked up from his glass as Roland continued, and he shrugged. "I'm doing really well. We're doing really well." A lot of his answers these days included Andromeda just out of habit. "Andi's showing now and I'm trying to figure out how to get us out of our tiny little apartment before the baby's born."
He smiled a little and shrugged a second time. "The office has been really quiet without you two around arguing all the time," he teased. "We'll be glad to have you back."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Apr 12, 2010 23:22:56 GMT -5
Roland's lips quirked up in a half-smile. "Well, we shouldn't be doing that very much anymore," he said. "We almost never fight anymore." He simply raised his eyebrows at this, allowing Ted to draw his own conclusions. After all, he had promised Riley that he would never discuss their sex life with anyone else again, and he intended to keep that promise.
"Anyway, I hear you about the apartment. It's already getting pretty cramped, with me and Riley and the dog. It'll be positively claustrophobic when the baby's born."
He paused, swirling the drink around in his glass for a moment, before he decided to address the issue that he knew was hanging over them. "Look... I know what you must think of me. Pulling what I did. I hope you understand that I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't thought it was the only way to keep my family safe. I wish I could have found another way, and I regret how far it went and how many people were hurt by it... but I'd do it again to save my family."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 14, 2010 11:31:33 GMT -5
Ted almost laughed at what was clearly being implied. He almost quipped that they probably should fight more because the make up sex was brilliant. He chose to keep quiet. Not that he'd know, anyway. Andromeda and he, since getting back together after Rita's interference, hadn't had a single fight. Of course, the Rita incident was enough of a doozey to last them for the rest of their lives.
"A dog? God. I thought Andi's cat was bad enough." It was a joke. He had a soft spot for the cat, really. And while he didn't think he knew that Roland and Riley had a dog, he didn't picture either of them as the 'yorkshire terrier' type, and rather imagined it was something big. "Andi hasn't really brought it up yet, but I really need to find some place with a least a real room that we can turn into a nursery. And I don't really wanna raise my child in an apartment setting. I don't know. There are more pressing things to be worried about. Andi's a blood traitor, I'm a muggleborn... both Aurors. And I'm worried about a nursery." Of course, if he thought about it, Roland would need to worry about the same things.
He shook his head and took another drink. "That's not why you asked to talk tonight, is it? Roland, I don't judge you. I don't know that I would have done the same thing in your situation, but I don't know that I wouldn't have, either. It's your decision, you're probably living with the consequences. I'm probably the last person you should be explaining yourself to or apologizing to."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Apr 14, 2010 16:07:21 GMT -5
“Yeah. He’s a big dog, too. Or he will be. He’s still a puppy, but he’s already tripled in size since we got him. That apartment is not going to be big enough…”
Roland frowned slightly when Ted mentioned all the reasons why he and Andromeda were in danger. The truth was, he was in the exact same position. While he hadn’t exactly fooled himself into believing that they were completely safe now that Blake was dead, it still was something of a shock to realize that all of this, everything that he was trying to build with Riley, could still be ripped away. They couldn’t afford to take anything for granted.
He needed to talk to Angelique about that safe house.
Ted’s response to his comment allowed him to push these fears aside for the time being. “No, that’s not what this is about,” he assured him quickly. “I just… I wanted to get that out of the way first, that’s all. And I wanted to let you know that I’m really grateful to you for saving Riley like that. You were there for her when I couldn’t be, and I appreciate that. If anything had happened to her…” he shuddered.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 19, 2010 15:41:36 GMT -5
"I can't even imagine."
The apartment was just barely big enough for him and Andi, and he'd grown up in small places. Add a baby to the mix, and he was going to have to do something. Add a big dog to the mix? He'd go insane, so he gave mental props to Roland.
Ted shrugged at the thank you from Roland. What was he supposed to say to that? "I wasn't going to let anything happen to her. You know, it was just instinct. And when she was released from St. Mungos, I just felt responsible for her... she needed someone, and I thought I was that person." He paused and took a drink before laughing slightly. "I was wrong, of course. She did need someone, but it wasn't me. Anyway... no need to thank me. I'd do it again."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Apr 21, 2010 22:59:49 GMT -5
"Still, I really appreciate it," Roland said. "I put Riley through hell, and I don't think I even realized how much until recently. She kept a lot from me... I could sense it, but she would never admit it. I did what I could for her when she was with me, but... I'm just glad she had people on the outside who were looking out for her. You, Hayden, Arthur... Geoffrey until he was cursed."
He sighed again and took a long gulp from his drink. "I never should have involved her... I should have come up with something else. I was desperate, and when I made up my mind to do it... I couldn't stand to be separated from her. That's really why I went to her with it, instead of Hayden or someone else in my family. Because I wanted to keep her close by. It was selfish of me."
Hindsight was 20/20, or so they said. Roland was beginning to believe it. If he had known then what he knew now... He would have done so many things differently. But the truth was, there were so many ways that it all could have gone wrong, no matter what other choices he could have made. Who was to say which decisions were the right ones? He should just be happy that everyone was safe and unharmed... damaged emotionally, but otherwise intact. Right?
He wasn't sure.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 22, 2010 14:37:30 GMT -5
Ted frowned. It seemed to him that Roland was still trying to explain himself. Maybe not apologize, but explain himself, and maybe take some weight off of his shoulders. Who was Ted to deny him that?
"You did what you had to do," Ted replied, shrugging. "Like I said, I can't say I wouldn't have done anything different." He wouldn't have wanted to involve Andromeda at all... but he could see Roland's point. And he couldn't imagine putting her through the hell of thinking he was dead. His parents? Maybe. They knew his job had risks. But he couldn't do that to Andi.
"I'm just a little... surprised she agreed to it. She always seemed so by-the-books to me. But Roland... I understand where you're coming from. Really, I do."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Apr 22, 2010 15:33:09 GMT -5
It wasn't that Roland was really looking for validation from Ted. But this sort of led into one of the reasons that Roland had wanted to talk to Ted today.
He stared down into his glass for a moment, as if trying to search for the answer inside a pensieve. Then, he began to speak quietly. "Thanks for saying so," he said. "But see, the thing is... After everything that's happened, Riley says that sometimes she's still not sure what's real. She gets these nightmares sometimes... and sometimes even in the day time, she starts to get afraid that... I don't know, that I really did die and that it's all in her imagination. And when she told me... I didn't know what to tell her. I mean... I understand why it's happening... she's been under so much stress and the pregnancy has her hormones out of whack. But I don't know how to help her."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 22, 2010 16:47:02 GMT -5
"Oooh," Ted made a face hearing that, unsure what to say, really. "Man... if you're asking me for advice, I have nothing for you. That's rough."
Was that what Roland was doing? Asking Ted if he had any ideas how to help Riley? Because he didn't. None at all. What were you supposed to tell the person who loved when they told you they thought they were making you up?
He paused and tried to put himself in that situation, as if Andi brought this concern to him. Looking at his glass, thinking, he said, "I don't know. Can you give her something that would remind her you were alive, post- fake-mordem, I suppose? You would think the pregnancy would do the trick, but since that happened while you were supposed to be dead.... I don't know. I don't know how girls think."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Apr 25, 2010 18:27:24 GMT -5
Roland sighed. This made perfect sense to him, of course... but when he'd tried suggesting it to Riley, she had seemed angry with him. But what else was he supposed to do? The only other solution he could come up with was just to hope that it would fade with time. But Roland was impatient. He needed to do something, if only he could figure out what it was that he was supposed to do.
"I tried that," he said grimly. "I gave her a ring... an engagement ring, actually. It was before she told me this... but after I came back. We went to her home town in Portugal, I proposed on the beach, and she said yes... But now I'm wondering if she only said yes because she thought it wasn't real... that it was some sort of dream. What happens when reality sets in?"
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Post by Ted Tonks on May 5, 2010 12:06:20 GMT -5
Ted actually couldn't help but smile. "Wow, Roland... you guys are engaged? Why haven't you announced this at work yet?"
But he quietted, listening to the rest of Roland's concerns. He wanted to be happy for them. He wanted them to be happy, most because he knew what being happily in love felt like, and he wanted everyone to have that kind of happiness.
"Listen, Roland... this kind of thing... it isn't easy. And it's not without concerns and worries. And I'm a little concerned that you're both already doubting each other- but you seem to have already decided that you're a team, so you work through this as a team. Let her know you're worried about why she said yes to you. She deserves to know."
Ted shrugged. He was feeling like a love doctor, and God knew he didn't have the qualifications for that. But Roland came to him for help, and he would do what he could.
"Maybe we should go on a double date... hear me out. It might help her to see you interacting with people other than her, right?"
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Post by Roland Ferrera on May 5, 2010 22:01:49 GMT -5
Roland couldn't help the smile that spread across his features. "We will soon, but... you know, after the whole returning from the dead thing.... it just sort of seems like a good idea to let some of the fuss die down before we spread the news. Besides, I haven't actually told my parents yet, and I want to make sure they find out from me."
He was going to have to tell them soon, though, and he knew it. The longer he waited, the greater the chances that they'd find out from someone else. It was just that he wanted Riley with him when he told them, and she was still so nervous about seeing him parents. Roland was sure that as soon as his parents saw him and Riley together, any lingering anger they felt towards her would vanish... but he knew she was still worried. It was just another consequence that he had never considered when he came up with this stupid plan.
He sighed softly. "I'll talk to her. You have to understand... I don't have doubts about her... not about how I feel about her, or how she feels about me. I know she loves me. But I just... She's not sure that I'm real. How am I supposed to take that?"
But Ted's idea was a good one, and he relaxed visibly. He and Riley spent far too much time alone together, so in a way, it made sense that she thought she was dreaming him up. If they were around other people.... it would have to be easier to tell what was real, right? "Actually, you know... that might work. Not even just with you guys.... we should try visit other people together, too."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Jun 21, 2010 12:22:18 GMT -5
"Even if you don't want to visit anyone, just being out in public might help. Seeing other people interact with you is probably something she hasn't seen in a long time. Might do you both some good, really." His eyebrows went up slightly, quietly letting Roland know that he didn't think Riley was the only one who needed to recover.
"And seeing your parents might be a good excuse to get out and see people. I'm also sure that they'd probably love to see you, anyway."
He took a sip from his drink and shrugged. "But yeah... let me know when you guys are free, and we'll all go out to dinner or something."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Jun 22, 2010 22:08:06 GMT -5
"I'm fine," Roland said, giving Ted a look. He genuinely believed that he was. Of course, if he really thought about it, there was still that worry for his family or that Blake might somehow still be out there, or that he might have had another associate out there that had not been discovered. Blake was a Death Eater, after all, and if they decided to get revenge for his death, then they'd all be in danger all over again. And Blake's family... Aunt Emilia had been so angry, and then there was Noah...
"You're right, though. We do need to get out a little more. We've been kind of... hiding away. And a visit with my parents is long overdue. But I'll mention the idea of having a get-together for the four of us. It sounds like fun."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 23, 2011 1:29:23 GMT -5
Ted almost laughed, barely curbing the noise as it was. "Yeah, you're fine all right."
He shrugged, taking a drink from his glass. Roland was stubborn, and in his position, he would be the same way. He couldn't blame the guy.
"We need more things going on in the office, you know? How much longer is Riley's.... vacation?" Her forced leave of absence, rather, but he chose not to phrase it quite like that. When she comes back, we'll all do lunch or something in the cafeteria. Don't dare tell Angelique I said this... but I think forcing her to take time off right now wasn't really the best thing for her."
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Post by Roland Ferrera on Mar 28, 2011 23:32:36 GMT -5
Roland had mixed thoughts on that. In some ways, it was good, because it did give her time to rest, and it gave them both time to just be together without all the worries and stress of him pretending to be dead or trying to figure out how to stop Blake. But it had maybe gone on a little longer than necessary, and at this point, it was doing more harm than good.
"Shouldn't be much longer," he said, frowning. "Angelique never gave us a definite time table.... she said just until she wasn't mad at us anymore. Which could be never, for all I know."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Apr 27, 2011 16:37:36 GMT -5
Ted shook his head. "No... you'll probably be back in a couple of days, then. She's got too much on her plate to be mad at anyone. I think they've started handing more and more jobs over to the MLE because we're so overloaded. I forget we're in a war sometimes, you know?"
A war that could very easily get him, his wife, or his child killed. Despite the danger of their jobs, there was the fact that he was a muggle born, and Andi was a blood traitor.
"It sounds stupid, but I almost want to apologize to our baby for having her in a time like this. Anyway, point is, Angelique will forget she was angry soon enough. We could use the extra man power, anyway."
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