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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 1:51:06 GMT -5
D'rorah stepped back and turned to face the door as Dylan released her. She had wondered what his mother would look like, having pictured a few possibilities in her mind and different points since having met and grown closer to Dylan. As he knocked, she knew she would soon find an answer to that mild curiosity, though she rather wished the circumstances might be different. Feeling his hand slip into hers, she looked over at him, seeing the tension in his posture. She wondered whether it was entirely related to grief over Aiden or if there were some other reason for it. Returning the squeeze of his hand with a gentle squeeze of her own, her attention turned back to the door as it began to open.
Immediately, she noticed the eyes. It was the same dark brown color she had seen gazing into Dylan's eyes so many times. She suddenly felt almost freakishly tall, seeing that she was a good bit taller than either Dylan or his mother. She released his hand, stepping back slightly to give space for their reunion as mother and son hugged in greeting.
D'rorah gave a slight dip akin to a curtsy as Mrs. Cooper acknowledged her. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Cooper," she greeted politely. Her eyes subtly took in the surroundings as she followed them into the house. "You have a lovely home," she remarked quietly, filling in the pleasantries she had been taught were required when meeting someone for the first time. It was quite a bit larger than she had expected. Of course, having grown up in New York City, she was accustomed to spaces, even in grand penthouses, being quite a bit smaller than the house here. She followed Dylan's lead in taking a seat in the sitting room, wanting to remain as quiet and unobtrusive as possible.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Oct 5, 2007 2:05:58 GMT -5
Noticing D'rorah's polite introduction, he then followed his mother inside and took a seat in the familiar sitting room. Seeing her do the same out of the corner of his eye, he gave his mother a small look that she knew the exact meaning of. "Do they know who did it?" he said directly, having wondered about the answer for quite a long time. He felt slightly guilty for jumping straight into this topic from this angle, but he had grieved plenty, and would grieve plenty more. He needed to know if the killer had been caught.
Grimacing at the look he gave her and his first comment, Astraeus watched her son closely. "No, Dylan, no-one's been charged with anything," she said quietly, a sad inflection in her voice. "It's been terrible. You know how loved Aiden was around here..." she added, trailing off.
"Anyway!" she said quickly, wanting to change the subject. Her voice was soft and flowing, a gentle and pleasant quality to it. "D'rorah, how lovely to finally meet you. My Dylan's been quite..." she trailed off, noticing the look he gave her at the comments. "So, you're a Ravenclaw, too?" she inquired, knowing the answer and searching for conversation a bit.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 2:18:16 GMT -5
D'rorah listened Dylan's somewhat terse question and Astraeus' answer. She wondered at the look that had passed between the two and thought for a moment she might be best to excuse herself to allow them time to speak. The interaction between mother and son puzzled her somewhat. She had gathered that Dylan and his mother were closer than the current interaction would seem to indicate; however, given his current emotional state, perhaps that should not have come as any surprise to her.
And suddenly the topic was shifted to her. She had expected... well, something rather different, she supposed... perhaps she had expected conversation more to do with the recently departed. Wasn't that the sort of thing one discussed when gathering for a funeral? Quite what? she wondered, noticing how Astraeus trailed off. Had she been the sort to feel uncomfortable, she certainly would have at that moment. This interaction simply was not quite what she had expected for some reason. Of course, upon reflection, she supposed she had not really known what to expect.
"Yes, I am a Ravenclaw. I am currently the house prefect, though this is only my first year at Hogwart's. Previously I was enrolled at Falstaff's in New York." She sat in her chair, assuming her normal, rigid posture. Unwilling at that point, to initiate any conversation of her own, she simply waited for any response Astraeus might have to her response, all the while watching Dylan for some clue as to what he expected of her.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Oct 5, 2007 19:03:48 GMT -5
"A Prefect? How admirable," she said with a happy smile. "You know Darius used to be House Prefect, too, I bet he'd have absolutely adored you," she said, her smile faltering for but a moment before resuming its cheery demeanor. Noticing her manner and posture, Astraeus wondered how on earth Dylan had become interested in the young woman. He was a laid-back sort of boy, and he didn't normally have many friends, let alone a girlfriend. Of all the people, why her?
Her smile revealing none of her thoughts, she looked at her son briefly and wondered why he seemed so distant. He had always been rather quiet when it came to discussing Aiden; perhaps they had not gotten along?
Giving a small smile, she thought her son looked rather malnourished. "Dylan dear, are you eating properly? I'll fix you both some dinner, what would you like?" she said, directing the question to both of them.
Dylan's eyes raised themselves to look at his mother as she unexpectedly introduced Darius into the conversation. Being completely unusual for his mother, he frowned slightly, wondering why she would do such a thing.
He felt reluctant to talk, unwilling to express such grief over the most recent death of the small town. Ever since considering the blacksmith a true father, he had felt guilty to his paternal father for feeling so strongly towards someone that wasn't him. As a result, he remained quiet; distant. He did not wish for his mother to know his feelings, and becoming any closer to her than he was now might break that.
Hearing Astraeus' comments, he grimaced slightly. "I'm not really hungry, mum," he said quietly, his mind still elsewhere. Looking to D'rorah for a moment, he thought that if anyone might understand him, she would. He lowered his eyes once more.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 20:48:10 GMT -5
D'rorah smiled politely as Astraeus remarked on her prefect status. Hearing her comment that Darius would have 'absolutely adored' her, D'rorah's smile remained the same, though inwardly it was somewhat forced. She could appreciate that Astraeus was trying to carry the conversation to avoid any awkward silence, but the thought of someone absolutely adoring her was difficult, to say the least.
Hearing Dylan, decline the offer of dinner, she smiled at Astraeus. "We actually had a small dinner not too long ago on the train ride here, Ms. Cooper. However, you have my sincerest thanks for the offer." She glanced to Dylan, thinking perhaps he would want to talk things out with her later, he seemed to have clammed up even more since arriving here.
"If you do not mind my asking, it has been a rather long day. Perhaps it would be best if we were all early to bed." She thought that perhaps she would be able to talk to him later, when things were quiet and they could be alone. She remembered after her parents had died that she had had so many different emotions running through her at the same time... it had taken her a while to sort all of it out; she hoped that she would be able to help Dylan with that process somewhat.
She rose from her chair, still smiling graciously. "You really do have a lovely home," she remarked, glancing around. She offered Dylan a reassuring smile as she shouldered her travel bag. "Dylan, shall we meet in the morning for meditation before we have to leave?" she suggested. She looked at him and thought quietly, not wanting to add to the din that was certainly sounding in his head. Find me tonight, I would like to talk to you alone for a while.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Oct 5, 2007 21:07:35 GMT -5
Silently thanking D'rorah for an excuse to leave, he nodded at her suggestion of meditation, as well as the thought that had been sent his way. Rising from his seat, he watched as his mother walked towards him quietly, then returned the hug she provided. "I'm gonna go to bed as well," he said quietly, pulling away after only a moment.
Turning back to D'rorah, he didn't meet her eyes. "I'll show you where you're sleeping," he said quietly, moving to leave the room and assuming she would follow. Making his way back into the main foyer, he began ascending the grand, curved marble staircase without his normal 'every alternative step' approach. Eventually reaching the top of the case, he turned left down the hallway and passed several branching hallways, only slightly narrower than their current one. It was relatively easy to get lost in this house if you weren't as used to it as Dylan was.
Passing an elegant door, he indicated to it briefly. "There's the bathroom," he said quietly, continuing on. Only a few doors later, he stopped. "And this is your room I think," he said, opening the door a fraction. Seeing the bed was made and the obvious touches Astraeus had made in a 'homey' attempt at comfort, he nodded, his suspicions confirmed. Pushing the door wider, he turned back to D'rorah, his head slightly downcast.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 21:27:23 GMT -5
D'rorah nodded her thanks to Dylan as he offered to show her to her room. She turned back to Astraeus with a slight dip akin to a curtsy. "Good evening, Ms. Cooper," she remarked quietly. "And thank you for the accommodations."
She followed along behind Dylan. Her hand ran along the cool marble banister as she followed him. She made a mental note of the path that led to her room, hoping she would be able to find her way back to the marble staircase in the morning. She nodded her head slightly as they passed the bathroom, though Dylan wouldn't have seen it, as she was following along behind. She was relieved when they finally stopped at the door to what would be her bedroom for the night. "It is very nice," she replied.
When he turned back to her, she used her hand to gently lift his chin so that she could look into his eyes and kissed him softly. "Dylan..." she trailed off, unsure of what exactly to say. "There is room in a person's heart to love so many people. Both men acted as a father to you. Loving either one does not betray the memory of the other. There is room in your life to love both and to grieve for both. Your mother seems to be trying very hard to understand how you are feeling as well. She will not think less of you for grieving Aiden." She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a fierce hug. "Please try to sleep tonight. I will meet you in the morning for meditation. When you were young, he protected you like a father; he would not want to see you become ill now over his death." Her hug around him tightened. "I love you, Dylan Cooper," she added quietly.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Oct 5, 2007 21:41:49 GMT -5
Producing a small nod at her comment, he felt his head lifted by a soft hand. Looking into her eyes for a moment, they shut slowly as she kissed him and he returned the movement with a brief but strong, impulsive kiss back. As he listened to her speak, he found that her words actually helped. The very thing he'd been worried about the most was disturbing the memory of his father, and because of that he hadn't properly allowed himself to grieve for Aiden. That large burden being somewhat removed from him, he was pulled into a powerful embrace which he returned just as ardently.
Hearing her soft words in his ear, his eyes became filled with emotion and he closed them. "I love you, D'rorah," he said, equally as quiet and meaning every word. "Thankyou, for everything," he added. Pulling back, he produced a small, minutely happy smile. "I will see you in the morning, and if you need me, I'm only two doors down," he said quietly, indicating his own door. "Goodnight, Dee," he said gently, giving her a soft kiss to the lips.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 21:55:13 GMT -5
Relieved to see the first shadows of a smile upon Dylan's face, D'rorah nodded. It was the closest thing to happiness she had seen in him since the night he had received the owl with the news of Aiden's death. As he kissed her, she felt her arms move to his shoulders before she pulled back. "Good night," she replied quietly. "Likewise, if you need me, I will be right here."
With one last reassuring smile, she headed into her own room to change into her night clothes and prepare for bed. As the door closed behind her, she noted to herself how odd it was to be going to bed at what most would consider a reasonable hour... and with no research to distract her, she was certain she would actually sleep for a change. It took a while to settle down, to push aside thoughts of the day and to push aside her mind's tendency to review her research... even without her books present, her mind wished to review the information it had recently uncovered.
She settled down into a very comfortable bed, exhaling deeply as the cool, light duvet settled over her. Her eyes slowly drifted shut and she found herself asleep rather quickly, her own odd sleeping habits finally catching up to her as she allowed herself to relax.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Oct 5, 2007 22:15:06 GMT -5
Showing her a small nod as she entered her temporary room, he sighed and turned in the direction of his own room, the door behind him shutting. Striding a few paces, he reached his own, familiar room and closed the door quietly, taking it in. It was exactly as he'd left it. Seeing the small lump at the base of his bed, he smiled genuinely for the first time in days and moved towards the animal as it became aware of another presence and woke. Seeing his friend, the dogs tail began to wag enthusiastically and Dylan tackled it with a small laugh. In all honesty, and as ashamed as he was to admit it, he'd completely forgotten about Darius the beagle on the way home.
A few small, happy barks issuing from his mouth, Dylan and him continued to play-wrestle on the bed for a few moments. Getting back up, he quickly changed into a set of cotton pyjamas and slid under the covers, pulling the friendly animal close and hugging him. "Hey there you, how's it been? Have you been looking after mum like I told you?" he asked the dog in a mockingly serious voice.
Smiling happily, he remembered why he was here and sighed, the smile slipping from his features. Knowing he would need to gather as much energy as possible for the day ahead, he relaxed and closed his eyes, feeling comforted by the warm body beside him.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 22:31:31 GMT -5
Through the thin veil of sleep that had begun to settle over her mind, D'rorah thought she heard barking. She remembered then that Dylan had mentioned having a beagle puppy... well, no longer a puppy, she supposed. Remembering the smile that had been on his face at mentioning the furry companion, she smiled a bit, hoping he would find some comfort from the familiar friend. Her sleep that night was light and somewhat restless. She found herself, once again, plagued by nightmares of the night her parents had died. They had dissipated almost completely after finding and joining with her Elemental Master. However, now, after having been separated from him and not even having mental contact with him, they had begun to return.
After waking up several times nearly screaming, D'rorah looked for a clock, hoping it was nearly morning. Quietly, she gathered her clothes and headed down the hall to the restroom for a shower. She stood under the hot water for a while, allowing the heat to relax muscles which had tensed during the night. When she emerged, she dressed in a set of her usual heavy woolen robes. Unlike her school robes, these were more of a dark black and the long sleeves were intricately embroidered with an ivy motif.
She stood in front of the mirror after she had dressed, considering her hair for several minutes. Reaching for her wand, she began quietly muttering a charm which resulted in a thick braid that hung down her back like a pale yellow rope. She gathered the braid and began tediously pinning it up so that the entire mass of hair was snugly secured against the back of her head. Stepping from the restroom, she returned her things to her bedroom and, hearing no one else moving around at the early hour, found her way back to the marble staircase.
She descended slowly, not really certain where she was going. When she reached the sitting room, she looked around, finally spotting a pair of french doors through the next room which appeared to open to a courtyard. Quietly, she eased the doors open and slipped out into the cool morning air. The sun was just beginning to lighten the sky, having not yet even crested the horizon. She seated herself on a small stone bench and waited for the day to finish arriving as the birds sang quietly around her.
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Oct 5, 2007 22:43:49 GMT -5
Feeling a small nuzzling at his neck, he laughed playfully as the blurry shape of a furry face began to focus before his eyes. Pushing the dog away playfully, he could tell that food was on Darius' mind. Yawning and flipping aside the light duvet, he hopped out of bed. Clothed in only his pyjama pants, Dylan made his way downstairs, the eager animal at his heels. Descending the staircase quickly, he found that his beagle lightened his mood considerably, despite the impending events of the day.
Reaching the kitchen, he saw D'rorah, typically, already awake and seated on one of the stone benches outside. Seeing that the sun was rising, he sighed resolutely and found some dog food, promptly placing it in a small bowl for his barking companion. Watching as Darius dug right in, he grimaced slightly at the thought of eating but knew he really should. Today would require a lot of energy.
When the small dog had consumed everything in sight, Dylan scooped him up and made his way back into the sitting room and out the french doors. "Morning," he said quietly, taking a seat beside D'rorah and giving her a soft kiss. Feeling the furry bundle struggling in his arms, he released his hold and found himself rewarded by a slobbery kiss before Darius ran off, playfully snapping at birds.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 22:57:37 GMT -5
"Good morning," she replied quietly before returning his kiss. She looked down at Darius as he struggled in Dylan's arms before being released and running off to chase the birds. She watched the energetic pup gallivanting around the yard for a few moments before turning her attention back to Dylan. "I hope you slept well. You look more rested than you have in days," she commented.
"I thought it best to meditate before breakfast. And this area is so lovely, it seems perfectly suited to it. If you still care to join me, you are more than welcome to," she added as she shifted in her seat and closed her eyes. She focused first on her breathing, using that focus to push everything else from her mind. She spent the better part of the next hour guiding herself through her typical meditation practice, something that had fallen by the wayside in light of all the work she had been doing recently.
When she finally reopened her eyes, she looked over to Dylan and looked down in time to see Darius come running back up. She waited quietly and patiently for Dylan to stir and open his eyes, all the while listening to the sounds of early morning in what was, for all intents and purposes, the country. Absent were the sounds of traffic and horns honking, the sounds of street vendors peddling their wares. It was very quiet and peaceful... though almost too peaceful. When Dylan emerged from his own meditation, took his hand in hers. "Come Mister Cooper, I will make breakfast."
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Post by Dylan Cooper on Oct 5, 2007 23:19:56 GMT -5
"I did, yeah. You don't look the same, though," he said quietly, a small smile rising onto his features as he watched his dog play. Nodding silently at her comment, he joined her in morning meditation. His eyes closed on the image of Darius attempting to pounce up a tree and his breathing steadied, slowing and becoming deeper as he focused on it. Every thought was shut out of his mind as the intense concentration came over him, and he stirred only as his dog bounded back towards him. His eyes flicking to D'rorah, he saw that she too had finished and opened his arms, his attention going back to Darius' attempt to jump into his outstretched arms.
His hand being reached for, he took it willingly as the furry animal resumed his play of the morning. "Breakfast sounds good," he said, his opinion on the matter having changed since earlier. Following her into his own kitchen, he released her hand and opened the pantry door, surveying the contents. Frowning, he then remembered that his mother usually liked to eat out. "What would you like, Dee?" he asked her quietly, the calming effects of meditation still dominating him as he put off thoughts of the funeral still to come.
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Post by D'rorah Philosophy on Oct 5, 2007 23:35:52 GMT -5
D'rorah smiled slightly. "I thought I might perhaps make french toast. I have not had the opportunity to cook anything substantial in quite some time." She leaned over and kissed his cheek. Following his gaze to the pantry, she realized that perhaps french toast wouldn't be an option with the materials available. "Do you mind waiting just a few moments?"
Simultaneously casting a muffling spell to silence the loud crack that normally accomanied apparition, she apparated, appearing in Orizont Alley in New York only moments later right outside of a small grocery. She quickly selected eggs, milk, bread, vanilla, and powdered sugar, paying for her purchases before apparating back. All in all, the trip took less than seven minutes.
"Now then, shall we see if I am still able to cook a non-lethal meal?" she teased. Setting to work, she cracked eggs and beat them with a fork, stirring in a bit of milk and vanilla. She tended to forgo magic in the kitchen, having learned what little cooking she knew from her mother, who had often entertained the muggles who were her musical patrons. Before long, she had several thick slices of bread soaked in the eggy mixture cooking delightfully in a small silver pan. She made rather a lot of french toast, considering how few people were there to eat it, but hoped that it wouldn't go to waste. She prepared two plates, dusting toast pieces with powdered sugar before setting places at a small table in the kitchen. She had just begun to wonder whether Dylan's mother would show for breakfast or not... mornings were always an early affair in the Philosophy household, so she had been somewhat surprised not to see her earlier.
She kissed Dylan on the cheek before setting a plate before him. "Bon appetit, Monsieur Cooper."
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