Vainly Emma

Doe smiled and laughed, nodding in agreement. “It seems like we’re on the exact same page here,” she said. “I only came for the free drinks.” Who gave a shit what Rodolphus had to say. “I’m Doe,” she replied, taking her hand to shake it. “Nice to meet you,” she said. “It’s always nice to meet a fellow rebel,” she teased. 

“Nice to meet you, Doe,” Emma said raising her glass and taking a drink. Finally, some good company. “How are you liking the party? You know, despite the whole Rodolphus sucks bit.”

Alice lifted her head at the sound of Emma, an old Arabic spell book opened beside her. It had been her maternal grandfather’s. She lay on her side, her back to the doorway, only a short silk chemise on her. She rolled over so she could look at Emma. She arched a brow at Emma’s cheeky smile, parting her lips only to exhale with a chuckle. She knew that look. “That depends entirely on what you want to ask me,” she answered. Although they both knew she was teasing. They both knew the answer was ten, eleven even. Alice pulled herself into a sitting position before she got up from her bed and grabbed a light robe to go over her chemise. 

“Why are you hobbling?” she asked before sitting back down on her best. She tapped the space beside her, offering Emma a seat if she wanted to take it.

“Well, it’s always at least a ten, so you better ask me,” she replied.

Emma grinned, biting her bottom lip as she walked into the room, her eyes moving over the nice chemise and robe Alice now wore. The true conundrum of did Emma want to be Alice or on Alice was ever-present, though from the heat that pooled she could guess which one it was today. “I went to the Lestrange thing at the Black’s, long story short, in the attack, I lost my footing, twisted my ankle, it’s fine,” she said sitting beside Alice. “I uh...” she said laying down. “I talked to Ted. I know, stupid of me, but I wanted closure so...” she trailed off, hating her voice did that high pitched sound it did when she was guilty of something. 

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Sybill smiled at the other woman’s kindness. She supposed that there were some witches and wizards out there that didn’t hate her. Or think that she was a fraud. Then again she supposed that this witch may not have known who she was or what happened with her. It was a light feeling and Sybill felt her burden lift if only temporary. “Not exactly,” she said, shooting a look at the others that continued to stare after her, “But I will be. Yeah, that actually sounds nice. What’re you thinking?”

Ted closed his eyes, turning his face away from Emma as she asked the question that so many people seemed to be asking him lately. It was always the same tone, and he believed, the same judgement underneath. They didn’t understand Andromeda and him, and sometimes, they just didn’t know Andy. 

“I just–” he began, but she went over, talking more and…

“I love you and I’d never–”

Ted was still at the words, unable to move and unable to quite process the information. He had never heard those words from Emma and if he was back at Hogwarts, he probably would have been overjoyed to hear it. 

But now? It left him feeling cold all over and it was only the way that she lept to her feet that spurred Ted into moving. He stood, albeit slower than Emma. 

“Emma…” he started to say, but then stopped and shook his head. “I think…I think we should talk about this another time…”

“Don’t,” she said quickly, her breath uneven as she walked to the door and turned to look at him. Handsome Ted. Good Ted. Too good for her, and definitely too good for Andromeda. It didn’t matter, she wasn’t his keeper. “There’s nothing to talk about... Love makes you blind, Teddy, it did when you loved me and it does now just the same. I’m sorry... I know it’s cruel to tell you now, but there it is—I’ve always loved you and I lost you and that’s how the story goes,” she said shaking her head. 

“Helena, Helena Rosier.” Regulus answered, a lovesick expression on his face as he motioned towards her, talking to a group of people. “And yes, I’m here for her moral support.” he said, clearly proud of her. He shook her hand with a smile “Yeah, I’m Sirius’ brother.” he said, happy that that was the connection being made. “Do you know him well?”

“Oh, she’s cute, she seems really sweet, you two must be good together,” she said with a grin. Decidedly so, considering Regulus looked like a love-struck puppy. It was a face she’d seen on someone different. “That’s cute.” “Uh... No not really, he’s really fit though, the eye wanders,” she said with a shrug. “He’s a good man, I imagine you’re one too.”

Alexander nodded, unable to stop himself from wondering where he fell on that spectrum. His brother tended to be the more pretty boy of the pair, with a jawline that could cut glass, while Alexander preferred to keep his face full of enough stubble to be presentable while still being a little more rugged. 

Alexander laughed, imagining himself in any way attracted to Rodolphus. Sure, he was handsome, but not Alexander’s type, unfortunately. That would require that he had a part that more normally belonged to the fairer sex. 

“Ah, I don’t think so,” he said, turning his gaze back to Emma. “My type is more…feminine.” 

Despite herself, Emma laughed, shaking her head. “There goes that threesome I was planning,” she said finishing her drink before looking at him. “Though I imagine being a McKinnon and all you’re here on business making sure everyone knows you’re open for business, hm?”

Kingsley saw one of his fellow aurors questioning Emma Vanity at the entrance of the Ministry, and he sighed as he realized that they were doing it all wrong. Approaching before the situation escalated further, he nodded the other Auror off and smiled as Emma whirled around to face him. He didn’t know Emma well, but knew enough about her to know that she more than all rough edges and harsh facades, though he had a sense from the look on her face that she wasn’t thinking too fondly of him. 

“Uh, no, I came to rescue you,” he said lightly, putting his hands up in surrender. Smiling understandingly at her, he tilted his head to the side. “Headache?” 

“Oh,” she said, her face relaxing and nearly looking apologetic. “Sorry, thanks,” she said, running a hand through her hair. “A bit, why? Obvious? Kingsley right? I think I’ve seen your face on the posters with the whole Vote For the Future slogans.”

“Someone ought to invent it. Take it up with the spell invention department. Maybe they’ll have something say on the matter,” he teased, giving her a grin. In truth, it was one of the many frustrations of the wizarding world. Sitting beside her, all of this was easy. It was the best parts of his day just getting to come home and relax with his two favorite people. So long as they were safe and happy, everything would be worth it. Giving her a smile he hummed, “Well I’m glad you’re alright. I just worry, you know,” he smiled, though he didn’t phrase it as a question, because of course she knew. Emma knew him better than most after all. Raising his eyebrow, Edgar instinctively reached out to take her hand, “Are you alright? I imagine that wasn’t the most pleasant experience.” 

Emma laughed, shaking her head at him. He was ridiculous, but she actually thought bringing it up to someone in the spell invention department wouldn’t be a bad idea, even if Edgar was joking. “Well I won’t die from a twisted ankle, and I’ve got the best person in the world with me to make sure of that,” she said, wishing she could take back the comment on Ted, but it was too late. Taking his hand, she hummed softly. “Honestly... I remember vaguely... I sort of drank two bottles of wine on my own,” she grumbled. “It doesn’t matter, he chose her and that’s that. I have you and Alice, right?”

Ted chuckled warmly against her lips, unable to completely pull himself away for even those brief moments between kisses. He was drunk on her kisses, his hand gripping her hip. As her leg went to his waist, he groaned against her lips, the beat of his heart quickening rapidly. His free hand went up her thigh, holding tight to her. “Em–” he began and groaned once again., barely drawing away, but tipping his head back now. “Em– Emma, we should…we probably shouldn’t do this right here.”

Ted tried to meet her eyes, but there was something behind the wall that hurt him to even glance on. He found himself shutting his eyes tight for a moment, turning his head to look outward at the dark evening sky. He took a couple of deep breaths as she spoke. 

“I…well,” Ted began, his tongue feeling thick with emotion and unspoken words. “I miss my friends,” he found himself saying. And it was true. “I miss…everyone. I know that I chose this but I never wanted to lose you all.” He bit the inside of his cheek, steeling himself up to look back at Emma. “But I am…I am happy with Andromeda if that’s what you mean. I love her.”

It hurt. But hurt had become a constant companion to Emma when it came to Ted, so she knew how to hide it well as he spoke. It was good to know that he missed them, and had she been more sober than she was then maybe it wouldn’t have slipped out. “Why?” she asked, and it was an honest question, but she heard how they sounded. “No, sorry, I mean I’m... You deserve it. But when you love someone you don’t make them choose, you don’t... Make them cut half their life out for what others might think and I just... Don’t understand. I love you and I’d never—”  Wait. Did that just come out? “Shit, shit,” she whispered to herself, scurrying to her feet as quickly as she could. “I have to go, I have to.”

He shook his head, a quiet laugh on his lips at the innocence in her tone, knowing that it was one of the many reasons that he had lost himself in her. He grinned as she went on, giving his eyes a playful roll. “You’re such a liar, Vanity,” he teased her right back, knowing exactly what she meant. He had never necessarily been shy about the attention he received from the girls around Hogwarts. It was fun to him, though he never did much more than give them a smile and the occasional quick flirt. “Oh really? Well, I would always have to make time for you,” he grinned against her lips as she closed the distance between them. One of his hands moved to her hip and the other to the back of her neck as he deepened their kiss.

Emma laughed as he called her a liar, laughing still as he kissed her, a soft breath leaving her as he pulled him to her until she was pressed against of the walls. “We’re doing terrible at getting to the tower,” she whispered between kisses, her hands moving under the collar of his shirt, running over the skin of his shoulder blades. It wasn’t much of a complaint considering she kissed him back hungrily, her tongue moving into his mouth while her leg wrapped around his waist, pressing him against her.