Through good and bad

[Elvis Cole]

He had never gone to Hogwarts himself. Elvis had found a place that portrayed his true nature in Durmstrang. He hadn’ been overly popular, no, he was far from being that strong. But he had enjoyed slinking in and out of shadows and alwyas having some information on everyone. He had been clever and smooth. Very smooth and everyone who wanted to gain an upper hand spoke to Elvis sooner or later as he had dirt on even some of the professors. But he had made some wrong bets lately. Very bad bets to very-very bad people. Elvis grimaced and moved his shoulder a litlte wincing and cursing at the pain that flashed through his dislocated shoudler. Very bad people who wouldn’t mind making Elvis a bad example at all. But he would get the money, oh yes, he would. His little daughter had supposedly been hanging aorund with the right sort of people. She could bring in a hefty sum of money for her old man. Sure, Elvis had never raised her, but blood was thicker than water after all. Legally Elvis still had a say about her life after all.

Elvis snickered a little as he thought of the foolish little girl who had let herself be knocked up. Like Elvis would have ever been interested in her – a whiny and broke litlte girl – as a mate for life. Yeah right. But the daughter she produced (Elvis didn’t really even remember the girl’s name), that’s Cleo-chick – might still have her uses. Hogwarts was celebrating today so she would have one more reason to be joyous. Daddy came for her after 16 years of separation. Elvis noticed the girl described as his daughter to him standing on a cliff near the lake and he walked over. For a moment Elvis admired his figure that stood out nicely against the sky and the setting sun. The girl better seduce that Graas-boy quickly andthen maybe Elvis could find other uses for her. Either way Elvis would get his money.

„Good evening, daughter, aren’t you happy to see me? I’m your father, Elvis Crais. I’m sure you have been missing for me,“ Elvis levelled a grin towards the girl as he walked closer to her, „Aren’t you going to come and give your old man a hug? We have been separated for such a long time after all.“ Elvis grinned and took a step closer as he lowered his voice and winked at the girl trying to create a feeling of companionship, „I have heard you have made some correct choices in friends. Say, that Graas-boy – you making sure he enjoys your company? Think he could slip a little something to your dad too?“

[cleo]

Belthane was a neat celebration Cleo decided. Better than some stuffy and formal ball Hogwarts usually tended to host anyway. Sure, this one was more for an educational purpose, but for once learning history and old traditions was fun! Cleo had exchanged flowers with her friends, played some of the games set up in differnet tents. She had even dressed up for the occasion like some others. Cleo was sporting an off-shoulder dark, almost Slytherin-green, dress that hugged her figure nicely but not revealing too much with the flowing full-lentgh skirt unbttoned at the front up to her thighs.. She didn’t want to look cheap after all. Just... nice. Even if Kris coulnd’t see it, but Cleo would know that she looked great. Cleo smiled a little as she raised her finger and touched the small blooms of showdrops Kris had brought her that wre braided into her hair as she stood on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Hogwarts lake and let the slight breeze cool her skin.

Someone’s voice spoke to her and Cleo whirled around not recognizing the voice. Only to have something deep inside her freeze at the words spoken to her. Daughter. Cleo stared at the man knowing that even she couldn’t deny the similarity. Cleo had the smae tilted eyes and a bit slanted eye-lids, the same almost shapr-looking cheekbones and jawline. Elvis Crais. Cleo smirked bitterly s he gazed at the man feeling trapped on the cliff suddenly. This man couldn’t be made disappear as easily a a boggart could. Cleo suddenly found herself almost desperately wishing that Kris was here. Sometimes his mere presense, him humming some random lullaby or a song which words Cleo couldn’t even understand made everything seem better. Yet at the same time Cleo was almost glad he wasn’t ehre either. Cleo would feel ashamed before him for having such kinds of a father.

„16, almost 17 years you have not cared whether I live or not. You abandoned my mother when she was young, pregnant and alone, you were never there for me during those 16 years. You have no right to call yourself my father,“ Cleo said bitterly taking an involuntary step back as the man – as his father levelled his oliy grin at her and walked forward. Cleo hadn’t expected much from her father, yet it still hurt when the man revealed his real plans for finding her. Graas-boy? Cleo had to make sure he felt good? „I won’t sell myself to anyone just because you are in need of some cash,“ Cleo almost snarled at his long-lost biological father feelings hame coursing through her veins at the same time, „Deal with your own problems. And don’t you dare go and bother Kris with such insolent demands! I’m not an animal or a slave or property to be sold or exchanged!“

[Elvis Cole]

The girl still continued to bring out Elvis’s absence while she was a kid. Bid deal. Who wnated to hang out with whiny, smelling, sick, drooling kids? Elvis had enjoyed life to the fullest back then, he had had women and money and a top of the shape broom. Who could have expected from Elvis to settle down and deal with an insolent brat. But Cleo truly needed a good whipping or two for the arogance with what she spoke to her father! But Elvis had too stay cool for now before he would show the litlte snotty girl how to talk to her betters. „Life was different back then. Had other places to be at,“ Elvis replied with a careless shrug before the bloody girl had the arrogance to continue!
„You will do as I say!“ Elvis snarled dropping his good-guy act as he stepped forward and grabbing Cleo’s arm raised his right hand and slapped her harshly over her face, „I’m your father! You will have to obey me! You will go to Graas-boy, make sure he’s in a good mood and bring me the money I need! Do you understand, you bloody harpy!“

Elvis raised his hand to strike Cleo once again just for good measure at her word ’NEVER!’ when someone’s fingers closed around the rist of his right arm and Elvis was harshly shoved back. Evlis was shocked of this as he tumbled back. Who had dared to intervene with him punishing his daugther? It was his right! Elvis glanced at the cane and the sunglasses and dropped the frown from his face as he stepped forward reaching out his hand for Graas to shake. „Ah, Graas, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Elvis Cole. I have heard you quite enjoy the company of my little daugther here.“ It was even better this way. He could talk to Graas himself and wouldn’t have to doubt that the Cleo-girl would spoil all his plans by not being skillful enough. Graas was just a boy after all, Elvis could easily pump money out of him.

[cleo]

Cleo braced herself for a second slap but it never came. Cleo peeked at Kris who had stepped between them a clear snarl on his face that Cleo could see even through the tears of shame and embarrasment in her eyes. „Kris,“ Cleo groaned out quietly as she reached out her hand to touch Kris’s back, but the fury eminating from him was almost touchable so Cleo rethought that idea and pulled her arm back. „Kris,“ Cleo said again as Elvis finished speaking and grimaced as Kris made no move to shake Elvis’s hand.
„How much did he manage to hurt you?“ Kris asked with a deadly quiet tone of voice and Cleo reached out again this time touching Kris’s arm as she stepped forward, standing a little bit behind Kris on his right side. „He...“ Cleo hesitated, knowing that her answer would be determing, but somehow she couldn’t lie to Kris about this, „He just slapped me once before you got here.“

Kris reached out his hand taking hold of Cleo’s chin and letting his finger glide over the bruised skin there for a moment before turning to Elvis once agian his snarl back in it’s place. „Leave and I never want to hear you have been near Cleo or have even been talking of her ever again,“ Kris threatened almost sweetly and Cleo took a step backwards almost instinctively. This wasn’t the cuddly Kris she could handle.
„She’s my daugther! I have every right to discipline her!“ Elvis snapped appearantly forgetting to who he was speaking and Cleo saw Kris make a move as if wanting to hit Elvis. „She’s my fiance. You have no say over her anymore,“ Kris replied in a chilly voice as Cleo smiled at Kris, thankful for the help, even if it wasn’t truthful. But the words were made that much more special by Cleo knowing that the only holding Kris back was the fact that Elvis was after all Cleo’s father. „Don’t hurt yourself,“ Cleo said quietly and was rewarded with a quick quirk of Kris’s lip-corners as Kris hit. A mean kick into Elvis’s stomach, knee to face that broke his nose as Elvis doubled over of pain. Three more punches and one kick and Elvis was running as fast as his newly acquired limp allowed him back towards Hogsmeade, having never been able to land even one hit on Kris while he a broken nose and he was clutching a broken wrist to his chest.

Kris let out a long breath as he turned and stepped forward a little remaining standing on the cliff edge facing the lake. Silence settled down between them as Cleo healed her cheak quietly before taking a step towards Kris’s turned back. Cleo didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t even sure what to feel. Was Kris... angry? „I... I’m sorry you have to see this. How did you know to come here anyway? And thank you for lying for me, even thouh we aren’t engaged,“ Cleo had to swallow something in her throat at these words, but her voice didn’t waver as she continued, „I just hope He won’t discover it until I’m an adult and don’t have to reply to him.“ Cleo twiddled with her necklace as she waited for Kris’s answer.

[kris]

Elvis Cole. Kris stored the name into his mind to make sure his point was gotten through even more clearly to the man by some thugs. He could easily hire a couple. Kris stared into nothingness almost pensively thinking of what to do with Elvis for hurting his girl until Cleo’s voice broke the silence. „You are wearing magical trinkets, Cleopatra. My ring alerted me from the moment you felt like in trouble,“ Kris turned to face Cleo wishing he could see her, „It still took me a good minute or even more to get here though.“ Kris let the sentence hang in the air for a moment, hoping that Cleo hadn’t been hurt any more than she had said. Besides Kris had ran for most of the way.

Kris sighed nad pushed his hand into his pocket finding the ring he had been fiddling with for so long lately. „It wasn’t... Well, I have been thinking about it lately.“ Kris pulled the ring out and held it on his palm while showing it to Cleo. It was a platinum engagement ring with a white dimaond in the center that was surrounded with pieces of emeralds and sapphires. Simple, elegant, but al the stones were real so it was precious at the same time. And it had a good history. For some reason Kris had thought that Cleo might like it, but now Kris wasn’t sure of anything anymore. Not even of himself. Clearing his throat a bit uncomfortably Kris shrugged one shoulder without turning away from facing the lake, however cowardly it was: „It belonged to my great-grandmother. She was the last one from my latest family-tree who had a happy marriage. I know I won’t be easy to handle for the bigger part of time, but you have managed so far. But I promise to be there for as long as my heart beats and as long as I have anything to give and even longer. I will be there to hold you when you have a nightmare and when there’s thunder and storms. Through the wind and rain and smoke and fire I will fight, lay down my life, heart, body, soul. If you do accept me...“ Kris couldn’t go any further with his rant as Cleo launched herself between his arms kissing him frevently.

Kris felt himself stumbling backwards at the surprise of the attack and for a moment they swaggered on the edge of the cliff before gravitation won and they plunged downwards into the lake while being held tightly in each others embrace. Kris didn’t break the kiss even as the cold water surrounded them, so they sunk lower for a few moments before the lack of oxygen forced them to break up and rise to the water-level once again. Taking Cleo’s hand Kris slipped the ring onto her finger where it fit as if it had been made for Cleo’s finger. „I’ll take that attack as a yes,“ Kris told Cleo with a quirk of his lip-corners while Cleo laughed. „It is. I want kids, though,“ Cleo murmured as she placed her arms around Kris’s neck as the floated in the water. „At least half a dozen,“ Kris murmured back before kissing his future wife once more while the engagement ring glinted merrily as the last ray of the setting sun hit the jewels. '