A New Kind of Normal ((Fiona))

[Kennedy Valak S6]

((This post takes place the day after Christmas))

If life offers something good for everything bad, then Kennedy was cashing in on the good times to make up for everything bad that had happened since he and Fiona had first started to spend time together. There was no doubt in his mind that Fiona was everything to him, but needless to say, their hard times had easily outnumbered the good times. Tonight was one of the good times. Though they were not able to spend much time together over the winter holiday, Kennedy had arranged for Fiona to meet him in Diagon Alley just a day after Christmas so that the two of them could spend some time together.

Kennedy was a bit nervous as he picked out his outfit. He wasn't nervous because it was Fiona, but he was nervous since it was their first real date since everything had been made good again. In fact, the last time Kennedy remembered a formal occasion with Fiona was the Halloween Ball of their fourth year. That night had also been the night that their relationship first started. It was far from normal though, and after that, despite their relationship growing, it was plagued with many hurdles. That was the past though, and it was a new stage in their lives; a stage that Kennedy was happy to be able to experience. Something told him that he and Fiona could handle anything, and he was determined to make their lives happy after having been through so much.

After much deliberation, Kennedy decided on a more casual look. He hoped Fiona wouldn't come overly dressed, but he knew that whatever she wore would be gorgeous. Grabbing his wand, Fiona's Christmas gift, and a pocketful of money, he made his way to the fireplace and quickly flooed to Diagon Alley. He was a bit ahead of schedule, but he wanted to arrive before Fiona. He had made reservations at a fancy cafe where he remembered eating with his parents once during a trip for school supplies. As he approached the hostess, he scanned the surrounding area for Fiona, and did not see her yet. Glancing at his watch, he realized that it was five minutes earlier than when they were supposed to meet.

[Fiona O'Reilly S5]

Fiona couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face, the plush pink that rosed her cheeks at the mere thought of the day ahead of her. Shoulder length, straight blonde hair seemed to radiate in the dimly lite room of the O'Reilly Castle. Blue/green eyes studied each feature, taking in everything of her own appearance, wanting to look her best for the man she loved. Her hands slowly slid down the sides of her green sweater, the turtle neck giving her a rather sophisticated look, one she wasn't about to deny. The dark blue jeans held an almost faded look in places, but still looked dressy enough. It was too cold outside to think about wearing a skirt or anything "formal". Besides Fiona didn't care what she wore, just as long as she looked decent for Kennedy. Soft, white hands moved to pull gently on each sleeve before she finally sighed. Her reflection stared back at her in ways she hadn't seen in many years, not since before the "accident". It felt good to be happy again and it felt good to be loved and wanted again.

Fiona sighed as she looked away from the mirror in her bedroom, her eyes landing on the door to her room. This would be the time she expected her father to come in telling her she looked great and to have a good time, but truth be told...she hadn't seen or heard from her father since last summer. He had taken off on a "job" or so he called it. Fiona figured he's just gone into hiding after the Dark Lord's demise. After all, he had been a huge supporter and Death Eater at the time. It changed though a while back, her father's secret meetings and jobs that took him all over the world were over with. She just wished he cared enough to come back and watch over her, like he used to. However that was just a foolish dream of a sixteen year old girl. It was good though for her to know that though. Ever since her 16th birthday in early November she'd gained control of the assets her parents had left her when they "died." It was good to finally be in control of her parents estate and not have to worry about her aunt and uncle trying to collect all the money that didn't belong to them. But at the same time it made for a very lonely life. She owned everything she could ever imagine, but she felt so utterly alone...well except for when Kennedy was around and that relationship had just recently been restored. She loved him...more than she loved life itself.

Fiona's blue/green eyes warmed and the smile on her lips grew even larger at the thought of Kennedy. She thought she would never love again after the fiasco that happened between them, but after a few months apart, when her heart felt like it was completely dead he made her alive again. This time their relationship would be different. No more secrets...no more lies. Everything was going to be the same and no one was going to get in between them ever again. They were finally going to be together for good. The thought made everything better and when she heard the big grandfather clock ring out the time throughout the castle she moved, grabbing up her black wool jacket that fell to her knees, her wand, and of course the small box which Kennedy's Christmas gift in it. She had been wanting to give it to him for a while now, but when things turned sour she put it away and now...now it was finally time for him to have it, assuming he wanted it. She hoped that he'd like it as much as she thought he would. With that all together she moved down to the fireplace in the kitchen and within seconds was transported by Floo to Diagon Alley.

Fiona moved through the throngs of people that seemed to be excited for the day after Christmas shopping spree, she however was on her mission as she moved through the crowds. She took in a sharp breath as her eyes landed on Kennedy, he was the most handsome man she'd ever seen. Everything about him made her heart race, her breath catch in her throat and her body warm with happiness. How she had missed this feeling, this feeling of being in love. The smile extended across her face as she moved to him her arms immediately embracing him as she stepped up a bit on her tip toes to place a soft kiss on his cheek. "Happy Christmas," she said softly, her Irish accent a bit thicker after being back at home for several weeks. "Yer holidays goin' well?"

[Kennedy Valak S6]

There she was. Kennedy saw Fiona coming from the crowd in the streets. An instant smile lit up his face as he watched the only person he ever truly loved come toward him smiling in return. She quickly hugged him and kissed his cheeck. "Happy Christmas to you too, Love." he said, keeping her in his arms as he leaned his head back to get another look into those beautiful eyes. "Goin' better now that you're here," he answered with a natural charm. "You really should come back home with me though. I know that you have the castle to take care of and such, but I don't know if I can go another week without you." He flashed a look that begged for her to agree, but he knew that it was probably best if she didn't come home. Kennedy wasn't exactly ready to make her spend an entire week with his family. His mother and father were downright lost in their own world, and that often involved taking care of the hellion who was his sister, Kailyn. "Or perhaps I could come stay in the castle with you so that you weren't so lonely." He knew this idea was likely just as unrealistic. There was no way that his parents would let him, and he hated how they treated him like a child. Just because he wasn't of adult age yet didn't mean that they had to treat him the same as Kailyn. Actually, the spoiled Kailyn. With Kennedy, they were more strict and they had held him to more responsibilities than his sister was ever held to. Kennedy pushed those thoughts from his head though as he looked back into the eys of his dream come true.

"Anyways, we should get inside before we lose our reservations. Plus, I can't wait for you to open my gift to you!" He took her hand and led her into the small yet cozy cafe. The sound of romantic music filled the air, and Kennedy saw quite a few other couples sitting and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere. There were some larger parties as well, but this was the type of place that many came for an evening out with a date. The two of them were ushered to their table that had a silver candle in the middle, the flame dancing in the air and casting a mellow mood. They ordered their drinks, and then Kennedy took the box that he had been anxious to give to Fiona and placed it on the table. "Will you open it now?" he asked anxiously. "I have been excited to be able to give it to you." Kennedy loved surprises but was terrible at waiting. He was the most impatient person when it came to giving gifts. He didn't give gifts that often though, and there hadn't ever been anyone that he was so anxious to give a gift to either. Mostly, when he was young, it was his parents that he looked forward to giving gifts to. That slowly faded though as he realized that they didn't seem to care. "Go on then," he said with a smile, uring her to take it. "Before they come back with our drinks and wanting our order."

[Fiona O'Reilly S5]

"Happy Christmas to you too, Love."

Fiona couldn’t stop the smile that beamed across her face at his simple term of affection. She was definitely lost in his charm, always had been. He even had a sense of suave about him when she met him two years ago at the Halloween ball. The thought made her smile. She’d been with Kennedy for so long and when they hadn’t been together for those few months she had felt like she had lost a piece of herself. In truth she really had. Kennedy was her whole being. Kennedy had been there for her during times that most of her friends had deserted her. She was forever in debt of Kennedy’s love and now she was standing there enveloped in his arms, his deep colored eyes melting into hers. Yes, it was what she always wanted…what she always needed. Kennedy was her one and only. She would never need or want anyone other than him. The only thing she could hope for was that he felt the same way.

Fiona smiled and held tight to Kennedy at his words about her coming to his house for the rest of the holiday break. She wanted to. She really did, but she wasn’t about to leave the castle, not when her father could still come back to see her. She knew it was really just a fools hope that she’d see her father again, but she couldn’t stop herself from going out of her way to make sure he’d be proud of her when he got back. The truth was she didn’t even know if he was alive, didn’t even know if he’d ever come back. If he ever cared to see her again. It was heartbreaking in it’s own way, but with Kennedy there she knew she could handle it. She could handle anything as long as Kennedy was there to give her comfort. “You know I’d love to go back with you…or have you come back to the castle. I just can’t…not until I know if my father is coming back,” she said softly as she leaned against him again.

Fiona smiled up at Kennedy as he took her hand and led her into the café. She hadn’t been there since her mother had died. It had been her mother’s favorite café to go to. It was nice bringing back those good memories, especially with Kennedy. Blue/green eyes fell across the couples scattered throughout the café. She smiled as she felt her body warm at the thought. There were other people feeling as she was right now. She could see it on the faces of the other women she saw. They were lost in awe and happiness. It was something that Fiona didn’t get to feel too often, but she was glad she could feel it now, with Kennedy once again.

Small delicate hands wrapped around the small box that Kennedy placed on the table. Eyes danced like the flame as she looked up at him. She didn’t know what it was. Couldn’t even imagine what Kennedy would give her at that moment. Fiona smiled at him as she slowly opened the box. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the white gold ring. The band like a snake as it wove around the ring, the soft green emerald that was its eye. Her fingers shook a little as she pulled it out of the box, her eyes gleaming in the soft candlelight. She ran her thumb over the snake her eyes stopping on the engraving and she choked on her own tears of happiness. There in the band lay claim to their relationship…to their happiness. K & F was engraved into the ring. Her eyes lit up and she looked at him, her hand reaching out to hold his from across the table. “I love it Kennedy. It’s perfect,” she said in a soft voice.

She immediately slipped the ring on her finger before pulling out the small box she had brought for him. “Here…This is for you,” she said as she slipped the box into his hand. “You’re the only one that should wear it…” Fiona knew that what was in the box would be the one thing her father would kill her to give to someone, but she had to. Kennedy was the only one fit to wear it. For inside the box was her father’s family ring. The crest of the O’Reilly shown bright from the silver ring as the crest stood out on the top of the band.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Fiona had taken Kennedy's hand and told him that she loved the ring. He was smiling as he slipped it on her finger. "Fits just right," he said happily, admiring the silvery band and tiny emerald that sparkled on her hand. He hoped that just like the permanent mark of their initials on the inside of the snakelike band that his and Fiona's life together would last that long. Even more, he thought anxiously of the day that he might be able to give her a different ring as he made the official decision to live the rest of his life with her as his wife. That time would eventually come, and Kennedy was determined to never let anything stand in the way of it. Still smiling, he took the gift that she was offering in return. It was oddly similar in shape to the package he had given her, and when he opened it to find a ring, he let out a laugh at the irony of their gift choices.

Taking the ring in his fingers, Kennedy inspected it and noticed that there was a crest on it. It wasn't just any crest though, he recognized that it was the O'Reilly crest! It was the crest that represented Fiona's heritage. This ring must've belonged to one of the O'Reilly men, for it was obviously not made for a women to wear. "Fi," he said, somewhat shocked at her gift choice. Giving away one's crest was not something that you did lightly. This really meant something for her to give to him. "Wow... I... I don't know what to say." Kennedy slipped the ring on the middle finger of his left hand. It was a very handsome piece of jewelery, and it fit a bit loosely, but tight enough that it wouldn't slip off unless it was pulled. "Are you sure you want me to have this? I mean, this holds your family's honour. I... I don't even know you're family. I've only met your da once, and I'm not sure he quite liked me. It was only five minutes or so before you told me that I needed to leave. He can't have thought that highly of me." Kennedy flashed her a bit of a sarcastic look that still held a bit of truth to it. He could joke about it now, seeing that it had been a year or so ago, but he still knew that he was right in assuming that her father didn't exactly take to Kennedy in a way that said 'I want you to take on the family crest someday'. Kennedy didn't want to let it bother him though. If Fiona thought he should have it, then he would wear it with pride. It wasn't like he had anything to be proud of about his family. His parents seemed to be more interested in their own lives and his troll of a sister who could rule the Valak manor with just her shrill commanding voice at the mere age of ten.

The waitress finally arrived and took their order. Kennedy ordered his favorite meal and then waited for Fiona to finish. He then took another look at the ring on his finger and smiled at her again. For some odd reason though, the crest made him think of something that he didn't really want to think about. The Chosen. That brought back the memory of his recent encounter with Alexandra. Then, his mind went to Pryo, and Kennedy was disappointed to see how quickly one memory could lead to another and completely cloud his entire mind. He probably needed to just talk about it though. Was there any good in continuing to push it all way. Perhaps he and Fiona could tackle it together until they were truly free from the entire situation that they had worked so hard to overcome. Maybe she was thinking the same things as him. "Fi, I know that you might not want to talk about it, but I can't help but get it out of my mind. Every time that I am just about able to enjoy this new feeling of happiness in being with you, my thoughts are interrupted by everything that we left behind us. I almost feel like our past has not been really put in the past. I mean, there is the Chosen, and Pyro. What's going to happen, Fi? What if it's really not over? I know I have you now, and we have each other for good. But what if it's not over and this is only the beginning? I don't know if I could live if I lost you again. Promise me you won't go anywhere, Fi. Tell me that you'll fight like hell for what we've finally gotten back." He knew deep down that she would, but hearing her say that would possibly help him to overcome the feeling of uneasiness that was feasting on his entire being. He gave her an apologetic look. "I'm sorry to bring it up, but it's just been constantly on my mind, and I didn't know if you thought about it too."

[Fiona O'Reilly S5]

((So it's a little long...I got carried away and you can kick me later for it...))

Fiona’s heart burst inside as he slipped the ring on her finger. Everything was right again. She was here in this café with the man she had come to love and cherish more than anyone she had ever known. Fiona was lost in the emotion of finally being happy. It was everything she had ever dreamed of. Everything that made her life go around. The earth, the sun, the moon, they all revolved around Kennedy in her eyes. He was her everything and she knew that she had never been complete until she had found Kennedy. How could her life get any better at that moment? The love in his eyes, the softness of his caress, it was as if she had never really loved someone until that moment. Her pulse spiked, her breathing jumped, and she knew she would spend the rest of her life with him. There wasn’t anyone that could tear them apart now or ever. She loved Kennedy with more than everything she was. There weren’t enough words in any language that could describe just how much she loved him and wanted to spend every waking moment with him. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, but she felt like this ring…this ring was his promise to her that nothing could tear them apart again. Her thumb rolled the ring around on her finger gently as she let a soft sigh leave her lips. What more to life could there possibly be?

Fiona sat back a little as she watched Kennedy open her present to him. She didn’t know how he would react. She wanted him to love it, but at the same time understand what exactly she meant by giving it to him. The only man in her life fit enough to wear it. Her father no longer earned that ring…that ring that he had given her to remind her that he was always there for her. The thing was that he wasn’t there for her. Kennedy was the only one that had ever stuck by her side. Even now it was a living testament to their love…to their relationship. That ring meant more to her than life itself and who better to have it than the one man she would die for, the one man that represented love in a single image. She didn’t care about her father at that moment, didn’t care how angry he would get for giving away his family crest to someone that wasn’t an O’Reilly. Then again if her dad had been around recently he would know that Kennedy was the only man she could ever love, the only man that she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, which meant that he would be an O’Reilly…part of her family forevermore.

Fiona slipped her hand into his again, squeezing it gently at his words. She knew he was shocked, knew that he realized what it meant to have that ring on his finger. She smiled through the onslaught of emotions that seemed to be ripping through her more and more. “Kennedy…you are the only man in my life that has always been there. You are the only one that I’ve ever been able to count on. This ring…I want you to have it because of how much you mean to me. No one could ever take your place in my life. You are my family. The only family I’ve been able to hold onto and the only one left that still holds onto me. You are my life…my love, and this ring belongs to you…it always has,” she said with a soft voice, blue/green eyes searching his. She didn’t know if he’d understand that, didn’t know if she could say all the right words. More likely than not it came out incoherent and sappy, but it was the truth and she needed Kennedy to know that. Her love for him was beyond words and that ring was the only thing she could give to him that would make him understand how much he meant to her, how much she wanted to just hold him every day, to throw her arms around him and feel the soft stubble of his afternoon shadow prick across her cheek. He was everything she never thought she could get and having him there with her through the darkest days of her life showed her how much he cared for her.

Fiona didn’t pull her hand out of his when the waitress arrived to take their order. She didn’t even really look at her, her focus still fully on Kennedy as she ordered. She was lost in a world of make believe again, but this time…this time it was a happy world, a world that didn’t involve her father, her mother, her dreams, or The Chosen. It was simply a world revolving around Kennedy, her happy thought. She watched his features fall as he looked at the ring and hers followed. That look on his face…he had to be thinking about only one thing and sure enough his words made her chest constrict. It was the unspoken danger that let them live free. They didn’t have to worry about anything when they didn’t voice things, but here Kennedy was voicing the things she didn’t want to hear at that moment or ever again, for that matter. She sighed as she looked down at the table for a few moments, taking in everything he had to say, knowing he just had to talk about it, get it off his chest. While Fiona was the type to ignore those problems, to not try to confront them, she knew that Kennedy was not that way. He wanted answers for everything that ever happened, wanted to fix everything, even when it couldn’t be fixed.

Fiona smiled softly at Kennedy’s apology, the man truly was amazing. She looked up at him and simply shook her head. “I do think about it Kennedy. I think about it more often than I want to, especially since I haven’t had anything to do over this break but sit at home. I know what we left behind and yes there will probably still be danger for us, fear, but nothing in this life will ever keep us apart again. The Chosen isn’t a forgiving group, but the group was dying off little by little anyway. It was only a matter of time before it completely disintegrated. Pyro will not be an issue…He will not stand in our way. If he does then I know what to do. He’s not the only one that’s gotten to leaf through that book of his. Kennedy, I love you and I promise you that nothing…and I mean nothing, no one, will ever take you away from me or me from you. You are the sun and the moon and the stars in my eyes Kennedy and because of that I will hold onto that with everything that I am. I refuse to lose you again. Those months we were apart, I nearly died. I can’t tell you how close I came to ending up where the sun doesn’t shine. I was broken hearted and I blamed myself for what happened…I blamed myself for lying to you,” Fiona said softly as she lifted Kennedy’s hand to her mouth and kissed the inside of his palm, letting his hand touch her cheek. It was true…she wasn’t going to let anyone stand in her and Kennedy’s way. Not unless they wanted to be killed.

Fiona smiled at him, her eyes sparkling. “Enough of such topics, my love. Let us just enjoy this day, our first date since we got back together,” her voice was soft and sultry at the same time, wanting him to know just how much it meant to her to be back with him. “Now why don’t you tell me about how that sister of yours is doing? Is she still running the house like normal? You do know I’ll be a curse on her if she keeps up her little antics. She causes you too much stress and brings about too much needless suffering for you. I hate seeing you that way.” She held that soft smile on her face, her features calm and comforting. She knew Kennedy probably wouldn’t be so thrilled about her bringing up the topic, but she wanted to know everything about what was going on with him. She missed the little things that they used to share so often and his sister was one of his biggest annoyances. Fiona always had time to listen to Kennedy, to listen to anything he wanted to talk about or vent about in his sister’s case. It was good timing though as the waitress quickly brought out their plates and sat them in front of them, asking if they needed anything else, which Fiona dismissed with a shake of her head, her eyes once again locked with Kennedy’s. How much she had missed this.

[Kennedy Valak S6]

Kennedy looked intently at Fiona, listening as she explained her gift to him. He studied her face and hung onto every word that came from her perfect mouth. It was a lot to take in, but Kennedy was grateful for everything she said. It was flattering, but knowing that Fiona meant it all was something that was priceless for Kennedy. After having built their relationship on lies and deceit, to finally know that she was telling him the truth was more than he could have ever asked for. It was more than even what the ring symbolized itself. "Thanks... I guess," he said, still shocked from all of the amazing things Fiona had said about him and very unsure of how to even respond to everything she said. In his heart, he knew that everything that she had said was in some way or another true in return when it came to the way he felt about her. He just wasn't as good at putting into words as Fiona seemed to be. "It means a lot - the ring - I know it does. And I know that you are the only one fore me too, Fiona. I can't imagine having to go through what we went through again, and I apologize for the hundredth time for everything I did in the past."

Fiona's reaction to the Chosen was almost exactly as Kennedy had expected. He knew she was right too. "I know that we shouldn't worry about it, but I can't help it. There's only so much I can do, and so beyond that I just can't stop myself from worrying." Kennedy gave her a slight look of helplessness which was what he felt when he considered the entire situation. He knew that there were aspects that were out of his control, and he knew that he could simply hold onto Fiona as tightly as he could and that together they would either live or die together. As2q long as Kennedy was with Fiona, he knew he'd be content. "I'm glad that you're as willing to fight for us as much as I am," he added with a smile.

As they waited for their food to arrive, Fiona knew exactly how to get Kennedy's mind off of their past problems and the Chosen. Of course, getting him to talk about his sister might not have been much better. He let out a snort of laughter and rolled his eyes at the thought of his sister. "Kailyn? How do you think she is doing?" he questioned with a sarcastic sort of grin. "Marching around the manor like she normally does, barking orders at the houselves." Fiona hadn't got to see Kailyn at her worst, but she likely had a good idea of what she was like from all the times Kennedy complained about her. "It's hard to do anything about her when even mom and dad treat her like she is the queen of our household. I swear she must somehow have them under a curse even if she is too young to be using magic." The food had arrived, and Kennedy started to cut into his steak. "At least when I am at Hogwarts I don't have to deal with the evil queen." As he took a bite of his food, he remembered how good the cooking was at this cafe. Pointing at Fiona's plate with his fork, he asked, "How is your meal?" He realized that the two of them hadn't really been out to eat together ever. In fact, it was his first time on a dinner date with any girl for that matter. He was glad that he could share the experience with Fiona.