Sour ((Olivia))

[Julian Fallon S7]

It was elation! Pure elation! Julian could still smell Cassandra’s sweet perfume on his clothing as he made his way down to the Slytherin common room. He had just spent three glorious hours in the presence of his beloved in a small empty classroom near the prefect’s bathroom after the Gryffindor quidditch auditions. She had been excited when he had stolen her into the classroom. She was almost his old Cassandra once again. Her moroseness was gone. He had found her with a smile on her face and laughter on her tongue. Of course, it hadn’t taken long for that laughter to turn into something else as they had made their way into the prefect’s bathroom. She only wanted a shower, and he only wanted her. In the end, they had both gotten what they wanted.

If he had been happier, he would have been skipping. Julian was cooler than that, of course. He was now walking down the dungeon hallway with an enormous smile on his face. His hair was still slightly damp, and his white school shirt clung moistly to his chest. It was getting dangerously close to curfew, and they had both vowed to stay out of trouble this year. They had both lost track of time in the bathroom. According to Cassandra, the prefect’s bathroom only became busy at night. The private bath was out of the way compared to the rest of the castle, and it was much easier to use the student’s loos during the day. The three hours went by in uninterrupted seclusion. How could they have been so lucky?! It seemed that the god’s had been on their side that day. Unfortunately, it had take Julian a good thirty minutes to mend Cassandra’s torn lip. It had been a deep cut, and he honestly had not known what type of magic to use on her. Magic tended to work differently on pregnant women. He had worried that something might go awry, but he had been lucky. Her lip had mended easily on the third try. It seemed that he had learned something from his sister in law healer.

Julian made it to the end of the corridor. It was a crossroads of sorts. Going straight would take you into the potions corridor, the right hallway would take you down to the Slytherin common room, and Julian had no idea where the hall on his left went. He had always wondered where that corridor ended up. He began to take a step to the right and then hesitated. It was his last year at Hogwarts. This would probably be his last chance to explore. The rest of the year would be filled with school work, taking care of Cassandra, and then hiding her away like any other pureblood family would do. After that, he would be a full time father. She would most likely have to return to Hogwarts the next year to get her diploma. It would be up to him and his family to take care of Cynthia. He couldn’t help but smile. Even though Cassandra wasn’t ready to be a mother, her excitement was already showing. She had already named the baby Cynthia Merci after both of their mothers.

Julian’s natural curiosity took control, and he went down the left corridor. It was dark since there were hardly any lights lining the wall. Empty rooms lined the hallway. “Lumos.” Julian flicked his wand and the tip glowed brightly. It provided enough light to illuminate the stone that stretched on to forever. The occasional portrait on the wall rousted itself from its sleep to mutter an angry curse towards the Slytherin. This corridor was even a little creepy for Julian’s standards. Deciding to turn back, he swore he heard a soft voice calling his name. Well, not just any voice. It was oddly eerie to hear that voice whispering his name once again. That was over and done with. It had been that way for some time.

Surely she hadn’t followed him down here? No, no one had been following him. He would have heard the footsteps against the stone floors, or the clacking of heels as they sped to catch up with him. He did not want to be there when she found out about his marriage to Cassandra. In his opinion, his former lover was one of the most unstable people in this castle. She was the poster child for the angry Slytherin. It had to be his mind playing tricks on him. Shaking the cobwebs out of his head, he continued his journey back to the common room. A figure suddenly emerged from the shadows into the light of his wand. “Olivia?” The light glinted off of his platinum wedding band as he waved his left hand in front of the beam that extended from his wand. It was if he was trying to wipe the image away from his vision. However, there was no way he could wipe away Olivia Dawson from his past, or from the path before him. He could see revelation cross her face as she realized what the trinket on his left hand symbolized. The night had just turned sour for Julian Fallon.

[Olivia Dawson S6]

Olivia would have never thought she’d find herself in here, in the dark dungeons near the Slytherin common room of all places. She just needed a bit of solitude was all. She’d gone back to smoking ages ago. After the stresses of the first day back Olivia felt like she just had to have one. And then one turned into two, and two resulted in the purchase of another pack. Now Olivia was hooked once more. She remembered hearing her captain’s lecture when she’d showed up for practice and her brand new pack fell out of her pocket. He got so angry that he snatched it and destroyed it. Then came an incredibly painful lecture about how her smoking was affecting the team and her ability to pay. And then as if that wasn’t enough, he made her fly around the pitch twenty times hoping it would ‘dry all the filth out of her lungs’. Like that even made sense. Olivia could still see the smug look on Wynd Lehane’s face as he and the rest of the Slytherin team watched Olivia get scolded for her habits. That embarrassing experience made Olivia want to just up and quit the team on the spot. But Olivia wasn’t a quitter. She openly welcomed the challenge of proving her captain she had the ability to win. Plus if she quit she’d be a coward, and Olivia Rose Dawson was not a quitter.

Then there was another little ordeal Olivia had been put through upon entering her sixth year at school. Her last few years at Hogwarts had been adorned with countless boyfriends and ‘flings’. Olivia was no easy target, nor was she all too approachable to certain people. But she did know she was beautiful, and she did know how to have a good time. This, of course attracted many a man, so she had long decided to just go with it and have some fun with all the attention she was getting. However, among the huge pool of men and sex-crazed little boys trying to be men, there was one very important one. That man was Julian Fallon. He was the only man that really stood out in Olivia’s mind. They dated for awhile. He made it seem like he was too cool for her and strung her around for months, but something in Olivia just came back wanting more. He left her over the summer. They’d been together for the end of her fourth year and all of her fifth, and she had fallen for him -- hard. She lost her virginity to that guy, for Christ’s sake! Olivia felt so stupid falling for his shallow charms. He told her he loved her, that he’d be with her forever. But it was all a lie, wasn’t it? Everything he had ever told her was just a simple excuse to get her alone with him so he could have his way with her. He was the only one who had really gotten close to her, the one who could ever really get under her skin in a way no one else could.

She even cried for Julian when she heard the news. She actually cried. For the first time since she was seven years old, Olivia cried. She always told herself she was stronger than that, that any guy who would make her cry simply wasn’t worth her time, much less her precious and oh so rare tears. Julian Fallon had left him for a Gryffindor. A lousy, plain looking Gryffindor who couldn’t keep quiet and could always be found on the damn Quidditch field. She was the arch foe of Olivia’s Quidditch idol, Mary Evans, who was very much the star of the Slytherin house team. They absolutely hated each other, and Cassandra Blackfire was often the butt of many of the team’s shallow jokes. Up until recently, Olivia personally didn’t have a real reason to hate Cassandra…that is..until now. She’d read the Skeeter article, and she didn’t really believe it until seeing the two at school. It enraged her to know that she’d been replaced so carelessly, cast aside like nothing more than a broken rag doll. It was a terrible feeling that Olivia wasn’t sure she could deal with. How could she be replaced by some poor pathetic Gryffindor? It was so unfair. Olivia was surprised she hadn’t shoved Julian in a classroom by now and cursed him to Bangladesh or some remote corner of the Arctic.

But she had restrained herself for far too long. She wanted to maintain calm and collected, but at the same time she wanted to drop her wand and bash his face a few times. She was wearing a particularly sharp ring, too…so if she punched him hard enough there’s a strong possibility it could leave a permanent scar. The mere thought of marking up that striking Fallon face just made Olivia smile wickedly. She didn’t know why, but violent thoughts like these really tended to run through her head a lot more frequently now that she had all this going on. She leaned against the cold stone wall as she heard the footsteps of the person she already knew to be Julian Fallon. She’d know that shadow anywhere. It was a bit creepy that Olivia could tell all this about a shadow, but she’d been in love with the young Slytherin for quite some time now, so it was hard not to notice things like his shadow. She took a long drag of the cigarette she was holding, letting the smoke curl up into the air until it was trapped back inside by the low ceilings in the dungeon. She whispered his name as her lips curled into a cunning smile. Even the smallest of whispers down here echoed across the corridor, reaching Julian’s ears without much of an effort. She smirked again, finally hearing the sound of her name coming from his perfectly shaped lips. As soon as she saw the wedding band glistening in the light, her smirk faded into a cold bitter glare. “Yes, Julian. It’s me. Remember? Your soul mate? The woman you vowed to spend the rest of your life with?” Olivia said bitterly, crossing her arms across her chest and glaring at him with a raised eyebrow. She dropped the cigarette butt and stepped on it to put it out. “So, how are things with you and the Gryffindor? I’m surprised you guys aren’t expecting a mini-Julian in the near future. I can see it now. The new generation of Fallons, stealing the hearts of pre-school girls across the country. Or shall it be a mini-Cassandra? Zooming around the nursery in her toy broom, knocking away anything in its path?” Olivia actually managed to chuckle at the two mental images. They’d actually make some pretty adorable kids. Kind of like the kids Olivia and Julian had “planned” to have someday when they were ready. Guess that’ll never happen. She thought rather bitterly to herself.

[Julian Fallon S7]

"How could I forget you, Olivia?" Julian's voice dripped with sarcasm. How to play this cool... Julian's thoughts were going a million miles a minute. How could he have gotten himself in this situation? He had been so careful to avoid Olivia, but he knew he was going to eventually face the music. He hadn't lied to her at all in their relationship. In fact, he was pretty truthful. She was his soul mate at the time, after all. "Cassandra is wonderful. We are very happy. It's nice to see you again. How have things been?" Olivia punched out the cigarette in front of him. "I see you still indulge in that filthy habit. Honestly, Olivia, they say those things age you twice as fast." Cigarette smoke filled the air in the tiny hallway. He suppressed the vicious cough that was trying to escape his lips. She was quite intimidating standing there in front of him. Should he just dive right in? He didn't know if he wanted to all out attack the eight hundred pound acromantula in the room.

"What vow are you talking about? I've only made one vow in my life." Julian was playing dangerously bringing up his marriage to Cassandra. "Please, you certainly aren't brooding over that still? Relationships come and go. Haven't you ever told someone something like that in a relationship? People always plan for the best. No one plans for a breakups. Of course, I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you." He gulped. He had never meant those words. Like most of his former girlfriends, she was just an easy lay. Olivia had fallen for his charm quickly. It was obvious at the time that she was trying to get back at someone for something by dating Julian. "We both used each other, Olivia. Who were you trying to get back at by sleeping with me?" He smiled knowingly. Julian had never payed that much attention to Olivia when she was pouring her heart out to him. Olivia wanted to tell him everything! He would usually just nod his head, pretending to agree with her, as she chattered on about her terrible life as they lay in bed.

They stood in silence. He was allowing her to work him. Olivia was getting under his skin just by standing there looking at him with that look. The look just dared him to explain himself to her. He hadn't done anything wrong! Why did he feel like a kid whose hand had been caught in the cookie jar? Olivia was a beautiful woman. She could have any man she wanted. Why was she fixated on him? "Olivia, I'm sorry if I hurt you. Things just didn't work out for us. I had been interested in Cassandra for a long time." Julian's truthfulness seemed to surprise Olivia. You could see it in her eyes. "I saw my chance, and I took it. Wouldn't you have done the same if the situation were reversed?" God, those eyes of hers ripped through him every time. He could just take her right now. She would probably acquiesce. Dammit, Julian, no...He bit his lip hard. He was used to getting any woman he wanted. He never had to beg or plead. They just fell into his lap! Old habits died hard, and he resisted the urge to woo her back into his bed. He spoke to Olivia again. I'm a one woman man. You can't think about those things, Julian thought bitterly to himself.

[Olivia Dawson S6]

Olivia smirked. She was glad to see that she was getting to Julian. He looked mortified, like he was caught in the act of doing something he knew to be wrong. But he was trying to hide it with his cool words and quick turn of phrase. His act wasn’t working. Olivia could see right through him. Anyone would, after all. He wasn’t very good at hiding his emotions. Most obvious of all of course was his blunt sarcasm. She merely laughed and inhaled the sweet smoke filled air. She knew Julian had always hated her habit of smoking. She remembered actually going three months without one cigarette simply because Julian had told her he could taste it in her breath while he kissed her. He had been able to manipulate her to a certain extent, something no one else had ever been able to do. But then again, she had been able to sway his choices as well. She was able to give him what he wanted, what he craved. All he had to do was ask, and Olivia would have gladly obliged. It was her way of showing her affections for him, and it definitely kept him close to her for quite a long time. Olivia wasn’t stupid. She knew that the moment she started saying “no” he would decide to find someone else who would say yes. Sure it was cruel, but Olivia didn’t mind it. She was getting just as much enjoyment out of their affairs as he was.

“I’ve been fine, despite the significant damper on my summer holidays, thank you very much.” Olivia said rather coldly as she stared him down. She knew she was intimidating him this way. She could also gladly admit she was getting a significant amount of enjoyment out of seeing his discomfort. She laughed slightly, stepping off the wall to get a closer look at him. The bright light bothered her eyes slightly, but she didn’t wince. She was stronger than any magic Julian could attempt…well other than his god-given magic of course. Olivia and Julian both knew full well how to stop this sexual tension between them. While Olivia and Julian had been dating, she always had her suspicions that he was fooling around with other women. She’d never caught him in the act, but she had her doubts about him. He had no problem cheating on Olivia last year, so with a few simple words, she wouldn’t be surprised if they went at it again. All she had to do was tempt him just a bit. But she doubted he’d actually fall into that temptation once again. There was a reason the two were still married. Olivia knew full well she wasn’t the only jealous ex girlfriend that had tried getting with Julian in this past month or so. If he had been able to restrain himself with them, chances were he’d be one tough cookie to break this time around. “Oh, I don’t worry myself with such petty problems. We all grow old someday. Smoking keeps me happy now and that’s all that matters for the moment. But I’m sure you’ve already heard my lecture on my reasons for using such a vice. Although now I wonder whether you were really even listening or not.” Olivia chuckled quietly. Even though she was furious, her voice level didn’t rise and she didn’t show many signs of being all too angry. Olivia had to be in control. She couldn’t possibly be in control if she was fighting to keep her cool.


“Oh, don’t you pull that nonsense on me, Julian. You and I know full well what you did was wrong. If you honestly thought I was nothing more than your bed warmer then you should have told me, instead of leading me under the false pretense that you actually gave a damn about anything more than my body. You’re pathetic. And to answer your question, no I have not. I don’t lie to the one I supposedly love. If I tell them I love them and I want to spend the rest of my life with them it’s because I mean it, not because I want them to stick around for another night. You disgust me.” Olivia snarled. She had had enough of playing cool and acting like what he did didn’t bother her. Julian had to know he had hurt her. Not many could truthfully say they had succeeded in hurting Olivia Dawson, because those very few who had gotten close enough to hurt her didn’t stick around for much longer.

“And don’t you dare bring that subject up with me. Just because you enjoy using people for your own personal gain doesn’t mean I do it to. I don’t know where you’re getting these insane ideas, but I wasn’t trying to make anyone jealous. My last ex before you meant nothing to me. I was completely over him, not that it’s even any of your business anymore." Olivia was taken aback by Julian’s honesty. He looked terrified. Surely he wasn’t stupid (or crazy) enough to bring up the one touchy comment that would surely make Olivia the angriest? It was like he wanted to get his sorry behind sent to the middle of the Arctic Ocean. “God damnit Julian, God forbid you actually make a woman feel like something more than a piece of meat. And I don’t want your pathetic apology. God knows you probably don’t even mean it. But you’re right. Had the situation been reversed, I would have gone after what my heart desired.” Olivia stepped closer still and grabbed his shirt with a surprising force. Her face was inches from his as she snarled what she had to say next. “Because I always get what I’m after. You know that. But that still didn't give you the right to do what you did to me."

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian couldn’t believe his luck or the thoughts that were going through his mind. How could he be thinking of Olivia that way at a time like this? He couldn’t do that to Cassandra. He wouldn’t allow it to happen like that. His heart should be what ruled his body, and taking Olivia right now would have no feeling in it what so ever. It would be like every other girl in his past. “How could you even consider that I’m not sincere in my apology, Olivia?” Julian was sorry that he had hurt Olivia the way he had, but he had to follow his heart, and for longer than he really cared to admit his heart had followed Cassandra. He couldn’t describe what it was about her that made him feel complete, but that was exactly how she made him feel. Like there was no longer a whole in the middle of his insides, but that he was now whole.

Julian wasn’t sure where this conversation would lead, or even if he were safe in this dark hallway with Olivia. The thoughts that were running through his mind were definitely not safe. They would get him in more trouble than he wanted. He couldn’t keep thinking that way. He had just left his wife, and already he was thinking of taking another woman. There was too much at stake. What about Cynthia? He understood why he and Cassandra had agreed to keep her a secret for now, but why couldn’t he just explain it to Olivia and let her know that Cassandra was giving him more than just her being and her body. He wanted to admit that she was giving him the ultimate gift of love between a man and a woman. They had created a new life together and this meant more to him than anything. Nothing Olivia could do to him would take the happiness he was hiding inside right now. “Look Olivia, I know that you don’t believe that I’m sincerely sorry for what happened between us, and how much I hurt you. I know that there’s nothing I can do to help you understand that I truly mean everything I have told you, but there’s no more that I can do.” Julian looked at Olivia with nervous tension in his eyes. Olivia was known to be a bit high strung and she had done some crazy things before. He knew that she wasn’t beyond cursing him. He needed to get out of this in one piece at least, he wasn’t worried so much about getting out of it unharmed, he wasn’t even sure if that was doable.

The look in Olivia's eyes made Julian open up a bit more than he knew he should. Cassandra would not be happy with him for telling anyone, but at the moment the truth about his baby might be his saving grace. "Olivia," Julian said with a sound in his voice that spoke volumes of how much he truly needed a friend, "Cassandra's pregnant. We only found out the morning that we boarded the train to return to school. She's not changing her life at all, she even feels that she's safe enough to play quidditch." Julian wasn't sure if telling Olivia this would make her more furious or if it would help calm the wild look that was now in his ex's eyes.

((I'm truly sorry that it has taken me so long to get this posted for you. I haven't had any inspiration since we came home from the hospital, and this was a bit forced))