Demanding A Do-Over [pg-13]((Cassandra))

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian was glad that the argument that morning had easily subsided and that he and Cass had reached a decision. Breakfast with friends had been sort of a miniature celebration, thoroughly enjoyed, and he had agreed to pay for the whole thing. He had never been more proud of a decision, even if it was one that had been rushed. He still planned on giving Cassandra the wedding of her dreams, hopefully with Pyro giving her away. The thought of Pyro made Julian feel a bit guilty about everything that had been said about him in the midst of the argument. He knew that his words had hurt Cassandra but he had never meant for them to. He just wanted her to realize that this was something that she could control in her life without having to have his permission. Julian had roomed with Pyro long enough to know that if he had agreed to something Cassandra had thought of, he had surely figured out how it would benefit him. Julian and Cassandra were now back at the villa; Darien had talked Solitaire into returning home and letting the newlyweds have some time to themselves to adjust. Julian didn’t mind the company, but he really liked the idea of spending time with Cassandra alone. He had definitely thought about demanding a do-over on the start of their honeymoon. The argument was not how he had pictured their first day as husband and wife, and he wanted the chance to pamper Cassandra the way a husband should pamper his wife. The two needed to get everything straightened out between them. Were they going to try to keep the marriage a secret, or were they going to let it be known to the world? That was a decision Julian decided he wanted to leave up to Cassandra. He felt as if he could explode with joy. He had married her, and she had agreed to stay his wife. That was all the satisfaction that Julian needed.

Julian had been in the kitchen fixing a tray of fruits, cheeses, and various dips that he had learned how to mix up after years of watching his mother at home entertaining guests. He added a nice white wine to the mix, making sure to not bring a whole bottle. Wine never seemed to be the best drink between him and Cassandra. It always led to things that tended to get them in trouble. A simple white wine that mixed well with the strawberries, apples, blueberries, and other fruits should be fine as long as the couple didn’t have the whole bottle with them. He had poured them each a goblet full and had set what was left back into the refrigerator. Julian could use magic outside of the school now, but that wasn’t the proper way to impress Cassandra and he knew it. He could have let the tray float to her, but what was special about that when she could do that herself. He carried the deep mahogany tray into the sun room where Cassandra was sitting. The large round seat that she had chosen was big enough for the two of them to share. He sat at Cassandra’s feet, and placed the tray in front of him. “For you, Darling.” He said offering the goblet of wine. The two sat quietly for a few moments, and Julian could no longer stand the silence. “What are you thinking, my dear?” Julian knew from the look that was on Cassandra’s face that she had been thinking about something. It had made him curious, and yet made him want to kiss her at the same time. Julian knew deep in his heart that regardless what came along, he could never leave this beauty in front of him. And somehow, he felt that was exactly what she was thinking about.


((Sorry it's short, but at least it's here. Spit it out while waiting on Colena to get out of school))

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Sunlight bathed Cassandra as she lounged on the round, overstuffed piece of furniture that was on Julian's balcony. She frowned as she realized that she wasn't just lounging on Julian's balcony, but she was actually lounging on her balcony as well. Sighing, she watched as her husband brought a tray filled with different foods out to her. He really is too good for me, isn't he?, she thought glumly to herself. Julian settled himself at her feet just so he could watch her laying there. "What am I thinking?" she said quietly to her husband. She saw a house elf run away through the door that led to the huge kitchen. She was glad he did since it seemed that they were all spying and listening to their conversations. "I'm thinking many things right now, Julian. I'm sort of overwhelmed." She draped her arm over her eyes. The sleeve from her white silk robe covered her face from the sun.

Cass honestly did not know what to think of her new husband. She had married him in a drunken fit of passion the night before, and now she found herself honeymooning in the Fallon Villa in Italy. She always knew something like this would happen to her. Of course, she never believed that she would marry a Slytherin. She turned over on her side and got a bit a more comfortable. Looking down, she noticed that her robe had slipped open a bit revealing a bit more than what was proper. "Oh, sorry." She looked at him and blushed as she wrapped the robe back around her. "I'm really not sure what I'm doing here to tell you the truth. Every fiber in my being is screaming to run away. You know, to pretend that this never happened. It's sort of an uncomfortable situation for me." He looked at her at what she thought was a blank stare. She decided to elaborate. "I always thought this night was going to be a fairy tale for me. I've never heard of a fairy tale begin with, 'Once upon a time, after a night of fire whiskey and wine, a young, beautiful princess found herself married to one of her mortal enemies'."

Sitting up quickly, Cass brought her face close to Julian's. "Why are you asking what I am thinking? I wouldn't think it would be hard to figure out what was in my head. Pyro always tells me I'm easier to read than The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1." Cass stood up and stretched to the ceiling that would have been an impossibility to reach. "It's sort of an odd question. Aren't I nothing but your trophy wife now?"

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian only smiled as Cassandra admitted that she was thinking so many things that it had her feeling a bit overwhelmed. He knew the feeling all too well as he was feeling the same way, only not able to show it. His smile didn’t fade as her robe slid off of her leg revealing the beautiful body that she was hiding beneath it. “No need to apologize.” Julian hated that Cass felt that embarrassed around him now, and that she didn’t act like herself anymore. He knew that there was nothing that he could do to change it, but his feelings were still there and he still wished he could change it. It didn’t take long though for his smile to fade. Cassandra admitting that she didn’t know what she was doing there with him, that instinctly she wanted to run away from it all and pretend it didn’t happen made Julian feel like his heart was being ripped out. “I wanted to make it a fairy tale for you. I didn’t want it to happen the way it did, but I thought we had already discussed it. I still want to give you the fairy tale that you want. I’ve never heard a fairy tale begin that way either.” Julian’s good mood had quickly faded away. He hadn’t realized that Cassandra still felt this way. “I didn’t realize you considered me one of your mortal enemies.” Julian said, his voice getting quiet. Julian found himself a bit hurt as Cass somewhat referred to him as one of her mortal enemies. He never thought he would be considered anyone's mortal enemy, let alone hear those words coming off of the lips of someone he loved so deeply.

“I ask what you are thinking because I want to hear your voice, and know your thoughts without guessing. I don’t want to read your emotions or thoughts just by looking at you. Regardless what Pyro thinks, I know you’re more complex than The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 1. And I like to know what you are thinking. You’re beautiful, smart, and talented in both your fashion design and Quidditch. You; my dearest Darling; are more than a trophy wife. You’re my princess, my queen.” Julian wasn’t sure how to describe how he felt about her, it was so much more than what she apparently thought. “I’m nervous too. I never thought I would marry you this way. I pictured it, but the way I pictured it was so much more than how it actually happened.” Julian stood up from the chair and wondered over to the large glass doors that lead out to the beach. He could easily hide the hurt that would have come out in his voice, but he knew he couldn’t hide the hurt on his face. He didn’t want Cass to see that he was hurting. He didn’t want her to stay with him just to please him, he wanted her there because it was what she wanted.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass cringed as Julian walked away from her. "Oh God!" she said, almost disgusted. Damn! Didn't he know that he was going to need a thick skin with her. Most girls wanted the strong, sensitive type, but Cass was finding his two most endearing qualities rather annoying at the moment. "I didn't mean it like that!" Cass tried to come up with the words to smooth over the situation. She padded over to Julian; her robe coming untied in the process. This time, she didn't bother to cover herself. "Julian!" She put her arms around his waist as she pressed her face against his smooth back. His scent was quite exciting to her; almost intoxicating. However, the rush that she usually got when she was near him was diluted by the pain in his voice.

"I'm sorry! I really didn't mean it like that. I'm just - It's just - ." She was unable to finish a single one of her sentences. What did she mean? What did she want to say? She sat their stuttering over herself like the day she found out she was about to be Quidditch captain. She honestly didn't have the words to cure his pain, and he didn't have enough water to douse her fiery anger over the situation. "I'm just so angry with myself. You've run away with my heart, Julian. You've run away with it, and I'm afraid you won't give it back." She sniffled. "...but I don't want it back."

"I'm not good at being close to people, and I usually only stay close to the ones I can control. I'm a bit like my cousin in that way." Her arms wrapped around her husband tighter. He was perfectly still in her arms. Cass was pleading with him not to be mad with her. "I can't control you, and I don't want too. I want you to be my equal, but I've never felt this qualled before in my life." She pulled her face away from his back. "Please, don't be mad at me, Julian. It's killing me. I love you." Cass suppressed the gasp that issued from her lips. She had been trying to come up with the right words to describe her emotions for Julian. Was this that vile, despicable word she had vowed never to say to Liam? Was this heart wrenching and rendering emotion love?

She pulled away from Julian crying. "I don't know what you are doing to me." She whispered to his back as she walked away. Like in all of those stupid, muggle romantic comedies, this would of been the opportune time for Julian to rush after the fair maiden and sweep her off of her feet. However, she didn't hear the rush of his feet, or the touch of his hands around her midsection. She turned back around to still see him standing in front of the open glass doors. They stood another moment in silence. "I'm just not sure if you lov-," Cass choked on her words, "want -. I'm not sure if you want me like I want you."

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian had tried to be a bit less sensitive around Cassandra, but it really wasn’t something he could make himself when he was hearing phrases like ‘married to a mortal enemy’ coming out of his beloved’s mouth. He had always known that she disliked him, recalled that she had actually admitted that she rather hated him, but he was sure; after all the weeks that they had spent together; that those feelings of hers had changed. The feelings of her arms wrapped around him and her face pressed against his bare back sent chills through him that he repressed. He wasn’t trying to hurt her, but needed her to know that he was hurt. He wanted to turn around and wrap his arms around her, but something was stopping him. Maybe it was the hurt that he knew she would see in his eyes. He couldn’t let that be seen.

He continued to stand perfectly still, almost holding his breath as Cass continued talking. He was trying to put the pain away, to somewhat lock it away deep in his mind so that it would never be found. He didn’t need her hearing it when she was able to see it in his reactions. Julian just wasn’t ready to turn around and let her see the reactions on his face as she spoke. He knew that his emotions always showed deep in his eyes and that he couldn’t hide it. He had no reason to hide it, but he just wasn’t ready for Cassandra to see the mixed emotions. Shock came across his face as he heard her admit that she loved him. Words that he was almost certain he would never hear from her beautiful lips. As she turned and walked away, Julian felt the separation like a knife in his stomach. He listened, still not turning around as she walked back across the room.

“Afraid I've run away with your heart and won't give it back. Seriously, Cass what do you think you have done with mine? I've never been close to anyone either, but I wanted to be that way with you. You stole my heart before you even realized it, and I haven't once worried about getting it back.” Julian said finally bringing himself to turn around and face her. “My wanting you the way you want me has never been the issue. I’ve always loved you and never hid that from you.” Julian said not caring if the hurt that he felt came through his voice. “My loving you has never been a problem. I’ve just always kept my feelings for you hidden because I wasn’t sure how you felt about me, and I thought it would be easier on my heart incase you decided you didn’t care about me.” Moving away from the open door, he noticed Cassandra’s beauty and her tears. “Don’t cry I’m not angry. Never was I angry, hurt maybe, but not angry.” Julian moved closer to Cassandra, bringing himself close enough to her that he was able to pull back to him. Wrapping his arms tightly around her waist, he kissed her forehead gently. “I love you, Cassandra. And I have never wanted to hide that from you or the world. You are more to me than a ‘trophy wife’. I don’t want to hide our marriage from the world and I want to give you your fairy tale.” Julian’s eyes sparkled with love and care replacing the hurt and anguish that he had been feeling. “Just being able to hold you and to call you my wife is my fairy tale.”

((sorry it took so long for me to get it up.. Check your pms for a reason. I know it somewhat sucks too...sorry about that.))

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cassandra kept her head buried in his chest as she let his words smooth over her emotions. She was upset. Weeks and weeks of emotional baggage was beginning to slide off her shoulders in rivulets. She felt surprisingly better. As Julian stroked her hair comfortingly, she thought about the last few weeks. The journey that she took had no map, but somehow she had still ended up with the treasure. It was right here; holding her in his arms. Why was she fighting him tooth and nail though? Pride? Anger? No, it was none of those things. As she stood in self reflection, she pondered the above question. She inhaled deeply; taking in Julian's aroma once again. She tilted her tear stained face up and kissed him lightly on the neck. It suddenly came to her in a rush of realization. This aversion to their relationship had nothing to do with Julian. It was all her fault. She looked up into his stoic face as she gulped. She was prepared to be truthful, and let him know her vulnerabilities.

"Julian," she whispered, "I'm just so afraid -. I've given up so much already to you, and I'm not as strong as you think I am. If you leave, I don't know what I would do. What if you tire of me?" She pushed away from him. "We did this all so quickly, and I don't want it to fall apart. I just wonder if we did the right thing. We are only seventeen. Both of us are from prominent families...," she stopped and bit her lip. "We are going to be front page news. I'm sure my cousin and your parents' already know. Hell, the goblin's probably sold the story to the Prophet to make a few quick bucks. I don't want to publicize the fact of what we did..." She looked back at Julian with worry on her face It was obvious by the resolute look on her face that she had made a decision. "I don't want to hide such a beautiful thing, but I don't know if I can deal with the criticism alone. I want to be Cassandra Fallon."

She stood a few feet away from him at the foot of the large bed. She was still crying a bit. Black mascara was running down her face causing streaks down her pale cheeks. She almost choked as she swallowed her humongous pride to say the next words quietly and meekly. It would probably be the last time he would hear these words out of her mouth. "I"m sorry, Julian. I haven't been a very good -," she stumbled on the word, "wife this morning. We should be enjoying these last few weeks together. Can you please forgive me?"

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian continued to hold Cassandra as she admitted that she didn’t want to hide their marriage, but at the same time, she didn’t want to flaunt it. He was glad to hear that she didn’t want to hide it. “You won’t be alone. I could never tire of you Cassandra, nor would I ever leave of my own free will. I can’t picture any time of my life without you in it. I’m sure our families do know by now, and I know my father well enough that if Archer Fallon was concerned, this would be the first place he and mother would look for us.”

The look on her face as she admitted to wanting to take his last name made Julian want Cassandra more than he had since she had bared her heart and feelings for him. The fact that she was standing in a lace robe with little on under it didn’t help the sudden rush he was feeling. Moving closer to her, Julian fluidly and gently picked Cassandra up. Showering her with kisses as he moved her from the foot of the bed to the side, He gently dropped her on the bed. It was time for a do-over on this honeymoon of theirs and he was going to be sure both of them enjoyed it.

Gently, he lay beside Cassandra, hovering partially above her. He wanted to love his wife, but he wanted to tease her every moment leading up to. He showered her with kisses; hoping that the passion he felt for her was shared. Emotions rushed through his body as he continued to kiss her. Julian took his time, but every movement, every touch, and every kiss caused him to want his wife more and more. It was hard to restrain himself now that he knew that the ropes that were holding her back were now unfettered. He could feel her returning his urgency beside him.

Julian felt Cass arch beneath and whisper, “I love you,” into his ear. The words sounded like angels had come to bestow upon him the greatest gift that any man could receive. He stopped for a moment and let her relax. Julian’s hand lay across her now bare chest. He could feel her breath coming out in gasps as her heart raced a million miles a minute. “Calm down, my love. Do you really want to rush this?” He tried to calm her, but her anxiousness was catching. Unlike Cassandra, he was patient, and was willing to wait for penultimate moment.

"Ti amo anche" Julian spoke softly in Italian, not sure that Cass would know what it meant. "I love you too." He thought he had better translate for her just so there was no confusion. He needed to let her know that he had not been angry at her and that he forgave her for everything she thought she needed forgiveness for. “Julian…,” Cassandra whispered as she reached up to pull him down on top of her.


“Shh..., he stopped her from speaking by putting a single finger to her lips, “After these past few months, do you think anybody could love you like I love you?” She didn’t answer him, but only kissed him with such ferocity that he could only give in. How could he not? For once, it seemed that they were on equal playing ground. Before this moment, Julian had always been the one putting his true emotions on the line. He had always loved her with everything he had. Cassandra, on the other hand, had told him more than once that this crazy affair would end when she bored of her Slytherin toy. Now, the truth was out there. Every touch, kiss, and moan from Cassandra proved what he now knew. Cassandra Fallon was his wife, and she wanted to remain so. And better yet, she loved him. He couldn’t ask more.

He had been patient, and won his prize. Now, he was going to claim his trophy.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

"Julian," Cassandra whispered his name aloud several hours later. They had spent most of the day in bed. The couple had drifted off to sleep after a couple hours of intensity that could not be rivaled. She propped herself up on her hands and looked down at her sleeping husband. The same white sheet covered their nakedness. The french doors that opened up onto the balcony revealed the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen. Even though her wedding hadn't been perfect, it seemed that her honeymoon was going to be. She was still a bit uneasy about their runaway marriage, but it was starting to seem romantic in its own way. It had been wild, intense, and very unpredictable. Very Cassandra Blackfire-ish. Oh, wait. It was now very Cassandra Fallon-ish.

She shook her husband away. It only took a moment to rouse him from sleep. "Julian, I'm getting a bit hun-," Cass started to say. Before she could finish her sentence, Julian had pulled himself up. His hands were now trying to find any unexplored terrain on her body. Cass only laughed and pushed him off. "Honey, seriously, shouldn't we think about some dinner? We haven't had anything since breakfast. I saw what seemed like a wonderful restaurant out on the piazza." She got up, not minding to dress, and headed toward the adjoining bathroom. She needed to make herself presentable even if they were just going to come back tonight and continue what they had started this morning.

Cass saw Julian turn over and muffle something into his pillow. His strong arms were hugging it tightly. "Come on. How do you expect either one of us keep this up all night if we don't get some nourishment?" With that, she soon found her husband up and roaming about the room. She coaxed him into the shower with her, which delayed their dinner plans even longer.

Soon enough though, the happy couple were walking hand in hand down the cobblestone streets of Caprice. Julian was dressed in a pair of khaki slacks, a white button down shirt, and a pair of thong sandals. Cass had been able to salvage a pink sundress and a pair of white patent leather slides out of one of the closets. She had apparently decided not to bring many clothes with her. "Julian, I hate to say this, but if we are going to stay here much longer, I'm going to have to do some shopping." He eyed her warily as he was probably picturing the damage she could do to his credit card in the Italian shops. "Don't worry, though. I'll make sure I pick up something nice for you." She smiled wickedly at him. "Unfortunately, I packed rather light. I didn't realize you wanted to stay here until school started. It's beautiful here though. Do we really own that beautiful estate? I think we should move there permanently for the summer. And not just this summer, every summer. I've never been to Italy before, but I have enjoyed it so far. The lease is almost up at my flat, and I'm only guessing that your homes are far better than mine." Julian was oddly quiet for a moment. He pulled his hand away, and adjusted the platinum band on his left hand as they approached the restaurant. Cass stopped outside of the wooden doors. "Oh, you've been awfully quiet. Have I assumed to much? I'm sorry. I've always been in love with that whole mine is yours concept when you get married. You know, they whole idea that we are one being now. Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you by assuming anything."

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian awoke to the soft sound of his wife’s voice, his hands searching for parts of her body that had yet to be explored. As she pushed him off of her and made her way to the bathroom, Julian turned his face into his pillow and grumbled. He didn’t want them to have to get up from the bed, even for satisfaction from food. He knew their bodies needed nourishment, but that didn’t stop the thoughts that ran through his mind. His silent complaints ceased as she coaxed him into joining her in the shower. Dinner had been delayed longer now that this had been done. She was right, there were some wonderful restaurants in town, and he was sure he knew of the one that Cassandra was talking about.

Walking hand in hand with Cassandra as his wife was something Julian had always thought secretly of but he would never let it be known. He couldn’t, he realized how feminine it would make him sound, and even though he wasn’t afraid to show his sensitivity, that was just taking it a bit too far. Julian’s clothes were perfect for a summer in Italy, but he had always kept the right attire there. Cassandra looked beautiful in the pink sundress that she had found in one of the many closets. Julian was sure that it had been his mother’s and had probably been forgotten about since she had two to three closets in each house they owned, and the Fallon family owned three houses. Julian let Cassandra keep talking about needing clothing, how beautiful Caprice was, and if they really owned the villa. He liked her suggestion of living there during the summers. It had been a plan of his after graduation anyway. He was losing himself in her voice again, and he knew this would make her wonder if he was upset about something. Julian’s band seemed to have slid further down toward the middle knuckle of his finger and had been bothering him for moments now when he took the opportunity to fix it. A wedding band on my hand, I’m sure there are people that thought that would never happen. Julian thought to himself as he adjusted his platinum band. He chuckled as Cassandra assumed that she had assumed to much, “I just love listening to you talk about ‘Ours’. All we have to do to own the villa is tell my father that it’s the house you want to live in. It’s a family property, and Father would be thrilled to have someone living in it more often. It hasn’t been used by him or Mother for three years now. She keeps insisting on going to the vacation home in Greece.” Julian replied reaching up to open the door for his wife.

The maître d sat the couple at a small corner table covered with an elegant red silk tablecloth. A centerpiece consisting of red and gold roses with a hurricane style candleholder in the middle made a lovely finish to the table. The candle in the candleholder gave off a slight lilac sent that mixed wonderfully with the fragrance radiating off of both the roses and Cassandra’s perfume. “I’ll gladly take you shopping tomorrow if you wish, Darling.” Julian said after placing their drink order. Two crystal goblets were brought to their table and a bottle of Strawberry Zifendale wine was placed next to the table in a wine chiller after each goblet was filled to it’s owner’s satisfaction. “Don’t worry about how much money you spend either. We’ll get you only the finest if that’s what you wish to have.” Julian wanted Cassandra to have everything she wanted and knowing that his family wasn’t poor helped him make that possible.

Dinner was romantic and exhilarating after spending their day in the bedroom. Julian strolled Cassandra around town before they headed back home. He wanted to show her all of the scenery that they had missed when they had only eaten breakfast just down the path from the villa at the ‘Little Villa Café’. The name of the café was appropriate considering that the restaurant looked exactly like a miniature version of many of the villas around it. The sky was clear, night had begun to fall, and the sunset was waning. It made for a beautiful night. Stars were just becoming visible and Julian pointed them out to Cassandra as they walked back up the trail to the Villa.

Julian noticed a candle flickering on the balcony as they made their way up the small foot beaten path. “Darling, did you leave any candles burning this evening before we left the villa?” Julian turned and asked her, a look of confusion coming across his face. He saw the same confusion on Cassandra’s face as he heard her reply that she didn’t light any candles on the balcony before they left. This made Julian’s look of confusion turn to one of concern. Who could have gotten into the house and onto the balcony without triggering the alarms, and warning devices? Julian made sure that Cassandra stayed behind him as he carefully pulled his wand out of his pocket and prepared for whoever may be in their house. “Shh… I don’t want them to hear us.” Julian said to Cassandra as they made their way up the stairs toward the balcony. Julian found the floor to ceiling glass doors leading out to the balcony already open which only made getting out there unheard that much easier. He saw a shadow of someone sitting at the table, and a goblet of wine with the Fallon crest etched into it in their hand. Looking more carefully at the person sitting in the chair, he realized it was his father. “Dad?” Julian said confused, “What are you doing here? You never come here. Where’s mom?” Julian pulled Cassandra from behind him prepared to introduce her to Archer.

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Julian's worry triggered alarms for Cass. Her beautiful day was about to be interrupted. For reasons unknown to her, she instinctively hid behind her husband. It was comforting knowing that he was willing to put himself in front of the danger. "Julian, I don't see...," she quieted down when Julian gave her a silent signal to do so. Craning around his side to get a better view of the house, Cass saw lights blazing in the windows. Surely, it wasn't a robber? She bit her lip anxiously as she followed Julian into their home.

"Dad?" Julian said in shocked amazement. The rest of his words were lost on her as she stared at the dignified man sitting in the front of her. Cass stepped around Julian as she felt him noticeably relax. Archer Fallon did not seem at all surprised to see his young son standing there with a woman he had never seen before. It made her wonder if this scene had occurred before in this room.

Silently, Cass stood by as father and son talked. She felt out of the loop, and oddly conspicuous beside Julian. The older Fallon quickly stood up and approached his son for a firm handshake that didn't seem congratulatory or a welcome. Archer was taller than Julian by several inches. Other than that and his graying hair, the men could of been brothers. After the brief exchange, Archer turned to Cassandra. She felt small and fragile compared to him. She had never felt so timid in her life.

"So, are you going to introduce me to my daughter in law?" So, he did know! Cassandra was shocked. They had told no one but Solitaire and Darien. The automated portion of her brain took her through the motions as she tried to pick her own brain. Who told him? How did he get to Italy so fast? She wanted to know, and Archer was about to provide her with the answers it seemed.

"Well, the two of you have caused quite the stir," Archer returned to his wine. Cass grabbed Julian's hand. It was comforting, and it tamed some of her fright. "It wasn't soon this arrived," Archer stopped to emphasize the envelope he was now holding that was addressed to Mr. and Mrs. Julian Fallon, "that the Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter called to congratulate your mother on the blessed occasion." He suddenly turned on Cassandra with what looked like contempt in his eyes. "How are we going to explain this," Archer waved his hands at them trying emphasize the situation, "away?" She shrunk into Julian's side.

Julian's arms wound around her protectively. Weren't Slytherins' supposed to be self serving and unsacrificing? In the span of fifteen minutes, Julian had taken the time to protect her. Even though he had probably not given the gesture a second thought, Cass knew it spoke volumes to her father. She was his, and he was letting everyone, including his father, know it. Archer continued his monologue. Julian tensed. "We knew when you met this girl something like this might happened. We had thought Cassandra's hatred of Slytherin house would keep her away for a time, but it seems your persistence paid off sooner than expected." He was addressing Julian, not her. "We had planned for this to be the social event of the decade, not the family humiliation. Son, you need to start working out some damage control."

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian wasn’t thrilled that his father had decided to grace them with his presence. There was usually more to visits from Archer than just simply finding out how his son was doing. He stood talking with his father about the odds and ends of where his mother was, and why she hadn’t come on the trip with him. Mercie was home, but Archer had decided that this was a trip that he needed to take by himself. Julian’s face turned to shock as Archer revealed that there were people other than Solitaire and Darien that knew about the marriage. Julian was sure Solitaire and Darien wouldn’t have revealed the secret to anyone as Solitaire was Cassandra’s best friend and Julian had slowly after a few years became good friends with Darien, so he knew neither of them would have said anything about it to anyone. “How..” Julian wasn’t able to finish his sentence as Archer referred to Cass as his daughter in law, before Archer answered him.

Feeling Cassandra’s hand slip into his, Julian became just a bit more protective, if that was even possible. Many thoughts raced through his mind, but one remained at the forefront of it, he was will to fight even his own father to protect his wife. Seeing Archer flailing his arms all over the place as to signify the huge wrong that they had supposedly done, he wrapped his arms around Cassandra. “What do you mean ‘What are we going to do about this’? There’s nothing to be done. So what the whole world knows that we ran away to get married.” Julian replied getting a bit testy toward his father. The way Archer was making the marriage sound like they had killed someone was bothering Julian more than he guessed Archer realized. “Father, it’s not like we murdered anyone to do this.”

It was supposed to be the social event of the decade. These words rang through Julian’s ears, making him wonder. “Are you saying that you had it all planned out that we would get married after I met Cassandra?” Julian had never approved of arranged marriages and his father knew that very well. Julian laughed as his father nodded, “Well I guess this is one arranged marriage that happened before it’s time. I never liked the idea of people being forced to marry anyway. Lucky for you, I love this woman.” Julian kissed Cassandra on the top of her head as he continued to hold her tightly. “What type of damage control do you propose Father, I’m not allowing you to destroy this marriage like your father attempted to do with you and Mother.” Julian knew which buttons he was pushing with his father, and really he didn’t care. The only two people that were going to decide the fate of his marriage were him and Cassandra.

Archer knew that Julian tended to be just as stubborn and determined as he had been in his youth, and sometimes still was. He praised Julian for being that way. “Well, how about you tell me how the wedding came to take place in the Golden Wand of all places, and then we’ll figure out how to explain it to the world.” Archer said finally calming down. Julian wondered if they should go into all of the details about how the wedding had happened at the Golden Wand, how they hadn’t planned on it happening that night, and how he still wanted to give Cassandra the wedding of her dreams. He knew well enough that if he or Cassandra hid any details, his dad would find out about it somehow. Julian kept Cassandra wrapped in his arms until they moved to the table to sit with his father. Julian poured each of them a goblet of wine. “If you want to see this as a humiliation that’s you’re decision Father. There are only two people that know the entire truth about the wedding other than Cassandra and me.” Julian said before continuing to tell Archer how he and Cassandra had confided in Darien and Solitaire. Julian glanced at his wife as to say that he would inform his father of how it all happened, and would take the blame for the entire ‘incident’ as his father liked to call it.
Julian proceeded to tell his father of how after the weeks that the two had spent with Cassandra showing him all of muggle London, they wanted to do something different and spontaneous, and how Julian had the idea to take Cassandra down Knockturn Alley, to the Golden Wand. He informed his father how they had spent a little money gambling at the different games, and how they had dinner at the Red Sparks café inside the Golden Wand. He explained how after what they now had discovered was a few too many fire whiskeys, he had started talking about marrying Cassandra and how he could imagine what their wedding would be like if they were to get married and how he would marry her that night if they could. He explained how Cassandra, thinking Julian wasn’t being serious, had jokingly agreed to marrying him and they went shopping at the small jewelry shop inside the Golden Wand. The jewelry shop was the last thing Julian was able to explain because it was the last thing he remembered “I do hope you can figure the rest out by yourself Father.” Julian said with a salty tone. “Granted, we didn’t want it to happen the way it did, but it has happened. We have decided to stay together. I’m sure not everyone knows that we were both intoxicated when it happened, and we don’t have to admit that we were. We could easily say that we just felt the need to marry in somewhat private conditions and how we expected to be able to announce it before the Goblins, treacherous as they are, leaked it out to the world. We just wanted to make it through our honeymoon first.” Julian realized that a Fallon/Blackfire union would have it’s perks and its downfalls.

((I know it’s not that great of an ending for this post, but it’s long enough so I had to stop myself somewhere. I’ll let you take it up from here. ))

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

Cass stood idly while the two men talked. Even though this conversation included her future, both men seemed to forget she was even there. She said not a word as Julian defended them to Archer. She rolled her eyes when Archer asked Julian about damage control. Why damage control? They hadn’t done anything wrong. After Julian explained their night at the Golden Wand, Archer paused for a moment. At that time, Cass had taken the time to push her wine glass away. She had suddenly decided to swear off alcohol.



The three sat in uncomfortable silence for what seemed an eternity. Archer’s brow was furrowed as he downed his entire glass. “You aren’t pregnant, are you?” Cass gasped. Julian seemed flustered and shifted violently in his seat. Archer was looking unabashedly at her, waiting on an answer. “No!” Cass stammered. “Of course not! What gave you – I mean, we haven’t been that careless!” Her face was red. She looked at Julian in her embarrassment. He was calm and collected almost as if he expected that question. It hadn’t fazed him one bit.



Archer guffawed at her unease. “Well, that would have at least excused your behavior last night. Julian would have been doing the right thing in the eyes of the public.” Cass turned towards her husband again. He was meeting his father’s gaze dead on, not flinching. Archer began to speak again. “What the two of you don’t realize is that this is a complicated situation. The Blackfires and the Fallons are two of the oldest wizarding families. Our families have always been close. Charles and I had spoken of your betrothal before. We had considered it a good match.” So, Charles had been playing matchmaker for Cassandra? It didn’t seem below her Uncle to promise his niece off to the highest bidder. It was a very interesting revelation. Did Pyro know? She would need to ask them on their way back to school. “This just made things less complicated. We never actually thought you would do this on your own.”



Cass could stay quiet no more. “What do you mean less complicated?” Her voice raised several octaves in her anger. “My husband, your son, and I are not pawns for your next move on the chess board!” If she wasn’t so madly in love with Julian, she would have declared her intention for a divorce on the spot. How dare Archer Fallon?



Furious, Cass stood up and stormed out of the room. Julian stood, but allowed her to leave. He knew there was no way to reason with her at this point. She made her way to the balcony that was behind the glass doors. Fresh airs is what she needed. Julian dared not follow. She was pretty sure he knew that this was not the time to follow her. She could hear them continue to argue. Archer made a snide remark about her departure, and Julian was quick to defend her. She could hear their voices rising. She needed a moment. Archer’s assumption had shaken her to her very core.



Cassandra wanted no more of Archer Fallon tonight. She could hear more angry shouts. Julian was almost as stubborn as her, but he did need to work this out with his family. The only person she needed to explain things to was Pyro. He would be shocked, but what could he do? Demand that she leave him and move back to the manor? No, that wouldn’t happen. Pyro no longer had any control over her. Julian would make sure of that.



It was a comforting notion knowing that she had someone who would fight for her regardless of the consequences. A few moments later, the violent voices settled down. A door slammed in the front of the house. Cass assumed that it was Archer leaving. She soon felt cool hands wrap around her waist as Julian joined her on the balcony. She looked up. He was red in the face, and his eyes looked hard as he stared out into the ocean. She gave him a few moments to calm down before she spoke. “So, that went well, huh?” It wasn’t a sarcastic remark. It sounded sad and resigned. “I guess this means that our little honeymoon is over.”

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian wasn’t at all surprised when his father asked Cassandra if she was pregnant. He would have rather that been the reason for them getting married the way they had instead of them just being irresponsible and drunk. They were only human, even if he was a wizard and she was a witch, and things didn’t always go as planned in any human’s life. He couldn’t blame her for her outburst about the betrothal, he felt the same way about arranged marriages and Archer knew it. Watching Cassandra storm out of the room, Julian’s rage grew more. “Father, why must you be so rude? And what on earth would have ever made you think that if we hadn’t fallen in love and married on our own that we would have allowed you to force us together?” Julian was determined not to raise his voice, but he was beginning to and couldn’t help it. Cassandra had been upset and Julian wasn’t willing to handle it happening yet again on their honeymoon. “Obviously Father, all of these years that you have been proud of me for being responsible. I’ve always done the right thing. You knew I liked Cassandra and that I had watched her from a distance always bidding your wish, never letting her know. I decided that I couldn’t wait for you to tell me that it was time for me to announce my feelings for this wonderful girl. I needed her to know, and I assumed that you would suspect it was going to happen since I haven’t been in a Fallon residence all summer until last night. Do you seriously think I would have stayed at her home if we hadn’t became close? I seriously hope you aren’t so dense that you assumed that I slept on her couch the whole summer. I thought you still communicated with Pyro Blackfire occasionally.” Julian wasn’t sure of the last time that Archer had owled Pyro, but he was sure that it had happened. Archer had always been close with the Blackfires, since they were one of few prominent wizarding families left.

Archer yelled at Julian a bit more about how stupid he had been and how even though this made things less complicated for the family but how it also required some damage control. Julian realized that if Rita Skeeter knew about the marriage already, then before he could get back to Diagon Alley, the whole wizarding world would know. It would be front page News as far as the Daily Prophet would be concerned. Julian took time to explain to Archer, even though it took some fair amount of screaming at him to get his father to listen to him. “We weren’t planning on making it public. We were planning on playing out an engagement for the school year, and we were going to do the Wedding of the Decade; as you want to call it; next summer. How on Earth Rita Skeeter found out about it, I’m unsure. Unless some forsaken goblin sold us out. That would have been the only way she found out about it.” Julian knew that this wouldn’t appease his father, and he was about to find out just how much it disappointed him. “So you would have kept this from everyone, even your mother and I if Rita Skeeter hadn’t found out about it? Julian do you realize just how unacceptable that is. I would have wanted to know the truth about my son, so that if I got asked about it, I wouldn’t be surprised and give a wrong answer.” Archer continued to yell at Julian as Julian tuned him out. “I’ll deal with Skeeter and which ever goblin ratted us out. I just can’t let Cassandra know anything about dealing with the goblin.” Julian knew that this would mean apperating to Diagon Alley tomorrow to do the damage control, but he would leave Cassandra with plenty of money so that she could go shopping and get whatever her heart desired. He wouldn’t be gone the whole day, but just a few hours.

He began making his way up the stairs just moments before Archer slammed the front door and apperated back home. He imagined that Mercie would never find out the entire events of the visit, and that she would assume everything was well between Julian and his father. All was not well at the moment though. Julian was still furious at his father for the way he had talked to Cassandra. He wasn’t sure he would be able to not be furious with Archer again after that. Surely it would eventually pass, Julian hoped. He found his wife on the balcony outside of their bedroom. Fury still showing on his face as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He needed to hold her close to him, to know that she was there and hadn’t left him and that he was just dreaming that she was waiting for him on the balcony. The smell of her hair mixing with the soft smell of the night air helped Julian to calm down much sooner than he expected. “It went better than expected, really. He’s not upset that we married, he’s upset that he couldn’t turn it into the event of the decade, you heard him say that yourself.” Julian kissed the top of Cassandra’s head, smiling. “No, I’m demanding a Do-Over, starting tomorrow evening. I have some, oh for lack of a better word, damage control to do tomorrow with one nosey Rita Skeeter, and you have some shopping to do. I want lots of surprises when I come home by the way.” Julian said with a smile, spinning Cassandra around so she could see the devilish look in his eyes, and know what he meant by surprises. “We still have plenty of time before school starts to try to have a proper honeymoon. Oh and we'll let Father calm down a bit before telling him that we want the Villa for our own. He won't have a problem with it, I'll talk to Mother first and she'll talk him into it. Maybe he'll give it over without us having to ask, if Mother has anything to do with it.”

[Cassandra Blackfire G7]

The wind started to blow. Cass shuddered in Julian's arms. She wanted to argue with him. Tell him that there relationship was doomed. It was starting to feel that way to her. Nothing was going right. She tried to her thoughts to more cheerful things. "The villa? Really. You actually think they will let us live here? There is always the flat, but I do so like it here. I never really liked London. It's too cold. I always thought of moving back to Manchester, but I'm not sure if I could handle that. I grew up there, but I'm not sure if I want to be reminded of that." She bit her lip. "I haven't always been rich. It's only been in the last few years that I've been able to enjoy and afford the finer things in life." Her thoughts turned to her father. To think, this all began with his death nearly four years ago.

"I really don't feel like shopping anymore, but I guess I can't run around naked all the time." Julian's mouth grew into a large, sloppy grin. "Although I do know some people who would probably enjoy it. I'm exhausted. I think we should go to bed. It's been a long day." She turned around and kissed her husband deeply. Cass went back to the bedroom and undressed. Instead of joining her, Julian leaned against the doorframe and watched. As she slipped into bed, she teased, "You know, you will have forever to see me naked." She turned off the light. Cass felt his weight in the bed a few moments later. She had hardly heard him walk across the marble floor. Julian curled up behind her. She soon felt his arm slide around her. "Don't be afraid. I'm not going anywhere. You proved a lot to me tonight. I was starting to think you had no backbone, but you proved me wrong. I thought you would never stand up to your father like that."

[Julian Fallon S7]

Julian lay down beside Cassandra pulling her close to him as he draped his arm over her. He wished that she knew just how willing he had been tonight to fight his own father over her. "If you want, you can get Taire to join you for the shopping trip. Buy her a few things at my expense since I'm not able to go with you. It would make a great time for you to spend with your best friend since you have been away from her for so long." Julian said as he started to drift off to sleep. "I think Mother will be able to talk him into letting us keep the villa since you feel safe here and you like it so much.

Julian drifted off to sleep shortly after hearing that he needn't worry about Cassandra going anywhere. Even though hearing those words come from her comforted him enough to help him drift to sleep, he still couldn't loosen his grip on her. The fears of her leaving him were still there and haunted him in his dreams. Tomorrow would be horrific as he had to spend a few hours away from her as he worked through the damage control that his father wanted him to do.




((The End of this Post. Keep Looking for the next MAPS post))