One More Chance
Title:
Prompt: 005--Start Over (1/100)
Word Count: 872
Summary: The first time Aurora Sinistra meets Evan Rosier ends in an apology and a second chance. Years later, she wonders why she never got one.
Warnings: None
Notes: Cut text is borrowed from LeeAnn Rimes 'Life Goes On'
The first time Aurora Sinistra encountered Evan Rosier it was at Belinda Selwyn's annual summer ball. It was a quickly darkening evening, and it made Belinda happy, because that meant she got to show off her brand new imported chandelier with Egyptian hand-blown glass between crystals. Aurora never cared for these parties, she went because her parents expected her to attend. Still, she played the part well, chatting about inane things with the other girls not yet Hogwarts age, who knew nothing of which they spoke. In fact, not even their speech patterns were their own--they emulated and parroted back what they heard their mother's and other socialites say, fretted over their weight and discussed potential matches before most of them even hit puberty. It was dress up with two things in mind: high society and good marriage. Everything else discussed from appearance to cutting down on other girls was all about those two things.
Aurora was not particularly interested in either of those things, despite the fact that she was born to one and expected to make the other. Thus, one night, when she was spending time with Andromeda and Bellatrix Black, rather than the boy-crazy Jeanine Zabini or Alecto Carrow, a few boys came up to them, asking to dance. Aurora was not particularly enthused, especially since she didn't even recognise the boy who had asked her, with his dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. "I really don't think so." She said politely. "Perhaps another time."
The really rather attractive boy was obviously surprised by this and visibly took aback. "Well, you are a different sort of bird, aren't you?"
"Evan!" Bellatrix said in that imperious I'm older than you, you will obey voice that she loved to use on her sisters and their friends. "Mind your manners. Aurora and Andromeda were talking."
Evan had the good grace to look abashed. "My apologies, miss." He said, with a short, polite bow, but then he held out his hand for hers, eyes almost childishly eager. "Please, may we start over? I'm Evan Rosier."
Rosier explained his comfort with Andromeda and Bellatrix; he must be a relation of some sort, likely a cousin. Aurora was tempted to say no, she was not a particularly forgiving girl, but there was something about him that made a tentative smile appear, and she held out her hand. "Aurora Sinistra." She said by way of introduction. "All right, one more chance."
To her surprise, Evan flashed her a brilliant smile, and brought her hand to his lips, turning her wrist so he could place a kiss to the center of her palm. "Who am I to argue with the dawn?" He said , and then dropped it, bowing again. "She is truly merciful, to give me another chance." And with that, he walked away, taking a few steps backward before turning around and heading back to a man who was obviously his father if looks were anything to go by.
"Oh, ignore Evan, he's a horrible flirt." Andromeda suggested, linking arms with her friend, and then her sister, even if Bellatrix looked a bit sore for it.
"Obviously." Aurora said, but her voice sounded far off to her own ears, and she wondered both what would have happened had she said yes to the dance and if she had said no to the apology.
Andromeda made excuses for her cousin, while Bellatrix rolled her eyes, far more interested in discussing her recent derivations into Dark Magic in her father's library.
To be honest, it wasn't the only chance she gave him--in fact, it seemed as if their interactions, at least in his mind, had a magical reset switch that simply seemed to reverse over the mistake, with a well-meant apology, and a kiss to her palm. It was always the same, an almost child-like smile and "Please, may we start over?" And always Aurora would agree with 'one more chance'. In her more cynical moments as time went on, she considered stopping the chances, but she was never able to follow through.
And years removed from that ball, while she was sitting in her bedroom, preparing for another one--Narcissa Malfoy's this time--and received an owl, it took her a few moments to believe the contents, and then she put her head down on her arms and cried.
Why didn't she get to smile and ask to start over? Who had decided the chances were spent? After a few minutes the grief turned to anger and she threw a vase at the mirror, blaming Bellatrix for all of it. If she hadn't put him off all those years ago, explaining the faux pas in a way he should have understood, she would have never given him so many chances, and Aurora wouldn't be sitting here with a ring on her finger. If Bellatrix hadn't pulled him into the Death Eaters, with spider-like dexterity, he'd be downstairs, mocking her for being so critical of the balls. It was Moody's fault too--the spell had been his, and Aurora hoped Evan had at least hurt him in return--but most of all, she blamed herself. It was her fault, for the way she was hurting.
All she wanted was one more chance.
Prompt: 005--Start Over (1/100)
Word Count: 872
Summary: The first time Aurora Sinistra meets Evan Rosier ends in an apology and a second chance. Years later, she wonders why she never got one.
Warnings: None
Notes: Cut text is borrowed from LeeAnn Rimes 'Life Goes On'
The first time Aurora Sinistra encountered Evan Rosier it was at Belinda Selwyn's annual summer ball. It was a quickly darkening evening, and it made Belinda happy, because that meant she got to show off her brand new imported chandelier with Egyptian hand-blown glass between crystals. Aurora never cared for these parties, she went because her parents expected her to attend. Still, she played the part well, chatting about inane things with the other girls not yet Hogwarts age, who knew nothing of which they spoke. In fact, not even their speech patterns were their own--they emulated and parroted back what they heard their mother's and other socialites say, fretted over their weight and discussed potential matches before most of them even hit puberty. It was dress up with two things in mind: high society and good marriage. Everything else discussed from appearance to cutting down on other girls was all about those two things.
Aurora was not particularly interested in either of those things, despite the fact that she was born to one and expected to make the other. Thus, one night, when she was spending time with Andromeda and Bellatrix Black, rather than the boy-crazy Jeanine Zabini or Alecto Carrow, a few boys came up to them, asking to dance. Aurora was not particularly enthused, especially since she didn't even recognise the boy who had asked her, with his dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. "I really don't think so." She said politely. "Perhaps another time."
The really rather attractive boy was obviously surprised by this and visibly took aback. "Well, you are a different sort of bird, aren't you?"
"Evan!" Bellatrix said in that imperious I'm older than you, you will obey voice that she loved to use on her sisters and their friends. "Mind your manners. Aurora and Andromeda were talking."
Evan had the good grace to look abashed. "My apologies, miss." He said, with a short, polite bow, but then he held out his hand for hers, eyes almost childishly eager. "Please, may we start over? I'm Evan Rosier."
Rosier explained his comfort with Andromeda and Bellatrix; he must be a relation of some sort, likely a cousin. Aurora was tempted to say no, she was not a particularly forgiving girl, but there was something about him that made a tentative smile appear, and she held out her hand. "Aurora Sinistra." She said by way of introduction. "All right, one more chance."
To her surprise, Evan flashed her a brilliant smile, and brought her hand to his lips, turning her wrist so he could place a kiss to the center of her palm. "Who am I to argue with the dawn?" He said , and then dropped it, bowing again. "She is truly merciful, to give me another chance." And with that, he walked away, taking a few steps backward before turning around and heading back to a man who was obviously his father if looks were anything to go by.
"Oh, ignore Evan, he's a horrible flirt." Andromeda suggested, linking arms with her friend, and then her sister, even if Bellatrix looked a bit sore for it.
"Obviously." Aurora said, but her voice sounded far off to her own ears, and she wondered both what would have happened had she said yes to the dance and if she had said no to the apology.
Andromeda made excuses for her cousin, while Bellatrix rolled her eyes, far more interested in discussing her recent derivations into Dark Magic in her father's library.
To be honest, it wasn't the only chance she gave him--in fact, it seemed as if their interactions, at least in his mind, had a magical reset switch that simply seemed to reverse over the mistake, with a well-meant apology, and a kiss to her palm. It was always the same, an almost child-like smile and "Please, may we start over?" And always Aurora would agree with 'one more chance'. In her more cynical moments as time went on, she considered stopping the chances, but she was never able to follow through.
And years removed from that ball, while she was sitting in her bedroom, preparing for another one--Narcissa Malfoy's this time--and received an owl, it took her a few moments to believe the contents, and then she put her head down on her arms and cried.
Why didn't she get to smile and ask to start over? Who had decided the chances were spent? After a few minutes the grief turned to anger and she threw a vase at the mirror, blaming Bellatrix for all of it. If she hadn't put him off all those years ago, explaining the faux pas in a way he should have understood, she would have never given him so many chances, and Aurora wouldn't be sitting here with a ring on her finger. If Bellatrix hadn't pulled him into the Death Eaters, with spider-like dexterity, he'd be downstairs, mocking her for being so critical of the balls. It was Moody's fault too--the spell had been his, and Aurora hoped Evan had at least hurt him in return--but most of all, she blamed herself. It was her fault, for the way she was hurting.
All she wanted was one more chance.