June 17 '74: I Love You 'Til The Sun Dies: Phoebe

[Phoebe Bones]

Was there really anything Edgar could do to eliminate the fear that was still in her stomach? Of course she had been worried that day - marching against the National Front wasn’t exactly the safest activity one could do. But she had been given a life that was so full, she couldn’t simply sit on the sidelines while others were fighting for their right to exist. She was a fighter, the same as Edgar. She’d simply chosen a different path - one where she felt she could be the most helpful. But that hadn’t kept her inside when she heard about the march, and it certainly wouldn’t in the future either. “In my world, people don’t kill each other with magic. Sometimes they don’t even use weapons - words can be a powerful tool on their own,” she said quietly, looking down at the bed. “But I’ve never been a target, not this in capacity. Leaving the house as a woman has its own risks, things that Kyra and I have been warned about ever since boys took an interest in us. How am I supposed to defend myself against something I don’t even understand?”

That was the real question - wasn’t it? Because while Edgar was surely going to do his best to protect her, how was she supposed to protect herself? Most people in the “muggle” world had no idea of this magical one they couldn’t see, and yet they were all targets of a madman who wanted them dead. What was she supposed to do if one day she was faced with the end of a wand and no one magic was around to help her?

With the shift in conversation to the kind of magic she wanted to see, she had to smile at Edgar as she could tell his mind was racing. Clearly there was a lot for him to show her, but that didn’t mean they needed to see it all in one day. She didn’t even know what she wanted to see first, because really there was so much she didn’t know. And while he had mentioned flying on brooms before, he wasn’t serious when he asked her if she wanted to try it? She’d never even been on a plane! “Scotland - is that where you went to school?”

[Edgar Bones]

Words don't work against madmen, Phoebe. I wish they did, but we're far past the time for logic. It was a sad thought that the young man kept inside, knowing that tonight marked only the start of discussions such as these between himself and the woman he loved. He could point to the history in her world and his, even to the spaces where their worlds overlapped, to show what happened with only words, and no action. Words were powerful, there was no doubt in his mind there; from what had happened in Germany decades before, to how You-Know-Who gathered most of his followers, persuasion was the root of these beginnings. But what these people were convinced of...it was a dogma as real to them, true to them, inseparable from them as their own skin. Those who had succumbed to the darkness...their right-and-wrong is so different from ours, babe. 

Edgar reached for her hands as she went on, an uncommon fear coloring her honest words. "Fearful" wasn't something he associated with her, Phoebe being one of the strongest and confident people he'd ever met. And knowing that exposure to his world was bringing out fear, and that she was trusting him enough to be so bare...needless to say, the Auror was reaffirmed of his purpose. He would do what he had to do to ensure that she could live without fear again. And, hell - for him to live without the fear of her being caught by Death Eaters or worse, unable to reach him... "Pheebs, look at me," he said, voice low and firm as he increased the grip on her hand. Ed didn't want to say that there wasn't a way for her to defend herself against dark witches and wizards, however much that was, for most encounters, likely true... "I've put protections around the apartment - no one can appear inside or undo the locks, nothing like that. So that's all well and good. But I've been thinking of what to do about when you're out, or if I'm not with you. Just in case."

Very much hoping that his idea would work - he hadn't been able to test it, but was hopeful, for surely if a muggle made a change in the object the charm would still do its duty - Ed gave her hands another squeeze before letting go. He reached around her to open up the drawer in the nightstand, pulling out a project he'd been working on this week. In the hopes that she'd come back to him. "I know this isn't that pretty - " or the ring you're expecting from me "but it's function over fashion," he began, an underlying excitement in his voice at the chance to try this out. He showed her what was in his palm, the identical rings - save for size - with moving parts. "I saw this one at a shop, duplicated and resized it here. They've got a charm on them, where if you change something on one of them, the other should react. It'll move too, and heat up. I'm - er - I'm still figuring out how to get it to tell me where you are, but I'll keep trying," he promised before putting one of the rings on his pointer finger, and the other on hers. He spun the gears on his with a thumb, grinning rather giddily as he saw the one on her hand begin to move. "Feel anything? You try!"

Ed knew he had a ways to go on the project before it was fully functional, and that he hoped she'd never be in a bind and need to use it, but was proud of his start. If he could determine something like the Trace, without the Ministry getting notified of course...now that you've got approval from her, you could ask McGonagall once you've joined up... He was glad to shift into something that would bring them more joy, and eagerly jumped on the opportunity to finally show her where, in truth, he'd grown up. "The very same," he replied, chuckling as he geared up to tell her its name. "Now, don't laugh, it's a very serious place full of history, respected across the globe - and it's called Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Has this grand little all-wizarding village within walking distance too, Hogsmeade; magical sweets, a joke shop, book store - we'd go there on weekends on school-approved visits, but Fab and Gid and I would sneak down during the nights when we needed a break from the norm."

(ooc: gear ring gifs!)

[Phoebe Bones]

There were always things to fear. Some fear was healthy, it could keep you alive. But ultimately she was useless against magic, had no defenses against something she couldn’t do. She knew that Edgar would never let anything happen to her, even before he squeezed her hands to draw her eyes to his. It was nice knowing that there were protections at the apartment, and yet a bit strange that there was magic around her and she couldn’t see it. If the apartment was safe, it also probably meant that his parents house had similar protections. But who else was at risk? What about her parents, or Kyra and Liz’s flat?

Before she could ask Edgar was reaching for something in the nightstand, and her heart was about to beat out of her chest. Surely he wasn’t about to do what she was thinking. He wasn’t, that much was clear when he spoke and she looked down at the odd rings in his hand. He was excited about this gift to her, and so she waited patiently through his explanation, stuck her hand out for him to place the ring on her. And when he spun his, and the one of her hand began to spin as well? She grinned up at him, using her fingers to spin her own to see what his would do.

And when he told her not to laugh, it was hard for her to keep from grinning even wider. Yes, the name of the school was ridiculous - but hearing about it was fascinating. And a wizard village nearby? “Are there lots of wizarding villages? And schools - if it’s respected across the world does that mean it’s the only one? Can we go there, to the school?”

[Edgar Bones]

There was no failsafe way around this, was there? It wasn’t as if he would ask her to stay in the protected apartment all of the time, or insist that she was at his side otherwise. Even if they were together - while Ed would lay down his life for her if it meant she would live - there was no guarantee that he would be enough to save her. Not if he was outnumbered, or ambushed, or if they took her…

Their demonstration was attacked by dark wizards just the other day. She’s seen what can happen. She knows the risk inherent in anything to do with us…

That Phoebe Adkins was accepting him into her life again, full-on knowing that she was in danger because of it, was more than a shock to Edgar’s system. He’d hoped beyond hope that she would come back. That they could continue their life together past this unfortunate but necessary blip. But he had worried. Because how mad would she have to be to keep choosing him? When she could have a good life on her own? Fall in love with someone else? Someone safe?

He could never thank her enough for this. For choosing him, what they had the potential to build, over a more certain, a more secure, future. Not that he’d thought one of them loved the other more than the other did, however much they'd joke about it, but what he was asking of her was something of monstrous proportions and implications. Their life would be decidedly different than what she’d imagined - save the fact that they’d still be partners. And to think - Ed had thought that she’d had his heart before this night. But now, with the air clearing between them, secrets untangling and commitments known…

Somehow, some way, I'm gonna give you everything you deserve.

For now, that meant working out their safety, and thank Merlin that he'd paid enough attention in Charms and Transfiguration to start pulling off his idea. Ed grinned back as the charm worked on her ring, and beamed as his spun when she moved hers. In as much triumph as relief, he let out a long breath. This is your life now - both of yours. He gently cupped the back of her head, moving in to kiss her forehead before laying his own to hers. "It's a start, babe - I've got some people in mind to ask for help finishing it up. But I swear, you're going to be as safe as humanly possible."

How easy would it be to say that he'd never let anything happen to her?

The words nearly followed, an automatic follow-up promise. But Edgar bit them back, hating the sharp-edged doubt that knifed into his heart at the recognition. Because as much as he wanted to say it, as much as he wanted to mean it, as much as he knew he'd do everything in his power to make it so - he didn't want to give the woman he loved any empty promises. I'm gonna do my best, Phoebe. Always.

He was grateful for the twist towards hilarity that their conversation took, and laid back on their bed, arm behind his head as he grinned up at her. "Only wanted to take you there since we were fifteen, so yeah, I suppose we can sneak onto the school grounds." Dumbledore wouldn't mind, right? Not if it means you're joining the Order. "There's a bunch of schools, this one just serves the UK, but there's wizards everywhere, eh? Haven't seen any myself, but they've all got their sorts of reputations. Some are top-notch for Quidditch players, others for spellwork, but there's only one Hogwarts, and you'll love it. And villages, nah - Hogsmeade's one of only a few around here, most of us have assimilated into the general population convincingly enough." Shooting her a wink, he went on, surprising himself with the loving note. "But it's rather freeing to be there, really. Like you'll see, when we don't have to hide anything, worry about discovery, there's magic...everywhere."

[Phoebe Bones]

As safe as humanly possible. It wasn’t the reassurance she wanted, but at the same time - she knew what she was getting herself into. From the bits and pieces she’d managed to put together in the past week, even witches and wizards that didn’t want muggles eliminated didn’t necessarily approve of her relationship with Edgar. But she had never cared for the opinions of others when it came to her relationship, not since she’d decided she was going to make things work between them back when they had been fifteen years old. The danger that she faced by staying with Edgar was something she could downplay to her family, especially considering they didn’t know the truth of the matter. And Kyra would understand her choice, especially if things between her best friend and Fabian started to go somewhere now that the truth was out in the open.

So maybe this wasn’t safe, being with him. Maybe there were people that would want her dead because her family wasn’t magic. But she’d chosen her path in life long ago when she’d decided to pursue law, to fight for people who needed a voice. Magic was new, and intriguing, and terrifying - but their worlds weren’t so different. The similarities that existed were easy for her to see, the desire to fight for a better world one she understood. Edgar could die doing this, and she was a target just as much as he was. But it was just the two of them here, it wasn’t like they had a family to keep safe as well. He could fight his war, and she could continue school to fight hers.

The turn in their conversation was needed, and it was fun to hear about Scotland and his school, about the fact that there were other schools, and that witches and wizards were blending in. Had she met other’s that were magical without knowing? She had to believe everyone Edgar had ever introduced her to was magical, but that list was fairly limited to the twins and their sister Molly. There was so much more that she wanted to know, to learn. She was eager to dive into their laws, to find any loophole possible to allow the “muggles” close to her to know what she knew. Maybe this magical world didn’t belong to her, and she was sure that witches and wizards had valid reasons for remaining secret. But there were people in her life that deserved the truth just as much as she did. “Well then, tomorrow I guess it’s off to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts,” she answered him with a grin, sitting up so she could look at him. “But for now, how about dinner?”