「 tagging @adoraisms for a semi-plotted starter. 」
the only thing grandiose about ansem warbeck’s apartment was the king sized bed he was stretched out in. magically enlarged to make it both longer and wider, three people could easily stretch out across it if they so wished. it gave him plenty of room to wiggle his arms and legs as if he were the giant squid, thrashing about in the throes of the ocean. with charms cast to make it softer and warmer than your average bed, it was with great difficulty that he peeled himself from its depths and went about dressing for the day. given that it was near midday, sun streamed in through the paned windows of his kitchen,bathing the nook in warm sunlight. a flick of his wand turned up the wireless, the weird sisters’ “do the hippogriff” blasting throughout the house. this was his favorite part of the morning; padding around barefoot, hair a mess, sipping tea as he stared out the window. his neighbors had three small children, two of which were currently chasing each other around. the taller of the two was holding what looked like a stuffed dragon, while the other was waving around a toy wand. as the wand waved, flowers sprung from its tip and both children laughed. he smiled, looking away from them as he placed his empty mug in the sink. it reminded him of his own childhood — or at least, the good parts of it. a scrap of parchment on the table caught his eye, reaching for it instinctively. he smiled at the scrawled out address, written in perfect cursive. he’d meant to burn the parchment but he wasn’t all that convinced he’d REMEMBER the address without it.
after the attacks at the glitzy cauldron, the de la feuentes had insisted that adora move to a more secure location. after all, the people responsible ? they were still out there. no one knew who they were, how they’d evaded capture, or what their next move was. given the de la fuentes influence in wizarding politics, both local and internationally, ensuring their daughter’s safety was of the utmost importance. ansem had readily agreed. the new manor home that adora lived in was largely smaller than the de la fuente estate in spain, yet still easily capable of housing ansem’s entire apartment tenfold within its walls. he could easily find himself lost in the halls, calling out his girlfriend’s name in hopes of finding his way back to the sitting room. he’d once tried to use the point me spell earning a slew of giggles and a fond eye-roll when he finally proved successful. tucking the scrap of paper in his pocket, ansem buttoned his cloak and apparated away.
though the journey to adora’s manor home wasn’t a long one, there was a brief walk from the apparation point to the entrance that couldn’t be traveled anyway other than by foot. it was a safety precaution, one that ansem considered reasonable - all things considered. as he walked, he thought about the last few months – how so much had changed in his life – so much so that he was constantly WAITING for the other shoe to drop. he wasn’t known for being this happy … usually something – or someone – was waiting in the wings to crush whatever heaping of it he possessed. though, he supposed, perhaps the only person damaging his happiness was himself. you see, as good as things were, there had been a few … hiccups. shortly after the first time he’d taken adora out on a proper date, his nerves had left him so shaky that he’d simply kissed her on the cheek at the end of the night. the opportunity had presented itself to kiss her properly, like he’d imagined so many times over the years, but he’d lost his nerve and settled on the safe bet. it had happened again some weeks later, in the middle of a row. she’d been red faced and shouting, cross with him. it had completely slipped his mind until he’d arrived that he’d mentioned possibly going to the cauldron sale, a reality that hadn’t come to pass because he’d overslept. while he’d been slumbering at home, she’d been worried that he was half dead somewhere – the recipient of a deadly spell aimed his way. he’d tried to make a joke, stating that he’d slept like the dead, but her expression had suggested that it was NOT the time. when he’d tried to kiss her mid-shout, his lips had simply grazed the corner of her mouth – missing the target completely !! she’d looked at him with such confusion in that moment, he’d refrained from trying again. now, weeks later, he was starting to think that the perfect moment might not exist.
a pop distracted ansem from his spiraling thoughts. he must have walked straight through the wards. he was one of the few people who could pass through them without the aid of the de la fuente house elf, yet another security precaution implemented by his girlfriend’s parents. one of many, it seemed, given the addition of her most recent house guest. while it was claimed that she was staying for additional protection, given everything that had happened, if you asked him ? well, he thought it also might have been to discourage overnight visits. though they were expressly discouraged in the agreement he’d signed, he wouldn’t have put it past the de la fuentes to make it near impossible to sneak anything by them. not, he rationalized, that they would have DARED try. he knew how fortunate they were that fernando and maria had even agreed to let him court their only daughter; he wasn’t exactly what they’d had in mind. upon entering the grounds, the fall foliage complimented the manor home; the grounds elegantly reflecting the season around them. he took the stairs two at a time, knocking once and entering through the main set of doors. it was all a bit grandiose for his taste, but he’d gotten used to it over the years. what he wasn’t used to was the red smoke heart that encircled him every time he entered. it engulfed him in the spell of adora’s luxury perfume, announcing his arrival with its mere presence.
ironically enough, this was only his second visit to the manor home adora now lived in. they’d seen more of each other before they started courting, the signed agreement stipulating that some of the things they’d once done as friends were now considered unacceptable for two people who were romantically involved. their travel would be done separately now and between his work trips, and her own bite of the wanderlust bug, they were often in different cities or even countries during their downtime. he hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed her until she swept into view, trademark blue locks tumbling around her shoulders as he beamed up at her. “ honey, i’m home. “ he teased, as the doors shut behind him.
adora wasn’t used to being patient. everything she could ever possibly desire had been handed to her on a golden platter, as soon as the thought materialized in her pretty little head. however, from the moment she’d met ansem as a mere baby, to the day she’d realized almost two decades later that she possessed feelings that were akin to something more than friendship for the wizard, she had to practice the art. one that was most unfamiliar to her.
from early june, realizing that it’d be inappropriate to allow him to kiss her without her parents approval; to early july, getting permission for him to court her; in early august, when they’d both returned from their separate globetrotting adventures. he, for work, and she, for pleasure. them going on their first proper date and attempting to assimilate the wizard, and witch, they knew before, and who they were to be to each other now...
well, adora could wait. she could be patient.
the bluenette could practice this art in september, along with her magical theatrical studies, when ansem failed to not only let her know he was alive after the attacks, but to also make her feel alive. with a kiss, just like in the fairytales she so loved to read. in october, she found herself thinking about kisses even more. at the wizarding academy of dramatic arts, for public production preparation 101, she had to go after the most prized roles. a lot of them involved immersing herself in roles involving romance. she dodged practicing certain scenes with a grace only adora de la fuente could possess. it felt wrong to kiss someone else before she’d kissed the person she really wanted to, even if it was just make believe.
of course, this wasn’t the only thing on her mind. adora dulce estela hasna yesenia de la fuente de garcia, spending all of her time, thinking about one topic? por favor! she was annoyed to have been switched from living in her town home in golden pine, enchanted to be much larger inside, to one of the many estates the de la fuentes owned. it was a safety precaution with the masked miscreants running amok, robbing the rich and poor. she understood, but still! annoying. in any case, her new temporary home was in the english countryside, and was named easton manor.
easton, in old english, meant “island of stones," which was exactly what would rain down on anyone who would try to enter the grounds uninvited. don’t believe it? well, it’s your death. the roof was all pale blue, with gold details. autumn had taken hostage of the gardens and the trees; red, orange, yellow. the colors were fruits for the eyes to feast on.
a member of the de garcia family, fiorella, was staying with her for the time being. it’d been her mother's idea to soothe her husband's worries, and thus, one of her many cousins from grand papi de garcia's side had promptly been chosen to watch her. the white hispanic witch stuck to adora like glue when she wasn’t in class, and it wasn’t because fernando demanded she watch out for her virtue. she was a social climber. plain. and. simple. who had the wanderlust bug much like most of her family. this was a free vacation.
that didn’t mean she didn’t take her role seriously.
“ay, adora.” fifi tutted from where she was sprawled out on adora’s enchanted hovering chaise lounge. she asked her if she was going out without her in french. she switched between spanish and french often, having attended beauxbatons. “no,” adora said, pinching her cheeks as she looked in the mirror. she caught a whiff of vanilla suddenly. ansem was near.
“ayy!” she told her fifi to make herself scarce, rolling her eyes once she was out of the room. oh, how she wished catalina was on good terms with her family. it’d be her here instead. she’d understand.
adora flipped a strand out of her doe eyes as she descended the stairs, anxious to take ansem in fully. “oh, cállate,” she teased him.
she pressed her cheek to his left. she pulled back a couple inches, her long lashes fluttering as she got drowned in a sea of blue. adora had almost forgotten how startlingly vibrant his eyes could be, though it’s not like she ever stood this close to admire them. she almost forgot to press her cheek to the other side of his face in greeting. typical customs. typical adora. yet, somehow it felt new. everything did, kisses or not.
she giggled suddenly, tearing her eyes away, which had turned ochre from a ray of sunlight peaking in from a close by window. “let us... walk?” she asked, inclining her head towards the gardens. her question was spoken in a voice soft like cashmere, at a volume that made you want to lean in to hear more, but that could’ve had more to do with the swan like beauty who’d voiced the words to begin with. adora didn’t wait for an answer. she didn’t want to give fifi a chance to shake off her laziness and traipse behind them. her cloak glittered as she swept it out with her arm, it then dragging across the floor behind her.
“i want to hear all about what i’ve missed.”
