Wiedman Cottage
Just after 3:00 pm

Some places felt more like home than other places, it was a strange fact of growing up that Dolly had found over the years. No place felt so much like home as the Wiedman cottage as she made her way up the winding path toward the front door. She was there to go over last minute details with Dazmond and Dianora, have a spot of tea "catch up" as it were... of course if that was really the reason she was going she'd have had Molly in tow and they would be discussing what changes needed to made to seating arrangements for the banquet and various other small nit picky details Dolly fussed over in the days leading to a bit event - even if she wasn't the one planning it. There was some slight panic in her stomach over the fact she still hadn't chosen wardrobe for the weekend but more so there was panic over what she'd really come to talk to Daz and her mother about.

Post-October fight coupled with his behavior on Halloween night...oh she couldn't even let herself think about it! It would be bad enough to have to sit down and say the words to the woman who was like a mother to her and the closest thing she'd ever had to a sister. Smoothing the silk of her dress she removed a matching glove and rang the bell before simply letting herself in. This was home after all, more of a home than she'd ever had with her own parents or family. It was even more of a home than her penthouse. It was warm and inviting, familiar smells of flower and herbs settling her stomach a little bit as she closed the door with her heel was stripping off her other glove and removing her hat, "Dazums, Norini, I'm here". Her voice seemed to echo back at her, she couldn't even spot the bloody little house elf that had been with the family for as long as Dolly could remember.

Sighing she placed her hat upon a nearby rack and stabbed it none to gently with the pink that had formerly held it in her hair. She could do this. She was brave, nothing scared her except spiders in the attic. Cameron Rosier was a perfectly suitable man to date, to be with. She was going to take it seriously this time because he was a man of position in their world, he came from good stock. She was starting to sound like her mother in her own head. The point was, she liked Cameron. They were happy together, she thought they were happy together at least. He seemed to be happy with her, and she'd stopped seeing other people. She could spend the rest of her life waiting for Dominik or she could pull herself together and try her hand a proper grown up relationship without letting his needs dictate everything. If Elliot were speaking to her... but he wasn't. He didn't want to help her finished the book so that was that.

Now she just had to tell two of the three women who had been convinced - probably since her birth - that she wasn't going to wait around for Dominik. She worried only because she and Daz were barely back to speaking terms after everything last spring. She didn't want to lose the closest thing she'd had to a real family, the people who had loved her when she was least lovable. Of course that idea in and of itself should have told her that this wouldn't change that - but the mind was a funny thing when it convinced itself of impending doom. The other problem was, of course, she didn't want them thinking she was doing this to hurt Dom or make him jealous. For maybe the second or third time in her life a choice she was making at nothing to do with Dominik Bloody Wiedman. Chewing her bottom lip she poked through the various sitting rooms calling to the other two women, "Salazar's knickers, you both know I'm terrible at hide and seek"!

Out in the veranda, the two women[1] sat smoking their cigarettes.  Dazmond sat hunched against the knobby wooden table looking intently across at her mother.  Dianora was staring thoughtfully at the potted puffapods, a vacant expression in her dark eyes.

"Mum," Daz interjected into the silence finally, as though she'd been waiting on pins and needles.  "Did you even hear me?"  Dianora shook her head as she exhaled, turned her head and looked Dazmond calmly in the eyes.  Then, contradicting herself she said, "Of course I heard you, Dazmond."  The elder woman sucked in a slow breath, and sighed.

"I'm just saying," continued Daz tentatively, "If they don't, then it ought to be all right with us, with you.  That same acceptance."

Daz took a draw from her cigarette and squinted at her mum, again left waiting for some form of acknowledgement.  It would certainly make her life easier if, for this one week-end, any outcome would be cause for acknowledgement and a measure of respect; mere civility was all she asked for.  As much as Dianora wanted Dominik to sweep Dolly off her feet into holy matrimony by the end of Sunday, Dazmond knew by now to expect different results.  She'd tried to reason with her by raising her own issues, pointing out how vital the flexibility to choose had been for her, but.  It was different.  Somehow, this was a pairing that Dianora had always been heavily invested in.  She seemed to take it hard that Dolly was turning 27 and was still not married to her little boy, Dominik.

"You know what I should have done is have them betrothed twenty-seven years ago," said Dianora with a marginally amused but petulant grimace.  The bell rang, and they both out of habit started sucking down the last dregs of their cigarettes in a hurry, stubbing them out in the glass ashtray side by side.  "Then I might have little grand-babies by now.  Not calling you lazy love, but you can't leave me waiting much longer.  I need to be able to walk when I'm teaching them the ways of the world over your shoulder."

She pressed a firm kiss against the side of Dazmond's head as she hugged her, showing affection despite her lack of willingness to budge just yet out of the two dumb love-birds' ways.  She left the veranda with Daz following shortly behind her and walked past the stairs and toward the kitchen where she spotted Dolly in the hall.  Holding out both arms, she grinned at the Witch.  "Hello darling," she said lovingly, wrapping her up in a big embrace before pressing a kiss to either of her cheeks. 

"Are you hungry?  Want some tea?  We should make some tea, come on, kitchen time!"

As Dianora led the way to the kitchen to put on the kettle, Daz sneaked up to smile knowingly at Dolly and wrap her in a warm and more lingering embrace, one that seemed to say it'd been too long and that she loved her, after all the treacherous and iffy waters they'd crossed together in recent times.  She was excited for the party and ready to dig into the details with some willing ears. 

"All right?" she asked.  "Ready to get into the nitty gritty details?"  She smiled slyly as her eyes locked on Dolly's, pulling back from the hug and making to move toward the kitchen.

1.	Polyvore Set

There was nothing quite like a hug from Dianora Wiedman. She was a woman of strength and stature, of nobility and grace, the fragrance of her perfume mingled with the after smoke of a recently handled cigarette mad Dolly feel more at home (if not more at ease with the task before her). She lingered a little longer in the elder woman's arms that she might have normally - if this was going to be the last hug she ever received from the woman she wanted it to be a good, long, memorable one. "Tea, yes, that would be lovely," she tried to tie on a cheery smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes as Di headed toward the kitchen to play hostess.

She caught Daz around the middle, trying to keep her voice low from the witch-wh0-heard-everything, as they paused in the hall, "Look, I don't know what Dominik has told you but..." she trailed off, really not wanting to relive the night of the fight. She spent as little time thinking about it and him as humanly possible. "He was drunk when he left, but I told him to leave his key and he didn't, did he give it to you"? She couldn't help the two worry lines that created her forehead. Cameron was like her in that he liked waking up in his own bed most of the time, so it wasn't ask if she'd been spending a lot of nights at home since the night before Halloween.

It was just... there was this fear every time she opened the door that there would be Dominik, waiting for her, waiting to tell her how everything was her fault. She couldn't take another fight like the one they'd had that night. She assumed he didn't remember because he hadn't returned his key or given her much acknowledgment at all. She wasn't particularly happy that Cameron had managed to clean up the mess from Halloween as well as he had - yet again keeping Dominik from having to deal with any actual repercussions of his actions... but that was his work life and it had nothing to do with her. If it was anyone but Dom she'd have hardly paid any attention.

Of course the look on Dazmond's face told her she had little to no idea what in Merlin's name Dolly was talking about. This did not bode well for the conversation she was planning on having with the two of them about Rosier and how seriously she was taking this budding relationship. Yes, he was older than her - but maybe that's what she needed. Most of her seriously relationships had been with men a good five to ten years older than she was. In Rosier's case it was twenty, but that just meant he knew what he wanted didn't it? Thus far only the only thing that seemed to annoy him was the constant speculation about the state of their relationship-date-thing.

He was not a fan of the gossip rags or Witch Weekly, but she had explained to him that was the part of the package. He could deal with it or he could not but it wasn't something she really had control over anymore. Now where was all this speculation about her birthday and ugh. She rubbed her temples leaning in to Daz as they made their way into the kitchen. She could do this, it was just going to be hard. She thought it might hurt Dianora more than it actually still hurt her. She'd had a long time to process Dominik not wanting to be the right Wizard for her. His mother seemed to think he just needed more time. The fact was he was with Thursby and Dolly was done. It was sad but the truth of it had become a necessary evil to deal with.

Dazmond held her mouth open at the scandal of it all as she looked toward the kitchens after her mother and then to the floor in front of her and Dolly, still half-wrapped around the other Witch. 

Dominik had mentioned his mishap at Dolly's last month; it had been, as far as she knew, their first and last interaction for several moons.  Yet he hadn't said a word about her asking for her key back.  That seemed quite serious.  Perhaps quite a deal more serious than Dominik had suggested.

"He hasn't done," she said, looking to Dolly with a fair amount of concern in her eyes.  Snapping out of her own somewhat selfishly based reaction, she switched into eager friend mode, still trying to make up for nearly ruining their relationship last Spring.  "I'm sorry love," she said.  "Did you want me to try to get it back from him?"  Markedly more upbeat, she lightly squeezed the other Witch from the side as they went further towards the kitchen, their pace slow enough still to still prevent their coming up on Dianora.  Yet, Dianora still managed to hear Dazmond's last words as they crossed the threshold into the kitchen. 

"What's that?" called the Witch as she threw open cabinets and took flight around the length of the kitchen, quickly assembling the loose tea in the pot, setting out the cream, the sugar, and the saucers, and boiling the tea.  She hurried the steeping as she looked over at the two young Witches entering her kitchen.

"Get what back from who?" she asked nosily.  Her wand held to the side of the tea pot until the water reached the desired colouring, Dianora perked to attention in the light of their hidden conversation.  Hidden knowledge was not acceptable; she had to know everything.  What was said in the Wiedman cottage would forever stay within the confines of its walls, but any information exchange occurring under her roof would inevitably be known by Dianora Wiedman.  It was the way of the world.

Dazmond let herself loose from Dolly, casting a sideways glance at the Witch.  That was her territory, she supposed.  However little or however much she wanted to share would be her choice.  It wasn't as if Dazmond knew enough to do anything but gush out that Dom had her key and wasn't supposed to any more.  Which, granted, was pretty juicy gossip.  Every one knew Dominik had always kept a key to Dolly's apartment.  It was one of the things Dianora liked to point out when they were having their secret match-maker's conversations.  Instead of involving herself, however, Dazmond pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and sat cross-legged, observing as she readied the saucers and poured the tea.

Dianora tucked her wand into her apron and ushered Dolly to sit down. 

Merlin he was a bastard. He was probably holding the key hostage so she had to talk to him and he could tell her how wretched she was and how happy Niobe made him. She was having seriously second thoughts about telling them about Cameron now. Obviously Dominik wasn't being honest with them about the state of their so-called friendship. Why did she have to be the bad guy? Why did she have to be the one to tell them? Was it because it was more over for her than it was for him? Did he not see there was no saving grace, that the wounds went too deep and she was tired of her heart hurting so much. He didn't understand the years she had spent living half alive, living as the other woman. There may have been men in her life but what he had never understood was none of them, not even Elliot, had had a strong enough hold on her to make her turn him away when he needed her. She had ruined so many things loving him...

She looked down at the kitchen floor and Dianora placed a hand on the small of her back and walked her to a nearby chair. It sparked a memory of the very first time she'd ever had a problem and her Norini had listened carefully. She couldn't have been more than five or six...and sitting in this very kitchen she had said, as easily as some other child might say they wanted jam on their toast, that her parents didn't love her because she wasn't a boy. She could only remember snapshots of the conversation, the pained look at Dianora's face as she wrapped an arm around little tiny Dolly, with her mop of black curls and crumbs on her chin, the way that every opportunity after that the elder witch told her how gloriously marvelous she was. And now? Now she had to tell her that this secret unspoken pact between them, the idea that she would live for and love Dominik had to stop... it was physically painful as she primly took her seat and tried to find the words that just wouldn't come to her.

"My key," her voice was faint, pained, so she cleared her throat and tried again, "Dominik still has my key. I need it back. After our fight last month he made it very clear that he's quite happy with Niobe and I just... it seems extremely inappropriate given his behavior that night that he kept it after I asked for it back". It sounded so cold and clinical to her, even as the words left her lips. She wanted to take them back because there would be questions, questions she couldn't answer for them. Brushing her hair away from her face she chewed on the inside of her cheek, blue eyes finally settling on Di, "I love you Nor, more than I love my own mother, same for Alec and Daz but I just...I can't do this anymore. I can't live with just the left over pieces of him. I've given absolutely everything I could, I'm not even twenty-seven yet and I feel all used up". She had to stop, her voice literally couldn't go on. She clenched and unclenched her fingers a few times trying to regain some sense of composure.

"He made his choice, he's doing whatever it is with Niobe now. He thinks he's going to marry her or some shite. It doesn't matter. After that night I took serious stock of my life, and I deserve more than drunken three AM house calls. I've been seeing Cameron Rosier since Halloween. I know he isn't who either of you would have chosen for me... but it's simple. Nothing is complicated with Cam; he works, I work, we're happy enough together...and I know this will be hard for you. I've had a long while to adjust to the idea that Dominik doesn't love me in the way I need or deserve him to. The fact he could really be with someone else and talking about marriage proves that. Halloween was the final straw," again she had to stop. Her blue eyes unable to hold Dianora's gaze, fell instead to her manicure, "I would very much appreciate if for the three days he is here with me you made Cameron feel welcome. He's really very good to me...and that should make you happy shouldn't it"?

Dianora made a conscious effort to not look surprised, alarmed, or disapproving as Dolly revealed that she had demanded her key back.  Dazmond poured the tea, bringing her eyes up to gaze curiously over at her mother with the solid mask of caring that would not reveal the depths of injury beneath.  Then, as if to increase the strain upon their mask of serenity, the name Niobe was spoken into the air... not once but twice, and attached to the 'M'  word, at that. 

Everyone knew the old adage that a Witch's power was stored inside her name and could be unleashed by the speaking of it.  Niobe had been such a mysterious, strange presence in their secret conversations recently that they had grown super sensitive to those five letters that made out her name and that, to them, spelled out the essence of scandalous trouble.  They had hardly ever spoken her name out of fear of The Principle but had always easily known to whom they were referring.  Hence, Dolly shooting off her name twice and saying Marriage casual as could be came as a shock to the family system.  It even seemed to solidify what Dolly was already implying:  that she was done with Dominik and Dominik should be done with her.

Dazmond stirred their teas a little faster with her little teaspoon before pushing the cups and saucers toward Dianora and Dolly; picking up her cup with both hands wrapped around it, she brought it in front of her heart like a shield.  Her mum seemed stuck in her facade of being Okay With This, and for an extended time didn't actually move at all.  She stood slightly hunched over Dolly in a nurturing posture, hand lightly resting on Dolly's shoulder, smile tight and gaze... a little too steady. 

Talking of... marriage? was obviously all that the mothering Witch could gather at the moment.  Slowly, she straightened herself and took up a chair at the head of the kitchen table.  She took her tea and blew on it pensively before allowing anything to issue forth.  If she hadn't contained herself this way she would have likely gone into a hysterical sort of gushing frenzy.  She knew better than to play to her emotions in this.  It had been too long building to have been of any use.

"Well of course we are happy for you," said Dianora finally.  "Dolly, dear... there are some things in life that are unsure and unfair, though you must know that there are others that will never falter, and your place in this house is one of those things.  You'll always be my little girl and we will always love you, even given that our little boy is a rotten scoundrel towards his obligations!"  She said this lightly and, somehow, quite lovingly toward both Dominik and Dolores.  She loved both of them.  She wasn't really ready to imagine they wouldn't somehow persevere together, but she could hold space for where Dolly was at this moment.

"So, you are seeing Cameron Rosier, then?  We'll have to do our best to make him feel welcome," she looked pointedly at Dazmond as though to say Let It Be Done.  "You're not also thinking of marriage, are you?" asked mum, pressing the edge of the porcelain cup to her lips and raising her eyebrows, pointedly disguising her nosiness with care and surface acceptance.  There was an elephant in the room as, even though he was very fine stock, he'd been married a handful of times, hadn't he?  None of those had been particularly... successful.  Selfishly Dianora imagined both parties finally coming to their senses after they'd both married and divorced?  She hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Dolly couldn't help but brace for impact; though she should have known it would be a soft landing. Logically she knew Dom and Nora well enough to know his mother had no idea just how large a part the Prophet harpy was playing in his life at the moment. She also knew that he wouldn't have told them the hateful things he'd said to her the night of their fight - if he'd told them anything at all. She didn't want either Witch to think that this was a choice that had come easily for her. It had been building for almost a year now. If she were honest with herself it had been a long time coming, much longer than she wanted to admit, but in this last year so much had happened. Nearly dying, losing Tabitha, his being with Niobe, the too late confession of love but with no promise of commitment... some part of her had been waiting with baited breath for the moment he would be free of his contract, free to make his own choices. He had chosen to continue on the same path he'd been on the last decade and she was too tired.

Dolly shot a look to Dazmond, her bottom lip caught between her teeth, expression guilty as though she'd let her friend down again. She knew they would always love her but... things hadn't been right between the lot of them for quite some time. Still she gave just a small nod of her head as Dianora made the decree, sipping from her teacup carefully. She really wished it were spiked with something. She was drinking more than usual again, but had chalked it up to the time of year and the fact twenty-seven was looming before her like a death sentence. There was something about that number, that age, it was a terribly uncomfortable shift for her. She was almost relieved when the topic switched to Cameron and she had something concrete to say. "A couple of weeks now I guess. He was my last minute date to Darian's Halloween party. We had a lovely time and then, well..." her voice sort of trailed off as she offered up a shrug. She still wasn't happy with him for keeping Dom out of all the trouble he should have been in - but explaining all the reasons why still felt too intimate so she kept her mouth shut.

She almost choked when the elder witch brought up her current ideas on marriage. No, she was not thinking of marrying Rosier. True enough he was a very handsome man, he was well off, and while they were rather enjoying their little foray into the possibility of couple-dom... Dolly knew what she was getting with Cam. He was a workaholic, he would never love anything so much as he loved his job. It was easy, it was safe, her heart wasn't at risk with him. He hated the tabloids, the speculation, but he seemed to enjoy her enough to overlook all that for now. "No, no marriage in the foreseeable future - lest Darian and I happen to be terribly drunk and there is a Vicar about with looser morals and ideals of marriage than even we've got," she tried to sound vaguely amused but it was sadly true. Well, not sadly because Dolly didn't think she needed to be married to be happy. It was just a bit hard to give the final shove off to all the dreams she'd cultivated as a little girl in this very cottage.

Looking up at her companions Dolly sighed, "I am sorry it's come down to this. I'm sorry that I had to be the one to tell you; I just can't anymore. I feel as though I've let both of you down," she simply shook her head, fiddling with the Onyx ring around her middle finger, "I did try you know. I gave him back the generation ring - when talks first started up about his new contract. I tried to plant the idea of what the future could hold, that it didn't have to be bleak suffering forever, that the seven generations didn't have to end, merely be reborn," she was chewing her lip as she stared down in her tea, "I just can't wait in the wings anymore, my bed can't be where he shows up at three in the morning when he's had too much to drink... not when he's telling someone else he loves them, running around getting arrested". She stopped herself, she didn't need to tell either of them what Dom had been up to. Letting out a long sigh she slowly raised blue eyes, "if he hasn't realized what's right in front of him by now... he never will and I deserve someone who wants more from me than just reassurance nothing is ever his fault," she hated saying it out loud, it made it feel more true.

Like the true friend she hoped herself to be, Daz let her eyes lock on Dolly's as the Witch shot her a look.  She received it as gracefully as she could, conveying that her sense of understanding outweighed her desire to play match-maker.  They'd all been doing it so long - assuming that Dolly and Dom would end up together... and when it stretched itself out the end of that old, tired sentence just became an 'eventually'. 

But Daz could understand where Dolly was coming from.  She herself was so impatient she couldn't even imagine hanging in the wing as long as her friend had.  It was a lot sooner before Dom started showing feelings toward Dolly that Dolly had started expressing feelings toward Dom, and her punk brother had gone from childish promiscuity to selective obfuscation to delayed and, quite honestly insufficient, declarations of love that he had no idea how to fulfill.  She knew him and was tighter than blood with the bloke, but Daz could see the forest for the trees.  It wasn't working, and Dolly deserved better than the macabre sort of romance she had going with her big brother.

Obviously Dianora had first grabs at reactions, since she was heavily more invested in these match-making endeavors than was even-footed Dazmond, always caught in the middle of the odd tryst.  She watched her mum with careful eyes, setting her tea back on her tray as talk of marriage settled.  It was just like mum to ask after marriage as soon as someone declared they were 'with' another.  Honestly sometimes marriage seemed to be the most predominant issue on her dear mother's overly-maternal mind.   Her relative lack of interest over whether she was going to marry Nathan, coupled with the sheer amount of times he made the point to ask her, probably played a part in her decision to finally say yes to becoming Witch and Wedded Beloved. 

Her eyes actually glazed over and she missed half the conversation as she sat there with her head rested on her hand, elbow teetering on the edge of the kitchen table, remembering.  She blinked heavily and returned to her mum and best mate, weak smile lit as she turned to Dolly beside her and wrapped her limber arms around the Witch's shoulders delicately, unsure her embrace was welcome. 

"You really needn't worry about us on top of everything else," she said, shooting a look at Dianora over her own shoulder as she rested her left cheek easily on Dolly's right side, soft skin against gracefully angled collar bone.  She pressed her eyes shut as she momentarily tightened her hold on Dolly, pouring into it her feeling of adoration for what they possessed, for what they had to preserve.  It was all she could do.  It had been a wild ride this past year, nothing was certain anymore, but she still believed they could rely on each other.  They had to.  Two pureblooded Witches who shared their youth - how could they not hold strong?  They both needed each other's friendship now more than ever, and now was also when it was feeling most strenuous to contain it.

"We know Dominik and his fumbling ways, that he's sick, and we know you too and the limits of your big heart; of course we can respect where you are and try to support you in any way you need, Dolls.  That's what we're here for.  Not for holding out on hopes you've been painfully forced to give up on.  And I know, it's sanity you're protecting.  Merlin bless you for it, too; knowing how to take care of yourself like a strong, independent Witch.  Right mum?"

She had pulled back and sat down again in her own seat, no longer draped over Dolly like a fur coat.  She looked expectantly toward her mother, who needed no such reminder to be polite and maternal when told her son's betrothed was to be trotting off to other suitors, or at least trotting off his waiting list.  She was, as ever, stoic and overly patient with herself.  After what seemed like forever since the last she had spoken, Dianora spoke with the most charming and reassuring tone imaginable. 

"Of course," she said, "You really needn't worry over our silly faces, darling.  We'll always be here by your side as long as you'd suffer us."  She had to secretly think to herself, so would her baby Dominik.  But Daz rang true, and now it was as plain as ever - her baby boy was sick.  After a moment of thought, Dianora said this:  "Dolly dear, you know better than any one the terrible extent of Dominik's... sort of traumatic feelings.  It may be a long while yet before he realizes a way to be in the world that isn't so self-destructive, and I can't imagine expecting you to wait.  I am so sorry on our family's account, what our past mistakes have meant for your past and present.  We always just want the best for you, baby.  You deserve better than what my boy has been offering.  Just please don't think you have to do away with us as well.  You're part of our family, Dolores."

The Spring and Summer had been hardest on her friendship with Dazmond, she had found herself pulling away from the Wiedman clan entirely, unable to watch her best friends do...the things they had been doing with their lives. She spoiled Livi terribly, yes, but that was because her elder siblings were off in their own little world. With the onslaught of Fall and Liv returning to Hogwarts her contact with all of them had been minimal... but she knew that Dazmond was trying now. Having now told them even the barest touches of truth, of why she needed to move on, there was a strange sort of comfort in the other Witch's rush to physically hold her. She leaned into the embrace, wishing that some part of her life could have remained untouched by all the changes she needed to make - that Dazmond hadn't broken her trust all those months ago. It was such a rare and difficult thing for the author to give.

As she opened her eyes she watched Dianora carefully, she was taking this too well. If Dolly had been anyone else she would have just been grateful but the fact was she knew how invested the Wiedman Matriarch was in this match, in the idea that Dolly would be the one to save her baby boy's soul. All these years of hope pinning on Dolly's ability to love someone who made themselves so unlovable. Even when Dolly had been engaged to Elliot... well it wasn't as though Nora took it seriously. Fairly, looking back, she had a point, since the two obviously were wed and he wanted nothing to do with her now. She had been supportive, of course, when it all came crashing down and Eli left... just as she was being supportive now. The problem with having been practically raised by the witch sitting across from her was she knew all the little tricks, all the games Mama Wiedman could play.

She would have to watch her drinks over the weekend, lest someone get clever with potions... but she would take it at face value for now. She gave a slight sniff, taking a deep breath before exhaling slowly, "Well now that that is out of the way. I have a little thank you gift or two. If Livi has kept her promise then you know absolutely nothing about it, and if she's spoiled my surprise I'm taking back all her Christmas presents," her grin was rather rueful as Bonkzie chose that moment to come in carrying an armful of parcels; two large rectangular boxes and one smaller stacked atop one another to be exact. "Now lets see, Dazzy, these are yours - I know we agreed when we were twenty I would stop trying to dress you but I saw these and the whole thing just called to Dazmond to me," she sounded almost breezy as she set the top two boxes in front of her friend, and the other in front of Dianora waiting for them to explore the contents[1].

1.	Daz boxes contain this and this Dianora's package contains this

As Dianora considered it, she found it all a bit sad.  They'd been to this place before, a dozen times in the past, where Dolores was set on bettering her life and not feeling down and out because of Dominik.  This only felt a smidgen more decisive than the other times when she had expressed this same feeling of helplessness and final surrender.  Granted, they weren't getting any younger.  There had always been a nebulous quality around this romance that seemed set on never coming into full bloom.  No one was ever really sure what the problem was.  Though, apparently, the barrier was thick enough to send both parties chasing after secondary dates. 

Dianora had manners and maternal inclinations enough to not deny Dolly what she was asking for in that moment - which was acceptance.  She wanted to know that she would be loved unconditionally, and that she belonged to this family through more avenues than just Dominik.  Mother Wiedman would certainly honour that, and be a comforting and supportive presence for Dolly no matter what horrible plans she was suggesting, such as the plan of going steady with Cameron Rosier.  Though that didn't mean that she believed those plans would actually work.  Stubborn and hot-headed as the Witch was, she would definitely continue believing in the possibility of her own favourite version of the future manifesting - one which involved Dolly and Dominik holding hands and laughing at themselves for how lost they once were.

Besides, mused Dianora, Why make such a fuss over seeing someone if marriage isn't already implied?  And Cameron Rosier is not at all a fit husband, with all those failed marriages.  She thinks she's going to get a fine, pureblooded business man, well I better find out why each of his wives has left him before this goes too far....  Dianora raised the end of a very slender eyebrow, wearing that regal look she often wore that seemed to say she was privy to something that no one else knew. 

She watched her own daughter and her favourite St. James daughter share a moment, and her own heart softened for a moment.  Seeing that urgency in Dazmond was unnerving though, and Dianora noted a sudden feeling of heartbreak penetrate her and then rattle outward from the center of her chest.  The feeling dissipated, and the moment was quickly shifted into the next. 

"You shouldn't have," Dazmond was saying, and Bonkzie was standing there holding the boxes to his chest with a dopey expression on his wide face.  Dolly went and gave the boxes to their proper owners and, while her darling Dazzie went straight toward ripping hers open, Dianora took a second and waved her arm at the elf.  "No no no, Bonkzie you go get Dolly one of her presents to open early.  You're the birthday girl, Dolly.  But what'd you get me?"  She started undoing the ribbon on the box just as Dazmond jumped up with a bright squeak.

"It's beautiful!" she gushed, holding the garment up against the light with both hands.  The black laced victorian dress was done in a short-cut and modern style; it was to die for.  "Oh Dolly, I love it!"  Dazmond put it down on the box and rushed to kiss Dolly's cheek in a fit of girlish glee.  Dianora couldn't suppress a wry smile as she watched them; her eyes shining with fondness at them.  Her hand closed on the cool silk of a long, gray robe and she gasped as she too stood out of her seat and stepped back to hold up a beautifully draping dress with a V-neck, a long skirt, billowy kimono sleeves, and a lovely black ribbon tied in front of the waist.

"Dolores," said Dianora with an air of conspiracy in her voice.  "This is an outfit for the Queen Bee.  Thank you!!  What did you get, munchkin," she said, looking to Daz.  "Open the other!  Oh there you are, Bonks, okay, Dolly open up this present early.  Here you are," she said, handing a box[1] to Dolly from the more or less passive house elf, who stood there, holding it out in front of him.     

1.

Choices!

Presents were good and distracting but Dolly couldn't help but feel the whole thing had gone far too easily. Normally there was some discussion at length about what had brought this about, Dom was defended or excused and eventually Dolly would come back around to seeing the "rightness" of their being together. The problem for her now was that emotionally he belonged to someone else. No, his relationship with Niobe had never been healthy but Dolly didn't know that he was capable of having a healthy anything at this point. His lifestyle didn't allow for it. She had needed something from him all those months ago, something that she would never be able to make anyone understand. She knew she could have bossed him into a corner, forced him to make choices - the choices she wanted... but she needed him to choose her because he wanted her, because he finally realized life just wasn't the same without her in it.

She didn't want to be wanted because she told him that's what he should do, because he felt honor bound, because it's what his mother and sister wanted for him. She wanted him to want the whole package, the flaws and all. When push came to shove he had gone with the familiar path and now she was trying to make a real change. She wished she'd insisted on having the whole thing in London, renting out Calavera's for one night. What was so special about twenty-seven that she needed a three day celebration? In the past it was just easier, especially when her birthday fell on a weekend, to stay at the cottage because they'd have all been to wasted to move and it was a safe place. She didn't plan on drinking that much over the next few days, least of all anything Dianora or Dazmond managed to cook up. She'd need an official secret food and beverage taster at this rate. Nora was far too calm.

Of course her worried thoughts were broken into by the sound of Dazmond squealing and the feel of the other witch wrapping her slender arms around Dolly's shoulders. She smiled bright and gave a nonchalant shrug, "Livi and I found it while we were traveling. I'm so glad you like it, I just couldn't leave it hanging in that little shop when I knew it'd look so lovely on you," she smiled at her old friend - genuinely trying to recapture the feelings she used to have toward the dark haired woman. It was easy with the giggling and the gift giving, the planning the way they had so many previous years. If she didn't think about April, if she didn't think beyond the moment they were in she could feel it and the hurt faded into the background. It was even easier as Nora seemed so pleased with her gift and Dolly felt the warm fuzzy feeling of making people happy tickle up from her toes to the top of her head.

It wasn't until Bonks was right next to her, holding out a neatly wrapped package, fairly small in size that she stopped to consider just what Dianora was going to spoil her with this year. It was always lavish and lovely, something far more thoughtful and in tune with her style than her own mother could ever be. It amazed her sometimes that the two of them had ever been such good friends, remained such good friends when they were so vastly different from one another. It gave her a strange sort of hope that she and Dazmond could overcome whatever differences they had experienced in recent months. "You're such a little Darling Bonkzie," she grinned down at the creature and affectionately touched it's shoulder before taking the package and carefully undoing the wrapping. It was a ring box, her blue eyes glanced at Nora for a moment before she gave a breathless gasp, "Oh, Nora,it's beautiful".

"It isn't just beautiful but it's also very special," said Dianora, coming over to stand quite close to her.  Looking down at the silver ring, she smiled.  It was long and slender, decorated with small crystals and the shapes of scrolls, with a heart fitted in the center.  "From godmother to godmother," she continued, eyeing Dolly.  "It's been passed down.  This will be its fourth generation, and Liviana - when you choose to give it to her - will be its fifth.  Traditionally its given to the godmother when the child becomes a woman... while I'm not ready to admit that I have a young woman living under my roof who will soon be unleashed upon the world in her full glory, I figure... you're ready for it.  It's hard enough to admit you're already all grown up, Dolly."  She laughed at herself. 

Daz, during her mother's explanation of the gift which seemed to be official Godmother Business, dashed off upstairs to try on her new dress and shoes.  Dianora pulled her chair around and sat down nearer Dolly.

"More to come as we get into the weekend!  Which reminds me, I need to know what special requests you have.  I know your favourites but I'm relying heavily on my ability to spoil you rotten this weekend and I need your help!  Especially if I'm not allowed to smoosh you and my boy together."