Liadan had been busy all morning. Melanthe was coming to visit her, at her new home in Kerry Cove. With Oscar away at work for the day, she would have the house to herself and wanted to make her friend feel welcome. Since moving in she had done her best not to take over. But she had taken a few rooms for her own private use. Liadan had moved a large portion of her library into the home, redecorated a sitting room for her use and for entertaining friends, and one of the rooms near the bedroom had become her "beauty room", full of her clothes and her oversized vanity.

She had tea ready, and the curtains pulled back to let the sunshine filter in. Her sitting room[1] had been done in white, cream, and gold. It was comfortable, and while Oscar was at work she spent a lot of time in the room reading or writing letters to her family. But having a visitor would be so much better! As a married woman she seemed to have a lot of idle time on her hands. She had started going through some of the more unused parts of the house, but wasn't comfortable reorganizing or throwing things out without Oscar's input- which made any changes difficult. When he got home, Liadan didn't want to pester him with domestic things, she just wanted to curl up next to him on the sofa and hear all about his day before serving him an elaborate dinner.

Perhaps she could Melanthe's opinion on what to do with all of the clutter and the best way to go about thinning it out. Storage, most likely, but her friend would certainly have some idea of what to do.

She also had an ulterior motive, of course. Liadan was planning to try and set Melanthe up on a date. Now that she was married, it was her duty to see to it that all of her eligible friends got married as well. Surely no pureblood could be happy if they weren't settling down to have a family. That was their whole purpose in life- to reproduce!!

When she heard the bell, Liadan practically skidded into the foyer. Smoothing down her skirts she pulled open the front door and wrapped Melanthe in a tight embrace. "Melly! Darling! It's been so long! Oh I am so glad you are here! It gets so lonely when Oscar is at the ministry!"

1.	link (except without a television, obviously)

Melanthe felt bad for neglecting her social life of late, but with the return of her grandfather (unbeknownst to most of the world), she had other affairs to occupy her mind. He was demanding in his requests and harsh in his criticism and Melanthe felt that she had never worked so hard to win the praise of someone in all her life. With her father, even until his death his love and affection had never been in question. And even her mother, though she had been less forthcoming with her feelings, Melanthe was certain of the woman's love for her and her brother.

But Artur never seemed to be pleased with anything she did. Even when he was not around, she felt herself concerned about whether he would approve of some action or another. There was something in his gaze and mannerisms that was unsettling and she still did not know him well enough to know what it meant.

In addition to his constant oversight of the way the family business was being conducted, Artur had also made it known that she ought to be looking for proper suitors to be married. He railed up and down about how all of his children and all of his nieces and nephews had had impeccable marriages chosen for them as a means of furthering their status among other purebloods and the wizarding family as a whole. When Melanthe tried to assert that she had no plans on marrying for appearances alone and be bartered away, she barely got a word in edgewise. It was all very exhausting.

Thus, when Liadan had invited her to spend time at the home she now shared with Oscar, the dark witch jumped at the opportunity to leave her grandfathers demands and family affairs behind. She was excited to see how being Mrs. Whitman was suiting her good friend. And part of Melanthe was feeling a tad smug at the knowledge that she had set the two up.

When her friend threw open the door to greet her, Melanthe breathlessly returned Liadan's embrace and when she pulled back, she placed an affectionate kiss on her friend's porcelain hued cheek. Holding Liadan away from her, Melanthe exclaimed, "My dear! Marriage certainly does suit you! You are positively glowing! I am so happy for you and I feel like a terrible friend for not visiting you sooner. But I hardly wanted to impose on your new marriage. Tell me....are you blissfully happy?"

The sound of a strange voice sent Liadan and Oscar's dog into a frenzy, and the great dane puppy came bounding down the hallway at full speed, barking at his loudest volume. Liadan winced a little, and as he galloped by grabbed tightly onto his emerald green collar. Her small stature was easily tugged forward by the dog's strength, but with a loud and forceful command to sit, the dog reluctantly obeyed. His tail was wagging, thudding loudly against the floor and echoing in the large room. "My apologies, dear friend, I thought I had put Walt outside for the morning. I did not want him to jump up on you and ruin your clothes. He hasn't yet learned to keep his paws on the ground. He's a stubborn thing. I often wonder why I thought he would be the perfect gift for Oscar at Christmas."

Of course, despite her protestations, Liadan loved the dog and he was a wonderful substitute for a child until such time as she became pregnant. "And you a wonderful friend! I have felt terrible myself, not keeping touch with you or Lotte or anyone! I've just been so very busy transferring some of my things from the estate in Ireland to my new home here, deciding what to bring and what to leave. And my house elves have been very lonely without anything to do. And of course the business doesn't stop simply because I got married, and I've yet to find someone fit to take the reigns so that I might enjoya more genteel existence. Oh it's been so very busy!"

Liadan released the dog's collar and linked arms with Melanthe. "I am happy. Oh so very, very happy. Oscar is a wonderful husband, and I find that married life suits me much better than I could have ever imagined! Oh do forgive the state of things. Oz is not the best of housekeepers, naturally so, and I haven't yet had time to get everything in the house in order. What with the honey moon and then revelling in my new found life. I'm afraid I've only managed to get my hands on a few rooms. We'll be having our visit in my new sitting room. I've only recently finished redecorating it. Clearing out his family's things to make room for my own. What a daunting task it was! But the results are marvelous."

She led Melanthe through the winding halls of Kerry Cove to her little wing of the house she had taken over in the last couple of months. Liadan showed her into the sitting room, shooing the dog away when he tried to follow them in. "This is one of my favorite rooms! It overlooks the water and I put a great deal of effort in the planters outside the windows. Is not a breathtaking view? Oh to think! Me, the mistress of Kerry Cove, married to a Whitman. I would have never thought I would have such a bright future!"

Liadan gave Melanthe a playful nudge, still beaming at her. "And to think I have you to thank for all of this! And to think I was so reluctant to go out with Oscar in the first place! I remember swearing to you that I would not enjoy myself and that I would have an absolutely dreadful time on purpose. Oh it is so funny that things ended up this way!"

Melanthe was not afraid or worried about large dogs, but she was grateful that Lia did her part to keep the overgrown puppy under control. Seeing how well he obeyed and how happy he seemed to have company, making him eager for affection, Melanthe obliged and reached out to pet the top of his massive but majestic head. Then she gave him a more affectionate scratch behind the ears before running her hand over the velvety fur of his neck. "I take it he still thinks of himself as a lap dog then?"

Melanthe flashed her petite friend a wry grin, knowing that the dog probably kept her on her toes. But maybe amidst all the wedded bliss and Oscar being away from home, it was welcomed distraction. Liadán had always put the most pressure on herself as far as securing the most perfect, fairy tale life imaginable. And anything to help her keep her from planning it right down to the detail and becoming too neurotic was sure to be ideal.

Even so, she looked positively radiant and Melanthe so  hoped her friend was happy at her very core. Reaching out, Melanthe wrapped her arms around Liadán's slight shoulders and gave her a gentle but loving hug. "I'm sure you are the perfect Mrs. Whitman imaginable," she gushed before pulling back and linking her arm through Lia's. "And you make Oz so very happy as well. And I must say that he was never so agreeable at any other time that I have known him." Melanthe debated whether to say what was next on her mind, but knowing Lia as she did, she knew that the witch often wondered if Oz's affections for her were his most genuine or if he was substituting her for his ex, Aileen Reid. Melanthe wanted to sooth any of those worries every chance she got. "Never doubt for a moment that you are truly who he was meant to be with. He just had to wait for perfection to walk into his life and be ready to love you in his own distinct way."

It was an unusually romanticized sentiment from the dark witch, but as Lia was one of her closest and dearest friends, she only wished the best for her. She was like a sister, afterall. As much part of her family as her blood relations.

Melanthe let Lia lead her inside Kerry Cove like a proper hostess and she was immediately impressed with what her friend had done to make it homey and sophisticated. "Indeed you have been busy!" She gave a nod of approval and gazed around, noting the distinct warmth, which surely reflected Liadán's mood and ability to be inviting to everyone who was worthy of it.

When Liadán gushed about the turn of events and her reluctance to date Oscar in the first place, Melanthe gave her friend's arm a gentle pat. "You were just guarding your heart, my dear. And things do have a way of ending up how they should."

"I can hardly be blamed. Oscar was the one in charge of his rearing the first few months he lived here. But he does seem quite spoiled, and rather unaware of exactly how large he is. But he is an affectionate fellow and I have heard they are quite good with children- which will be convenient when the time comes. Plus, he keeps me company when Oscar is working long hours. It is so strange to be in a house so alone. At the estate there were the house elves and always farm hands on the property somewhere..." She trailed off and sighed a little, but her saddened expression was quickly replaced by a mischevious grin.

"The only person to keep me company is the portrait of his grandmother. And, between you and I, when Oscar is not at home I have a little habit of silencing her screeching. She's a most unpleasant sort of woman." She giggled quietly, covering her mouth lest the portrait in question manage to hear her.

Liadan could have burst to her Melanthe declare, without provocation, that Oscar loved her. Liadan had never expected to marry someone that she had genuine affection for. As happy as she had been, she would be quick to confess to loving Oscar as well. To think, Liadan O Morain, had fallen in love! Her mother had warned her against the very thing, swearing to her that she would never fall in love with a proper husband- simply respect and admire him. But Oscar was a good man. Strong when it mattered, but sensitive in private- it had been a pleasant surprise. "Imagine Oscar, agreeable!" Liadan crowed. "To think I can have such an affect on him! Oh, I do love him, Melanthe, as hesitant as I am to say so. I never thought I would feel such a thing for any man- it has caught me by surprise."

"A whirlwind romance, to be sure. Oh, I wish you had been there that day at the ministry when he strode across his office, so confident, so secure, and kissed me with such passion after our trivial little spat. No man had ever kissed me like that, and no other man ever will. I was so angry when he did that! But it was exactly what I needed. I am always so thankful that he is so much stronger than I will ever be."

"Oh, Melanthe, I can never thank you enough for the wonderful life you handed to me on such a lovely silver platter. I can only hope that you find yourself a proper husband. I was ever so disappointed that things did not work out with Sergei. Rumor had it that he intended to propose. He always was a much better catch than his brother. Whatever happened? I never heard. The last news I got was that he forced Grisha to marry some young woman he had gotten pregnant- a pretty little pureblood witch, I met her once, no doubt he seduced her with such promises. That was months ago. I've not heard anything since. Of course, were I Sergei or Grisha, I would keep such a thing quiet, too."

Liadan poured Melanthe a cup of tea from the gilded set on her table. "What sort of man would it take to tame you? Or do you wish to be the strong one?" she asked- a seemingly innocent question. She handed over the cup before pouring her own. "I so wish to see you and Lotte married as happily as I am. I desperately want our children to grow up together!"