"Priiiiiiiiim!" Maree bounded into her sister's room, piece of parchment in hand.  She looked around. No one.  She frowned. That was unusual. Most Sunday evenings after dinner, Prim would be fastidiously preparing for the upcoming week. Settling on an outfit, packing her bag, doing some light reading to unwind...

But Prim had, the past couple of weeks, been spending quite a good deal of time at the stables.  This would take more preparation and more clothing than just her pajamas, Maree decided.  By the time Maree had pulled on several additional layers of knitted woolens, her fingers were nearly trembling with anticipation.  Still, Prim would judge if she didn't come in appropriate footwear. And who knew what Prim had been up to at the stables late at night.  Best to be prepared for anything.

She tugged at her laces and trotted her way down. "Prim?" she called. Oh, drat. She'd forgotten the note back up at the house!  That was okay. She basically had the letter memorized, by now.  "Priiiiiim?" she called.  There was a heavy silence, that winter brought, broken only by the stamping of hooves, the snort of a horse.  She caught sight of her, finally, checking in on their blue.  "I have news," she called in a sing-songy voice. "You'll never guess what happened." She was quite proud of herself, keeping it from her sister this long. Normally, she'd just sort of ... blurt it out.

Prim leaned against the door of the maternity stall and sighed wistfully as she looked in.  Blue was perfect and the foal – recently named Cricket – was doing well.  She hadn’t even been the only one to stop by today. 

Her father had dropped in early in the afternoon to see his “future prize winner” and chat with Prim about her progress.  Though, to be perfectly honest, even if Prim was familiar with horse husbandry, she wasn’t the best source.  It’d been quite a while since the last birth in the barn and Grigory (her face had pinked up just at the mention of him) was a better person for her father to ask. 

So, he did.  An owl later, he was awaiting reply back and Prim pretended she wasn’t anxious at all.  Calvin couldn’t stop singing Mr. Gonchar’s praises and Prim just had to nod along and suppress her blush.  This was even more of an issue when Grigory showed up and she had to pretend that when her father sat at the desk she wasn’t mortified.    Their conversation was quick and Calvin decided to take his leave…[1]

So, that had been about two hours ago and now Prim’s riding jacket was rumpled and the crisp ponytail was a little less than pristine at this point.  Cheeks still pink from exertion, Prim continued her dreamy eyed observation of the mother and baby.  It was only interrupted by the voice of one of her sisters, and she raised her eyebrows in the direction her sister came from. 

Bundled up to the ears, Prim couldn’t help but laugh.  She was not nearly so cold! Though she wouldn’t dare tell Maree the reason: let her believe it was the product of a strenuous ride around the posts (though… wasn’t it?).  “News?” Prim smiled, putting her own thoughts away to focus on her sister, “Don’t tell me…” she trailed off for a moment, pretending to think.  “We’ve finally managed to lose Marigold?” she asked with an impish nose-wrinkle.  “Ooohh… or did Mum finally oblivate Dad’s love of golf?”

1.	Approved by Sly

"Prim!" Maree feigned horror. "You're terrible!"  It was a lost battle; Marigold would be the brunt of all of Prim's and Hattie's jokes. Maree'd tried to goad them into originality, but she knew when her sisters' stubbornness would win out. "If only. I don't think any of us would mind less talk of golf." Their father might also benefit from knowing a lost cause when he saw it. None of his daughters took to the sport, spoke of the sport, or--least of all--wanted to go watch the sport.  Maree, finding it the hardest to say no, had her own set of golf clubs and, from time to time, would get dragged out to the course. But it was good father-daughter bonding time, he supposed.

He was just lucky his darling daughters had taken to riding, though no one as much as Prim. With Blue's recent birth, it seemed the two of them were inseparable. Or, at least, nearly one or other other was always out at the stables... But wait! She had news!

"I have a daaaate," she crooned, hands clasped behind her hands gleefully. "And it's not Tobias Snagley." She'd been dodging her friend's brother's desperate advances for some time now.  "Or," before she or Hattie asked, "Mister Glass. This one's cute. He sent me flowers--well, succulents--and set a time and a date and everything. And I think I already know what I'm going to wear. But he said we were going to coffee with his dog, then changed it to Italian dinner and I just don't know. But that's a good sign, right?"

She turned pink in the cheeks. "Sorry. I just... I mean, you'd be proud. i don't really even think he's gay."

Primrose laughed softly as Maree exclaimed how terrible she was.  By her sister's standards, perhaps that was true.  But, Primrose knew plenty of people much worse than she was, and honestly, Marigold might be at the top of that list.  But, Amaryllis would never feel that way.  She'd prefer to spend her time wishing their father would talk a little bit less about golf than misplacing their annoying second youngest sister.  Whatever the case, Prim turned toward her sister, still resting her elbow on the stall door to more fully face her sister.

"If it's neither of those stunning pieces of news, then please enlighten me!" she urged with a a curious expression.  What was she getting at and why had she come all the way out here to tell her?  It couldn't be something small... Pursing her lips, she regarded her sister's sweet face, brimming with excitement and when she finally announced her news, well... Prim actually gasped!

It wasn't as though it was necessarily surprising their sister had a date... but the fact that she seemed happy about it was the real surprise.  She might have asked if it was one of her more... persistent (and undesirable) suitors, but the two most recent (and one more likely than the other, to be honest) were instantly discounted.  "Not Glass or Toby?!" Primrose's smile turned devious... only partially disregarding the other details of her sister's tale, outside of the fact that this did sound like a genuine date and immediately started searching her brain for other possibilities.  "Oh! I know who it is!" she announced, leaning in toward her sister.

"It's Boomer[1] isn't it?" she couldn't even keep a straight face.  Doubling over and in between laughs, Prim managed to say, "Judging by all...liberties taken with our kneecaps, he isn't gay," she wrinkled her nose, toothy smile even more prominent.  "Has he really stepped up that much?  Doesn't he usually just take everyone to the same restaurant?"[2]  She finally stood up straight again and smoothed out the front of her jacket as she tried to compose herself, "If you need me to send an emergency owl in the middle, I'd be more than happy."

1.	Polonius Snagley. Tobias' older brother.
2.	Ryan Lochte on taking all of his dates to the same restaurant: “It might be the same place, might be the same table but it’s a different girl.”

Maree's smile grew more self-assured at her sister's enthusiasm. She began to venture a guess. "Yes! It's the man I-"

"It's Boomer isn't it?"

Ew! At the mere mention of Boomer, Maree's eyes widened, jaw dropped in a gasp. She recovered, eyes narrowing. "Prim!" she scolded. Evil, evil Prim to talk about such a reprehensible man when they were here to talk about a much more pleasant one.  Besides, Boomer had laughed outright when she'd called him out on 'taking 'liberties with her kneecaps in a dark cinema,' and she didn't very much like being reminded of that. She would have thought Prim would have understood. And yet here she was, teasing her with that wicked smile. "Believe it or not," Maree sniffed, "I can actually get a date with a decent man from time to time."

It was true. She was constantly teased--mostly by her friends--for picking all the wrong people to flirt with, for being naive, or even prudish. Her parents were predominantly gunning for a marriage for Prim, but they were concerned about Maree's prospects, as well. They'd have to be, judging from the number of times they'd even let the Snagleys in through the door.

Wind out of her sails, Maree turned, draping her arms across the top of the door of the stall. Her chin rested atop crossed hands as she looked at Blue and Cricket thoughtfully.  Well, if Prim didn't want to talk about it-- "Cricket seems to have grown since I last came down. In just 3 days! Dad said that uh, Ginchur? The, uh, Ministry worker, has been down here a lot. Did he say how they're coming along?" It seemed like mother and foal were out of danger. But the number of visits seemed to indicate otherwise.

Primrose couldn’t help herself.  The horror on Maree’s face was just too excellent.  It was exactly what Primrose had expected to happen and she shrieked with laughter, resting her forehead against the wood until she could collect herself.  “I’m sorry,” she shook her head as she stood up straight again, “I know that, Maree,” she added, trying to soothe her sister’s mortification.  She didn’t mean to poke fun at something Maree was that sensitive about, but it was too good to let it pass.  Prim did not often to get to be funny or shocking.  It was usually Hattie’s role in the family. 

Shifting to actually face Maree, her expression softened.  Her sister was really too good of a person for her own good.  It was no wonder she did have terrible luck though, she was so open and genuine with people.  Prim was far less trusting, and while it did keep her from having unfortunate run ins with people like Boomer and Tobias Snagley, it did not save her sister from that fate.   

She was about to ask about who this decent young man was, but Maree started to ask about Cricket and Prim’s smile turned genuine and soft.  She watched as the foal flicked her tail and nudged at her mother’s sides, rustling her feathers as she did.  Prim watched as Blue craned her neck back toward her baby and nuzzled her with her velvet nose.  “She’s a healthy eater,” Prim informed her sister.  There had been no shortage of nursing in the stall and the little granian was starting to round out. 

Without thinking, Prim’s head turned immediately as Maree invoked the name of who she could only assume was Grigory.  A flare of panic welled up in her stomach, only to be released when Maree indicated their father had talked about him.  Of course he did.  “I chatted with Mr. Gonchar, briefly,” about the horses anyway, “Cricket is, so far, very healthy.  She’ll shape up to be the racer Dad wants if she keeps on this track,” she added thoughtfully.  It’d be a long road for that, of course.  Until then, Prim expected many visits from Grigory. 

“But, that’s much less interesting,” she declared, eyes flashing as she looked at her sister’s face.  “You said this man was decent?” she raised her eyebrows, “Tell me about this decent man.  What does he do?  How did you meet?"

Maree was still reserved, rather skeptical at her sister's apology, waiting for the 'but.' There often was one. I'm sorry, but--

There wasn't one this time, though. And Maree thought, for a minute, that things had moved on to a nice, neutral topic. Or at least, Prim's favorite topic. She looked at her sister, then to Cricket, the future race horse, schooling her features and preparing a response on something she didn't seem to know much about. She liked riding, but didn't live and breathe it like some of the otehrs in her family.

And then, Prim tried to angle back to the original topic. Nice try, Prim. "Less interesting. Than Cricket. Really," Maree said, looking between Prim and Cricket.  Primrose seemed to spend all of her time here with Blue and Cricket and Mister Goncher. Primrose was going to need to beg forgiveness if she wanted to be back in good with Maree, though, and people who actually lived in the hou--

Just like that, Cricket rose to her feet and ambled over on gangly legs, muzzle up and snuffling at them and, oh mercy Maree had to pet her!

Gloved hands pet the velvety soft muzzle. Maree leaned forward to place a little kiss on the nose.

Oh, right. Trying to keep her sheepish expression to herself, Maree withdrew, remembering to look at her sister skeptically.

"See?" she said quietly. "It's not more interesting." There! Now Prim would need to beg.

Maree was about as opaque as French doors. Scarcely ten minutes ago she had busted into the  barn ready to yell about this date at the top of her lungs.  Now she was silent as a lamb.  These were not the actions of someone who didn’t care if her sister knew about her date or not.  No, she was angling for something.  Prim lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes in thought at her sister. 

The younger Woolfolk was almost immediately distracted by Prim’s newest, greatest ally.  Cricket flicked her tail and just like that, Maree was laying kisses upon her.  Perhaps she was a terrible person, but her first thought was she hoped Maree’s date was far less adorable and charming than a foal.  She wouldn’t stand a chance.  Liberties with one’s kneecaps would be the least of their problems. 

But there she was, still trying to play it off and for a second, Primrose had almost let her!  Setting her jaw, Primrose had to readjust her strategy.  Maree would probably eventually give in, that was true.  But, did Prim necessarily want to out last her?  And she was curious… it wouldn’t hurt to let Maree win this time. 

“Oh you don’t expect me to go believing that, do you?” she leaned toward her, “You can’t just divulge a little and not be willing to share the rest,” she reached out and brushed her hand under the whiskery muzzle of the curious foal.  Her ears flicked forward at attention as Prim shifted her weight against the wood panels.  “Share?” she smiled, wide and toothy. 

"I divulged a lot!" Maree insisted in shock.  She turned, folding her arms across her chest, resting her back against the stall. "You were just distracted." True, she'd just kind of...blurted it out in one go... some of it before she even got into the stables proper. But still.

She frowned, chewing on the inside of her cheek. She tilted her head, giving a show of softening. "So... remember that Healer? The cute one?" A smile began to appear. "Flynn Hughes? The one I went on the er, triple not-date with?" How else did you describe that, exactly.

"I didn't... I really wasn't thinking it went well. I kind of... lied and said I was meeting Marigold in order to get out of it..." She looked at Prim seriously. "You know I never lie. And they saw right through me. I knew it."  She paused a moment,  fidgeting with the end of her ponytail. "Anyhow, he sent me flowers at work." She bit her lip, blushing. It was the best feeling in the world. Had Prim ever had that happen? She must have. Prim was so elegant and poised that she had to draw attention; she was working with the likes of Mister Gonchur and dragon tamers. Of course she stood out!

Prim couldn’t help but giggle at Maree’s insistence.  She was really the best of the Woolfolk girls.  Everything about her was so… pure and sweet.  She didn’t seem to have one terrible bone in her body: a trait none of her sisters shared.  Hattie was wicked and lived to shock them all, Marigold was… well… Marigold, and Prim had far too many secrets to be as good as Maree.  “Fine, but if I missed anything, you should start from the beginning.”  That seemed like a decent enough compromise, and put Maree in the benevolent position to bestow knowledge upon her. 

Amaryllis Woolfolk could not resist being the benevolent one.  And with that, she obliged: finally, a name!  Prim’s eyebrows shot up, “Audrey’s brother, yes.  I recall you mentioning something about that.”  She leaned in closer, setting her jaw as she now listened with the most critical ear.   This was definitely something she would have to talk over with Audrey.  Did she know?   

Her hands already itched to write her about it.  But not right now.  She had to listen to the story.  “Clearly he would know you’re lying – anyone who knows Marigold would know no one was going to meet her,” she pointed out seriously.  Even if their younger sister did seem to have friends (who were all pretty much as annoying as she was), no one in the right mind – like Amaryllis – would willingly be around her.  At least, that is what Prim assumed anyone else sane would have thought.  Maree was always nice to their self-absorbed sister, but who would want to be?  But that wasn’t the end of the story-  oh no! 

Well, well.  Who knew Audrey’s little brother would have the sense to send flowers?  That was a point in his favor, and Maree clearly thought so too because she was smiling.  That was the smitten look.  While Prim had always generally thought Flynn was sort of an odd duck, but Amaryllis looked so happy.  There was no need to ruin that for her.  “What kind of flowers?” Prim prompted, “Are they still in your office or did you bring them home?” She couldn’t imagine she did – how would she ever have sneaked them past their mother?  … Would Maree even try to sneak them past their mother? 

There were so many questions here.  “Do Mum and Dad know?” 

Maree gave a fixed stare at Prim; her most recent blow at Marigold would not be tolerated. Even if she couldn't manage her facial muscles to form a frown, exactly. "Be nice," she managed finally. "She knows where you sleep."

There was something that caught her attention, though. "Audrey's brother? Like... your friend Audrey the part-veela who has men fall madly in love with her but she hates men?" Maybe that was why.  She paused a moment. "Do you think it works the same way--with men?"  Not that she thought Flynn hated women... the veela bit.

Flynn obviously liked women. He bought her flowers.

"Well," she added, "they were flower...-like.  Succulents, actually, but they form the cutest little bough of succulents, so they almost looked like blooms. And they were all soft green and pink and came in a great vase. They're still at my desk. They last forever, I hear..."

Amaryllis gave an open-mouthed, wide-eyed scoff. "Ugh! It's a first date, Prim! I don't have to go file a report at the DMLEeeeee," she chided. I mean, they already lived with their parents. They could happen upon a door scene at any time. She hardly needed to get their permission. "I think it's safe to say," she added in a silky voice, "that there are first dates I haven't even told you about." None came to mind, but she was sure there had been at least some.

Tragically, Maree had gone on quite a few first dates. Mostly ones she didn't want to go on, so it wasn't such a tragedy there were no second dates, now that she considered it.

 “Terrifying,” Prim brushed off Maree’s warning with a sly little smile on her face.  Marigold would need to do better than that if she really wanted to get back at Primrose.  Besides, she knew better.  Prim was infinitely more talented with a wand than Marigold could ever be.  She had, after all, hexed the tongue out of someone’s mouth[1] just earlier in the year.  If she wasn’t still absolutely petrified of what their mother might do, she’d have probably done it to Marigold at least once a week by now.  Unfortunately, she still had the protection of Imogen Woolfolk and that was better protection than any auror or hitwizard could ever afford to give. 

Marigold was not the subject of conversation, however, and Primrose directed her attention back to what was really important: Flynn and Maree.  Well, right now Audrey, because Maree was asking questions.  Pursing her lips, she took a moment before shaking her head.  “Yes, that Audrey – but… I don’t think so,” she wrinkled her nose in thought, “I mean, I’ve met Flynn and haven’t fallen in love with him instantly.”  This seemed to be reasoning enough for Prim.  How odd. 

She spent a good portion of Maree’s description of succulents thinking about it.  She did not understand this – weren’t they like cacti?  That didn’t seem like a particularly romantic present, but goodness knew by the look on Maree’s face she couldn’t be moved to care.  She was on about green and pink and the vase by the time Prim had finitely decided that Flynn could not possibly have veela charm.

It was also safe to say Maree was not the most convincing liar, though she was surprised at the earnestness with which she spoke.  She would have thought she’d be excited to tell their parents.  She was certainly excited to tell her!  “Sorry for asking!” Prim held up her hands in mock surrender before she smoothed down her hair and tightened her ponytail.   

“I’m hurt though,” she let her arms drop and rested her clasped hands in front of her, “after all this time when I’ve always told you everything…” blatant falsehood, “that you’d suggest you keep things from me!  Next thing you know you’ll be marching in telling us all you’re starting a family and planning to move out!”  She shook her head and grinned, moving next to Maree, hooking her arm under her sister’s to start the walk out.  Cricket was happily engaging in a meal and everything was settled in the barn, so they could go.  “Mum will hex him into next year and poor Daddy, who will golf with him then?” she tried to keep a straight face as she mused, but failed and covered her mouth as she giggled.  “Oh… and think of Hattie and Marigold.  I’m sure Marigold will hate him - though, Hattie will happily point out he is a doctor and with veela ancestry any little ones are bound to be far too beautiful and sweet.  You'll need to lock them away in a tower." 

1.	What had happened was…

“Yes, that Audrey – but… I don’t think so. I mean, I’ve met Flynn and haven’t fallen in love with him instantly.”

"Prim," Maree said, her gaze level. "I have yet to see you fall for anyone." To which, she gave a dramatic, rueful sigh. "Surely there must be someone in this world good enough for you!" Her smile grew slowly, shyly. "But I really can't think of who. Cepheus Gamp is a catch, but you keep telling me you're not interested, and yet you spend an awful lot of time together, for someone you can't stand. So." She smirked. "You can't give me a hard time for not telling you everything."

Prim had taken her by the arm, and they were now leaving the stables. Maree took this opportunity to start at a skip, head tossed up to the sky. "Oh, but if you were to fall for someone, Primmy, he'd be tall and elegant, with dark, wavy hair and a chiseled chin and a sweet disposition... and," she broke off, spinning around once as she looked up, "and loads and loads of hobbies! Like..." she dropped her arms, looking back at her sister, thinking. She made sure she was out of hitting range before, teasingly uttering: "golf, her lips forming a perfect O. She cackled in delight.

Primrose laughed, despite how uncomfortable she felt.  “You’ve made your point,” she conceded.  There were only so many lies Prim could tell in an evening, and she didn’t want to potentially mess up.  Maree had certainly hit the nail on the head: no one in the family had ever seen her fall for anyone.  She was a private person.  But, Prim wasn’t about to spill all of her secrets.  Instead, she just smiled and pushed any thoughts of past love out of her head.  She didn’t have time for that, she had reasoned.  She was just messing about right now.  A dalliance… the term widely coined for her situation was ‘booty call’.  That seemed indelicate though, and Grigory seemed so good. 

It was part of why Prim felt like she had to keep herself at a sort of distance… and definitely not mention anything to her absolutely batty sister.  Skipping in the moonlight, she was practically begging to be spirited away by a fairy king (or at least the stories they’d shared as children would say so).     Prim strolled casually behind and allowed the tension to leave her shoulders as she swung her arms, giggling.  “It sounds like you’re describing your dream mine – not mine!” she teased. 

She didn’t know why everyone assumed she would end up with someone who was elegant.  That was so boring.  Primrose had her moments of elegance, but in her heart of hearts, she was an outdoors sort.  She needed someone who could keep up with that part of her.  Golf would not cut it.  The bark of laughter she let out mixed with Maree’s cackle in the night air and Prim picked up her pace to catch up with her.  “So.. now I’m supposed to fall in love with someone like Daddy?” she raised her eyebrows and grabbed Maree’s hand, giving it a squeeze.  “No, thank you.”  She rolled her eyes, “Could you imagine?”  she laughed and shook her head. 

“But, enough about me,” she protested, “have you thought about what you’re going to wear?!” 

"Well..." Maree paused, mid-turn, arms slowly dropping to her sides. The image of her rince Charming were never too far from her mind."You may be right." But didn't everyone want that? The thought of such a man was just so dreamy!


“So.. now I’m supposed to fall in love with someone like Daddy?” she raised her eyebrows and grabbed Maree’s hand, giving it a squeeze.  “No, thank you.”  She rolled her eyes, “Could you imagine?”


"I would never..." Maree said, her free hand going to her mouth in horror. The idea was simply ghastly. "We already live at home! No need for rumors about..." she looked about before whispering the words with dread: "daddy issues." She gave the hand a squeeze back, a show of sisterly solidarity. "I only meant that you hate golf and there's got to be something imperfect in the man you end up with! If only so that he can adore and admire you all the more."

Like their father loved their--

NO. Maree suppressed the thought. What had she just been saying, after all?!

Wait... what had she been saying? What to wear?

"Oh, gosh!" Maree gasped. "I haven't! That's the thing, though. I don't know what he's expecting. When we started writing, he asked me to meet him for coffee, and he'd bring Henrietta, his dog. Like last time. But then, when he followed up, suddenly we were going to a restaurant--Ascendio." The word had a hallowed sound to it. It was the treasure trove for girls--a man taking her to a real, nice restaurant. "So I'm thinking, obviously dress. Unless... is that too much? And then he invited me to his birthday party, and I just... If I go to both, is that trying too hard? I need to be aloof, right?" she flipped her hair. "Guys like that, don't they?" That was what her friends were always saying, anyhow.