Arundel Castle - Constellations | Rossian

Saturday, June 11, 1921
The Cherry Orchards
8:00 PM
♥︎

"You're sure he'll like me?"

Rosie tilted her head in Maggie's direction, a look of playful exasperation playing across her features as the girl's fingers laced through hers. A silly question if the sixteen-year-old had ever heard one. Maggie was, in one word, stunning. Not in the traditional 'English rose' sense, but in the way of something wild. Her long hair fell in dark, untamed waves; a sharp contrast to her pale Irish skin and striking green eyes underlined with dark freckles across her cheeks. Aside from her looks, there was something feral and exciting about Maggie that drew people into her with an effortless magnetism.

"Maggie," Rosie said with a slight laugh, "have you ever met a boy that doesn't like you? Freddie's going to be floored." Hopefully. She'd never heard so much as a nervous laugh rise from her friend's throat, and she was a little thrown to hear the anxiety coming from her now. Maggie had always been confident, and Rosalie had assured her Freddie was an absolute sweetheart. She had nothing to worry about.

The two girls hurried from the garden party, glancing over their shoulders as they held up the skirts of their dresses to keep them from dragging along the ground. When they'd reached the edge of the garden without anyone noticing, Rosie whispered, "Run." The two girls kicked their heels off, and shot off, racing across the grounds towards the cherry orchard on the opposite side of the castle.

The moon lit the way, beams shining along the grass in silver glimmers. There was something incredibly romantic, Rosalie mused, in running through the dark summer air, clutching her friend's hand on her way to secretly meet up with the boy who could make her heart slow to a dangerous pace. It felt like something out of the books she'd read - a fantasy of sorts. Two girls locked away in a castle, only to escape and run away with the village boys.

She'd have to remember this whole thing when she and Cassian were musing over his next script.

"Gorgeous!"

Rosie stopped suddenly, hearing Cass's voice calling out to her. Her eyes flickered quickly between the trees as Maggie squeezed her hand tighter. She couldn't see him, but could hear him and Freddie whispering amongst themselves.

"Where are you?" she called softly. Though they were far out from the party and anyone that could hear them, she still didn't want to take the chance.

"Here."

His voice came low, right by her ear and she shivered as she felt his arms slip around her from behind. She shrieked, half-excited, half-startled and turned quickly, dropping Maggie's hand to throw her arms around his neck. The scent of cinnamon and new books filled her senses as she pressed her lips to his. It had only been a week, but already she'd missed him. She lingered for a moment when she pulled back, tracing his freckles with her thumb before remembering they had company.

"Freddie," she greeted Cass's friend with a quick hug. She'd thank him later when they had a moment alone for keeping her in the loop over Christmas. She stepped back, reaching to nudge Maggie forward a little. "Boys, this is Maggie Davis. We've been friends since...forever." All anxiety seemed to melt away as Maggie took in the redhead, a bright smile crossing her features.

"You're way cuter than Rosie described."

Rosie grinned, rolling her eyes slightly at Cass, wrapping an arm around his waist. "Did you have any trouble getting over the wall?" She'd give the other two a moment to get acquainted before she pulled her boyfriend away.

"We're dead."

"Your complaints would suggest otherwise."

"This is heaven, and you took me here without Rosie. You never wanted me happy--"

Mate. Dial it back, where's that orchard wall?"

"This way," Cassian said, nodding him toward the left before he began walking.

Freddie jogged to catch up. "Walking, so not dead OR splinched."

The Ravenclaw waved him off. "I can't hear you. My ears are gone." Next to him, he heard his friend's exasperated groan seconds before he was sent stumbling by a firm shove. Cassian had been giving his redheaded friend shit from the moment he'd told him he got his apparition license. The jokes practically wrote themselves with that one. Who in their right mind thought it would be a good idea to give a pseudo-Gryffindor like his best mate permission to zip from place to place needed to be investigated for negligence and child endangerment.

But they were here, and Cass was grateful it hadn't required an hour-long walk with another to 'look forward to' on the way back.

Props to his friend for getting them in one piece, but it was also important to keep the boy humble, for the good of the wider world.

"You sure she brought her friend? This wasn't just a story to get a free ride, yeah?"

Cass snorted lightly. "There are safer ways to get to the castle. Rosie said Maggie would be here, too. She's already at the castle, now shh before they catch wind of the sound of poor people hopping their walls. Here." Where the wall dipped lower, Cassian grabbed hold.

"Ah-ah!" Before he could stop him, Freddie grabbed hold of his shoulder and, with a tug on his belly button, and massive disorientation, they were on the other side...inches...from having nearly arrived INSIDE the bark of a nearby tree.

"Oi--!"

"Shh, someone's coming!"

"Freddie--"

His friend clamped his hand over his mouth before turning him around to see the two figures barrelling toward the tree, their dresses flowing behind them like spectres under the moonlight. Be still, his beating heart. The boys crouched low, remaining hidden until they drew closer.

"Gorgeous!"

"Where are you?"

They walked by where they crouched, and Cassian crept behind them. "Here," he said, slipping an arm around her and pulling her close. He kissed her like he hadn't seen her before the term ended, like they hadn't had an eventful departure on the train. There was never enough of Rosie. And there she went, out of his arms, to grease the wheels of communication for their plus ones. He left her to it, understanding Freddie didn't need as much help easing into an interaction once it was started. He caught the sparkle in his friend's eyes when he took in Maggie and the way the girl sprang to life at the introductions. They would be fine and wouldn't need babysitting. What a relief.

"Did you have any trouble getting over the wall?"

"Don't get him started," Cass urged, wrapping his arm around her again. "You girls sure you won't be missed?"

"You girls sure you won't be missed?"

Rosie shook her head, her blue eyes locked on his brown. It always surprised her how even the smallest stretch of time apart made it feel like she was seeing him after ages. "Half of them are too drunk to know what's happening and the other half are busy getting there," she said, a small shrug as he wrapped his arm around her again. Besides, those that weren't drinking - like James and Julia - were busy getting ready for Benji and Rae's big moment.

Freddie and Maggie were chatting softly amongst themselves; the girl heard some playful banter going back and forth. Something about tousling that red hair, and another thing about tousling that very proper green dress. Well, she'd certainly played match-maker well, neither of them seemed to be shy about -

There was a shuffling and a hard thud. Rosie's eyes widened, as she looked over her shoulder to see Freddie shoved up against the nearest tree and Maggie's hands already in his hair. "I think that's our cue," Rosalie said, her lips tightening with amusement as she took Cassian's hand and led him away from the pair who were getting to know each other better.

"She's not shy. Not like me anyway," she said with a little laugh as the two wandered further into the orchard. She tipped her chin up at him, letting herself linger on the familiar lines of his face. "Do you like my dress?" she asked, her fingers still caught in his, but she stepped out a little so he could catch a better glimpse of it in the moonlight. "I'm glad you came," she moved closer again, wrapping her arm around his and laying her head on his shoulder as they walked. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she should tell him about the Bulgarian man that had just put his hands on her, before deciding against it.

It was a fluke. An older man who didn't know his place, and it wouldn't happen again. There was no reason to get Cassian upset or ruin what could be a fun night together.

She reached up into the trees, snagging a few cherries from their stems, offering him a few before popping one in her mouth. "Mmm, I forgot to tell you," she said, as the sweet fruit coated her mouth. "Benji and Rae are being arranged. They're making a whole show of it in a few moments here." Blue oceans caught earthy shores again, a teasing smirk playing on her lips.

"And here I am just waiting for you to carry me off into the sunset again." Her smile widened, studying his face as Maggie's giggle drifted over the orchards. A truly great distraction for Freddie, and proof that when Rosie gave her word, she meant it.

"There's an observation tower over this way that no one ever goes into. You can see the whole valley, all the way to the town. Want to go up?"

Drunk was good.

Cassian had never been to those super fancy high-class parties--hung with the wrong crowd for that--but he'd read novels that had them and had performed a few scenes in plays that involved them. Lavish meals, fine music, the kind of decor most people probably didn't know the use of. The boy thought he might like to see one someday--not as the guy who broke in to steal the girl, but as an invited guest. He'd thought that someday, he'd make a name for himself and rub shoulders with the right people--ones he didn't piss off by loving their daughter. He'd have his own place in the room, people wanting to shake his hand.

A pipedream now, he realised. Rosie's family didn't seem the type to leave them alone. They were going to have to become the least known people in the world. His name in lights anywhere could be a death sentence for them. From what he'd heard of that class, they were close-knit. It would only take one wrong introduction for them to be on the run again and again.

So he'd enjoy the proximity of the party and the thought of what could've been. Gazing into those deep blue oceans, the boy knew he already had everything he needed.

"I think that's our cue."

Hmm?

Cassian hadn't noticed how lost in thought he was until the thud. Glancing over at his friend, he could see that he was occupied and in no further need of his services or company. Good for them. The chances of him and Rosie being interrupted plummeted to satisfactory depths, and he was fine to leave them there. Freddie could apparate if things got sticky while they were gone. They'd figured it out as they went along.

"She's not shy. Not like me anyway."

"Good thing, then," Cassian said, taking in the clear night sky out there in the countryside. "Freddie's got no business being a menace to shy girls. We needed this to work."

His gaze descended at her question, dark irises lighting up as they took her in. Her hand still in his, he gave his girlfriend a little twirl. "I love everything about this dress except the fact it's on you," he said with a cheeky grin. Cass tugged her close to his side again, kissing the top of her head. "Stunning as ever, gorgeous. Makes me glad you're out here with me and not off getting ogled by old stiffs." Did that sort of thing happen in places like this? Probably. He didn't know but felt it was a fair assumption. Rosie was beautiful. She would turn heads wherever she went.

He swiped a pair of cherries from her, plopping them into his mouth, but the boy nearly choked at her next words. It took him a moment and a few coughs to settle, his laughter barely contained. "Holy shit," he said when he finally calmed down. A short laugh escaped him. "Well, that worked itself out, didn't it? Ruth must be over the moon. She's into this sort of fairytale shit--and keeping Benji to herself." That girl gave 'crazy in love' a new definition, one he wished his mate all the best of luck with.

"When I whisk you off into the sunset," he corrected, pausing a moment at the sounds that carried on the wind. Only his friend having a good time. "Someday I'm gonna steal you away from all this."

"There's an observation tower over this way that no one ever goes into. You can see the whole valley, all the way to the town. Want to go up?"

"Lead the way."

There he went again. Rosie was quiet for a moment, watching the wheels turn behind his eyes as he mulled something over. She didn't know what it was that had caught his attention or had forced his mind away from the present, but she waited patiently for him to come back around.

"Freddie's got no business being a menace to shy girls. We needed this to work."

"A menace? Him?" Rosie asked with a little laugh. Maybe because Freddie had only ever been sweet and respectful of her - he was Cassian's best mate - but Rosie had never seen him as such. She supposed he could be. He had that same wicked little gleam in his eye that her boyfriend had, and the way Maggie seemed to manhandle him was a bit too easy.

It was always the sweet boys, wasn't it? Good for Freddie.

She caught the look Cassian gave her a moment before he pulled her into a twirl, heat blooming across her face as she went. He was cheeky, wasn't he? She smirked to herself as he kissed the top of her head. No matter how old they got, no matter how long they'd been at this now, Cassian was never above a flirtatious quip - especially if he knew it'd get her shy side blushing.

"Stunning as ever, gorgeous. Makes me glad you're out here with me and not off getting ogled by old stiffs."

It was like the boy was a legilimens. She gave a soft, uncomfortable laugh, but didn't answer. She was glad as well, of course. Cassian had a way of making her feel safe without trying, without even noticing, just by being beside her. She shivered slightly at the thought of that hand slipping her strap off her shoulder, her hand absently playing at her own collarbone for comfort.

A fluke, she reminded herself again. Nothing to dwell on.

"Well, that worked itself out, didn't it? Ruth must be over the moon. She's into this sort of fairytale shit--and keeping Benji to herself."

She couldn't help the laugh that escaped her lips as Cassian choked at Benji's news, a little shrug meeting his incredulous look. "I guess so," she said, having not given it much thought herself. It was normal that the heir would be betrothed so young - at least in her world it was. Lesser members of the family usually had more time before matches were made, and there was still no word about anyone trying to arrange her, so all the better it was Benji. He hadn't said anything about his feelings on the matter to her, and she knew he loved Rae.

Cassian was right. She supposed it couldn't have worked out better for them. "Are you saying you're not into the fairytale...stuff, theatre boy?" She glanced up, thumbing lightly at his lip where a tiny drop of cherry juice lingered. Could have fooled her. With his big declarations and tendency towards drama, Cassian lived for the spectacles of life. What sort of director would he be if he didn't?

She tugged him in the direction of the tower, turning to walk backward so she could keep her eyes on him. When he ran off with her into the sunset. He was going to steal her and take her away from all of this.

"Are you?" she asked softly, her smile sweet, reaching her blue eyes to light a shine in them. "Why not tonight?" She glanced up at the stars as her hand held tightly to his, her backward steps light as her bare feet padded along the soft grass. What better night than a fairytale garden party, for the bard to rescue the trapped princess from her castle? Imagine the stories they could tell their children one day. Rosalie in a full gown, Cassian with stars in his eyes, hopping over walls and running for their lives.

It was poetic. She couldn't write anything more romantic. "I'd go with you if you asked me to." She dropped her eyes from the stars again, her smile returning as she giggled, before turning and running a little faster.

When they reached the tower door - a heavy, ancient oak behemoth - she pulled hard on it, having to put a little extra strength into her arms. She pulled Cassian in, immediately ascending the old stone steps as the heavy door slammed shut behind them, only moonlight pouring in from the arrow slits to light their way. The steps were narrow, the staircase twisting ahead of them. She took them two at a time, holding up the skirt of her dress to avoid tripping, laughing softly when she heard him hurry to catch up. "Come on Casanova," she called over her shoulder to him, a smile in her voice, "Don't keep me waiting."

They were almost there.

That Rosie didn't know Freddie was a menace was probably a blessing in disguise. It wasn't that either boy fit the stereotype of the typical sleaze that hounded girls and ruined them, but neither boy was shy--Freddie, unlike Cassian, had never been shy to begin with. They'd always had fun chatting up girls, watching their faces light up with each compliment, seeing the way they melted. It was its own kind of rush. While that was no longer the case for the boy who'd found the love of his young life, his friend remained true to their roots.

Cassian didn't think much of her awkward laugh. He knew how his girlfriend got about that sort of thing, how easily she pulled in at the bad that happened in the world, even when only hypothetical. He also knew that, had something happened, she'd tell him, as she'd promised. They'd decided that they were in this thing together, no more secrets.

It wasn't as easy for the boy who'd grown so unaccustomed to talking about himself, but he knew it mattered to her and had been making great strides in keeping her clued in, even on the things he didn't think were particularly worth sharing. Apparently, she cared a lot about all that.

"Are you saying you're not into the fairytale...stuff, theatre boy?"

He cracked a wide grin at her correction. "Fairytale stuff? Can't say I am," he mused with mock contemplation. "Now, fairytale shit? Gimme that one any day. That's where all the real magic happens."

In all his time knowing her, Cass had never managed to turn his girlfriend into a swearer, save for a few private moments when he took her places that made her forget herself. He was beginning to think he never would. Some day his fucks would become fudges, and his shits would become...stuff. Tamed at the hands of love, he was still trying to determine whether it was a tragedy.

Cassian let her tug him along, the voices of their friends growing ever smaller until they disappeared within the grander symphony of the summer night.

"Why not tonight?"

...Why not...tonight...?

His heart beat slowly, each thud echoing outward like the heavy booms of a cannon. Why not tonight? Huh. Brown eyes found the stars again, his very soul going still despite the way his feet continued to move in order to keep pace with her. He'd thought about it more times than he'd ever shared. Leaving it all behind, starting their lives anew. They hadn't been good at it the last time, but Cassian had spent months poring over every second of what had happened. He wouldn't call any new plans foolproof, but...why not?

The words haunted him up the steps, wrapping themselves around Rosie's giggle and the light words that rang like a promise. He barely heard the door slam shut, his senses all focused in on her.

"Come on Casanova, don't keep me waiting."

Time stood still, the pair spiralling upward in slow motion. Cassian watched her ascend, her steps light, their sounds swallowed by the soft pads of her feet. Her dress moved with her, the fabric reflecting the beams of moonlight. Each laugh set off another explosion. He was transported beyond the castle, perhaps even beyond the stars to a place where it was just them. It might have been the romantic in him, the mysterious moon and all its sway but Cass watched his entire world go up those stairs; everything he thought he needed.

He hurried after her, not wanting to be removed from this strange world he now found himself in. With longer legs, it didn't take a whole lot to catch up with her and when he did, he caught her by the hand, spinning her around to look at him.

"Did you mean it?" he asked, his breaths shallow from the climb and something stirring deep inside.

Brown eyes bore their way into her blue, searching them in earnest.

"If I asked..." His heart pounded wildly in his chest. Common sense and reason screamed him down, insisting it was folly and that he was allowing himself to be caught up in a moment.

But how real that moment felt.

"If I asked you to run, tonight, right now, would you really?"

Her feet carried her swiftly up the stairs, the cold stone sending little shivers through her legs as the soft fabric of her dress billowed around her ankles. Bright blue oceans chased the romance of it all, rushing for the top of the tower, where breathtaking views bathed in moonlight awaited them. The stars above would welcome them, smiling down on the lovers that had claimed their place among them so many years ago.

"And that's where he met Artemis--she was a wicked good hunter, too. Some accounts paint them as lovers, others as really good hunting friends."

"Maybe they went back and forth? Friends, lovers, friends, lovers..."

She remembered that first night on the roof at the sweet age of fourteen, her eyes sparkling into his as he gave her that bright flirtatious smile that she came to know him for. She could still feel the way the chemistry exploded between them in glorious snaps of fireworks and the way her heart slowed when their fingers brushed one another's.

"They were gonna name a constellation after us someday. We'd have been right...there."

"There! Far enough from the moon, where we could have totally shone on our own."

The constellations, the moon, the night skies and all its galaxies had always been theirs. They sang stories of the two who had come into the world together, him just a few hours first to make sure everything was safe for her. They wrote sonnets of the two optimists who dreamed larger than the world that housed them and promised forever on a blanket in a summer meadow.

Now, as she led him back to the familiar stars that always held them gently, she felt almost free, knowing that despite all odds, despite everything that should have torn them apart, they were stronger than ever. They weren't perfect, but he had claimed her heart before she had ever had any chance of resisting him, and he'd possessed it ever since.

His hand suddenly caught hers, warm fingers slinking through hers, and he spun her mid-climb.

"Did you mean it?"

Her head tilted slightly, questions swimming behind her eyes as she paused on the steps. His beautiful earthy shores bore into hers, and she let herself descend a step or two until they were eye-level.

"If I asked..."

There was something about being sixteen and full of wide-eyed optimism that painted the girl's vision vibrant colors of pinks, golds and violets. Everything was suddenly spinning as a small smile fluttered across her lips, her expression softening as she let herself move in even closer until they were almost chest to chest.

"If I asked you to run, tonight, right now, would you really?"

Oceans swelled as her eyes didn't move from his. Her breath hitched in her throat as her lips parted slightly, searching for the words that didn't come. She couldn't pull her gaze from his, studying every inch of him as though it were the first time she was seeing him again. Those deep dark curls that hung just above his eyes, those sweet freckles that traced the bridge of his nose and cheeks. Those lips that had both brought her to tears and left her breathless.

Those beautiful, gorgeous deep eyes that were a window into the soul she had fallen in love with the first time she had gotten the smallest glimpse of it.

With Cassian, there was always hope. With him, Rosalie knew who she was, knew where her home was, knew exactly what her life was going to be. He was worth every beat that strummed behind her chest, hitting the chords that sang of the unconditional love she had felt for him from the very beginning. She still got butterflies when she looked into those brown orbs, still felt like it was the first time every time she kissed him. She still fell in love with him all over again every time he looked at her like this.

She would follow him to the ends of the Earth.

"Nobody eclipses Cassian McCormick and Rosalie Laurence."

Gentle hands cupped his face as dark eyelashes blinked back all the emotions that held her love, excitement and anticipation. She knew this was idealistic. It was going to be so much harder than either of them cared to think about. She knew it wasn't a fairytale.

But for a moment, just a night, maybe the two of them could have that fairytale they'd been chasing from the very beginning. Maybe they could just be the people they had always wanted to be, and finally choose happiness, choose each other, and let the rest of it figure itself out.

"Ask me," she said softly, her heart thudding slowly against his chest as her fingertips tickled his hairline. Time slowed, in the same way it did that day on the dock - a day that felt like ancient history in the grand scheme of all that happened.

"And I'm yours."

Rosie cupped his face, and his lungs deflated.

Cassian braced for the return to reason, the anchor that would bring him down from the stars he'd so fiercely fixed his eyes on as the pair of them took off into the night. It was all so fantastical, wasn't it? The heavens smiling--or scoffing--at the hubris of the pair that sought to rewrite the stars that first aligned to tell their story. Cass couldn't help but find something so profound in daring to dream while he waited for his sensible girlfriend to remind him of the real world that still waited for them.

School. Their families. The exams everyone kept telling him he needed for a life he never planned to have. Just the day before, his father had told him he wouldn't be doing the theatre for the summer. He'd gotten him an internship in his office starting in July, hoping for a foot in the door when he graduated.

Ministry advisor--no, something smaller, surely. Grinding his way up, coffee run after coffee run. Staying late to impress people who wouldn't help him save his family after.

He didn't want that, any of that. Rosie had told him once that his answer couldn't always be running, and he agreed...for the most part. But the boy couldn't see things getting better by choosing to stand still. Not this time. Standing still put them on a conveyor belt toward destruction--the destruction of self and eventually the destruction of them. That night, next year, what difference did it make? They'd be of age before the summer was over, and magic was the great equaliser that they hadn't been able to depend on the last time they'd run. If they could hole up somewhere until then, the ministry wouldn't be able to track their every cast. That alone already improved their odds.

He'd be a man, a man who...still got bogged down with homework? Had to babysit first years?

"Ask me."

His eyes widened a little, incredulous that this wouldn't be the letdown his muscles tensed for.

"And I'm yours."

His mouth fell open, his mind suddenly flooding with a world of possibilities. Some of it was terrifying. Most of it. Them, taking a second stab at the world. He'd have to take care of her. She'd be his to protect and provide for. Was he ready? Would he ever be? Waiting a year, Cassian knew he still wouldn't be able to get her a fancy house, or anything else she was used to, but...but he was determined to try, and the sooner he started...the sooner it would work itself out. Why delay the journey that he would have to set out on regardless?

His mouth opened and closed a few times, and the boy was lost for words--no, not lost, just suddenly overwhelmed by how many tried spilling out at once.

Cassian dragged her up the final step and out onto the observation deck, his insides buzzing with the chaos and thrill of the moment. It wasn't 'soon', it wasn't 'when we're ready', it was 'ask me, and I'm yours'. A promise. He had promises to make, too.

There, beneath the stars, Cassian McCormick sank to one knee. The boy took her by the hand, his trembling a little from what he knew he meant to do.

"Rosie...I...shit...I don't have a ring--but I'll get you one, I swear. I'll get you the world someday, gorgeous, any way I have to." The hammering in his chest was the only thing he could hear. It thundered louder than the frogs and the crickets, louder than the distant party, rattling his insides while he tried to get it all out. She deserved better, so much better. He had some money. In the morning, he could...shit...he could find her one...couldn't he? But he needed the stars. He needed the entire heavens to bear witness.

"Run away with me, marry me. Let me protect and take care of you--I know we don't have this all figured out yet, but I've given this a lot of thought, and you're the only one for me--it won't pay the bills--love I mean--but I'll--I'll work, I'll work from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep if it means I can have you--"

The finger at his lip stopped him, silence returning to the observation deck. Inside him wasn't so quiet. The thuds grew louder, more menacing.

He'd said it.

Shit.

He'd said it, and all he could do was wait with his hand still gripping hers like it was the only thing preventing him from drowning.

She waited, holding her breath as their eyes searched each other's. Were they really going to do this?

The fluttering in her heart dared to hope, her veins rushing with the sweetest rush of adrenaline. She could feel the moment hanging over them, anticipation's gravity holding her steady to the steps beneath her. What would her life look like if they didn't? Another year at Hogwarts, waiting on liberation to be set free into the world - if her father allowed it. Rosalie was beginning to realize that her future wasn't quite as cut and dry as she'd thought, and she didn't want to leave it in her parents' hands anymore.

The girl knew what she wanted, and he was standing right here.

He took her hand, suddenly rushing up to the observation deck, pulling her with him. The moon illuminated the look in his eyes, as the village glittered in the distance, and music drifted faintly from the other side of the castle.

He sank to one knee.

Rosalie's heart stopped.

"Rosie...I...shit...I don't have a ring--but I'll get you one, I swear. I'll get you the world someday, gorgeous, any way I have to."

"Oh my god," she whimpered, ocean eyes widening as her soft breaths came shallower. Her lip trembled as her hand tightened around his, not quite believing what was happening. When Rosalie had tried to picture this moment - what it would look like, what he would look like - if it happened, she'd never been able to truly picture it. Her heart wanted to believe that this day would come, but the part of her that knew how hard it would be - hadn't let her go all in.

"Run away with me, marry me. Let me protect and take care of you--I know we don't have this all figured out yet, but I've given this a lot of thought, and you're the only one for me--it won't pay the bills--love I mean--but I'll--I'll work, I'll work from the moment I wake up until I fall asleep if it means I can have you--"

A small intake of air as tears broke over soft eyelashes. The elation that filled Rosalie, the feelings coursing through her...Rosalie was sure she could never love him more than she loved him in this moment.

Every sweet smile, every knowing glance exchanged, every laugh, every tear, every brush of their hands, every disagreement, every reconciliation - they all flashed in front of her eyes. A reel telling their story, culminating in this moment where Rosie could feel nothing but his warm hand in hers.

She placed her finger against his lips, her expression growing soft as a pretty smile graced her lips. He quieted, as tears slipped down her cheeks, warm in tandem with the summer air. She took his face in with a look so tender it bordered on reverence. “Cassian...” The name broke out of her on a breath, as if her heart had said it first.

Her voice trembled, but the words were steady, carved straight from the truth in her bones. “I promised you forever,” she said, "and I meant it long before you ever asked.” She steadied herself, dropping to her knees to meet him where he was.

Blue eyes bore into soft brown, needing him to really hear her. “I don’t need a ring. I don’t need anything but you." She smiled, love spreading through her in a way she'd never felt before. "I'll go wherever you go."

Inhale.

The softest breath.

Exhale.

"I'll marry you."

In every lifetime.

“I don’t need a ring."

But she did. The best ring ever designed, the envy of the world, the diamond they hid deep underground because displaying it was so risky. There was so much that Cassian believed Rosie deserved, including a proper proposal and something to symbolise his promise to her. She deserved to wear something that reminded her every day that he was committed to her and only her. The boy knew he wasn't off to a good start, but everything in him swore in that moment that it would only be up from there.

Someday, he'd get everything right and be able to do all the things she needed.

And maybe she meant it. Maybe she really didn't need a ring...but...he needed to give her one. If he was going to step into the role, then it meant expectations. Rosie, sweet girl that she was, had always tried to insist she didn't need more, but he did. When it came to Rosalie Laurence, Cassian needed to feel like he was doing right by her. The boy couldn't allow himself to grow complacent. He never ever wanted to get used to the idea of giving Rosie less because she swore it was enough.

He could arrest the moon from the heavens, and even that wouldn't be enough.

He would get her a ring. He would get her house. He would get her the world--the universe. When there was nothing left to give, only then would he allow himself to be satisfied that he was treating her the way she deserved.

“I promised you forever, and I meant it long before you ever asked.”

A lump developed in his throat as his own eyes moistened. It...this was real...

They'd always said it, and Cassian had always clung to the idea that they would make it work without any real knowledge of how. Suddenly, tonight, forever was staring them in the face, and neither was willing to look away.

"I'll marry you."

He wanted to scream. Cassian wanted to yell so loud that the sleepy village below and the party-goers nearby could all hear him. The world needed to know, the dead, the living, that Rosalie Gretchen Laurence was going to marry him. Not on a maybe, not an abstract thought that they both indulged from time to time, but in the reality they knelt in, where their eyes locked and their souls opened. The emotion that surged through him nearly toppled him, forcing him to hold onto her to keep himself steady.

Yes.

She'd said yes.

Holy shit. He was gonna have a wife, he was gonna be someone's husband--Rosie's husband.

His hands cupped her face, pulling her against him as his body flooded with adrenaline. He kissed her hard, thanking her, praising her, promising her with each move of his lips against hers. He couldn't scream, not without blowing their cover, but he could still show her how much her words and her agreement meant to him. What he'd proposed was crazy--reckless even--, but she was willing to see it through to the other side with him, and that was honestly...the best fucking feeling in the entire world.

When he pulled away, he couldn't rip his eyes off her, his beautiful almost-wife. His thumbs brushed at her tears, wiping them away.

"Tonight then. Let's get your things."

This was real.

As Cassian's kiss drew her in, she answered every move of his lips with her own, pouring every last ounce of emotion that swam through her into it. There was nothing, nothing on this earth that Rosalie Laurence wanted more than this boy for her own. From the moment their eyes had first met at the summer facility in 1918, she had known that Cassian was someone special. That sentiment had only grown in the days, weeks, months and years that followed.

From their first holding of hands, to their first kiss, to their first time under the stars, Rosalie's feelings for him had cemented themselves somewhere deep within her soul, impressed so strongly that the girl thought he would never be removed.

And now - he wouldn't. She would never have to say goodbye to him again. There would be no more weeks and months apart, imposed silences and heartaches, because they were running towards forever. Cassian McCormick would be her husband. She would be his wife, and Rosie couldn't imagine any greater honor. He was choosing her.

They were about to start the rest of their lives together.

She gave a slight laugh when he pulled back, brushing the tears from her cheeks. There was so much she wanted to say to him, so much she wanted to express. She wanted to let all of the sweet words that were building up inside of her spill out of her lips and cover him in the intensity of all that she was feeling.

But as their eyes met again, all she could do was smile. This was it.

"Tonight then. Let's get your things."

---

Rosie led him quickly across the grounds, hand-in-hand as her eyes darted in every direction to ensure they weren't being seen. Back through the opposite end of the orchard, closer to the castle walls, and they were soon inside the darkened library. They raced down the corridors, past Benji's room and up the stairs. The portraits of her ancestors followed them, but unlike the ones at Hogwarts, these ones were merely content to observe in quiet judgement.

When they reached her room, she threw open the closet, snatching her backpack - luckily enchanted to hold far more than what it appeared - and tossed it to Cassian to hold open. Clothes, her notebook, her wand, bath and hygiene products. The only photograph she had of her and Cameron. All flew into the bag, along with the galleons she'd saved from all the babysitting she'd done last term.

There was a knock at the bedroom door. Rosalie froze, her eyes wide, as she caught Cassian's, indicating for him to quickly hide beneath the bed.

"Lady Rosalie?"

Fidèle. Why was he here? Ensuring Cassian was duly hidden, she opened her bedroom door a crack, and slipped out, closing it quickly behind her. The older house elf smiled softly up at her, his gentle brown eyes taking the girl in.

"Master Benji's proposal is finished now, it is. Miss Maggie is in there with you?"

"Yes. We'll be down in a few, Fidèle. No need to wait for us, please." The house elf bowed his head, his eyes glancing back to her bedroom door. Rosalie stooped down, taking the elf's hands in hers without warning. His large eyes drifted back to the girl he'd nannied since she was an infant, and his smile returned, his expression questioning but quiet.

"You're a wonderful elf, Fidèle," Rosie said softly, squeezing his hands a little, "Thank you for always taking such good care of me." Fidèle's smile widened, the praise falling on him like a warm blanket. He pulled one hand away, to cup at the side of the girl's face - something he hadn't done since she was a small child. He didn't say anything, just watched her for a moment, before giving a slight bow and dropping his hand from her cheek.

He moved back down the hallway from where he'd come, as Rosie watched him go, ensuring he was gone before she entered the room again. "Let's go. My parents' room is down the hall," she whispered, racing to grab her bag, and slipping on a pair of flats. She'd change her clothes in the village.

In her parents room, Rosalie made a beeling for the chest of drawers she knew hid her father's stash of money. She'd never stolen from him before, but the rebllious side of her thought this was her dowry, and surely her father wouldn't deny her husband her dowry? She reached into the very back of the drawer until she found a latch and clicked it, another secret compartment opening up off to the side of the chest. Inside, there were stacks of galleons and pounds alike - and Rosalie grabbed all of it, handing it off to Cassian as fast as she could. While they couldn't count it now, she knew there was more than enough to hold them over for awhile.

A few potions - considering they had come in handy last time - and a quick snatch of her mother's lipstick. The girl uncapped it, leaning into her parent's mirror where she wrote:

You Don't Own Me

Cassian grinned at her, taking the lipstick from her hand and wrote just beneath it:

Regards, Cassian McCormick

"Cheeky," she said, as he tossed the lipstick onto the vanity with little fanfare. "Come on, I think we've got everything. Let's get back to Freddie and Maggie before anyone notices."

He’d been in her room so many times but tonight was the first that it was real. He took it all in, his gaze covering every inch of the room as if he meant to commit it to memory. They’d never see it again, not if Cassian had anything to say about it. When they walked through that large, wooden door, it would be for good.

The last time he’d broken into the castle, he hadn’t gotten beyond the well-decorated corridors and the foyer Freddie had been so fond of. Tonight, they’d run through corridor after corridor, the details lost on him in all the frenzy that ended in this sacred space. Cass dutifully held her bag—the same one they’d run with last time for its ability to contain more—while Rosie ripped through her soon-to-be former bedroom like a tornado. The girl grabbed everything she thought she would need, selective in what she left behind. She wouldn’t need most of it, not where they were going. The two would be starting a new life far away from all the pomp and pageantry.

Watching her, he thought of what he might pack. It would be impractical to take all his books. Most of them would have to be left behind. His screenplays? He’d take the ones he was most fond of.

"Lady Rosalie?"

Shit.

The pair shot each other wide eyed looks, but the terror lasted only a moment. He’d already proposed. She’d already said yes. Her bag was getting fuller. Freezing now would be surrender. Cassian ducked under her bed, allowing the skirting around the sides to conceal him while she went to get the door. He recognised the voice, vaguely. That nervous house elf that had nearly caught them the last time he and Freddie had been there. As much as he wanted to proudly declare that he wasn’t afraid, the boy was relieved it wasn’t her father or someone else from the party coming to check in on her.

The boy kept himself toward the further end of the bed, in case the elf tried to have a peep inside. There, he waited, following the somewhat muffled conversation going on by the door Rosie closed behind her.

“You're a wonderful elf, Fidèle. Thank you for always taking such good care of me."

It hit him then, in a way it hadn’t while they were back in the tower. They were leaving—for good. They were leaving people behind, some who really cared about and would miss them. Was it fair to ask her to? Cassian swallowed his questions, knowing he couldn’t afford to get into his head now that their plans were in action. She’d said yes and he had to trust that she meant it. If he spent every second wondering, who would it benefit?

Her parents’ room was next.

Like he did in her room, Cassian committed every inch to memory. The boy relished the thought of her father’s ire at knowing he’d ever been in there. A part of him hoped he would find out. Let him seethe at the thought of someone he considered lower than dirt trampling through his private quarters—taking his money.

On principle, Cass wasn’t a thief, but her father could find the largest stick to go fuck himself with. He could fund this trip. It was the least he could do.

With the last of the money secure, he turned to leave but caught Rosie by the vanity from the corner of his eyes.

“What’re you…?

He drifted over, a slow smile growing when he caught the words she’d scribbled onto the mirror. Might as well go out with something of a bang. He took the lipstick from her, adding his own farewell.

“Cheeky.”

He tossed it carelessly back onto the vanity, his shoulders rising in a casual shrug. “They need to know you’re in good hands now.”

Cass laced his fingers with hers and led her back through the door. They were as careful sneaking out as they had been sneaking in. Each corner was checked before heading into it, they slowed every time they thought they heard footsteps. The boy physically felt a weight lift off his shoulder when they were finally back outside beneath the stars.

He let her lead them back to the orchard.

“We’ll make a quick stop at my place. At this hour my folks shouldn’t be home yet. Freddie can take us anywhere else we need to go after that.”

Speaking of the boy, his voice drifted through the trees, floating on the wind despite his whispers. He and Maggie sounded like they were still having a good time, both oblivious to what had already been decided.

Did he want to know what he was walking back into?

“They need to know you’re in good hands now.”

Merlin, she loved him. Her smile brightened, completely enraptured in this boy and the whimsy of everything they were doing. She could just imagine the horror on her mother's face when they walked into the room, ready to turn in for the night. She could see that silent seethe behind her father's eyes, and the rage that would come when he realized Cassian had not only stolen his daughter, but his money too.

She almost wished they could stick around to see it.

He took her hand, fingers entwining as they hurried back out of the room and rushed down the hallway, taking their time to ensure they avoided anyone who might be wandering about. With Benji's proposal finished, it meant that the family would be filtering back in, and while it was an incredibly large castle, she wasn't taking any chances knowing what she knew they'd do to him if caught.

Back outside, as the two hurried through the orchard, she caught sight through the trees of guests leaving and heading back through the main gates, or apparating entirely. It meant they had to hurry, before her family discovered she was gone.

“We’ll make a quick stop at my place. At this hour my folks shouldn’t be home yet. Freddie can take us anywhere else we need to go after that.”

"Okay," she agreed softly, tugging him to a stop. In the near distance, Rosie could hear Maggie's quiet giggles and she knew these were the last moments they had before everything changed. She looked up at him, wanting to ask him if he was sure. She wasn't the only one walking away from a family and an entire life. Cassian would be running away from his parents. His father loved him and would worry himself sick over his leaving. He had just started getting to know his mum again.

What about his theatre group and his large amount of friends there?

...What about Freddie?

She knew he was sure; he wouldn't have asked her if he wasn't. "I love you," she said, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly as she nuzzled the side of her face into his chest. Her heart thundered in her chest with a mix of excitement, love, anticipation and...maybe a hint of grief. Their lives would never be the same. This would be the night she and Cassian stopped being kids.

When she let him go, they followed the sounds of their friends, coming upon the two still pressed up against the tree. At least it seemed that whatever they had been up to - and if Rosie knew Maggie, she could take a fairly certain guess - had met its conclusion. They were entwined still, foreheads together talking about something or other.

She squeezed Cassian's hand, knowing they had to make it quick. "Maggie?" Rosie called, and when Maggie glanced up, Rosie couldn't help the bright smile that broke out across her lips. "I have to tell you something," she said, her voice slightly higher than its normal octave as she did all she could to keep from bouncing. She let go of Cass's hand, reaching for Maggie's and pulled her a little ways from the boys, so it could just be them.

"What is it? You're making me nervous."

"I'm leaving, now, with Cassian. And...I'm not coming back." Rosie's voice was hurried as she glanced over her shoulder, and Maggie clutched her a little tighter.

"What?!"

There was immediate excitement in Maggie's voice, her smile reaching her eyes as she clutched Rosalie incredulously. Rosie let out a soft laugh, and nodded. "He asked me and...Maggie how can I tell him no? Look at him." She turned to look at her fiance, and felt a wave of emotion wash over her again. She smiled, returning her gaze to Maggie. "I'm going to marry him."

Maggie squeezed her, giving a little hop. "Yeah you are. God, what an adventure." The girls held each other for a minute. "Don't worry about me. I'll have my mum send for me tomorrow." Rosie apologized for leaving her, feeling terrible about having to drop all the plans they'd made for the next couple of months. But her friend only kissed her on the cheek. "You'll finally get away from them," Maggie whispered, meaning Rosie's parents.

Rosie suddenly felt Cassian's strong hand in hers, giving her a gentle but urgent tug. They couldn't linger a second longer. Every moment that passed was a moment closer to being chased. She leaned in quickly to hug her friend, before Cassian began pulling her back towards the low wall.

Maggie, true to form, snatched Freddie by his sleeve and pulled him to her for a last kiss. "See you around, Fireball. Thanks for the fun." The dark-haired girl gave them all an excited wave and ran back through the orchard and towards the castle.

"I love you."

He knew that. Of course, he did. This whole plan, all of this, he wouldn't have dreamed about any of it if he doubted for even a second that Rosie loved him with her whole heart. This wouldn't work any other way. The road ahead was about to be a tough one. They were probably gonna have a night or two where they were hungry--maybe some bills would come, and they wouldn't know where the first galleon would come from to pay them. They were still young. There would inevitably be those who didn't take them seriously and wouldn't for years. They'd be all each other had to depend on in a world that had tried to tell them they didn't belong together.

Cassian gave her a tight squeeze when she hugged him, taking it as a reminder of what he was gaining by letting everything else go. The sweet scent of cherry blossoms, a heart of gold, a smile that warmed his insides.

His sunshine when the clouds started rolling in.

He let her go to Maggie, thinking the few goodbyes they could afford to have should be granted. There shouldn't be any regrets when they were already gone. In the meantime, he turned to Freddie.

The redhead grinned at his approach, reaching his hand up to smooth back his dishevelled hair. He'd had a good time, there was no denying that, and a piece of the boy's heart hurt to think he'd never see that rogish grin light up his best friend's face again--not any time soon, at least. It had always been him and Freddie, even when his other mates had fucked off following the gloom that enveloped him at his mother's passing. They'd gotten into trouble befitting dramatic boys who chased thrills. They'd even gotten into fights for each other.

"Tell me we get to sneak back here," Freddie said, clapping a hand onto his shoulder when he was close enough. "Maggie's a wild one."

"I'm sure she is," Cass replied, sparing the girls a quick glance. His friend's sigh turned his attention back to him.

"Alright then, out with it. Let's hear it."

"We're not coming back."

His tone brought a seriousness to his best friend's features. Freddie leaned in, concern growing in his eyes. "Everything alright?"

"Yeah," he breathed, breaking into an incredulous smile. "She said 'yes'; she wants to marry me."

"And...?" Freddie prompted, unconvinced the mood of the conversation matched the news he'd been given. He'd always been good at reading him--they'd always been able to read each other. Not much got by his pseudo-Gryffindor friend, and he found himself...grateful in the moment to have had a friend who knew him so well--in ways that differed from Rosie. They filled different holes in his life, and he knew, standing there under the moonlit shade of the cherry trees, just how indispensable Freddie had always been.

"We're running tonight. I dunno where yet, but...we've decided we're ready, we want each other and we're not gonna let anyone stop us."

Freddie knew most of it. He'd been the only safe space he could confide in without risking his life or Rosie's safety. The boy knew the perils that lay in wait, and they'd already talked about Cassian's conviction that it was worth it. This wouldn't be one of those conversations. The boy went quiet, taking a moment for himself to accept what he'd heard. He gave a small nod, assimilating the information as if it were gospel and unchanging. Freddie knew Cassian planned to run, but he just didn't think it would be that night. When they'd laughed over bottles of butterbeer on the boy's roof, he'd known his friend would disappear into the night someday.

Tonight was that someday.

Freddie shook off his melancholy, as he would a role, plastering on instead his signature grin as if his own mind had been made up about something, too. He wrapped his arm around Cassian's shoulder. "Alright, so we'll figure it out. Got a few places I'd like to see while we're on the road."

"...Freddie..."

"Thank me later. I don't see you apparating across the way on your own, and you'll need someone the hit wizards won't be chasing every time you cast lumos. You're stuck with me--at least until you've got that trace off you. I'm sure Dad won't mind. He's got a bunch of big projects this summer, and told me I'd be on my own entertaining myself. Grab your girl, mate, we gotta be in the Netherlands by morning."

He couldn't help the smile that widened. He saw through his friend as much as Freddie saw through him. Cassian saw his worry, his fears and his attempt to help make sure they were safe. "Why the Netherlands?"

"Hurry up!"

"Sweet dreams, Little." Julia kissed her daughter's forehead as she tucked her into her bed, flicking her wand to illuminate the little night-lamp on her end table. It glowed a soft orange, only bright enough to provide comfort while Kate fell asleep. "I'll be down in the family sitting room if you need me." She drew the curtains and headed for the door, closing it softly behind her.

A flash of golden hair caught her eye, disappearing around the corner, along with dark curls that she'd recognize anywhere. Julia's heart stopped for a moment, fear gripping her as she tried to tell herself she hadn't seen what she had. Rosalie had to know better. Sneaking Cassian in here was akin to a death wish. Julia moved quickly down the hallway, not to try and stop them, but to ensure they were leaving.

As she turned the corner and saw them ducking through the library doors, she saw the backpack.

They were running.

"Oh my God," Julia murmured, horror washing over her, knowing what was going to happen if they really tried this again - and were caught. Briefly, she thought of stopping them then and there, but knew it would only cause a commotion and catch the attention of the rest of the family. There was only one way out of here and it was through the village. They'd have to head there first.

Julia rushed back to her room, grabbing her purse and tucking her wand into her dress pocket, before she apparated out with a quick snap.

---

Arundel Village
9:30 PM

The street was relatively quiet for a Saturday night, most of the evening activities taking place further in the town center. The old nondescript 'pharmacy' that was connected to the Floo Network was dark and quiet, save for the lone oil lamp that sat in its front window, indicating to magical folk that it was open for convenience.

Julia stood in front of the door, anxiety rushing through her, trying to decide what she could say - what she would say that would make them listen. Cassian and Rosalie were bullheaded when it came to each other, and had refused to adhere to reason in the past. Julia knew this was the last time. Either they left and successfully stayed away, or they would die, and there was nothing she could do to protect them.

Leo would find them. He would never tell James that he had. He would move like the snake in the grass that Julia knew he was and take care of them before her brother even knew they had been located.

She could try to make them stay. Try to get Rosie back to the castle and send Cassian home before anyone knew anything was amiss.

Or she could let them go, and watch the little girl that held her heart walk out of her life forever.

She was quiet and composed as she heard voices approaching - two she recognized as Cassian and Rosalie, and a third she didn't. Maggie wasn't with them. She waited as the three came into view, rushing quickly towards the shop, and stopping suddenly when they noticed her.

It was silent for a moment as they all exchanged looks, but her eyes held...Cassian's.

The boy had never heeded any of her advice or any of her warnings. He was someone who could not be told what to do - not when it came to Rosalie. He had defied her at every turn, shrugged off every plea and made it very clear that while he would remain polite and respectful, he wouldn't be corralled. In many ways, Julia admired this about him. He had a quiet strength within him, a defiance that would serve him well in a world that would tell him what he deserved and what he didn't.

And Cassian would take what he wanted anyway. She mused, had he put that energy more into his studies and planning for his future, he would be a force within the wizarding world to be reckoned with.

He was certainly a force to be reckoned with when it came to that little blonde girl.

And yet, Julia had the biggest soft spot for him. He had been one of her assistants for years, and she had had plenty of time and casual conversations getting to know him. He had a good heart, a strong sense of right and wrong, and always tried to do right by people. He was exactly what Rosalie needed.

"Cassian," she said softly, swallowing back the emotions that were trying to undo her composure. "Do you understand what you're doing?" It was a genuine question, not a threat or a judgement. She wanted to ensure that this boy understood what he was trying to take on. What this was going to do to his life, to Rosalie's life - and the lives of everyone that loved them.

He didn't give Freddie any shit this time. After saying their goodbyes to Maggie--and checking that his friend knew what he was signing up for, the three set off. Clear of the castle gates, his bestfriend took them each by the hand and popped them into the sleepy village. It wasn't the first time he'd been in Arundel village at that hour, nor was it the first time he'd witnessed the town gone to bed, but it was the first that the silence had felt so heavy. It was almost menacing.

Any sound could be their undoing. Heavy footsteps, bumping into the wrong thing. They could be spotted. Others had begun to appear on the street. Not many, but they were dressed well enough for Cassian to guess where they were coming from.

These were the ones who'd drunk too much and didn't want to risk the apparition trip home. A foggy mind was a recipe for splinching. Drunk as they were, they understood that. The three hung around the side of the old pharmacy, letting the garden party guests go before them. It wouldn't do to have anyone recognise Rosie and start asking questions. The last thing they needed was to be dragged back to the castle when they'd all been so settled on the plan. The boy was under no illusion that this would end well for any of them if that happened--not even his hapless friend who had only been trying to help.

The only way was forward.

When the coast grew clear, Cassian led them all in around to the entrance. "Come on, before the rest of them get here." If the party was over, it wouldn't be much longer before they realised Rosie was missing, then the village might be flooded with Laurences.

He stopped short when a lone figure appeared by the door. Not just any figure, but one of the few he'd said every prayer in the hopes of not running into.

Hadn't she done enough to dissuade them? It hadn't worked in the past when they were still safe within the walls of Hogwarts. It certainly wouldn't work now with less favourable outcomes for surrender waiting in the wings.

"Cassian. Do you understand what you're doing?"

It was always the same.

Cass got the feeling they thought he was a blind and helpless lamb to the slaughter, captured and drawn in by Rosie's radiance, unable to see the world for what it was. They tried to treat him like a child--a small child, one that didn't know better and required someone else to tell him what to do. They couldn't be more wrong. The boy understood the risks, and he understood the peril. None of them weighed heavily enough for him to come to the conclusion that she wasn't worth it.

Was he scared? Every single time he thought about what might happen to him. He still wanted it, wanted her. He'd learned sometime back that wanting her meant danger and perhaps even disappearance, but...not having her...led to the same. His father seemed so sure he'd find another girl. The man had tried to argue that souls didn't tie themselves together and that in their city alone, there were probably more blondes with blue eyes than he could count. Shy ones. Ones that loved adventure. All with families that didn't despise him.

He didn't want any of them.

Cassian wrapped his arm around his girlfriend's waist defensively. He pulled her close, swallowing roughly. This was just another test. When the night was over, he would have to keep standing his ground. The boy would have to keep choosing her and refusing to back down.

It started here.

"I do," he said, his voice firm despite the slight tremor.

He didn't, of course. In a lot of ways, Cassian was clueless. He didn't know where they were going or how they would feed themselves. But the few things he did know were the things he was determined to see through.

"You said it yourself, this doesn't end well for either of us. Miss Laurence..." The boy hesitated a moment. She wasn't his professor anymore; she wasn't his librarian. There wasn't a chance of detention, no 'get out of my office', no 'extra shifts in the library' for his cheek, yet there remained a deep-seated respect. Cass had always liked the woman, despite his growing caution when she began insisting they not be together.

If not tonight, then when would he ever have another chance to lay things out for her?

"You and me both know they'll never let me have her. Not now, not after sending her to university. I can't...I can't change my blood; I'll never be good enough for them. The only path they're offering is to walk away and I...I can't do that. I love her--and she loves me." Another pause as he looked down at his girlfriend. "She agreed to marry me and...running is the only way that makes that possible, even if it's a harder one. We can't wait, not if we want this to work. At the end of seventh year, they'll already be well into whatever plans we all know they're preparing. I'm not gonna sit by and let them...or you take her from me."

Freddie took her hand, and she held her breath, waiting for the pop and the feeling of being yanked by her naval.

The warm evening air gave way from the scent of cherry trees to the scents of the village that filled the quiet streets. Roasted meats and fragrant bread drifted through the air, enticing late-nighters further into the center of the village for supper. There were a few party-goers already filtering from the castle, some drunk and stumbling over themselves, others just as cognizant of their surroundings as the three teens. They waited until a smaller crowd dispersed and disappeared into the pharmacy, before Cassian led them around to the front.

The last thing they needed was anyone catching them and thwarting their plans - made even more terrifying by the idea they'd have her father to reconcile with.

"Cassian. Do you understand what you're doing?"

Her breath caught in her throat as the soft voice of her cousin broke through the quiet of the night. Julia didn't move, standing in front of the door, her expression stoic and calm. She didn't...seem angry, but she rarely did. Immediately, Rosie reached for Cassian, ready to stand in front of him if her cousin tried anything, but he wrapped his arm around her protectively, pulling her in close.

Rosie could see Freddie on the other side of Cass out of the corner of her eye, and she took solace that if things dissolved quickly, while Julia was very adept, she was outnumbered by them. Rosalie loved her cousin and didn't want it to come to that, but she would protect the boy who was to be her husband with everything she had.

"I do. You said it yourself, this doesn't end well for either of us. Miss Laurence..."

Rosie's eyes remained on Julia, watching every slight movement, her own body tense and ready. Over the span of her life, Rosie had learned quite well how to read people, how to sense their emotions, and recently how to interpret their intentions. But with two other people surrounding her, it was hard to decipher whose feelings were whose.

"I'll never be good enough for them. The only path they're offering is to walk away and I...I can't do that. I love her--and she loves me."

Rosie's expression softened, tentatively turning her gaze from her cousin to her boyfriend. Hearing the words - that he knew he'd never be good enough for them - broke her heart. He'd never said them before, never gave life to them. But they both knew and had for the longest time. She despised them for how they had made him feel. For how they had diminished his worth to nothing more than his blood status - something that held no real value outside of pureblood circles that seemed to think it mattered.

He was worth a hundred of them. A thousand. He was so good, so driven, so loving.

She didn't deserve him, but how lucky she felt to be his anyway.

"I'm not gonna sit by and let them...or you take her from me."

Rosie held her head high, "Let us go, Julia. There's nothing here for us anymore." She stepped forward, indicated the boys to follow her when Julia stepped quickly in front of her. Rosie sighed, frustration watching over her, but she froze, seeing tears falling down her cousin's cheeks.

"Wait."

Her heart wrenched, and all at once, the only impression she could pick up was sorrow and grief. It exuded from Julia in waves, twisting the girl's insides so profoundly, she felt her own eyes beginning to water. They both understood, silently, that this was goodbye. And while they'd butted heads in the past, the love between them had never faltered.

Julia had been more of a mother to her than Gretchen ever had.

"You're sure, Dove? This is what you want?"

Rosalie nodded, her own arm slinking around Cassian and holding him tighter against her.

“I was born into their world. I don’t have to die in it.” They were simple words, but they were finally hers. And no one was going to take them, or him, from her.

"I do."

She nodded quietly, hoping he truly did. Julia knew at this point, that all the words she had spoken, all the experiences she had shared - they were hers, not theirs. Her story was one of devastation, tragedy and the unfairness of being torn between loyalties and loves. She hadn't been strong enough for Ezra. Had she refused to acquiesce to her father's demands, would the outcome have been any different for the boy she'd met in the bookshelves at Beauxbatons so many Christmases ago? She doubted it. But it didn't change the fact that he had heard her end it, and that he had to die alone and afraid.

Rosalie was so much braver than she had been at that age. There was a fire in the girl, that despite all attempts could never be extinguished. Instead, it defied, roaring into a hotter, fiercer blaze with every discouraging word.

Julia knew if it all came down to it, Rosalie would lay down and die right beside Cassian, before she'd ever relinquish him and leave him behind.

Their story would be different. Julia had to believe it, or she'd go insane with worry.

"You and me both know they'll never let me have her. Not now, not after sending her to university. I can't...I can't change my blood; I'll never be good enough for them. The only path they're offering is to walk away and I...I can't do that. I love her--and she loves me."

She listened quietly, never taking her eyes off the boy who, for the first time, bore his soul and heart to her, imploring her to finally understand. And it wasn't that she hadn't before, but maybe she just needed to hear the words. That he loved her. That he wanted her. That for once, in this long lineage of sacrificing self for the greater good, love might actually win.

"We can't wait, not if we want this to work. At the end of seventh year, they'll already be well into whatever plans we all know they're preparing. I'm not gonna sit by and let them...or you take her from me."

Julia knew the plans they had for her, even if Rosie didn't. She paused for a moment, letting out a shaky breath as she tried to gather her bearings, tried to force herself to understand that she had to let them go. Her kids. She wasn't their parent, but Cassian and Rosalie were her kids - two that she loved and cared about as much as her own. How would she sit in that library next term and feel that vast emptiness of their loss? Without Rosalie's smile every day? Without Cassian's cheeky demeanor?

Tears broke over her eyelids as Rosie tried to move past her, but she took a quick step to block her path. "Wait," she said, choking down her own feelings. She wasn't one to normally lose her composure, but the regret and devastation of it all was crashing down on her like torrents.

Her eyes found Rosie's and she knew - the idea that she'd see her sweet girl again was slim to none. "You're sure, Dove? This is what you want?" She just needed to hear it.

Rosie nodded. Affirming it was, and that she wasn't willing to die here.

Julia nodded quickly, knowing she was only delaying them. She took the girl into her arms, and hugged her tightly, holding her in what she knew was their last moments together. "Be so happy," Julia said, taking a step back and cupping Rosie's face in her hands. "Have the greatest adventure for me." She smiled through her tears, and then reached for Cassian's hand, pulling him away from both Rosie and his friend.

When they were out of earshot, Julia pulled a ring from her hand, and placed it in his, before cupping her other hand over it. "It was my mother's," she said with a light smile. "You promise me that you'll take good care of her, and let her take care of you? You stay safe and don't take any risks you don't need to." She leaned in to kiss his cheek, before patting his hand.

"Go, quickly. I'll distract the family as long as I can and give you a head start."

When the three had disappeared through the door of the pharmacy, a soft pop sounded, and Julia had vanished, leaving the village streets quiet again.

When Rosie moved forward, the boys did, too. Cassian had meant it when he said that not even Julia would be allowed to stop them. His stomach churned at the thought he may have to draw his wand on her, not only because it would trigger the trace but because...he didn't want it ending that way. It wasn't how he wanted any goodbyes with the woman to be. Not that. Not violence. Not a bitter aftertaste he would have to carry for years because he couldn't get it out of his mind. The boy preferred the memories of her rolling her eyes in reply to his cheeky quips, her exasperated sighs when she caught them and knew full well they'd just go somewhere else to continue.

He wanted to remember the warmth that she'd always offered him and the support he'd never always appreciated. Spells blasting, the threat of the MLE suddenly apparating in, those would only serve to tarnish what they'd built in the last few years and that was the last thing he wanted.

When they ran, they wouldn't be able to take most of their things with them, but they'd be able to take the memories--a whole lifetime's worth. Cass didn't hate Julia and he didn't want to end the night with that changing if it could be helped at all.

"You're sure, Dove? This is what you want?"

He paused, too. It was a question he didn't dare ask but now that it was thrown out, the boy would be lying if he said he wasn't interested in the answer. This would be the biggest leap they ever took, one that would remove them from everything they knew and loved--everything but each other.

Rosie pulled him close and it was all the answer he needed. They were in this together, both committed to not turning back. She was right. There were no rules that said the world they were born into was the one they also had to die in. They may well die anyway. There was a chance they wouldn't get further than the Channel, but that was their choice and they were done letting other people make it for them.

"Have the greatest adventure for me."

It was the woman's blessing...but it stabbed at a piece of him. Again the boy was reminded of the permanency of their decision. There wouldn't be any waking up in the morning with their minds changed. They were leaving...and the people they were leaving would hurt.

With his insides stirring, he let Julia pull him away.

He held his hand out automatically, growing confused when she dropped into it something she quickly covered before he could have a proper look.

"It was my mother's. You promise me that you'll take good care of her, and let her take care of you? You stay safe and don't take any risks you don't need to."

Cassian took a deep breath, steeling himself against the fresh tide of emotions that swelled within him. He would protect her, he would. Cass had known from the moment he began to harbour plans of running that it would be his job until his dying breath. "I will," he promised, his cheek burning from the warmth her kiss had left behind. The boy uncurled his fingers, finally seeing the ring. Earlier, he hadn't had one to give and now...it came courtesy of the woman who'd warned them they would never work.

His fingers closed tightly around the ring again. "I'll take care of her...and this. Someday, I'll give it back." It was a promise to her, too. That they'd be fine, that they'd thrive and that one day--maybe far off into the future, they'd come find her. Then he'd let her know he'd done what he promised and she wouldn't have to worry about them anymore.

Someday.

"Go, quickly. I'll distract the family as long as I can and give you a head start."

"Thank you, Miss L--Julia...for everything."

Cassian turned and hurried back to Rosie and Freddie, indicating they needed to be hurry. One by one, they grabbed a handful of powder, disappearing in plumes of vibrant green smoke. Off they went, into the night, off to start an adventure Julia could be proud of or die trying.