We Plan, God Laughs

And so this was it. Michael had received his marching orders, and he hated it. He had done a great many things that he didn't like in his lifetime, but he had normally done them for the greater good. The anxiety washed over him like a tsunami. He was rarely ever anxious, but this seemed to justify it. This was a flashback to the old days, where survival depended upon such compliance. Imprisonment, whether it was in Azkaban or by marriage, was still imprisonment. Madeline Ross did not appear to be any more delighted with the situation. He had had a few reassurances from friends but they did appear to be ringing cold in his ears this morning.

His blood ran cold, colder than the bitter winter air that whipped his face as he walked to the Library. It hadn't gone unnoticed that Maddie was an exceptionally beautiful woman, and she seemed to have a lot of spirit. He liked that. And it wasn't that he wasn't allergic to women--far from it. He was highly allergic to marriage. However, he was more allergic to dementors. Besides that, he was a gentleman. He wasn't going to be the cause of her being endlessly tormented by dementors. If she chose that for him, well, he would accept it. He wasn't sure if this situation was a win-win or a lose-lose. He pulled the collar up on his gray wool peacoat and hastened his step while he had the nerve.

He pushed open the door of the Library--the Hogsmeade branch of Sparks. He liked the friendly atmosphere here. This morning, there was a fire in the stone fireplace, and the smell of tea, coffee, pastries baking, and breakfast did offer him some comfort. He was early, he saw. Madeline wasn't here yet.

"Your regular table is open, Michael," Tina, the morning shift manager,called, motioning towards the table in front of the fireplace. He liked the table because it also had a nice view out the window towards the street. "Your usual tea?" she asked in a chipper voice.

"Yes," he said. "Please. Bring a pot and two mugs. There's someone joining me today."

"Earl Grey, then?" she asked, presuming Robert was his guest. "Or Winter Spice?"

"I honestly have no idea," he sighed.

"Earl Grey," she said, opting for tradition. He made his way to the table, took off his coat and, sighing heavily, he sat down. He had nothing to offer her, really. Not in the things that mattered. He was going to be, to her, old. Maybe he should have robbed Robert's stores for a bottle of youth potion. Maybe should have brought the dogs. But what if she didn't like dogs? What if she would prefer to cell to this? He made a mental note to read the paperwork over again in case there was an escape clause for irreconcilable differences.

"Jesus, what am I doing?" he muttered to himself. And why the hell was he feeling like he was thirteen?

It was pretty safe to say that Madeline Ross had no clue as to what she was doing or what she was going to do. She had been given her orders, been told to marry, but she didn't really want to go through with it. But at the same she didn't want to end up in Azkaban. And she definitely didn't want her match to end up there either. Michael seemed like a good man, a fun one at that, and Maddie didn't want to stick him in Azkaban because she didn't want to get married.

So she decided to suck it up. She had agreed to meet Michael in the Library and as she got ready she couldn't help but feel like a teenager again. The anxiety she felt, the nervousness, she hadn't felt that since her teenage years. She had to admit, she liked the feeling, but she most definitely didn't like the situation that was causing the feeling. She sighed and looked in the mirror once more, adjusting the necklace she had put on that belonged to her mother before she gave it to her.

Glancing at the clock, Maddie realized it was almost time and being the type to not like to be late, the woman apparated to Hogsmeade and stood outside the Library for a moment, willing herself to go inside. She took a deep breath and walked in, quickly spotting Michael who had gotten there before her. She walked toward him and smiled gently, "Hello Michael." She greeted him.

He heard a voice, addressing him, and he looked up to see her.  Most of the nervousness seemed to melt when he saw her beautiful face and her dazzling smile. If this were his lot, then he was not at all unhappy about the choice of a match. Not so far anyway. There was a warmth and an simple elegance about her that appealed to him.

"Madeline," he smiled. "Good morning. May I take your coat for you?"  He stood up and pulled out the chair across from him for her as Tina arrived with the tea.

"Good morning," Tina said cheerfully.  "Michael said he had a friend coming. Any friend of Michael's is a friend of ours." She set the teapot on the table and the mugs, with sugar and creamer, and a pair of breakfast menus. Along with it, she laid a parchment Library envelope addressed to Khaat and Robert at Michael's place. Michael nodded at the request to relay the envelope to the Lupins. It wasn't unsual. "I can take those coats for you, if you like," Tina told them.

OOC:  Spell check is evil!!!  ie: I say, "May I take your coat for you?  Spellcheck edits: "May I take your cat for you?" GAH!!!

[OOC: LOL. Because Maddie totally carries around a cat with her XD]

She really didn't understand why she felt so nervous about this. It's not like she hadn't been out with a man before. She had been on dates before, that much was obvious, so why did she feel like a lost teenager who was going on a first date with someone? Maybe it was because the circumstances were different this time.

She sighed and nodded after a quick hesitation in response to his question to take her coat. She slipped the coat off and just as she was about to hand it to him, a waitress approached and asked to take them. She smiled at the girl and nodded, turning to hand her the coat before sitting down. She glanced out the window for a moment to look at the passing students and adults. She wondered what they might be thinking of the marriage law, some of them probably already received their letters and were freaked out.

She looked at Michael and smiled shyly for some reason. "How're you?" she asked, trying to make conversation out of something, so they wouldn't have to sit in an awkward silence for most of the time.

He sat down when she did, and they seemed to need to suffer through an awkward moment. Michael couldn't imagine many things making him that uncomfortable, and he saw that Madeline felt the same.

She spoke, and it did seem to help break the ice.

"I'm nervous as hell," he laughed. "When did dating get to be so hard? Seriously, though, I know we both fee pressured into this, and in reality, we are. But you need to make the choice that's right for you. I don't want you doing this for any other reason than its the best choice for you. This is simply choosing the lesser of the evils. Do what's best for you.

"You do realize that if they're pairing us off, supposedly to preserve the magical bloodlines, then they've only got one reason for doing it. The next step will be to mandate us into parenthood, if the law isn't repealed by them.

"I have nothing against children, and I have nothing against you. You are, unquestionably, one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen, but let's face it, I am older than you are. If this isn't the right choice for you, then I really do want you to think of yourself first."

"If I haven't tried to get out of this already, it's because I am thinking of myself." she stated, half lying. "But I'm also thinking of you. I don't want you to end up in Azkaban for something as stupid as this. I don't want to end up there, and I'm sure as hell that you don't want to be locked up in there either."

At this point, though it hadn't been in her plans, she was willing to get married just because it would keep them both out of Azkaban. "I don't mind having to become a parent, if you don't." she told him. There, she probably was lying, she didn't like children that much, honestly. But she figured if she became a mother, her attitude toward them would change.

So, really, she didn't mind marrying or becoming a parents that much. Considering her "fiancee" was actually handsome. "It also does not phase me that you are older than I. Plenty of couples get married with age gaps - sometimes larger than ours." she added. "So there's no point in even trying to use that as any type of excuse, if that was what you were trying to do." she continued, a wink accompanying her last comment.

He laughed.  Oddly enough, if first impressions were any judge, he liked her. That was a good thing. He wasn't sure how she was going to get long with the footstools and the kleptomanic hat rack. Oh, and then there was the climbing rope with a mind of its own, and oh, hell. If she found out what he really was, he figured she'd gladly change that all away for a nice warm cell someplace. Who was he kidding?

"I think a sense of humor in this will definitely help," he smiled. "You know, I've never been opposed to children--so long as they were someone else's. I just honestly never gave much thought to having any of my own. I do very well with the children in my family, but its hard to wrap my mind around a child of my own at this point in my life.

"But maybe I need to back up and not jump so far ahead. Maybe we need to start a little closer to the beginning. So, um, the short definition of Michael Tremaine....um...I like adventure, but I also like a quiet personal life. I like the fine arts--art galleries, theater, the symphony, that sort of thing. I read, I cook, I travel,...and I feel like I'm prattling. Okay. Tag. You're it. Madeline Ross, tell me a bit about yourself," he smiled.

For some reason, all of this felt somewhat normal for the woman. It was as if she was having lunch with a close friend she had known for a long time. It was odd to feel that considering she had only just met him, basically, and seeing how awkward things had been and still were. But being awkward forever wasn't going to get them anywhere. It was better that they become accustomed to one another since they were going to be spending a lot of time together after their wedding.

He wanted to know about her and Maddie thought for a few moments. "Well, I'm not sure what to say about myself." she replied softly. "I've always enjoyed anything that involved being in nature. I love animals, and actually tend to prefer them to people most of the time. I've never thought much about children of my own, but I don't really get along with young children, sadly." she told him. "I love photography, it had been my passion since I was a little girl and I also love to paint." she added.

"That's really all there is to me. I'm not a very interesting person." she laughed softly. It was obvious, now, that she was a bit nervous. Her mind still hadn't completely processed everything that had happened and what was supposed to happen after the meeting.

"It isn't that I don't like children. Not really.  Dislike would be too strong a word," Michael said. "My goddaughter has a small platoon of them with another on the way.  Hers, I find, I get on with fairly well. Most of the time, though, with children I just don't know what to do with them. I feel ill equipped. Its been a bloody long time since I was their ages.

"However, I do have other interests. I like fine art--of all kinds.  Art, literature, theater, music.  I like travelling, mountain climbing, and, believe it or not, I like to cook. I prefer hand cooked things as opposed to conjured foods.  Conjured foods always seem to me to taste a bit like textured air.  They leave me empty.  Oh, and speaking of food, I have a complete and utter weakness when it comes to Honeydukes' fudge.  I buy far more of it than I should."

"So--tell me. Do you prefer city life? Village? Or completely out in the sticks someplace? I'm fairly adaptable. I'm renting a cottage right now here in Hogsmeade, and I rather like it. And my family has several properties. I can have use of any of them that I like, and they're in all sorts of settings. That, and I'm not completely penniless. I can most likely afford a place that we both like."