Sneaking out of the party

[Malak Aarle]

"You're not damaged goods," Malak said shaking her head. "You're just different. Now me on the other...damaged and with no hope of repair." Malak was only half-teasing about her state. There wasn't much credit in being a seer. Especially one like Malak who had no control over her visions. I guess we're an odd pair."

[Phoenix Aster]

Phoenix shook his head, then walked up behind her. "Now," he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind, "Let's get one thing clear," he whispered in her ear. "There is nothing 'damaged' about my princess... and no one gets to talk about the woman I love that way. Even she doesn't." He sounded amused... but serious at the same time.

[Malak Aarle]

Malak leaned back into Phoenix. She knew he was serious. There was no doubt in her mind on that account. "Well if I'm not allowed to talk about myself like that then you're never again allowed to call yourself anything terrible like you do. You deserve better than that Phoenix and I won't ever allow you to tell me otherwise. I love you too much to let you do that."

[Phoenix Aster]

"Well... I think I can work on that," Phoenix agreed. He leaned down and kissed her neck before letting her go. "After all... I wouldn't want to do anything to upset you," he added.

Picking up the pan, he put it on the stove and tossed the chicken and the seasoning into it.

[Malak Aarle]

I think I can work on that, Phoenix conceeded before he leaned down, kissed Malak's neck, and then let her go. After all...I wouldn't want to do anything to upset you.

Malak couldn't stop smiling. It was all Phoenix's fault of course. But it was his fault in a good way. She couldn't seem to say sad around him. She loved that fact. Malak watched as Phoenix tossed the chicken into a pan and season it. "Who taught you how to cook?" Malak asked gently watching him move with, what she thought, was certainty.

[Phoenix Aster]

"I had to learn during my little summer trip across the country." He chuckled, then added, "After all... I could hardly have a house-elf trailing behind me, and I couldn't get out of my turn to prepare the meals. I'm not that good, but as they taught me, any fool can put meat or eggs in a pan to cook."

[Malak Aarle]

"I think it's great that you know how to cook," Malak encouraged him. "My mother said she never would have married my father if he couldn't cook. Mind you, he can only make spaghetti, but it's something. Mom made sure all of us children knew how to cook. After a certain while, you just got added to the cooking rotation. Mom may have been stay-at-home, but she also homeschooled us so having your kids able to take over the cooking for you every once in a while was nice I guess."

[Phoenix Aster]

"Well, you've seen my family. Mother would be fine with the idea, I assume, but Grandmother? No, things like that were 'beneath' us," he said, rolling his eyes. "Meddling old bat..." He chuckled at that, then shook his head. "Really, it always made me feel a bit too sheltered, always having to have house-elves do everything."

[Malak Aarle]

Malak chuckled along with Phoenix. "I can't imagine having house elves. Mother gets annoyed just thinking about them. Father thinks that they're just excessive. He got that idea from grootvader. So I guess it's kind of a family tradition not to have house elves. Besides, with all the muggle families so close by we couldn't risk having a house elf. We didn't risk anything magical...unless grootvader was teaching us magic..." Malak's voice trailed off softly. She didn't like thinking about that. It reminded her of how much power she had...too much. And it reminded her of Cadeaus. The arrogant boy who could get himself killed if he wasn't careful and tried to push Malak too far. If he caught her off guard (which she knew he would try at some point), things would be a lot more risky for the poor boy.

[Phoenix Aster]

"Oh, they're excessive," Phoenix agreed. "But when they're passed down in the family... well, you can't exactly get rid of them," he said. "It drives Mother insane that we have two of them now. I think that she's going to try to get Looly passed off to me unless I can think of a graceful way to duck out of the responsibility." He glanced over at her, noticing the uneasy look on her face. "What is it?" he asked

[Malak Aarle]

Malak shook her head. "I was just thinking about grootvader's training. He means well, he really does. It's just that...things are far too complicated when they come to me." Malak said shaking her head. "Did you know I actually hurt my grootvader with a spell I sent against him once."

[Phoenix Aster]

Phoenix quirked an eyebrow at that. "Since you never told me about it before, then... no, I didn't," he answered. "Was it a spell that should hurt someone?" This, he thought, might go a long way to explaining Malak's problem with using magic to defend herself.

[Malak Aarle]

"Yes, it is. I still know it though I haven't used it to this day. I can't. The thought of using it scares me out of my mind. Grootvader taught us old, powerful spells. He meant well. He was very proud of me when I successfully cast the spell. I was horrified. My family was shocked. After that, Grootvader began to realize that I couldn't preform that kind of magic for my own mental health. Even using such a spell, my grootvader should have been able to stop a child. The fact that he couldn't...do you understand what that means?"

[Phoenix Aster]

Phoenix quirked an eyebrow. Yes, he did know. "I believe that I might have been over-hasty in the past when I've tried to urge you to get over your aversion to defensive spells," he said. "Had I known this, I might have reconsidered somewhat."

[Malak Aarle]

There was something like hurt or fear in her eyes when she looked at Phoenix. "People have to underestimate me for their own good. I don't want to hurt them." Malak whispered. Malak shook her head and smiled at Phoenix.