not a face i'm keen to make -- zander

[Deleted]

@zander

flicking through the paper he searched for the real estate section of the daily prophet. surely there had to be something in there about houses for sale in the magical community. he hoped so anyway. he ran his hand through his hair and blew out a breath before starting to look at the options they had printed. he didn't even know what he was looking for. just somewhere other than the cauldron. he didn't hate his job but he was tired of living in one room. he had grown up a certain way after all and while life hadn't been great in the house he'd grown up in, there had been space to move and breathe at least. enough space for at least him and one other person if any of his siblings came to their senses and decided to move out .. he flicked the page and took one of the pens he had on the table, he loved the convenience of pen. so much better than a quill and he circled the ones that didn't look horrible. he picked up the drink he had sitting by his hand and he leaned back against the booth he was sitting in, sipping the cold liquid and he glanced around the pub. he wasn't working today but he still wanted to keep an eye on the place, especially now he wasn't just a bartender anymore.

[Deleted]

Zander was on another outing today, though he didn't have Lynn with him. She was working on some pretty complicated wands back home and he was content with leaving her there to manage that. He kind of hated leaving her, though, but she assured him that it was fine. Heck, she almost seemed to be doing better than he was right now. Which in a way made sense since his parents death was the most recent family tragedy. Family. It was strange and yet not strange to think of her as such. He smiled absentmindedly as he entered the Leaky, giving off that vibe of a boy in love- which he was. The worrying part was, however, that no one knew who he was in love with. Or, according to them, he was in love with someone who was dead.

He moved to the bar, ready to grab a quick drink, when he spotted Raleigh at a table not too far away from him. He stopped, swallowed, and turned his face back toward the bar. What was he going to do now?

This was the first time he'd seen Leigh since... that day, and Leigh had practically saved Bay, hadn't he? Even if Zander didn't know that right away? Did that mean Zander had to talk to him about... her? He was frozen in place, a million thoughts running through his mind.

@leigh

[Deleted]

@zander

well that was the last person raleigh had expected to walk through the door. zander lloyd. they had had their differences that's for sure. he hadn't seen him since school had ended, after they had been brought back after being kidnapped. hadn't seen him since he had tried to save bay's life. he folded the paper up as zander turned back to the bar. well it seemed he hadn't been expecting to see raleigh there either. he stood up and tossed the folded paper into the air, watching it disperse in a cloud of smoke for him to find on his bed later. he ran his hand through his hair and walked behind the bar and stood in front of zander. "lloyd. do you drink anything stronger than butterbeer?" he asked as he reached to pull a glass out. the other bartender was busy dealing with a rather large group that had just walked up to the other end of the bar. so he was stuck with zander.

[Deleted]

Zander didn't realize he was staring at Raleigh until the other man spoke, and then Zander snapped out of it. At Leighs question, Zander nodded, "fire whiskey... I'm gonna need it," he muttered. He knew that they didn't get along that well, it wasn't a big secret or anything. Still, Zander owed Raleigh a lot. He owed him his wife's life. He took in a deep breath, knowing what had to be done. "Any chance you got a break soon? I was thinking we could chat," he said softly. He, honestly, hadn't thought about Leigh as much as he should have. But, he was here now.

@leigh

[Deleted]

@zander

"fire whiskey... I'm gonna need it," raleigh nodded as he grabbed a glass and waved his hand to summon the bottle from behind him. "gonna need it? trouble in para-" he cut off before he finished the word. it had slipped his mind till now that zander had not only lost bay but his parents too. he'd read about it a while back and while he wasn't the worlds nicest person he didn't kick a guy while he was down. at least not someone he knew and didn't actually hate. it was no secret they didn't get on but raleigh reserved his strongest emotions of dislike for other people. "i heard about your parents ... i'm sorry" he said, pausing between the two parts of the sentence. it had been a long time since that word had fallen out of his mouth while speaking to someone other than river. it felt like he was always saying sorry to his little brother .. for letting him down in more ways that one. he sat the glass down in front of his former classmate as zander asked him a rather peculiar question. "Any chance you got a break soon? I was thinking we could chat," he raised a brow slightly, a little ataken back at the request. he actually couldn't remember the last time they had had a conversation. if they had ever had one. "i'm not working at the moment .. so i have time" he said, slightly cautious. what on earth could he want to talk about.

[Deleted]

Raleigh was about to say 'trouble in paradise' but he stopped. Zander knew why, of course. Because according to Leighs knowledge, Zander was nowhere near paradise. That was a little true, but... Zander did have Bay. Leigh then brought of Zanders parents and Zan nodded, "thank you," he said firmly. He was used to the condolences by now and could tell when they were and weren't genuine. Leigh was completely genuine, which was a good thing to hear.

Zander took the glass and nodded as Leigh commented that he wasn't actually working right now. "Okay... follow me?" he said softly, moving away from the bar to lead Leigh toward a table in the back. Once there, he cast a muffliato spell before turning toward Raleigh. "There's actually something I need to talk to you about," he started.

@leigh

[Deleted]

@zander

"Okay... follow me?" raleigh followed him from the bar and over to where zander had decided he'd wanted to talk to him. he was wondering what on earth they would have to say to each other. the only common factor they both had in their life was bay and she was gone. they hadn't exactly been friends before she'd died either some could even say they disliked each other, but a lot of people thought raleigh disliked everyone. he raised a brow when zander cast the spell and he fixed him with a quizzical look. "There's actually something I need to talk to you about," no? really. raleigh wouldn't have been able to tell without zander asking to talk to him and casting the spell to muffle their voices to everyone else in the bar. "clearly" he said as he folded his arms and looked at zander, waiting for him to start talking about what he wanted to talk about.

[Deleted]

Zander should have known better than to beat around the bush with Raleigh, so he didn't. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wedding ring, placed it on his finger, and held his hand up next to his face "I got married. To Braelynn," he paused, lowering his hand back onto the table. "You... you saved her life, Raleigh. My Uncle Carson took her to safety, let everyone think she was dead in order to protect her. Even I was told she died. I was... well, I was out of commission for a while. But that's not important. She's alive, living with me, and we're married," he said these words very quickly, but not so fast that Raleigh wouldn't be able to understand. He just needed to get it out, and now he waited.

@leigh

[Deleted]

@zander

raleigh frowned as zander pulled a ring out of his pocket and put it onto his hand. he was married? to someone? it had only been a few months since bay so how was he .. then he started talking. "I got married. To Braelynn," his eyes widened slightly then narrowed into a frown. if he married bay then that meant she was .. "You... you saved her life, Raleigh. My Uncle Carson took her to safety, let everyone think she was dead in order to protect her. Even I was told she died. I was... well, I was out of commission for a while. But that's not important. She's alive, living with me, and we're married," she was alive. he'd felt guilty for the past few months about not being quick enough to save her and she was alive. "so you let me think it was my fault she was dead for months, all so you could play happy families?" he couldn't help but sound icy. "i want to see her zander. where is she?" he asked, taking a step toward her 'husband' with the hard look still on his face.

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Zander was expecting this reaction, so he stayed calm as Raleigh started to get upset. He stood quickly as Leigh took a step toward him, though, and held his hands up. "Hey, hey. It's okay. I wanted to take you to her," he confessed gently, his voice patient. "Right now?" he half asked, but he was already walking away, leading Zander into the street. "We can't apparate there. But it's not far," he explained.

@leigh

[Deleted]

@zander

"Hey, hey. It's okay. I wanted to take you to her, Right now?" he frowned and almost asked zander if he was stupid. he didn't though, settling for opening his mouth to let another sarcastic response slip out. "nah in a few weeks is fine" he said as he grabbed his jacket from behind the bar and followed zander out into the street. this had to be a joke. didn't it? a pretty cruel one but .. how could bay be alive and not do anything to let him know. they weren't on the closest of terms after all well they hadn't been before he'd been told she'd died but since that day he'd felt this burning in his chest that he was at fault, he could have stopped her dying if he'd been quicker. now that hole was for nothing? he ran his hand through his hair and nodded, walking the whole way next to zander without saying a word.

[Deleted]

Zander actually smiled at Leighs sarcastic answer to his dumb question. As they walked, he continued speaking, "There were reasons to keep it a secret. They didn't tell me for almost two months. I know a little bit how you feel, since I went through the same thing..." he started slowly, "but we didn't know who to trust. We didn't know if people were listening. She trusts you, Leigh but..." he looked away from the guy, up ahead instead, "but I can't say that I did. I do now. I mean, she convinced me. You can't be surprised by that," he said firmly. They didn't get along well, Leigh and Zander both knew that. There was no reason to pretend.

They turned the corner and Zanders apartment was up ahead. He stepped up to the door, slipping into the building until he walked down the hall to their apartment where Bay would be working on wands. "Just wait out here for one second," he told Leigh, before pushing the door open and slipping inside, leaving the door open just a smidge. "Hey honey," he began softly, "I sorta ran into someone... it's okay," he assured her before opening the door a little more and beckoning Leigh inside.

@braelynn
@leigh
don't care who goes next XD

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Braelynn had been trying for months to convince Zander to tell Raleigh she was alive. She didn't blame him for being hesitant about it. Hell, she should be hesitant! Considering their history. Despite that though, Raleigh was still important to her. She'd known him her whole life. Even though they hadn't gotten along there was a bond between them. And just the other night she'd had a dream. Or rather memory. It'd finally come back to her. She'd told Raleigh to get Zander out of the house when she was rescuing them. She'd stayed behind to fight Desirae. And then there was a flash. His face, staring down at her for the briefest of moments with an emotion she couldn't place. Everyone had said Raleigh was the one that saved her, but the other night was the first time she actually remembered it.

Braelynn stood up from the kitchen table when she heard the door open followed by Zander's familiar voice. Moving to the door way she smiled. "Hey." he went on to say he'd run into someone and she tilted her head. As the door opened though, her heart stopped and she audibly gasped. Raleigh. Zander had brought Raleigh back.

She didn't even realize she was moving. She didn't realize that her feet had carried her to Raleigh. She didn't realize that she was suddenly crying. She did realize though that without any hesitation she threw her arms around his shoulders and hugged him. Bay had never hugged Raleigh in her life before this very moment.

@leigh
@zander

[Deleted]

@zander

"Just wait out here for one second," he nodded and ran his hand through his hair as he stood and waited at the door. this was new, he was actually doing something zander lloyd told him to do. it was a new day after all. "I sorta ran into someone... it's okay," oh so he wasn't going to tell her about dragging raleigh to the back of the cauldron? well maybe that was better. if she found out the conversation had taken place in a public place. he stepped inside when zander beckoned him forward and he caught sight of bay. for months the image of what desi had done had been stuck in his mind. when he had thought of her, no matter the memory they shared she had always been the broken body he had stopped desi from destroying. he stepped forward when she hurried to him, not even blinking at the hug she forced on him and he wrapped his arms around her and held onto her tightly, making sure she was actually alive. "hey" he said, not actually able to think of any other words to add to that one. it wasn't often that raleigh was rendered without a sarcastic retort or an icy word or any word really but here he was, not able to say anything and not able to loosen his hold on bay either.

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Zander wasn't actually expecting to smile when Bay realized who it was, or when she ran forward to hug Raleigh. But he did. There wasn't even a smidgen of jealousy there, of course not. She was his wife now and he just wanted her to be happy. And this is what had made her so, at the moment. He waited a moment before speaking. "I actually found him at the Cauldron and told him... well, he demanded to see you," Zander said softly, looking at the two of them for a moment longer. "I'll give you guys a minute," he said before shutting the door behind Raleigh and stepping out of the room, back into the kitchen. He knew they had some things to catch up on but he wanted to give them a moment to just... well, accept the reality of the situation first.

@braelynn
@leigh
(don't skip Zan, he'll come back in his next turn :>)