tag team [si]

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

20 February 2026

It was very rare for Rob to get a letter of any sort. These days, it was all about magical emails, texts, social media and the like. Rob hadn't latched on to those trends as readily as some of the others his age, but he was rather more focused on what he considered to be crucially important things. Like searching for a cure for lycanthropy with his friend and colleague, Sienna. Besides, it wasn't like Rob had many people who wanted to write to him anyways. His mother and father practically refused to acknowledge his existence, especially as he had snubbed them so heartily in his youth. And others... well, other people in his life simply came and went like a balmy summer breeze.

Rob stared at the envelope for a good minute before tearing into it eagerly. He had no idea what the letter would be about, but he held a sense of excitement as he unfolded the crisp paper, his eyes scanning the contents before letting out an exasperated chuckle. He pocketed the letter and slung his cloak over his shoulders, departing his flat so that he would make it to Slug and Jiggers on time to meet Sienna.

Not much later, the door to the apothecary swung open and an arctic breeze followed Rob in. He spotted Sienna immediately, and sauntered over to her. He withdrew the paper from his pocket, and flourished it before her. "Si. Have you seen this? Did you get it?" asked Rob at once, unfolding the paper as he did so. "Dear Mr Epke. They always get my name wrong, don't they? We'd like to cordially invite you to the first annual Potioneers Summit to be held twenty-eighth February in Leeds. Enclosed you will find a packet of magical floo powder that will take you to the precise location on the day. You will be able to network with fellow experts and learn from peers in this special, one day event." Rob glanced up at Sienna, arching a brow. "What do you think?"

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

20 February 2026

London could be awfully dreary most of the year – a fact that Sienna could moodily contemplate in those brief seconds between exiting Slug and Jigger’s and Apparating back to her flat. The natural solution, of course, was to overcompensate for the rest of London by making the apothecary as cozy as possible. It might seem like a contrary idea – since it could be an uncomfortable experience for most people with all sorts of strange sights and smells – but it had become a place of deep comfort for Sienna. There was always music playing in the backroom, like Camila’s newest hit single, and the wide array of potions softly bubbling in their cauldrons meant the room was actually quite warm and cozy. And it could be intensely relaxing to watch the steam swirl and spiral in different shapes while she procrastinated on doing her work.

This was one of those days – nodding her head along to a catchy beat as Sienna squinted into a half-finished batch of Strengthening Solution. She made a ‘tsk’ sound as she studied the composition of the potion. “Too runny, aren’t you,” she murmured in a low tone as she rifled through her desk for a spare mortar and pestle, grinding more Griffin claws into a fine powder before gently stirring it into the cauldron. Whenever her friends asked what it was like to be a potioneer, Si always cycled through the same few explanations. It was like chemistry, like baking, like throwing darts at a dartboard until you finally found a formula that worked. Today it was all of the above – Sienna had made this potion a million times, and she’d gotten bored with following the same tried-and-true recipe every time. So she’d decided to add a twist, a Strengthening Solution that could last up to a full day after being taken. If she could figure out why the potion looked so thin, at least. Most potions weren’t meant to last more than a few hours, and it wasn’t a matter of simply doubling the ingredients to extend its use.

Sienna was contemplating the issue when a chilly breeze broke her concentration. “Merlin, close the door,” she complained with a mock glare as she turned to greet Rob. She raised an eyebrow at his oddly chipper behavior, although she couldn’t help but shoot a curious glance at the official-looking letter in his hands. He asked if she’d gotten one, and Si shot him a teasing smile as she responded, “Wouldn’t know, would I? Who waits around for letters anymore besides ancient potioneers?” Si snatched the letter from his hands before he could respond and scanned through it, giving an amused exhale at the formal greeting. She finished reading and glanced up at Rob with a smile, lightly using the paper to tap his chest. “Well, look who made it into the big leagues. Only took, what, a few years of overtime to get noticed?”

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob marched dutifully into Slug and Jiggers, his cloak slung over his shoulders and a letter gripped tightly in his hand. Receiving the letter had been the first time Rob had been able to get his mind off Lyra, the mysterious young woman he had met a few days ago. He'd felt an inexplicable pull towards her, but he couldn't exactly place his finger on the reason why. Her dark eyes haunted his dreams, the curious half smile on her lips lingered in his mind. But that was all washed away when he tore into the letter. It was an invitation to a sort of summit held by the Magical Society of Potioneers in a few weeks time.

With a flourish, Rob shoved the paper into Sienna's face. He shut the door as told, and glared at Sienna. "Spoil sport,:" he muttered, but was not particularly angry. He read the letter aloud, and enquired whether or not Si had received the same one. He was sure she had - why hadn't she said anything to him though? Rob glanced at her sidelong, before jabbing a finger into her side. "I'm only two years older than you, Linslee," he shot back, hanging his cloak on a hook by the door. "Well, if you didn't get a paper invite you know you still have to come," he replied, leaning against the desk on which she'd been working. He peered into her cauldron and grimaced. "Hell, Si. What have you been concocting here?" he asked, wrinkling his nose as his gaze swivelled around to meet hers.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Sienna examined the letter a moment longer – the elegant script, the heavy weight of the parchment – before handing it back to Rob. He returned to reading the letter out-loud in a grandiose tone, and Si opened her mouth to make another cheeky remark when he poked her side and she suppressed a squeak at the ticklish sensation. The last thing she needed was to remind Rob that she was extremely ticklish and unable to defend herself. “Yeah, that’s what I said,” Sienna began in a teasing tone as she carefully inched away from Rob and circled to the other side of the cauldron – just in case he got any ideas. “Ancient. Older than most trees. Were you there when Merlin put the sword in the stone?” Si shot him a cheeky smile through the slow spirals of steam rising from her potion.

She was curious about the invitation, though, and the prospect of a potions conference was quite exciting. She loved attending expos, seeing what other potioneers were working on and catching up on all the latest innovations in the field. She had been neglecting her post lately – even a full month after the break-up with Gus, she still received the occasional hate mail. So she often let her post pile up by the door until she absolutely had to sort through it to find the important things, bills and the like. It wouldn’t surprise her if the invitation had gotten mixed in with everything else, and she resolved to check later that day. She gave a nervous laugh as Rob finally noticed her half-baked attempt at reinventing an old recipe. The potion was far too runny, and as she swirled it experimentally it wasn’t the shade of turquoise it should be at this stage. “It should be an extra-strength Strengthening Solution,” she said in a defeated tone, “but it looks like melted crayons. I thought adding Syrup of Hellebore might counteract some of the side-effects. You know, the twitchiness.” Si couldn’t help but smirk slightly as she gave a demonstration of how jittery Rob had looked the last time he’d tried a Strengthening Solution.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob's gaze focused on the way that Sienna surreptitiously moved away from him - as if he had perhaps forgotten how ticklish she was. How could he when those nights they'd spent together years ago were seared in his memory? The curve of her waist, the soft expanse of her midriff, the way her voice sounded as she said his name. Rob blinked, and grinned devilishly at Sienna. "Watch yourself," he said after a moment. "Indeed, I am a holder of ancient knowledge. Perhaps that's why my potions always come out spectacularly," he added. "And also why I get invited to these prestigious events! I am well known, it would seem." He plucked the parchment from her fingers and stuck his tongue out at her.

"Extra strength strengthening solution," Rob repeated slowly, glancing down at the waxy composition within her cauldron. "What did you add? Think of adding peppermint oil to make it less... like this?" asked Rob, peering into the cauldron and wrinkling his nose. Si said she'd try some syrup of hellebore to counteract the jitteriness. "Yeah, good idea," said Rob, rolling his eyes even as she shook like a leaf, reenacting the intense shakes he'd experienced when he'd last tried one of her potions. The pair were experimental yes, but they always knew how to make a potion safely and always tested on themselves. It was part of the reason why Rob had been so keen to join the Aware Wolf project - and had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that he'd be able to work with Sienna. Nothing at all.

"Felt like I was on drugs or something. Or at least twenty coffees," said Rob. He twisted around, taking a tiny bottle of hellebore from the shelf before tipping in three drops. The potion gurgled unpleasantly, but at least the consistency seemed to have shifted to something better. "So, what do you reckon? Wanna be my plus one to this conference?" asked Rob.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Her earlier stress from botching the Strengthening Solution melted away as the banter flowed easily between the pair of potioneers. Rob had a way of simply making her forget her problems for a while, shelving the issue and brightening her day with a smile and a cheeky joke. He’d been a steady presence for her during exams, when she’d pored over her textbooks and fretted about telling the difference between a knarl and a hedgehog. And he’d been there during all those long nights they’d worked on Aware Wolf, listing off the problems with Wolfsbane and how they might be able to put together a better recipe. And he’d been there for her after Gus too, when she’d felt alone and discarded and he’d reminded her that she still had value. Their eyes locked for a moment and Si could tell they were thinking about the same thing – although she cleared her throat after a moment to shake off the memory of his lips sliding over hers and how intoxicating he had looked while tangled in her bedsheets.

“Always?” Si caught on the word immediately, raising an eyebrow at Rob and his wild claim that his potions were always spectacular. “That’s funny, because I seem to remember a batch of Pepper-Up Potion that sent three students to the Hospital Wing in your seventh year. Couldn’t stop breathing fire, right?” She smirked at him, although crossed her arms and turned her nose up as he looked warily at her Strengthening Solution like it might bite him. The pair were used to questioning each other’s potions, since they both liked to experiment with new ideas and innovative solutions to old problems. It was a nice habit, except that there were many, many mistakes along the way that usually required getting rescued by the other. It was Si’s turn now to admit that she was stuck. “Peppermint oil?” Si repeated curiously, forgetting that she was supposed to be mock-angry at Rob. Peppermint oil would certainly give it the extra kick needed to increase the duration of its effects, but… “Wouldn’t that dilute the potion more? I was looking for something to thicken its consistency.”

Despite his suggestion, Rob also plucked the Syrup of Hellebore off the shelf to add a few drops, and Si gave a pleased smile that he still valued her input. Her face brightened as the potion darkened slightly, even though it still didn’t look like it was supposed to. Maybe not a total loss yet, after all. At his last question, Si’s smile curved into something more wicked, and she rounded the table so she could approach him slowly. “Mr. Oppedyk, how unprofessional of you. A girl might get the wrong impression from a proposal like that.” Sienna had lost a lot of the shyness from her school days – Rob wasn’t only an unfulfilled fantasy anymore, and so much had happened to her since then that she couldn’t remember what it felt like to purposely deprive yourself of something you wanted. As Si stopped in front of him, she plucked the parchment from his hand again and pretended to skim the text before looking up at him. “Depends on what you have in mind,” she finally answered, gazing up at him with a challenging look in her eyes.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob narrowed his eyes slightly. "Alright. Nearly always. But that was one time, I was too heavy handed on the powdered bicorn horn. At least I know what I did wrong," said Rob with a smirk. "Whereas in this situation..." he trailed off, gesturing to the tar-like substance within Si's cauldron. Despite his own suggestion, he let Sienna deal with her own potion. She seemed to know where she was potentially going wrong, and though Rob would never admit it to her face, she was an exceptional potion maker. Sienna's ego didn't need to be stoked anymore.

Sienna had a way of twisting Rob's words to give them a salacious meaning. "You are a devilish woman indeed, Miss Linslee," said Rob in a low voice, his brows crumpling. "I ask with nothing but the innocence of an old friend." Well, if that wasn't a complete and utter lie. He knew that Sienna dn Gus had broken up once again, and though he had vowed not to engage in those sorts of ... activities with his closest and most trusted colleague and friend, he couldn't help but imagine the smooth expanse of her skin... Rob blinked away the image.

There was a challenge in her eyes, and Merlin if Rob wasn't tempted by it. He swallowed thickly, dropping his gaze from Sienna's. "What I have in mind?" Rob echoed weakly, looking shiftily around the shop. "Only for Slug and Jiggers second best potioneer to get the chance to truly shine," said Rob at last, but the usual lightness to his tone was marred as his voice broke over his words. "What did you have in mind?" asked Rob, finally bringing himself to look at Sienna. Merlin, if she wasn't the most beautiful person he had ever seen with those electric blue eyes.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

“I know exactly where I went wrong,” Sienna countered immediately, crossing her arms as she stuck her nose in the air at Rob’s teasing. “I should have just hidden the potion and slipped it into your tea later.” She grimaced at the patchy swirls of smoke rising from the cauldron, but she solved that issue by simply sliding a lid onto the cauldron and taking a measured step away. Okay, so the potionmaking process wasn’t perfect. Sienna and Rob both liked to experiment instead of just sticking to the recipe like some unimaginative potioneers might prefer. Sometimes it turned into something genius, with the potential to make a real impact on the world. That was what Aware Wolf would become, she hoped. But sometimes it turned into a toxic hazard, and Si lamented the fact that ‘Extra Strength Strengthening Solutions’ probably wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.

Si gave a little laugh as Rob protested the innocence behind his invitation. “I don’t think you know what that word means,” she replied as she slowly crossed the room and closed the distance between them. There were many words she’d use to describe Rob – daring, inventive, passionate. But innocent? Hardly. He’d always pushed her to challenge her boundaries, whether in brewing potions or discovering everything life had to offer. And now that she and Gus weren’t together anymore…well, her heart twisted a little at that thought, since she’d been sure for so long that she and Gus were endgame. But it only took a moment to remind herself that hadn’t exactly wasted any time since then. That album he’d released on Valentine’s Day, with every one of his scandals and wild nights and meaningless flings…it made her blood boil to think about it. Had he thought about her for one moment? How soon it was after the break-up, the constant reminder of all the people he was probably with every time she heard one of those songs in passing? No, she clearly hadn’t been on his mind at all if he’d dared to do something so thoughtless.

So she wouldn’t let herself feel guilty about this. Flirting with Rob made her heart pound with excitement and electricity run through her veins. It didn’t need to be serious, but they’d known each other a long time. It was comfortable, and more important comforting. She flushed a little at the thought of the last time they’d let themselves indulge in each other, and Si’s smile curved into a smirk at Rob’s assertion that she was the apothecary’s second-best potioneer, but she didn’t challenge him this time. No, she was on a mission and she finally drew close enough that she could trail her fingers playfully down his chest. “You don't have to be a Legilimens to know what’s on my mind,” she responded, looking up at him through her lashes. Merlin and Morgana, he was handsome and her heart sped up at the sight of his dimples and the crack in his voice. “We should take our lunch break,” she suggested, although the charged words heavy with meaning were accompanied by a shy smile as she brushed her hair out of her face.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob narrowed his eyes at Sienna. "Right, because it would have been very fun for you to deal with me off my face like that," said Rob with a smirk. He gave her a gentle nudge with his him, marking how playful they were both being. Sienna observed that Rob had no idea what the word innocent meant. "You wound me. As if I'm just some rake. Si, I may not be a kept man but I am a gentleman," said Rob, feigning sorrow before dissolving into laughter. She crossed the space between them, and was very, very close to Rob. A feeble voice in the back of his mind reminded him that Si and Gus had broken up only recently, and that he definitely definitely should not close the distance between them and take what he had wanted for so long. Rob swallowed thickly. Surely, Sienna was testing him. They'd been here before, and she'd gone back to Gus.

However, it seemed that something had changed within Sienna. Gone was the hesitancy, which even had lingered in their previous interactions when she and Gus had split. Based on the look in Sienna's eyes, Rob was certain that this time, it was final. Something had broken between his two friends. His voice cracked unpleasantly as Rob attempted to live up to Sienna's challenge, and failed miserably. His gaze flickered to meet hers - no, he did not have to be a legilimens to know what she was thinking.

And at this point, Rob stopped thinking. He stopped weighing the options, stopped holding himself back. Perhaps it was the tantalising way that she brushed her hair away from her face, that had Rob reaching out to touch the soft skin of her cheek. He cradled her face in his palm, his eyes lingering on hers before at long last, he pressed a tentative, soft kiss to her lips. The connection lasted longer than it really should have, but Rob couldn't get enough of Sienna's sweet taste. At long last, they parted, and Rob regarded her, slightly hesitant, but certain that he hadn't overstepped.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Rob’s threat, paired with his signature smirk, didn’t faze Sienna, and she crossed her arms as she took up his challenge. “Oh please, you think you’d be worse than Rhys?” Si shot him a smile as she responded quickly and brought up their mutual friend. It wasn’t an insult to Rhys, really. He’d done them an enormous favor by being the first to test Aware Wolf, and most of the breakthroughs they’d made were only thanks to his willingness to act as their test subject. Some of the early batches had been questionable, though, while they’d still been perfecting the recipe. Rhys had gotten the worst of it, and playing nurse was the least Si could do in that scenario. That wasn’t counting all the times Rhys had indulged in a fun night out and shown up at the apothecary the next day with a killer hangover. Sienna had a whole bottle of aspirin in her top drawer reserved for him, and Rob? Well, the idea of him being loopy out of his mind because of a potion still didn’t come close to Rhys at his worst.

She couldn’t dispute the fact that Rob had never crossed any lines, though. Gentleman was the best way to describe it, at least until the moment when he would start to gaze at her with a fire in his eyes and a sinful smirk on his face. They’d known each other for years, and while there was no doubt that Si and Rob weren’t the same people that they’d been in Beauxbatons…well, she knew who he was, and what he wasn’t. She wasn’t going into this with any expectations for something he couldn’t give her. His laughter was contagious, and Sienna found herself giggling too at the easy banter that flowed between them. At least until the moment that the conversation shifted into something else, and she found herself standing in front of him unable to breathe and with a question in her eyes.

They’d never really spoken about the break-up, even though it had already been a month since it had all gone down. Given their history, it was awkward to talk about her failed relationship with Rob, especially once she’d stopped denying that she wanted him. He was a good friend, and their partnership on Aware Wolf was making something possible that Sienna had thought was only a far-fetched dream. But relationship problems? She had other people in her life to dive into that – Camila and Heleen and people who’d also known Gus for a long time and could understand where it had all gone right, and where it had all gone wrong. Si didn’t want to talk about him with Rob, didn’t want to invoke his complicated presence when everything right now felt so easy. Instead, she gave a sigh of appreciation as Rob closed the distance between them and kissed her softly. It didn’t have the same desperate urgency that had been behind their last kisses, and Si wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him slowly. As he pulled away, Si exhaled softly and searched his expression for a sign that he didn’t want this. Finally she asked him, “This…is okay, isn’t it? Just one more time.” But almost like she was reassuring herself too.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK
[End post Si!]

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

The look in Sienna's eyes gave Rob no real choice. At least, Rob told himself that as he closed the distance between them, kissing her soundly. There was no urgency to this kiss, softer and sweeter and more inquisitive. Slowly, Rob felt Sienna respond, and when he pulled away, her eyes were a blue fire. They looked at each other, both tentatively looking for an excuse in the other not to want him. "Yeah... just one more time." Rob knew it was a lie as the beast in his chest roared with joy, his lips finding hers and his hands more frantic than before.

[end thread]