many happy returns (sienna)

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

7 January 2029

Blue moons were always rubbish, even with the advent of aware wolf. It was taking Rob longer than he usually took to recover from the final full moon of the year, as his bones ached and his head throbbed. Sienna, the saintly and gorgeous woman that she was, was exceedingly patient and always by his side, suggesting potions and potential tweaks that they could add to their concoctions to battle such negative side effects. Though Rob was endlessly grateful for her, he did wonder how Lyra had fared during this particular moon. He knew she wasn't taking aware wolf - they had a register of who picked up their potions and she was conspicuously missing. He also knew that transformations were harder apart from him. The wolf inside him yearned for her proximity, but the wolf only had control one night a month. Or so he liked to tell himself.

A week after the blue moon was Sienna's birthday. Rob, as luck would have it, was an absolutely rubbish baker, despite his prowess at potions. Understanding magical ingredients did not, in fact, translate directly into making delicious birthday cakes. Rob surveyed his rather sad looking chocolate cake. He'd done everything according to the recipe he'd found online - he'd even added extra Belgian chocolate because he knew how much Sienna loved it - but still it looked rather misshapen and there was a massive crack in the centre. With a sigh, Rob waved his wand over the cake. Purple sparkles erupted from his wand with more fervour than he intended, but they did make the cake look marginally better.

Stepping back to admire his handiwork, Rob felt a surge of pride. It probably didn't taste great, and it didn't really look great. But he'd put in a lot of effort, and he knew that Sienna would appreciate that at the very least. An idea started to form at the back of his mind, a potion that you could preempt shit tasting food with... definitely would require some wild mint and perhaps syrup of hellebore to induce a peaceful state in the drinker... Rob shook his head, and filed the idea away for later conversation with Sienna. He was more excited than he had been in months. The pair had been so busy that they'd hardly had time to see one another. Rob had been travelling extensively to try to collect some new ingredients to try in their potions, and Sienna was understandably busy bullying Rhys into letting her spend time with his child. Rob didn't quite see the same appeal as Sienna did, but was glad that she didn't let their friendship ebb.

Rob dressed in a comfortable pair of jeans and a jumper, then apparated with the cake to Sienna's flat with a decisive crack. He raised a fist and knocked on the door, his heart thumping in his chest and his post-moon anxiety slipping away with each successive minute.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

7 January 2029

Sienna liked making a big deal out of her birthday. It might’ve been one of the effects of being an only child – her dad liked to spoil her and plan the whole day to revolve around her (even more so than in the other 364 days of the year). Going off to school hadn’t changed that. Actually, adding magic into the mix had seemingly made things worse, because suddenly Sienna had a whole range of tools at her disposal when it came to baking, party-planning, and gifts. She took birthdays incredibly seriously, and that was the most true for her own. From midnight to midnight, she expected to be the princess of the day.

Adulthood had sort of thrown a wrench into her plans, because the real world was very adept at showing you that you weren’t the center of attention – and actually the universe didn’t seem to care about you much at all. So Sienna had learned to compromise. Most years, she spent her birthday at work – sifting through new deliveries of ingredients, slogging through a particularly dull or longwinded brewing process, and waiting for the clock to chime so she could go out with friends for a couple hours (if she was lucky – because some potions required nightly visits to stir the cauldron or add certain ingredients).

At least this year, she could sleep in. She spent the morning in bed until her cat came to beg for food, then she simply brought the magazines with her to the couch and picked up where she’d left off. There’d be a party later with all her friends, but Terry had absolutely refused to share details and she seemed to have left the apartment to avoid accidentally revealing something to Sienna. That was a smart move – Si wasn’t good at avoiding the temptation of spoiling the surprise. A knock at the door startled Si before she could finish reading what the secret was to getting Skele-Gro stains out of fabric, so she brought the magazine with her to sneak a peek while she opened the door.

She’d been expecting a traveling broom salesman or Terry having forgotten her keys, but Si brightened at the sight of Rob. “You’re early!” Si accused, but the wide smile completely undercut the tone she’d been going for. So did the fact that a moment later she threw her arms around his neck to give him a kiss on the cheek. They’d been together for months but it still gave her a little thrill every time she could casually touch or kiss him without the slight guilt in the back of her mind wondering if she was being a bad friend. Surely it was bad form to take a guilty pleasure in ogling your partner and best friend? But that was part of what made this new openness in their relationship so exciting, and Si pulled him inside while she looked over the cake in his hands with interest. “Is it…supposed to be a cauldron?” she asked innocently, eyes darting between Rob and the cake.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Though the blue moon had been understandably rough (especially considering it had fallen on New Years Eve), Rob was excited for the prospect of spending the day with Sienna. It was her birthday, and she had always loved birthdays. Even in school, she'd made Gus and Rob shower her with unending attention. Neither boy had ever had any complaints, though at the end of the day, Gus was the one always getting the kisses and Rob had to only look on longingly. But no longer. He knocked on her door, brimming with energy as he waited for Sienna to open it.

When she did, Rob was greeted with a swift kiss to the cheek and a comment about his timeliness. Rolling his eyes, Rob gently caught her chin and indulged himself with by kissing her deeply on the lips. After so many years of pining, the fact that he could do this whenever he liked made Rob's heart soar. They broke apart and Rob beamed at Sienna. "Happy birthday," he wished her, revealing the misshapen cake with a flourish. "I couldn't stay away. Just don't tell Terry I got here before the appointed time," he added with a stern look on his face. "She'll have my balls on a platter. We don't want that," he added after a moment with a shudder for effect.

"Ha ha ha." Rob's voice was flat, but he couldn't help the smile that spread across his face as he entered Sienna's flat. "Very funny. I know it's ugly, and it probably tastes like shit. But, on the bright side, there are purple sparkles on it," he reasoned, pointing out said purple sparkles. "I found this little charm that does it - you be nice to me or you'll find purple sparkles on everything you own," he cautioned before reconsidering. Si would actually probably like that. "We can just set it on fire and get a bit drunk instead. For today, and all days, I am but a humble servant to your desires," Rob finished, a wicked glint in his eye.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Despite all the work she’d put into Aware Wolf over the years, Si knew there were some parts of the werewolf experience that she’d never be able to relate to. There was only so much you could learn from secondhand stories, and it was a problem she ran into once a month when all the werewolves flocked to the apothecary for their monthly dose and Rob had to disappear to take care of his own needs. She always missed him badly during those times, especially because he worked so hard to keep that side of things separate from her. It was part of that continued perception he had of the monster in him, she supposed. It was something that usually went unaddressed between them, even if she occasionally brought it up whenever his self-hate floated too close to the surface.

But right now, Sienna was just focused on the fact that she hadn’t seen him much since the last full moon and they were finally alone. The magazine in her hands was completely forgotten as she melted into his kiss, pulling him as close as she could with the cake still between them. “Your secret’s safe with me,” she promised, even if they both knew that Terry would probably find out somehow. Sienna had tried to hide this new development from her roommate back when she and Rob had first started seeing each other, but she was either terrible at it or Terry was secretly an Auror. Either way, she nodded seriously as she pulled Rob into the apartment and closed the door behind them as an afterthought. “You can use me as a human shield. She needs me to pay the rent.”

Sienna’s eyes skipped a few times between Rob and the cake as she took the view in. He looked amazing (especially since he could always pull off the disheveled look, even after a full moon), but it was hard to find a truthful way to compliment his baking. He seemed to realize it too, at least. “Is that a promise?” Si asked cheekily as he threatened to cover her entire life in purple sparkles. She moved to take the cake plate into her hands and set it on the counter before he could either burn it – or worse, cut her a slice. “How about you put it in the fridge for later. Then you can show me what you mean.” He only had to look for his own face to find the fridge, since Si had thought it funny to pin up all the photographs he’d sent in response to her postcards – usually a selfie set against an English backdrop. She didn’t let him go, though. The minute the cake and her magazine were on the counter, she turned to wrap her arms around Rob’s neck and pull him in for another kiss. They weren’t in the apothecary surrounded by strangers, for once.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

In moments like these, Rob questioned how he had gotten so lucky. Despite his affliction and his monthly descent into his personal brand of madness, Sienna stuck by his side. She didn’t know the depths of his self hatred, nor would she ever - while Aware Wolf had vastly improved his outlook, Rob still longed for a cure. He didn’t want to be a monster once a month, even if he maintained his human mind. The fur and claws and teeth weren’t exactly awe-inspiring. He tried to be diligent with his dosage, having never missed one and never putting anyone else in danger. Still… the potential lingered at the back of his mind, tormenting him. But today was Sienna’s birthday, so Rob pushed those dismal thoughts out of his head and hitched a genuine smile on his face.

Chuckling, Rob drew Sienna closer to him. ”Good. I think we both benefit from their continued existence,” he murmured with a grin before releasing her. The cake he still held looked abysmal, but at least there were purple sparkles on it. Rob had never been a dab hand at baking - Heleen had always been better at conventional home economics. Sienna was understandably delighted at the prospect of finding said purple sparkles in every bit of her life, and Rob secretly congratulated himself on coming up with this excellent counter offer. Hopefully, he’d never have to bake again. But for Sienna, he would. Well, if she let him. Probably wasn’t very likely after this debacle.

Sienna took the cake from him and placed it on the counter (where they probably wouldn’t revisit it unless it was to bin it) before wrapping herself around him again. It was very hard to think straight with her breath ghosting across his lips or the sensual way her arms wrapped around his neck. After all, beast or not, Rob was a man. He kissed her soundly, deeply, indulging himself in her taste. It was so rare for them to have alone time, what with their busy schedules and inconvenient flatmates. Rob could have stayed there forever, drowning in Sienna, if there wasn’t a loud thump from the upstairs neighbours. He jerked back, looking up in confusion. ”What have they got up there, an erumpet?” he enquired, before grinning down at Sienna. ”Anyways, I was thinking… we could play a game. Strip potion making?” he suggested, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Sienna took her time with Rob, enjoying the quiet intimacy and the feeling of his arms around her. She liked the direction her life had taken immensely, with the apothecary and Aware Wolf and getting to see her boyfriend at work. But things were busy, and that gave her almost no free time to enjoy all the little moments. As much as she loved potionmaking, it was hard to put herself in the right kind of mood when she’d been slaving over a potion for ages and couldn’t get it to the right consistency. At that point, she was always get just a bit crabby as she’d go hunting for extra cabbage leaves and snap at whatever customers decided to wander into the backroom to get a first-row seat to the potioneers working. But today was one of those few days where the outside distractions didn’t exist.

At least until a thump from upstairs broke the bubble of serenity the two had been in. “No, it’s definitely at least two erumpets,” Si said, matching Rob’s grin as she glanced up at the ceiling. One of the perks of living above Diagon Alley was how close she was to everything (she couldn’t remember the last time she’d properly Apparated somewhere). But that meant it was always noisy and it wasn’t always easy to pinpoint what the noise was. Not unless you fancied a stroll at two in the morning to investigate. “Hmmm,” Sienna pretended to think it over as she let her fingers trail down Rob’s chest, “You sure about that? I’d have to lock them away first.”

‘They’ were her cat and Terry’s kneazle, who both seemed to passionately hate Rob. It might be some ingrained cat-dog dynamic between them (Si wouldn’t pretend to know what went on in their heads), but they tended to hiss and puff up whenever she brought Rob over. At best, they’d just sit and stare at him intensely. It didn’t quite help in creating a romantic atmosphere, to say the least. But they were probably going to have to do that later for the party, so Terry probably wouldn’t mind terribly if Si let them get comfortable in her room. “I won’t judge if you decide to back out,” Si said sweetly, the challenge clear in her voice, “Since my award-winning potions will put yours to shame.” And knock his socks right off, among other things.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

For years, Rob had struggled to categorise his life. Everything seemed to bleed into one another, from work, to his lycanthropy, to his personal desires. But his adoration for Sienna seemed to trump them all. He commonly found himself wondering what she was doing if she wasn’t in his immediate line of sight. They were together more often than not, especially considering the advancements they’d made with Aware Wolf in the past few months. Rob wasn’t sure if they were getting closer to a cure, but they were definitely on the brink of something great. And though there was a part of Rob that was itching to discuss their progress, he stifled it in favour of a work-free birthday for Si.

Rob glanced over Sienna’s shoulder, where the two animals were glaring at him. Rob was convinced they had it out for him, even though he’d tried reasoning with the kneazle. ”Swear Terry’s put that kneazle up to it. And convinced your cat to join forces against me.” He frowned, narrowing his eyes at the pair. ”I’m not a real dog. I’m much more hygienic.”

His attention returned to Sienna, a sparkle of challenge in his eye. ”And what about my award winning potions?” he retorted, drawing her closer and placing a ghost of a kiss on the crook of her neck. He brushed her hair aside, his mouth trailing a line over her smooth, pale skin. ”Do you promise not to cheat, Sienna,” he murmured before pulling back slightly with a smirk. Rob stepped away from Sienna before all his blood rushed away from his brain, and shooed the two beasts into Sienna’s room. ”I’ll give you extra biscuits if you behave,” he muttered to the pair before closing the door with a click. He returned his attention to Sienna. ”We take turns picking an ingredient from your stores, and see what the other can make with the selection. First to admit defeat loses,” he clarified.

Honestly, Rob wouldn’t be disappointed to lose. But he would much rather win. Even if it was Sienna’s birthday. She’d already had her cake, she wouldn’t eat it too.

Sienna Aurélie Linslee

[Sienna Aurélie Linslee]

Sienna tended to ramble when she was flustered, and more often than not she fled into safe topics that she could dive into without ever needing to take a breath. Rhys had suffered from that more than most of their other friends – whenever she’d wanted to ask him questions about Rob over the years but lost her nerve and talked his ear off about potions instead. It’d always felt like she was doing something wrong whenever she caught herself thinking about her longtime partner in any other way besides a potions partner, and the habit was still somewhat stuck in her head. Even after a year of dating (because her mental clock still seemed to be ages behind reality).

So she tried hard not to focus too much on the rules of the game, or dipping into the technical-speak to discuss what might be off-limits. Instead she snorted to herself as Rob shooed the cat and kneazle away, somehow managing to herd them across the room until they were on the other side of a door. “Depends on the situation,” Si said, curving her lips into a smile as she contested Rob’s claim that he was more hygienic than a real dog might be. “Sometimes you’re a bit scruffy. But you make it work.” As usual, her compliments landed somewhere between genuine and teasing and she paired it with a wider smile as she crossed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck again. She sighed at the path his lips followed, tilting her head back and forgetting what they were talking about for a moment. It wasn’t really until he broke away again to completely banish the pets that she finally processed what he’d asked, whispering the question as his breath ghosted over her skin.

“How do you define cheating?” Si asked, still a little slow from the abrupt distance that’d formed between them. She paused a few moments longer and then ran her fingers through her hair. “I won’t tamper with your potions,” she promised with a teasing smile, “But I can’t guarantee you won’t get distracted. Even though a good potioneer always keeps an eye on his cauldron.” In theory, at least. One of the downsides of working with your boyfriend was that it could be extremely easy to get distracted. Sienna couldn’t swear in front of her bosses that her eyes stayed glued to her potions all day (much less her hands).

She reviewed the rules in her head and tried to find the loophole that Rob must’ve left for himself. They could both get competitive, and simple games could get heated soon enough. Sienna definitely wouldn’t go easy on Rob – just like she wasn’t expecting any special treatment for her birthday. Not related to potions, anyway. “There’s a time limit too,” she said hurriedly, eager to add an extra rule before the game started, “Just a few minutes to think before you have to light your cauldron. No taking hours to read every recipe in the book.” They each had their own advantages there. Rob’d been doing this for more years and, as sad as it was to admit, probably knew more tricks than Sienna. But she was good at improvising and going off-script when she needed to. And he hadn’t said anything about avoiding signature ingredients – because Sienna could probably do a thousand one things with octopus juice.

EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK

[EPKE ROBERTUS OPPEDYK]

Rob rolled his eyes good naturedly at Sienna. ”Thank you for the outstanding compliment,” he replied. They moved towards one another, Rob snaking an arm around Sienna’s waist as she looped herself around his neck. His lips trailed along her partially exposed skin, finishing with a lingering kiss on her lips. ”Scruffy. My arse. I’m shaving, you’ll never get the artfully filthy look from me again,” he murmured against her skin. Rob took a deep breath before regretfully pulling away, knowing that the longer he stayed close to Si, the less likely they’d get anything productive done. He was eternally easily distracted.

Frowning, Rob fixed Si with a glower. ”I am an excellent potioneer. You’re just too damn beautiful for your own good. I need blinders. But just… don’t do anything exceptionally sexy. Alright?” he practically pleaded. Rob nodded at her added rule. ”Deal. And a brewing time limit of two hours. No more.” He stuck out his hand for her to shake, knowing that any other sort of contact would spiral into something decidedly more devious. Rob brandished his wand and waved it, summoning a countdown of two minutes and thirty seconds, and another for two hours. ”Ready to get beaten?” he asked with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. He counted down from three, then with another flourish of his wand, the first timer started counting down.

The pair of them appraised Sienna’s store of potion ingredients, and Rob’s mind immediately got spinning. He sifted through lacewing flies, jars of frog spawn, grated unicorn hair, sopophorous beans… as the timer ticked closer to zero, Rob started thinking about how difficult he would make things for Sienna to brew. They took their turns, each picking an ingredient for the other as promised. In the end, Rob selected the following for Sienna’s potion: rosehip oil, valerian, hellebore syrup and lacewing flies. He considered his own ingredients, with only a minute left to consider what he could do with them. The timer ticked down as he thought wildly of how he could combine such a random assortment into something useful. When time was up, Rob was still at a complete loss, but he didn’t show it. He glanced at Sienna, his expression a mask of confidence. ”Ready? Time to brew.”


Sienna Aurélie Linslee