Guitar String (Braelynn)

[Deleted]

Zander hadn't gone to Saint Mungos with Andrew, Emily and Ranger. 

He didn't apparate straight home, but went the long way and walked. He tried to blink back the images of his father falling into his arms... suddenly going cold. He shook his head, looking up towards the sky as if the stars could burn the picture out of his memory with their fire, but they were too far away. He didn't cry, though, as he walked. In fact, he was almost zombie like in his slow movements and had to remind himself to blink. 

Soon, though, he did make it home and he stopped at the door. It was dark, he wasn't sure what time it was. He gently opened the door, trying not to make a sound as he did so. 

What was he thinking? Was he really going to get married? And at eighteen? He knew he would, he wasn't even that surprised. He was sorry that it took this horrible night to make him realize how much he needed to do this. How much he wanted to, how much he really, really loved her. 

He crossed into the living room, turning toward his guitar on the table with the new strings half on it, the old strings tossed to the side. It was dark in there, but he crossed to the couch anyway and sat down, picking up the instrument...

@braelynn

[Deleted]

Something was wrong.

Braelynn woke up in the middle of the night, staring up at the ceiling in a half dazed state. It was a common occurrence. Bay rarely made it the entire night without waking up at least once or twice. Nightmares, usually. But this was different. Something was seriously wrong. She didn't know how to explain it. Just that something was off...

A door opened, then closed. For a moment, Bay's heart stopped. It was the middle of the night. She was the only one in the apartment. Slowly, she got up and carefully made her way to the bedroom door that was cracked open only a little. No lights turned on. No voices. Just soft footsteps, and then the slightest thump. Zander's guitar. It always made that sounds when being picked up and set down again. Zander?

The door creaked a little as she pushed it open and slid out into the short narrow hall, her foot steps silent as she made her way to the living room. Even though it was dark, Bay would recognize Zander anywhere.

"... Zander..?" Why was he back in the middle of the night?

@zander

[Deleted]

He heard a door creaking as Braelynn opened it and looked up, waiting for her to show herself. When she did, or at least enough that he could see her silhouette, he felt his stomach drop. She said his name tentatively and he nodded, "it's me, honey," he confirmed, not moving the guitar off his lap just yet. In fact, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to unclench his fingers from around it. "I'm... I'm not staying at my-" he stopped. How was he supposed to tell her this!? He had to protect her, and bad news like this wouldn't do that. But, he had to. He would never lie to her even by omission.

"The house was attacked," he started, keeping his eyes locked on her features as they adjusted. "Ranger's at Mungos. He'll be okay," and that was where the words stopped coming. He forgot how to word.

The image of his father crashed through his mind again and he literally winced.

@braelynn

[Deleted]

Braelynn smiled just slightly when he said it was him. She was always happy to see him. But still... Why was he here so late? When he tried to speak again, to answer that exact question she felt her breath catch in her chest. Just the way he said it. Something had happened. She didn't move immediately, just leaned against the door frame to the living room, watching him. Trying to figure out what was wrong... And then finally, he explained.

"The house was attacked."

She almost gasped. By who? Why? That first was a dumb question. She knew who. There were't many options. But why? It couldn't be because of her, they thought she was dead, so there wouldn't be any need to go after Zander... He continued though, and her stomach began to sink. Ranger was going to be okay. Which meant he'd been injured.... "And... everyone else..?" They'd been at Zander's parents after all. Ranger wasn't the only one staying there.

@zander

[Deleted]

"And... everyone else..?" Zander swallowed, his eyes not blinking again as they weren't when he was walking. He realized when he closed them he saw his parents... their bodies lying in the kitchen or in his lap. He licked him slips, realizing how incredibly dry they felt. He took in a deep breath. He let it out. He took in another one....

"Dead."

His voice was soft, almost too quiet to hear and his tone was flat and empty. He didn't realize his hands had started shaking until a single note resonated from one of the strings. He jumped, setting the guitar aside and looking back up at Bay. "They... dad died right in from of me," his breath was starting to catch now but his tone stayed flat, "in my arms." He realized all he wanted was to be in hers now, but he forgot how to move.

@braelynn

[Deleted]

It was so quiet in the room you would have heard a pin drop. If it hadn't, she would have missed that barely audible word. Dead. His parents were dead. Her feet moved before she could fully comprehend what that meant, stepping into the living room and approaching the couch where he sat. She stopped only momentarily, when he said his father had died right in front of him, only to correct himself and say in his arms. Just the way he said it made her heart break a little, her usual emotionless expression had been replaced with deep sorrow. Zander, sweet Zander... She could't even comprehend what he was feeling. That after everything he'd gone through in the past few months, this would be added on top. Though he'd only been correcting himself on where his father had died, she couldn't help but hear an almost.... pleading in his voice. Whether it was real, or she'd simply imagined it, it didn't matter. She had to do something.

Braelynn finished crossing the room to him., and sat down next to him on the couch. She hesitated only a moment before reaching out to put her arms around him. "I'm sorry..." Her own voice was quiet. She knew it wasn't 'her' fault it happened. Nor was that the answer most were looking for in this situation. But in a way she felt... responsible. Because what if she knew the people that had done this? She'd been.... She'd been one of them. Her sister was still one of them.

@zander

[Deleted]

That warmth Zander so desperately needed was suddenly there when she reached him and he let out and audible sigh of relief as she wrapped her arms around him. He leaned into the hug, wrapping his own arms around her waste and holding her tightly, almost as if she was going to evaporate any second.

He didn't keep track of how long they sat there holding each other. He didn't cry, though. He didn't really do anything but hold on. Eventually he spoke again, "I love you, Lynn. I love you," it was soft but not quite a whisper. He held her a little tighter, if that was even possible, before pulling back just a little to look at her face. He lifted a hand to place it on her jaw at the base of her ear, just under the hair falling there. "I won't ever let anything happen to you," he said, his voice a little louder now. He kept his eyes on hers, "but I don't want you to feel like you're not living a life here. You should be able to live while... you can... we should, I mean," he shook his head, knowing that this probably sounded crazy right now, but his parents had lived life before they died, hadn't they? They had loved it and done what they thought was right. It would be foolish for Zander and Braylenn not to do the same.

@braelynn

[Deleted]

Braelynn swallowed hard when Zander returned the hug, holding onto for dear life. She was surprised, to be honest, by the sheer force and emotion behind his embrace. It didn't hurt, just surprised her. It was almost as if he was afraid she'd leave too, somehow. That thought made her tighten her own grip just a little. To try and reassure him that she wasn't going anywhere.

This was most definitely the longest she'd initiated, or returned an embrace since before the kidnapping. Usually she couldn't go more then a few minutes before withdrawing back to herself. She'd let him keep holding her, but she just... stopped returning it after a while. Not this time though. She would not move unless he moved first. Even when he spoke, confessing how much he loved her. He'd said it before. Multiple times. And it still made her heart flutter each time he said it. She'd said it too, a few times, but it'd never been frequent. That was about to change it seemed. Swallowing again, she nodded. "I love you too, Zander..." Only a moment later, he finally pulled away, but not by much. Just enough that he could look her in the eyes and place a hand right below her cheek. She raised her own, to cover his hand. Her lips pursed together a little at the words, trying to hold back the emotions they stirred. That he'd never let anything happen to her. She chose not to attempt to speak in that moment, and just gave a small nod.

His next comments took a moment to register. Live life? Was that even possible with everything going on? Unable to pull her gaze away from his own, she knew her answer. "We can." She'd known for a long time that she wanted to be with him. Ever since those days they'd been sneaking around Hogwarts, she'd known that. That whatever her future may be, she wanted only one thing. And that was to be with him.

Together.

@zander

[Deleted]

Zander wouldn't comment on how long she had actually returned that hug, that she wasn't the first one to let go. He wouldn't say straight out how much her I love you meant to him, even more than usual. He knew that something was shifting. More than he had known just from moments ago at his parents home when he realized what he had to do. What he wanted to do. What he needed to do. Now that she was here, and she was returning all his love right back to him, he knew that this was the right thing.

When she placed her hand over his his determination skyrocketed. The she spoke after a nod and his stumbled explanation of his behavior. We can. He smiled softly, nodding now and gently stroking her chin with his thumb for a moment. "I know," he agreed after a moment before his eyes flickered about the room for a moment, looking for something...

Then he saw it. The guitar strings lying on the table beside them. The old ones that he'd just taken off the guitar a few days ago. He looked back to her with a slight apologetic smile as he pulled his hand from her face, reaching for one of the lighter strings. He turned back and held it up to her, "then marry me, Braelynn," it wasn't said in some sort of giddy way, like a normal eighteen year old asking a seventeen year old to marry him. The words had reached into his soul and ripped themselves out, He looked at the guitar string in between them and bent it, twisting it and turning it until it was almost a complete open circle. A ring, if you will.

He looked back up at her, holding it in one hand now, placing his other hand on her knee now. "What do you say?" that question came out just a little louder than a whisper, and a small smile formed on his face.

...You are my life, I don't deserve you, but you love me just the same. You are my life, my love, my only, and that's the one thing that won't change...

@braelynn  

[Deleted]

Braelynn smiled just a little as he stroked her cheek and softly agreed. She didn't know what he was going through. What he must be feeling right now. But at least.... at least she seemed to be helping? She wasn't entirely sure, but he wasn't shutting down (like she had). He was so much stronger then her, and it was almost like he was clinging to something. It didn't even occur to her that it was her.

Her eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he gave her that look and pulled his hand away. While he looked apologetic, he also seemed... determined? It as no wonder she was confused. Even more so when he reached out ad plucked up one of the old guitar strings and held it up to her. The confusion turned to surprise, real surprise. Surprise that actually showed in her expression.

Marry.... Zander..?

It felt as if something broke loose inside her. As if a door had suddenly been wrenched, and a gush of wind had rushed in, knocking the breath from her chest and leaving her reeling. She'd... wanted to be with him. But marriage? She'd never allowed herself to even consider that. To even fantasize marrying him, because she'd known that if she'd allowed herself to think about it that she'd long for that, it'd become one of her greatest dreams and desires in life. So now, here she was. Free of her family. Of her engagement to Raleigh. And she could think about it. She could say-

His soft question, asking what she thought of that, turned her thoughts into words. "Yes!" The absolute conviction and intensity in her own voice actually shocked her, making her jump just a little. She hadn't meant to respond so.... quickly, or in quite that way, but she'd meant it. Her smile was grew a little more, a little brighter. "Yes." She repeated, her voice softer, but no less sure.

Braelynn leaned towards him, but hesitated for a moment. She'd been... receptive to his advances thus far, but rarely made them herself. Was she sure she was.... ready for this? It took only a moment to decide and she finished closing the distance between them to press her lips softly against his.

@zander

[Deleted]

Zander felt a huge sweep of relief flow through him as she finally spoke and he let out a breath, "oh, thank God," he muttered. Then she was leaning toward him and he was leaning back. When she paused, he raised an eyebrow, waiting to see what she was going to do. He hadn't realized until that pause that she was the one who was leaning toward him first, and that caused him to smile. He waiting for her to finish closing the distance before kissing her back, but he wasn't quite as soft.

In one swift motion he wrapped his arms around her, lifting her up onto his lap. He smiled against her lips and held her as close as he possibly could. He guitar string was still in his hand but he didn't move to attempt to put the makeshift ring on her finger yet, not wanting to stop the kiss. After a moment he pulled back a little, his free hand flat on her back and his other hand coming around to hold the guitar string up between them. "I hope this will do for now," he said, raising an eyebrow again.

@braelynn

[Deleted]

Braelynn almost laughed at that breath of relief he released and those words. You know, if she hadn’t been so focused on gathering her courage and making an advance. It seemed to take him a moment to figure out what she was up to, but she knew he’d figured it out when he just smiled and waited. She still couldn’t understand how he’d grown to be so patient with her. But she knew it was that patience that had helped her reach this point. He’d let her take everything at her own pace.

She was taken completely by surprise though when he put his arms back around her and pulled her into his lap, never breaking the kiss. She might have recoiled, if this had been a few weeks ago. Instead she just gasped softly in surprise against his lips, but didn’t pull away. They hadn’t kissed like this before, not really. It had always been brief, or soft. This was neither of those, and for a moment Braelynn felt that strong desire to pull away. To withdraw back into that shell she’d so meticulously created after the duel. Another part of her was stronger, the part of her that wanted to be with Zander. So she stayed, kissing Zander with one hand against his chest while the other found a spot at the back of his neck.

What was really surprising, was Zander ended up being the first one to pull away, holding his makeshift ring between them. She finally glanced down at it… and smiled. ”It’ll do.” She softly answered.

Braelynn was going to marry Zander. Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she finally had a memory strong enough to cast a Patronus charm…

@zander
(d’awwwwwwww <3 end?!)