Closed RP: Stephen and Sarah - The Surprise

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

((This starts Friday morning. Good clean fun with appliances abounds!))


With minimal fuss, Sarah and Stephen had left the school by Floo to seek out a waiting cab in a nearby 'Muggle' village. Their destination, as far as Sarah knew, was Macduff Aquarium in Aberdeenshire, but this whole day just existing was already so incredible to her. They were leaving the castle - and with it she hoped the stress that had plagued them recently - and venturing out into the non-magic world which she had not been in since her arrival. To be fair, she had not gone beyond the castle and grounds except once to Hogsmeade with Stephen, so she was quite excited.

Settled against Stephen's side in the backseat of the cab, she was content to point out things that caught her attention on the drive - and even explain things that might have been interesting to a man from the 19th century - or simply just sit in companionable silence. The familiarity of being in a car after two months was refreshing because it was something distinctly non-magical and not connected to what they had left behind, and it was all that much better for having Stephen, who was already her new 'familiar', right next to her. They both needed this, in her opinion, so she had been ridiculously pleased when Stephen had mentioned the plans. Without knowing it (or so she assumed, as she had never mentioned her birthday), he had given her an early birthday present in this day trip out with him. There was no more she could ask for, and yet...

"Stephen, I think the cabbie's taken us to the wrong place," she said once she had gotten close to his ear to whisper without being overheard. Outside the window of the now stopped cab was a cottage, very lovely but not the aquarium she had been expecting to see. Too preoccupied with the view or with Stephen, she had not even noticed telling road signs that might have led to confusion much sooner.


((R-ish for quite a lot of smut in various places. xD))

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[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Not trusting herself to words or to actions, Sarah nodded and turned away, rinsing out her glass to leave in the sink before she left the kitchen. She made her way quickly to the bedroom, rummaging messily through her suitcase before finally finding a tank top and shorts to sleep in and then retreated to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

[estebanmd.livejournal.com]

Stephen waited in the kitchen alone until he could hear by the cessation of running water and the opening of the door that Sarah had finished preparing for bed. Then he went to make his own preparations, bringing the cow pyjamas (bless you, Aloysius II) into the bathroom with him. Teeth brushed, splash of water on the face, he rummaged in the satchel of toiletries for the flasks of potion and drug that he expected --

-- and realised that they were not there. He would not have had Aloysius pack them, he certainly could not have had the agent order them, and he had not remembered to bring them on his person. Of course, how would he have concealed a week's worth of two liquid sleeping drugs on what was supposed to be a day trip?

Damning himself for a dozen different kinds of fool, he shut out the bathroom light and went to tell Sarah the bad news.

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

Already in the bed, Sarah was coming to realize it was indeed smaller that the one in Stephen's quarters. However, it was hardly a problem, as in a few minutes she would have a potion in hand and then be completely unaware until morning. She settled back, the wine she had consumed making her feel far more comfortable than she actually did feel. She would take the potion, sleep and then find the joy she had earlier when she awoke. When Stephen came back in the room, she looked to his hands expectantly and then to his face, which stopped her short.

"What's wrong?" she asked, just knowing something bad was about to be revealed - she could just tell.

[estebanmd.livejournal.com]

"I am afraid I forgot something important," he said, looking away. He desperately hoped she could forgive him for this; more, he hoped that her fears of malicious dreams could be allayed enough to permit her some sleep without the potion, and he feared this would not be the case.

[nopower-overme.livejournal.com]

For a moment, Sarah simply shook her head and then she froze, staring at him wide-eyed as her hands clenched in the bed covers. He had forgotten the potion and the laudanum, she could tell, as his hands were empty. That meant...

"Oh God," she hissed, sucking in a too-sharp breath. Suddenly, dependency made complete sense to her, as that potion had become her nightly crutch, her bit of safety to a place Stephen could not protect her from. Tucked against his side in dreamless slumber had become the safest place for her and now it was half-gone - losing him would have been an impossible and fatal blow, no contest, but still the fact the dreams could now come...

She sat in the bed, unable to move yet wanting to get up and do something, anything. She would simply have to find a way to stay awake, whatever it was. Certainly she could do that for a few days until they were back. She shot out of the bed, pacing a small circle by the bed and cursing silently for the wine now making her sleepy. She needed to clear her head, so she started for the door, eyes falling on Stephen.

She never once thought to blame him, not even for a fraction of a second. She went to him, wrapping her arms tightly around him as she buried her face against his neck. Even as she clung so tightly to him, one hand smoothed up and down his back in a feeble show of comfort. She would not cry, refused to allow him to feel worse than she realized he likely had to be feeling, yet her shoulder began to shake. She hated being this weak and she hated being terrified, yet she still was because she knew Dream could reach her here. She still had no reason not to think she would suddenly be given a dream from another person - or worse.

[estebanmd.livejournal.com]

Stephen did not believe there was much chance at all that anyone was trying to tamper with Sarah's dreams, at least not at present. What concerned him was her belief therein -- like the reverse of a placebo. He was furious with himself for having forgotten to bring the one thing he knew could calm her fear.

"Sweetheart, I know you do not credit it, but please believe me when I say I think there is no immediate danger to you. If you want to go back --" He shook his head, helplessly, holding her to him as she trembled. "I thought it would be a good thing to put distance between you and that place, but if you want to go back, we can."