i wish i had a river [lorin]

Christmas used to be Donnie's favorite holiday when he was a little tyke. What kid didn't love Christmas? But Donnie had adored it. He'd loved the way the house always smells like pine boughs and delicious things baking in the oven. There were lights both magical and mundane, ornaments placed on the tree with the more delicate and sentimental ones near the top to avoid catastrophe when a member of the brood came tearing through the space. His mother loved Christmas, had decorated their little cottage with tender loving care every year. If he concentrated, he could still see her, hanging the garland on the stairwell and humming old Irish wassailing songs.

When she died, his father had thrown out all the decorations in a fit of melancholy. Donnie had gone through the trash and saved everything he could, hiding it in his closet then moving it into every flat he'd ever stayed in. He never put them up, though. Every year he meant to. He unpacked them carefully, checked to make sure they were in good shape, repaired the things that had lost some of their luster over the years. Then, just as carefully, he placed them back in the wooden crates which still had his mother's hand-written labels on the sides, and slid everything back into the closet. He promised himself every January first that this year would be the year he decorated for the season. He'd gotten very good at lying to himself about things like this.

In truth, he spent little time at his flat around the holidays. His older brothers were married with kids, he had cousins aplenty. There was no shortage of events and obligations. He could lose himself in crowd of his extended family, drink mulled wine, and feel a little happy for a while. He basically only came home to sleep and exercise. This year, though, things were a little different. He'd gone off to work this morning, like normal. His live-in secretary/housekeeper/nanny had made him a healthy breakfast and shooed him out the door while he was still stuffing grapes into his cheeks, shoving a packed lunch into his hands and warning him that she'd skin him alive if he skipped a meal again. Donnie did not know how she knew his eating habits. He swore she had eyes and ears everywhere. Work went well, he was pretty much alone in the Department as most of his coworkers had skipped off early. Understandable, being Christmas Eve and all.

As he left, he gave the other stragglers a wave. A few wished him a Happy Christmas and he huffed out a playful "Bah, humbug" which made everyone chuckle. He flooed to the alley beside his flat, walking up to the door. "I'm home!" He smelled the food cooking before he even opened his door.  "Odell, yer gonna make me fat with yer holiday cooking," he called out as he opened the door. His playful smile turned into a stunned expression as he surveyed the room in front of him. His mother's decorations filled the space. Lights twinkled merrily, strung around the room. The tree he bought more out of guilt than anything else was decked out in lavish ornaments and garland.

"Lorin," he breathed, looking around. "What... How?"

@Lorin Odell

Lorin had come to like her job quite a bit. It certainly wasn't glamorous. She didn't have a desk or an office or coworkers, really. Instead, she had the task of turning a house into a home—which was, believe it or not, much harder than she imagined it would be to turn herself into a paper pusher.  She was always busy—cooking, cleaning, decorating, making sure Donnie ate, making sure Donnie showered, making sure Donnie was sleeping... m it was a bit like being mother to a grown man, but she didn't mind it. It seemed he liked her style of assisting, too, as her “temp” job just kept getting longer and longer as he extended it over and over again. She liked living with him. He was funny and friendly and very handsome. He was also quite lonely, though. She never saw him bringing home other women, he rarely seemed to go out at all. He worked, he came home to her. He worked, he came home to her. She thought the least she could do was make sure he came home to a warm cooked meal, clean socks, a tall drink, and a clean apartment.

It was Christmas eve, this made things even more complicated. Lorin didn't usually love the Christmas season. It brought upon bad memories. Still, she wanted to be festive and thought that Donnie might do well with some Christmas cheer, as well. The next day, she'd be leaving for Godric's Hollow to spend Christmas day with her mother and father and brother. Donnie would be alone for a few days, maybe even as long as a week. She worried about him, though she knew he was a grown man who could (mostly) take care of himself. She thought it only fitting to make sure he had something special, just the two of them. She had made a turkey for the occasion, with dressing and cranberries. She'd made sweet potato mash with marshmallows, butter, and brown sugar. She'd made green beans, carrots, rolls, and a Christmas cake with white icing, decorated with snowflakes. She was just getting the bird out of the oven when she heard the door open.

Lorin had dressed for dinner. She typically did the cleaning in a house dress, but she always changed into something nice for supper, regardless of how fancy it was. It was something she had learned at home, and she considered it a sign of respect. Her hair was always done and her makeup was perfect as well. She was wearing a festive red dress that fell to her knees. It was a wrap-dress with a deep V in front, with a small black leather corset belt at the middle. She was wearing a necklace to fill the V, two bangles, and a hand full of rings. She moved the turkey onto the set table as he walked in. She went to the door to greet him. She was surprised to see him so startled by the decorations.

She had found his box of decorations earlier in the week but hadn't wanted to put them up until he was gone, as a surprise. She had spent several hours getting them all just right, though using magic helped quite a bit. She flushed lightly. “Do you like it?” She asked. “It's Christmas, after-all. I thought it might make things seem a bit more festive in here.” She admitted.  “Come to the table. I made a traditional dinner for us, since I'll be gone tomorrow. I think white goes better with turkey, but there's some ale in the fridge as well. Or I could just make you a whiskey. It looks like you've had quite the day.” She turned and went back to the kitchen to make sure everything else was looking alright. There were a few pine-scented candles burning, and the place smelled like home.

There had been some serious reservations on Donnie's part when it came to hiring Lorin Odell as the person he let cook his food, and trust to not murder him in his sleep. They'd had a pretty contentious relationship prior to her enployment. Mainly, he'd know her since she was bratty little thing and the fact that she had grown into a stubborn, headstrong woman was absolutely no shock to the former Slytherin. They'd seen each other periodically through the years at various Ministry functions neither of them could manage to duck out of. It had been a shock, seeing her this past year back at Hogwarts, while she and Donnie were both stuck beneath the dome. It was a generally horrific experience that neither of them liked to bring up. It had shown him that she was grown, and that she had a head on her shoulders. And since she was a friend of the family, she would be less likely to off him while he slept, and she was a Slytherin so at least she'd be creative about his death.

But what should have been a two-month job turned into three, then four, and it looked like they'd be together for a bit longer, as long as Donnie was getting assignments which caused him to slip into that brilliant space where he was a veritable genius who forgot to eat, sleep, and bathe. The last time he'd been in this kind of position without someone like Lorin around, he'd ended up in St. Mungo's. He was literally trusting Lorin with his life. And, surprisingly, he found himself enjoying her company. She was still a bit of a brat, but she was smart and witty and bold. Lorin was not a woman to take nothing from no one, including Donnie. Their relationship was unusual, but it felt right, somehow.

Donnie simply could not stop staring at the decoration, his chest tight and his eyes bright. "Yeah," he replied, his voice a little rough with emotion. "The decoration were my mum's." It was such a simple statement, and not really all that remarkable but seeing them up meant the world to him. "You did her proud." The smile he gave Lorin was sincere, and a little more vulnerable than she might have ever seen from him. He cleared his throat, taking off his coat and hanging it in the closet by the door. He took off his wet shoes, also leaving them by the door, and padded over to her in his socks. He leaned in to kiss the top of her head. "Thank ye. The place looks a right pretty sight."

He moved back, looking her outfit over. "You look quite pretty as well," Donnie told her with a grin. "Festive as a holly bough. Give me a moment while I go change." He made his way to his room, taking off his stuffy work clothes in favor of a simple white button-up shirt under a chunky navy cardigan and houndstooth slacks with black loafers.

"Do ya need any help in tha kitchen?" Lorin rarely did, but Donnie always asked. "Smell deilicious in here. I could eat a horse, but I guess a turkey will hafta do." He teased. "And I'll have whatever yer having, Odell."

Lorin had never been to Donnie's home before she started working there. She had seen the advertisement in the Prophet for an arithmancer's assistant, and she had needed the money. She had been shocked to come in for an interview and see Donnie there. The man had known her since she was a child, and was therefore immune to her charms as a woman, but had somehow agreed to take her as his assistant anyway. Was it pity, perhaps? Trust in her family? Or, maybe, trust in her abilities? She had made a fool of herself when he had come into the dome to help them. So desperate to escape, Lorin had attempted to seduce Donnie into assisting with her escape plan. This hadn't ended well, as he rejected her flat-out and scolded her for trying to use her body as currency. She had never experienced anything like this before in her life.  Boys her age were so easy to manipulate. A light smile, a coy turn of phrase, and a little skin did the job every time. Going through with the seduction, really, was just for fun. Donnie had humiliated her, then, and she worried he would remember, but it seemed he had forgotten or allowed her to redeem herself.

Ever since he gave her that chance, though, things had been going so well between them. They bickered like an old married couple, that was true, but Lorin usually got her way in the end. Donnie needed someone like her, someone headstrong and unafraid to speak her mind. He needed someone organized and clean and willing to help around the house. She shooed him out of the kitchen. “No, no, I can take care of everything. Just go change, and I'll pour the wine.” She promised. She finished setting up the table quickly, and picked a decent bottle of white from the cabinet to open. She poured them glasses, and sat down. She was tired from being up and around all day, but she was excited to see how much he appreciated the gesture. She thought she might have even seen a single man-tear welling up in his eyes.

There were presents under the tree, too. One was a serious gift that she thought he would like, and another was a pair of silly socks that she thought he might get a laugh at. Knowing him, he would absolutely wear them. She had gotten a few extra gifts for her own family and put them under the tree to fill it up, as well as a few small trinkets for Donnie's friends, that she had written from both of them, just in case he forgot to do shopping or an unexpected guest came by.

She carved the meat when he returned to the table and set about making him a plate before she made her own. Her mother had always made her father a plate at family dinners and that sort of thing was just ingrained in her. She set it down in front of him. “Do you want to say grace?” She asked. She wasn't particularly religious, but her family often prayed on Christmas. They liked to talk about what they were thankful for and comment on being healthy and happy, usually while looking pointedly at Lorin. If often made her uncomfortable, but things were different with Donnie. He didn't know about the Christmas incident and wouldn't shame her for it. She smiled at him from across the table. It was his castle, to run as he saw it fit.

Donnie added his own presents to the small pile under the tree. He had wrapped some gifts up for his family, mostly for his brother's kids; a few for old friends at the Ministry, and even a couple for Lorin's family. He had known them pretty much all her life, after all. Her dad had once been his boss, and he'd been the one to get him out of the funk he'd fallen into when Hana died. He owed her parents quite a lot. He supposed it was that debt that kept him from immediately slamming the door when she had shown up at his doorstep for an interview. That, and her intelligence. She was a pretty face, but he knew there was more than that going on inside her skull. He was rarely wrong about this kind of thing and it looked like his record was getting better. Lorin had proved invaluable so far. Plus, he liked her company. It was not something he could say about many people.

He sat obediently at the table, grinning as she plated up food for him. "Haven't poisoned the pudding, have ya?" He teased, waiting for her to sit down as he took a sip from the glass of wine. He was caught off guard by the question, but he supposed he should have seen something like this coming. Reason for the season and all that. Donnie had never really been a man of faith, but his mother had believed. This was her favorite holiday after all, and he did have a few traditions.

"It's, well, something like grace," he replied, flushing slightly. He'd never done what he was about to do in front of anyone. He cleared his throat and clasped his hands, as if in prayer. He raised his eyebrows at Lorin. "No laughin'." Donnie closed his eyes, and took a breath. "Hey Mum," he started. "I'm back again, like I promised. Don't know if ya know, but it's Christmas again. Everyone is doin' alright. Dad is, well, Dad. Aedan and his brood are doing fine. Beacan and Coinneach and Eimear are doing good. Coin got a special recommendation fer his work on that growin' potion. We were all real proud of him fer that. Eimear has her first gallery showing in a month. Beacan is dating that nice witch from Germany still. Can't see why she puts up with him, but he's lucky ta have her."

Donnie paused for a moment before going on. "You might have noticed yer decorations are up this year. Can't take credit fer that. It was all Lorin over there, my new secretary." He grinned. "Secretary, nanny, housekeeper, tamer. Something like that. She did a right bang-up job of it, you'd be proud ta see how well it all goes together. Cooked up a proper meal fer us, too. I'm thankful that she took me up on this job, and that we have managed ta not strangle each other. Yet."

His face got a little more serious. "I miss ya every day, but especially this time of the year. But I know yer looking out fer me, and all of us, from wherever ya might be sitting. Maybe it was you that sent Lorin this way, and if that's true, I definitely owe ya fer that." He set his hands back down on the table and opened his eyes, his face still a little red from the feeling of slight nerves at doing something so personal in front of another person.

"Let's eat," he said, picking up his knife and fork. "Elsewise I might just start eating the place settings."

Lorin felt vulnerable, watching this. She didn't know what to say so she just stood there, watching awkwardly while he spoke. Did he do this often? Out loud? When he looked back up, she was looking everywhere but at him. She felt like she ought to give him some privacy, but he apparently didn't feel like he needed it. It was nice that he thought highly enough of her to do this in front of her, but also awkward. She didn't know what to say to him, whether she should comment or keep quiet. He was a little red-eyed, and she wasn't sure if he wanted her to pretend to not notice or if she should offer him some kind of comfort.

Usually talkative, she was silent as she sat. She took a long swig of wine, and then took the first bite of dinner. The food was good, but the conversation was a little lacking. After a very long, pregnant pause, Lorin cleared her throat and began talking. He mind was racing, full of things to say and things she shouldn't say, and people she wanted to be. This wasn't something she had accounted for. She didn't think the two of them were on that level of closeness. She wouldn't dare let him see her so vulnerable. She wouldn't dare let him see her cry.

“So, your mother must have loved Christmas, then. To have such a fantastic collection of decorations.” She began, still not looking at him. “I hope I did her justice, then. I'm not usually much for Christmas myself. Bad memories in my house.” She didn't elaborate on it, and wouldn't. “Of course, my mother and father adore Christmas as well. They try to keep things festive, keep the family together, things like that.” She was loosening up a little as she rambled on.

“Mother always insists on getting the family together whenever we can. My family usually has a reunion on New Year's Day, and all my cousins from both sides come over. I tend to stick by Theoren, though. My cousins aren't very close with me. I'm.... different from them, I suppose. Some of them refuse to talk to me because I'm a Slytherin, you know. They always have. They simply pretend I don't exist. When I was younger they used to pick on me. Now they just ignore me. It's very annoying. Of course, I'm not much better than them. Even last year, I 'accidentally' spilled ink on my cousin's white dress. I once turned the bow on their holiday presents into a snake, which then bit her. She cried for almost an hour from fright. I don't see the big deal, really. It wasn't venomous.” She smiled a little, playful.

“I suppose if they weren't as mean to me, I wouldn't be mean to them, but I think that 'turn the other cheek' nonsense is hogwash. They deserve what they get, and if they paid me any mind, perhaps I wouldn't feel the need to retaliate.”

"It was her favorite holiday," he replied, feeling grateful for the break in the awkward silence. He probably should have skipped this particular tradition, but this was important to him. He was who he was and he did what felt right. Donnie wasn't one to change himself to make things easier for others. His whole life was proof of that. Donnie grinned, nodding as he looked around. "Ya did a fair sight better than I've ever managed," he told her. "I never could seem ta find tha time ta get them up."

Donnied nodded his understanding. "It's not tha best holiday fer me, either. Missing Mum, then having to spend all that time with family..." The two of them had more in common than they probably knew, being the only snakes in a house full of lions. "All my older brothers are in Gryffindor. Most of ma cousins, too. It's... strained, sometimes. They all think something must be wrong with me, ta end up where I did. Nevermind what I've done since or how many times I've proven myself." He huffed, clearly annoyed. "But it's their own fault fer being so fixated on something that trivial."

He threw his head back and laughed at Lorin's story. "Was it a bowaconstricter?" Donnie teased, grinning madly. "Once I made it so everything my oldest brother drank tasted like broccoli." Donnie shook his head, chuckling. "He gave me a right beating when he realized it was me." He smiled at Lorin, understanding at least a little bit what it felt like to be an outsider in your own family.

"I got lucky that my sister was sorted inta Ravenclaw. She's clever, brave, honest. She's definitely the best of all of us Kearney children." He knew she'd be at all the family gatherings, which was really the only reason he ever attended. That and his nieces and nephews. They were alright. How their mums put up with his oaf brothers was always a mystery to him.

Donnie agreed with Lorin about fighting back. "Being agreeable doesn't make ya any more popular, it just makes ya a doormat." He grinned at his secretary/housekeeper/babysitter. "And for as long as I've known ya, you've never struck me as one ta allow yerself ta be stepped on."