[godric's hollow] Red, red wine [Theoren]

Theoren shouldn't be home yet, Lorin thought to herself as she used her key to his home. It felt strange to be there, back home, after months—nearly a year—of living away from home. Things with Donnie had been great, and she was still a little upset that it was over, but it was always supposed to be temporary. She knew he would still be there for her if she needed him, but a part of her worried about what he would do without her. How would he remember to eat, shower, sleep, without her nagging? She made herself at home in Theoren's kitchen with the bag full of groceries she brought from down the street. She was going to make lasagna, something filling and warm and comforting. She was going to make it with sausage and ricotta and a little bit of spinach hiding in the middle so Theoren will eat his vegetables. Yes, perfect. She poured herself a large glass of red wine to drink as she cooked.

It was stupid for Donnie to let her go, really. She would've stayed for another extension if he'd asked her, but he stupidly hadn't. Did he have a death wish? She knew he sometime snuck out of the house when he thought she was asleep, but where did he go? What if he was out getting in trouble, getting hurt—it was more likely he was out taking care of his manly urges, as he never had a woman over the entire time she lived there (and she, herself, had snuck in several men and been caught in the act at least once). She was on her second glass now, frustratedly pouring the ricotta mixture over the cooked pasta. She poured the meat sauce on top and layered on the cheese. She dripped wine down her blouse, and took it off. She would change after she was finished cooking. She poured glass number three.

Fine, fuck him. She didn't need him or his job. In fact, she had a interview lined up to play secretary in the Department of Mysteries, if she could nail the job down, there would be benefits and pay. She would get to go through the rigorous sixth month training program in confidentiality, and then work in a career that would make her parents proud. She was eager to go at it. Eager. She drained her glass and felt kind of woozy. Maybe she ought to lay down on the couch. She put a timer on for the oven and laid down for a moment. She dozed the moment her head hit the pillow, and awoke to the smell of smoke. Was the house burning??? She was still a bit tipsy as she came to. The lasagna!!

She jumped up, still topless, and went to the oven quickly, taking it out and nearly burning her hands. It was a little burned, but still edible. She dissipated the smoke and took a few minutes to calm down. The smell of smoke brought her back to her seventh year, the fire that destroyed almost everything she owned, the gauntlet, the monsters, the dome.... all of it came back. She needed another glass. She finished the bottle and drained the glass quickly. By now, she was properly drunk. The house smelled like smoke, the lasagna was burned, she was still topless and now she was crying, mascara streams running down her face.

Naturally, this was the moment @Theoren Odell chose to walk in the door and see his sister for the first time since Christmas.

Once again, Theoren had to turn down an invitation to go out for a second round of drinks.  A pint after work was enjoyable, but his friends never wanted to stop there.  Two would turn to three would turn to shots, and the next thing he knew, it’d be three in the morning and he’d have wound up someplace random, too pissed to Apparate home.  Fun though these kinds of nights were, Theoren had to work early the next day, and wasn’t keen to do it on no sleep and nursing a nasty hangover.

His friends teased him good-naturedly as he paid his tab, trying to bully him into staying longer by calling his courage into question.  Sometimes it worked, but tonight he waved them off with a chuckle.  It was easier now to make the responsible decision than it was a few years ago, when his independence was new and his lack of curfew still carried its novelty.

After tossing a few extra sickles onto the counter for the bartender, Theoren said goodbye to his friends, stepped out of the pub and Disapparated.  He reappeared at the edge of his property in Godric’s Hollow, where the heady scent of spring caught on the breeze, rustling quietly through barren tree branches.  It was noticeably becoming warmer day-by-day, and Theoren felt an anticipation for summer.  He paused for a moment to gaze up at the darkening sky, where a few stars were beginning to appear.  It was a beautiful evening.  Theoren allowed himself to bask, for a moment, in a deep sense of appreciation to find himself living now in peaceful times.  He hoped it would stay this way, once and for all.

Theoren strolled leisurely up the path toward the cottage, hands in his pockets, his head buzzing pleasantly from the ale.  He felt proud of himself for making the right decision.  His friends might still be mocking him back at the pub, but they’d forget all about it in a couple of days.  Meanwhile, he’d get to enjoy a relaxing evening, a decent meal and a good night’s sleep.  He hoped he still had some of that barbeque chicken left over from Sunday.

As soon as the cottage came into view, he noticed that something was unusual.  A light was on in the kitchen window.  Theoren tensed reflexively, a  hand reached for his wand, but he paused before drawing it.  A small frown creased his brow as he evaluated the scene before him.  If he had an unannounced visitor, it was more likely to be friend than foe.  Or possibly he’d simply left the light on by accident?  Still, one could never be too vigilant, and Theoren approached the back door with caution.

He opened it to the smell of smoke.  One swift glance around the kitchen showed him his sister, half-naked and crying, the wine bottle and the empty glass, and a pan full of... something crispy.  She appeared to be alone.  He relinquished his grip on his wand.  “Lorin?”  He was audibly and visibly confused.  He hadn’t seen her in some time.  It wasn’t unfathomable for her to show up unannounced, for he had always tried to make her feel welcome in his home.  For the moment, however, he was more worried than he was happy to see her.  He closed the door and took a step toward her, trying not to glance too long at her lacy undergarment.  Had someone hurt her?  He expected the worst.  “What’s going on?” he demanded, businesslike.  “What happened?”
 
 

Lorin, who had once felt so comfortable unclothed in her brother’s presence, grasped her body to conceal the skin and scrambled for her ruined blouse. This was difficult, however, as the young witch was very drunk, clumsy, and still crying. She sniffled, happy to see him but miserable and feeling stupid.

“I burned your lasagna….” She sobbed, wiping at her eyes. “I just wanted to make something nice for you and now it’s ruined and I got wine on my blouse and you’re here and there’s nothing for dinner. You think it’s still edible? It’s probably terrible. I’m an awful sister…” She rambled, moving close to him, shirt in her hand but not quite on her body. She opened her arms and threw herself on him. “I missed you.” He inhaled his scent, something woody, earthy, and masculine—twinged with the faint scent of ale. It smelled like home. She burrowed her face in his shoulder.

“I lost my job today.” She whined. “Donnie won’t know what to do with himself without me. That man can’t cook or clean even a little bit. He’d lose his head if I didn’t pack it in his lunchbox.” She sniffed, crying less now. She wiped drunkenly at her eyes, and then finally moved to put the stained blouse back on. “I meant to change. I ruined this one.” She repeated. She began to walk him over to the couch. She was dizzy, a little, and wanting to sit down. She kept close to her brother, though, needing the comfort of his thick frame.

She kissed his cheek as she snuggled into him. “I’m sorry I ruined your dinner. We could always order in. I think there are a few takeaway menus in the drawer, if you’d rather that.” She had gone from hysterical to loving in the matter of seconds. She was clearly intoxicated, being more open than usual.

Theoren relaxed immediately at her words, which came out in a rush.  His shoulders slackened and a smile crossed his lips.  So burnt lasagna was the culprit?  He nearly shook his head in relief, but instead shrugged off his jacket and stepped toward her.  “You’re a wonderful sister,” he corrected, gently wrapping the jacket around her shoulders.  “It was very thoughtful of you.”

The smell of red wine and soft perfume wafted over him as she threw herself into his arms.  She was clearly drunk.  He didn’t love it, but... she was an adult now, a graduate, fully at-will to make her own decisions.  And anyway, a phase of reckless drinking was a part of anyone’s coming-of-age, was it not?  Everyone he knew, at least... she was bound to make a few mistakes.  He’d find a way to talk to her about it when she was sober.  For now, it was his job to take care of her.  He hugged her tightly and rested his cheek against her hair.

"Lost?" he echoed.  "He gave you the sack?"  He didn’t quite manage to sound upset about it.  Theoren had never much cared for his sister’s chosen course of employment, as some kind of live-in servant to an older man.  The whole premise of it felt quite wrong to him.  They were behind closed doors together far too often, his sister and this stranger – there was too much opportunity for something inappropriate to happen.  However, neither she nor their parents seemed to think there was anything to worry about, and so Theoren was overruled.  He trusted that she would come to him if anything happened, as he believed she always had in the past.  Theoren was confident that Lorin felt that she could fully confide in him.  And as of yet, she’d given him nothing to worry about.  That didn’t stop him from reminding her of his opinion at every opportunity.  “I’m sure he’ll manage,” Theoren muttered a bit spitefully. 

He chuckled softly when she explained what was the matter with her blouse.  “You have been having a rough day, haven’t you?” he asked gently.  Theoren pulled his wand from his shirt and gave it a swift wave, conjuring a tissue out of the end of it.  A parlour trick which he had actually found to be quite practical over the years.  He pulled the tissue loose and extended it toward her, so that she could wipe her eyes with something other than her hands.

“No, this will be fine!” he assured her.  He steadied her as she teetered toward the couch.  “Smells great.  Bet it’s got a nice, smoky flavor.”  He was quite honestly hungry enough that he could eat the whole thing straight out of the pan, and he was eager to get started.  But for politeness’ sake, he elected to wait.  He sat Lorin down on the couch and swapped his jacket for a lightweight throw, wrapping it around her.  He brushed the hair away from her forehead and looked into her eyes, grinning widely in hopes of drawing a smile out of her.  “Good to see you, Sister,” he said, giving her shoulders a squeeze.  He rose once again and went back to the kitchen to fetch her a glass of water.  He peeked at the slightly-burnt lasagna and his stomach grumbled.  “So… tell me what happened.”  He walked back into the living room and extended the glass toward her.
 
 

Lorin sighed as Theoren's warm arms encompassed her. She liked wearing his jacket, his clothes. She liked being around him. She smiled at him warmly, tears drying up finally, as she took a seat on the couch and let him trade the jacket for a throw. She leaned into him a little. “Lost is as good a word as any. It was only supposed to be a temporary job to begin with, something to get me out on my own, but of course he kept extending it and extending it. Today it officially ended, no more renewals. Maybe he simply got tired of me, who knows.” She sighed. “Can I stay here for awhile?” She asked. “Of course mum would let me stay at home, but your place is so much cozier, and you're here, which makes for better company.” Her mother was fine enough company, but her dad was always a bit chilly to her, in her opinion.

“I cook and clean, when I'm not burning dinner.” She sighed again. “By all means, help yourself, though. I'm so rude. There's a second bottle of on the counter, but maybe I should stick to water....” She admitted with a light blush. “Nothing for me, though, I'm a bit woosy...” Though some food in her belly might sober her up a bit.

“I may have an interview coming up for a Ministry job, but I don't want to jinx myself by speaking too soon. I don't know if Ministry work is really for me, though.... I never saw myself as a family business type of girl, but I have no idea what else to do with myself, I'm certainly having no luck finding a nice man to take care of me....”

“I would be the perfect wife, you know. I cook and clean, I dress well, I'm classy. Why don't I have any luck with men? I can't even get the boy I've been seen for two years to be my boyfriend. I'm a failure in that area. You should teach me, Theoren. What does a man want in a wife? I guarantee I can be every one.” She said, sniffing a bit and holding herself upright.

A thought entered Theoren’s mind, one he wasn’t particularly fond of.  He trusted that Lorin would come to him if anything bad happened… but that didn’t necessarily mean that she shared every detail of her life with him.  He suddenly felt suspicious that perhaps there was more to the situation with her employer than she was letting on.  The thought made him uneasy.  “Mm?  Of course you can,” he answered, slightly distracted.  “Room might need a bit of dusting,” he teased, alluding to the fact that he hadn’t seen her for a while.  “Probably covered in cobwebs.”  He smiled, doing his best to set his suspicions aside for now.

He chuckled quietly when she said she should stick to water, nodding his head.  He was relieved to see her calming down, making jokes.  Lorin encouraged him to help himself to the lasagna, saying she felt too woozy to eat.  “Bit of food will help with that,” he stated matter-of-factly.  The way he said it suggested he considered himself an expert at drinking and his sister a novice.  He would make her a plate, when the time came, and encourage her to eat it.

Lorin might be upset about losing her job, but Theoren felt it was for the best, in the long run.  There could be nothing good about a man who needed a young girl, barely of legal age, tending to his every need.  Now she could move on to something more dignified.  He knew it was an unrealistic goal, keeping her away from all men… but, at the very least, he would do his part to steer her away from the bad ones.  “What department?” he asked, interested.  A more structured, less ambiguous occupation would suit her well, he thought.

Theoren laughed at her comments about having no luck finding a partner, as if it were a joke.  “Little young to be looking to settle down.  You don’t need to be taken care of.”  She was an extremely capable witch, after all.  The idea of his sister getting married at eighteen was absolutely preposterous to him.  He felt compelled to change her perspective on the matter.  “It’s not about what kind of wife you can be.  Not about what you can provide.  It’s about meeting someone, falling in love, having a connection… wanting to be with nobody but them…” his tone became a bit dreamy.  “You’ll find it – or it’ll find you, more like – but when the time is right.  Like Mum and Dad.  Might not be for a few years.  There’s no rushing it along.”  He patted her on the knee.  “And it’ll be worth the wait.”
 
 

She sighed, she wanted all of that now, and she knew exactly who she wanted it with. He was simply being stubborn about it all. Well that, and the fact that she hadn't actually asked him yet. Shouldn't it be the boy's job to ask her to go steady? The fact that he hadn't mean that he clearly didn't feel like it, and that annoyed her. She'd been good to him for years, and they saw each other all the time. She devoted far too much time for him for them to just be friends. She didn't even mind that they weren't exclusive, she just wanted to be someone special to him. She wanted the title of girlfriend and the rights that went with it—the right to ask for his attention, to kiss him, to wear his clothes. She wanted all of it. She wanted to have his children and be his wife. She sighed, and cuddled into Theoren a little more.

“You're such a romantic.” She sighed. “All of my girl friends are getting engaged, or are in serious relationships, and then there's just... me. Alone, always alone. Do you believe I've never had a steady boyfriend? I've never been with anyone in my life. You've had loads of girlfriends, you wouldn't know what it was like. I'm always the side piece, always the one-nighter....” She was oversharing a little bit. “Never someone anyone wants to keep. Theoren, I've been seeing the same boy almost weekly for two years, and he doesn't even look at me. He barely knows me, and I love him. I love him so much that it hurts.” She was crying a little bit now. “You remember Seth, right? We went to that Ministry ball together, and you went with his sister and it was so funny. I love him. Seth Stanton.” She said. She'd never admitted this aloud.

“I'm a foolish girl.” She sighed, pulling away from his hugs to stand up. “Maybe I will have a little bit of that lasagna.” She decided, getting up to make her plate and feeling cold where Theoren had been warm. She made a plate for Theoren, while she was up, though his potion was heartier. “Would you like a salad with it? I brought the vegetables, but I haven't sliced them.” She was not crying again, and now that she was busying herself, she seemed a bit more stable.

“Says more about them than it does about you,” he muttered stubbornly.  Theoren found himself hating the faceless men who could so easily discard her.  He didn’t like to think of Lorin as the type to sleep around… although it wasn’t the first time she had suggested as much.  He hoped she was just being dramatic.  Exaggerating because she was emotional.  And that there weren’t really that many of them.  When he spoke again, his tone was softer.  “Listen.  You’re beautiful.  Sharp as a tack.  And a damn fine cook... most of the time,” he teased.  “Anyone’d be mad to not want to keep you around.”  He gave her shoulders a light squeeze.  Too good for them, that’s what she was.

And then he had to wonder if all of this talk had anything to do with her losing her job.  It would be his worst fears about the situation confirmed, if she had slept with Kearney.  Theoren’s blood boiled at the thought.  It would be very difficult indeed for him not to give the man a piece of his mind -- and perhaps his fist -- the next time they crossed paths.

But her words wiped all of that from his mind.  “Aline’s brother?”  Yes, he remembered when they’d shown up at the charity event together.  It had definitely taken him by surprise.  Made him a bit angry, too, though he wasn’t sure why.  By the end of the night he’d grown rather exhausted of everyone’s amusement at the Stanton-Odell sibling double date.  It had taken Theoren a while to find the humour in it himself.  “I didn’t know the two of you were still… ‘seeing’ one another.”  She must have kept it from him deliberately.  But why?

He stood up and followed her back to the kitchen.  Frowning, he watched her plate the blackened lasagna, his stomach growling furiously.  “Don’t trouble yourself,” he said gently.  Truthfully, he wasn’t sure he could wait for her to prepare the salad.  And anyway, the sooner she ate something, the better.  “Sit down.  I’ll take it from here.”  Bread -- they’d need some bread.  He walked over to the cupboard and reached for the thick, fluffy loaf that he’d picked up earlier that week, and set to work slicing a few pieces off for each of them. 

So she was in love with him, was she?  Or she thought she was.  Stanton was a better candidate for his sister’s affections than Kearney, Theoren had to admit, if only slightly.  At least he wasn’t more than a decade older than her.  And he was from a good family.  Theoren had always liked the Stantons.  But Seth was too brutish -- Theoren had no faith that he would treat Lorin properly.  A fact which was perfectly demonstrated by her current emotional state.

“So it’s Seth Stanton that’s got you upset,” he blurted angrily as he slathered a generous serving of butter over the sliced bread.  “Not taking things seriously, is he?”  He turned back to face her and laid two slices on her plate, before savagely taking a bite out of one of his own.  Maybe Seth would be the one meeting the end of his fist.  He wondered if Aline knew about all of this.
 
 

Lorin flushed, picking at the lasagna with a fork, moving the blackened cheese to the side and trying to eat at the noodles underneath. “Ahh….” She felt trapped, caught by Theoren’s words. She had never told him this before—had never told anyone this before. He sounded angry, though, and she hated that. She hated to make him angry. He was scary when he was angry, and while she knew he would never hurt her, she couldn’t make the same assumptions about Seth. Theoren absolutely would hunt the boy down and ruin any chances she had with him.  “It’s… not that bad, I suppose.” She backtracked. “I’m just… exaggerating, I guess. He probably doesn’t know I’m interested, but…” She sighed. “Why isn’t he interested in me?” She sighed. “He used to seek me out, and now I feel like I’m begging for attention…”

She filled her mouth to stop herself from talking, watching Theoren’s body language carefully. It was sweet that he thought so highly of her. She wished she could have someone like him, just like him, who loved her unconditionally and would always be there for her. She could always depend on her brother. She loved him so dearly. She blurted this without thinking. “I wish I could meet someone like you, brother. Someone… just like you.” At one time, she had thought that the only man who would ever love her was Theoren. She thought that, perhaps, she had found someone else who could be with her but she was wrong. Perhaps Theoren really was the only one who would ever love her… but she didn’t feel quite the same sense of ambition in it that she once had. She had once thought that if Theoren was the one, she would make him hers…. But now she was just tired. He deserved better than her, anyway, regardless of how taboo the whole idea had been.

She chewed slowly, holding in her sobs, and leaning closely into her brother. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I’ll get myself back together, I promise. I promise, Theoren, I’ll be normal again tomorrow….”

Still seething, Theoren dove into his lasagna.  It was delicious.  He barely noticed the burnt bits, and finished the whole serving in a half a dozen bites.  He still felt like he was starving.  Theoren reached for the pan and dished himself another helping, sure that Lorin wouldn’t mind.  He listened to her explanation, but didn’t really understand.  She thought Seth probably didn’t know she was interested?  What did that mean?  “Oh,” he grunted.  “I thought you meant to say you’ve been seeing each other in secret ever since the ball.”  Fork lingering over his plate, he searched her face for some sort of reaction.

Maybe it was none of his business, really, but now that she’d opened the topic for discussion, there were certain things Theoren felt he needed to know.  He wondered if she would regret bringing any of this up the next morning.  He knew just about anyone who’d had too much to drink had a tendency to get emotional and overshare.  Seating himself at one of the barstools, Theoren pulled his wand from the front of his shirt and summoned a bottle of ale from the ice box.  He caught it easily and popped the top off on the corner of the counter, taking a swig.

When she said she wished she could find someone just like him, Theoren resisted the urge to rustle her hair, knowing that she would probably be angry with him for messing it up.  “Someone brave and devastatingly handsome?”  He winked.  “Can’t say I blame you.”  He was joking, of course, for he had no idea how serious she truly was.  He took another, longer drink from the bottle and set it down on the counter, letting out a low belch.  “Pardon.  This is delicious, by the way.”

Theoren was feeling in much better spirits now, with a bit of food and drink in his stomach.  He was happy that Lorin had come to see him, even if their visit had gotten off to a rocky start.  “Don’t apologize, Sister.  You know I’m always here to lend an ear.  I’m glad you’ve come.  And things will turn around; I promise you, they will.”  He patted her on the shoulder.  “It’s not the end of the world.”  Merlin knew they’d both seen a lot worse in their short lives.

“What shall we do for the rest of the evening, eh?  Fancy a game of exploding snap?  Or perhaps you’ll want to turn in early,” he considered.  He wondered if she was feeling any better.  Theoren ripped a bite out of his bread, eyeing her plate.  “You should eat the rest of that, first.”