Slow like honey [Leona]

Britain | May 2003

May flowers. They were beautiful this time of year, and Christoph was nervous and excited. Things had been complicated with Leona as of late, but he was moving forward with the plan, albeit a bit begrudgingly. His feelings were clouding him. Ever since their night together, he had felt more than a little bit of sentimentality towards his girlfriend, soon to (hopefully) be his future wife. He felt that he needed some distance to gather his wits about him, but she as making that very difficult, being charming and sweet at every turn and making him feel incredibly endeared to her. He found that he liked her company. This was not a part of the plan. She needed to be extinguished with the others, but he no-longer knew if he had the heart to terminate her.
 
Their one night of indiscretion had turned to several close encounters in the subsequent months. He missed the closeness of being with someone and selfishly squandered those quiet moments, dirtying himself in her and giving into his base instinct. He was not supposed to be indulging his libido, even for her. He was supposed to keep a clear head, and that was difficult to do when he watched her pleasure build for him. She had only ever been with him. He knew that. It made him ache for her even more, going so far as to make him feel bad that she might never experience real love in her short life. His wife’s face was a vague memory, but he remembered the real love he felt towards Olivia. It had twisted and contorted into a desperate need for vengeance, but he remembered that he truly felt for her. It blinded him to the truth—he was beginning to feel that for Leona, despite it all.
 
Today was supposed to be a special day for him. He had taken Leona to a Beltane festival, surrounding them in beautiful flowers and maypoles with sweet scents in the warm spring air. He had a plan for this. He knew she would like looking at the flowers and gardens, have fun dancing and singing and celebrating the new life of the spring… but he thought that, perhaps, they would be celebrating something else. While he knew the answer to his question already—he doubted very much she would say anything but yes—he was still vaguely nervous.
 
Luther had been more than willing when Christoph had approached him about taking Leona’s hand. He knew this, too. Luther loved him and that was going to be the man’s downfall. He trusted him. He thought Christoph was too good to be true, which was the sad truth, but had the hope that his daughter deserved someone who was everything she had ever desired. Luther truly loved his children. Christoph could respect (and exploit) that. He had considered presenting Leona with Olivia’s ring, a sentiment that he would never be able to forget, but he was unable to part with it and also felt that Leona deserved something better. What he had bought her was clearly for no one else. It was a white gold, round-diamond solitaire in a rose setting. He thought it screamed her, and hoped she would like it.
 
He held her arm in his own as they walked through the festival. He whisked her by a kiosk and disappeared for a moment, returning with a beautiful bloom, a magical variety that smelled strongly of sweets. He held it up to her nose. “This is the sweetest smelling flower I’ve ever encountered.” He smiled. “It reminds me of you.”

@Leona Layton

While most young women from her circle were easily won over through expensive jewelry and exotic vacations, there was no surer way to win the young witch over than through her love of botany. Her interest in Herbology, after all, had never been solely for the sake of making a profit. And therefore when Christoph had declared his intention to escort her to a local Beltane festival, the witch was certain that he had done it to please her.  At least she had hoped that it was a bit in part to show his affection for her, one which she wanted to believe he had been harboring for her for some time. Her friends had spoken of going several weeks back, the conversation coming up over tea one afternoon as Leona listened with much interest. It would certainly not be the first Beltane festival that she would have attended but the thought of going with Christoph carried much more romantic connotations, ones that she was quite excited to explore during their outing.

Things had been moving forward exponentially between the two of them but not at a pace that she disagreed with, in fact, if anything, it was often Christoph that was telling the impatient young woman to slow down. Though in the beginning, she wondered if he was remotely interested in her body and even in her heart, their time together in private came much more naturally between the two of them. While Leona did not have the experience, she certainly made it up in an eagerness to learn what pleased him most, going out of her way to make certain that he was happy with her company, even if it meant that she had to at times leave the comfort of her thoughts to engage him in plenty of conversation. Even after a few months, Leona struggled as she wondered what sort of topics of conversation might interest the man. He was slightly older than her but significantly more experienced, after all, there was probably very little that she could talk about that would interest him.

Running her hands along the light wrinkles in her floral blue dress, Leona held on to him happily, looking up at him occasionally as she wondered what exactly was he thinking at that very moment. “My friends had considered us all going together to the festival, I must admit I am much happier that I came with you,” she confessed, the thought of going with her friends not crossing her mind once as soon as he had asked her to accompany him. Even her own father had expressed much happiness at the prospect of her going along with a man he had deemed very worthy of courting his daughter some time prior. Even the young witch had been quite impressed to find out that Luther had been so taken with the man, her father had always been particularly difficult to impress, especially by other males. Leona wondered if it was a man thing in the end, that her father somehow felt threatened by the presence of other men and how they might affect the dynamic of his closely knot family. However, Leona had not given it much though, intent on enjoying this time as her mother had encouraged her to do so.

She smiled softly at his comment, leaning forward to smell the flower as she nodded in agreement, “Does it, really? I ought to start growing this at my shop, I think I’d be rather popular,” she continued. She considered making a perfume out of it, if it was indeed a smell he was fond of. “Thank you for inviting me, you haven’t any idea how particularly fond I am of these sorts of events, I’d live in the middle of the forest if I could, just surrounded by all of the beauty that nature has to offer, can you imagine a lovelier life?” she sighed in happiness.

Christoph smiled at her, genuinely charmed and trying his best to compartmentalize. “I knew you would love it. Flowers everywhere, maypoles, sweets—it’s right up your ally.” He grinned. “Maybe one day we can get a cabin in the woods, somewhere far away from society.” He suggested, the thought pleasing to him as well. He hated people. They were so fickle, so cruel. Of course, the chances of their cabin in the woods was slim, as he doubted that—even if he couldn’t go through with Leona—that he would have any future after this deal was done. Even if she lived, he would not. Maybe he would leave his money to her, let her have a new life somewhere else. Should she not take her own in grief, he supposed.

“I’ve always loved nature.” He confessed. He was an outdoorsy sort of man—a man’s man, if one will. He did well in Survival in school, enjoyed camping, enjoyed peace and quiet. “Maybe I’ll take you camping someday soon. We can sleep in a clearing surrounded by the sounds of woodland life. I’ll make sure the tent is comfortable.” He teased. He didn’t know how well she would do “roughing it” or if she ever had before in her life.

“You remind me a bit of a storybook princess.” He said, though it was a compliment. “I always imagine you surrounded by flowers and animals. They’d talk to you, if they could. Probably sweep up your house.” He teased.  He cleared his throat. “But, I can imagine a lovelier life.” He said, finally. “Come, let’s go somewhere private. I have a surprise for you.”

“Sure, why not,” she agreed happily, after all it had not been said in an effort to impress him, Leona sometimes did wish that she could get away from her family, find a place where she could be surrounded by the things she loved most. She had not chosen a profession in Herbology for the title, the young witch lived and breathed her art, a plethora of plants and flowers decorating almost every inch of her personal space, the balcony connected to her room filled to the brim with plants which she had named lovingly, each one spoken to with the same kind of respect that one might give a human guest.

Leona had found out early on that speaking to them kindly encouraged them to bloom beautifully. “We could live off the land, though I don’t know if I could stomach the thought of having to kill my meals,” she thought. Though she was no vegetarian, she had a difficult time disassociating meat from the face and family it might have once had. But she chose not to dwell on that thought for much longer. “But imagine the utter peace, waking up to the sound of chirping birds, basing your schedule on the rising and setting of the sun, lovely,” she sighed contentedly, her mind wandering as she considered how life might turn out if they took that path.

“I heard that outdoor activities are all the rage at a place like Durmstrang, you must have had many an opportunity to learn how to survive in the woods,” she considered, though she was not sure if that had been the case with all students or the particular acquaintance that she had. But when she thought of Durmstrang, it was hard not to imagine a more competitive environment, a survival of the fitness type of place in which students were taught how to face the dangers from the outdoors. Someone who had been comfortable all of her life, mostly due to her family’s wealth, it was hard to imagine what that might have been like.

But the thought of camping did appeal to her. “I think the family has a cottage in the woodlands in France,” she suggested, “I went there once as a child but it was absolutely charming and rustic, I think you’d enjoy it, especially if we don’t take the staff,” she continued. Leona was well acquainted with some kitchen work as she had often delivered some of her own homegrown herbs to the kitchen and watched as the elves prepared the day’s meals.

She blushed a little at his comment, unsure whether to take it as a compliment or a mild insult, “Do you mean to say that I sound naïve?” she teased, but there was no ill will in the tone of her voice. “I suppose I’ve always been enchanted by fairy tales, particularly the ones where the animals talk,” she revealed. But Leona liked to think that she had the ability to be more resilient if the occasion called for it, even if her appearance suggested otherwise. “Alright,” she accompanied him willingly, unsure of what lie in store for her but absolutely thrilled to see what he had planned. Christoph had a way with surprises, everything he had done for her so far unexpected but bringing her a sense of happiness she had never experienced with anyone else.

Despite himself, Christoph was nervous. This was getting very real and while he already knew the answer to his question with come certainty, he felt butterflies anyway. Butterflies were not was he was meant to be feeling now. This wasn’t, couldn’t be, real. This was part of the plan—a calculated move. Why then did he feel so endeared to her, so excited at the possibility of making her his wife? He felt guilty for it, deep down. Ashamed of himself and his own desires. He was a weak man, really. He wa selfish, and this was just an example of that. She would have been better off without him having ever been in her life. He was a natrual disaster—a hurricane. He destroyed whatever he touched, and left chaos and damage in his wake.

“Not naïve.” He assured, though he knew she was teasing. “Adorable. Very sweet. I would almost say innocent if I didn’t know better first hand.” He teased back. He was speaking, of course, about the times the two had been intimate. Many times by now, more than he was able to justify. He wasn’t actually doing it to keep up the façade. He was doing it because he wanted to. He smiled at her lightly, a little sad but hiding it well.

He whisked her away to a quieter place, under a tree nearby. He caught her eyes, a slight flush on his cheeks. “I’d love to spend a weekend, or longer, at that cottage in France.” He promised. “…maybe to celebrate.” He offered lightly, foreshadowing what was to come.

“About the surprise….” He began. “You know we’ve been together awhile now, and I’ve been thinking of the future. I spoke to your father, and he gave me his blessing.” He reached into his pocket. “Leona, I love you.” He said, possibly for the first time. He pulled out the box, and descended to his knees. “Will you marry me?”

“I am very innocent,” she retorted, a blush forming along the apples of her cheeks and the bridge of her nose when she understood exactly what he was talking about. She had enjoyed her more intimate encounters with Christoph greatly but it was certainly a topic that she was still shy to speak about, particularly in public. She looked around briefly to make sure that no one was within earshot to have heard his words or her response, suddenly feeling a little more self-conscious than she would have wanted. “But I’ll take adorable and very sweet, now those sound like proper compliments,” she added with a small smile in return.

“Oh yes, I will ask my family right away, I’m sure my father wouldn’t mind it at all, he really likes you, you know, talks about you at dinner and such, almost as if you were part of the family,” she continued, hoping that he did not get the wrong impression from her words. They had been dating for a few months now and of course, while Leona hoped that this could lead to eventual marriage, she didn’t see why not everything was going well, she did not wish to push him in that direction. The last time Leona had gotten ahead of herself and tried to project her feelings onto someone else, her plan had failed miserably and left her heartbroken. Leona was intent on never experiencing something like that again.

“Celebrate? Sure, I could make a cake or something for your birthday if you wanted,” she suggested, making a mental note to ask one of the kitchen elves to teach her how it couldn’t be that difficult, she was a Herbologist after all and was very good at following directions.

However, she did not have much time to think about what sort of cake Christoph might like or how much time she had to prepare before his birthday because as he continued to speak, her eyes began to widen just slightly as she began to understand exactly what he meant, the entire thing becoming much clearer when he bent on one knee. Leona brought her hands up to cover her mouth, a small sound, something similar to a squeal escaping her lips as she tried her best to formulate words. “Christoph!” she gasped, “This isn’t some terrible joke you’re pulling on me, yes?” he had always been serious with her before, but she could not help but assume that it simply wasn’t true. “I—of course I love you, too, Christoph, I’m—yes, I would love to,” she nodded her head.

Despite expecting the answer he got, Christoph was surprisingly excited and warm at her hurried affirmative. He grinned widely, sliding the ring onto her finger as a small crowd closed around them—clearly noticing him down on his knees. He stood up, kissed her hand, and then pulled her into a real kiss. It had been awhile since he let himself feel anything even remotely like this. He shouldn’t have been feeling it then, but for a moment he allowed himself to enjoy the moment. To enjoy the happy feeling, as fake as it was, for a brief moment.

He pulled away after a brief moment and looked around at the crowd who was slowly starting to disperse. Good, they shouldn’t have been watching this anyway. He held onto her hand, rubbing her gently with his thumb, and trying not to think of his previous proposal to Olivia.

They had been together for nearly a year before Christoph had proposed, but it had been far quieter than this one. It had been less public. It was during his first visit to meet her family. He had been very nervous to be around the muggles—not that there was anything wrong with muggles—but they had been very nice people. He had asked her father for Olivia’s hand, and had been given his blessing. He proposed to her privately that evening, and they showed the ring off the next day.

Their wedding had been small, but long, just a few family and friends. They had a traditional Catholic ceremony inside a church. He wondered how his wedding with Leona would be. Indoors, outdoors? She didn’t necessarily seem the church wedding type, but he would never know until he asked. He could see her have it outdoors, though—surrounded by flowers and trees and fairy lights. He would give her whatever she wanted. He would spare no expense and make sure her day was what she dreamed of. He owed her that, at least.

Leona felt slightly embarrassed by the small crowd that gathered around them, a part of her not happy that she would have to share that private, precious moment with a bunch of strangers that meant very little to her. Nevertheless, the joy which he felt after hearing him speak the words she felt she had been longing to hear from him for some time, gave her a sense of incomparable lightness. When he kissed her now, it felt a little different. Soon enough, she would be his wife, and now everything regarding the journey they had been taking from the beginning of their time together finally made sense.

She held his hand tightly, excited by the idea that things would only continue to change thereafter. As soon as her parents heard, if they had not already, preparations for the wedding would begin, she was sure. As the only daughter, her mother had probably been waiting for this day for a long time. Her older brother had perished without the opportunity to marry and her younger brother had several personal issues to deal with on his own that took away from his potential as a marriage mate. Leona could not help but wonder if her father would look favorably upon her marriage or if he would look for reasons to continue to be displeased with her as he had the last twenty years of her life.

But Leona did not want to focus on that, instead, she held his hand tighter in her hand and smiled as she looked over at him, “I know that we cannot keep this a secret for long, and I certainly do not want to,” she started, “but I’d like it very much if we could postpone informing my parents that it’s happened until after we return home? My mother has a tendency to become overenthusiastic and I’d like to keep this happiness between us just for a few moments longer,” she requested, hoping that he did not take offense to her words. “Have you thought about when you’d like to be married?” she asked almost immediately, the excitement evident in her voice.

Christoph smiled at her, glad as well that the slight crowd had dispersed. He hated being the center of attention and knew Leona felt similarly. This was a private moment, and that was what he hoped it would have been. He gave her hand three little squeezes, meaning ‘I love you’ as they walked. For a moment, he let himself daydream. He would think more later, for now he was reveling in how happy she was.

“Of course. I don’t plan on leaving here to send them a letter, and hoped that you wouldn’t either. We can tell them together whenever you’re ready.” He assured. “I’m sure your mother will be thrilled, yes. Your father already gave his enthusiastic consent, so it’s likely your mother is waiting with bated breath to hear.” He teased. “As far as the wedding itself, I would happily run off with you today, but I know you deserve a real wedding.” He smiled.

“Whenever you would like it, that will be perfect for me. It could never be too soon for me to spend the rest of my life with you.” As short of a life as he intended, anyway. He hoped one day to make her a widow—sooner than later. He just had a few things to take care of first and foremost. Her brother was well on his way out, but her mother was a harder pill to crack. There were only so many times he could use poison.

“What did you daydream of?” He wondered. “I want everything to be perfect.”