[greenwich] honey sweet. [roslyn]

He knew all the attention should be on the bride at all times but Will's eyes had strayed to a picture just to the left of the happy couple. In rich tones, it depicted a battle of some sort. He squinted. It must have been the Battle of Trafalgar - how many sea battles had Muggle England actually won anyway? Will wouldn't be surprised if the ship in the painting was built not too far from here. Suddenly, a sharp dig in his ribs made him flinch, causing him to jump in his seat with wide eyes as his auntie shot him a cross look and directed his attention back front and centre.

He frowned as he cleared his throat, resisting the urge to pout as he self consciously adjusted his pocket square. His cousin Rosie looked undeniably beautiful with her blonde hair in loose curls and her sweeping white gown and the look of pure, unadulterated love on both hers and Ethan's faces. It actually made him feel a bit queasy.

"That hurt," he whispered to his Aunt Alice who simply said it was his own fault. It was, of course. Absently, he scratched the side of his nose as the bride and groom exchanged vows and while he didn't often think about it, he was dismayed. He was going to be thirty two this year and he couldn't help but think he should be (or be well on his way to) doing something similar himself.

It was a stunning day in London and the perfect day for a white wedding. It was warm, even on the riverside, with a bright blue sky that seemed to stretch for miles. He hoped it would be a sit-down meal because he was ravenous. Distracted momentarily by the spontaneous round of applause that greeted the first kiss, Will quickly joined in as he stood, letting out a loud whistle as the cheers erupted around the ceremony space. They looked deliriously happy, it was endearing.

Holding hands and giggling, the newlyweds practically tripped down the aisle in a heady mix of delirium and ecstasy as they spilled out into the marble hall, followed closely by the congregation, their laughter echoing off the walls. Will hung back for a couple of minutes as he anxiously checked his watch as he chewed the inside of his cheek. He didn't particularly enjoy forced merriment but, if things went terribly, at least he had his siblings. They could get drunk in the corner. He'd heard it was an open bar.

"She'll be here," Will told his granny with an easy smile. "She only got an invite to the reception so she's actually early," he nodded. He'd been fending off questions about his date for most of the afternoon, with varying amounts of success. "She might be stuck at work," he said brightly. His and Roslyn's agreement wasn't quite watertight but it seemed pretty solid. Will assured his granny that he'd follow her in as he lingered in the ornate hall before he spotted a table full of drinks and made a beeline for it, only to turn as he felt someone behind him.

"Hi," he said quickly as he crossed the room to greet her, an arm around her neck as he pulled her into a hug before he stepped back to hold her hand at arm's length. "Look at you," he appraised her with a smile, his dark eyes washing over her. Quickly, he held out a glass of champagne for her. "Down that," he instructed as he quickly knocked his own back. "Judy's been asking after you. You'd swear she was part bloodhound. I'm convinced she can sense weakness."

@Roslyn Hayes


[setting: The Old Royal Naval College]

“Lo” she greeted softly, smiling impishly, as she was greeted with enthusiasm. “I’m such a great trophy pretend girlfriend.” she teased, words soft, as she leaned in to peck him on the cheek.

She accepted the champagne gracefully, amusement lighting up her features, as she took a long drink. She knew she looked great in her blush pin satin dress . She curled her hair so it fell in soft waves down her shoulder. Couldn’t make Will look bad, it was all sort of the point wasn’t it? She got to spend a nice time with a friend instead of being hounded by her mother to go on more mystery dates. Win/win, really. “She loves me. We made plans for the Opera.” she said, infinitely smug, as she fluttered her eyelashes.

“Have you told her you’re a proud father now?” She added wickedly, as she took another gulp of her champagne flute. “I do wonder how they’ll accept Moose onto the family. He’s a bit rambunctious still.” she teased further, linking their arms together as she waved and smiled at the figures that were familiar.

"Oh, top five, definitely," Will joked with a smile as his eyes closed at her kiss. Their plan, though perhaps a touch unorthodox, seemed to be working well. He no longer had to endure pitying glances and his family knew enough about Ros that they stopped asking uncomfortable questions. It eliminated the pressure of asking someone to be his date and Roslyn handled everything so graciously, anyone would think this was her full time job.

Will paused, glass halfway to his mouth as his eyes boggled. "I'm sorry, what?" He laughed in mild surprise. "I can't believe you've just replaced me," he said, stunned. Was this going too far? Turning up to parties together was one thing but socialising after hours was another. Judy was a bulldog, albeit a cute one, so there wasn't really any escape. "Have fun," he smiled. "Does she need me to pick her up?" He asked. "She didn't say anything, you know, because she's excluding me," he joked before he quickly choked.

Fear gripped his chest and Will's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before he realised that he and Roslyn hadn't actually had sex - she was referring to the dog. And he was absolutely insane.

"I don't see why not," Will offered mildly as he politely bent the crook of his elbow for Roslyn. "She loves Dave," he went on, referring to his Irish Wolfhound. Everybody loved Dave and if they didn't, he just tended to sit on them and pin them to the sofa until they changed their mind. "We don't tend to have many get-togethers," he explained to Roslyn, with his family being rather small. "But you should bring him to the park one day," he asked lightly, aware that the invite hadn't been prearranged and didn't fit into their schedule.

He lead her down the hall to follow the crowd, their pace leisurely. "She looks great, doesn't she?" Will asked Ros, nodding to the bride. "I hope you're up for a night of dancing," he warned her with an easy smile. "She's booked the ballroom, too." With that, he held open the door for her. A few people turned to look at them before quickly turning away with knowing smiles and Will frowned. "Oh, that's not encouraging."

"Top five-" she started, slightly outraged, before elbowing him in the gut. "I'd better be the top of that top five else' you'll soon only have a top four to worry about." she mock threatened, lips curving in a bit of a grin. Will was an amiable man who liked to tease as much as she did and it made these, well, pretend scenarios sort of fun. She was probably slightly ridiculous about it, most the time, but in for a sickle in for a galleon. "Replaced and discarded." she sniffed, haughty, before she grinned. "Don't be so dramatic. Judy's jus' lonely, I think. She's sweet and cranky and she deserves to have someone go do the stuff she likes to do with her." she explained, feeling like maybe she'd overstepped a bit. She genuinely didn't see harm in it. She liked Judy. "Excluding is a strong word. More, like, she forgot you existed because I'm brilliant." she chuffed, taking some of the sting out of her words, as she poked him playfully.

Her gaze flickered over his just in time to watch as his eyes widened. She snorted, covered her laughter by using her hand to cup her mouth, as she latched onto his elbow. What a goof. "Moose is pretty friendly, I think they'd get on." she said fondly, thinking about how her aussie/husky mix was a big playful sweetheart. "I'm starting to think he's got a bit of wolf in him, though, he's getting huge." she added, oblivious.

"She looks beautiful." she said with a smile, glancing at how happy the bride looked. It was more than just being pretty. Sometimes people just had this glow about them when their lives were filled with completeness. It was difficult to look at, sometimes, because she'd thought she'd had that with someone once. Only it turned out it wasn't and it'd been hard for her to really trust feelings anymore after that. "I'm always up for dancing, so long as you don't step on my toes." she murmured, walking through the door he was holding open for her. "It's alright, let them be pleased and happy." she murmured quietly, smile lingering on her lips. In her head this whole thing was rather simple. Sure they'd be disappointed when they inevitably parted but she was sure Will would find a nice woman to actually date and then she'd be replaced by something real.

It was nice, pretending. Like trying on a strangers dress and finding it fit.

"Goodness," Will replied with wide eyes before he laughed. Roslyn was kidding but he considered himself well and truly chastised. "Oi," he said as he reached out to gently tug on a lock of her silky dark hair as he tutted darkly. "She's not lonely," he corrected her breezily before he frowned. "Did she tell you that?" Will asked, trying (and failing) to temper the concern that creased his face. Having his grandma even have an inkling of loneliness made him feel like he was the worst grandson in the entire world.

He and his nan had a standing arrangement - dinner and drinks at his place every Wednesday. He'd slipped up a few times; working late, going on dates, attending things with Ros but he didn't think things were so dire. Instead, he fixed his face and offered the brunette a smile. "Good," he agreed with a nod. "I'll give you some money for snacks," he joked, playfully swatting at her hand as she prodded him.

Roslyn hadn't completely shot down his suggestion that they meet up outside of their prearranged activities and he didn't hide his smile. "Cute," he said and he meant it. Will liked big dogs, much more so over cats or the little ankle biting ones. "Bring him by," he offered. "There's a park not too far from me. Dave loves it," he assured Ros, mentioning his giant dopey dog that was six years old but still thought he was a puppy.

It was a tenuous plan at best and Will decided not to dwell on it before he let out a soft noise of indignation. "Rude," he laughed. "I've been told I have a dancer's frame," he added primly as he brushed his free hand down his shirt front. "You're bringing back memories of the Yule Ball," Will winced. Poor Caroline. He hoped her toes were fine, wherever she was living now.

He gave a good-natured eye roll at Roslyn's insistence that he leave his family members be. When the wheels inevitably fell off this thing, Will selfishly hoped he'd be able to say that he "broke things off" with Roslyn. Why? Because he couldn't handle any more pitiful glances - he'd much rather his mum to be angry at him than sympathetic. The main issue was that Ros was just a bit too good at being a pretend girlfriend that the repercussions would be huge.

"Heads up," Will warned her softly as he dipped his head to her ear to keep his voice quiet. A short and portly middle aged woman was quickly approaching the couple, dressed in a garish shade of lime green with a matching hat and a determined expression on her face. "Aunt Essie. Six o'clock," he whispered. "Too late. Hi Essie!" The writer called, lifting a hand in greeting but careful to pull Roslyn into his side to keep her glued to him - if he was stuck, she was stuck. "Have you met Roslyn?" He asked his aunt with a smile as she obviously sized her up, causing Will to blink in mild surprise.

"Honestly Will sometimes a lady needs female companionship, you know? Do, well, girl stuff with. I doubt you talk about your skincare routine." she joked, hoping he'd understand. She hadn't meant to worry him, and she figured that she sort of had. Will seemed like a kind-hearted man that would care if his nan had been feeling lonely. "She's perfectly happy, she just enjoys the female companionship yea?" she soothed, smilling a little, as she gripped his arm in reassurance. "Don't be silly! I have a perfectly respectable job, two in fact, if you want to be technical about it." she said, her teal eyes narrowed in mock offense.

"Moose would like a good playdate I'm sure. He's got energy to burn these days." she said, fond, as she thought of her dog. Moose was a cuddly one, too, which just really solidified her love for him. He was getting too big to pretend to be a lap dog, though she couldn't bring herself to scold him when he tried.

"Dancers. Frame." she chortled, eyes brimming in mirth. "Who even says that? You sound rather poncy, Will." she teased, trying to stem the flow of giggles. "You're clearly welcome. Did you step on your poor dates shoes?" she inquired, a teasing lilt to her voice. She honestly hadn't considered being too good at this. Hadn't considered any potential ramifications at all, actually. Everything was pretty simple in her book and no one would be hurt in the end. They'd make something up that was believable for their break-up she was sure. Something to satisfy both their families and something that would end in a relatively clean fashion.

She had just enough time to plaster a smile on her face as 'Aunt Essie' made an appearance. She didn't fail to notice how Will pulled her to his side, and she hid a laugh into her hand as she pretended to clear her throat. "Pleased to meet you." she said dutifully, widening her eyes as well as her smile as the other lady sized her up. Interesting. She couldn't remember the last time someone looked at her that way, but she'd charming nevertheless.

Will frowned, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. He'd been meaning to try and get his vision fixed in hopes that he might somehow become cool but ultimately, he'd chickened out. The idea of having a wand that close to his eyeball made him feel physically sick. "Okay?" He answered Roslyn, clearly not convinced, but he laughed anyway. "Ah, she's got expensive tastes, my nan," he warned her gently. If she ended up ordering the most expensive wine on the menu at the theatre, poor Ros would have to foot the bill.

He liked her dog. He actually toyed with the idea of adopting another one before his sister pointed out that he might be trying to fill the girlfriend-shaped hole in his life with another canine. Maybe Roslyn could bring him over and they could stop at a cafe for a take away coffee and they could walk through the park and --

"No," Will huffed as he set his shoulders back, wrinkling his nose at Roslyn playfully. "I'll have you know," he went on, his voice low. "She stood on mine," he lied. "But then she also ditched me for someone else during the slow dance so I'd appreciate it if you didn't do the same," he joked with a quick grin before he found himself straightening up at his aunt's presence.

"Roslyn's an Auror," he told Aunt Essie who seemed suitably impressed. Her shrewd gaze looked over Will's date and he moved automatically to half-stand in front of her as a human shield. "Why haven't I met you before?" Essie asked, eyes narrowed. "I did try to introduce you," Will stepped in. "At your birthday party in March? You had a couple of firewhiskeys and disappeared and I found you in a hedge, two hours later?"

Essie's face became stony as she glared at her nephew, causing Will to offer a bright smile before she turned and stormed off. He caught a few choice words such as rude boy and wait until I see his mother. He sighed. "Sorry," he apologised to Roslyn, pinching the bridge of his nose in a vain attempt to stem the inevitable headache. "The best way to deal with Aunt Essie is to give her something to complain about," he laughed before he groaned.

"Are you hungry?" He asked her. "Apparently there's a sit down meal," Will announced, visibly excited. "Or do you want some fresh air?" He asked Roslyn quickly. She was a pro at this but he did wonder if his family came on a bit too strong. "It's a pretty cool place," he offered, gesturing to the building they were in. Plenty of little alcoves and rooms. He didn't really have the heart to admit to Ros that there was a painting he'd always longed to see, squirrelled away in one of the side galleries. He hoped it wouldn't look suspicious if they left together.

"That's alright." she said firmly, though a hint of a smile remained on her face. Roslyn could dig her heels in like no one else, it was one of her more regrettable qualities when dealing with people she cared for but definitely a boon for her out on the field. She liked to ground herself, though, and focus on the lighter aspects of life. She already dealt with so much, with her job, that to not indulge in the lightness would mean growing cold and weary. At some point reality would set in, though, and they really would need to make sense of this whole... arrangement. That worry could be sorted some other day, though, because ultimately she had no problem letting Will deal with it as he sought fit.

"Likely story. You shouldn't lie to an Auror, Will, thats illegal you know." she said, eyes dancing, as she refocused on right now. She could deal with anything else, later, like a proper adult.

The brunette witch shot Will's aunt a brilliant smile, fingers curling up in a slight wave of greeting, before she just sort of leaned into Will and shut her mouth against the torrent of insolent words that wanted to spill forth. She was helpless against it sometimes, when she came up against someone she considered a bully, not that she knew enough about this Aunt Essie to really consider her such. "I'll take your word for it." she said wryly, her lips twitching up in amusement even though she felt pretty sympathetic.

Turned towards her date she studied his face a moment before laughing. "Whatever you want to do Will, really. I suspect there's time to do it all probably, it's your choice." she said wondering if he suspected she didn't ordinarily relinquish control of the evening lightly. She was deep in the confines of herself, a woman who liked to be in control of any situation she found herself in. She'd be willing to see what he came up with, though, because she was curious and loved adventure, too. It was difficult to please both those wants usually but she found ways. It was all in the planning.

Will's eyes widened in panic. "Is it?" He asked Roslyn quickly before he narrowed his eyes - she was kidding. "Rude," he let out the breath he'd been holding in a shaky laugh. "You nearly gave me a heart attack," he complained as he placed a hand over his heart. "I wouldn't last five minutes in prison," he pulled a face.

Once Aunt Essie was out of earshot, Will squeezed her arm affectionately, another nonverbal apology. His family wasn't bad but it was definitely dysfunctional. Roslyn knew a lot about him but he was careful to keep it mysterious. She didn't want to know the ins and outs of his family but he wanted to know all about hers. Then again, he couldn't have his cake and eat it. Life was never that fun.

Will was given the choice and he made it. "Let's go," he told Ros as he placed a hand comfortably on the small of her back and steered her down one of the ornate corridors and away from the party. The noise of excitement and laughter lessened and lessened, their heels echoing down the hall. It was a stunning day in London. It had been raining all week and he wouldn't be surprised if Rosie had something to do with it.

"Sorry," he told her with a laugh and a roll of his dark eyes as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I love them," Will went on, meaning his family. "But in small doses," he concluded with a wry smile. The alcove was cool and quiet, with windows that overlooked the naval yard and the Thames beyond that. Absently, he reached up to undo his tie and tugged open his top button for a bit of extra breathing space.

Will's head was tilted back, his gaze on the painted ceiling as he let out a soft sigh of wonder. It was stunning here and probably somewhere he'd like to get married himself one day. "Come on," he said to Roslyn, nodding his head outside to the cloisters as he stepped out. The fresh air blew in, ruffling his dark hair and he inhaled deeply - he just needed a minute.

Even though this had been an agreement, Will did appreciate Roslyn being here. If she wasn't, he would have found an excuse to be home by 10PM. With his hand on one of the columns, he turned to lean his shoulder against it, arms folded across his chest as he looked out onto the college. "I owe you a dance," he told her with a quick smile.

"You're hardly a hardened criminal." she agreed, with some laughter. "I do apologize, precious." she added, voice solemn, before she broke out into another grin.

"Alright." she agreed, curious about the sudden adventure they seemed to be undertaking. She let him lead her out, trying not to twitch too much, as she glanced at the changing scenery. "You don't need to apologize. Its why I'm here, right? To make it a bit easier?" its what he'd provided to her, after-all. A bit of a respite from the exhausting, though well intentioned, nagging and constant barrage of commitments she hadn't agreed to but had been forced to follow-through on. "I understand." she said truthfully, sharing a sympathetic sort of smile, as she thought of her mother.

She sidled up to the window, admiring the view, and leaned against the alcove Will had led them to. She turned, following the tall man's gaze, and her own eyes widened. "That's lovely." she commented with a bit of a sigh even as her attention was once again diverted. She followed him outside, quirking an eyebrow, as she copied his stance and settled herself on an adjacent boulder, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Night's still young." she quipped with some laughter. "Are you doing alright?" she questioned softly, a beat later. He seemed, well, tired which she very much sympathized with.

"Be careful," he laughed, dark eyes wide as he placed a hand on his chest. "Too much stress and you'll make my tiny hummingbird heart explode," he warned her with a shake of his head in jest. Roslyn called him precious and Will let out a snort without meaning to. "I appreciate it, honeybun," he said smoothly with an easy smile. Pet names usually made him feel a bit queasy. He only went by Will because he thought his full name aged him. And he already felt like a pensioner.

"Are you sure you don't want monetary compensation for what you've been through?" Will joked with a shrug. At the very least, Ros deserved some flowers - nice ones - possibly chocolates, too. He didn't think he could confess that he liked her family more than he liked his and he'd be sad when this all ended because he'd miss them.

His eyes were on a ship that trundled across the Thames that looked suspiciously calm and steady in the bright spring sunlight. Roslyn asked him a question and Will looked over in mild surprise. "I'm fine," he laughed as he carded a hand through his thick dark hair. By fine, he meant he was tired, stressed, overwhelmed and a little bit peckish, now that he'd had time to acknowledge it.  Roslyn was a beautiful, charming young lady but he did sometimes wonder if he'd completely lost his mind.

Who even did this sort of thing, anyway? It made sense for her to do so, he supposed. Women had to be much more careful than men did when it came to being alone at parties. His mother had just finished bringing up Honey in casual conversation, so he was anxious about when he had to confess that he and Ros had "broken up". Ooh! Maybe he could do that in writing? Great idea.

"Are you okay?" Will asked her politely as he turned to face her. He gave Ros a quick smile. "Come on," he insisted as he held his hand out to her, right on the parapet that extended out onto the terrace of the hall. "We're going to dance," he announced as he wiggled his fingers at her impatiently. There was no music but there was also no crowds. Chances were, this was going to be the last event they went to as a "couple" so they might as well make the most of it.

She couldn't help but laugh at the hummingbird heart comment, enjoying the visual, as fondness settled in her chest. Will really was brilliant and she felt some regret that ... something was stopping her from making everything real. It seemed easy and she wasn't so divorced from reality that she didn't recognize that they'd probably make a good couple. They got along well and Will was truly a charming, enormous goof. There had to be something seriously wrong with her brain if she wasn't smitten and all she could hear in her head was Fergie's voice with his lips curved into quite the disapproving look. 

She grinned at his comeback, teal eyes sparkling, as she laughed. "I'll persevere, somehow." she quipped, voice dry. Everyone quite liked Will and she was sort of scared what her mother would do when she found out. The men in her family knew better, though, and they'd treat Will the same as they always did. They'd probably enjoy spending time with him more, actually, without having to deal with the mixed emotions they tended to run through when a man was introduced into their life. She wondered if Will would still like to spend time with her, after, because she knew she'd miss him once they decided to 'end' things.

She bit her lip, teal eyes trailing over his form, as her mind processed. "You're really not. I'd like to help, where I can." she murmured, shrugging helplessly and walking closer. It was really it, though, because she had a burning desire to make sure as many people around her were as happy and comfortable as possible. It went double for those she cared about and she tried her best not to be too ridiculously intense about it but she was like a dog with a bone when she got it in her head that something was wrong. "M'fine. Works been ... good." she admitted, smilling brightly, as she thought of work. She felt guilty for thinking it, too, because thoughts of work tended to be accompanied with thoughts of Ash.

"I know you will," Will replied with an easy smile, letting his eyes leave Roslyn's momentarily before they settled on the architecture around him. It was quiet out here. He couldn't hear the laughter and he couldn't see any dubious dance moves but he could hear the lazy lapping of the Thames. He needed to get back soon but for now, he just needed a minute to breathe but like she always did, Ros cut him down.

Letting out a snort that was half genuine amusement but mostly shock, he blinked when he found his date staring at him intensely. He'd always liked her eyes, especially in the sunshine. They looked like emeralds. Instead of voicing the thought and making things even weirder, he slid his hands into his pockets as he leaned against one of the pillars; he definitely wasn't drunk enough for this.

Roslyn couldn't help him. No one could, not really. Will was his own saboteur and quite frankly, he was a bit fucked off with himself. More than anything, he was embarrassed. Honey and Berenice had moved on, so why was he stuck behind? It wasn't through a lack of trying but meeting through conventional means was unsuccessful but things hadn't gotten to the point where he answered the Lonely Hearts section in the Prophet. But it was close.

"You have," Will told Roslyn gently and with a smile. "This has been fun," he said, gesturing between them as he tried to encompass their ruse. It was fun but it also made him realise that he was bloody lonely. At least it proved to Will that he was at least capable of feeling something. "If you have any single friends, let me know," he joked with a smile that made his dark eyes crinkle warmly at the edges.

The pause Roslyn gave made Will turn his head. He arched his eyebrows in question, expecting her to elaborate, but lowered them when she didn't. "Yeah?" He went on, prodding gently around the subject before he changed his mind, unwilling to pry.

"So," Will began as he pushed himself off the column to stand to his full height. "We should coordinate our break up," he announced in jest as he slid his glasses up the bridge of his nose. It seemed a dark train of thought, especially at someone's wedding but needs must. "Amicable?" He offered. It was the most likely because he didn't think either of them would be very good at ending a relationship. Even a fake one.

[sorry for the delay! <33]

She felt like she’d somehow stumbled upon a timed potion and was unsure how to fix it. She felt guilty, in a way, even though she wasn’t sure why. She didn’t think Will necessarily had feelings for her exactly but, well, he was right wasn’t he?

This had been nice. Too nice, perhaps. Which was probably the problem… she was temped to say something but somehow refrained. This wasn’t a situation where she wanted to muk things up and making things even more complicated was not ideal. Until she could get a handle on the random feelings she seemed to have for someone else. (Two someones, technically, but she didn’t want to admit that) “I will.” she said firmly, as she looked into his eyes. Someone would be a damn lucky lady to land someone like Will, and she had no issues recommending him, despite her inner turmoil. As always she let thoughts of Fergie lead her to the right path. It was funny, actually, how much she relied on her best friend to make good decisions.  She supposed that’s just the type of bloke he was though, just a generally good person.

And he’d bloody warned her about this, hadn’t he? So she refused to mess it up at all. Will was just too sweet for her not to be equally as considerate. “Definitely amicably.” she said, scrunching up her nose as she considered. “If this had been real… I’d like to think we would have remained friends.” she said cautiously, hopefully. “You can be the one to break up with me?” she offered, knowing her family wouldn’t really react negatively to whoever it was. Misty they’d just be concerned but as long as everyone was alright they’d treat it simply. There would be very little change from Wills perspective probably, except for her mother might badger him a bit.