August 2, 1892  - Wisteria Ball, Wellingtonshire

Debuting was just as Juniper had expected: a crowd of girls looking to be seen by a gentleman who would allow her to keep her lavish lifestyle, harmless flirting with the right connections, and moving through the crowd offering polite greetings, answering simple questions and fluttering the fan she always had to have within her grasp to use just the right moment. The ball was a high class event and Grace tended to steer her toward men she thought would be a good match for June, a political marriage it seemed, more than anything. She did the same to Ophelia, although tonight her sister was blessed with Grace as her chaperone while she had her father at her side. He’d married for love for his first marriage (and would argue he had for his second as well, although Juniper merely rolled her eyes because no one in the family actually loved Grace in any capacity), and she was certain he’d allow one of his daughters, if not both to follow in his footsteps. She could only hope it would be her.

”The night is still young,” Juniper teased quietly as she stepped away from an older gentleman, her eyes drawn toward the crowd of people around them. The music had died down as they readied for their next set. “You’ll have to be patient with me, sir. I think I need a few moments to catch my breath.” Juniper had forgotten his name already, but it didn’t matter much. He was one of her dad’s connections and there was always a chance she’d wind up as his bride. Dressed in an almost all white gown with her hair tightly wound in a bun, June felt like a miniature one, ready to be whisked off and married at any notice. The fan flashed in front of her face as her face twisted something mirroring disgust. He merely laughed quietly as he nodded his head.

”Please, excuse me.” June curtsied before she turned away from the man, watching the champagne float past her for the hundredth time that night - she was determined to finally get her hands on a glass! One by one the glasses were claimed as the tray made its round throughout the ballroom, just out of reach as she politely made her through the throngs of ever shifting people, doing her best to avoid eye contact and being dragged further into conversations before she had acquired her drink. Her father's eyes watched her movement but stayed close enough that he didn't move.

Someone stepped directly into her path and she nearly reached the limit of her manners. (Hitting someone with a fan she currently had clenched in her hands would certainly be frowned upon.) “Excuse me,” Juniper tried as she gathered her dress into her hands to shift a little easier past the person toward the tray of champagne flutes and the waiter who seemed intent on moving on. They didn’t seem to pay her any mind and the blonde huffed before she placed her hand gently against their back to let them know she was there and to keep them from stepping back onto her toes.

Of course all the progress Juniper had made getting across the ballroom was in vain as she watched Cassian Valenduris pluck the last flute from the tray. Scoffing, her eyes narrowed at the man as she pressed her lips into a thin line; him again. Her fingers clenched around the fan until her knuckles blanched, and had her wand been in her hand, he would be sporting large teeth and a bald head. Anger boiled beneath her skin from having to even see him here. “Please tell me that’s for me,” she said as she moved to stand next to him, her lips pinching further into a frown. The blonde frowned at him as she flicked her eyes to the glass in his hands, watching the bubbles she desperately needed to quench her thirst before she continued. “Because I think I may need it a little more than you, given that I have to see you.”

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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   Cassian Valenduris

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The season... was upon them.

Cassian was not overly accustomed to these affairs. Save for when his sisters made their debuts four and five seasons ago, and with any number of other brothers to choose from, he’s had plenty of legitimate reasons to miss these parties. A few at the estates of close friends, surely. Perhaps the occasional jaunt to the continent. But to be out during debut season, when it’s generally known now that he’s looking to settle down? A different experience entirely.

The big blonde felt more or less like a mannequin, moving numbly from polite encounter to genteel conversation and back again. There were plenty of people he was steered to meet, and many a charming debutante who looked fragile enough to break if the wind picked up.

At least tonight he had it on good authority that the pretty brunette would be here too. And not just any pretty brunette. One Miss Dashwood, who only seemed to be coming up more and more in conversations lately. They hadn’t really met yet, not truly. Not in the intimate spin of a dance, or a few feet’s distance from her dearest cousin and his watchful eye. It wasn’t that Cassian had a problem making his intentions known to Atticus, they knew each other quite well. But before going through the trouble of making his intentions known a bit more formally, he’d like to know if she had any interest first. Though it would seem they were destined to play a game of cat and mouse throughout the evening (who was who, Cass couldn’t say).

“Are you sure we don’t know each other?” he asked, looking curiously at the young woman who’d been introduced to him for this dance. She was a pretty blonde with delicate, pixie-like features. She maneuvered smoothly along with him, and smiled pleasingly, but he could see it in her eyes. His question made her skittish. “I’m sorry but I am most certain we do not,” she answered, with a knit between her eyebrows. What a strange reaction to have, but Cass didn’t press it. Clearly it was his mistake - there were plenty of pretty blondes in the sea, after all.

They made niceties for a few minutes longer, hell, he even made her giggle with a silly story about someone switching his quidditch broom with the caretaker’s sweeper right before tryouts. But her timidity to share her real opinion - it didn’t settle well with him. “You’re telling me you wouldn’t have a reaction at all? Girls fight all the time, I have sisters so I would know,” he wasn’t being mean, but insistent, because he didn’t get why lie about such a thing.  What’s worse, she was waffling out from under his line of questioning as effectively as a flailing fish on land. This was the kind of Thing that would make his dear aforementioned sisters eat this girl alive. No future Mrs. Valenduris should fall so heavily into her sword over something so trifling.

The song ended anticlimactically, and the two of them stepped apart with their requisite bow and curtsy. He smiled, charming still, as he said it was a lovely dance. She did too, of course, because god forbid anything beyond benign agreement. Eager to get the hell away then, he made a beeline to the nearest tray of alcohol he could see. He’d only just grabbed the flute when he heard a voice coming from behind his right shoulder.

That drawl. There was no mistake, he knew it from somewhere. Though the sight of the woman before him certainly offered a bit of a headfuck. For it was the same woman he had just danced with - only completely different, even with an outfit change, and leveling him a harrowing look that he could not immediately place. Damn. Where did he know her from? This was the face he thought he recognized earlier, and now it came with the voice that matched.

“Of course, I would hate to deprive you,” he recovered smoothly, offering up the flute to the young lady with a curious smirk. He let her take it - with the smallest graze of his pinky against her fingers with the handoff. Ah. The touch caused understanding to settle somewhere in the back of his mind with a click. Last summer. Venice. His blue eyes flicked around them briefly, settling on an older bloke who, judging from general approaching proximity and same pinched expression, might be the lady’s father. His gaze settled back to her, appraising. They'd only have another few minutes to get to the root of this, at least before the father made an appearance for 'warm introductions' and they'd have to play nice. “But is my appearance so offensive to you? On the other hand, I am so pleased to see you, Miss…Edevane,” He had the name she gave him, all those months ago, which was a different one altogether. Tonight was the first he'd met a young lady Edevane, actually. There was no doubt what was going on now. That insufferable lying lady he’d just danced with was her twin, and this Miss Edevane had just been caught in her own.

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Juniper Edevane

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   Juniper Edevane

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August 2, 1892  - Wisteria Ball, Wellingtonshire

Juniper all but snatched the flute from his hand as he offered it, her hand flying back to her chest - luckily keeping the glass held firmly in her grasp - as he had the audacity to touch her. He’d done enough of that in Venice last year. Mr. Valenduris’ touch felt like fire, and it trailed down her arm and into her chest, forcing her heart to beat rapidly; had it not been for her ribcage keeping it contained, her heart would have burst onto the floor in front of them. Her mouth fell slightly open and she narrowed her eyes at him as his gaze flicked around before settling on her. While she wasn’t sure if he could place her - immediately or at all - Juniper couldn’t stay away from him. Not if he was going to be at the back of her mind all season with questions of what had happened between them and why it had ended the way it did.

Either way, she had plans for him, and all of them involved him sniveling like a baby for forgiveness. June crossed her arms across her chest, the flute dangling from her fingertips before she pressed her lips into a thin line. “Considering I would rather be anywhere else in the entire world than standing next to you, I would wager my entire dowry that your appearance is as offensive as it comes.” The blonde arched an eyebrow at him, as if daring him to disagree with her. Her heart nearly stopped beating as he addressed her by her real name, and not the fake one she’d given him in hopes of what…? Protecting her non-debutante status, for sure. In the end it had been a mistake because she wanted him to find her but he didn’t. Instead Cassian Valenduris collected her virtue like it had meant nothing to him - just another girl beneath him with a name he could care less about learning. It hurt and she had felt like nothing for the rest of the summer and into the beginning of her seventh year. June had no intentions of ever letting him make her feel like that again.

The blonde was shocked he even remembered the fake name he’d been given over a year ago. But now he knew part of her secret and Juniper absolutely loathed it; being caught in her own web of lies was terrible, and as she trailed her eyes across his body, she had no doubt he would dig deeper to learn just how much she’d lied about. Juniper snarled at him. “You only think you are pleased to see me, Mr. Valenduris, but you find you will be sorely mistaken.” She unfolded her arms and took a deep sip of the champagne. “The woman you met last summer? She’s long gone. I'm not sure you're going to know what to expect from me.” Flicking a loose curl over her shoulder, the witch frowned at him. “And to what do we owe the displeasure of your appearance in London?”

If he was here for the entire season, she was screwed - and not in a good way. She scoffed as her eyes trailed down to where his package was safely tucked away by pants, and then snapped back up to his face. A soft blush spread across her cheeks, but she merely huffed at him again before glaring at him.

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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   Cassian Valenduris

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Cassian looked on at her impassively, though not without an inner reaction. He didn’t miss the way her hand flew towards her chest, or the little uptick in her breathing. The better part of his career was made out of assessing such mundane details, clues to see if his line of questioning started to land its effect. And it was. In spades. These little gestures were... cute, and belied the suggestion that she had thought about him quite a bit after their encounter. Outwardly, he offered the young lady an amused flicker of a smile.

“I’m very sorry that you feel that way,” he mused unassumingly, guessing from the arch of her brow that he would be losing that wager if he took her up on it. It reminded him a bit of her tease from Venice (albeit her demeanor felt a lot less vicious at the time). At least this time, he could properly see what kind of dowry Miss Edevane had to offer. He’d considered, in passing after last summer, to do a bit of digging so that he may find her. But the task ahead seemed arduous once it wasn't immediately apparent, and he rather expected he would run into her naturally, someday soon.  Never for anything that amounted to much more than their little rendezvous, of course. Perhaps a pleasant second round. But their meeting again took much longer than anticipated, and now he was starting to get a sense for why. She’d only just debuted - a fact that kicked up his blood pressure, he had to admit.

He watched her take her sip of champagne with intrigue, smirking at her… rather thinly veiled threat. Whoever that woman in Venice was, the blonde before him now seemed downright demure by comparison. “If I didn’t know better, Miss Edevane, I would think that you are planning some kind of bodily harm. Should I be concerned?” Signals said that he should be, but he found himself taking a slow step towards her. He thinks he remembers… she liked how tall he was.

At her question, Cassian gave a derisive snort of laughter. His blue eyes appraised her openly now, attentive to where her blush went (it was only fair, since that’s what she did to him). “You’ll be pleased to learn that I live here in London. May I ask you the same question? Did you have an arduous journey… from your grand sprawling estate just west of Milan, was it?”

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He looked entirely too smug about this entire encounter, leaving Juniper wanting nothing more than to wipe the look clean from his face; her eyebrows knitted together. She wasn’t here to play games with him - she was here to make him grovel. To pay. To hurt. Not tonight, but now that she knew he was in London it would be soon enough. Her thoughts of him had consumed most of her life the past year and it was time for her plans to come to fruition - she had many ways for her plan to play out, but they all ended the same: Cassian Valenduris would be a miserable sod. She might even collect his tears in a jar to keep as a decoration in her room. Smiling coyly back at him, she ignored his words of condolences.

“Concerned?” Juniper’s lips quipped into an amused smile; she looked up at him through her eyelashes as she batted her eyes at him in hopes of showing some form of innocence. He didn't know who the Edevanes were rumored to be nor did he know what she'd up after their departure from each other. “That depends entirely on you, Mr. Valenduris, and whether or not you think I’m capable of bodily harm.” Winking at him, her whole body froze for a split second as he stepped toward her; she let out a slight breath before she pursed her lips together and willed herself to take another sip of the champagne. He was a miniature giant and she felt like an ant compared to him; she straightened her back and stepped forward until her shoes were touching his, and even as green hues blinked up at him, she couldn’t help but offer him a coy smile as he laughed at her question.

There he was, trying to unravel her lies in a single go, but Juniper was ready to allow him to step into her web - she would show this man just what she was capable of. She couldn’t help but snort. “No wonder London has been so dreary and miserable lately. It must have heard that you were moving and now it weeps because of your existence.” (Grace should be proud that she managed to sneak speaking of the weather into a conversation tonight!) Then she rolled her eyes before tilting her head up so her eyes met his. They were a beautiful shade of blue; the color of a perfect raindrop on a blue aster; the color of a river hurrying to join the great ocean.

She wanted to gouge them out so he’d stop assessing her as if she was a piece of meat. “We did vacation west of Milan almost the entire summer because father had business to attend to, so coming back from the beauty that Milan offers to London was quite arduous indeed, but I adjusted fairly quickly.” June wet her lips with her tongue but she laughed inaudible under her breath; hopefully that was one lie she was able to spin to be partially true. “I suspect you’re probably still floundering around for friends, and while I would love to put in a good word for you, I don’t think you’ve earned that favor yet Mr. Valenduris.” Not that she knew many bachelors outside of the few she’d spoken to, or believed he was alone in London. Cassian Valendurius was a man who people would go out of their way to befriend and women would throw themselves at his feet to speak to him.

Juniper scowled at him. She swirled the last bit of champagne in her glass, watching as the bubbles rapidly came to the surface; she’d save the last bit of it in case the man before her looked particularly thirsty. “Although I am shocked to find you have left Italy at all. Did they throw you a grand departure ball in hopes that you’d never return? I will when you leave London.” The blonde tilted her head as she offered a luminous grin at him before she raised her glass in a form of cheers, despite the man having nothing in his hands. "Consider that a promise."

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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If eyes full of ire could kill, Cassian would be dead five times over. Most definitely. But he wasn’t sure what to do with this information, save for file it away into his mental index of impact his presence seemed to have on this young woman. He couldn't say he agreed with the treatment she was giving him, or that he even understood why. But he respected it - her directness. It made life easier. And maybe it reminded him of what he found so attractive.

“May I remind you that I know you are capable of a great number of things already,” he responded with amused attention to her coy smile. Honestly, what was she playing at?  “So I cannot say that I would be surprised if you still have a few more secrets up your sleeves.” His voice lowered to a quieter suggestion - “Or shall I say secrets up your skirts?” Cass couldn’t tell if she intended to seduce him or murder him, so he probably shouldn’t poke the dragon. But then… he was fairly interested in knowing how much this young woman could bluff.

“Wow,” he smacked his lips and scrunched his face as he’d taken a sip of a too-tart drink, a response to Miss Edevane’s pure poetry about his offensive existence. Now why did she hate him so much? He raised his eyebrows as their gaze met, as if to ask quite plainly, Really?

Whatever convoluted web she could spin about Milan now, Cassian couldn’t say he’d trust another word from her. It was clear she’d framed things a bit differently at their last encounter, knowing full well that he wouldn’t have engaged otherwise. Attractive, blonde, witty, perhaps a touch demonic – this wouldn’t stop Cass from pursuing her under more proper circumstances. But it felt out of the question now that he knew he’d been duped. This lean towards a deceitful streak… he recognized the trait shared by his closest childhood friend. It’s not something that just goes away.

“No grand departures, sadly enough. Our estates in London and Venice have been in the family for many generations now, and we have no intent to change this. They must know they can’t escape my company so easily,” he parried smoothly as his eyes watched her fingers idle over the crystal flute. The implication here was that Miss Edevane might find herself in a similar circumstance.

“Though you almost sound as though you look forward to throwing my departure ball. I'm nearly offended. Is there any way to regain some of your favor, Miss Edevane?” His turn to bat his eyelashes and put on a winsome smile.

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June couldn’t help the amused smile that quipped against her lips; even if she had dreamed a hundred times over how she would hurt him for her anguish, she would be lying to say she didn’t enjoy the conversation happening between them - it wasn’t often people tossed her words back at her. “And may I remind you Mr. Valenduris, that I didn’t hear a single complaint from you while I showed you just how capable I am of a great number of things.”

Her smile twitched a bit broader before she covered her mouth to hide a slight laugh. “And that is something you’ll just wait to have to find out. A lady never reveals all her secrets at once.” She lowered her voice to match his before she tossed him another wink. “So stay on your toes amore mio. Maybe I’ve picked up some secrets you just might like.” She hadn’t, but there was something invigorating about keeping Cassian Valenduris on his toes that made her keep talking.

Then he was making a face at her comment and Juniper tilted her head back and laughed; he seemed offended, which was the goal, seeing as offense was a baby step toward anguish Her finger itched to twist his shirt although what she had planned from there she wasn’t sure; Juniper wasn’t going to kiss him, that much she knew, but she wanted him to know she was in charge of this entire interaction. Fingers tightened around the glass in her hand as she offered him a gentler smile this time as he continued to speak. What a shame that she’d be stuck with him for the entire season, although at the same time what luck - perhaps she’d seek him out at balls to antagonize rather than waiting expectantly for Mr. Blackwood to ask her to dance at every event they attended together. She hated waiting for him like a good puppy.

She opened her mouth to respond to him when she felt a hand gently grasp her elbow; green eyes were drawn upward to find her father standing behind her. Her face remained at an impasse. Alistair Edevane was a cold man. There was a job to be done, a wife to bring back from the dead no matter how many bodies he left in his wake, leaving little time for anything else. Dark eyes narrowed with a chilling gaze, and it wasn’t difficult to see where June had gotten her glare from - both were enough to freeze even the warmest hearts at a glance. The pair seemed to have a silent conversation with pointed looks and June pinched her eyebrows together and pouted at him as she took a step away from Mister Valenduris. Alistair wasn’t a dumb man. He was quite aware of how his daughter could be.

He stepped forward to offer his hand although he didn’t smile at him. “Mr. Valenduris, it’s good to see you again.” Beside him Juniper completely stilled, her eyes widening for a split second as she turned her attention toward her father. What the fuck? She recognized most of the gentlemen Alistair would call a friend and Cassian Valenduris was certainly not one of them; he'd never dropped by the house, never came to the smaller house parties Grace threw, and didn't know who the Edevanes truly could be. The fact that he’d come over to chat? Alistair either respected the man before him and wanted to introduce them, or put a stop to their conversation. She was putting her money on the former. "I hope the season is treating you well.” He continued in the background, the words foggy as she tried to wrap her head around this entire ordeal.

Alistair would murder her if he got wind that she’d given up her virginity without the promise of well… anything. She had presumed (wrong, but now wasn’t the time for those thoughts), and Cassian Valenduris not only had her deepest, darkest secret in the palm of her hand, but had the means to spread it now that he knew her real name. It was part of the reason she had given him a fake name - a fail safe, in case this happened. “This is my eldest daughter.” June’s head shot up as she tried to clue herself back into the conversation. It was only a matter of time before he tried to ask about Mr. Valenduris taking a wife this season.

Stepping forward, the blonde pressed her empty glass into her father’s hand; he frowned at her, and she smiled at him. He arched an eyebrow and she batted her eyelashes at him. Finally, she spoke, her head turning to blink over at the blonde man. “He was just about to put his name on my dance card.” Juniper turned back to her dad. “I’ve been looking forward to dancing with him all night.” She hadn’t. In fact, if he went through with it, it would be the dance she was dreading the most of all.

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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The conversation being had was dangerous. Cassian sensed it in his bones. This may or may not be the same thrill that capitulated them over each other in Venice that summer. Not that he was really looking for a repeat of that tonight, or even intended to. But that lilt of her laugh drew a small smile from him anyway.

Perhaps he would wait for her to reveal her so-called secrets. She was right that he didn’t complain about her ‘capabilities’ before. The blonde resisted the urge to step into her further, to levy his full height against her slight frame and remind her of just that. That’s because his line of sight afforded a glimpse at the man who could only be her father, fast approaching. Knowing their time was limited, he kept his voice low as we went on after his humble inquiry to get in her good graces. He’d love to see her recover from this. “To be fair, you certainly left very little to my imagination last time. I do not believe you can keep a secret for long…”

Finally Mister Edevane made his sudden, brusque appearance. Cassian watched attentively as father and daughter had their telepathic little conversation, the fact that he drained his entire flute of champagne in those odd seconds perhaps his only ‘tell’ that he needed a moment to readjust from their… bold candor. The man passed it off to the side just as he stepped up to meet Alistair’s greeting.

“Mister Edevane, very good to see you again,” he recovered smoothly, all broad smile and crinkled eyes with a firm handshake. A treat for the Miss, no doubt, to see Cass in his more reputable element. Nothing at all like the impassive, heated look he’d given her just a few moments ago. Firmed up, if not a bit artificial-looking. Cassian didn’t know Mister Edevane well enough to pick him out of a crowd without context. But he knew of him. There was never a legitimate reason to follow up on him, obviously. He was simply… a person of perpetual interest. Like father, like daughter. “Season’s been getting on well,” he responded blithely.

With a quick glance at the pretty blonde to gather how she’s coping (his pleasant smile twisted a twinge- it won’t be well after what comes next), he turned back to the man with a curt nod. “Ah, yes. I had the pleasure of Mrs. Edevane introducing me to her sister, Miss Ophelia Edevane, earlier this evening.” He had used this fact to go fishing, of course. For this Miss’s first name – her real one.

“Imagine my shock to see this same face once again, and yet not know her at all. Adding my name to her dance card as well, only seemed fair,” he joked, frankly thinking he did a mighty fine job of helping Miss Edevane along in her convoluted web. “I must apologize,” he went on to Father Hellfire, because it was a bit of a faux-paus to speak so directly with a young lady without introduction. “That this caused my curiosity to get the best of me.” He turned slightly to regard the young woman again, this time his look a bit more inquiring. As if picking up on the conversation they’d just left off, “Though should your father approve, perhaps we may have the next dance, Miss?”

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Juniper couldn’t help the relief that flooded her bones at the silent rescue of her father; she straightened her back and kept her face at an impasse despite the slight blush that crept across her face at his implications. Little did he know that she’d kept this secret under lock and key for over a year, telling only Poppy when the timing was just right. The young witch could keep secrets that mattered, and destroying his entire life mattered a lot to her. But Cassian Valenduris could continue to underestimate her - she would use that to her advantage to destroy him. She realized now, that while he held her secret of Venice, she had the secret that he’d been more than welcome to take the virtue of a young woman who hadn’t even debuted yet. If he tried to take her down, June would take him down with her.

Alistair offered the man a clipped smile as he stepped back. Her eyes narrowed and she sucked in a sharp breath as he mentioned Ophelia. If her twin sister disappeared one day, the witch wasn’t sure she’d shed a tear. (Well, she was positively sure wouldn’t and in fact would spend every day for six months throwing death day parties to celebrate not having to share her face with another person ever again.) Her father laughed, slow and half-amused as he’d spent the better part of eighteen years listening to people mix up his daughters; it would help if they went along with it, but the pair wasn't fond of each other, therefore didn’t like to play along as the other. June was quick to correct and Ophelia had a tendency to roll her eyes.

Depositing the empty cup onto a passing tray, Alistair rested his hand against her shoulder and she stiffened, although pleased that he didn’t immediately out her; June offered him a smile in hopes of conveying that she was thankful for not getting her in trouble. She did enough of that on her own. “I apologize. It’s easy for me to forget that some people don’t realize that there are two of them. You will not be the last to think one is the other, or wondering if perhaps you’ve had too much to drink and you’re seeing double.” He glanced down at his eldest daughter and she offered Alistair a smile. “Ophelia is my youngest daughter, and Juniper is my eldest.” For addressing purposes - June would always relish that she was Ms. Edevane while her younger sister was forced to be Ms. Ophelia.

Her lips pinched into a frown as she glanced at Mr. Valenduris to see just how smug he’d look now that he had her first and last name; how quickly her web she’d spent so long spinning had been disassembled. Alistair nodded as he dropped his hands away from her shoulder. “An easy approval.” He knew of Mr. Valenduris; he was hailed a hero and a man who most people in the ministry seemed to like. It would do Juniper some good to be seen conversing with him, and even better to see the pair dancing; the best case scenario for him was something came from it, and worst case scenario was Juniper seen smiling rather than frowning. The blonde reached for her dance card and held it out to him, and Alistair seemed pleased with the action. “Enjoy your evening, Mr. Valenduris.” He nodded at him before stepping back from the pair, although he kept his eyes on them.

June turned to look at her father before turning back to the blonde giant. “You’re a sly man.” She frowned at him. “I had no intention of giving you my name because Ms. Edevane works just fine.” She considered thanking him for not outing her, but the blonde didn’t want to owe this man any favors. “My condolences though, for having to dance with my sister. I’m sure she just smiled at you like a vapid moron.” Huffing, June brought her gaze to his. "People often think she can provide substance in conversation when they'd been speaking to me before."

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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The fast injection of bubbly created a mild and all-too-swift rush in his head, which made it easier than usual to laugh along with Mister Edevane. He did not realize how on the nose his apology was. If he only knew the half of it. Cassian’s earlier, innocuous question to the demure Ophelia, do we not know each other? seemed so callow and foolish compared to the real mess he’d stepped into now.  Juniper, like juniper berries in gin. He won’t forget the name.

Still the most serene smile lingered on his face to her father, and his blue gaze flicked to her only once. That was all he needed to assess that she was still glowering at him with clear intent to murder. But at least she also seemed inclined to carry on with her charade rather than do anything childish. Cassian knew he should be pleased, as it would behoove the both of them to play nice. But he wasn’t yet sure if he could rely on her common sense; he knew very little about her ‘genuine’ self after all.

Cass took the dance card smartly now, no accidental brush of the fingers, and no pause in writing his name on her next blank slot. Conveniently, after this next song finished. The big blonde decided he had no intention of lingering around her longer than required anyway, acutely aware of the optics. He didn’t want to give his the pretty brunette any wrong ideas either, to suggest he was already taken with someone. The man bid Alistair a good evening with a glib smile, and kept it up even once the man left, because Juniper was the only one with the luxury of having her back to her father.

“Sly?” he quirked his eyebrows slightly as he finally looked back to her. “You mean to critique my self-preservation instinct?” Cass clasped his hands behind his back as they waited for the next dance, giving her a shrewd look. He didn’t take her for an idiot, and hoped he might impress upon her the perspective that they should be discreet about what happened. “It was only by coincidence that in so doing, I learned who you really are, Miss Edevane. ” He wasn’t a monster, he wouldn’t buck proper decorum when a lady properly asked something of him. But he took great relish in enunciating each syllable, because his head still thought Juniper.

The man huffed out a laugh at her condolences, and stole a glance down the ballroom as she spoke. It would seem Mrs. Edevane had taken stock of what had transpired, beady little eyes assessing them both across the room. No one else of note - to him, anyway. Returning his attention to the pretty blonde now, “Thank you for your condolences. It’s true that she and I did not have quite the same…” he paused, then clicked his tongue when the word came to him, “...candor that I’ve developed with you. Imagine our mutual bemusement, when I inquired if we did not know each other from before. Did you not tell her of our meeting?” The comment was aloof, anticipating that she hadn’t, though he didn’t want to betray that her reaction interested him. 

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Juniper didn’t want to dance in his arms; she knew she would have to plaster a smile against her lips because stepmonstermother dearest would be watching, and if she did anything out of line she’d hear of it in the carriage ride home. Plus the idea of having Cassian Valenduris’ hands skimming against her waist again made goosebumps rise across her skin; she glowered at him as he offered a smile. At least she’d survived that very odd interaction between her father and Mr. Valenduris - she had every intention of telling Alistair that she didn’t like him so he wouldn’t be under the impression that anything would ever come of their meeting.

She tilted her head and laughed quietly. “I wasn’t critiquing you, just merely making an observation.” She stepped forward, although stopped short of her feet pressing against his; then she flicked her gaze up and offered him an almost genuine smile. “Well, if you’re so curious as to who I really am, Mr. Valenduris, my name is Juniper Edevane of London, and this is my first season. I absolutely abhor talking about the weather and my dream career does not involve being a socialite, but I suppose that’s why it’s called a dream, hm?” She moved her hand to tap her chin as if thinking she should add anymore, but then she tucked her hands behind her back and pushed herself onto her tippy toes. “I hope that satisfies your curiosity?” She hummed.

Falling back to her feet a moment later, June’s eyes followed his toward Grace. Her nose wrinkled before his words caught her attention, and she found herself looking at him. “Do you tell your siblings everything, Mr. Valenduris? We are identical but that does not mean we have to share everything.” She glanced at her sister from the corner of her eye. Sharing a face was something most people would never understand; people expected them to be identical in every way and were often disappointed when they were found to be polar opposites. “If there is a single person who I would truly throw a grand departure ball in hopes that they’d never return, it would be her.” Amused, the blonde couldn’t help but smile. There was someone in this room - on this planet - that she despised more than the man in front of her, and she knew he would be able to connect the dots.

The song finally died around them, and Juniper offered her hand to him. This time, she frowned. “Shall we get this over?”

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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Cassian didn’t back away even as she took a step forward, though he wondered - albeit briefly - if she would try something ruinous in such a public space. It would serve to bring down the both of them, and he did not take her to be someone with such self-destructive tendencies. That way she gazed up with her blissful smile did not leave him inclined to believe she had a mind of a martyr, but instead, that she was very much determined to be a survivor. It drew a grin from him, no matter what sort of acid she wished to throw at his face with her words. He could relate to survivors, and how they do nearly anything to make it through.

“Miss Juniper Edevane of London,” he chuckled then, because images of her as a demure socialite seemed about as realistic as an erumpent taking flight. Hands stayed firmly, decidedly clasped behind his back, because he wasn’t about to earn the ire of Alistair now. Cass felt acutely aware of their stifling surroundings. “You’ve done well at answering all of my questions. Though I cannot say that I am satisfied.” Let her interpret that however she wishes. The imagination was usually far more effective than anything he could think to say.

The response about her twin, however, was telling. As he suspected, these two did not appear to have anything in common at all. Having had only a glimpse at the rivalries that could exist between sisters by the handful of instances where he had to separate his two (and that was between two who tolerated each other), he could only imagine the bombs the Edevanes threw at each other in the safer, private confines of their household. Juniper’s barb about throwing her sister a departure ball only confirmed what he already suspected.

“Hmm. I have never had the need to explain myself to my siblings, being their eldest,” he agreed offhandedly. Betraying, slightly, his status as head of house. Though she did not ask anything of him, and he wasn’t apt to volunteer further information unless she asked him nicely. No doubt she could just as easily prise any information about who he was, or what he did, from her father later should she be so inclined.

Smile turned a bit rueful then, amused as to why she acted as though he were leading her to the gallows. “I suppose I should put you out of your misery,” he conceded chivalrously, gently reaching for her offered hand. Fingers tapped gently against the heel of her palm as he bowed to start their dance. All signs pointed towards this being a bad idea. But, they were too far committed to the act to change things now.

Together they moved into place on the dance floor. At least for the first minute, things went on without incident. He took great care to keep only his fingertips against the beads of her dress, resting gently midway up her back. Though not particularly incentivized to change her opinion about him, he was set on giving her no further reasons to think of him as anything but a gentleman. Especially now that she was out in proper society.

At the risk of her glowering at him the entire time, he endeavored to improve her mood with conversation about something she might enjoy. “So what is your dream career then, if I may ask?” Perhaps he may not. Though it intrigued him for a proper lady to wish to entertain anything beyond the occasional party-going and dress-shopping. As a man who didn’t have to work himself yet still decided to, he could appreciate this drive.

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eyecandy by fox<3

Her lips quipped up with amusement; he was curious, although as to what Juniper couldn’t pinpoint. It was a good thing as she still had secrets she was keeping. For one, she was going to hex the hell out of him before he could even blink. (Even if he was well aware that she was capable of bodily harm; June only hoped that he’d been half-kidding and her curses would take him by surprise.) Then came his response of being the oldest, a fact that she hadn't been sure of until now - it was useless knowledge if was going to be honest. She was too, but he hadn’t asked, therefore she wasn’t going to offer that information to him. Let Cassian Valenduris be curious about her.

Moving onto the dance floor, June’s entire body went rigid as his fingers grazed against her; it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, any gentleman would do the same (except Mr. Blackwood, the man who was second on her list for pissing her off, although for entirely different reasons), but she found herself hating being held by him. If she could tuck tail and run without looking like a fool she would. She curled her own fingers around his shoulder. Then she frowned.

It deepened as he brought up a personal question. June considered snapping at him, telling him to fuck off because all he was going to do was run back to his friends and mock the new debutante who had dreams. A career and attending Flint Institution? She might as well mark a target on her back for ostracization. Most upper class men weren’t interested in more than a pretty face and Juniper had been warned to keep her mouth shut about her silly dreams of what she wanted to be, as only a mother or a socialite seemed to be the only acceptable answers.

Pursing her lips together she narrowed her eyes, searching his gaze for any malicious intent; finding none, she exhaled sharply. “I would like to study ancient texts and determine what spells are extinct and give them a new purpose in life. I'd focus on hexes, curses and jinxes. A curse specialist, in a way.” 'I don't believe all dark magic is necessarily a bad thing.' But the witch couldn't say that aloud because he seemed like he'd dig into that statement. She’d join the experimental charm committee and spend her days mulling over hexes and jinxes to make them better than before. Huffing, June looked anywhere except for him, not wanting to see the way he’d curiously raise his eyebrows at her. How he’d silently mock her. “It's a shame considering how many spells we’ve lost over time simply because people felt they weren’t useful anymore.”

And, if she were lucky, she’d find the perfect spell that he wouldn’t be able to easily undo. He deserved it for taking her virginity then leaving her high and dry.

“And you, Mister Valenduris? What do you do? Something in law enforcement, if memory serves correctly.” June hummed for a moment before she finally turned his gaze toward him. “Your dream career?”

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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Cassian could sense her tension as they moved through the steps of the dance, which spoke volumes without even taking into account her sour expression. She despised him, didn’t she? It made him wonder, for the first time, how much he hurt her feelings. He might have felt a pang of guilt then, though as soon as it occurred to him he pushed the thought aside. After being so evasive with her identity, and not exactly making it easy to determine how he might follow up with her, what did she expect? And what did she think would happen by giving herself up so enthusiastically anyway? Cass simply assumed she wanted it to be a one-time kind of agreement.

The thought that it might have meant something else to her didn’t occur to Cass until this very moment, forced to engage for several minutes with looking at her bright green eyes straight-on. None of her ire ebbed away despite his most amenable efforts. So he kept his expression impassive as she seemed to work through some type of inner battle over what to tell him.

Turns out that his inkling was right; giving her a more productive topic to sink her teeth into did little to settle her intense glower, but at least she frowned a little less when she spoke. And what she said was genuinely interesting - and such a far stretch from the topic of discussions he had with her twin, it felt surreal to think two entirely different types of souls could share the same face. 

“Hm, like medieval curses,” he volunteered aptly. Though no ancient spells expert himself, his line of work exposed him to a range of unorthodox ways wizards found to maim and murder. How intriguing for a young lady to be interested in such morbid work. “They had much more appreciation for torture than we do nowadays. Cruel as they are inventive. This seems to be a recurring theme with you,” he added teasingly, which was as close as he would get to flirting or commending her interests.

It would seem that even just volunteering this much seemed to embarrass her, however, and so he didn’t pry further. They swirled in their waltz instead, Cassian deciding to offer her a bit of respite by glancing off interestedly into the crowd. He still hadn’t seen Miss Dashwood, and wondered if she was here at all. And if she was, would it be better or worse for him to be seen dancing with Miss Edevane?

Blue eyes dropped back to the young lady with her question, and his lip curled to a rueful smile. So she had an ear for detail as well; good to know.

“Mm. Chief Hit Wizard,” he supplied. Succinct, because the title seemed to speak for itself in most situations. He also guessed she had the resource to find out anyway; no use in trying to be evasive. “I suppose you could say it’s my dream career in the sense that I never planned to do anything different. I set my sights on it early.” As soon as his father died on duty when he was a teen, not that it was relevant to the Miss. Instead he leveled her an amused look, and resisted the temptation to suggest that he wouldn’t go easy on her if one of her curses led to an untimely arrest. Ah – no, at that point he’d just be asking her to curse him.

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Juniper Edevane

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eyecandy by fox<3

Cassian Valenduris was a hard man to read; stoic, he kept an expression that made him look bored, although she could tell from how long his gaze lingered on her, that he was thinking about her. Although whether it was a now thought or her underneath him in Italy was beyond her and Juniper nearly scoffed - he didn’t deserve to have those memories anymore. In fact, if she could hire an obliviator to remove them from his mind altogether, she’d spend every penny of her dowry to do so! Who the hell did Cassian Valenduris think he was? He was just a giant ogre who used his size to charm and take advantage of girls who like having the sole attention on them instead of sharing it with their sister…

June let out a hot breath that turned into a surprise laugh at his statement. She hadn't expected those words to come from his perfect pink lips. “Well Mr. Valenduris, I do hope I don’t disappoint you when I say I may be the only debutante who will freely talk of medieval torture spells with you. Although I can’t say my focus would be on medieval torture.” She raised her eyes to him and offered him a smile, although she lowered her voice in case others were listening. “I would focus on the silent things that make you wonder if you’re going mad. A buzzing in your ear that isn’t there. A spider crawling across your skin one instance but isn't there the next. The feeling that someone is watching you. If I was going to be cruel, I would go for a silent torture of the mind rather than the body. Watching someone squirm wouldn’t give me much pleasure, but watching someone break because their mind is weak just might. Imagine all the criminals who might squeal if there was a promise of reprieve for the mind.” Not that she’d thought of what it would be like.

Juniper shook her head; that was a lot to say, but then again he’d already established she was someone who could do bodily harm to someone. “But truthfully told Mister Valenduris, my extent of torture is turning my sister’s hair into antlers. It’s not harmful to either of us but it brings me great pleasure.” No, she was just getting into the darker arts now that Hogwarts no longer put her in a box. She'd thumbed through books, written down spells she wanted to try but if he were to look at the spell history of her wand, Valenduris wouldn't find anything alarming. (Her father on the other hand...)

He looked away for a moment and June let out a soft breath and willed herself to relax. She was giving too much away, too soon. She needed to hold her cards close to her chest. Silently she cursed herself for speaking so much, but there was always something about speaking freely with a man who wouldn’t run to her father to complain about her conversation topics. “Chief Hit Wizard, that’s quite the accomplishment.” June smirked at him. “I guess now we know who can do more bodily harm between the pair of us, and I’ll give you a hint - it’s not me.” A tease, she supposed. Her back straightened though as she stared into his blue eyes - Juniper wasn’t afraid of him. It just meant she had to be extra careful. (Although she didn’t want to kill him; she just wanted to make him feel small. The same thing he’d done to her.)

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Cassian Valenduris & Mood Music

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It would seem that he’d finally struck a chord with her, enough to warm her into talking. It was the same change in currents that he perceived when questioning a criminal, a few minutes before yielding a confession they would have never expected. Not that Cassian was angling for any kind of confession, her hate for him was already plenty palpable. But he was curious to know more about her. Even if the ship sailed past their opportunity for courtship, there were a myriad of reasons for why he’d been attracted to her in the first place.

A draw to the dark, which in a way he’s always had. He smiled indulgently with her (accurate) label as the only debutante he’d ever met to so candidly articulate her passion for torture. Without much realizing it he leaned into her conspiratorial tone.

If the young woman were on trial in the near future for anything related to death or dismemberment, he supposed he would have to go on record regarding this conversation.

“Your vivid descriptions make it very easy to imagine,” he admitted to her, tone about as easy and congenial as if she’d just described the types of intricate beading on her dress. There were plenty of people in this world who tried to goad Cassian into being a reflection of their effect on him, compared to Maxime or Vincent, Miss Edevane here could barely scratch the surface of his unperturbed polish. “And what a clever use case. Have you considered working with the Experimental Charms committee?” It was an indelicate type of conversation, knowing that as a lady of high class she likely not seek work at all. But then, Juniper wasn’t a normal lady. “They might enjoy your inventive mind, and I’m certain the DMLE would appreciate these machinations also. You know. To catch criminals.”

His smile turned a bit teasing, because she couldn’t possibly be so blind as to think her father were not a recurring name on their index of prospective follow-ups. Perhaps that was the reason she so demurely siddled back to her ‘experiments’ taking place only with a cruel trick on her sister. Cass indulged her with a light chuckle, and gave her a spin around with the rest of the couples in this dance.

“It would be a more productive use of your advanced magical skill, in a controlled environment like that Committee’s. You’d be able to do much more than fix antlers.” Despite what he suggested now, it’s not as though Cassian had much reason to invest in her career prospects. Though it might be interesting to see her harrowing little looks in the Ministry halls. The man shrugged as she considered his position an accomplishment. Yes, it was – but then it wasn’t. So much of who gained Head positions had more to do with proper positioning and politics than mettle. Cassian liked to think he had both, but sometimes, he wasn’t so sure.

“Hmm, well fortunately for the both of us, I am off-duty from work this evening. I tend to reserve bodily-harm only for the wanted criminals, anyway. Even then, only if I must. For some reason, people tend to come along willingly when they see me.” Perhaps his smile turned a bit wolfish, but he tried to keep the amusing thought under wraps. Whatever double-entendre that could be read into that statement was not done on purpose. “I wonder why that is.” 

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Juniper Edevane

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