July 30, 1893 - Adlard Home, Swallowbury District, Irvingly

All anyone had been able to talk about at the Ministry, or even socially, it seemed was the upcoming election. The event was four months out and already Percy was thoroughly sick of it. He just wanted it done and over with so he could get back to work in peace. So when the butler announced that Quin was there Percy was eager for the change in topic.

He'd settled them in to the chairs in the library and plied Quin with a glass of firewhiskey. "How is the future Mrs. Honeyduke?" He asked with a grin. He didn't know the young Miss Potts well, but was glad to see that Quin was finally settling down. It turned out that marriage made him a softy in this regard. He had hated writing to break the news to Felicity, but she had seemed genuinely happy for Quin when Percy had recieved her response, so Percy hadn't dwelled on the matter. There would always be history there, but that was between the two of them, Percy was much more content to simply be happy for them each respectively as long as they were happy too.

Quincey Honeyduke

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

Quin, aside from seeing his friend, had ulterior motives for half-inviting himself over to Percy's house. Once settled into the library with a glass of whiskey, Quin wondered how best to broach the subject that had been plaguing him, but would go through the niceties first. It was all so awkward he didn't even know where to begin.

"She's well, deep into the finishing touches of the wedding." They had managed to settle on the top of her sister's shop in London, which was muggle friendly, both for his own family and it worked for Percy's wife to attend as well. "I can only imagine what it's going to look like with the entire Potts clan on the committee." Flowers everywhere. Simply everywhere, he knew it. Hopefully it would be everything that Dahlia wanted. "And the family?" Quin meant in the immediate household, but it could extend to his sisters as well.

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Remembering his own wedding Percy gave a knowing nod, "Ah yes." He had removed himself from much of the preparation beyond ensuring they had a home ready to move into when they had returned home. He chuckled at the thought of the Potts family all pitching in. He'd met them here and there but mainly knew them by reputation. "If their flower shows are anything to go by," He chuckled, "I suspect it will be indistinguisable with a garden."

"Quite well. Beddy is growing like a weed, Annabeth has been making some improvements to the house. Cat has her hands full with the kids and is pestering me about the election." Percy listed off the immediate family, a smile softening his lips. He waved the attention though, never one to dwell on himself.

"How have you been? You've been much too much of a stranger these days."

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

Quin nodded along with over a sip of his whiskey. Funny to think that in a year or two his own life would look far similar to Percy's than it did to his own now. "Been busy, found a house in Hogsmeade, can't live above the shop. It needed a little fixing up, but Dahlia liked it." Quin wouldn't have even been sure what to look for. He'd been living in the flat above the shop for so long he forgot what it was like to have a whole house. "The kitchen is huge though." They had both agreed that would be necessary.

"Mate I need some life advice, what is this marriage thing like?" Starting as vague as possible was the way to go, right? Quin had some more specific questions to ask, but at the ripe old age of thirty-six, he felt like he should already know the answers. Okay well he knew the basics, but he had zero experience.

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"That'll be a change for you." A house instead of the flat. Quin had lived in that flat for years now, it was almost as much of Quin as the shop itself in Percy's mind. But houses came with marriage and family and it was good that Quin had given his bride a say in the house hunting. Percy's father certainly wouldn't have done that. "Let me guess, the kitchen is flawless but the rest of the house is a wreck?" He teased.

Advice. "Ah," Percy wasn't quite sure how to answer that, "It takes some adjusting." Being a bachelor for as long as they both had been meant falling into habits that simply needed changing. "You're not the only one in charge of plans any more, and there are more people about the house." He spread his arms wide and shrugged, "But having a wife around, its worth the changes."

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

"It has good bones." Quin echoed what Dahlia had told him. They could make the rest of it fit whatever she wanted and it would be brilliant. Quin had no doubts that it would all come out wonderfully. He clearly couldn't be trusted with colors (as the shop had once been bright orange and purple and was now a vivid teal), but he knew Dahlia would turn it into a home.

Everything Percy was saying made sense. He and Dahlia had talked about that. Quin was keenly aware of what the change would bring, but he was still nervous. "And of course there's the more immediate things, like the wedding night." He finally came out with as that was rapidly becoming his biggest concern.

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Immediate things? Percy's eyebrow arched as he wondered just what that might be. And then - ah. The wedding night. Percy looked at Quin again as he processed this. Had Quin never slept with a woman before? He had thought they had all had that right of passage before. "The wedding night." Percy repeated his words almost a question. "Have you not -?" Percy quite frankly had no idea where to go with this at all.

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

Quin had indeed made it to six-and-thirty without bedding a woman. He was too busy. He had always thought marriage may have come sooner and that it wouldn't be quite as embarrassing as it was now, to admit to his friend, that he was in fact still as innocent as a fresh debutante. Things with Felicity had gotten a little steamy a time or two, but never crossed a line. Not that he was going to tell Percy that, lest he want to be murdered where he sat.

"Sure haven't," He answered honestly, thinking there was no avoiding it now. "Like I know how it works, but never practiced." Underneath it all, Quin was sort of a romantic, he couldn't just destroy boundaries without some sort of emotional connections.

He drained his whiskey and sighed heavily. That sounds sort of pathetic, doesn't it?"

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"Arguably, you've practiced." Smirking, Percy made a slightly crude gesture in the vicinity of his pants, recalling their school days, they had shared a dorm after all. While Percy never had caught Quin in the act he couldn't image that Quin had made it to six and thirty without that particular endeavor to his name. It was one thing to be a virgin, another to never have touched oneself. He drained his glass as well.

Percy took Quin's empty glass and stood to refill it. "Surprising, that's all." He said as he busied himself at the side table. He was going to need to fortify himself for this conversation too, it seemed. He poured a second glass and drained his at the bar before refilling it again. This certainly wasn't what he had expected to discuss when he wished for something to discourse about that had nothing to do with politics.

"Well," He cleared his throat and limped back to his seat handing over Quin's glass. "It's quite simple. There's a, ah-" Percy was floundering, his cheeks warming. What would Annabeth think if she overheard this.

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   Quincey Honeyduke

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Pretties from Lady <3

It was a good thing Quin had already finished his drink otherwise he would have spewed it everywhere. "Merlin's beard Adlard!" Of all the things to say. Quin was bright red. Just because a dorm full of teenage boys was obvious didn't mean it needed to be repeated now.

He was flustered now and embarrassed, understandably. If Percy was only going to take the piss out of him he was probably going to die. "I know where to put it—" He ran a hand over his face and leaned back dramatically in his chair before accepting the whiskey. Percy should have just brought the bottle over.

"I just don't want it be weird or uncomfortable for her." Quin really wasn't worried about himself. Dahlia had never been kissed before him, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

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   Verity Swann

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Oh thank Merlin! Relief washed over Percy has he realized he wouldn't have to explain the actual mechanics. Quin really would have been a hopeless cause if he didn't even know where to put it! Percy downed his glass (this really was going to catch up to him soon, he mildly thought as it burned down his throat) if only so he didn't need to look at Quin.

He studied the now empty glass, "Well, you likely won't last long, so I shouldn't think she'll feel much pleasure..." He started, running a hand along his chin. There was stubble there, he really should shave his mind supplied. "And it likely won't be super comfortable for her." Surely Quin knew about the hymen and all that?? "There may be some blood. But after the first time it should get more comfortable."

Clearing his throat he nodded at the bottle on the sideboard, "Might as well go get that. I think we're going to need more." He waved his empty glass slightly.

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

Even though he had asked, Quin was regretting his choices. Maybe it would have been better to just fumble through it and figure it out on his own. It was likely Dahlia wouldn't know any better, so she couldn't be disappointed, but still.

Quin took a long sip of his whiskey to give himself a moment to digest what Percy said. Well it sounded like it was going to be disappointing all around. Great. He drained his glass as Percy did and nodded along to needing the bottle. He hadn't planned on getting drunk, but here he was. At least it sounded like the first time would be it though, hopefully after that it would be enjoyable?

Running his hand through his hair again, Quin huffed out a sigh. "If this doesn't make me feel like a cradle robber I don't know what does." He grimaced. The age gap wasn't all that abnormal, but damn if this didn't make him feel old.

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"It gets better after the first time." Percy found himself adding as Quin grabbed the bottle. His own wedding night had been nothing like his previous experiences, until Annabeth he'd only found himself in the bed (or in some cases, not even the bed) with widows. Annabeth had seemed to enjoy some of that evening, but... well it didn't bare to be thinking of comparing that and, well, Maggie.

Thankfully the discussion of the actual mechanics seemed to have adjusted and Percy chuckled slightly, "Annabeth is hardly older than Miss Potts." He reminded Quin, "If you're one then I must be as well." Funny how life changed, how what one expected from it adjusted to fit a new picture when it was needed. "Besides, you can teach an old dog new tricks." In Quin's case he was going to have to teach himself. Or, who knew, maybe Dahlia would.

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   Daffodil Grimstone

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Pretties from Lady <3

Well that was a relief. The fate of humanity couldn't depend on something that was continuously unpleasant. "That doesn't make me feel better." Quin quipped about Annabeth being close to Dahlia's age. Dahlia had just turned twenty. She was hardly out of Hogwarts! It was a normal age for her to get married, but frankly he was long overdue. Fortunately it didn't seem to bother her, and he only got squirmy when things like this popped up, but for Merlin's sake!

"I get it, you've been spectacularly helpful." Quin groaned, sarcasm leaking out of the whiskey on his breath. He hardly felt better, but at least he knew what to expect.

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Percy snorted. "It's not my fault you waited this long." Of all of them he had rather expected Quin to be the first married. Well, he had after Maggie had turned him down in favor of Goyle, but once the dust had fallen he had rather anticipated Quin marrying long before now.

Then, because he couldn't help tease Quin he added, "You sure you know where to put it?"

And then he adjusted the conversation back to something less traumatizing, "Seriously though, you ready for married life?"

  

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Pretties from Lady <3

"Would you have rather I practiced with Felicity?" Quin usually didn't bring it up, considering the way things had broken down, but Percy was being particularly unhelpful and now Quin was a little more than tipsy and losing his filter rapidly. If he'd realized he was going to get razzed this hard, he might not have brought it up in the first place.

He chose not to reply to the first question, Quin moved on to the more serious one. Married life was the part he wasn't so worried about, the day-to-day and the house and all that. Maybe it was naïve of him to think so, but he hoped that he and Dahlia would figure that part out pretty easily. "We've discussed that, at least," had sort of hashed out their expectations for one another and the request to have patience. It would be a lot to learn, but he rather thought it wouldn't be so bad as long as they remembered what they talked about.

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