He was glad for her change of subject. Maybe he’d tell her why he resorted to alcohol to begin with but not now. Maybe not for a while. Perhaps he would, perhaps he wouldn’t. Right now, he wasn’t going to and he had no intention to. Though, in his current mind frame, that didn’t mean much.

“The new world,” he said plainly, “though I doubt I’ll ever be able to go. I don’t mind though, I’m quite content here. What about you, Ems? Where would you like to go?”

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It was another question that really didn't take a lot for Emmeline to answer.

"Italy," she said simply. It was perhaps a romantic sort of notion but she'd always wanted to go to the land of Italians. People spoke of Paris as being the city of love be she honestly thought Italy was. Plus..PIZZA

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#LovelyLadySet

“Never been,” he shrugged though he’d heard about Italy. Apparently, it was really nice. Maybe he could one day take her so she could fulfil at least one dream of hers – one that, Charles thought for a brief moment, he’d be able to help her to achieve.

“Can I ask something, Emmeline?” His tone shifted as he moved forward in his chair, his gaze suddenly turning intense. He asked his question anyway, before she’d answered, “If I told you what I’ve done during my job, would you see me as less of a person?” He enquired.

Not entirely sure why he’d decided to ask that, he just waited for her response. Alcohol does, after all, lower your senses and inhibitions and apparently, Charles’ inhibitions involved asking questions he usually kept to himself.

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Emmeline hadn't expected him to have actually gone. She had a feeling he'd never left Great Britain after all. She hadn't, even though she'd certainly like to.

She also hadn't expected him to get so serious suddenly and ask such a question. She lifted her head off her knees as a result, looking at him with a touch of concern and worry. How was a person really supposed to answer something like that?

"I don't think so," she answered honestly, "If something is necessary to your job, why would a judgement need to be made? It isn't as if you'd do something if it wasn't absolutely necessary." At least, she didn't think he would. She hoped not anyways.

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#LovelyLadySet

Charles sighed. Some part of him wanted to be relieved; to get closure on this obvious insecurity he was suddenly feeling though it seemed her answer wasn’t the closure he wanted – even if it was the answer he wanted.

“And if I’ve had to hurt people?” He leaned back in his chair and looked to the ground, almost shameful.

He wanted more drink but he wasn’t going to open another bottle of alcohol. It wasn’t his house. He’d already effectively stolen an entire bottle of her father’s rum and he didn’t want to get into anyone’s bad books. Especially not Emmeline’s and her family.

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Emmeline got up from her seat, feeling as if she needed to get closer to him with the questions he was asking. She didn't hesitate in coming right up to him and taking his hand in her own, squeezing it gently with both of hers as she looked him right in the eyes.

"Charlie," she started, using the name he'd told her to use to show him how serious she was, "You have shown me nothing but kindness and compassion. Anything you've done because of your work will never be judged by me. You didn't judge a silly school girl crying on the ground so who would I be to judge you?"

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#LovelyLadySet

Her soft hands clasping his own sent a warmth permeating through his body. He looked up to her and placed his spare hand over hers. Pausing for a moment, Charles gave the best smile he could muster in that moment though it wasn’t much.

“You haven’t been sent to…” He paused with a swallow, his eyes never moving from hers. “That doesn’t compare. I just don’t want to be in a situation where if we do continue to talk and I end up courting you once you’ve finished your schooling, or anything else, and whatever this is… is thrown away because my job requires me to… deal with people when the Ministry feels they need to be dealt with.”

Inhibition, Charlie, it was a thing.
And it was a thing apparently his alcohol had, actually, stopped.

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Emmeline watched him closely, not moving from where she stood holding his hands in her own. Even as he placed one over her hands, she offered a small smile. She tried to fight the tears she felt but there was no denying a slight glisten coming over her big brown eyes as she watched him as he spoke. There was a flutter of hope in her chest at his words but she wanted to be cautious. Too much hope could be a bad thing if everything came crashing down.

But instead of saying something, she did something perhaps more daring than when she'd gone to the Three Broomsticks that night to even start any of whatever this was. She pulled a hand out from his hold and gently placed it on his cheek before leaning forward and kissing him softly. It was a small and sweet sort of kiss but one she hoped would say more than any words she could have said before stepping back so she could look at him to see what his reaction may be in that moment.

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#LovelyLadySet

There were no words for the moment after he spoke, no actions he could take, and nothing he could do but accept what was happening in that moment. His mind was hazy from the alcohol though one thing was as clear as the sun came back to earth every morning; her lips against his owns, her hands against his cheek, and even the way she looked at him when she pulled away from the kiss. His eyes slowly opening, Charles bit his lower lip; his eyes glazed over.

Fuck, was the only thing that came to mind. He didn’t know what to do. She was the one to kiss him that time and it was unlike anything else he’d experienced. It was a serene kind of kiss that made his stomach flutter. It was the kind of kiss that could be lingered on in front of a supernova as it encased the world.

Apparently he had never been drunk whilst in company he’d truly enjoyed before and it was bringing out a side of him that he thought didn’t exist, let alone didn’t want.

“I…” He said quietly before taking her hand from his cheek and holding it firmly. What could he say to that?

“Emmeline, I…” The words wanted to come out and he didn’t know what they were. He’d known her for two weeks.

“Sorry,” He said quietly, “I guess I have had a little to drink.”

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Emmeline wanted to cry then. His words weren't exactly reassuring. And she didn't really know what to say as he blamed things on the alcohol. Not exactly an ideal way for anything to start. But she wouldn't cry in front of him. Not again. Instead, she sighed and took another step back.

"It's okay," she said with a small smile as she pulled her hand from his, "I should probably see about getting to bed." She needed to step back from whatever was going on and just..breath. And think. Besides, she'd likely have a lot to explain to her parents.

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#LovelyLadySet

Charles shook his head and took her hand almost as soon as she’d pulled it away from him, “No,” He said as he stood up, stilling holding her hand, “I don’t mean…” He knew what he’d said sounded like and he also knew he didn’t intend on it coming out that way. He didn’t know what he could say to reassure her.

Instead, he elected to do the one thing he thought logical in that moment, “Stay up a little longer. I’ll… You said you liked honesty. I’m trying to be honest. Seeing you and speaking with you. Being in your company. Emmeline, I enjoy it. I want you to know that. It isn’t the alcohol. This,” he released his hold of her and gestured up and down his body, “is not me speaking because of alcohol. I need you to know that.”

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Emmeline was at risk of the damn breaking and tears streaming down her face and she felt so stupid for it. Why was it that men had such a way with turning her into a blubbering mess in such a way? She was back to thinking the spinster life was best.

"I understand, Charlie," she said softly as he released her hand but she couldn't look to him again, not yet, "I really do. But..With the things I've been through I can't get my hopes up. I need truth and honesty. I need to know things or all I do is overthink. And overthinking, reading into things the wrong way, they destroy me." She was being far too honest she realized. It was too deep and too personal.

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#LovelyLadySet

Charles sighed and bit his lip again. Since they were getting personal, through all fault of his own, he decided to enquire more, “What do you want to know, Ems?”

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Emmeline looked at him then but shrugged. Her eyes were still certainly glassy but the tears hadn't fallen. Thank Merlin.

"Why?" she asked simply, "You never answer any of my why questions. And I can't believe your why is simply some heroic duty."

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#LovelyLadySet

Exhaling, Charles placed his hands in his pockets and spoke with a dismissive shrug, “because if it’s going to destroy you like you say, I’d rather tell you everything.”

And there it was. With decision separated between the option of her or his sense of mystery over his insecurities about his emotions and own place in life, the choice was a simple one. His time had been spent with her a lot more than he’d cared to admit and his thoughts seemed overwhelmed with ideas of her. Ultimately, as it happened, it was her. It would always be her and whether this was some temporary bump in their own roads or a bridge for them to cross together, Charles didn’t care. He was in this moment; he was in the present.

And in the present, he realized, the person before him was the important one when given the choice between himself and her.

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Why me was once again Emmeline's first thought but she was almost afraid of that answer. Honestly, she was afraid of any answer.

"Why rum?" she found herself asking. He'd said he didn't like Firewhiskey but as far as she knew there were plenty of other alcohols to choose from.

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#LovelyLadySet