February 28th, 1890 — Train to Irvingly — Immediately after fireball
William Abbott

— ☙ —

It should've been us
Should've been a fire,
Should've been the perfect storm
It should've been us
Could've been the real thing
Now we'll never know for sure

Diana sat on the train, her hands folded neatly in her lap as she took in the scene before her. It was an amusing dance the three of them (Will, her and Mrs. Wellington) had executed to get to this position. Mrs. Wellington had been absolutely insisting that she sit with Will to make sure he didn't try anything. This meant, however, that Diana would have to sit next to the bird, which was not an idea immediately accepted by anyone of them. Ultimately, Mrs. Wellington sat across from both of them, her eyes watching them and the bird sat next to her, still knocked out cold.

With the hawk-like eyes of her chaperone watching them, Diana sought to break the silence in a wildly transparent attempt to partake in the most innocent small talk possible. "I trust your family is in good health?" she asked, to her knees, however it was quite obvious who the question was for. She fought to keep her expression sober, however, the annoyance that had plagued her at the beginning of this meeting had made way for some amusement and she was dying to laugh at how this day was turning out so far.

  

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Mrs. Wellington's evil eye hadn't changed, it seemed, since the last time Will had been subjected to it. She'd known even then he was far less savory than a man of his position was meant to be. Her glare was so intense that Will had shrunk as far from Diana as possible, his knees turned from her even. William wouldn't have positioned himself in a postion that would risk her reputation anyway but the older woman didn't know that.

He'd changed.

He nodded without daring to look towards her. "Yes, everyone is faring well. My sister, Mrs. Jane — is expecting again." Hadn't they covered the topic of their families during their dance? Diana was less than forthcoming then, so why she was suddenly so determined to accompany him today he didn't know. "And yours? Your sister is set to debut soon, yes?"

  

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Amazing Set by Lady <3

His sister was expecting again. Diana couldn't help but feel rather inadequate at that realization. Here she was, twenty-four and she wasn't even married yet. Merlin, Minnie had married and that celebration was such a wonderful experience; Diana had seen their union and it had somehow opened up a pit of realization in her stomach that she only had two more years until she would be labelled a Spinster by society.

It was not a good feeling.

Luckily, he carried on asking about her family and she hastened to respond, glad he was facing away from her. Less chance for him to notice the crestfallen look on her face. "Oh, how lovely, do give my regards to them!" she replied amiably to the window, not even registering that they were moving out of the station. "Yes, Octavia Rose is just about to make her debut - she's been writing to me how excited she is about her first season."

And of course, just like that, she was brought back to her own first season. As joyous an occasion as it should have been, she'd been fresh from breaking it off with William; the first of her many mistakes in this mess.

  

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Despite his resolve to not look at her — to not give Mrs. Wellington cause to wack him upside the head — Will couldn't help but look over at her as they spoke. He missed her, missed the way she used to look at him with such admiration. Now, whenever he was fortunate enough to feel her gaze upon him it was laced with disdain. Or was it regret?

Did she regret their past relationship?

Will was about to turn from her again when he noticed it, the flash of sadness across her features as he mentioned his sister. Diana had to be fearful for her own future now that the label of spinster was looming. The future he ruined. The future he should have been tightly woven into. The future he desired five years too late. He dropped his gaze back to the bird across from them, best not address those demons.

"I wish her the best." He commented softly, distractedly. Truthfully, Will cared for her sister only out of respect for her. No one — not even a younger sister could ever hold a candle to Diana's elegant beauty.

  

The thought of Octavia Rose having her whole future ahead of her made her feel a bit better - Octavia had the mistakes of those around her to learn from and Diana would make sure her debut was a successful one. She couldn't help but turn to Will and give a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, I am too." she said, turning to look back out the window. She knew Mrs. Wellington wasn't stupid, she had her suspicions of her charge having a previous relationship with this man, but she knew it wasn't something she could prove.

The silence between them dragged on - Diana wracked her brains for something to say to him. Something completely harmless and inconsequential. Being the Ravenclaw, it followed that this would be fairly easy for her, however, it seemed her intelligence was evading her today. Just as she opened her mouth to say something – when she thought back on this, she wouldn't know what she was about to say – the carriage of the train started to rattle. Diana's expression fell and she looked up at the ceiling in confusion.

  

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Torture. That's what it was to be within arms reach of her and not hold her as he once had. Miraculously, five years passed without this intense longing for reconciliation. If anything, Will avoided any and all thought of her during that time. He maintained his distance, he never felt bold enough to approach her. Not until January. Not until he realized how lonely life would be without a wife he adored.

And yet, the fact remained that she loathed him.

Why Diana was adamant about accompanying him today he would never understand. Between the oddities of the morning and their encounter with the (dead?) bird, Will wasn't sure he would ever understand anything that happened today. Stupid fucking Florida Man.

It wasn't until the train's carriage began to rattle that Will turned his attention back to Diana and Mrs. Wellington. Instinctively, he reached out for her to protect her, but before his hand could make contact Mrs. Wellington and the bird were disappearing into the distance,.almost as though their section of the carriage remained still while his and Diana's kept moving.

"Fucking hell." He muttered under his breath. Had Diana not insisted upon accompanying him this nightmare would be over and dealt with. "Are you alright?"

  

It was the oddest sound. The noise of the train car stretching was unlike anything she'd ever heard of (and magic made some extremely weird noises). Before she could react – Will was the one with the quidditch-like reflexes and they both knew it – Mrs. Wellington and the bird were thrust backwards as the car stretched.

"Mrs. Wellington!" Diana cried, her arm outstretched as she launched forward. Her attempt was fruitless, however, as the car moved much faster than she could. If that wasn't enough, the step Diana took to her chaperone was on a part of the cabin that stretched. Her feet went out from underneath her and as she slid away from the car. What was once an outstretched hand towards her chaperone became one towards her former lover. "Wiiiilll!!"

  

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Before his mind fully comprehended what was transpiring before him, Will was spurred into action. He reached for her immediately, nearly missing her in the chaos of the moment. Mrs. Wellington and the bird were well out of sight now. Will didn't dare think what would happen if Diana wasn't safely secured.

"Diana!" Will shouted as he gripped her hand tightly and pulled her into an equally tight embrace. With his luck she would lurch after her chaperone once again.

  

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Amazing Set by Lady <3

Her heart raced as she returned his grip, her eyes wide with fear as he pulled her to him. What in Merlin's name was happening? She scrambled to him, her feet suddenly as clumsy as a newborn foal. As his arm curled around her waist, she took a shaky breath in and instinctively curled inwards.

Fresh soap, slightly woodsy and fresh. With a jolt, Diana realized where she'd experienced this before. Amortentia. With that realization she placed both hands on him and pushed away, a knot forming in the pit of her stomach. "Thank you," she said. No, this couldn't happen - regardless of her feelings, whatever feelings she had for him, she couldn't toy with him like this again.

Diana clasped her hands together in front of her face. She knew the panic she felt in her chest from getting swept away from him was...all in the moment. She was scared for her life, Will was the one person she knew who would be able to help her up. That's all. She wouldn't be much good to her family if she was dead.

"Mrs. Wellington," she said under her breath. "We must get back Mrs. Wellington." This wasn't to be about her. Not here, not now.

  

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The insanity transpiring around them set each of Will's nerves aflame. He was acutely aware of the treacherous zone just a foot ahead of them, and he was alresdy formulating a plan of how to safely flee the train without causing her anymore potential harm. Apparition made the most sense, provided they didn't move into another time lapse zone. And with the current situation being what it was, he couldn't count on it.

She withdrew from his grasp and Will had to physically resist reaching for her once more. Saving her from falling from their carriage was gallant, continuing to hold her whilst remaining otherwise safe wasn't. Still, Diana didn't make it easy for him to stay as he was, not when she was insisting upon heading back into the danger he'd just rescued her from. "No, Diana." Will stated firmly. "Once the train stops I'll go back for her. You're going to go home." He wouldn't be able to focus otherwise. Wherever she was was where his utmost attention would be. "I'll go back for her. There's nothing we can do while the train is still moving."

  

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Amazing Set by Lady <3

If she'd still been in his grasp she would have yanked away childishly. Instead she scowled at him, her resistance clear and apparent on her features. "No," she said shortly, crossing her hands across her chest in indignation. He'd just saved her, yet she wasn't going anywhere without her chaperone. Nevermind the fact that if she returned home - no, if she stepped outside of this carriage - there would be whispers that she was out without a chaperone. She glanced back at her chaperone's end. It was so far in the distance the woman was a small dot at this point. With every passing minute, she was disappearing further and further.

"We have to go tell the conductor to stop the train. The back end of the train is not moving." She went to open the door of the cabin. Except it wouldn't budge.

  

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"For fuck's sake, Diana. Do you have a death wish?" He demanded as he rose to his feet behind her. Mrs. Wellington was likely fine, just caught in whatever slow motioned loop the train traveled through. The conductors could very well have been lost as well. Will was all for being proactive, but not at her expense. They were better off waiting for whatever was to come.

He stepped back marginally, wholly aware of the danger a misstep brought. "Please, just sit. I'll go find a conductor." Apparating to the other side of the door would be easy enough. And if she listened she would be safe for the moment. "Trust me."

  

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For some reason, being told what to do by him did not sit well with her and she didn't know why. It was highly uncharacteristic for Diana to be even the teensiest bit defiant and the look she shot Will when he swore was a chastising one. "No!" she said again, her voice louder this time. "I don't have a death wish, Will." With the way he was treating her it was as if she was just someone to be taken care of and codddled; nothing more than a nettling sibling.

Or did he think her just an obstacle unable to take care of herself that she just needed to be directed to sit and stay? Nevermind the fact that she'd already proven she was more trouble than help multiple times throughout the day. It would behoove her to stop while she was still unharmed, given her track record, but apparently she wasn't thinking straight. "I'm fine to help, I promise!" she beseeched, this time establishing contact with him herself and grabbing his hand. "Please, Will let me help."

  

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A rage reserved generally only for Gerald began to build inside him as she stubbornly refused to protect herself. The Diana he knew wasn't this daft — she was the most intelligent person he knew. Whether time had simply colored his view of her or she was in some sort of shock, William didn't quite care. He would physically restrain her if it meant keeping her safe.

Even if she later loathed him for it.

"I need you to stay safe." He stated quietly, one last plea for her to shut up and listen. "I won't be able to think clearly if you're throwing yourself into danger. My priority will be you, not Mrs. Wellington. Not anyone else. You." Sometime during his plea Will gripped her hand in his once more. She had to understand his meaning — his Diana always did.

  

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Amazing Set by Lady <3

She was about to open her mouth once more to protest – hang decorum and safety! – when she saw the look in his eyes. Diana blinked, her resolve faltering as she found herself under a gaze she hadn't been under in quite some time. The final squeeze of his hand sealed it, and she closed her mouth again, falling silent. This wasn't time for her to be obstinate, she had to be reasonable like she knew she was. There was something about being around Will that made all of her previous knowledge fly out the window; the realization of this shook her, and she nodded mutely, her eyes downcast as she squeezed his hand back in confirmation.

  

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Finally, she understood. Whether she understood how deeply his feeling ran or how intensely he regretted leaving her, Will didn't know. And it didn't matter. Their moment was over, whatever future designed for them lost to the wind. Will kept her hand in his grasp as he turned to look towards the door.

"When the train pulls in you're going to go home. Do not apparate, don't risk splinching yourself in this chaos." He instructed without turning back to her. "Find a woman disembarking and explain what happened, she'll accompany you so your reputation remains unharmed. I'll find Mrs. Wellington and help her, okay? Just please, go home for me."

  

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Amazing Set by Lady <3