It Was A Scary Thought, Opening Up To Him Again. She'd Kept Herself And Her Heart Away From Him Purposefully,

"I am very beautiful, that's true, but you should not sell yourself short. Of course I am the better looking one out of the two of us as I am a woman and naturally more beautiful but you are handsome as well. I would not show interest in you if I found you undeserving of my attention." Serra was very particular with who she paid attention to and who she didn't. She liked to pick and choose who she believed was worthy of her time. "Why not?" What reason would he be giving her, she wondered.

"I would never settle. If I choose the person I want to be with it is because I decide that is who I want. I deserve to have the best of the best, one that will shower me in gifts and in compliments. Just me. Not anyone else." Her voice turned sugary sweet as she focused her attention back on him. "If you want to continue seeing me, you will not be seeing other women. The choice is yours. If you are unsure and are interested in others, then your answer is made and this is where we say goodbye. I deserve undivided attention and focus. I am the best, but I will not compete with other women for your affection. While I do not want to get betrothed or married yet, I know my worth."

“Hmm.”  He moved a hand to stroke her cheek. “You are beautiful, effortless, beyond reproach, but I am, not.  I feel undeserving when I’m around you, you say you’re inexperienced, and I enjoy experiencing you, but I feel that as I am I can’t give you what you deserve even if I would like to.”  He stopped as if struggling with the words or how they might land.  “I worry that you will be done with me as you grow, become the perfect thing that I know you are, and regret settling. You shouldn’t be forced to settle, and I’m not in a position to be as serious with you as I would like to.”  He looked at her, deciding he should be as straightforward as she had been.  “I’m seeing other women.  I’m worried you might have heard something or gossip, or will and this is something you should hear from me.  I feel like it’s something I need to do before I get serious about anyone.  At least to the level everyone is rushing into betrothals and bringing other people into them.” He moved closer looking into her eyes and squeezing her shoulders.  “Breaking a betrothal or getting into a marriage that was a failure is not something I will do.  I couldn’t leave someone I cared about that much or betray them after making that kind of promise.”

Serra had known that her cousin getting married was going to be a big event, what she hadn't expected was to be arriving engaged to Malcolm Parkinson. The last month had gone by in a whirlwind and she had done well to keep distance, after what Evan had told her she had been upset. Malcolm was seeing Charity again-still? She wasn't sure, but either way she hated it. However, she did not want him to know she cared so much. It would give him the upper hand. Right now he didn't know that she knew, but that would soon change. Would he lie to her? Pretend it wasn't true? Or would he own up to it? It took her a moment to think, too caught him in her revenge fantasies against a certain blonde. "More." They weren't poor after all, they could afford a big wedding. It was a status symbol. Plus more guests meant more presents. "I know. I always do." She touched the necklace for a moment. It had been on her pile of birthday presents, once she had opened the box she knew she had to wear it, it was as if she was drawn to it more than normal. Serra wasn't sure if he was the one that got her the necklace, but due to his compliment she assumed. He did know her taste pretty well by now and unfortunately she knew his too. "We should discuss the guest list. I want the final say about it. I'm not letting your mistress get anywhere near the place."

where: agatha and emir's wedding; reception who: @serraborgin

Though they agreed on being engaged, their correspondence was mostly about the wedding planning as it was now a rush. Still, he did his best not to look behind him, but someone could've counted at least two dozen times throughout the night. She looked good even in the bridesmaid color that Agatha had chosen. Malcolm knew which colors looked best on her and this was not even in the top five. One of his favorite colors on her was the warm blush that met her cheeks when he used to give her the finest compliments. Malcolm saw her alone near the bar and took the opportunity to plunge forward. "Should we have more or less people at our ceremony?" Malcolm smiled as he stepped over. "Hi. You look great tonight. I love the necklace." It wasn't one of his, but it still fell over her neck, her collarbones in the best way.

"You're obviously lying." Serra's eyes blazed with anger, furious at the insinuation of what Charity's words could mean. Malcom cheating on her? Definitely not. He wouldn't do that to her. There was no way. Things were good, she was this close to letting him take her virginity. There was no reason for their relationship to be on the rocks. They didn't even get into a fight! "We didn't break up. We're together! I saw him this morning!" She stomped, like a child throwing a tantrum. How did Charity know about their spot? "He'd never go for a loser like you. Your eyes are way too far apart, you look weird." It was the first thing she could come up with short notice.

Charity turned around to face the witch when she was interrupted mid-sentence, brows raising in disinterest. “I wouldn’t lie if I could.” She was quick to say, which was true of course as she never understood the motivation to lie, the truth always flowing smoothly from her lips. “And what is it you, anyways, since you’re all broken up?” The witch wondered, a smug smile growing on her lips for she was enjoying seeing the other all rattled, especially after the years of bullying she’d endure from her part. “He moved on, right on to me. Want to hear all the details? He took me to this secret spot in the dungeons, Nearly-Headless Nick’s spot once when he was alive.” She was telling it as though it was the juiciest of gossips, lying heavy on the excited girly tone. “And if you must know, he really is a good fuck.”

"Agreed. I've missed you too." While she was a few years younger than Willa, the other never made her feel listened to, both of them understanding that their value was far superior to other girls at Hogwarts so they bonded quickly.

"Oh absolutely. London would certainly be a bore without you." She was glad to have her friend around as she desperately needed someone to talk to about recent developments. "Malcolm came to see me." It wasn't exactly an answer to the question asked, but in a round about way, it was. "Said he wanted to come by the manor and talk to me."

"It's been far too long, I've missed you." Willa gushed. The woman had no problem leaving her station a little early for her lunch break, with a few other welcome witches on shift, Willa was sure that nobody would even notice her being gone. It was hardly like she was an attentive worker.

Besides, when she heard that Serra was back in London, Willa knew that exceptions could be made. "It would've been a dream to visit you in Paris, but London seemed intent on keeping me around. Things would have gotten dreadfully boring with the two of us gone. How are you?"

"I would not host a ball for you, I would host a ball for the pleasure of hosting one. I am an excellent hostess. My mother has trained me well." Her parents cared about a good education and making sure she would one day make a good pureblood wife, that she knew the importance of proper etiquette. Of course she preferred not do any work and simply sit back and relax, but she did enjoy party planning, dressing nice and telling people what to do. "I would look wonderful in a gown, you are correct with that assumption." She smiled, pleased at the compliment, blushing at the intensity of his stare as he went on. Guys her age were nothing like this, she didn't have much experience with older men. "It is a much more interesting topic. Truthfully, I do not care much for boys my age." She held his gaze, challenging him.

He dismissed the thought of mudbloods with a wave. “Interesting anomalies, but ultimately nothing more than something to be foisted off on squibs or the reason for them, but I don’t want to bore you with magical theories, and speculation. Are you offering to host a ball for me, Miss Borgin? If I didn’t know better I might think you are trying to snare me, not that I mind. I am sure you would look wonderful in a gown. I can see it, a splendid thing, for you paired with a simple domino mask, not that you would choose something simple, but your face hardly needs any hiding or accent, and it would be a crime to cover those lips.” He looked at her lips smiling a bit hungirly. “Yes, nothing that would impede you talking, drinking or kissing. When was the last time you had a good kiss? A much more interesting subject than dirty mudbloods don’t you think?”

"How long were you seeing her?" She didn't miss that he only said when he claimed to have stopped talking to her. How long had that been going on, she wondered. Still it did make a difference that he had stopped seeing her when he found out they were engaged, she supposed. The timeline in her head warred with what Evan had told her, unsure of who to believe. "I don't like not knowing things. Especially if they pertain to me." Her parents wanted to surprise her with a birthday party and then it turned into a surprise engagement after all, she was still upset with them for tricking her so. He had spent more time imagining and planning their future wedding it seemed. Serra didn't pull her hand away, letting it rest in his. It has been a while since she had touched him and yet the same sparks ran up her arms. "Obviously no blue. We are not Ravenclaws. Either white or pink florals."

"Of course not," he said with the same tone, thought softened around the edges of his words. There was a different spark in her eyes, one that he hadn't seen in many years, and it filled his chest with lightness, hope. "He knows nothing then. I hadn't been with her at least a week before your party-our announcement to society." At least he hoped he had the timing right, but the couple of days set preceding her party had stretched out before him in a blur. He remembered the lawyers, his dinner with Agatha, and nowhere in that could he recall meeting with Charity. He hoped she could be a problem that fixed itself without his attention pinned to it. "You did. I mean, you do deserve to know. I should've been the one to tell you, but I'm telling you now: there is nothing going on with her anymore. It felt like he was a limp rose that was finally blooming by her words, a grin appearing on his lips. These kind of moments with Serra were ones he had held onto for many years and now he was fortunate to find it here again. "Darling, I am here at this wedding with you, but I may as well be at ours because I cannot stop thinking about our planning," he said, reaching for her hand like a test. "We must do something different with the florals. And definitely not blue."

"Well she doesn't look like one." Serra sneered, looking down at the ferret. "Normal would be a cat. Or an owl."

“Of course she’s a pet.” He said, offended. Better a ferret than a frog, for fucks sake. What could a frog even do? Ferrets could do loads. “How am I the odd one here? I’m being very normal.”

"Yes I am sure. Stop trying to get into my head and project your insecurities onto me. Just because that happened to you doesn't mean it'll happen to me." She huffed, crossing her arms in annoyance.

There was something satisfying watching Serra close up and let her words sink in. None of them were safe when it came to a pureblood marriage and wanting to make sure names were carried. "Are you sure about that? Or, are they buying time until the right match comes up. I bet you'll be in one soon and you can kiss your freedom goodbye."

i agree with my opinion and thats all that matters

Derya Pinar Ak in 0000 Kilometers