Lots to say (Rich and Bri)

[Richard Romain]

Richard sighed a little bit as he sat down in the living room area of the house that he shared with his wife Briony. That, until recently, he had shared with their daughter Raven too. But that was part of the reason why he was here, waiting for Briony to come home so that they could finally have this talk. It had been weeks since Raven's death and they hadn't really talked.

Oh they'd talked to be sure. They'd talked about the school and about domestic things but not a word had been said about Raven despite the fact that both of them clearly needed to talk about it. So here he was, ready to make the first move and push for the conversation. It wasn't something he was looking forward to because it was bound to cause both he and his wife a lot of pain. But in the long run it would hurt their relationship beyond repair if they didn't ever have this chat.

So he was waiting in the living room for her to arrive. He had needed some dutch courage, or thought he had at least, so had taken the liberty of placing a bottle of whiskey and a bottle of vodka on the table with four glasses so they could have a glass of each on the go if they so chose. He sipped at his whiskey, trying to calm himself down as he thought about Raven.

[Briony Romain]

Briony had a feeling that something would be happening when she got home today, she didn't know why but as soon as she walked through the gates of Philosophers Close, she could sense that there was something different. Sighing a little she thought she already knew what that might be, it was a long time in the making, and she had figured it would be happening sooner rather than later.

Opening the door to Philosophers Close she smiled lightly and called out to Richard who should be around here somewhere;

"Richard I'm home!"

Placing her coat in the closet Briony threw her keys in the dish on the table by the door and wandered through into the living room, honestly not expecting Richard to be there so she jumped a little when she saw him sitting there waiting for her it seemed.

So it was what she thought.

"Sorry I'm late I had a few more loads of paperwork come through from the Ministry that needed dealing with." she smiled lightly, still, as always ignoring the elephant in the room.

[Richard Romain]

Richard smiled faintly when Briony said that she was home. He was glad that some things hadn't changed even with the massive elephant in the room. It meant that their relationship wasn't beyond saving now, which was good because he liked their relationship the way it was. He loved her after all,

"In the living room meine leibling."

He had made her jump a little bit it seemed. And she was still reluctant to address the issue despite the fact that she knew that was what he wanted to talk about. He smiled a little bit,

"The evilness of paperwork getting you down again my love? You deserve a drink for that. Sit and chat for awhile?" he asked her with a small smile, "I think you know we need to talk."

[Briony Romain]

Briony sighed lightly, after a long day of paperwork for the starting of Hogwarts again talking about Raven was not what she needed, but she knew that Richard was right, they needed to talk about it so that they would be able to move past it. Their relationship although still existing was suffering quite badly lately, and it hadn't had time to recover.

"Not so much, I quite like it now, it's distracting." Briony stated with a small wry smile, sitting down next to Richard she took up a shot glass and poured it full of vodka, thinking that she might need it as the conversation got deeper and deeper into realms she didn't want to go to.

"Yes we do need to talk, probably have needed to for a long time now." she whispered softly holding her glass tightly as she thought about where she should even start in the large and hurtful topic that was the death of Raven "I know that we both put a lot of blame on ourselves, Richard, and...I've realised now that, there was truly nothing else we could have done."

[Richard Romain]

Richard realised that perhaps this wasn't best time to be doing this and very nearly called it off, turning it into a loving chat that just so happened to have alcohol involved. But he stopped when he realised that there would never be a good time. There would always be some reason not to do it. When she mentioned it being distracting he chuckled dryly,

"Oh I know, I've been actively looking for paperwork to do." he told her with a small smirk, "I think I even filled out some of the paperwork due for the Headmistress' office before it got there... nothing serious, just adding some more house elves to the castle."

Richard took a sip of his whiskey and let the fire spread through his body for a moment. He placed the glass back down on the table delicately,

"Yes we have lobbied a lot of the blame at ourselves..." he acknowledged, "Merlin knows I have and I've seen you do the same... hell I blamed other people too. I blamed Patrick. I blamed Shekel. I blamed God, even though I never believed in one existing. And now... now that the cure's almost done... I blame myself all the more... could I have worked more hours? Done something?"

[Briony Romain]

Briony thought that it was time for the jokes about paperwork to stop, they had something a lot more important to look at, however, she hoped that they would be able to figure out what they both needd to fix the relationship between them, and lay to rest the memory of Raven once and for all, at least, in the painful manner it had been affecting them.

Taking her shot of vodka all in one go Briony blinked a little bit when Richard told her just how much he had blamed himself, and others around him, there was very little that she could say she hadn't done herself, looking back in hindsight there were so many things she thought she would have changed.

"I think that when we look back we always spot things that we wish we could have done, that we would have done earlier, differently, more of." she stated gesturing her hands a little bit as she did so "If we had spotted it earlier would she have been able to hold off? If we hadn't had gone to Diagon that day she wouldn't have caught it at all..."

Sighing a little bit, she gently squeezed Richard's hand; "But, we can't continue to think like that however hard it might be."

[Richard Romain]

Richard was aware that they were diverting the subject but both he and Briony strengthened the resolve to have this out. He took a deep breath and finished off the whiskey in his glass. Almost immediately he was refilling it. Seeing that she had finished her shot he refilled it with vodka,

"Hindsight is 20-20 as they say here in Britain." he agreed quietly, looking at the ground, "Is it wrong on me to... on some level... blame her? There was a time... almost immediately after, where I almost did..."

He nodded his head a little bit and gave her a weak smile as he squeezed her hand gently in return,

"No... we have to think about it in a more positive way." he told her with an uncertain smile, "I spoke to Evangeline Webb and she said... she said she was in a happy place. I suppose that counts for something right?"

[Briony Romain]

Briony opened her mouth a little, completely shocked to hear that at one time he had blamed Raven for not surviving this virus, that more than anything was something that she had not expected to hear coming out of Richards mouth. For a moment she didn't know how to react before she shook her head.

"I think it's wrong you thought it was Raven's fault, for however small a time, fully grown adults lasted less time than she did with this virus Richard, she was amazingly strong given her age and how ill she was." Briony shook her head and turned herself away from Richard.

When however she heard that he had spoken to the Reaper, and that Raven was in a more positive place, Briony found comfort in that, and that her little girl was going to be somewhere better than this world and was free from the pain that she couldn't free her from herself. Serenely she sunk into the sofa and smiled gently.

"Yes that counts for something, I feel...happier, knowing that she is where I hoped she would be." Briony laughed softly and continued to smile "So, it's not so much as a goodbye, as a 'Ill see you later' because I know if it means seeing Raven again I'm going to do all I can to get to that place."

[Richard Romain]

Richard hung his head and shook it a little bit. Of course he knew it had been wrong, he had expected her to say that. He reached out and downed his whiskey before pouring more. Just because he had expected her to tell him that his darkest thoughts had been wrong, didn't mean he thought his wife would shun him for telling her,

"Yeah I knew that I guess." he said with a sigh as he finished his third glass and poured a fourth, "I just felt like... forget it. It doesn't matter, I know it was wrong to feel that way."

Richard smiled faintly when he saw how much peace his wife took from knowing that Raven was in a better place. He himself was happier about it but not as accepting as Briony. Perhaps it was because he didn't think there was a god or because he knew that, if there was one, he wouldn't be going to the same place,

"Somewhere better than where she left to be certain." he agreed with a small smile, "Exactly that. You'll see Raven again Briony don't you worry. I bet our little girl is waiting for you with that big smile of hers."

[Briony Romain]

Briony still couldn't really believe what Richard had told her, although she did want him to get everything off his chest, if they left one thing unturned then she knew that it would keep this issue going between them, she needed to know everything he was thinking and he needed to know everything she was thinking.

"You shouldn't leave anything unsaid Richard." Briony urged softly, squeezing his arm and moving closer to him slightly "So please don't hold back, if you need to say it please make sure that you do so you don't leave this conversation still hung up on something."

Raising her eyebrow, Briony thought that Richard had resigned himself to going to a place nobody like him should go to. She was going to make sure that he never felt like that again when she was done, because they were going to see their daughter again one day. Briony just knew it.

"We will both see her again. I know you don't believe in it, but you believe in Evangeline, you know she exists. Now you need to do enough to show her and death that you are coming with me when we go and see Raven. Yes?" she asked, earnestly.

[Richard Romain]

Richard sighed a little bit. He shouldn't have said that. It was going to be brought up again and this time it was going to cause even more of a stir. But still, better to have it out now than have her constantly wondering what it was. In the end he took another drink of his whiskey,

"Alright... I guess I have to get it out." he agreed with her, holding her hand in his own, "I... when someone leaves, for whatever reason... and you don't want them to leave... you have at least a little blame for the one leaving."

He chuckled a little bit when she insisted that they would both see her again. She wasn't going to give up hope on him just yet it seemed. Honestly, he hoped that she was right even if he would doubt it in private. He smiled a little,

"I hope you're right Briony... that way we can be a whole family again up there." he told her with a smile before chuckling a little bit, "Yes mam! I'll be on my best behaviour don't worry."

[Briony Romain]

Briony was glad when Richard decided that he was going to let whatever it was out, and when she heard it she didnt think that he meant it quite like that, it was better than what she thought he might say and she was just glad that he was able to find himself opening up to her to tell her something that was obviously difficult to him.

"I understand that Richard, you didn't want her to leave before you wanted her too, but blaming her isn't something you should do." she smiled lightly "Although I know you wouldn't have really thought about it like that for long, or seriously thought the blame lay with her, so don't worry."

Eyeing all of the shots that Richard had been having Briony smiled lightly and sipped at her own shot of vodka, she was happy to have finally had this conversation and oddly...it was going really well. Things weren't getting on top of her and they weren't arguing, so, she was glad they were getting all this out.

"Yes you had better be on your best behaviour Mr.!" she teased softly "Is there anything else you wanted to say...anything else you feel? I...I really just keep myrself occupied to stave thoughts of Raven off, and, I think that deep down I just need to spend some time with you as a couple again...we haven't been one for so long."

[Richard Romain]

Richard was glad that she had taken it so well and glad that she picked up on the fact that he really hadn't thought like that for very long. He was hardly likely to after all. He was Raven's father, it wasn't in him to hold her any ill-will even then. Richard smiled a little bit and nodded, it was a sad smile,

"I know it's not something I should have done but the feeling was gone incredibly quickly thankfully." he told her before sighing, "But we're the parents Briony. We aren't supposed to outlive our children..."

Richard noticed that his wife had noticed all the whiskey he'd been having and grinned at her a little bit. He had developed a spell recently that prevented him from getting drunk. Also prevented liver damage actually,

"Don't worry, I'll be well behaved. I charmed myself awhile back so that I can't even get drunk." he told her with a teasing wink before he smiled a little bit. He squeezed her hand softly, "Yeah... yeah I think that's a good idea. Just have time together as a couple. A rich, young, couple no less."

[Briony Romain]

Briony was glad that she seemed to have been changed by the death of Raven but also by the other appearence of her darker self, she had calmed down a lot now, and was becoming slightly more...normal. Her phase of darkness and wanting to kill had gone now, and she just wanted to get on with her life, being with Richard, and enjoying her job.

"We are supposed to Richard, and I wish that we could have done in this situation, but we couldn't..." she whispered softly "And I know that Raven wouldn't want her mummy and daddy to be too sad, especially when she's having such fun where she is."

Raising her eyebrow, she let her mouth form a small pout; "Well thats no fun at all, how are we supposed to have fun drunken times when Im the only one that can get drunk?"

It felt good to be getting back to a couple again, and she really did want to get away from all the pain she had been feeling with the man that she loves. Biting her lip she smiled softly and gently gave Richard a kiss on the lips;

"We should try and go on a few dates, like we are kind of supposed to." she smirked lightly "Maybe we can even go on holiday again, how long has it been since we both had a break together?"

[Richard Romain]

Richard smiled a little sadly when she shared his sentiment. They were supposed to protect their daughter and keep her safe. It appeared that they had failed in that regard but there had been very little they could have done about it in reality. A virus isn't something you could throw your kid out of the way of after all,

"Yeah I guess our little RaeRae would want us to be happier than we are right now." he agreed before suddenly smiling, "I still have no idea where she got all that bright and happy energy from. Neither of us is that energetic are we?"

He laughed a little bit and poked her pouting bottom lip back into it's normal place, "Don't fret darling, it's a charm. I can reverse it and start getting drunk whenever I like."

When she gave him a soft kiss on the lips he smiled a little bit. He agreed, they should go on dates again. Grinning, he picked her up in his arms before sitting her down on his lap, wrapping his arms around her,

"Mmmm that sounds like a plan there babe!" he told her with a small grin, "How about we go back to Venice? Maybe make it into a tour of the best parts of Italy?"

[Briony Romain]

Briony laughed a little bit, he was right, none of them were happy or that energetic to do things that weren't spurred on by lust or sex, maybe that was what their life had done to them, and it was only further proof that they should get out of it as soon as they were allowed to. Maybe they would feel better after that.

"I dont know either, because you're right, and more than that we were never really that happy, apart from when we were with Raven, and even then, sometimes I was still moody." she smirked a little bit.

Growling playfully when Richard tried to poke her pout back in, Briony was glad to hear that he could reverse the charm, that was what she wanted after all, she wanted things to be like they were, which meant they would be having several boozy afternoons, evenings and nights together.

"Im glad to hear it! It sounds like a terrible charm." she stated with a feral grin "Who invented it in the first place?"

Now she was sitting on his lap, Briony sighed softly and snuggled herself into Richard's arms, laying her head on his chest, she was just so glad to be with him like this again. His suggestion to go back to Venice made her smile widely;

"Oh I do so wish that we could go back there again, relive all of those good old memories."

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