Post by Professor Daniel Hubbles on Jan 13, 2009 22:20:42 GMT
This was a random little thing I threw together one day over Christmas. It is just a short story really, no real purpose I just thought it was sort of cute. *shrugs* Also Robyn if you are not happy with my interpretation of Dia then…well tough hahaha!
It was a peculiar thing, the simultaneous inhalation of air and the stretching of the ear drums which is quickly followed by the exhalation of breath or in simpler terms Dan was yawning as he climbed the steps of the gargoyle to his office. It had been a long day and as of recently Dan Hubbles had been expending a lot of energy and not really getting enough sleep or food to make up for it. He was desperately trying to muffle another yawn simply by refusing to open his mouth when he pushed open the oak door that lead to the large Headmasters office in the Hogwarts Castle. His whole idea of trying to be quiet on the entry was ruined by the creaking of the un-oiled hinges which grated on his tired psyche as much as dragging fingernails down a chalk bored would. Well there was nothing to it now he would have to dance with fate and think on his toes so why not get the ball rolling instead of prolonging the awkward silence that would befall the couple otherwise.
“Dia?!” Dan’s composed voice sounded out around the office as he questioned his wife’s presence. It would not be a rare thing for Dia to be meeting up with her fellow Professors and enjoying their company instead of sitting in the tower alone, after all he was hardly around now she might as well have some fun…he was. His right hand reached up and started to slowly undo his tie, wiggling it from side to side, the knot slowly getting lower until the silk blue fabric fell apart in his hands. The snake like material slithered gracefully from around his neck towards the floor only to be caught at the last moment so the material did not get tarnished by invisible presence of the floor.
Exhaling deeply through his nose Dan started to leisurely make his way further into the office, draping his tie over the arm of one chair and he was just about to wiggle free of his grey suit jacket when he heard the latched on the bedchamber door click open. Automatically looking over his shoulder towards the door he saw Dia slipping out of the small gap, her tattered and dog eared version of ‘Persuasions’ in her hand. That was a bad sign. Nothing cheered a woman like Dia up more then snuggling down in bed with a romance novel, dreaming that Captain Wentworth or Mr Darcy would break down the door and save them.
Dia had been waiting all night for Dan, his dinner that she had sent up from the Kitchens was going cold in the corner of the office as his fifteen minute job down in the Ministry had turned into four hours. Turning the book nervously in her hands her blue eyes met the cool grey ones of her husband and immediately they could see the troubles in either ones. Dan’s were blood shot and blurred from exhaustion and Dia’s, well they were dull and no longer sparkled and that worried Dan. There it was, that awkward silence that Dan had been trying to avoid, the silence that had befallen them so much these past few months.
“You were a long time.” Dia finally broke the silence, her voice barley a whisper as she feared that her own emotions might betray her if she spoke any louder.
“I got held up.” Short and emotionless words never stung so much.
“Oh.” Both dropt their gazes, Dan not wanting to look Dia in the eyes and lie while she did not want him to see the concern that was filling the empty void inside. It was then she noticed the mud stains at the bottom of his trousers. Had he been in the forest again? As these questions of concern filled her mind Dan took the opportunity to slip off his jacket and they both seemed to jump at the chance to do something else to end this childish silence.
“Here let me take that.” Dia reached out and took the jacket from Dan, elegantly pulling the tie off the chair and draping that over her arm. “I shall put these away before they get creased.” There was a murmur from Dan which Dia took to be a thank you although knowing her husband as she did it was most likely a protest that they would not crease. However, maybe she did not know Dan all that well at all as when she hung up his jacket there was a smell, the distinct smell of perfume. An icy dagger had been plunged through her heart, the coldness spreading and engulfing her soul and for the first time since that magical day in Egypt Dia felt the sickly stab of jealousy. The whole world knew about Dan Hubbles reputation, the old joke in the pub was for mothers to lock away their daughters in fear that they would be defiled by the man and Dia knew this. She had found out the hard way that he was capable of cheating and that was pain that she never wanted to feel again. Pain she would not let herself feel again. Swallowing back these emotions, blinking away the threatening tears she tucked a stray bit of blond hair behind her ear and walked through the door back into the office with more confidence then she was feeling deep within.
Dan had already arranged himself into his normal position, wine glass to the left of him, ink pot open, quill in hand and he had his head bent over some form of paperwork. He was completely oblivious to the world around him and so as Dia sat down in the chair opposite him fidgeting nervously with her wedding ring the man was no the wiser to the internal war that was raging inside of his wife.
“Have you been anywhere else tonight Dan?” Once more the voice of Dia broke the silence of the office, although unlike before her words were rushed and the volume betrayed her somewhat calm features as it wavered and broke almost in anticipation of her husbands answer. The answer that came painstakingly slowly.
“Why do you ask that?” Dan questioned, the quill was gently placed on the desk and he slowly raised his head trying to mask the panic and warning bells that were sounding in his head. Had she smelt Vicky on his clothes?
“There…” Dia pushed herself up out of the chair and wondered over towards the closed bookshelf. Her fingers traced the cracks in the spines of the ancient books as once more she had to find the words and strength to look Dan in the eyes. “There are mud stains on the bottom of your trousers.” She had looked away before she could see the relieved expression that was filling Dan’s face. “Have you been in the forest again Dan?”
The wooden legs of the high backed headmasters chair scraped on the flagstone flooring of the room as Dan stood up and made his way towards the delicate figure of Dia. She had given him an escape rope, but the rope still had a noose at the end. It was time to weight up his options, watch her heart break in two and tell her the truth, or lie, say he had been in the forest. The later was the lesser of two evils.
He now stood face to face with Dia, his mouth dry with the fear of the truth escaping but the bitter taste on his tongue was the lie he was about to spill. “Yes.” Dan spoke slowly, not even trusting himself in a situation like this. “I went back to the forest…the answer has to be in there somewhere Dia.” He watched, distressed that he was the reason that pain was now glistening his loves eyes, but then it happened…the moment that he hated himself for how much he loved it, the worry lines appeared. The ripples of worry spread through Dia’s face, her eyebrows moved up causing lines to furrow there way across her brow. The corners of her mouth would droop making it seem like she would never smile again, even when she tried in vain to smile it would just cause the dimples in her cheeks to stand out more. This was why Dan Hubbles never listened to a word of concern that passed through his wife’s lips; he was too in love with every little thing about her to even care about himself.
Even now he heeded no attention to her warnings, instead his eyes and heart were filled with such love and devotion for this woman he could not help himself but lean in and gentle kiss her on the pinch in her forehead. And as normal this small yet intimate gesture was like the first rays of sun light on a winter’s morning, it brought warmth into Dia and her worry lines melted away.
“You did not listen to a word I was saying did you?” It was hard to stay angry at this man.
“Nope, I was guessing it was went something along the lines of ‘Stay out the forest Daniel’” A cheeky smile filled his face as he tired in vain to do his best impression of Dia, which clearly she did not approve to as he received a playful punch in the arm.
“I do not sound like that.”
“Yes you do.”
The soft chuckling of the couple was a relief to the ears or the many portraits that lined the walls of the office. For them it had been like watching a fatal car crash, they could do nothing about it but sheer interest made them want to keep watching and see how the final act played out. The scene where two lovers stood face to face, the realisation that their love and lives were no longer the same that they had changed and a rift had formed between them.
“What has happened to us Dia?” Dan’s arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her waist. Pulling her closer to him in the want to protect her from the truth that he feared was to come.
“We have gained responsibilities” Dia’s voice sounded almost exhausted as Dan looked, like this reason had been replayed over and over in her head that it had worn thin and lost all meaning. All Dan could do was shake his head in an attempt to try and deny that this way true. His promotion had come at a wrong time for them, they never had the chance to be that newly married couple where all is good in the world and they are the centre of each others world. For them it has always been a three way marriage of Dan, Dia and Hogwarts.
“We can never go back can we?” Dancing on the kitchen tables was now just a mere memory, a story that would be told over and over and changed and exaggerated on every retelling.
“No.” Dia stated bluntly as if telling Dan a fact she had resigned to long ago. “We can not.”
The deafening silence fell over them once again as they stood in each others arms, there hearts beating in the same rhythm, neither blinked in fear of missing a vital moment in one another’s lives. This was the cross roads, the moment where you could give up say you had fun and then go your separate ways or you could fight for what you believe in, for what you loved.
“Well then.”
“Well then.”
“I guess it is time for a new chapter in our lives.” A small smile filled Dan’s face as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the soft lips of Dia. As he pulled away he locked his eyes onto Dia’s, her defining sparkle slowly starting to glimmer once more. That kiss had spoken volumes; they were not ready to give up yet.
It was a peculiar thing, the simultaneous inhalation of air and the stretching of the ear drums which is quickly followed by the exhalation of breath or in simpler terms Dan was yawning as he climbed the steps of the gargoyle to his office. It had been a long day and as of recently Dan Hubbles had been expending a lot of energy and not really getting enough sleep or food to make up for it. He was desperately trying to muffle another yawn simply by refusing to open his mouth when he pushed open the oak door that lead to the large Headmasters office in the Hogwarts Castle. His whole idea of trying to be quiet on the entry was ruined by the creaking of the un-oiled hinges which grated on his tired psyche as much as dragging fingernails down a chalk bored would. Well there was nothing to it now he would have to dance with fate and think on his toes so why not get the ball rolling instead of prolonging the awkward silence that would befall the couple otherwise.
“Dia?!” Dan’s composed voice sounded out around the office as he questioned his wife’s presence. It would not be a rare thing for Dia to be meeting up with her fellow Professors and enjoying their company instead of sitting in the tower alone, after all he was hardly around now she might as well have some fun…he was. His right hand reached up and started to slowly undo his tie, wiggling it from side to side, the knot slowly getting lower until the silk blue fabric fell apart in his hands. The snake like material slithered gracefully from around his neck towards the floor only to be caught at the last moment so the material did not get tarnished by invisible presence of the floor.
Exhaling deeply through his nose Dan started to leisurely make his way further into the office, draping his tie over the arm of one chair and he was just about to wiggle free of his grey suit jacket when he heard the latched on the bedchamber door click open. Automatically looking over his shoulder towards the door he saw Dia slipping out of the small gap, her tattered and dog eared version of ‘Persuasions’ in her hand. That was a bad sign. Nothing cheered a woman like Dia up more then snuggling down in bed with a romance novel, dreaming that Captain Wentworth or Mr Darcy would break down the door and save them.
Dia had been waiting all night for Dan, his dinner that she had sent up from the Kitchens was going cold in the corner of the office as his fifteen minute job down in the Ministry had turned into four hours. Turning the book nervously in her hands her blue eyes met the cool grey ones of her husband and immediately they could see the troubles in either ones. Dan’s were blood shot and blurred from exhaustion and Dia’s, well they were dull and no longer sparkled and that worried Dan. There it was, that awkward silence that Dan had been trying to avoid, the silence that had befallen them so much these past few months.
“You were a long time.” Dia finally broke the silence, her voice barley a whisper as she feared that her own emotions might betray her if she spoke any louder.
“I got held up.” Short and emotionless words never stung so much.
“Oh.” Both dropt their gazes, Dan not wanting to look Dia in the eyes and lie while she did not want him to see the concern that was filling the empty void inside. It was then she noticed the mud stains at the bottom of his trousers. Had he been in the forest again? As these questions of concern filled her mind Dan took the opportunity to slip off his jacket and they both seemed to jump at the chance to do something else to end this childish silence.
“Here let me take that.” Dia reached out and took the jacket from Dan, elegantly pulling the tie off the chair and draping that over her arm. “I shall put these away before they get creased.” There was a murmur from Dan which Dia took to be a thank you although knowing her husband as she did it was most likely a protest that they would not crease. However, maybe she did not know Dan all that well at all as when she hung up his jacket there was a smell, the distinct smell of perfume. An icy dagger had been plunged through her heart, the coldness spreading and engulfing her soul and for the first time since that magical day in Egypt Dia felt the sickly stab of jealousy. The whole world knew about Dan Hubbles reputation, the old joke in the pub was for mothers to lock away their daughters in fear that they would be defiled by the man and Dia knew this. She had found out the hard way that he was capable of cheating and that was pain that she never wanted to feel again. Pain she would not let herself feel again. Swallowing back these emotions, blinking away the threatening tears she tucked a stray bit of blond hair behind her ear and walked through the door back into the office with more confidence then she was feeling deep within.
Dan had already arranged himself into his normal position, wine glass to the left of him, ink pot open, quill in hand and he had his head bent over some form of paperwork. He was completely oblivious to the world around him and so as Dia sat down in the chair opposite him fidgeting nervously with her wedding ring the man was no the wiser to the internal war that was raging inside of his wife.
“Have you been anywhere else tonight Dan?” Once more the voice of Dia broke the silence of the office, although unlike before her words were rushed and the volume betrayed her somewhat calm features as it wavered and broke almost in anticipation of her husbands answer. The answer that came painstakingly slowly.
“Why do you ask that?” Dan questioned, the quill was gently placed on the desk and he slowly raised his head trying to mask the panic and warning bells that were sounding in his head. Had she smelt Vicky on his clothes?
“There…” Dia pushed herself up out of the chair and wondered over towards the closed bookshelf. Her fingers traced the cracks in the spines of the ancient books as once more she had to find the words and strength to look Dan in the eyes. “There are mud stains on the bottom of your trousers.” She had looked away before she could see the relieved expression that was filling Dan’s face. “Have you been in the forest again Dan?”
The wooden legs of the high backed headmasters chair scraped on the flagstone flooring of the room as Dan stood up and made his way towards the delicate figure of Dia. She had given him an escape rope, but the rope still had a noose at the end. It was time to weight up his options, watch her heart break in two and tell her the truth, or lie, say he had been in the forest. The later was the lesser of two evils.
He now stood face to face with Dia, his mouth dry with the fear of the truth escaping but the bitter taste on his tongue was the lie he was about to spill. “Yes.” Dan spoke slowly, not even trusting himself in a situation like this. “I went back to the forest…the answer has to be in there somewhere Dia.” He watched, distressed that he was the reason that pain was now glistening his loves eyes, but then it happened…the moment that he hated himself for how much he loved it, the worry lines appeared. The ripples of worry spread through Dia’s face, her eyebrows moved up causing lines to furrow there way across her brow. The corners of her mouth would droop making it seem like she would never smile again, even when she tried in vain to smile it would just cause the dimples in her cheeks to stand out more. This was why Dan Hubbles never listened to a word of concern that passed through his wife’s lips; he was too in love with every little thing about her to even care about himself.
Even now he heeded no attention to her warnings, instead his eyes and heart were filled with such love and devotion for this woman he could not help himself but lean in and gentle kiss her on the pinch in her forehead. And as normal this small yet intimate gesture was like the first rays of sun light on a winter’s morning, it brought warmth into Dia and her worry lines melted away.
“You did not listen to a word I was saying did you?” It was hard to stay angry at this man.
“Nope, I was guessing it was went something along the lines of ‘Stay out the forest Daniel’” A cheeky smile filled his face as he tired in vain to do his best impression of Dia, which clearly she did not approve to as he received a playful punch in the arm.
“I do not sound like that.”
“Yes you do.”
The soft chuckling of the couple was a relief to the ears or the many portraits that lined the walls of the office. For them it had been like watching a fatal car crash, they could do nothing about it but sheer interest made them want to keep watching and see how the final act played out. The scene where two lovers stood face to face, the realisation that their love and lives were no longer the same that they had changed and a rift had formed between them.
“What has happened to us Dia?” Dan’s arms instinctively wrapped themselves around her waist. Pulling her closer to him in the want to protect her from the truth that he feared was to come.
“We have gained responsibilities” Dia’s voice sounded almost exhausted as Dan looked, like this reason had been replayed over and over in her head that it had worn thin and lost all meaning. All Dan could do was shake his head in an attempt to try and deny that this way true. His promotion had come at a wrong time for them, they never had the chance to be that newly married couple where all is good in the world and they are the centre of each others world. For them it has always been a three way marriage of Dan, Dia and Hogwarts.
“We can never go back can we?” Dancing on the kitchen tables was now just a mere memory, a story that would be told over and over and changed and exaggerated on every retelling.
“No.” Dia stated bluntly as if telling Dan a fact she had resigned to long ago. “We can not.”
The deafening silence fell over them once again as they stood in each others arms, there hearts beating in the same rhythm, neither blinked in fear of missing a vital moment in one another’s lives. This was the cross roads, the moment where you could give up say you had fun and then go your separate ways or you could fight for what you believe in, for what you loved.
“Well then.”
“Well then.”
“I guess it is time for a new chapter in our lives.” A small smile filled Dan’s face as he leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on the soft lips of Dia. As he pulled away he locked his eyes onto Dia’s, her defining sparkle slowly starting to glimmer once more. That kiss had spoken volumes; they were not ready to give up yet.
