Gossip, Gossip [PG 13 For later posts, for Suggestive theme]

It was time to face the music. Calixta's Aunt Julia had been pestering her for details as to her mysterious disappearance the other night, and as she didn't like staying along in her own mostly-empty apartment, she would simply have to tell her. There was no other way she could go back to Julia's, and she hated avoiding her aunt, the one person she could always count on.

"I met a man," she started hesitantly, and as predicted, Julia's eyes widened excitedly and she started squealing in excitement. "Oooh, no, stop that, I won't tell you anything more if you do that!" Calixta looked around the pub to see if anyone was paying attention to them, but they were quite unnoticed by the other patrons of The Leaky Cauldron. Sitting together in a cozy corner, they had a nice view of the main room, where Julia could stare round in wonder at the magical occupants all around her, but call as little attention to herself as possible. Muggles were allowed, as long as they had a magical companion to show them the way, of course -- but still were unusual enough visitors to the place that discretion was advisable.

"His name is Bastian Kaiser. He's German, about six feet tall I reckon, and gorgeous," Calixta revealed with a huge grin.

"How old?" Julia asked, wanting every detail.

"I'm not sure, exactly," Calixta answered, frowning. "I mean we've met a couple times now but it's always been in noisy places where conversation is a bit difficult. He's definitely older than me, but probably a bit younger than you. I'd say mid to late thirties?" she guessed, shrugging. "I thought it might be rude to ask..."

"Not if you're sleeping with him!" Julia exclaimed, causing Calixta to choke on her drink, horrified.

"I'm not!" she protested, spluttering. "I don't normally kiss and tell as you well know but I can at least tell you that's not happened. Yet. I don't know...it's different with him," she explained, not explaining anything at all.

"I don't really understand it myself, but he's just different. It's not some silly little dalliance to while away the time before I go out on another job. There's something about him..." she shook her head, realising how stupid she sounded.

"He just...kind of...gets me. Without me needing to tell him, you know?"

"Oh, Cali...you've got it bad." Calixta looked perturbed.

"Got -- what? No, I haven't!" she protested. "Don't make this something, please. I'm just telling you, I haven't slept with him. Don't make it something more."

"Sure," Julia replied, with a smirk. "Just an attractive man, nothing more. That man there is pretty attractive," she added mischievously, nodding in the direction of a tall blond sitting at the bar alone.

"Not my type," Calixta sniffed dismissively, taking a sip of her drink.

"Time was when he would have been," Julia retorted, raising her eyebrow.

"Oh, don't," Calixta said tiredly, shaking her head. Julia just shrugged.

"Fine," she said, picking up her drink. "I'll go talk to him." She marched right over to the bar and sat at the empty stool besides the man, then mouthed "See?" to Julia before engaging him in conversation.

It took about five minutes before Calixta's patience broke. There was literally nothing that could make her endure five more minutes of someone talking nonstop about quidditch, no matter how good-looking. And that was saying something, because Calixta loved quidditch.

When Blondie finally stopped for a breath, she finally had her chance.

"Thank you. That was...fascinating," she told him, and then without another word, walked right back over to her aunt.

"That seemed rather rude," Julia commented, although she couldn't help snickering at the confused look on the wizard's face when Calixta just walked off.

"He was a total bore!" she protested, finishing her drink.

"So what? You don't have to talk between the sheets," Julia replied, earning herself a grimace.

"I don't want to see that guy between the sheets, ok? You win. I like Bastian." Calixta scowled at her aunt, while Julia smirked knowingly at the confession she had wrung from her reluctant niece.

"There's nothing wrong with getting attached to people, Calixta. In fact, that's usually how things work." Calixta glared in response. "I don't see a conflict of interests here. Handsome, attractive, available guy seems to like you, and you like him. What's the problem?"

"You know what," Calixta snapped, turning from her aunt to order a pitcher of mead. "My job, okay?"

"You have enough money to never have had to work in your life. That's not an excuse." Calixta remained silent, not having a response for that. "Cali, you need to let what happened go. It was nearly ten years ago, now."

"Just drop it, or I'll bring you back home right now," she threatened, effectively silencing her aunt of the subject -- for the time being. Pleased, she poured herself a drink and sipped in silence, returning to her previous activity of surveying the bar.

Bastian chuckled as he and his brother walked into the bar and inn, "Nice night indeed brother, have not seen the streets of London quite like this before" he said almost automatically ordering a drink.

Then he spotted someone quite familiar sitting at a both with a older woman, "Merlin.. Brother the fates are medalsome creatures.." he muttered before taking a quick drink and standing up from the bar. "Come Juli want ya ta meet someone if she is willing" he said nodding to Calixta in the corner. "She's the lovely Lady I told ya about" he said a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I think it's less to do with those meddlesome fates and more to do with the fact that half of the wizarding population that is of age is here tonight," Julian pointed out before ordering a drink of his own. The place was too full of patrons for him to even attempt to figure out who it was exactly that Bastian was talking about, so he waited for his pint and then followed Bastian, looking all around and making humorous guesses as to who the woman of his interest might be.

Meanwhile, Calixta was well into a second pitcher of mead with her aunt, the sore subject of her affections long since dropped. The two women were giggling with each other about a wizard who had recently come up and tried to hit on Julia, not knowing she wasn't a witch. The ensuing conversation had provided Calixta with endless amusement, and she had nearly forgotten all about Bastian when she looked up and locked eyes with him.

"Julia!" she hissed, eyes wide and heart thumping furiously in excitement. "It's him! He's coming over here." She didn't haveany more time to elaborate before Bastian and another man were within hearing distance. Calixta only just had enough time to compose herself, while Julia had another reaction entirely.

"Well hello gorgeous!" she greeted the men, grinning ear to ear. Calixta could have died. She winced and put a hand to her face, shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Bastian, might I introduce you to Julia Harper? Aunt Julia, this is Bastian Kaiser. I haven't met his friend," she added apologetically in Julian's direction.

Bastain smiled, more fully this time, with the amount of Alcahol he had drank he was much more relaxed, and not to mention he got his wish to see and introduce Calixta to his brother, he was in a high.

He nodded to Julia and like any gentleman keen on impressing the lady he fancied, bowed in greeting, "Lovely ta meet ya Julia Harper, and allow me to introduce me little brother" he said with a smirk, finding the fact the names were very similar. "Julian Kaizer" he presented.

"Juli, this is Calixta Harper, the lovely lady I mentioned" he introduced.

Then he took Calixta's hand and kissed the top of it in Greeting, " Pleasure to see ya again Lass" he muttered as he straightened

Calixta's cheeks, already flushed from the alcohol, turned an even brighter pink at Bastian's chivalry. "Hello, Bastian," she replied shyly, still embarrassed at exposing him and his brother to Julia's licentiousness. Of course she'd meet his family on the one night she was out with her crazy aunt.

"It's nice to meet you, Julian," was all she could think of to say, until she realised that he too, spoke German, while Julia did not. "I'm sorry about my aunt. She means well but she can be a bit crazy sometimes. She's a Muggle, all of this stuff is very exciting for her."

Julian was surprised, both at being addressed in better German than he'd expect from an Englishwoman, and by the fact that she was audacious enough to bring her Muggle aunt with her into a pub at times like these. Either very brave and confident of being able to defend themselves if someone anti-Muggle came along, or very stupid. Only time would tell which was the case.

"It's quite all right," he replied, also taking her hand and kissing it. It looked like she might spontaneously combust from embarrassment; he made a conscious effort to contain his smirk. "It's so nice to finally meet the witch I've been hearing about all night," he added, figuring it was Bastian's turn to be a little embarrassed.

Bastain laughed and shook his head as she apologized, "Not at all Lass, nothing ta say sorry for" he said, really compared to meeting her cousin, this was funny and harmless in comparison. Besides she wasn't that bad.

Bastian blinked and blushed as well with everyone else, "My brother exasterates, lasses pay em no mind." he muttered folding his arms..

Though he found it interesting Calixta would bring her muggle aunt in the bar, he didn't have anything against it of course. Though he'd hate to see a fight break out because of the pureblood mania's.

Clearing his throat to try and shrug off the embarressment going around, "How long have ya two Lass's been here?" he asked curious.

"A bit over an hour, I'd guess?" Calixta replied, shrugging. "I live right down the road, if you remember, so when I'm in the country, this is the pub I usually go to," she explained. Julia took the opportunity to butt in before the subject could be changed.

"I wanted to go out with her before she leaves again, and she wasn't feeling up to hanging around my London," Julia said, making Calixta wince again.

"Geez, you make it sounds like I'm one of those blood-purity nutters," Calixta complained, making a face. "I don't mind going out into Muggle London, it's just I prefer having the option to hex a bloke who tries to get cheeky with me," she told Bastian, grinning, although that was basically the truth. Well, that and the fact that she'd been hoping to see Bastian before she left, and she didn't know if it would be out of line to send him an owl or not.

Now that he was here and appeared pleased to see her, she realised that was a stupid worry. She didn't know whether or not to believe Julian's comment about Bastian talking about her until his telltale blush. Honestly, because I thought he couldn't get any more attractive, she thought. Julian noticed the moment that passed between the two, and looked over at Julia, who also appeared to be aware of what was going on.

"I'm going to go get a coupla pitchers, what does everyone want?" Julian asked.

"Oh! Erm, I'm not sure, I'm not familiar with the menu...I'll go with you," Julia replied, jumping up and following Julian to the bar.

"You know, that was a boldfaced lie," Calixta commented, shaking her head. "She's been coming here for years now...well, those two cleared out fast, anyway. Are we that bad?"

Bastian smiled glad he had been able to see her before she left back for her job, "When will ya be leaving Lass?" he asked wondering how long they would have before she left.

He blinked when Calixta mention their compaions left them in a quite hurry. "Aye I am not sure Lass, I didn't think we were" he said glansing back at his brother and Julia. " Bit it seem our companions disagree" he said with amusment as he pulled another chair up to sit with her.

"Eh, knowing Julia..." Calixta trailed off, not quite wanting to finish that sentence out loud. Her aunt lived vicariously through her love life; she'd be wanting every detail later. Calixta tried not to think about that too much.

"Anyway, erm...I'm leaving tomorrow," she told Bastian, unable to keep herself from looking as sad as she felt about it. "I'm going to Malaysia, and I have no idea when I'll be back," she confessed, biting her lip nervously. Bastian may have been a stand up guy so far, but this right here would be the true test. If he was still interested in her when she got back...she wouldn't even allow herself to hope that far.

"So that's why we're out, my last night here in England until Merlin knows when." Calixta was glad that at the very least, she'd be spending part of it with Bastian.

Bastian chuckled at her mutter about her Aunt, "Aye, say no more lass" he said. "Yar luckly ta have an Aunt such as that" he muttered as he had none other then Julian.. his father was still alive.. though he wasn't all that close with him.. he conciderd the man to be more of a former boss of his or emplyer then his father.

He nodded his head to hear she was leaving so soon and tried not to look overly disappointed. Since he'd been clearly warned about it all now hadn't he?

"Hmm I owe Juli far bringing me down here, I wouldn't be able ta see ya again until yar return.. whenever that may be" he muttered making a mental note to pay his brother back for they time got.

"Juli and me were out Celebrating I suppose.. remember that young idiot I was at a meeting with at the patronus, by some miracle I won his Case.." he explained slightly though not about to go into details about his work that night surely there was more important things to talk about.

"I guess we're both lucky, then...to have a Julian or a Julia in our lives, whichever the case may be," Calixta replied, joking about their similar names. "After all, if not for the pair of them, I wouldn't have gotten to see you again..." She didn't finish the sentence; it seemed to be happening an awful lot tonight.

"I'm glad you won that case," she added, starting again, "but I don't really want to talk business right now, forgive me. I don't know if I'll ever see you again, or when." She turned towards Bastian in her seat, taking his hand in hers.

Bastian blinked and gave her hand a squeeze. "Don't worry Lass, I had the feelin ya wouldn't" he said glad she didn't want to talk about it, he couldn't focus in it right then anyway.

"We will see each other again Lass, I am a patient man, at least I feel I am , though I will miss ya" he said taking her hand and kissing it.

"Whenever your on a break from a job, write me a letter if ya want.. international portkey..." he trailed of much she had and shook his head for almost talking about work again. "Sorry Lass.. habbit" he muttered fiddleing with a lock of her hair and tuking it away. Oh how he would miss her..

"Be careful while out there aye?" he asked remembering the word of caution his brother had said about curse breaking.

"I'll miss you too," Calixta admitted, smiling as Bastian kissed her hand. "I'm usually so eager to leave England. Now I'll have something to look forward to," she realised, pleased with the idea. The more time she spent with Bastian, the more the idea of being with him appealed to her, but her fears still kept her back. So much for being a brave witch, she supposed.

"I guess this is the time when I should probably be a bit more honest with you and tell you why I'm being so...skittish, about this whole thing, when it's pretty obvious that I do really like you," she sighed, wishing it wasn't necessary to delve into the past, but knowing she owed Bastian the truth.

"I have some...trust issues, clearly. And it's one of those horribly obnoxious 'it's not you, it's me' things, too. But the truth is, I've been burned before, and it's made me very cautious when it comes to relationships. I...when you asked, when we first met, if I'd ever been married...it's true, I haven't, but that's not quite the whole story. I was engaged, you see," she said, looking furtively at Bastian, "quite a long time ago, now. Almost ten years ago. I'd had a steady boyfriend at school and he proposed at graduation." Here, she looked up to see if Julian and Julia were coming back, but the place was so packed she couldn't even see them from where she sat.


"Anyway, so I was engaged. My family was delighted -- all of them. He was a pureblood," she said grimly, shaking her head slightly. "But he seemed so much different than others like him. He wasn't, in the end...my cousin, you've met her."

Calixta stopped and sighed, dreading this part. "She's a few years younger than me, and not very bright. Her mother rules over her, puts thoughts into her head....we used to be friends, once, if you'll believe it. Childhood playmates, the only daughters for a time, until my younger sister was born. Well, her mother -- my aunt -- put it into her head that Hadrian was too good for me." She ended her narrative; it wasn't necessary to say out loud what had happened.

"So I broke off the engagement....he was angry with me, if you'll believe it. Said it was unnecessary and dramatic, that I was being spiteful. All the wizards of his stature had mistresses, according to him. Nevermind that Neris was underage at the time, or that we were first cousins. And so ended my first and only real relationship," Calixta concluded, glad to at least have it out of the way finally.

"I don't think you'd ever do that to me," she added, wanting to make that very clear. "I just felt like, with me leaving...I owed it to you, to explain myself. Since nothing I've said so far has seemed to scare you off yet," she said with a sheepish grin, rolling her eyes. "I figured you could handle a little emotional trauma."

Bastian listened as she explained, feeling it had been horribly unfair to her, to have burned her so early.. yet they all had old wounds.. And he wasn't about to let something that change how he looked at her.

"Lass if anything.. I think you have trusted me more then I would have.. and I thank ya. Your former Fiance was a idiot." he said though could think of a few other names.. cheating on his fiance with a under age girl? How low could one get?

He moved his thumb over her cheek wondering if he should tall his own dark past, and the truth behind his hasy life style while not in the presence of Calixta.

"I told ya I was once married, years ago, we grew apart, she feel in love with another.. and she left. Truth is lass I let her, I knew she was cheating long before she told me.. I said nothing ta keep our family together..." he paused here was the big part.. likely the reason he could handle Calixta going away so long as he could see her again.

"We had a daughter Lass.. when me wife left me it torn her up more then even I... she needed... help to get through it.. with potions to sleep, a new house to live in she was almost happy again by her 14th birthday.. But she had a potions accident..." he paused... wondering if this was the best place to reveal his most painful secret.. Yet he had started.. and he hope his dear lady could feel what he was trying to say..

"I have nothing left lass.. My life before I met ya was a drunken haze and Court cases.. So I am glad ya put up with me lass" he said hoping this wouldn't scare the young lady away..

Calixta heard Bastian's tale with sincere interest. She got so wrapped up in what he was saying that she honestly forgot where they were for a moment. As he concluded speaking, she gasped in shock at what he'd been through. Not that they were in the tragedy olympics or anything, but she just felt like nothing could possibly compare to the pain of losing a child.

"Bastian, I...." she trailed off, not finding an adequate word for what she meant. Calixta slid her chair closer and wrapped her arms around Bastian, giving him a kiss on the cheek, hoping he would understand what she meant.

"I am so sorry," she finally said, releasing him from the hug. "I am so sorry." Somehow it didn't seem like there was anything else that could be said in response to hearing something so sad.

"Listen, the drinking...that's not important. You did what you had to just to make it through the day, and I could never judge you for that. However, that does make me think maybe you'd rather spend time someplace else, since this will be the last night you see me for awhile. Would your brother be terribly offended if we erm.....you know, headed off someplace alone?"

Bastian sighed, it almost unreal that he had just told her, concidering he was in a public place he was alot more tense about the whole thing.. and he didn't want to look too distraught about the whole thing.. it would just ruin the evening.

"Thank ya Lass, and it is alright" was all he was about to say.. it was all he could say really.

He gave a small smile at her assurence and chuckle about his brother, " Ja he should be fine, will likely fine himself a date by the end of the night" he muttered trying to recover from the previous sadness. "Besides I think I've rambled on enough about ya Lass that he'd be surprised I don't leave with ya tonigh. What of Ya aunt? would she mind? " he asked curious as he started ta stand up.

"So he was telling the truth," Calixta teased, grinning. The thought of Bastian running off at the mouth about her gave her the butterflies, for some reason. "As for Julia...just believe me when I tell you she definitely won't mind."

"I won't mind what, now?" Julia asked, returning carrying a pitcher, with Julian in tow with another.

"Oh, erm..." Calixta stuttered, caught off-guard. "I was thinking, maybe--"

"You wanna go spend time with Bastian alone?" Julia cut in bluntly, setting the pitcher down and taking a seat.

"Erm, well...yes," Calixta replied, looking over at Julian nervously.

"I kind of figured it when we saw ye, to be honest," Julian said with a shrug, sliding into the booth.

"Oh! Well, then...if no one has any objections..." Calixta trailed off, looking at Bastian.

Bastian opened his mouth and shut it again, he trapped him self in that one.. "He asked Lass" he simply said smirking slightly and shruging.

He looked at his brother a moment, wondering if he was really alright with this, true they had fun for the evening, but dtching his brother after all he had done for him that night seemed rude.

He clapped his brother on the shoulder, "You sure brother?" he muttered in there mother tounge.

"If it'll put a real smile on your face, I'd say yes to just about anything," Julian replied quietly, rolling his eyes. "You've been distracted all evening, and you should've seen your face when you spotted her. Like Christmas came early. I know you'd do the same for me, now go," he said, pushing at Bastian, "get outta here before I change my mind."

Meanwhile, a similar conversation was taking place between Calixta and Julia.

"Are you sure? It is my last night here..."

"I've gotten to spend all day with you, Cali. Bastian can have you for tonight." She paused, grinning at her unintended double entendre. "Actually, now that I mention it--"

"Do me a favour -- don't," Calixta responded quickly, blushing as she looked over to see if Bastian had heard.

"I'm just saying, if an opportunity comes up to see where he lives, take it." Calixta shushed her aunt frantically, but she charged ahead anyway. "I mean, knowing whether or not he makes the bed in the morning is good information to ha--" A well-aimed silencing charm, performed under the table, effectively ended that conversation for the time being.

"So, erm...are you ready to go?" Calixta asked, squeezing Bastian's hand gently.

Bastain nodded to Calixta and squeezed her hand back, though he turned over his shoulder, "I owe ya one brother, ya name it.. my word" he vowed. Yes he would definatly owe his younger brother a favor after this.

Then he turned to Calixta, kissed her forehead led the way out of the pub and in, "Lefts go Lass and the night is ours" he muttered to her.

Calixta found herself being led out of The Leaky Cauldron in no time at all. She smiled up at Bastian, and gave him a proper hug this time, enjoying the moment. "The night is ours, and what a beautiful night it is," she told him, feeling a rush of excitement. She hadn't expected to see him at all, and now she would be able to spend her last hours with him, doing whatever they wanted. It was almost necessary to pinch herself to make sure she wasn't daydreaming.

"Since it's so nice out, I thought we might walk down to the Thames, a d sit by the river. There's this little spot I know -- one of my very favourite places to go when I'm home. I've never showed anyone else, but well...for you, I'll make an exception."

Bastian nodded and tanitivly placed his arm around her as they walked, " I am honored Lass" he muttered happy to have been given the privlege...

He continued walking at her side, enjoying the peace that comes with the night and not the noise of the bar, so much more calmer.. and much better suited to his additude, it was funny when ever he was with the younger lady his whole demeanor changed. From rough, cold and broading, to calm warm and sincere.

Calixta leaned her head against Bastian's shoulder as they walked, wrapped up together comfortably. Somehow she just didn't have to think or try too hard when she was with him; it was like they just fell into step naturally. There was a long stretch of silence between them as they walked, but it wasn't awkward at all, and Calixta felt no need to break it until they neared their destination.

They'd walked to a thick strand of trees near the river -- the edge of a small park nestled between London and the outskirts of the city. It had seemed much larger and more mysterious as a child, but even as an adult, the sounds of the city were muffled in those few acres of calm greenness. There wasn't much by way of a path down to the water -- it was a sheer drop about ten feet down to the surface, grass growing all the way to the ledge's end.

It was here that Calixta stopped, glanced about to make sure they were quite alone, and pulled out her wand. A graceful wave of her arm saw a soft blanket comfortably settled on the grass, and Calixta sat down, dangling her feet over the edge, quite heedless of the height, which was no great danger.

"What do you think?" she asked, a little self-conscious about her old hiding spot.

Bastian smiled and followed Calixta to sit beside her, it seemed to be the perfect time, and the perfect place. It had that sureal feel to it, and needless to say he loved the place.

"It is beautifull Lass" he murmmer not realizing he had spoken in German as he kissed her.

"I really Like ya Lass, If that isn't obvious enough" he said with chuckle.