All Good Things

Chapter 6 - Painful Memories

Poppy

The shelter of the house immediately began cooling Poppy's skin. Not only was she hot from the summer sun, but the flush that had rushed to her face made her feel like she was on fire. Her eyes stung as tears began to well at the corners. She pressed her back against the wall, closing her eyes and willing some of the heat to seep into the wood there. She pulled off her gloves and clapped her hands against her cheeks, the heat of her skin all too evident. Her heart was racing, her thoughts running at a million a minute until she settled on one in particular.

Why did I do that? What was I thinking making a move like that? On today of all days?

"Okay, Poppy, get a hold of yourself." The muttered words felt heavy crossing her lips as she moved to the sink, turning on the cold water and splashing her face in an attempt to cool herself.

She sighed, turning off the tap and gripping the edge of the counter, dropping her head. This was an absolute disaster. She wasn't even sure of Tori's feelings, her own were in a carousel of chaos, and yet she had made the move to kiss the taller woman. On a very, very difficult day for herself. Just wonderful, Poppy.

She was jolted from her thoughts as movement from the door caught her attention. Her head lifted, eyes meeting those of Victoria. She felt a pang of guilt at leaving the taller woman out in the sun, her dark skin covered in a sheen of sweat and her thick curls sticking out at odd ends from the humidity.

"Are you okay, Poppy?" Victoria slowly made her way to where Poppy was standing in the small kitchen, one hand trailing delicately across the wilting wallpaper. Her face was twisted up in an expression of worry, her dark eyes regarding the smaller woman cautiously.

She sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady herself before speaking. "Yeah. I'm okay." She felt her lips pull up in a smile, but she knew that Tori had seen through her by the way she pursed her own lips. "I'm sorry, Tori. I just..." The air pushed out between her lips in a puff. "I got caught up in the moment. I don't want this to make things... weird between us."

Victoria smiled, her face relaxing into a look of understanding before she leaned a hip against the counter. "Don't worry about it. Everything will be just fine. Though I can tell you're desperately going to need that drink tonight." Her hands came together in a small clap. "Now, how about that tour you promised me?"

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Poppy's cheeks were hot and her abdomen ached from the amount of laughing they were doing, her small frame practically doubled over the table. She was several glasses of firewhiskey deep, her fingers clasped gently around the glass when Tori spoke again.

"Now that you've drowned your sorrows in alcohol, tell me about what had you so down this afternoon." Victoria's voice held none of the warmth of laughter from the moment before, and Poppy felt the smile drop from her face.

She tugged on the collar of her shirt, her body feeling suddenly way too warm with the amount of alcohol coursing through her veins. She raised her eyes to Tori's, her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she contemplated how best to explain. It had been a rough day, and while she wasn't eager to deal with the emotions that came with such a day again, she had promised she would explain over drinks.

"Today was supposed to be my wedding day." That familiar sting of unshed tears began to well up behind her eyes, and she knocked back the rest of her drink, raising her hand to signal for another. "My partner..." She dropped her gaze back to her hands, rubbing over the ring finger of her left hand. "Ex... partner, Eliza and I. We were set to marry today. In Paris, of all places."

She laughed a bit sorely, wiping her fingers under her eyes to catch the tears that had begun to fall. Tori simply watched her, her eyebrows coming together in a look of concern.

"I had my dress ordered, the date set, and the invites made. But there was always an issue with her. For starters, she never did like that I traveled the world rescuing beasts. She wanted a simple, quiet life here in London, with me raising children and her working at the Ministry. She only insisted on coming along because she didn't fancy the idea of me being alone with anyone else. Especially Natty. She really hated Natty. Started an argument about her every time we were together." The rage began to well up in her chest at the memory of how badly Eliza had treated Natty upon the invite to travel to Uganda with her.

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"Poppy, you simply MUST come to Uganda with me." Natty had practically leapt over the table with excitement once they were seated, her hands landing with a resounding smack that garnered the attention of everyone in the pub. "I have a whole two weeks to visit, and I would love to have one of my dearest friends by my side. There are so many beasts I would love to show you."

"Absolutely not. She has a fiancée, thank you very much, so she doesn't need to be traveling with the likes of you." Eliza sneered at Natty, her eyes squinting with the heat of her glare. Poppy had never seen her with so much hatred in her gaze, and she flinched away from her. "Not to mention that last excursion almost cost me a limb. No. No more traveling unless it's ABSOLUTELY necessary."

"But darling, Natty is a close friend from Hogwarts. It would just be for two weeks, and we could have so much fun. We wouldn't even have to look into rescuing any creatures, just observing." She reached for her fiancee's hand only for Eliza to snatch her arm away.

The glare was turned on her, Eliza's icy blue eyes piercing into Poppy. She shrank back in her seat, her eyes flickering between Natty and Eliza.

"I said no, Poppy, and that's final. If you want to go on that trip with this trollop of a homewrecker, then you best expect to come home to an empty apartment." Her heart lurched painfully in her chest as Eliza stood and stormed out of the pub.

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"It wasn't the first time she had threatened to leave because of one of our friends simply inviting me along on a trip or to catch up, and I knew it certainly wasn't going to be the last. I was tired of empty threats and her constant complaining about my chosen lifestyle." Poppy downed the last of her firewhiskey, dropping the glass a bit harder than she meant to on the countertop. "So while she was at work the next day, I packed up my belongings, wrote her a note and left my ring on the kitchen table. I went back to stay with my Gran for a bit before I saved up enough to start my own rescue. So I apologize if today is a bit of a sore spot for me." She met Tori's eyes, and was a bit taken aback by the amount of fire she saw burning behind their dark depths.

"Poppy, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever for you to apologize. I am so sorry that you had to suffer through that." The heat of Tori's hand on her forearm was both soothing and nerve wracking. "She's right barmy for treating you like you're just some shiny trophy to put on a shelf. If I'd been there..."

"She still writes me." Poppy interjected before Tori could get too far. "She's very insistent that we work things out, but..." Poppy ran her free hand over her face, huffing out a breath before taking a mouthful of the water that had been supplied to them, allowing the iced drink to cool the heat bubbling up in her stomach. "Tori, I don't know that I want to go back to that. I put up with her for two. Years. Before I had to proper sense to leave while I could."

"Then don't. Don't go back to her. Let her grovel and beg, and if she shows up, me and the boys will have a nice, long chat with her." The look of fierce anger and protectiveness on Tori's face and in her voice was so palpable, it caused Poppy's heart to skip a beat, and she was almost certain the flush on her cheeks wasn't entirely from the alcohol.