She Looks So Perfect

[William Pendergast]

After acknowledging how bored Tullia seemed to be nowadays, Will had decided that a trip beyond the usual hustle and bustle of the village was in order, which was why the decision to dine in London at a wizarding establishment away from Hogsmeade had been made and carried out. Will had, of course, been concerned that perhaps Tullia would not have been accepting of his offer, but fortunately (and much to Will's astonishment -- she must have been wholly sick and tired of Hogsmeade if she would actually agree to spend more time than necessary in his presence), she had consented to join him, and now Will found himself sitting face to face with his wife at their designated dining table, a menu clasped in his hands that he kept peering over to further observe his wife's reaction.

So far, she seemed to have not noticed his occasional glances, but one never knew with Mrs. Tullia Pendergast (formerly Lestrange, and Will still often mentally referred to her as such, despite the fact that she was currently his wife by law), and it would be unsurprising if she already was aware of his staring. But Will couldn't help it. She appeared particularly radiant that evening, and he was aware aware of several gentlemen who kept glancing in their direction -- a fact which made him slightly flare up with jealousy, but he was determined to keep hidden.

Inevitably, Tullia soon acknowledged his glances, and placing his menu down upon the white-clothed table and clearing his throat, he inquired with a small smile, subtly gesturing to their surroundings, "So what do you think of the place? I've only ever dined here once, but I thought perhaps you would enjoy it." However, what he couldn't admit was that the previous time he had dined at the establishment was with Miss Vance and her parents during the summer before his seventh year.

Words: 317 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

Tullia was finding that her boredom was more and more leading her into undesirable situations. The whole ordeal with Seneca at the park being one of the biggest things, she thought, but her dinner with William in London was another entirely. Ever since he had more or less called her a child and shooed her out of his room on their honeymoon, Tullia had tried to stay as far away from her husband as she could. They shared meals but that was about it and not once had he thought to take her out somewhere. And yet there they were sat, him looking much more a competent man that he actually was and herself looking very lovely and elegant (if she said so herself) in a dress that - while simple - was indeed very flattering and appropriate for the occasion.

His glances to her over his menu were not lost on her. She held back the urge to roll her eyes, ever the proper young lady, because she was torn between wanting to know why he was looking at her such a way and thinking that it must have been because she was lovely. Which was hilarious, for it was he who had indicated that she was little more than a child in his eyes. A pretty child, yes, but a child nonetheless. She had decided against saying anything, not wishing to get into a little fuss with him in public and just wanting to get the whole dinner thing over with. She wanted to be home with Flavius and read a book and go back to ignoring the fact that she was married to a man she didn't want to be married to. Not anymore, at least. There had been a time but — she looked up when he spoke.

"It's lovely, I suppose." She said it without much trying to put a show on for him, but a subtle smile graced her lips out of habit. Her eyes dipped once more to the menu and she gave the softest of sighs, "I'm more interested, however, in why it is you keep looking at me so." Her eyes raised again, brow nearly imperceptibly raised. Well, she was curious. And if he was going to keep gazing at her like that she had a right to know why. Or maybe she just wanted to hear him say it aloud, the reason why he was looking at her as he had been.

  

[William Pendergast]

Will nodded at her words, agreeing that indeed the decor and architecture was quite lovely. It was by no means the grandest dining establishment in the country, but it was elegantly adorned enough to be pleasing to the eye, and from what he could recollect from his previous visit with the Vances, the food had been satisfactory, but Tullia had yet to judge for herself what she thought of it. It also had the benefit of being a magical establishment, which meant that they would not be forced to associate with Muggles (which Will supposed he would tolerate if that had been the case, but after the fiasco that lead to his marriage -- and not to mention their family's view of them -- he did not find it seemly for them to dine among Muggles).

At his wife's next words, however, Will inwardly cringed, though he was not surprised -- Tullia had always been a fairly perceptive young woman, and it was inevitable that he would be caught staring sooner or later. Pondering his words, Will wondered if perhaps he could tell the truth? That he found her lovely, and was irritated by the attention she was receiving by the opposite sex? Finally, however, he once again cleared his throat, feeling slightly flushed that he had been found out, and admitted, his tone soft, "You look quite lovely tonight -- cannot a man admire his beautiful wife every once in a while?" He leaned forward, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

Words: 253 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

She certainly hadn't expected him to say it. Her eyes widened only slightly in the shock before narrowing ever so slightly because how dare he? How dare he call her lovely, how dare he make her remember how she had once felt about him, how dare he make her feel like some blushing schoolgirl with a compliment she'd heard so many times over. Just...how dare he. She was loathe to admit that the compliment meant anything to her at all, but it had because it had not been terribly long before that she had once fancied the idea of being his wife, of hearing such words from him. She hated to admit that she had ever thought she could be happy with him but the fact remained that she had and she hated each and every moment he ever inadvertently reminded her of that - not that they happened often. She might have been lying even to herself.

"Well that certainly is surprising," She mused, tone soft as his had been because she would not cause a scene, "And when, pray tell, did I become your beautiful wife rather than some child you've been forced with?" Her words came evenly, quiet and only for their ears, but the look she'd given him would relay well enough that she was quite amused - bitterly so - that he had expressed such sentiments. The briefest idea in her mind told her that she ought to just accept it, be happy that he wanted to fix things, but she was bitter and didn't easily forgive. Especially not when he'd hurt her in the ways he had, even if she'd never admit that her pain was her motivator.

  

[William Pendergast]

Will looked a little taken aback at her reaction to his words, hardly expecting this reaction from her. He had been under the assumption that his words were things women wanted to hear -- that they were beautiful and that he admired her. Obviously, Tullia was a different kind of woman (of this he was almost positive), and he inwardly sighed. No matter what he did to appease her, he would never win, and if he was not so stubborn and determined to regain her favor, he would never put forth the effort he did in order to maintain what little civility their relationship had left.

"You are not a child, Tullia," he continued in the same soft tone, not desiring to make a scene -- it would not do to have rumors circulating about Hogsmeade that the William Pendergasts were seen squabbling in a public destination. "I was merely just attempting to be civil and to pay you a compliment -- I humbly apologize if I have offended you." Though truthfully, he could not see how he had offended her, but then again, his wife has proven time and time again to be quite unpredictable.

Words: 195 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

You don't offend me, you confuse me. She didn't say the words but they were present in her mind regardless. And he did confuse her. Not long ago he had denied her the right to perform her wifely duties, and now he was complimenting her appearance. Which was, granted, what a husband ought to do. But she wondered why his tune had so suddenly changed and it was entirely bothersome to try to figure out where she stood with him. Not that she was taking into account the fact that she was the one who was constantly a pain in his ass and not vice versa.

Finally, after regarding him with the subtlest of suspicious glances, she spoke: "You did not offend me." She wouldn't add that she was confused because he didn't need to be made privy to that fact. And she hated to admit that for even the smallest moment she couldn't see right through him. She hated to admit that she was just human, much as she simply was. After a few more moments she spoke, almost shy again as that night on their honeymoon though taking great pains to hide that fact, "I am glad that you find my appearance pleasing." He eyes turned to the side because she was afraid her eyes would betray thoughts she didn't even realize she was having - not truly. Because if there was one thing Tullia hated, it was admitting that she cared more about people than she ever let on.

  

[William Pendergast]

Will could detect that there was a hint of timidity to her voice, a sort of shyness that was akin to what he had witnessed on one of their evenings during their honeymoon -- the night that she had attempted to consummate their marriage, but Will (despite his valid, and in his opinion, sensible reasons) had denied her right to be a proper wife to him. In remembrance of that night, Will internally sighed. That night had driven Tullia further away from him, and even though he had had adequate time to ponder on whether or not he had made a mistake, he still felt confident that he had made the right choice. Tullia was his wife, and if they were ever going to participate in acts of intimacy, he was going to do it correctly.

Gazing at her face, once again marveling in her delicate features, Will attempted to study her, hoping to catch a glimpse into her true emotions, but he was not having much luck. In the end, however, Will forsook his attempts, and stated with another small smile, "Good." He said the words with some finality, indicating that there was no point in continuing this discussion any further, though he was satisfied that she finally admitted that his compliment had had some kind of affect on her.

Removing his eyes from her face for a moment, Will picked up his menu and opened it, studying it. Once again peering over the top, he inquired, "What would you care for?"

Words: 254 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

His smile frustrated her and were they not in public she would have drawn her brows together and given him the half-scowl she was likely to give when they were alone. But they weren't alone, so she simply said nothing and instead resumed looking at the menu. She wasn't even sure she'd like anything they were serving as restaurants were not so abundant in variations as, say, telling her cook what to prepare and letting them get the necessary ingredients. But they were at the restaurant and as such she'd be subjected to whatever foods they chose to prepare. She wasn't entirely certain any of it would be what she'd choose at home, but she had no sway over the chefs in the restaurant.

When he asked what she would "care for" she had to fight the urge to say nothing from here because that was rude and she knew better than to be entirely ungrateful that he took her out at all. Little though her opinion of him was, he was still her husband and they were still in public and she had been raised to have better manners than that. "I think I'll have the soup." She said it simply before continuing, "Unless, of course, you have any suggestions." There was an enquiring tone to her voice. Did he even know what sort of things she liked? She was doubtful but then again perhaps he'd surprise her more than once that evening.

  

[William Pendergast]

Will resisted the urge to raise a quizzical eyebrow in her direction. Out of all the delectable items on the menu, she wanted the soup for dinner? He was aware, of course, that the food was hardly going to be as satisfactory as their own cook's meals, but he believed that she should at least give the restaurant a chance. But alas, he did not desire to cause a scene, especially in such a public place where rumors could be formed, and therefore he kept silent, nodding in response to her choice.

"The soup sounds tasty," he said after a moment, though once asked about whether or not he had any suggestions to offer, he continued, "Though perhaps I might suggest the roasted chicken? I had it the previous time I was here, and it was scrumptious." Once again, he had to condense his words, not wishing to get into the discussion of his evening with the Vances -- his and Tullia's relationship was already fragile enough without him further ruining it by admitting that he had once entertained thoughts of breaking their betrothal.

Words: 184 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

Tullia was well aware that any effort to be kind to her was out the window on his part. He was cordial, yes, but not being particularly kind. Or seeming very interested at all in her past the vague sense she got that he thought her silly. She tried not to think anything of it. Because she didn't care what he thought. It didn't matter if he adored her as he ought to or hated her entirely. They were married and married they would remain until one of them died. She could only hope he would go first - and during a time in her life where she could pursue someone else who was actually worthy of her. These thoughts and more were in her mind but as she looked at him it was ever so slightly harder to believe they were earnest.

She didn't want to think about it. About how maybe she didn't hate William like she wanted to. But Tullia was good at ignoring things she didn't want to acknowledge, so it was with little effort that the thoughts were silenced and she regarded her husband. "I suppose the roast chicken shall be just as good." She said it without any true care in her voice. She had no real care what she ate, as she - at the very least - trusted William not to have brought her to a place that was entirely subpar. Time would only tell, of course.

  

[William Pendergast]

"Certainly," he said before falling silent, preferring instead to focus upon his own meal selection, though he once again occasionally peered above his menu to observe his wife's actions, and watch for any signs of emotion that could flit across her face that would give him so indication of whether or not she was enjoying their evening out. He was genuinely attempting to please her and satisfy her longing for a change of routine, but as was always the case with his young, vindictive, and highly unpredictable wife, he received no notion that she was enjoying herself or that she was even grateful for his having taken her out to dinner.

After a moment, however, and suddenly feeling slightly agitated, Will heaved a sigh and removed his gaze away from Tullia in order to scour about for their waiter, whom he realized with further annoyance was not being a hospitable employee and ensuring that his customers were comfortable and well-provided for. Fortunately, the waiter was only a table away, and Will raised his arm to motion that they were ready to ready to make their order.

Once their orders had been taken, Will once again turned to his wife, his irritation having decreased slightly after speaking with the waiter. "So," he began cordially, attempting to hold a conversation so that the awkward silence would not continue to prevail, "This is certainly a change of a scenery, is it not? It is not often that we are out of Hogsmeade, especially to dine in London."

Words: 254 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

She could feel his eyes on her every time he was so inclined to examine her as though she were some great mystery. She took a measurable amount of pleasure in being confusing to her husband as - unlike she'd once thought - he was not worthy of her baring her soul to him. Not that some great mysteries awaited underneath her shell - she was not some novel heroine with a prickly outside but deep desire of romanticism and weakness. She did not need his love. She didn't even want it.

When the orders were made, she was content to return to a silent table but it seemed her husband had other ideas. Her brow raised just slightly once again and she wondered why he was trying to talk to her. He didn't want to, she knew he didn't, and she as well had no desire to speak to him. She had half a mind to tell him that he needn't bother. That they didn't have to play nice because it was useless. But instead she decided - or spoke before she could even decide.

"It is a pleasant shift, to be away from Hogsmeade. Not that I am unused to being in the same place day after day," Hogwarts had been like that but it was different there. Her eyes dropped and her voice came out softer, "But that's different. I have no purpose in Hogsmeade, nothing to truly do." It was a subtle shift in her tone but there regardless, much as she hated it. She was growing to hate Hogsmeade, it felt like. And she was rue to hate her home all because William had been an idiot.

  

[William Pendergast]

Will listened to her response with interest, his green eyes watching as her lips formed the words, and he removed his gaze from her face as her voice became softer. Another wave of guilt formed in his chest, and he quietly sighed. This was no way for a young woman of Tullia's age should spend her days -- married and tied to a person and a location that she could not stand. She should still be enjoying the delights of Hogwarts and furthering her education and relishing in the comforts and solitude that her childhood room had provided her with, not having to find other hobbies and tasks to occupy herself with or only finding minimal comfort in a room that reminded her of her station in life and how dissatisfied she was with it.

"I'm sorry," he finally uttered out once he found his voice, and if he didn't know that he had to add something more to his apology, he would have left it at that, but Tullia had heard enough of his apologies, and he doubted that this offerings of remorse would be any more effective than the other past attempts had been. "I wish I could give you some purpose, something to occupy yourself with and aspire to, but I'm not quite sure what you would wish for." Finally finding the courage to face her again, Will lifted his eyes towards her, and gently stated, "If there is anything in my power that I may be able to give you that would assist in alleviating your tedium, please do not hesitate to ask. I want to be able to help."

Words: 270 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

His apologies had meant little to her since the whole Fall Festival fiasco and she had to fight the urge to groan and roll her eyes. But then he was speaking again and Tullia gave him a rather sharp look that was subdued from the glare she was inclined to give him. But they were in public and though she doubted much had any interest in the pair of them (though, maybe they did considering their young age) she knew better than to express the extent of her disdain for him without at least some subtlety. She was, in truth, rather surprised by his words. Mostly because she knew that the contrary was true - it was in his power to give her some sense of purpose but he wouldn't do what was necessary to achieve it. And she wasn't entirely true that purpose would be any more bearable than what she was living through at the moment.

"You could offer me purpose, dear husband." The way she said the last bit was with nothing less than some form of scorn. "You just refuse to do it." She didn't need to elaborate - she knew he wasn't dim enough to not know what she meant. Tullia had no great desire to be a mother but she knew that if he made her his wife properly then she would have at least something to do if it had it's intended result. But he wouldn't do it. He wouldn't touch her and she knew that so she just gave a sigh and waved a dismissive hand lightly. "Anything else you could do is out of the question. We are husband and wife and so it shall stay, whether we like it or not." Happiness, she had always known, was not what mattered. Duty was. And she had a duty to her family to be an exemplary wife, even if William wouldn't allow her to perform admirably.

  

[William Pendergast]

Will gritted his teeth at her response, his strong jawline clenching, though none of his agitation showed in his manner or countenance -- his face was literally emotionless as he processed her words. It was irrational, he knew, to be aggravated when she was only speaking the truth, but he could not help the flare of irritation that welled up inside him when she mentioned the one subject that he wished to avoid. Indeed, it was not that Tullia was undesirable -- in fact, he found much to admire in her, mentally and physically, and would be a fool not to -- but he had his reasons for having not yet consummated their marriage; their age and situation was only part of it.

"Very well," he stated in a tone void of emotion, leaning back into his chair, deciding to allow the matter to drop for he did not much fancy the thought of attracting attention. He had brought Tullia to London in order to enjoy a nice evening out, not to further squabble with her over the details of their marriage. "If that is what you wish, then so be it." He would try his utmost best to be a satisfactory husband and he would attempt to cater to her wishes, but he was getting quite fed up with arguing.

Words: 218 | Tag: Tullia

  

[Cornelia Pendergast]

Tullia would have had to be completely imperceptive to not notice the way his features tensed at her words. And imperceptive was certainly something she was not. There was an almost imperceptible hint of amusement to her lips as she awaited his reaction. She expected he'd push aside the topic, perhaps go back to making idle chatter. She was under no illusions that he'd agree to what she was proposing as he'd made it very clear that he did not wish to lie with her on their honeymoon when she had tried to seduce him. So it went without saying that when he didn't, in fact, refuse the idea that she was a bit surprised.

Was he...? Tullia gave him a nearly skeptical look for a moment, trying to decide if he was yanking her chain. Not that she supposed she'd really mind either way. She was not particularly fond of the idea of sharing his bed - not after what he'd done - but it was what was expected of her. She was married and if she didn't start having children soon it would call into question her fertility and by extension her ability to be a good wife. And Tullia did not like the idea of people thinking such things of her - especially not after her virtue had been called into question because of her hasty union to William. Deciding that he was not messing with her, she simply gave him a look and said: "I'm glad we can finally come to some sort of agreement." It was cold, sure, but their union was not one of passion or love. It was one of duty.