An Upmarket Restaurant

I couldn't find a picture of what I wanted, so we'll just have to pretend it's something awesome.


Evan apparates with Andi to an upmarket restaurant, the kind where all of elite wizarding society goes to be seen. He opens the door for her and walks in behind her. They are seated at once at a table by the windows, candlelight glowing softly all around them. Taking the wine list from their waiter, Evan scans it briefly before ordering a bottle of their best (and most expensive) red wine. He presumes that Andi will be more accustomed to wine than she had been to firewhiskey.

Andi could drink wine. All purebloods were taught how at a young age. And, unlike some purebloods who were traumatized by the taste young, Andi enjoyed the taste of wine. She glanced around the restaurant, taking in everyone who was there. She made sure to keep a small smile on her face, a content smile, one that screamed 'look how lucky I am' in its curve. She glanced over the menu, noticing no prices next to the meals. Well, that meant no fear of ordering the most expensive dish. She easily decided on the Fillet Mignon with asparagus in a vinaigrette reduction sauce, and a small house salad to start. "Evan, this is a lovely restaurant. Thank you for taking me here."

Evan reclines slightly in his seat, his posture imposing in its casual elegance. His dark eyes have also taken in the inhabitants of the stately dining room, identifying, ranking, measuring every other wizard in his presence. "You're welcome," he tells Andi at once, because it's definitely in his favour for him to be seen here with one of the famous and beautiful Black sisters. He decides what he will have and glances up. Before he can even click his fingers, their waiter is at attention. Evan smirks in satisfaction. This is how he likes it - everything falling in his lap or at his fingertips. "The lamb. Rare, a little mint sauce. And some oysters to start with. And for the lady...?" he trails off, looking over to Andromeda for her selection. Normally Evan would do all the ordering himself, but he wants to see how well she would choose if left to her own devices.

"May I please have the house salad to start, and then the Fillet Mignon, medium rare, with the asparagus in the vinaigrette reduction for my entree?" She nodded at the waiter curtly. Despite the gentle phrasing of her selection, her voice said it as a command, one the waiter was to obey. She folded her menu and lay it down at the table, waiting for the waiter to scoop it up. She raised an eyebrow at Evan. "So, how'd you find this place? Mother rarely lets us loose in the world. We get our society through nice dinner parties at people's homes."

Evan waits until the waiter has scooped up their menus and made himself scarce before replying to Andi. "My father would bring me here for business meetings. Your father will know all about it, your mother too I imagine. Most of the people you see are here on business, you're lucky I'm bringin' you here for pleasure," he tells her, his mind traveling for a moment to times gone by, and all the very useful men Evan'd father had introduced him to under this roof. The type of men who were useful acquaintances to have, but not so well bred that you'd allow them into your own home to conduct your dealings. Their wine arrives, Evan tastes it and nods dismissively to accept it.

"Oh, well, there it is. You're a male heir. I am little miss daughter." She gave a self-deprecating shrug. "I am worthless unless attached to a pureblood male." Andi squashed the bitterness she always felt about that. No matter how hard she worked, she was useless. "I can see why you would be brought here." She took a sip of her wine and sighed in pleasure. "This is delicious."

Evan doesn't pick up on Andi's bitterness, he just accepts her words at face value because it's true. She is essentially worthless to her family until she makes a good pureblood match. Knowing that he can provide for her, that she needs him, makes Evan smirk with the power of it all. He smiles, pleased to see her enjoying the good wine he's ordered, intending to demonstrate that he can give her the best of everything, if he only gets what he wants in return. "You better stick with me then, make yourself useful to your family," he tells her.

Andi bristled internally. She could be useful to her family on her own. She was smart! She did better than almost every Ravenclaw in classes. She could do something, she could be something, just based on who she was. The minute she thought that, she shut that train of thought down. It was a childhood dream, nothing that could ever come true. Even in this magical world, there were no faerie godmothers to make all wishes come true. She was worthless, worthless until she made a strong marriage, until she bore children to her husband, until those children were grown and married and her family's web of power extended. "I am lucky," she whispered, voice low in her throat. "Not only is staying with you beneficial to my family, you are amazing." She swallowed the word, 'Better than my last boyfriend.'

[This might be my last reply for the day - internet is being all screwy and I have to go take care of some things... Sorry it's lame.]

Evan smiles at her. "You deserve good things. You're a Black," he says simply as the first of their courses arrives. "And I'm sure our families are going to do great things together."

[Sounds good. Have a great day/night/tomorrow/yesterday/I don't understand timezones.
Sorry if my post is lamer...]

Andi raised her goblet of wine. "To the Blacks and Rosiers accomplishing great things." She offered in toast, waiting to see Evan's response.

Not one to ever turn down a toast in polite company, Evan raises his goblet to match Andi. When she speaks, he gives a wolfish little grin. There's something he can always drink to - the alliance between two powerful, respectable and deserving families, especially one that gains him the prize of a beautiful, well-bred Black sister. Evan congratulates himself for having the sense to claim her now, certain that within a year there'd be dozens of wizards from all the very best pureblooded families vying for her attention and her hand. "To great things," he echoes, and takes a sip of wine. He sets it down and turns to his food, making no further conversation for the time being because Evan thinks that polite conversation is for between courses. When his food is in front of him, he just wants to eat in peace.

Andi too began to eat, a tad disconcerted by Evan's silence. She wouldn't talk with her mouth full, and was uncomfortable in the silence. So, she cut her food into small pieces and ate them carefully, quietly judging how much food Evan had left on his plate as to gauge how much time she had to be eating and have a reason for not talking. Daintily wiping her mouth every now and again, Andi began to feel uncomfortable.

-Evan-

Evan finishes what's on his plate and lays his cutlery down. He reaches for the wine, topping up Andi's drink slightly, but pouring much more into his own goblet. "I heard that your aunt's bill for muggle hunting was declined," he says, the words abrupt after minutes of silence. "Yet more proof that the Wizengamot is rotting through to the core."

Andi was startled by Evan's random start at conversation. She nodded as she spoke, masking her surprise with a long drink from her wine glass, just refilled by Evan. She smiled slightly to herself at the kind gesture. She felt so treasured, being taken out to dinner and shown off in this restaurant, they way Evan was always attentive to her wants, she couldn't imagine anything better. Once Evan was done talking, she piped up, "I know! I mean, nobody important would be hurt by muggle hunting." She sighed. "I know she goes... she probably even takes Bella. No one ever included me in anything fun."

-Evan-

"Your sister's different from most ladies. They don't take you because it's not ya place," Evan says, as if explaining something very simple to someone even simpler. He waves his hand to the waiter to have their places cleared in preparation for the main course. He settles back in his seat again, lounging slightly but not slouching because this was not the place for untidiness, and lets his eyes roam appreciatively over Andi's form as she sits primly in her seat.

Andi pouted slightly as Evan told he what she knew was the truth. "I know Bella is different. She is just so..." Andi waved her hands, struggling to find the word that would sum Bella up. "Just so... so... full. Of everything, you know? I wish I was more like her sometimes. She knows what is right and is unafraid to do anything it takes to keep things right. Like you. And I really admire that quality in people." Andi shrugged gracefully. "Merlin knows it isn't my place. I accept that, and I enjoy being conventional. But sometimes, I think it would be really fun. I am just a silly little thing, don't mind me." Andi couldn't quite put into words the way she sometimes struggled against the set structure of her life, the way she wanted to push some boundaries, but knew she couldn't, wouldn't, because of the dishonor it would bring her family. Andi watched the waiter clear the table, and thanked him with a small smile. It paid to be polite to waiters, that way you knew they weren't doing anything strange in the kitchen.

-Evan-

Evan just shrugs, relatively unaffected as Andi lets out a little of herself in her private thoughts and feelings. She was a woman, she could feel how she liked but it wasn't going to change anything. "It ain't about fun, it's about honour," he tells her, momentarily feeling a flash of anger at her apparent lack of respect for the importance of what Evan and his allies do in their quest to keep the wizarding world pure and mighty. This is why, he thinks, that women don't belong anywhere near positions of importance or power, and that Bella is something of an exception to the rule.

Andi looked at Evan carefully, and then asked, "Can't they be the same thing at times? Fun and honor?" She shrugged again. "Like I said, I am silly and thoughtless. I think things that don't make sense just for the fun of wondering them out." Andi made an internal note that tonight's before bed thinking would be about whether honor could be fun, or fun could be honor. That would be interesting.

Evan bristles almost imperceptibly. Hadn't he just warned her not to make light of things like this? It doesn't matter whether she has a point or not, she's been told once, and that's enough. His voice drops to a dangerous level, his dark eyes fix relentlessly on her face. "Keep your silly and thoughtless shit to yourself." Then, he raises his voice to a lighter tone, prefectly pleasant once more. "How is your meal so far?"

The warning is just like what she got at home. Andi immediately sat up straighter, folding her hands in her lap. She bowed her head and whispered in return, "Delicious. Thank you so much for bringing me here. It is so much better than the food at Hogwarts." Her cheeks were burning in embarrassment from the reprimand, and she sat stock still, a few bites of food left on her plate, but she was no longer hungry. How could she have been so stupid? Just because she was comfortable with him didn't mean he wanted to hear everything that went through her head. Why was she being so careless? "I am really sorry." She could barely hear the murmured words that leapt from her lips.

Evan just grunts lightly and has another sip of his wine, not feeling the need to acknowledge her apology further. Now she knows. He glances at her plate, still with a few bites left on it, and snaps his fingers to the waiter for the check. If she's not going to finish her dinner, clearly she doesn't need dessert. "Are you done?" he asks, as an afterthought, as the check arrives at their table.

"Yes, thank you." Andi didn't say more, retreating into good manners to make up for her mistake. She doesn't look at the waiter when he arrives, still red from her slip and the rebuke. Andi wished Evan would go back to being quiet so she wouldn't have to worry about everything she said.

Evan scribbles the slip to authorise the withdrawal of gold from his Gringotts vault to cover the meal and stands. He walks around the table and helpfully pulls Andi's chair out for her, taking her arm in his and walking her out of the restaurant, head held high. Outside in the cool night air, he pauses. Normally, this would be the point where he would take a girl back to his home to finish the evening on a high note, so to speak. But Andi is a Black, and he feels the need to tread carefully. She's not like her older sister, after all, and it would not bode well for any alliances between their families if she turns out to be too delicate and she loses her head. "Well, shall we head back to the castle?" he finally suggests.

Andi smiled tentatively up at Evan. Did he want to return her because of her babbling? That was it, she was sure. She lost another boyfriend because of her inability to be a good girlfriend. "If..." She trailed off. She didn't want to appear clingy, but maybe if they spent some more time together, Evan would realize that she wasn't always stupid and useless. But all the trouble started from her inability to say the right thing. "If my company doesn't horribly offend you, I wouldn't mind spending some more time with you." She looked down and fidgeted with her jewelry. "But only if you want to..."

"How could your company ever horribly offend me?" he asks with an easy chuckle, taking consent for wherever the evening takes them from her wanting to spend more time with him. He doesn't care how proper and innocent she acts, there's only one reason to want to spend more time with someone after an expensive dinner like that. Maybe she plans to show her gratitude properly. "I'll show you the Manor, if you like," he offers. If she plays her cards right, it might be her future home, after all.