old times and all that [brant v3.0]

[BRAYDEN RICHARSON]

New school terms were always interesting. When it was the first term of the year (September), it was always fun to see the new batch of first-years walk into the castle with a mixture of fear, anxiety, excitement, and wonder. The winter terms often brought just changes to those who were already there from the term before. When everyone returned from the holiday break, it was rare to get a new face. But, this year, Brayden was greeted by a blast from the past, a person he never thought he'd see again. And he wishes he still hadn’t.

Enough years have passed since Brayden last saw Regina Grant, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He would have preferred not to see her, but the fact that she was here at Hogwarts teaching Potions intrigued him. Why was she here and not living in some posh place with her big-time husband? The question burned in his mind, but did he have a right even to ask it?

There were classes the next day, and Brayden hadn’t a chance to seek out his old schoolmate to learn more about her story. He had sent an unsigned note to Regina, for he knew she wouldn't meet him if he said who he was, asking her to meet him in the Great Hall after dinner.

He ate quickly and left so as not to raise suspicion and then stayed hopeful that she'd stay to meet him. When he was sure no one else was in the Great Hall, he walked in from the room's main entrance, and not the side entrance he generally entered from. He walked down the long room towards where she sat by the head table. "It's amazing how short this room feels when you’re that much taller," he said softly as he neared her. He hadn’t wanted to scare her.

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[REGINA GRANT]

Regina had examined the letter she'd found thoroughly, and hadn't been able to deduce whom it may have been from. Regardless, they wanted to see her in the Great Hall after dinner. Regina rolled her eyes at the mere thought of one of her students with a crush attempting to declare his love for her. The very prospect of something like that happening almost convinced her not to go at all. Of course, such an act could encourage them to do something more drastic, more public and more embarrassing. No, the wiser course of action was to see to the matter now and nip it in the bud before it was too late.

After dinner, Regina lingered a bit, offering to monitor the last of the students as they finished before returning to their dorms. Her eyes scanned the Great Hall, and it appeared that no one had opted to remain. Perhaps her juvenile suitor had gotten a frigid case of cold feet. All the better as far as Regina was concerned. She sighed heavily, believing that the worst was behind her for certain. That was when she heard his voice. For just a moment, she thought that this was far worse than a teenaged Casanova.

It was no secret that Brayden Richardson was a professor on staff here at the school. Regina had been surprised when she first learned of his tenure here at the school. She had heard rumors that he had worked with the Ministry some time ago. (Not that she'd been keeping tabs.) And yet, somehow, here he was... back where it all began. "Good evening, Professor Richardson," said Regina. It was best to keep things professional. No need for any blurred lines to be misinterpreted. "As you say, I'm sure it's all a matter of perspective."

She allowed a few seconds to pass before she took a deep breath and then started to move forward. "Well, I suppose I should be going. It is getting late."

[BRAYDEN RICHARSON]

Brayden had no idea how this would all come to pass once she learned that he had sent her the note to meet in the Great Hall. They had not spoken a word to each other since the night they spent together h so many moons ago. She was gone by the time he woke up that following morning, and he hadn’t heard from her since. He tried to contact her initially, but then he heard of her marriage to some Greek bloke, and he stopped bothering. She had what she wanted, and Brayden was not it.

He didn't miss the stiffness in her voice as she spoke to him. She aimed to keep things professional between them, and he had to commend her for that. But she had to know it wouldn't remain that way forever. They were living under the same roof again, the first time since they were both at school here, and he had so many questions. Whether he would get his answers was an entirely different story, but he would certainly try.

He couldn't help the frown that began to form when she told him that she ought to be going since it was late. Did he repulse her that much that she couldn't stand to be in his presence more than she had to? He didn't want to seem like a hurt dog, but it did bother him. He hated how much, but it did all the same. "I didn’t realize you went to bed so early," he said with an arched eyebrow. "I thought we could talk for a bit," he said, his eyes lingering on the space right above her shoulder. "That's why I asked you to meet me," he added, telling her that he'd been the one to ask her there.

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[REGINA GRANT]

Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. That was the conclusion that Regina had reached when Brayden spoke up once more. He had stated that he didn't realize that she went to bed so early. It wasn't as if he really had any real insight into her sleeping habits. However, she wasn't about to allow this exchange to devolve into something ugly. What happened between them had happened years ago. They hadn't really had any contact since that time, and clearly that meant that both of them had moved on since. There was no reason to expect that this would be anything other than an amicable exchange between colleagues.

The more Brayden spoke, the more Regina learned. It seemed that he had actually desired that the two of them spoke. About what she wasn't sure, but at least the mystery of whom had invited her to the Great Hall had been revealed. "I see," Regina commented. "I can put off marking papers for a bit. What is it that you'd like to discuss, Professor?" She stood there, her expression one of interest in what he had to say after all these years.

---

ooc: so, you want Regina to 'nude you for changes'? we see where his head's at already. ♥

[BRAYDEN RICHARSON]

As he stood there staring at her, waiting for her to decide if she would stay, he reminded himself why he had asked her to meet him there in the first place. A thought that had been nagging at him since she came back into his life.

When he first met her daughter, he had no idea Regina was her mother. They had different last names as far as he knew; he didn't keep tabs on her after they last saw one another all those years ago. he hated that he even thought of it on occasion, but seeing her again blew his mind.

And then seeing her with one of his students as they entered Hogwarts together left his mind whirling with questions. He shook his head and got himself back into the matter before she could get out of giving him answers.

When she finally seemed to relent, she asked him what he wanted to discuss. He opened his mouth to say something, but he wisely stopped and thought about it further. He might only get one question, so it had to be the one he wanted the answer to.

"Who is Demi's father?" he asked before he could stop himself. He probably could've asked her something else, but he wasn't going to let this question slip him by.

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[REGINA GRANT]

Regina honestly couldn't believe the words that had just come out of Brayden's mouth. She was stunned. If she were thinking logically, she could understand his curiosity. After all, the math seemed to work out to leave it as a possibility. However, Regina wasn't thinking logically. She was thinking like a mother, and this man had just threatened the memory of her daughter's father... the only father that Demi had ever known. "You pompous ass! How dare you? Regina said confronting him. "I don't know what sort of mid-life fantasy you're entertaining, but you keep my daughter out of it. She has her father's name. The only concern you need dare show her is that of her performance in your class. If you ever even suggest such a thing to her--"

A long sigh left Regina's lips as she slowly shook her head. "You will fucking rue the day," she said slowly. Surely, the use of the word rue hinted just how serious she was. "Are we clear?"

---

ooc: well... this convo has been a long time coming. enjoy! ♥

[BRAYDEN RICHARSON]

He knew asking his question wasn't going to go over well. He essentially inferred that Regina had a child with someone other than her husband. And before he had ever met Demi's mother, he never had a reason to think that her parents had not been the married couple Demi occasionally spoke of. Her dark features, his dark features, never seem to give him reason to think anything other than the usual course before today.

But now, he had a million questions with no answers.

He wouldn't take his words back now, but that didn't mean he wasn't fearful of her response. And she did not disappoint. She chastised him for being, as she put it, a pompous ass for insinuating such a thing. Her reasoning was nothing to sing about, and he was sure even she knew they weren't worth much. So what if her daughter had the same name as her late husband? That meant nothing.

She told him that his only concern for her daughter was how she performed in his class. She then seemed to think he would ever say such a thing to Demi, and he was taken aback. And slightly affronted. He would never stoop so low as to say such a thing to a child, to plant such a seed as to who her father was without knowing for sure that there was a foundation to stand on.

"It's nice to know what you really think of me, Regina," he told her, his eyes lowering slightly as if to concede to her. He wasn't, but he wouldn't let her think otherwise. He needed to regroup and try to figure out a way to coexist with this woman under the turrets of this castle once more. But then, he had a thought.

"And it's also nice to know that you'd immediately think that I’d be questioning her lineage," he said as he began formulating a way to get himself out of this as unscathed as possible. "I merely wanted to know who he was. After seeing you, I realized that Demi looks nothing like you, so I was curious about her father," he told her. "Her dark features are a stark contrast to your fair ones," he told her. Hopefully, that worked.

REGINA GRANT - nudge me for changes ♥