Even The Moon Pales With Envy

[Keeva Fitzgerald]

Keeva Fitzgerald's lithe form moved quickly about the house under the guidance of her mother. A cocktail party was normally nothing, but this was supposed to be leading up to the family yule dinner. It seemed every year they had a smaller get together, usually with Keeva's parents' friends, and then further in the month they'd have over the whole family. It seemed the larger family dinner was a bit farther away this year, closer to just before school started. With Aunt Adelaide getting married soon, everyone was more focused on the almost-newly weds then they were on anything else. It suited the brunette just fine. She was able to slip more things under the radar of her mother, whom was helping Addy pick out dresses and such. Her father might have been more difficult to pass things by, but she made sure the first person to hear about things was her mother, whom could be persuaded to understand things from her point of view. If her father heard about some of the fights she got herself into she'd be in much more trouble.

Finally finished with the tinsel and garland around some of the banisters of the stairs, Keeva thought she'd have a break - but it was nearing seven and she'd yet to even do her hair. She had no clue whom would be coming, and the self conscious woman wouldn't be caught dead not being dolled up - it was the only reason she was dressed up as well. As she dashed up to the bathroom upstairs her full body necklace pinged against the bare skin of her stomach. She made it up the stairs to adjust her makeup and her hair, and spent a few more moments making sure she looked as presentable as possible, before she finally came down the stairs. IN time to hear her doorbell ring. Anxiously Keeva made her way over to the door and swung it open. "Good evening!" She greeted the guest, eyes closed and a polite smile on her face.

 

[Shane Ryan]

The invitation to dinner had come out of nowhere, Shane had known Cormac for a few years but for the most part they had been drinking buddies, he had met his wife on the odd occasion but he had never been round to his friends house. Soon he could no longer say that. The man had an exhausting afternoon, training had run long so Shane had been rushing to get ready. He needed to put in a little more effort to what he wore as appose to a regular meeting with Cormac, when on occasion he had turned up in his practice robes and there were times Cormac wouldn't even notice, but when going over for dinner at his house, with his wife and daughter there too, it was a whole other ball game.

In truth it hadn't taken Shane all that long to decide what to wear, he had a go to outfit for just such an occasion, something that was presentable but casual and didn't make him look like a vagrant coming in for his first meal in weeks. Happy with his jeans and button down shirt look, Shane locked up his apartment and and ducked into the empty stairwell where he disapparated. He appeared just down the road from the Fitzgerald house. This was the furthest he had ever been to the house, on one occasion he had walked Cormac to that point on the odd time he had been the sober one and his friend had needed a little more help finding his way home. He smiled to himself as he made his way up the walkway, dinner would be a very different experience to what he was used to. He rang the door bell and waited, he could hear footsteps on the other side of the door and he shifted on the spot while he waited, not a man who enjoyed standing still, he was grateful when the door opened and he was greeted by a girl. To look at her Ryan would put his friends daughter around the age of sixteen or seventeen, so he made a calculated decision to ignore the shorts she was wearing and how they made her legs look. "Good evening, I'm Shane I'm a friend of your dads?" He said, not totally sure if the girl at the door was his friends daughter, she could be anyone. "Mind if I come in?" He asked.

 

[Keeva Fitzgerald]

Keeva smiled at the older man, most taken aback by the sparkling blue eyes that rivaled her own - almost rivaled that was. She stepped back and gave a motion. "Of course. Nice to meet you Shane. I'm Keeva." She looked behind her. "Dad, Shane's here!" She hollered up the stairs, not wanting to be left alone to make conversation just yet. The brunette was not exactly reserved, but she enjoyed listening to people talk about their interests first, and then she dissected what talking points would go over the best following that. Keeva gave an awkward smile, before watching her mother rounding the corner, and seeing their guest. Deciding that she was okay to leave, the brunette scampered off to find her father, as well as finish up with table settings.

 

[Rowen Fitzgerald]

Preparing for a party was never a challenge to Rowen. The handy-woman/carpenter knew a thing or two about decorating, and always went out of her way in order to make sure the house was in top shape, even if that meant weeks of working on decorations after getting out of her real job. The brunette woman had only just slipped on her shoes, finding it professional to wear them whilst hosting a party, when the door was being knocked on. She heard her daughter greeting the male guest, the only one for the evening as far as Rowen knew. Normally their Christmas get togethers were bigger, but with her sister planning her wedding and Ademar and his new bride off doing goodness knows what - the woman was doing a small one for her family and her husband's friend, whom was apparently lonely. "Keeva there is more to do please!" She called after her young daughter, wiping slightly damp-from-dishes hands on her apron, and then removing it to guide her guest through her home.

Perhaps Rowen was overprotective, but the mother knew little about this Shane that was being brought over, and was fiercely protective of her daughter. Rowen entered the room with a hand extended. "Hello! Come over here. I'm Rowen, Cormac's wife. I see you've met our daughter." The woman's smile was genuine as she tried to hide the fact she was sizing him up, in a way judging. "My husband should be right out, please come in and take a seat!" The woman, who topped off at 6'3" with heels, was excited at least to know her husband wasn't completely socially inept - after all he'd invited a friend over for dinner that wasn't from his job.

 

[Shane Ryan]

Cormac's daughter seemed all in all very pleasant and he could have easily kept talking to the girl but after greeted him she ran off shouting upstairs to her father that he had arrived. This news seemed to be picked up by her mother who made her way to greet him, she however was not as warm as her daughter had been. Once the woman was telling Keeva there was still things to do she turned her attention to Shane and called him over. Anyone would have thought he was here to date her daughter not that he was her husbands drinking buddy. "Errm, yes hi, I've met Keeva, she seems lovely," He smiled at her but got the suspicion that he comment would be all together not welcome. At least the smile she gave him appeared to be genuine so maybe he wasn't being judged as harshly as he thought. "Oh good, right down you say? I'll err, is there any particular seat I should take or...?" His question trailed off as he caught sight of Keeva in the corner of his eye, snapping his attention back to his host he smiled completely forgetting what he was asking her.

 

[Rowen Fitzgerald]

Rowen smiled and nodded. "I suppose Lovely is one way to put it. She is something else. Though I suppose it's my fault she got that rebellious streak in her." She laughed slightly, not thinking too deeply into his comment. He would have had to compliment their daughter if he wanted to get on her good side - after all Keeva was the light of Rowan's life. Next to her husband she was sure that Keeva was the only important person in her life. "Yes anywhere. Keeva don't just stand there come join us, sit, your father will be down eventually. or I'll wrangle him down here by the ear." Rowen of course was only half joking. "So Shane what is it you do for a living?" She asked politely.

 

[Cormac Fitzgerald]

Cormac had been surprised when Rowen suggested he invite Shane round for dinner, but he was glad that she seemed open to getting to know his buddy. Cormac made the tactical decision to remain upstairs, taking his time to get ready while his wife and daughter were downstairs preparing to receive their guest. When he heard the knock at the door he knew that he needed to get downstairs, or risk Shane being left at the mercy of his wives inquisition. Cormac made his way downstairs, he smiled at his daughter as he passed her in the hallway and entered the kitchen where his wife was asking questions to Shane. He grinned and kissed Rowen's cheek. "Playing nice I hope," He said directing it to his wife.

 

[Shane Ryan]

Shane felt a little awkward with the way he was being questioned by Rowen. He couldn't tell if she was being genuinely nice or if she was attempting to lull him into a false sense of security. Rowen called for her daughter to join them at the dinner table and they all took their seats, only Cormac's chair remained empty. One of the questions Shane was expecting was what it was he did for a living. ""Oh, I'm a professional Quidditch player. I play for the Ballycastle bats," He smiled at her wondering if his answer was satisfactory enough or him to be hanging out with her husband. Finally Cormac entered the kitchen and Shane relaxed a little as he kissed his wife and took his seat at the table. "Yes buddy, she is quite lovely," He nodded in approval, leaving out the part that she made him a little uncomfortable.

 

[Keeva Fitzgerald]

Keeva eyed her father's friend and her mother talking, feeling as if she'd have nothing in common with them. Her mother was a contractor - Keeva couldn't really do anything more than long division without a calculator, math was horrible. However she wasn't about to be rude. with arms crossed she moved toward the table and took her seat. She was sat across from Shane, next to her mother. Her expression remained what everyone called a resting witch face until Shane said the magic word. Quidditch. "You pay for the Ballycastle Bats?" She asked in surprise. "No way! That's like my dream! I'm a beater in my school!" She gushed overly excited, though her mother gave her looks that stated she should stop. Sometimes Keeva couldn't though. "What position do you play? You've got to get me into a game. i would die seriously!" She spoke in a tone that got quieter and quieter as her mother continued to glare at her.

 

[Shane Ryan]

The excitement that Keeva displayed when she learned his profession came as a surprise to Shane. In all the time he had known Cormac, his daughter's interest in Quidditch had never come up, then again Shane knew very little about his friends family, which had made his invitation to dinner all the more surprising. Cormac knew him well, too well, especially when it came to women and for that reason he knew he had to be careful how he acted around his, very attractive, daughter. He did not want to give his friend the wrong impression of his intentions. "I do indeed, I play Keeper," He smiled taking a sip of water. "You're a beater? That's awesome, you know I could talk to the coach about getting you a tryout, how old are you?" He asked, if she was old enough then his offer could very well become a reality, if he had as much sway as he thought he did. "Absolutely, I'd love for you to come to a game, let me know when you're free for a game and I can get you in," Shane coughed as he caught site of Cormac in the corner of his eye. "You're both more than welcome to come too, I can get tickets for all," He smiled awkwardly at Keeva's parents.

 

[Keeva Fitzgerald]

Keeva's ice blue orbs lit up, warming on him as if she'd found her new best friend. She turned to her father, and then looked to her mother. "A tryout? I'm gonna be seventeen soon but I'd drop school so quick if i could play quidditch!" She admitted, to the horrified gasp of her mother. Keeva didn't much like school or the people in it - there was a reason she was called the beater around the halls of the inherently elegant school."Oh Merlin, please you have got to let me go!" She nearly begged them. Keeva had only been to two professional quidditch games in her life, and her need to see more was dire. There was nothing more invigorating than watching the men and women of the teams zooming around the pitch. Nothing except playing maybe. Keeva was nearly pleading as she looked to her mother, whom didn't look too impressed.

 

[Rowen Fitzgerald]

Rowen eyed the man, but any misconceived notion about inviting them to the quidditch game was pushed to the wayside when her daughter remarked about dropping out of school. "Keeva Shay!" Her mother spoke, though it didn't deter the brunette from begging Rowan to let her go to the game. The motherly eyes that Rowan normally held were filled with a certain angry fire as she looked at Corman, her daughter, and Shane. "There will be no talk of you leaving school to play a sport. The odds of being a successful professional are much less than the odds of your schooling making you successful. Cormac talk some sense into your daughter!" She urged, glaring at her husband whom had brought a ruffian to dinner with them.

 

[Shane Ryan]

Rowen's outburst made Shane jump, he looked from mother to daughter, the ways they looked at him were polar opposite. On the one hand, Keeva looked at him like he was her new best friend, Rowen was looking at him like she couldn't believe she had allowed him into her house. Both he and Rowen looked to Cormac for support who seemed to be remaining neutral. Shane took a sip of his water and tried to regain some composure. "No, of course I wouldn't suggest Keeva should drop out of school, I certainly think she should attend a try out during the holidays, but if the team liked her they wouldn't sign her until they graduate, professional Quidditch teams don't make a habit of suggesting kids drop out," He smiled awkwardly at Rowen, and winked at Keeva, hoping he had saved himself from being thrown out.

 

[Cormac Fitzgerald]

Cormac couldn't believe what was unfolding at his dinner table and so far he had kept quiet as his daughter beamed with excitement at the prospect of leaving school to try out for a professional Quidditch team. He knew of course how much his daughter loved the sport, it simply hadn't occurred to him that Shane would feed her desire to play professionally. His wife sounded horrified at the very idea and begged Cormac to intervene. "Keeva, you know I support you playing Quidditch, and if you want to pursue playing professionally then I support that too," He paused meeting his wife's gaze. No doubt she was dreading his next words and hopeful that he would support her side of the argument. "But, you will do nothing until you graduate, once you finish school your life is yours to do with how you please," Cormac then turned his attention to Shane. "Shane, stop leading my daughter astray, let her finish school first before you corrupt her," Cormac laughed before taking a sip of his drink. No doubt his wife wouldn't appreciate his light hearted take on the situation.

 

[Keeva Fitzgerald]

Keeva rolled her eyes at her mother. Why was it that she was always so strict about her studies. She was an A student at best - the only time she ever achieved an EE was when she was in flying her first year. When she found her love for quidditch. However, Shane brought her spirits up, and even brought a cocky smile to her face. She almost rubbed it in her mother and father's face that it didn't matter, because she would join the team anyways, but her father wasn't even on her side. Slightly deflated the brunette clumped, and picked at her food for the rest of the evening.

 

[Rowen Fitzgerald]

Rowen watched her daughter and the man exchange looks. A small wink closed one of Shane's eyes just slightly, and her eyes narrowed noticeably. There was something about a trouble making quidditch player that didn't sit right with the mother - but she allowed conversation to go to something normal to complete the meal. And so time went on</COLOR>

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A few hours later Cormac and Rowen had finished cleaning up from the small meal, and packing away left overs. Everything was in its beautiful places in the house, perfectly put away. The detailed cleaning lended to the idea that Rowen might have been unhappy. However being that she had grown up not being able to voice her opinion as a woman in the Amish, she was not one to fester for long. So finally, after everything was done so a fight might not get in the way of painting she spoke. <COLOR color="#20B2AA">"So friend from work? The bar? Who was that guy?" She asked, trying to get a full story.

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[Cormac Fitzgerald]

Nothing had ever blown up in his face quite as much as inviting his friend round for dinner. The interaction between his drinking buddy and his daughter had been...unexpected and he hadn't been sure what to think of it. Rowen on the other hand seemed to be on a war path. After Shane left he as given a little of the silent treatment while dinner was cleared and the kitchen was tidied. Rowan decided it was time to address the issue. Who the hell had he brought to dinner. "He's a bar friend, we drink together, he's a good guy, I'm sure he didn't mean anything by his tryout thing, he was just being nice I'm sure,"

 

[Rowen Fitzgerald]

Rowen thought of her next words carefully, unaware that Keeva could hear them from the stair where she was perched. "He invites out daughter to try out, winks at her, he was making eyes at her. I don't like this guy. What if he's got a history of something? Did he agree to come over before or after he knew we had a teen daughter?" Being raised in a conservative family it was all too common for Rowen to be suspicious of people who were outside her comfort zone. In fact she'd been suspicious of Cormac when they'd first met. She turned to face the sink and took a breath. "I know I should trust your judgement but... Keeva struggles in school enough, now she's going to practice quidditch more because he promised her what is probably an imaginary try out. I don't want her to be disappointed." She whispered.

 

[Cormac Fitzgerald]

Cormac couldn't believe the words that were coming out of his wife's mouth. Did she really think Shane had come over purely to get in his daughters pants? Cormac knew Shane liked his women, and yes he was a bit of a player but as far as he knew all the women he dated were of age. "Rowen, you're eing crazy, I've known him a long time, I've never once suspected he had a thing for young girls. I never told him how old Keeva was, but he's known about her for years," He sighed. Cormac understood that because of her back ground she wasn't the most trusting of strangers and yes Shane's behaviour could have been described as flirty but he hadn't thought anything of it. "I trust him, I trust that the tryout would be genuine, but what can we do? Forbid her? She'd just go anyway!"

 

[Rowen Fitzgerald]

Rowen's eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly in an indignant fashion. "Crazy?" She asked and then scoffed. "No, crazy is that I married a guy who brings home guys from the bar. If you've known him so long why have i never met him before tonight? Or was this the specific reason?" She asked, hands on her hips, visibly irate. "If the way I try to guard my daughter is crazy you'd have never lasted with my father who locked us in our bedroom on nights we were being courted if he didn't like the boy. Or the fact that we courted at all. That's crazy." Then she moved on. "And no we aren't forbidding her from going, but I am not seeing my daughter disappointed. If Shane doesn't follow through with giving Keeva that try out I will turn him in to a Shania. Got it?" She asked her husband, a threat behind her bold eyes.

 

[Cormac Fitzgerald]

Cormac raisef his defensively instantly regretting his choice of words. "That isn't what i meant at all," He couldn't believe that in am argument about theor daughter and some guy he appeared to be defending the guy. "Bring home guys from the bar? I invited a friend home for dinner, to meet my family that was the idea. You hadn't met him before because for a long time he wasn't even a friend, just a drinking buddy but I know him better now, I trust him and I trust him with our daughter," No doubt Rowen would make him regret such a statement but he continued anway. "IF, he lets her down, if the tryout is ANYTHING but a genuine tryout, you don't have to worry, I'll take care of him, he might be my friend but no one messes with my little girl, ok?"

 

[Rowen Fitzgerald]

Rowen took a breath and nodded. "Cormac, I'm trusting him because I trust you okay. Please don't make me regret that." Rowen crossed the room to her husband and kissed him gently on the lips. "Now let's go to bed okay? We'll fuss more about this when Keeva is closer to the try out. Right now I just want to cuddle." She took her husbands hand and pulled on him towards the stiars, where Keeva had already scampered away from and to her bedroom so as not to get caught. Thus the night ended oddly - and with little tension left. Only a seer could know how the try out would go, but she hoped it would be well hoped well and further in the future.