I See Love

[Karah Love]

Working as a waitress was difficult when you knew in your bones that you had so much more to offer the world but at the end of everyday Karah would retire her apron and let her long red hair down and smile because soon she would be home with the man she loved. They were young, they both knew it and whenever they held each other tight enough she could feel herself tremble in fear because it was new and it made her nervous in a good way. Ezra was absolutely perfect for her, even when her voice felt raw from yelling; she couldn't be mad at him. The fool was too easy to love and it made her a bit mad. Even when she was wrong his apologies would make her lips raw from his and when he came home from a long day, his problems seemed to ebb slowly away like sand on the shore.

The world might be hard but with Ezra it didn't seem like it at all, even though when they had met at eleven years old they had fought one another. With each new day, she felt less like she was learning something about hi, and more that she was remembering something; like her soul was remembering him and how it would always be him she would be standing beside and she could only feel so lucky to have found him so young.

The young veela's family even entirely accepted Ezra Shaffer. Her brothers, sisters, step-mother, father and of course her nieces and nephews. It was funny to see them run at him and hang on his arms while he walked around or did bicep curls because they asked him to while she spoke with her siblings. They all loved him despite how much they hated that she was in a relationship so 'young'. There were people from Clovelly that she had gotten to muggle school with and were pregnant, heck there were girls at Hogwarts who had babies already. She figured that if she was in a committed, loving relationship she was still in a better place than many but would never boast such a thing, although she was proud to be on his arm and to have him on hers.

Now, the red head dressed and did her make up expertly. Just as when she had given Ezra the option to move in with her she had made sure that the vanity was all taken care of so that if she were rejected, she would still look nice. Her hair was whisked into several carefully placed, yet whispy looking braids which were then pinned back. It would easily stay yet also easily come out if need be so it was perfect. As she put on a pair of earrings that Ezra had given her for her birthday she stood up and prepared herself by putting the most important sheet of paper into the pocket of her dress. She had quite the surprise for her boyfriend who would shortly return home.

Instead of cooking like last time she had meant to give Ezra a big surprise, she intended on going out for dimmer to a restaurant they had had their first date outside of Hogwarts and Hogsmaede. During the summer of their sixth year when they had walked to a muggle restaurant in California when she had gone to meet his family.

 

[Ezra Shaffer]

With a twist of the key in the lock, Ezra opened the door to the apartment that he shared with his girlfriend. He dropped his briefcase by the door as he moved through the apartment towards the bedroom. He had left work early today because Karah had hinted that she had something special in mind. Ezra had finished his article before the deadline and submitted it. The writer was really enjoying his job as a Daily Prophet journalist. He only wished that Karah could find her perfect job. Ezra knew that she had more potential than just waiting tables. Karah just needed to find out what she wanted to do with all of that potential. He had faith that she would figure it out and do great things.

The former Slytherin counted himself very lucky with the life that he had been given. His family loved Karah and accepted her into their family with open arms just as her family had done for him. The Shaffers had slowly gotten used to the ideas of witches and wizards especially as they found out that people like Nina and Kiera's family were of magical blood. Arielle had been the most supportive of Ezra's choice in Karah as she loved the younger girl as if she was already her sister. Arielle had been the one Ezra turned to for relationship advice and it had never led him astray. She had also been the one to help him with the very big purchase that was in his pocket at this very moment.

Ezra opened the bedroom door and caught a glimpse of his beautiful girlfriend. His blue eyes lit up as they always did when he saw her, and a smile appeared on his face. It was hard to believe that he had disliked Karah so intensely when they first met. Over the years, dislike and turned into friendship that turned into like that turned into love. Ezra had loved Karah long before she realized it and was willing to wait for her. Ez knew better than to push her to hard or she would run. He was patient and let her realize what she wanted.

Ezra went to his love and wrapped his arms around her in and embrace. He greeted her with a kiss. "How was your day, love?" he asked as he released her, moving towards the closet. He slowly began undressing, removing his wizarding clothes in favor of the muggle clothing he had grown up wearing. He moved around the room, looking for something nice to wear. "So what do you have in mind for tonight, Karah?" he asked curiously. Ezra wondered what his girlfriend had in mind for them as she had seemed awfully excited about it when she had first told him about it.

 

[Karah Love]

Karah's stomach churned as she heard the door to the flat open and close. She looked around the room with anxiety and within a few seconds she placed her arms akimbo, then down at her sides and then finally she put one hand in her pocket and the other fiddled, slightly awkwardly with an earring. She didn't want to seem out of sorts at all because she didn't want Ezra to guess what was going on but he knew her too well to not know something wasn't going on. She needed to be calm because she just knew that if the roles were re-reversed, Ezra would be as cool as a cucumber, for Agrippa's sake. He was so confident in himself - and in her.

Her anxiety fled when Karah found herself in Ezra's arms. She could stay there forever and it still wouldn't be long enough, although she hated to be such a cliche. "Mmm hi, Ez," she murmured after giving him a quick peck. As their embrace ended she gave her delayed response, "It was good. Uneventful. How about you?" She sincerely hoped that he was in a positive mood because she didn't want anything to be ruined, as well as the fact that she wanted him to be happy all the time. The young veela sat on their bed while Ezra dressed, trying to keep her poker face from faltering by looking away from him.

When Ezra was direct in his inquiry, Karah couldn't help but smile and enigmatically say, "You'll see." She had half a mind to tell him that he had the time of day wrong. Technically, it would be lunch but she had ensured that there was a table waiting for them. She grinned with her tongue behind her teeth. She hoped that he wouldn't mind doing side-apparition because that was to be necessary unless they were to fly all the way to California which was not going to happen. Only a fool would do such a thing, or a person with a death wish and for the moment, Karah was neither. So she waited for him to be get dressed by leaving the room for a moment to grab her purse that she had left on the dining room table and before she returned to the bedroom she smiled wistfully. If all went well, someday she knew she would be sitting in this room with her fiancé. The thought of it made her freckled nose wrinkle and her smile grow so wide that her cheeks began to ache but once more she did not have a moment longer to dwell on this and returned to their bedroom which she had re-decorated recently so that it had a warmer feel to it. She was very glad to be a witch because she had not been able to decide and it would have been very tiresome to change and change manually. It had mostly been on a whim and from some pent up excitement but was pleased and it seemed that Ezra was too.

"Hey," said a gentle voice as she saw her boyfriend and although they had only hugged a moment ago, she wrapped her arms around him gain and just stood there silently for a minute. Not thinking, not moving. It wasn't as if she had a life she wanted to avoid, she loved her life and was so blessed to have it but it was so nice to just stop the world for a moment before she pulled away, smiled up at him and said, "Are you ready?" As Karah looked into Ezra's eyes she could feel like the question - which was a secretly loaded one - had only one answer from him. For some reason, he thought the world of her and she knew that it was more than some veela charm she could put on any person.

 

[Ezra Shaffer]

The blonde man smiled at his girlfriend and shrugged his shoulders. "I had a great day at work actually. I finished my article, and I get to go cover a Quidditch game tomorrow. You can go with me if you have the day off." he told Karah as he moved a little closer to her. He would enjoy spending the day with her. Though he had never played Quidditch at Hogwarts, he enjoyed watching it. Ezra really enjoyed his job. He had found the perfect occupation for his career. "But, it wasn't as great as being home with you, Kare." he told her, stroking her cheek gently before going to look for a shirt to put on.

Ezra took a moment to step into the closet and switch the ring over to his current pair of pants. He was very careful not to let Karah see what he was doing. The tiny little box had been snuck into every pair of pants for the last two weeks. He kept trying to find the perfect moment to ask her to marry him, but nothing ever seemed right. Ezra knew that he loved Karah and that she loved him back, but he wasn't sure she was ready to marry him. Still, he knew he wanted to marry her. There was never going to be anyone that he loved more or wanted more than Karah Love. Ezra had no doubt that she was the one for him. Maybe that's why he was afraid of losing her.

The former Slytherin watched Karah as she got up off the bed and came towards him. He opened his arms automatically and embraced her. Ezra would have been content with holding her all night long. He kissed the top of that bright red head that he so adored. Ezra smiled down at Karah as she pulled away. His blue eyes looked at her quizzically as he still was unaware as to where they would be going. "I'm ready, love. Even if I don't know exactly what you are up to." he said, tweaking her nose. Ezra was only teasing her slightly, but he was curious. He didn't know what had gotten into her. She was acting a little odd, almost as if she was nervous. Ezra knew her moods like his own, but he had no idea what she was planning for the night.

 

[Karah Love]

Karah grinned when Ezra told her of his day, he was so happy at the Prophet and she loved it and sometimes it had perks, which she smiled for and said, "I definitely have the day off. I'd love to go." She had actually quit her job as a waitress a few days before in place for a career but had not told Ezra yet, wanting to surprise him and what better way than this? She had such big plans and couldn't wait to put them into action and even more, she couldn't wait to share them with the person she loved the most. While she knew that Ezra didn't think any less of her for being a waitress, the way people treated her got to her and she felt that perhaps she was even less intelligent than originally thought. She wanted to be smart and she worked hard but intelligence that fits inside a box was not for the red head, try as she might. But like everything else, it had worked out and in a week she was due to have her first day at a real career.

For many nineteen year olds that would be daunting but Karah Love was ready. It was the same with her asking Ezra to marry her. It was scary, yes, but she was ready. So many amazing things were scary at first so when her loving boyfriend told her he was ready she smiled and kissed his cheek. "You'll see what I have planned." She took his hand in hers and within a second they had apparated into a quiet alley. It really was not the most pleasant sight but she could hardly expose muggles to this so, with a tug on Ezra's hand she lead him out of the alley and onto a small street where there was room just enough for a patio of a restaurant that they had been to once before several years ago where they had stolen glances as they spoke about minutia. It must've been so clear that they were nervous because the owner had tactlessly come over to try to stir up a deeper conversation as I'd she'd been listening which, at the end of the day gave them both a hearty laugh.

Karah smirked as she walked over to the patio and said, "I think you might recall where we are?" The young Irish girl took a seat at a table that had a particularly nice view. Although it was not night in California, it was time for a late lunch here so she figured it was safe enough to come without raising suspicions from the muggles. Of course they were a willfully ignorant group of people anyway. More oft than not magic was as clear as day but there was a stubborn refusal to see it and for that she felt for them. It was truly a wonderful thing to be born with the gift but ignorance is bliss, as they say.

After they had ordered and there was a slight lull in the conversation when Karah looked anxiously away and said, "So I bumped into your boss the other day. Lovely man, he is." She had met him only once before by chance when she and Ezra were to go out for lunch and she had come by the Prophet to meet him. Although he starred a little too much for her liking because of the veela gene she genuinely liked him, even more when she had come to him to ask a favour of one of his columnists who would be a far better writer than she was. It was even better that he had made them promise to keep a tight lip about the favour. "He shared an interesting piece of news with me. It might go into the Prophet soon." Karah felt like she was failing miserably at being cryptic and smiled as their food was brought out and thanked the waitress, taking a sip of her glass of wine before putting it down, pretending to be somewhat distracted because she knew he would ask her exactly what was going on. She need only pass Ezra a piece of paper to be printed and ask him a question with it.

 

[Ezra Shaffer]

Ezra grinned as Karah agreed to go to the game with him. He loved quidditch even though he didn't play it. Going with Karah would only make it ten times more enjoyable. "Perfect. It's a date." Ezra told her with a warm smile. His blue eyes looked quizzically into hers, still trying to figure out what she had in mind. Usually, Karah wasn't all that good at keeping secrets from him. It must be something really good to force her silence. He could tell by the twinkle in her eyes. As she took his hand, Ezra felt the familiar squeeze that came along with apparating.

Ezra glanced around at his surroundings. It was warmer here and clearly earlier in the day. Midday maybe. They walked out of the ally way, and Ezra smelled salt in the air. As he looked at the patio that she had led him to, Ezra recognized where they were. He chuckled slightly. They hadn't been here together in years. This was the place he had taken Karah after she had first met his parents. He had invited her over to his house during one of the school breaks. Although she had fretted about the meeting, it had gone smoothly. The Shaffers accepted Karah into the fold quickly as they realized how much Ezra cared for the redhead. After she arrived, he brought her here. "This is where we had our first real date. Of course I recognize it." he said with a smile at her. Ezra wrapped his arm around her as he escorted her inside.

They were seated at a table near the windows that overlooked the beach. The restaurant was pretty deserted at this point in the day. It was later than he thought originally. Ezra smiled at the waitress as she came to take their order. He let Karah order before ordering for himself. After the waitress left, Ezra turned his attention back to Karah. Words could not describe how much he loved this beautiful girl that he was so lucky to call his girlfriend. The box inside his pocket pressed against his leg. Ezra raised his eyebrow at Karah's words, slightly surprised that she had talked to his boss and not mentioned it to him earlier. His boss was a nice man, and easy to work for too. The blonde man smiled at her. "Really? What bit of news is that?" he asked curiously. He wondered what he boss would have told her that he hadn't told Ezra.

 

[Karah Love]

When Ezra confirmed her question, Karah gave him a quick peck on the cheek. She would've been somewhat disappointed if he didn't because the memory of their first real date was the brightest and the highest of importance to her. It was where so much began, although it was clear that it really all started with the cobbled courtyard Hogwarts had. As they settled in, Karah offered her hand to Ezra so she could hold his, she was certain his touch would calm her nerves and mind which were both running rampant.

"Here," answered Karah, who grinned excitedly as she unfolded a slip of paper and slid it across the table to Ezra. It read, rather simply, "Jack Green and Camille Love announce the engagement of their daughter Karah Love to Ezra Shaffer (ooc: I don't know Ezra's parent's info so...) The bride-to-be was a Gryffindor Prefect at Hogwarts New Zealand and graduated 2034 with her groom-to-be. Karah is an interior decorator, working out of New Zealand. The groom-to-be is a Slytherin alumni of Hogwarts New Zealand and promptly started working for the Daily Prophet as a columnist. The couple have yet to set a date." When she was certain that Ezra had finished reading it, the red head tucked her hair behind her ear nervously and said, "If... if you'll have me. I'd really love to, y'know, marry you?" She didn't bother sharing her excitement about her new position as an interior decorator as well because right now it was not as important as Ezra's response to her question. She felt silly, admittedly, for being this nervous. They loved one another and even if he didn't want to right now, she just knew that one day they would both be ready to make this sort of engagement. The English girl looked into her boyfriend's eyes and wondered what exactly he was thinking at that moment and if she had actually made a silly decision with how to go about this proposal. It wasn't something she'd planned to much and what she had planned, was minimum because she didn't wish to be so ostentatious or presumptious, or even somehow hurt Ezra's pride. It really was no wonder that women didn't propose. In fact, it was lucky anyone ever got married now that she was in this position. She adored him so much but would not be eager to do this again, the anticipation made her breath catch in her throat. Yes or No. This was one of the biggest questions she would likely ever ask and ever be asked.


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