Insistence

[Carter Kaster]

Carter sighed and looked up at the sky as he left the office for what felt like the first time in weeks. Since the announcement last month, Carter had been staying for so much over time trying to get his campaign together as well as keeping up with his work. Carter of course would never regret his nomination nor his participation in this campaign, he had never been afraid of hard work, but he had to admit that he felt sorry for a few of his opposition colleagues, if they had families, he couldn't even imagine how they would be feeling right now. The stress was getting to him, he knew this would be stressful, but he would never admit it, his mother may have been slightly eccentric, but she didn't raise a whiner. For this particular day off, which Carter was more then grateful for, he had decided it was time for him to ride a horse. He had promised his mother he would learn, seeing as everyone back in Germany could ride and he was the only one who had never bothered to learn. Many rich families had their own stables and his family was definitely not the exception. It was supposed to be an activity that brought relaxation and calmness, though Carter feared this would not be the case for him.

Carter's only problem, was that his mother thought that he could ride, he had promised her countless times that he had learned the very moment he'd set foot in this delectable country. It was one of the only things that stopped the blasted woman from overstepping the boundaries he had placed around her and making her way immediately to his side. After nearly two years, he figured it was about time he made good on a lie. Carter did not generally like lying, it was a trait he found most deplorable, however there were times in a man's life when lying was simply the only option. Keeping one's mother at bay, was definitely one of them. He'd arranged with one of the stablemen his mother knew to have a horse arranged, but he had ensured that he would not be taking lessons from anyone there, lest it get back to his mother, which he knew it would. He was simply going to have to take it in his stride and hope for the best. Although, he knew he was definitely going to have an interesting time as he may or may not have actually been slightly afraid of heights. Carter loathed the feeling he got whenever he was faced with height that did not allow him to jump and not injure himself. Whilst a horse was not dramatically high, he had no doubt he would at least feel slightly uneasy, not to mention they were not the safest means of transport.

Never-the-less as Carter arrived at the stables he was feeling both determined to succeed and far too stubborn to allow anyone to help him, least of all the damn stable hands. They could all be paid to talk and he was pretty sure he knew who would be greasing their palms. Shaking his head, Carter realised that even with more then ten thousand miles separating them, his mother still had a hold on his life. He had almost been expecting her to send a bunch of eligible young women his way to say him the trouble. He would be okay though, he could tell his mothers type a mile away and Carter knew he would never be able to live with someone who was materialistic or annoying. For some reason she seemed to think it was the kind of women he would like, which it definitely wouldn't be. Carter sort of knew the type of women he liked, after all, he'd had girlfriends in school, but never really felt anything major for them. He shrugged, it was even less concerning now then it had been then. After campaigning all week, he needed some down time. That was where the horse came in. Maybe he wouldn't even have to ride it today, maybe he could just care for it, after all, he had been considering buying a horse, one more nail in the lie he had been feeding his mother. Grabbing the equipment he would need to care for the horse, which was best to do anyway, seeing as the horse did not know him, Carter made his way to the stable where he saw two horses, one was patchy, it kind of reminded him of his brother, he smirked slightly and moved to introduce himself to the horse. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

I got a little carried away, I don't know if I can keep this quantity for the remainder of the rp
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[Kiera Kaster]

With a satisfying click, Kiera locked the door to Ollivander's behind her. It had been an eventful, busy month for the young mother. The first years looking for a wand had kept her store hopping, so much so that she was considering hiring a new assistant or letting Lyra and Link help out. Her brother had announced his candidacy for Minister of Magic, so Kiera had been doing her best to support him. Her store was practically covered in Kingsley for Minister signs with the intention of parents shopping with their children seeing them. The brunette woman wanted to do anything to help her brother that she could because she had a suspicion that her own personal tragedy was part of his motivation. Cameron had been working even longer hours than usual. Kiera had been spending time with Cyndi and the boys to keep her sister-in-law busy, not that she really needed Kiera's help for that. Cyndi had been so kind and good to her when James went missing that Kiera wanted to repay it.

However, today she was not going to go to Cyndi's. Kiera's younger sister was in town, and she had volunteered to take the children to the zoo for the day, which was probably their most favorite place to visit. Having this rare time alone, Kiera changed out of her robes and closed up shop early. Dressed in an old pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt, she apparated to the stables where she boarded her two horses. Kiera had always enjoyed riding, as she had been doing it all of her life. Her father had taught them all to ride at a young age when they still lived in Georgia. Katheryn didn't much like it, but Kiera loved it. She had insisted to James that they buy horses when they first bought their New Zealand home, and good naturedly, he had agreed. James had always found her stubbornness endearing, preferring to call it determination instead. It was here that she had boarded her horses ever since.

Kiera's tack was in a storage room near her horses' stalls. Kiera was a petite woman, but she picked it up with ease and familiarity as she made her way to the stalls. The horses saw her coming and whinnied their delight. It was rare that she came alone these days. She saw an unfamiliar man in the stall of one of her horses, causing her to pause only briefly. Kiera had agreed to allow that horse to be rented out on occasion as it cut down on her boarding fee. Besides that, it was good to have the help exercising him. He was a gentle horse that Lyra and Link were learning to ride. Still, she always paused to say hello to him, even if she was choosing to ride the other horse. Kiera went to the stall next door and saddled Dakota quickly and efficiently. The brunette led the horse out of the stall by the reins. Next door, Kiera noticed that the man was still standing in the stall, without making any progress. She hoped that the man heard her coming and that she didn't startle him as she spoke. "His name is Gunsmoke, and really he's quite gentle." she added, seeing a hint of uncertainty in the man's eyes. Kiera smiled a friendly smile at the man. "I'm Kiera. Do you need any help?" she said, knowing that he might laugh in her face at the offer. She was so slight that it was hard to imagine that she could be of assistance.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter was making little progress with this horse at all and whilst it was slightly annoying, it was better then nothing. He supposed progress was made when he actually got here, then when he actually touched the horse, but that was basically the extent of it. Shaking his head, Carter moved closer to the horse and ran his hands along the face, which it seemed to like, so that was something at least. Carter smiled slightly as the horse went right on grazing. Well, it didn't seem to hate him, so again, that was so pretty good progress, however beyond this, he didn't think he would be able to do much else. Aside from really not knowing what else to do, Carter figured that maybe he didn't want the horse to get annoyed with him. He knew they could do some damage, his own mother had been kicked in the face by an angry horse once, it was only his father's quick thinking that had saved her life. In fact, it was pretty much that day that Carter had decided he didn't want anything to do with horses. He wasn't scared of them, thought he was as cautious as anyone should be with a massive and dangerous animal such as this. He remembered Care of Magical Creatures class back at school. The day they had learned about Hippogriffs and Unicorns, he had not been one of the ones to ride them, in fact he had mostly stayed away.

Carter was about to attempt something else when he heard the approach of someone. Thinking it was one of the stable hands, Carter backed away from the horse quickly and bent down for the brush he had placed on the ground along with other equipment when he walked in. However as he looked up, he noticed that the approaching person, was not a stable hand. She did however appear to be a rider. She told him that the horses name was Gunsmoke and that he was quite gentle. Carter stood up again and went back over to the horse, rubbing its side. "That was about as far as I got with working out how he was going to react to me." He said, moving his hand along the horses side to run its chest. He was finding some enjoyment in this, loath as he was to admit it. Why was his mother always right? Carter smiled at the woman when she mentioned her name. It was a lovely name and he quite liked it. He did not know any Kiera's. "Nice to meet you, Miss Kiera." He moved away from the horse once again, and moved towards her, holding out his hand. "I'm Carter and whilst I would really love to say yes to your offer, pride absolutely forbids it." He figured the woman wasn't in league with the stable hands. She didn't seem like the type, besides, he'd not come across her name when he had met most of them. "You must have a wonderful talent with horses." Carter was mostly referring to the fact that the woman appeared too small to be able to handle such a creature. He wasn't trying to be condescending or rude, he honestly just admired the fact that she, with her slightness, could better handle a horse then even his horse trainer of a mother. Of course, his mother dealt with wild horses on a regular basis too.
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[Kiera Kaster]

"Well, I'm sure he loves you after all of the attention you have been giving him." Kiera told the man with confidence. The brunette grinned at the man as he introduced himself as Carter. "It's nice to meet you as well, Carter." she said. Kiera took the hand that she was offered and shook it firmly. He was a nice, friendly guy despite the fact that she was clearly sticking her nose into his business. Thankfully, Carter didn't seem to mind and even offered her a compliment, or at least she took his remark as a compliment. "I grew up riding horses. My dad loves them and taught me to ride, as well as my brother and sister. It helps me relax and gives me time to think." she said with a wistful smile. There was just something about the horses. They had been a method of therapy for her after losing James. "Plus, I just love horses." she said with grin. It was a shame that he wasn't going to experience the feeling. Kiera decided that she was going to get this man on the horse one way or another, pride or no pride. She was determined.

Kiera tied Dakota's reins to a post outside the stall and moved to take out a sugar cube from her pocket. She always brought them with her to the stables as treats for her horses. She gave one to Dakota before moving into the stall. She opened her palm with the sugar cube in it. Gunsmoke took it without hesitation with a snort at her, his form of greeting. Kiera grinned at Carter. "Are you sure I can't convince you to get on the horse? It would be a shame to make a girl go for a ride all on her own." she said, opening her honey eyes wide. It was a tactic that always worked well on her brother when they were kids. It was the way that Kiera had gotten him to do most things that she had wanted him to. Of course, she didn't know Carter, so she wasn't sure this would work on him, but she thought it was worth a try. "I've been told I'm a great instructor and even better company." she said with a wink. Kiera wasn't really trying to flirt with the guy, but she was starved for adult conversation. The petite brunette spent most of the time these days talking to one of her three children or a student buying a wand. She really wanted someone to talk to for a few hours.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter smiled slightly at the woman when she mentioned the attention he had been giving to the horse. It was true he was paying a lot of attention to it, though he would have hoped she had not noticed. He still hadn't been able to bring himself to actually getting on the horse. It was a silly fear of horses that seemed to have developed from his problem with heights. Maybe if he had taken his mother's advice as a child he would not be in this situation now, however, this was not the case and he was now stuck in the knowledge that he was a thirty year old man and the only member of his family that could not ride a horse. He wondered if the Kaster's here could ride, but had never asked. Shaking his head he decided there was no point dwelling on it and turned back to his companion again. "Between you and me, my mother attempted to teach me to ride when I was a child, but some things happened that prevented me from learning and in the end I just decided it wasn't worth it." He told her, running his hand through his already messy hair. "I think I regret that decision now though." This point garnered a laugh from him and he shrugged at himself. Carter had continuously considered learning how to ride, but eventually his mother had managed to get on his nerves enough about it, that he had refused to learn simply to spite her. The day his mother had offered to drop her nagging if he accepted a marriage arrangement was the day Carter had left the country. He had been twenty eight at the time and he'd just had enough. He didn't want to marry some halfwit bimbo his mother thought would look good on his arm. He knew he was being a bit harsh, his mother would never allow him to marry a bimbo, but he just wanted to choose his own path. He didn't believe in planning his life to the point of strict effect.

Carter watched carefully as Kiera tied her own horse to the post and pulled a sugar cube out of her pocket. He had known that horses liked sugar cubes, but had never actually thought about bringing one with him for the horse he was with now. He felt bad, because surely Gunsmoke was going to be missing out now. Soon he realised that Kiera was heading towards Gunsmoke and she opened her palm to reveal yet another sugar cube. Carter was definitely relieved because now the horse wasn't going to resent him for not giving it treats. Of course he hadn't been the one to give it to him, but surely the horse didn't hold grudges right? Carter was surprised when Kiera turned to talk to him and shook his head slightly at the expression on her face when she spoke. An expression like that surely did wonders for her, but it was not working on Carter, he had two sisters a mother, at least a dozen cousins and ex girlfriends. He knew that expression well. Carter patted the horse on the head and grinned at Kiera. "Not working on me, Miss Kiera, but I'll give you an O for Effort." He was enjoying this conversation. After being so caught up in work for so long, having someone to talk to was like a blessing for him. Not to mention the fact that she seemed to be enjoying herself too. Intelligent and polite conversation was a real turn on for Carter, actually, almost everything about this woman made Carter happy, but he'd only just met her, there was no point in getting in over his head. "Tell you what, just for you, I'll walk this horse outside and if I feel good about that, I'll attempt to sit on him, how does that sound?" He asked, taking the reigns in his hands and patting the horse on the head. He wouldn't mind spending more time with Kiera, she seemed like a lovely person and Merlin knew he could use a break from work. No politics talk for him today. It would be weird after all, he didn't want to think about his campaign every single day.
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[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera smiled softly at the man as he said something had prevented him from learning how to ride as a child. The brunette pursed her lips. "Did a horse throw you?" she asked curiously, though it was really none of her business. She knew that many people gave up trying to learn to ride because of really nasty tumbles to the ground. "My sister, Katheryn, quit riding because she broke her arm on a leg in a fall once. She thought it wasn't worth risking her career. She's an actress in the United States now." she said, feeling proud of her little sister. Of course, they had been able to heal it quickly with magic. Cameron had always been good with spells to mend bones, something that came in handy with his two small boys. Kiera couldn't count the number of times that she had been bucked off a horse. She had ended up bruised and bloody, but her stubborn arse kept getting back on that horse, determined to master the skill. Despite her small frame, she was tough. Much tougher than she looked. Kiera had always been stubborn and headstrong, determined to do whatever she set her mind to. It wasn't always the most endearing trait, but it was this trait that had brought her several Olympic gold medals in gymnastics many, many years ago.

Kiera sighed when Carter told her that her puppy dog eyes wouldn't have an effect on him. She had figured as much. He didn't have the same weakness for her as brother and father did. James had only been fooled by the look on occasions. "Well, as long as I still get an O." she said with another grin at Carter. Kiera listened to Carter's deal with her lips pursed. Whether he knew it or not, he was still allowing her to help him, and it made her happy. "That seems like a fair proposition." she said with mock seriousness. "I accept your deal." she said, knowing that Gunsmoke was probably the gentlest horse on this property. After all, Kiera allowed the twins to ride him whenever they wished. He would not misbehave. Kiera backed out of the stall and untied Dakota. She stepped up in the stirrup and swung her other leg over the horse with familiar ease and practice. She sat on the horse as she waited for Carter to bring Gunsmoke out. "After you, Sir." she said with a smile on her lips.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter shook his head at Kiera's question and had to really think about whether he should tell her the story of his youth. He still harboured ill feelings towards his brother over the incident, so perhaps he shouldn't tell her. Deciding that it was perhaps something for another day, Carter decided just to tell her that it wasn't a horse that was his problem. "No, a horse is not my problem, it is another factor entirely, but this factor does cause me some problems on occasion." He smiled at her and listened as she mentioned that not only did she have a younger sister, she also happened to be a broadway actress. Carter was intrigued, a man who liked the finer things in life, such as theatre and other such things, he wondered if she was an actress in the magical or muggle world. Carter tilted his head in a bid to garner more information. "Really? Does she work in the magical or the muggle world?" Carter had seen one or two muggle productions in his time, but he definitely preferred the magical ones, of course, the muggles needed to be commended for their ability to use special effects without the use of magic. It was one of the things about muggles that Carter admired. They were certainly very good at what they were doing. The magical world had not changed much over the last couple of hundred years, but the muggles always continued to develop their technology, it was all quite interesting, though in saying that, Carter could never live in the muggle world, it would be strange. He relied on his magical abilities far too much. "And what do you do for a living, Miss Kiera?" Carter asked, finding that he was very intrigued by this woman and wanted to discover all that he could about her.

Carter laughed as Kiera sighed. She should have known really, after all they did just meet. "Dear me, Miss Kiera, does this mean you were attempting to influence me into doing something I didn't want to?" He asked, raising his eyebrow at his companion. He really liked her company so far, she seemed like a lovely and quite entertaining woman. He nodded as she accepted his proposal and grabbed the reigns of the horse. He watched her patiently as she mounted her horse with obvious familiarity and he admired her for it. He was not usually one to give up, but for some reason, horse riding just didn't seem as important as some more demanding past times. Smiling up at the woman, though being six foot two in height meant he didn't have far up to look, Carter pulled the horse out of the stable to join Kiera outside. He knew the basics of horse riding and he also knew the mechanics of getting on the horse, but he had never physically done so. Eternally grateful that he had at least learnt how to saddle a horse, Carter returned to the stable and retrieved a saddle and bridle, though he actually didn't know how to use the bridle, he'd never gotten that far. He'd also not saddled a horse in over twenty years, so he was going completely from the memory of his six year old self. Biting his lip slightly, Carter set about saddling the horse. He hoped Kiera would not speak to him in this time because he wasn't sure he could concentrate on both the horse and on her at the same time. Whilst he was able to multitask quite easily, doing something this complicated took a lot more concentration then he had expected. Finally attending the last buckle, Carter turned to Kiera for her inspection. "Well, how did I do?" He asked, walking the horse closer to her, now he needed only to figure out how to use the bridle.
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[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera's curiosity peaked as Carter said the horse wasn't the problem. She couldn't think of another reason not to want to get on a horse other than falling off the top of her head. The brunette decided to not push the issue. He didn't seem to want to talk to her about it, and she didn't want to run him off as she was having a really good time talking to this man. She wanted to get to know him better. It had been a long time since she had met someone that was this easy for her to talk to. Kiera smiled as Carter asked about her sister's occupation. "She works in the muggle world. Kat lives in New York most of the time. She's really a sweet, kind person. Kat was good in school, but she always preferred singing and acting to magic." Kiera said with a good natured smile. Kiera preferred the magic world herself, but she hadn't always. "My father is a muggle, and he raised my brother, sister, and me in the muggle world." she said as a sort of explanation. It was hard to give up everything from your childhood. Kiera would always feel comfortable in the muggle world. She just made a life for herself in the wizarding world. Kiera smiled as Carter asked her what she did for a living. It was nice to not be recognized. Maybe her notoriety would fade away. That would make her very happy. "Well, I own Ollivander's, and I make wands. I started working there when I was at Hogwarts and eventually bought the place. I also played for the Holyhead Harpies for about ten years. I retired a few years ago." she said, revealing that she was older than her might look. She didn't know how much he knew about Quidditch or if he would connect the pieces to figuring out who she really was. It had been so nice to have a conversation with someone without them feeling sorry for her. She hated it when people looked at her as if she was a wounded animal. "What do you do, Carter?" she asked curiously, truly wanting to know more about him.

Kiera laughed as he accused her of attempting to influence him. "Oh, absolutely. I was definitely doing that. Completely selfish motives of course. I guess I just wanted some company." she said with a wink to him. Kiera grinned at Carter, her honey eyes sparkling with excitement. The brunette noticed that she really wasn't much taller than the man on the horse. At just five feet tall, it was a curse. Kiera followed Carter out of the stables. She watched him carefully as he saddled the horse with deep concentration. The woman remained silent as she watched him work. At the end, he asked her for her opinion of how he did. Kiera leapt down from the horse, landing lightly. She walked over to the horse he saddled and looked it over. She made sure the saddle was tight enough. Some horses had the habit of poking out their stomachs and then sucking it back in to keep the saddle loose on them. A loose saddle would cause Carter to fall from the saddle, something that would not reassure him that riding horses was a good idea. However, everything looked good. "It looks perfect. Nice work." she said approvingly. "Are you almost ready to get on the horse?" Kiera asked, a grin on her face. "Just one more piece to take care of." she said, indicating the bridle.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter was interested. Whether he was interested in Kiera or just interested in knowing more about her, he wasn't sure, but there was something. Shaking his head, Carter looked back towards Kiera as she talked about her sister's work. He found it all really intriguing that this sister of hers enjoyed living in the muggle world. Carter had nothing against muggles, he found them quite fascinating and had achieved quite high marks in his muggle studies class, but he had never really thought about ever living there. He loved his magic too much to ever want to give it up, it was as much a part of himself as his own limbs, that was what magic really was, an extension of ones own body, an extra limb, that was what he had been taught and who was he to tell his parents they were wrong? He agreed with them wholeheartedly. Kiera soon mentioned that her father was a muggle and all made sense. He could now understand why someone would willingly live without magic. Living your informative and most impressionable years without that extra made it more likely to become only a fixture and not a necessary lifeline. Perhaps the muggleborns of the world had the right idea in the end? Being able to live on either side of that imaginary line would be mighty handy indeed. The mentioning of her job however is what truly intrigued him. Ollivander's; she made wands for a living. Carter really thought that was both amazing and definitely not something he would have expected her too say. Honestly he didn't know what he was expecting, but that certainly wasn't it. The Quidditch thing kind of made sense, she kind of seemed like she had the body of a player, not that he had been paying attention to specific details, but she was slight and she could probably move very well, so it didn't really surprise him that she was a Chaser. "I work in the Ministry. Not nearly as exciting as Quidditch or wandlore, i assure you, but it has its merits."

Carter laughed again as Kiera continued on the play. She was definitely a very funny and witty person, two traits that Carter adored, not just in woman, but in anyone. She also seemed to posess the most influential trait of the Kaster clan; stubborness. No Kaster alive, except for maybe Samual, was without that stubborn streak. It was what got them so far up the ranks of the Ministry and anything else they ever worked in, though the Kaster's were predominantly a Ministry family. "You, Miss Kiera, are certainly a very stubborn individual and I never use that word lightly." When one was born into a family of stubborn people, stubbornness could almost seem like a joke someone's thrown into the pot to stir up trouble, but with his companion here, it was more then just genuine, it suited her right to the core. Her inspection of his horse was making him more then a little nervous, he hoped that he had not completely stuffed it up and made himself look like a fool. He hated that more then he hated messy people and he damn near loathed overly messy people. He grinned when she said it all looked good. That two months of saddling for hours a day had finally made his life just that little bit easier. He nodded when she asked if he was almost ready to get on the horse, except that it wasn't quite ready yet. He still had the bridle to work out, possibly the more important part of the horse's gear. He hadn't ever actually learned to use one of these and he didn't want to break anything, of course he didn't want to ask Kiera for help either, after all, he refused to admit he had no idea what he was doing, pride forbade it.

Stepping up to the horse, Carter patted it's head and thought about how to put the bridle on because he couldn't very well just force it over the horses head, that wouldn't be very good for the horse. After a few minutes of standing in front of the horse like a fool, in which time he was almost positive Kiera would have been laughing at him, Carter turned to his companion and grinned slightly. Holding up the bridle, Carter shook it slightly. He refused to admit that he had no idea how to put the darn thing on, so he had to think of something else. "You know what, Miss Kiera? I always get worried that I might hurt the horse if I do it, you know, because I might smash the poor horse's teeth. Perhaps you could do it this time? You have such a way with the horses. It is a great shame not to put your amazing skills to work." Carter held the bridle out to her and wondered if she would question him. He really hoped not, he didn't want to be mean or to tell her to shut up, that was rude, but Carter was not stupid, he knew how he acted when challenged. Pushed into a corner every Kaster had one self defense move; come out of that corner kicking, screaming, spitting and biting, if people go hurt in the process, then they shouldn't have been there in the first place. "Do you go riding often, Miss Kiera?"
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[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera grinned at Carter as he said that his job was not nearly as exciting as her previous job or her current one. It was true that she had always chosen the interesting path in life, never seeming to do what was easy. If it was challenging, difficult, or trying, then you should assume that Kiera was interested in doing it. "So I probably shouldn't mention that I was also a muggle gymnast many, many years ago?" she said with a crinkle of her nose. Indeed, it did feel like many life times ago by this point in her life even though she had only just turned thirty. Of course, he might not even know what that was. Many wizards and witches didn't. James hadn't when they first met at the beginning of her sixth year. "Though, I don't believe jobs in the ministry are as dull as you say. My stepdad is an auror and my brother is an Unspeakable. I don't think they have very dull jobs, though I guess I can't determine with Cam since he can't exactly talk about it." she joked back at him. Of course, if Cameron was elected, Kiera knew that his job would be anything but boring. It was bound to be taxing and stressful and possibly dangerous. She didn't want to think the possible future right now. Not when she was having such a good time in the present. "Naturally, they are bound to be less fun than Quidditch or experimenting with wands." she teased lightly. She still loved quidditch, but she hadn't found the heart to keep playing once James disappeared. Kiera couldn't remember the last time that she had been able to have a playful, interesting conversation with a man outside of her family without feeling guilty about possibly betraying James. It was easy to talk to Carter, even if he was a relative stranger to her. It only made her want to get to know him better.

Kiera was slightly taken aback as Carter called her out on what was probably one of her least attractive traits, her undying stubbornness. The brunette thought that he must be very good at judging character if he so quickly picked that up about her. However, the way he said it, Kiera wasn't sure if she should be offended or not. It was almost as if he was suggesting that stubbornness was a trait to be valued. The brunette woman smiled coyly as she craned her neck to look up at Carter. "You picked up on that already, huh? I'm not sure if I should take that as a complement or an insult." she told him, no animosity in her tone, merely a little curiosity. "I prefer to think of it as determination." she said with a grin as she tried to put a positive spin on it. "You still aren't getting out of riding that horse, sir." she said sternly, thinking this might be an attempt to distract her. Carter went back to the horse with the bridle, appearing as though he would put the final touches on so that he could ride the horse. After a few moments, Kiera realized that as well as he had saddled the horse, he had no idea how to get the bridle on the horse. He came back to her, inadvertly asking for her help. She attempted to hide a smile as she did not call him out on his bluff, instead finding it rather adorable. Kiera nodded her head. "Of course." she said, taking the bridle and walking over to Gunsmoke. She looped it over his head and forced the bit between his teeth, knowing he would accept it. She fastened the buckle before handing the reins over to Carter.

Kiera smiled as he asked her if she came riding often, not sure how much of herself she should reveal to this man. She liked him, and she wanted to trust him, but one could never be too careful. He still did not know her true identity. It had been a long time since Kiera had opened herself up to anyone. She decided that she would take that risk. She mounted her horse once more before answering his question. "Yes, I try to at least come at least twice a week. There was a period of time about two and a half years ago when my husband disappeared that I just couldn't bring myself down here. I stayed away for maybe six months. It was all I could do to make it through the day at the wand shop. That's when I retired from Quidditch. It just didn't seem right to enjoy anything when I had no idea where he was or what happened to him. Eventually, with the help of my family, I started to do things I loved again, like riding. I couldn't return to Quidditch though. Not when it was practically his whole life." she said shaking her head, hoping that this wouldn't scare Carter away from her. Kiera had been damaged in the past, but really, who wasn't? "I'm sorry. I know its a bit depressing." She said with an apologetic smile.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter raised his eyebrow slightly when Kiera mentioned being a muggle gymnast. He'd not seen any gymnasts in quite a long time. He may not have had much experience in the muggle world, but he had come top of his class in muggle studies. Thinking on it, Carter was really not all that surprised that Kiera would have been a gymnast. She was slight and she was probably fairly flexible, two major physical attributes that would have been in her favour. Carter laughed slightly. "You certainly were busy, weren't you?" He asked, wondering just how much time she had actually spent with her training and rigorous practices. He couldn't imagine that much physical exertion himself. Sure, he liked to be fit, but he had amazing genes and didn't really have to work at it too much. He just tended to jog in the morning and it kept him in decent shape, though he probably could stand to try just a little bit harder. Maybe. "Perhaps not. I am already trying to figure out how much dedication that would take, especially with you attending a magical school as well."At least, Carter assumed she had gone to a magical school. By her own admission, her father had raised her in the muggle world, so she obviously learned magic from somewhere and he doubted it was at home. Soon Kiera mentioned a brother and the fact that he worked in the Unspeakable Offices, that rang a bell for him somewhere in that back of his mind. If he cared to bother, he might've been able to figure out the connection, but he was much more focused on his companion then her brother. Carter smirked slightly at Kiera as she teased him. Normally Carter wasn't one for teasing, but Kiera's teasing was only a joke and not meant to be taken to heart. It was the only kind of teasing that he liked and the only kind he would actively engage in.

"Teasing becomes you, Miss Kiera." Carter wasn't sure, but that may have been a flirt. He was not really the flirty type, his last girlfriend had been a number of years ago and he most certainly hadn't flirted with her. It had been a set up by his mother, they'd dated for a while though because he'd grown rather fond of her, but as things happen and time changes, they had grown apart. Now he was in New Zealand, a spectacularly beautiful country on its own, his companion only made things that much nicer. "Whilst determination has a lovely ring to it, I'm afraid stubbornness is the trait most apparent. Determination is slightly different." Carter nodded at Kiera as a finishing statement and smiled. He then watched on quite happily as she Kiera attached the bridle with expert hands. Frankly, Carter was blatantly watching her. He wasn't even trying to hide it. Which kind of surprised him, he was usually sneaking glances and not being so open about things. However, Kiera was a very attractive woman, showing interest was bound to be something she was used too. Shooting him down would be so much easier like this, because if she wasn't interested, there were a number of things she could do that would suggest such a thing. Still, being so blatant was perhaps another reason why Carter had to get away from him mother. He was beginning to emulate her now. Which really was not something he wanted to do, if he could disengage any traits of hers from himself, surely he would have been better for it.

Soon Kiera was finished with the bridle and she handed the reins to Carter. Carter accepted them quite gratefully and grinned at her before patting the horse on the head. Now that he had seen how she had done it, he was sure he would be able to emulate it. However his attention was taken away from the horse when he realised that Kiera's reply to his question of riding was actually not a simple one. He turned his full attention to her as she seemed to be detailing to him her life story. Well, not really her life story, but something that was indeed extremely personal. Carter felt slightly foolish. She had expressed quite a deep part of herself to him and he had not even bothered to detail his negation of a horse. Carter didn't know what to say now that she had finished with the details of her story. There really wasn't much he could say, though her husband's disappearance also stuck to something in his mind. Two and a half years ago... He remembered hearing something like that around the office, the case had gone cold and they had no new leads. He wondered if this was the same man as what she had mentioned. He was curious, but did not wish to bring up old or potentially hurtful memories, instead he settled for caressing her cheek with the back of his hand slightly. After he had done it he realised that it was probably wildly inappropriate, but it had been either that, or hugging her, which he figured was probably slightly worse in comparison. "Sorry, I wasn't sure what else to do. My family don't really interact on this level, or else we all know the story, so something like that is not a big deal." He hoped he had explained himself okay. He probably looked like a loon. "Sorry, uh, did you still want me to keep you company on your ride?" Secretly he wanted her to say no, just so that he could get out of having to get onto the damn horse.
​

<i></i>

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera laughed as Carter assumed she must have been busy, and he was right. She hadn't had it easy going to school in the wizarding world, but training in the muggle world for her gymnastics career. The only real time she had to practice had been holiday breaks. During that time, Kiera had practically lived in the gym. While at Hogwarts, she had just kept fit and in shape. Quidditch helped, but she had gone running at least once a day if not twice a day. Not to mention keeping up with her school work. She had done well enough to be named Head Girl her final year. Staying fit had been essential though to both her Quidditch career and her gymnastics career. Old habits die hard as Kiera still kept very fit. It was something that was important to her and that she would probably always do. The brunette smiled at Carter. She was pleased that he knew enough about the muggle world to know what gymnastics as it was rare to find in the wizarding world. It only made Kiera like Carter more. "Well, it wasn't easy. I was homeschooled until I started at Hogwarts New Zealand. I trained whenever there was a break at school and tried to keep fit while at school, but I was lucky that I was very good at gymnastics. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to compete." she said, not pretending to be modest. Kiera had won several gold medals at the only Olympics she competed in before retiring from the sport and focusing only on Quidditch.

Kiera blushed ever so slightly as Carter provided a comment that she took to be a flirtatious comment. It had been such a long time since any man said something flirty to her, though she wasn't in the habit of putting herself out there. Carter was different. She felt a connection-or a spark- that she hadn't felt since she met James thirteen years prior. Not that she was willing to admit that to herself yet, or that she realized it. All she knew was that she was really enjoying his company. Still, Carter insisted that she was stubborn, which was true, but she still wasn't sure if it was meant as a compliment or not. She had a feeling that he, unlike most people, valued stubbornness. As she put the bridle on the horse, Kiera was aware that he was watching her. Not in a creepy way, but in a way that suggested he was interested in her. Normally, Kiera didn't notice the side-long glances that were given as she walked down the street or in the store. Of course, she did have three children in tow with her the majority of the time. Most of her attention was on them, just as her attention was on the horse now. Still, Kiera couldn't help but smile, pleased to have the attention of a handsome, intelligent man.

Kiera waited, slightly anxious, to see how Carter would take her news. She enjoyed his company, and it had dawned on her that she wanted to get to know him better. As Kiera talked about her husband, she realized that she was attracted to Carter, which was definitely something that she had not felt since James disappeared. She was sort of hoping that Carter might be interested in her too, but it seemed unlikely after unloading that news on him. Who would be interested in a widow with three children? Not to mention anyone that got involved with Kiera would definitely end up in some gossip column. The brunette was surprised when she felt Carter's hand on her cheek, caressing it tenderly. Normally, Kiera might find this sort of gesture creepy, but right now, she found it comforting. She smiled at Carter. "It's okay. I probably shouldn't have dumped all of that on you about James, considering the fact we just met, but I appreciate it. It helps to talk about it sometimes." Kiera said sincerely. As Carter asked if she still wanted company, Kiera laughed but nodded her head. "Oh, you aren't getting out of getting on that horse." she said, raising her eyebrows at him. "I would still like company if you are still willing to ride with me." she said, hoping very much that he would agree.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter was glad that he was able to make an acquaintance of someone like Kiera. He had only been in New Zealand for a short period of time in the grand scheme of his life and as he worked so often, he hadn't made many connections here, but that was mostly because he had no reason too. Now however, with everything that was happening, connections were vital and he had been working at making certain connections with people to be able to appropriately connect with the community. Germany was very different to New Zealand, the first and most major difference was the beaches. New Zealand had some of the most beautiful beaches he'd ever seen, of course he was no expert, but Germany did not really have any decent beaches; it was far to cold in most cases and was land-locked on three sides. This basically meant that for Carter to go to the beach, he had to go to another country, needless to say, he rarely went to the beach. If he was looking for some snow dunes or a ski lodge, sure, Germany would be his first choice, however even despite living in it for most of his life, Carter was not an especially big fan of snow. He had been on a skiing holiday a couple of times with family or a girlfriend, but really, once you had seen snow for the first time, it started to lose its magic and just become annoying. He was very interested in the kind of training that it would have taken in order for Kiera to get along in these Olympics she spoke so fondly about. He couldn't be sure, but it was most probably some kind of tournament, he remembered reading about something of that nature. Tournaments were a lot of fun, not that he had ever joined in one whilst at school, but his brother, Kiefer, had done so on many occasions.

Despite it all, no matter where this day ended, Carter was in a relatively good mood about everything. He had met an amazing woman, whom he well liked and he was having an intriguing day. Whilst horse riding was really not his activity of choice, it seemed that at least Miss Kiera was enjoying herself and that was really all that mattered. All in all, this was rather a fine day and Carter frowned on the idea that it may soon come to an end. The woman was married, or rather had been married two and a half years ago. Whilst it was true that she now could be considered a widow, Carter was slightly apprehensive about pursuing anything. Yet, Kiera had shown no disinterest in him and he supposed that was as good as anything else. After all, they'd only just met, it made little sense to push things right now. Perhaps later he could get to know her better, right now he had more important things to think about. Such as getting himself onto that darn horse. That fact that she had not immediately called him out on touching her face was at least partly a good thing he supposed and he was pretty sure that it showed at least slight interest on her part. He'd rarely met a woman that he actually liked talking too, or one set up by his mother really, so Kiera was a nice change from her busy-body ways. He loved his mother dearly, but she was quite the handful. Carter shook his head at Kiera and slumped his shoulder slightly. "I was rather hoping you wouldn't pick up on that." He said. Disappointment was apparently going to be his companion today. He grinned at her and patted the horses head one more time, getting ready to climb on the horse. "Alright, Miss Kiera, you are on."

Picturing Kiera's mount and dismount in his head, Carter held tightly to the saddle and the bridle. He neither wanted to fall or hurt the horse and so he had to be careful. He also really didn't want to look like a fool in front of Kiera, she had already quite obviously seen through him with every step of this way, so this was his last chance to prove something, though he wasn't sure what he was trying to prove. He shook his head and looked over the saddle one more time. A fall would not do him any favours at all and so he looked over at Kiera. "Well, let's see about this then." He turned back to the horse and carefully stepped into the stirrups, managing to pull himself up onto the back of the horse. Admittedly, he was rather proud of himself that he hadn't fallen or looked like an idiot, but really, the real test would be whether or not he would be able to stay in the saddle. That was one of the hardest things he had done since managing to run for Minister. "Campaigning isn't as difficult as this." Carter told her with a cheeky grin. Campaigning was difficult at the worst of times, but getting on a horse for the first time was something tantamount to rock-climbing. The saddle was on quite sturdily, that was true, but pushing and pulling it made Carter feel like he was going to fall off, it was a uniquely strange experience. "I suppose it wasn't so bad really."
​

<i></i>

 

[Kiera Kaster]

The slender brunette was pleased when Carter didn't immediately turn and run in the opposite direction after the bomb she had just dropped. It really said something about the kind of person that Carter was. It wasn't as if the young woman was simple. Almost everything in her life was complicated beyond belief. Kiera laughed as he told her that she was on, even though he did seem to dread getting on that horse. "Oh come on. You know you want to." she said, raising an eyebrow at him with a cheeky grin. Besides, Kiera hadn't been lying to Carter when she said he was a gentle horse. To her knowledge, he had never thrown Lyra or Link. Although, they would never tell her if he had. The twins frequently kept secrets from her to protect each other from any consequences their actions might incur. Kiera watched carefully as Carter eyed the horse, and she began to doubt whether or not he would actually attempt to mount the horse. Gunsmoke was taller than her Dakota, but then again, Carter was much taller than Kiera. Her honey eyes continued to watch him as he put one foot in the stirrup before swinging himself up and over. Kiera beamed at him, very pleased with his success. After all, if things went poorly with the horse, Carter might blame her. "You did it! How does it feel?" she said, grinning happily. Surely, Carter had to be feeling some satisfaction with this.

Kiera frowned slightly, even as Carter was smiling at her rather adorably, as she heard his response to her question. He said campaigning was easier than this. The brunette had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She hadn't paid much attention to the other candidates for Minister for Magic because she would never vote for any of them. Kiera was not the type of person to worry about her competition. The brunette had always found it to be a better strategy to worry about what she could do to make herself better. She was only concerned about her brother's campaign and doing whatever she could possibly do to help his campaign out. However, Kiera had glanced at the other candidates when the Daily Prophet article had been released. She had read the names, and one stuck out to her now. Carter Kaster. She glanced back at the man who's company she had been enjoying for the past hour or so. Kiera was sure that her face had paled. "You don't mean for Minister for Magic, do you? Please tell me you are not Carter Kaster." she said, her honey eyes pleading and hoping that she had made a mistake. She was almost positive that he was who she accused him of being. "I guess I should tell you who I am. I'm Kiera Potter, and Cameron Kingsley is my brother." she said, knowing that this couldn't be good news for him either. Everything had been going so well, but she could hardly be seen out with Cameron's competition without damaging his campaign. The press so loved to make her out as the bad guy. If Cynthia Vandervoort got wind of this, she would have a field day. "And I was having such a good time." she said, disappointed. Kiera didn't see how Carter would want to keep hanging out with the sister of his competition. Kiera's practical side told her that she shouldn't want it either, but her heart didn't want him to leave.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter nodded slightly as he got the feel of being on the horse. It really wasn't all that bad, except that every time the horse moved, even slightly, he felt he might just topple right back off again. He knew that it was silly, but honestly he felt kind of accomplished by sitting on this horse. For many years he had allowed himself to be talked out of doing it, whether it was because he deemed it less important then something else, or because he flat out refused to do it, learning to ride a horse had been at the back of his mind for more then twenty years. Thinking about that, twenty years was an awfully long time to procrastinate on something, he couldn't even imagine what would have happened or where he would be if his parents had decided to procrastinate on children, he would probably not be here now most likely, or only his older siblings would. Carter smiled down at Kiera as she asked how he was feeling and he knew his answer straight away, though he was a little sheepish about it, he would not let her know that. "I feel strangely accomplished, actually." He told her, running his hand along the mane of the horse. Gunsmoke seemed to be a very good horse and he was glad he was sitting atop this one, then one that would have made plans to throw him off. As it turned out, this kind of height didn't appear to be affecting him too badly and he wasn't even getting dizzy from it. This all seemed quite easy and smooth now and he was sure he would like to go riding again. Perhaps he would be able to accompany his new acquaintance on rides more often. If she so wished.

Carter looked down at Kiera with confusion written across his face. He wasn't sure why, but Kiera seemed slightly upset about something. He soon discovered the problem when she asked his name and gave hers in return. As it turned out, Miss Kiera here was actually one Ms Kiera Potter and she was the sister of his one of his opposition. Carter really wasn't sure how to react to this news. To be completely honest, he was stunned. Who would have possibly thought that the two of them would meet under circumstances such as there, it was unthinkable, completely unheard of and yet, it had happened. He had bore witness to it and he could only wonder why. Reason told him that he should bid the woman farewell and be on his way; being seen together was potentially damaging for both her brother and himself, not to mention the media backlash attached to her, yet, for some reason, Carter couldn't really bring himself to walk away. He had enjoyed talking to her, they hit it off quite well, he didn't see why he should have to suffer of a complete and total act of fate. Meetings such as these just didn't happen and on the rare occasions that they did, they should not be treated lightly. "This is all rather confusing to be completely honest." Carter had absolutely no idea what to say, but he wanted to protect his own campaign as well as his chance at friendship with Kiera. He decided that perhaps they had best not be seen together. The horse was jittery as he attempted to remove himself, but he persevered in his attempt. Unfortunately, just as Carter removed his foot from the stirrup, the horse moved sharply and threw him from its back. Carter landed with a thud on the ground about two metres from where the horse was. Damn that had hurt.
​

<i></i>

 

[Kiera Kaster]

The brunette waited, slightly anxious, to see what Carter would say to this startling turn of events. It didn't surprise her that he didn't correct her when she guessed who he was. Even as Kiera had said Carter's name, an image long forgotten had floated to the surface. She recalled his face in the article about the candidates for Minister. The petite woman had dismissed it at the time, focusing on what the article had said about Cameron. Kiera rarely paid any attention to the Daily Prophet anymore because she was too accustomed to seeing herself or one of her family members between the pages. She had only managed to see this article because Cyndi had told her that it was in the paper that day. Still, Kiera almost wished that she had paid more attention to her brother's competition to save her from this awkward situation now. There was no doubt in her mind that he would be none too pleased, which was how Kiera was feeling. It was so hard for her to connect with someone of the opposite sex after James' disappeared for fear of betraying him or ending up in heartache again. Yet, Kiera had felt something with Carter though it was a brief flicker that could no longer grow into a flame. Carter's response was rather mild as it didn't banish her but didn't invite her any closer. He was right. It was confusing, and Kiera didn't know what to do.

Kiera was trying to find a response to reply to Carter when she noticed that he was attempting to get off of the horse, abandoning his offer to ride with her. The brunette, who had been raised around horses, saw what was going to happen before it actually did. She saw the wrong foot placement combined with Gunsmoke's jittery stance and knew that the horse was going to throw its rider. Kiera winced as Carter slammed into the ground. She knew it had to hurt; she hoped he hadn't broken any bones. The slender woman leapt off her horse with practiced, fearless ease. She rushed over to where Carter laid, her honey eyes looking at him worriedly. The woman knelt down beside him. Without thinking, Kiera put one hand on his chest and the other on his cheek. "Carter? Are you alright?" she said, feeling like this tumble from the horse was her fault. After all, she had persuaded him to get on to the horse in the first place. Kiera had never known when to leave well enough alone. "I'm sorry. I really thought he was gentle. My children ride him all the time. If he's been throwing them and they haven't told me, I'm going to kill them." she said with annoyance. The twins always covered for each other to keep her from being upset with them. Although, it was rare that they were unsupervised around the horses. After all, they were only seven.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Whilst being thrown from the horse had not hurt as much as falling from having been levitated, it had still hurt quite a lot. He didn't think he had broken any bones, it certainly didn't feel like it because he was sure he would be in a lot more pain then he was currently. That was indeed a good sign from all of this. At least he was not going to have to make his way to St Mungo's. How to explain such a thing as a broken back or something. I was thrown from a horse. Yes, because that sounded lovely. Groaning, Carter tried to sit up, only to realise that Kiera was kneeling beside him and she appeared to be checking him for any injuries. She had her hand on his cheek and on his chest, if he weren't in pain right now, he probably would have enjoyed it. She was talking too him now. Carter opened his eyes and looked over to her curiously. It was nice that she had come to see how he was doing. After all, he had just taken a rather nasty tumble from a horse, it made sense she would be at least slightly concerned. Carter could just about hear his brother laughing at him right now. He would get a kick out of this.

"I am fine, Miss Kiera, i've broken nothing." Carter said as he sat himself up very slowly. He was trying not to aggravate his back. It was the most painful part after all. He cover the hand on his cheek with one of his own and smiled slightly. She had kids. Carter was hardly surprised by this revelation. He had already heard that she was married, it was only one more step to learn that she also had children. He laughed slightly when she said she would kill them if they had been thrown by the horse. Carter had a sneaking suspicion that there was a reason behind their silence and it likely had a lot to do with the sort of person their mother appeared to be. Carter shook his head slightly to clear it and looked back over at Kiera. She was apologising, but she didn't have too. She was hardly the one to push him off the horse, it was entirely his fault. Completely and totally his fault, he really shouldn't have persisted. However being thrown from that horse made him stop and think. He would be one his way back to the office or even home right now had he not been thrown. Perhaps he should take this as some kind of sign?

Carter smiled and carefully stood up, reaching out his hand to help up his companion before dusting himself off. Standing took some of the pressure from his back, though he was positive he was going to develop a rather lovely bruise on his tail bone. Not that he particularly cared, it would be a memory of today, at least for a couple of days. Carter had never bothered to heal such minor injuries, there was little point. It was just a waste of money, time and energy for such things. He had something else he had to do, he didn't care about his bruise. Holding out his hand to Kiera again, he smiled at her. "I've only one thing to say to you, Miss Kiera." He told her, looking serious, though he hoped what he had to say was not a bad thing. "I'll gladly accept your apology with no hesitation, if," he started, his face slowly twisting into a grin. "If, you agree to have dinner with me." It didn't have to be tonight, or even next week, but he at least wanted her to promise that she would go out with him, because he liked her, they got along well, he wanted to get to know her better, if she'd let him.
​

 

[Kiera Kaster]

Kiera watched Carter's face for any sign of duress, or a concussion, as opened his eyes to look up at her. She didn't know too much about wizarding aliments or cures, but she was very familiar with broken bones, pulled muscles, and concussions from her own childhood and gymnastics career. Kiera had always been a little to daring for her own good as she had frequently taken risks. Looking back, she realized how carelessly fearless she had been. It was easy to see where her children got their daredevil tactics from. It wasn't as if their father had ever been a careful person either. Kiera smiled down at Carter as he rested a hand over hers on his cheek, helping to alleviate her worries. He reassured her that he didn't think that he had any broken bones as he slowly raised himself to a sitting position.

The brunette woman backed up slightly, giving Carter more room. She thought he was probably correct about the broken bones as he seemed to be able to move and was not in excruciating pain. "I'm glad you didn't break anything, but I have a feeling you will be really sore tomorrow." she said with a grimace. Kiera knew better than anyone how sore falling from a horse could make you. She had been thrown quite a bit as a young girl. Even now, Kiera was occasionally thrown when doing something she shouldn't. Thankfully, it had never happened with her children present. She didn't want them getting any bright ideas what would land them in the emergency room at St. Mungo's.Kiera watched as Carter made his way to his feet, confirming that he really was alright. He reached down and offered a hand to help her up. The slender woman accepted his hand, even though she didn't really need him to help her up. It was a gesture of kindness that Kiera would not turn down from him.

Kiera hoped that Carter would accept her apology as he reached for her hand. Kiera took his hand as she could tell he has something to say to her. When Carter asked her out to dinner, she thought her jaw was going to drop. She couldn't believe that he wanted to take her out on a date. Surely, he realized that this would be a bad idea. It could be damaging to his campaign and her brother's campaign. She drew media attention like a moth to a flame. Kiera was conflicted though. She liked Carter and would like to get to know him better, but she didn't want to hurt her brother. Kiera wondered how Carter would feel if they kept this a secret. She should have known from experience that secrets never stayed secret for long. She pursed her lips, indecision clear on her face before answering him impulsively. "Yes. I'll go to dinner with you, but it has to be in a muggle restaurant." she said, knowing that they were far less likely to be noticed there. Kiera hoped that Carter wouldn't think she was ashamed to be out with him, but that she was suggesting this to protect him, her brother, and herself. The brunette glanced down at her watch, her honey eyes widening when she saw what time it was. "Merlin's beard! I am supposed to meet Kat and the children in five minutes. I'm sorry, Carter. I have to go." she said. Impulsively, without thinking, Kiera gave Carter a quick kiss on the cheek before running off with Dakota to put him back in his stall and apparating to meet her family.

 

[Carter Kaster]

Carter smiled at Kiera and nodded as she suggested they go to a muggle restaurant. He could definitely see the benefits that this would allow them. It was not likely that anyone from the muggle world would place them, nor what they were, so that would be a big help in keeping the journalists and paparazzi at bay. He was sure that was why she had suggested they go to the muggle world. Fortunately, Carter knew enough about muggles and had spent a little time there that he was sure he would be quite fine and wouldn't manage to make himself look like a fool. "Of course, a muggle restaurant is a very good idea." He smiled at her and stepped back as she suddenly exclaimed that she was late to meet her sister and her children. Carter waved as she went, slightly stunned that she had kissed him on the cheek before she left. Carter turned on his heel and apparated back to his office. He was definitely in a much better mood then he had been when he had left in the first place. He had been intending to go home after the ride, but he was feeling more relaxed now and had a good mind to get back into his work. Reaching his chair, he moved to sit in it, but it was only then that he was reminded of what had happened earlier. "Oh, she is never getting me on that horse again."

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Fin​

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