Mayday

[Melodie Lowe]

Melodie could still remember the day she had wed Izaak Finch, sure they were only children, but it didn't seem like almost twenty years ago to the twenty-five year old, yet it was. Now that morning she was dressing herself for her best friend's official wedding, at least she should have been. Being put up in a hotel in Hawaii was quite a luxury and to say Melodie had gotten all she could out of it would even be an understatement. Still in a robe with wet hair, the brunette stood in front of the mirror in her room pouting her lips slightly and she applied her gloss and mascara. By now she should have been leaving the hotel to make it in time for the wedding, after all this moment would only come around once in her best friend's life and she wanted to be there for him. With his engagement to Alexis, Mel had thought she was going to have to be put in a suit and be his best wo-man until Marcus had showed up, and then left almost as quickly. But this time she felt things were right, she knew that Izaak was happy, and she was happy for him, but for some reason she felt herself staring back at the person in the mirror and wondering where her life was going. Right before a wedding she was late to was not the time to have a mid life crisis of sorts, but the young woman seemed to be having just that. Without her job as a Professor, she was just a single mother who had been through a Death Eater attack and survived, but not recovered enough to do something with her life. With a sigh, Melodie threw her make up back in her carry bag and reluctantly pulled on her dress, her hair would have to dry naturally on the ride to the wedding venue because she was seriously late now. Throwing a few things into her clutch the twenty-five year old hurried out the door, locking it behind her as she boarded the hotel elevator down to the ground floor where the car was supposed to meet the guests to get them to the ceremony. She was in such a hurry she didn't realise that her cellphone was left sitting on the vanity in her room.

A quick glance of her reflection in the steel elevator doors was enough to jolt her back to reality as she hurried as fast as her feet would take her to the front of the hotel, to be greeted by no cars and only one person. The shaggy blonde hair seemed familiar to her so she walked on and stood next to the man in the suit, turning to him and realising that it was in fact Izaak's cousin Nathaniel whom she had met not all that long ago when he had stayed with her best friend. They hadn't exactly clicked at first, perhaps because such a relationship seemed forced for Izaak's sake, and now here they were again, and it seemed they were the last two people stranded with no way of making it to the ceremony. Melodie crossed her arms and her brow furrowed, the look in her eyes made it quite obvious that she was trying to invent some way that they could get there without having to rely on one another, but with a sigh Mel realised it was hopeless, all of the cars had already left. "Great, it looks like we are stranded." she huffed, with a slight eye roll, this was the last thing she needed, she didn't want to let Izaak or Alianne down. ​

 

[Nathaniel Hilsinger]

Nathan had been to a few weddings in his time but most were arranged to keep the blood deemed superior by many just that: superior. He'd given them looks of pity as they exchanged vows with a person your family was using to continue the cycle of ignorance with another generation. He'd never understood the reason for it but he had attended and supported these people with lavish gifts to start their lives together - happily or otherwise. But he'd never had gone to a wedding where both parties made their own choices on the matter. Nathan had never gone to one filled with love an he was happy for his cousin in a way that made him feel sick because he had two sons with the most beautiful woman and chose another. It was something he would never understand about his muggle loving cousin but here he was, wearing a suit and making an attempt to do something with his shaggy blonde hair. The man knew he had not been put into an arranged marriage but he wondered vaguely if he actually needed it for any chance of happiness. He'd felt something for Melodie but quickly pushed it and her away like she was the plague so he was not in some sort of Shakespearean/Sophoclesean situation in his hands. But it wasn't as if it mattered the woman was frosty at best when it came to him, perhaps because she thought of him as she thought of the rest of Izaak's extended family or perhaps it was because he was a reminder that she was not with him any longer but now as he stood before his mirror he was glad that smarter today it wouldn't matter. They would both lead separate lives and he would try to find another beautiful, witty woman.

As Nathan made it down to the hotel foyer he was glad he had rented a car so he didn't have to drive in with Melodie Lowe but as everyone was deciding who was driving in with whom they had discovered that they were missing that very same brunette. Leave it to muggles to decide to make me drive her, Nathan thought bitterly as he nodded his head in agreement that it would be easier for him to wait for her rather than someone with a larger vehicle. He'd wish he could send her a letter telling her to apparate over but they were under strict agreement to not apparate to the ceremony so he stood with his hands behind his back as he stiffly waited for her, hoping that she hadn't been plotting the end of his cousins relationship instead of high-tailing it to the wedding but when she reached him and he looked over to her he knew why she had taken the extra time, she looked ravishing but it was in their best interests if he said nothing. Instead she spoke and he allowed himself to expell a light chuckle. Rules were there to be broken, after all. "You are in luck, Melodie," Nathan said letting her name slide on his to gue fluidly as he reached into the pocket of his suit and snatched a set of keys only to raise them in the air and jingle them slightly. "It was decided that I wait for you as you puttered around, worrying needlessly about your appearance." With this said he walked forward, out of the hotel and to the silver car parked outside, just waiting for them. Nathan turned back to see if Melodie was coming and opened the car door for her as he waited.​

<i></i>

 

[Melodie Lowe]

As her name slid off of his lips she winced a little, for she knew exactly what was coming as she looked around the hotel grounds. They were the last two left and the jingle of Nathaniel's keys only confirmed it. His next words only worked to further the uncomfortable air between the pair, though Melodie did sympathise, he seemed almost as uncomfortable as she did. Though she couldn't help looking down at herself and questioning the dress she had chosen, not that she would want to admit that did care about this man's opinion, she hardly knew him and the fact that he had almost scolded her for taking such time over her appearance stirred her up quite a bit. "I must be the lucky one," she said with a hint of sarcasm as she noticed the silver car waiting for her. With the words they exchanged it was clear that there was a distance between them, they had only met because of Izaak, and they only acted civil towards one another for his sake. The idea of a car ride with this man made Melodie feel sick, she wasn't good with strangers at the best of times, and that was what Nathaniel was to her right now. They had only spoken a few times and he had come across as arrogant, in a form that wasn't attractive to her. Perhaps his shaggy blonde hair did bear resemblance to Izaak's, but they were family so it was hardly startling that they had inherited the same rugged good looks. Swallowing her feelings toward the man she stepped into the car, grateful that he was acting respectable enough to open the door for her. "Thank you." she said politely, though it was a strain. The rental car seemed stuffy as she immediately sat down, the Hawaiian heat was to blame no doubt, but immediately as Nathaniel followed her suit and sat in the drivers seat it seemed to grow even hotter. The car ride was going to be an unbearable one, Melodie could tell already.

The car ride began quickly but seemed to drag on in the silence kept between the pair, and there was nothing more that the young woman could think to do but turn the radio on, she had no idea of what channel it would be set to, or what she would like to change it to, so she went along with it, listening to the news report before a song began. After minutes passing in silence the music came as a relief for the tension between the odd pair. The song was a guilty pleasure of Melodie's, she had danced and laughed along to it as a teenager and now as Nathaniel drove with her she could not help but begin to hum along to the verses, it wasn't her fault she consoled herself that the beat was quite catchy and it did remind her of happier days. She didn't think for a minute that Nathaniel would be able to hear her humming, but before she knew it the chorus had begun and the twenty five year old was swept up in the moment, and had almost forgotten of the company in the car with her. "I like it when the beat goes da na da na," she began quietly, but loud enough to be heard and to her surprise Nate answered her line with the next, and she began to move her shoulders along to the beat of the song, there was no going back as she answered what Nate had sung with the third line, "Girl I know you wanna show da na da na..." and with that she looked over at Nate, facing him as they sung a line in unison, "That thong th thong thong thong!" she sung loudly as she faced her best friend's cousin but as soon as she had sung the lyric she let her jaw drop open as she realised what she had just done, she had compromised her image substantially, and to a man who's opinion of her she wanted to keep well. She stared at him blankly, blinking as if what had just happened could have been nothing but an embarrassing dream. But as they looked at each other in surprise, the rental car slowed on the road until it came to an unexpected halt. ​

 

[Nathaniel Hilsinger]

Nathaniel hadn't noticed the wince that had made it's way onto Melodie's face and although he had heard the sarcasm dripping from her lips he hardly seemed to care enough to retort and instead continued in his merry way, complimenting her discretely. It had never occurred to Nathan how his tone of voice might suggest disdain in the same way his posture did so he expected some sort of 'thank you' but received one only as he closed the car door carefully behind the brunette. When Nathaniel entered the car put the car in the ignition and let the radio play on as it had been. He didn't really listen to the muggle news because they were ever so clueless when it came to what was truly going on in their worlds. However he did begin to listen when a song he recognized came on, one that made him smile at how truly ridiculous the lyrics were and even if it was mysoginist to say the very least Melodie didn't seem to object.

It wasn't until the chorus that Nathaniel had noticed just how much she did not mind the song because they both let their inhibitions go and began to sing along with the song. "I like it when the beat goes da na da na," he said quietly and turned his gaze from the road and onto Modie as they both sung along to the song in shock at what the other was doing. He had imagined Melodie to not endorse in music such as this but before he could say anything they came to a hault without his permission as the driver. It was then that he saw where the dial for the gas lay. The car was completely out of gas and Nathan had not heard the beeping over the radio, it seemed. "Your luck may have run out," he said to the woman beside him, almost sheepishly... Almost. Nathan thought it was rather similar to one of the Princess moving pictures that his ex-girlfriend had made him watch with her little sister. Cindy-something, it was called but he pushed this out of his mind as he reached into his pocket to fish about for his wand when he realized he'd left it in his hotel room in case something happened at the wedding tonight that would urge him o use his wand. "Did you bring your wand, Melodie?" Nathan asked hopefully, turning his gaze to her's momentarily looking into her brown eyes. He hoped she had or else they were either stuck in the car together or would have to apparate which would surely bring up some questions from the muggles. Even the foolish would be able to tell that they could not have walked to the ceremony and made it on time. "We're out of gas," Nathan explained as he chewed down on his bottom lip with frustration. He would never hear the end of this if Melodie did not have her wand, or this was what he imagined. She probably was to be quite the annoyance in between the time they were spotted by another car. As Nathan waited for Melodie's response that he was sure he knew the answer to, he put on his blinkers in case any other vehicle passed them and was willing to be a huge help and a wonderful citizen. However, in the same way Nathan doubted Melodie brought her wand he doubted anyone else would be headed in the very same direction as them. The people who visited Hawaii spent a good majority of time on the beach near the hotel and that was in walking distance but he hoped it would work out otherwise he was stuck in silence with Melodie because he could think of nothing to talk about as he had no interest in talking about his nephews.

Nathan heaved a small sigh and began undo-ing his tie because it was feeling rather stuffy in the car and having a noose around your neck hardly helped you feel comfortable. He wished he was a talented enough wizard to create fuel wandlessly but he truly wasn't so if he was going to be stuck with Melodie he was going to at least be somewhat comfortable.​

 

[Melodie Lowe]

As ashamed as Melodie was for her prior outburst, it began to occur to her that there were more grave matters at hand. As the rental car ground to a halt, the brunette turned her head to look straight out of the front windscreen, unable to maintain eye contact with Nathaniel after what had just transpired between them. Reaching for the dial on the radio, Melodie switched it off, revelling in the silence that had been swept over the car and between the pair, but it didn't last long as she let out a sigh in response to Nathaniel's admittance that her luck just might have run out. The twenty-five year old hit her clenched fist against the dashboard in anger, thinking to herself that really she must not have luck on her side if something like this had to occur right when she needed it the least. She let out a deep breath as her companion mentioned wands, it was clear his had been left behind for his own safety, as had hers, there needed to be no suspicions from any muggles if the wedding was to go perfectly as planned, so hers too had been left in the safety of her hotel room, only to have their car stop with no way of them starting it again in time. "I left it back at the hotel," she sighed, absent mindedly pulling at her hair, it was a nervous habit and it seemed her nerves were at an all time high in this moment. Looking down at her clutch that was still perched on her lap she quickly opened it up, "I could call for help?" she suggested, becoming in a panic as looked through the small clutch, only to find her mascara and the key card to her room. In her hurry to make it to the cars, she had left her cellphone on the vanity in her room, and she knew now that she was going to pay for the simple mistake more than she could have imagined. "It must be back at the room too.." he voice trailed off, feeling there wasn't much sense in saying any more, Nathaniel and Melodie were out of gas and stuck in this car for the foreseeable future. They had driven too far for them to be able to walk back to the hotel, and they were too far from the venue to walk to the wedding. They were in a bind.

Melodie could find little point in asking Nathaniel if he had a cellphone on him, for if he had he would have said by now, though she somehow doubted they would get any reception even if they did have one with them. The young woman let her head sink back into the headrest and she closed her eyes to try and get a second to compose herself, still not wanting to make eye contact with the driver of the car, at any expense. "Well, I'm not pushing." she suddenly came out with the words, said lightly almost as a joke, but the sentence held some truth, there was no way that she would be able to push in the dress and shoes she had put so much effort into acquiring for Izaak's wedding, and she somehow doubted that Nathaniel could push the car on his own, even if he could it would be much too far. Regaining the awkward silence strung between the pair, Melodie began to pull at a loose string on the hem of her dress, scolding herself for getting into such a situation in the first place. It really did feel like they were a hopeless couple in some two star film, how could they have run out of gas? Only a few minutes had passed and she was all ready to burst with anger. Finally she broke her absent stare and looked right at Nathaniel, in her gaze it was obvious that she was begging him not to say it, not to admit what she was afraid of, that they would just have to wait it out. Though somehow she knew any minute that those exact words would be tumbling off of his lips, and she would have to accept them. She, Melodie Lowe, was stuck in a gas-less car with Nathaniel Hilsinger. Missing the wedding suddenly became the last thing on her mind, right now the twenty five year old was preoccupied with wondering when a car would pass them and come to their rescue, for she didn't know how long she could stand in the car with this man that was practically a stranger to her. Looking over at Nathaniel once more she raised an eyebrow, her mind couldn't fathom the situation or what they were going to do to keep themselves entertained during the long wait for a saviour.

Her hazel eyes flickering, she tried to keep her mind busy, anything not to have to look out the same windscreen onto the same road, ten minutes must have passed by now, yet the tension between she and Nathan was a strong as ever. Looking at him she felt as though the way he was looking at her made her uncomfortable, his eyes seemed to be hiding something, not letting on, "What is it?" she asked, they were stuck together for the time being, so they may as well attempt to make polite conversation. Melodie turned her head back to the front of the car and stared straight out of the windscreen and onto the empty road before them, it was going to be a long night. ​

 

[Nathaniel Hilsinger]

Nathaniel was grateful for Melodie turning off the music as he wracked his brain about away to get to the wedding without apparating but the man had not considered that a phone could be used because he really only had one for show when around muggles and did not know how to use it but the hope that Melodie had given him was dashed when she said that she had forgotten it in the hotel room. He wondered briefly how things ever got done as a parent with her careless nice with time and her belongings but knew better than to bring it up. The last thing the shaggy haired man wanted was for the brunette to go on about how wonderful Izaak was and how she wished things were different between then so that it was she and Izaak who were to be wed in only a matter of moments instead of Alianne. Especially with what seemed like a small amount of aggression that was built up within her. He nearly chuckled as he said jovially, "This is a rental. Be careful with it." There was truth to this, however. He had little muggle money on him and didn't know the last thing about the Hawaiian wizarding community and where he could exchange his galleons for dollars. He hoped that she would understand this trough her frustration. Although there was no saying with the woman who provided him with some disturbing feelings. Nevet before had the man been so frustrated with his own damn luck and even mire it was all very odd he did feel a hint of jealousy because there was just something in the woman that was both infuriating, alluring, and intriguing to him. However, he acted much like his nephews would when they had a crush on someone he thought it would be much easier this way for him because it would not be an option. Between the revelation that they were stuck side by side for however long there was a fair amount of silence in which Nathaniel mulled over just walking back to the hotel and letting his suit return to it's former glory when he was reunited with his wand. Just as he opened his mouth to inform Melodie of his plan ands he made a joke to which he smiled but realized he probably should pull the car over to te side of the road.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Nathan said quietly before unbuckling his seat belt. He looked over at Melodie pensively, not really seeing her but seeing through her. He cleared his throat when he came back down to earth. "Melodie," he began sharply, "I need to you steer the car while I push it to the side. You can drive right?" He looked hopefully at the woman because he could t afford for one more thing to go wrong today. It was not as of he was already in a particularly fantastic mood anyway. There was another log silence as he waited for her response when he looked into the windshield and saw their reflections which made him cringe internally. He liked her but it was weird, too weird for him to really manage buteo he composed himself but not before Melodie had caught his looked and questioned him about it. Great.

Nathaniel did no really know how to explain this all and didn't care to so he frowned and thought for a moment as they were once more silenced by their discomfort. "Well," he began not quite sure how to after he had been awfully rude with the woman. "I feel rather uncomfortable around you if I am to be honest, Melodie." He looked at her through the centers of his muted blue eyes. "Excuse me for being blunt but it is because I feel something strange when I am around you." He didn't care to explain the whole thing but he figured she would pick up on the situation quick enough. "And I ought to not tell you this because of Izaak and my nephews but there you have it," he finished with a shrug of his broad shoulders, an action he did not often do because he tended to be rather rigid. He hoped that the already strange relationship they had did not get worse with this honesty but there was nothing he could do to control Melodie's reaction and whatever was going to happen would. He only hoped that eventually it would end up for happiness for him. "This has been cause for most of my discomfort, for I find it to have hints of some sort of an Oedipus complex or a Hamlet situation, neither of which would end pleasantly for me," Nathan said as he imagined his nephews killing him because he threatened the position their father had in their lives left that to be interpreted by Melodie, as it was certainly obvious was was going on in his mind.​

<i></i>

 

[Melodie Lowe]

Redundantly Melodie dropped her hands to her side, immediately cursing herself for obeying Nathaniel and his precious rental car. But right now it was all they had and she hardly wanted to walk the Hawaiian streets or sit on the side walk until help came. Luckily he didn't expect her to push the silver auto mobile, because the brunette wasn't completely certain it would even be possible, but as Nathaniel looked at her pensively, she knew that a favour was about to tumble from her companion's lips, and tumble it did. The only problem was that Melodie couldn't drive, apparition had been her main form of transportation for as long as she could remember, and whenever she had needed to be driven Izaak had obliged. Turning to him with a stiff bottom lip she sat up straight, knowing all too well that the pair could not afford for anything more to go wrong, "I can try," she began, shrugging her thin shoulders lightly. But her next question seemed to catch Nathaniel, when she had asked what was wrong she had assumed his answer would be something simple, like he had a stomach ache, or he was disgruntled about the fact that they were not going to make it to his cousin's wedding, or the Hawaiian heat was too much. But this, this she hadn't expected, though as he admitted he was uncomfortable around her she admitted internally that she felt the exact same way around him, she couldn't place why but the tension and anger that seemed to flourish between the odd couple was undeniable. But when he elaborated that he felt something strange when he was around her she sighed a little, often her charm could not be controlled and she felt more than responsible for how uncomfortable he felt now. "I understand but," she replied, trying to take in the meaning of his words as he continued on, though she couldn't seem to grasp what he was beginning to explain, his nephews, Oedipus, Hamlet? What did all of these things have to do with her. "Your nephews? Nathaniel, I think you are mistaken." she said bluntly, glad that after having read of the Oedipus complex and the story of Hamlet so long ago that she could still remember the basics of what he was trying to say. Of course what she now understood made her cheeks flush pink at the thought of Nathaniel believing that her sons Aiden and Lucas had been fathered by his cousin Izaak.

It was in fact quite a plausible assumption, Melodie and Izaak had had many on and off encounters, and he was the closest to a father that the twins had, but to Mel it seemed almost laughable, because she knew it untrue. "I-we did have a pregnancy scare once," she explained, looking down at her hands, anything to avoid looking Nathan in the eye as she remembered only year or so ago she had thought she was having Iz's child, "but nothing came of it, Aiden and Lucas' father isn't in the picture anymore." she finished, looking up at him to gage his reaction before she said anything further. Though now it seemed he had put her in quite an awkward position and she wanted nothing more than to move on and try to shift the car to the side of the road so that the current topic was no longer up for discussion, though she felt that Nathan would have at least something to say about it. Leaving him a chance to speak, Melodie pulled off her heels that she knew would hinder her in trying to steer or drive the car, and tossed them onto the back seat, not caring if she was going to get another ear full about treating the rental car with respect. She nodded her head at the direction of the door on Nathaniel's side, wanting him to get out as she began to climb over into the drivers seat. Placing her hands carefully but firmly around the steering wheel Melodie took a deep breath and closed her eyes, there was nothing to it, at least that was what she hoped as she didn't want to mess this up for them, or they could be stuck there for goodness knows how long. As Nathaniel began to push the car, Melodie let off the hand break, and turned the steering wheel and consequently the front wheels towards the kerb on the side of the road. Driving was far more difficult than people made it look, she thought as she turned the wheel too far and began to fiddle with the gears, slipping the vehicle into reverse. Pressing her bare foot onto what she could only assume was the brake, the car jolted and she broke out into a sweat, Nathaniel had been behind the car, she turned into her seat and could not see his blonde shaggy hair through the back window, pulling on the hand brake she jumped out of the car in her bare feet and called out, "Nathaniel!" could anything more go wrong?

Luckily she could see him stumbling onto his feet, though his suit was far worse for wear than it had been when they had began this failing mission. Not caring that her feet were growing dirty, she ran up towards him, forgetting all of the tension that had previously been between them and leaning forward doubling over in laughter at the sight of a rather dirty Nathaniel Hilsinger. "You really should take this off," she began, her hands moving to his shoulders to remove the jacket of his now very muddy suit, "We wouldn't want to dirty the rental now, would we?" she chuckled, throwing his own words about her taking her anger out on the vehicle right back at him. ​