Closed Party of Three?

[Dominic Corelli]

Dominic was seated at a table in an Italian restaurant to meet with his little sister, Danielle. The Harpies Keeper sent him a vague letter, announcing that she was coming to New Zealand with a company. It also said to meet them at their restaurant. This brought a frown to the man as he nursed his coffee while waiting for Danielle to arrived. His sister had come a long way from being his little sister. She had grown into a wonderful woman, a famous Quidditch player even. He was still protective over her but had tried his best to support her in whatever decision she had.

 

[Danielle Gates]

She was never afraid. Even before matches between their toughest rivalries, Holyhead Harpies Keeper was never afraid of a challenge. This what went inside Danielle's mind as she got dressed for her lunch with Dominic, her brother. Sure it was just her brother, the closest one, yet this was different. Or at least going to be different. Satisfied with her look, she grabbed her purse and apparated to the nearest alleyway that she normally used whenever she fancied a visit to NZ. Across, she could already spot the Italian resto that they frequented and saw Dominic already there. Quickening her steps, she finally entered the cozy store and finally hugged her brother from behind. "Dominic!", always their little sister, Danielle quickly got into her element when she was one of them. She sat across him, giving him a bright smile. "I'm hungry.", she pouted at him.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

Dominic had just settled his cup after a sip when he was engulfed in a hug. Soon enough, his sister entered his vision in a lovely dress. She looked different the last time they saw each other. He was very happy to see her but the agenda of their lunch seemed too special for the woman for she was dressed up for just a simple sibling time. "Danielle, my little sister!", he replied with a soft chuckle. This little one, no matter what prank she was in, would always be his favorite sister. Not just because she was their only sister. He laughed at her announcement before signaling for the server. "How have you been?", he asked. Squinting his eyes, he hinted immediately."You did not just come all the way to NZ to eat, did you?",he queried seriously.

 

[Danielle Gates]

Danielle just laughed at her brother though she was quite nervous about his question. He was the brother who knew if something was up, especially with her. Asked how she's been, she replied after the server took their order and had brought her orange juice. "I'm doing great. Tough practice but worth it.", she smiled, "Mom's been bugging me about the business and my career. She even had the nerve of...", she trailed off, remembering the last letter she got which included her boyfriend, Damien. Shaking her head, she put on her bright, innocent face at him. "Of course, I came to NZ for this," gesturing to the place before opening her hands toward the man," and for you.", she jokingly said. She was getting worried about it already as she subtly glanced around the place, eyes aiming for the door to see if Damien already arrived. Sure, she was early and Damien was not supposed to arrive until five minutes later. Green eyes landed again on her brother's brown ones, she cleared her throat. "Dominic, you see, I know Mom mentioned this already to you - she was not one to keep this to herself- but I would love for you to meet someone special to me. I like him so much. I love him and I love you, brother, that he requested that he formally introduced himself to you.", she said everything almost in a rush.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

Dominic laughed at Dani's jest although he quickly caught what she was about to say. Of course. Mom would have pestered his sister about the family business and her bad choice of career. Mrs. Corelli also mentioned the supposed lover of Danielle, a fashion blogger by the looks of it. The man, Damien as he may recall, wrote his mother a letter of introduction. Focusing his attention on Danielle, he noticed the woman was on edge and was checking the door, no doubt for this Damien. Despite the drama that their mother was on about this man was a bad influence on their youngest, Dominic would have to disagree upon seeing her carry herself and the emotions she tried to control when she started talking about the real reason for this date. She was becoming mature and the look on her face suggested that Danielle was happy and taken care of by this man that he was about to meet. Placing a hand on top of hers, "Dani, I'm happy that you called me to meet him. So, where's this fellow who stole my little girl from me?", he jokingly said but the smile in his face was supportive as always.

 

[Damien Gates]

Damien was a little bit nervous. Dani adored Dominic. That was why he'd asked for this, after all. He made his way to the restaurant that Dani had picked for the day. He came in, quickly spotting the woman he loved and her handsome brother. He took a breath and walked over to them. "Hello, darling." He greeted, dropping a soft kiss to her cheek before holding his hand out to Dominic. "Pleasure to meet you, Dominic. My name is Damien Gates."

 

[Danielle Gates]

Danielle's lit up at Dominic's words. She may have frowned at his antics but she knew that his brother was just playing around. Seems like things were looking up for her and Damien, once her boyfriend arrived. Good thing, the man arrived in his usual handsome self. So brave of him to drop a kiss on her cheek even though she already knew that her brother was kinda supportive of what she told the latter. She smiled up at him, "Hey, you.", she greeted with warm affection. She did not have to introduce Damien to her brother since he already did it himself.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

The words barely came out of his mouth and Danielle's face brightened up at what he had said, a man arrived which Dominic assumed as her someone special. Handsome, polished, gentle-looking, and mannered. He stood up before accepting his hand in a firm handshake. "Pleasure's all mine, Damien. Please, have a seat.", gesturing to the seat next to his sister. He also signaled to the server for one more place on the table and an additional serving of what he originally ordered. He was subtly observing the pair, see how they interact with each other.

 

[Damien Gates]

Damien shook Dominic's hand firmly. When he and Dani had kids, they might have to stray away from names that began with D. He smiled to himself at the thought and took the seat Dominic offered him. "Thank you," He told the man. Once the server had left, Damien turned to Danielle. "Darling, Cooper heard I was coming to see you today and he asked me to give you this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box with a small cake inside. "He knows you're the Keeper, but he thought this was prettier." He told her, before turning to Dominic. "So," He smiled "Dani tells me you work for the Ministry?"

 

[Danielle Gates]

Danielle watched the interaction between the two men before they took their seats. It was so kind of Dominic to add one more to their order. Her attention was brought to Damien when the man handed her a small box. She was gazing at it when her boyfriend told her about Cooper saying that what was inside the box was prettier despite her being a Keeper. When she opened the box, she pulled out a seeker cake which made her chuckle. "Oh, darling. Please tell Cooper thanks and I agree with him. This cake is way prettier than it looks.", she kissed him on the cheek before placing the cake on the table. She then tuned in to the conversation between them.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

Judging from the way Damien casually mentioned who seemed to be a family member plus the present, Dominic could see that the man's family, or at least a part of, is smitten by his sister. Danielle was also the same with them from her reaction. A cake in the shape of a snitch came into view as his sister placed it on the table. He must admit that it was a kind gesture from Damien's family. He turned his attention to Damien when he was asked of his job. Nodding, he elaborated his answer. "I am. In the Magical Law Enforcement Squad.", he leaned back, regarding Damien with a serious look. "So, Damien. let's cut to the chase. What do you want with our Danielle?", he asked. He knew that he promised his sister that he would be kind but he was just doing his job as her brother.

 

[Damien Gates]

Damien chuckled at Dominic's bluntness. He'd seen this coming. That cake had been part of his plan. Just in time, his phone began to ring. He looked surprised and reached into his pocket. "Excuse me for just a moment please," He asked as he stood, but paused as an excited voice rang in his ears before he could even say hello. "Wha- why did you call me then?" He chastised his brother gently before handing the phone to Danielle. "Darling, Cooper is insisting to speak to you. Would you be so kind as to entertain him while I speak with Dominic, please?" He gave her a charming grin, hoping she would agree.

 

[Danielle Gates]

Danielle narrowed her green eyes at Dominic. They had just talked about it before Damien arrived. She was about to open her mouth when she heard her boyfriend chuckle. Clearly, Damien was unfazed. He was ready for this., she thought. However, a phone began to ring. The couple had identical ringer but put hers in vibrating mode. Since there was no vibration from her purse, she knew it was Damien's. Ever since his mother died, the frequency of the phone calls from his brothers increased. Brothers and his family They had been checking on him, and sometimes through her, to check on how he was coping. She sent her brother an understanding look and hoping Dominic would not hold it against Damien. The funniest thing happened when she faintly heard Cooper's voice. The expression on Damien's face was priceless. She quietly chuckled at his response. The phone was handed to her and just as she was about to answer it, she was asked to entertain Cooper while he spoke to Dominic. "But -", she wanted to protest but she did not have a choice. Excusing herself, she put the phone to her ear," Cooper, hi!! Yeah, I love it.....", her voice trailed off as she distanced herself from the men. She looked back to where they were seated for she was worried for Damien, although she was confident he could win her brother.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

Dominic found the phone ringing to be rude but when he heard Damien's exchange with whoever was on the line, he had to admit that it was adorable how his brother, Cooper, found a way just to talk to Danielle. The reaction on his sister's face was also hilarious. He subtly cleared his throat to conceal his chuckle as Damien passed the phone to Danielle. Brown eyes followed Danielle until she was already out of earshot. He gave her a wink when she looked back to their table. Like the big brother he was, he knew what was running inside the woman's head.

 

[Damien Gates]

Damien had seen this coming. He smiled brightly as Dani looked back towards them. He was good at this, he had to admit. "To answer your question," He replied quietly to Dominic, reaching into his pocket and producing a ring to briefly show the other man. "She's the most beautiful, amazing woman I've ever known." He spoke softly, watching Dani with adoration in his eyes. "I... don't think I know how to live without her anymore." He turned his gaze to Dominic, trying to hide the nervousness he felt. "That's why I asked her to put this lunch together. She absolutely adores you. I... I suppose I'm asking for your blessing." He waited nervously for his response, slipping the ring back into his pocket in case Cooper couldn't keep her occupied much longer.

 

[Danielle Gates]

Danielle was laughing at Cooper's story about his day. She actually enjoyed talking to him, however, she was anxious to get back to the table with the men. She glanced over at them just in time to see Damien pocketed something. She was not able to see what it was but she checked out Dominic's face to look for any reaction. Her curiosity even grew more as she observed his expression. There was a mix of emotions. Turning her attention to the call, she nodded before answering, "Yeah, yeah. Hey, ummm.. Cooper.. I'm actually with my brother and Damien now. You have my number, right?", she nodded, listening to the boy reply happily. "Yeah, I'll get your number from Damien and I'll text when we get home. Bye, love. Talk to you later.", she cheerfully ended the call before slowly making her way back to the group.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

Dominic turned his attention back to Damien as the young man started to speak. He was quite expecting, though still surprised, that Damien would show him a ring adorned with stones that matched the couples' eye color. Working for the ministry gave Dominic the skill to be observant. Even to the smallest details and especially when it came to Danielle. He regarded Damien as he let the latter finish talking before he leaned forward. Holding his gaze, he slowly nodded. "I must agree with you that Danielle is the most amazing woman and that is why I and our brothers are very protective of her.", he said in a serious voice. His face softened. "However, I can also that she adored you as much as you cared for her." Gesturing to the ring already safe in his pocket as Dominic could see that Danielle was coming back. "Whatever that makes her happy, I have your back.", he added with a wink. "Welcome to the family, bro.", he added, reaching over to clap his back, a bit hard to scare Danielle.

 

[Damien Gates]

Damien swallowed nervously as Dominic agreed with how great Dani was and said how protective all the brothers were of her. He had known that already. It didn't help when he was asking for her hand in marriage, though. He glanced at Dani, giving her his best smile as she started back their way. Damien actually blushed a little when Dominic told him that Dani adored him as much as he did her. "Hopefully that means she'll say yes," He murmured to the other man as Dani got closer. The blush intensified as Dominic welcomed him to the family and clapped him hard on the back. "Heh," He laughed nervously. "Thanks." He smiled as Dani got close enough to hear them. "What did Coop say?" He asked her.

 

[Danielle Gates]

Danielle's eyes went wide upon seeing Dominic clapped Dominic's back. Her boyfriend did not seem to mind though although there was something in the air that she could not point out. She rushed to Damien's side, glaring her green eyes at her brother. "Dominic! What was that?!", she hissed. "Are you okay, darling?", she fussed over Damien after she took her seat. Asked about Cooper, she just shrugged with a smile. "Cooper wanted to come along actually but a certain brother opposed the idea. So, he asked for some souvenirs that I agreed on since my darling boyfriend will pay for them.", she teasingly said. She turned to her brother, "Dom, what were you two talking?" She knew Damien would not answer her so she had to ask her brother, although she knew the man would still go for some prank stories.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

Dominic held his hands up in surrender. "I did nothing.", he said with a laugh. He even laughed more as his sister fussed over Damien. He would be one lucky man with his sister. Danielle may be their youngest but the way she showed attention to her brothers was like a mother to her children. She would make a wonderful wife and mother. He snapped back to reality when Danielle asked him about what went down between the men. Crossing his arms, he shook his head. "Ask him.", nodding at Damien."I'm not telling.", he jokingly said.

 

[Damien Gates]

Damien kissed Dani swiftly on the cheek. "It's fine, darling. It's a boy thing." He winked at her, before throwing his head back and laughing at her response to his question. He glanced at Dominic as the man joked. "I was asking him if he knew anything about kids," he lied smoothly, turning back to Dani with a warm smile. "I agreed to take the triplets for a few days next week. Coop should be home to help, but still." He winked at her.

 

[Danielle Gates]

Dani narrowed her green eyes at both men before smiling softly at Damien. The server then arrived with their order and after settling them down, the conversation continued. When Damien mentioned the triplets Tyra was having, her face brightened. With no younger siblings to care for, she was looking forward to spending some quality with the toddlers. "Oh, can I babysit too? I'd love to meet them.", she asked Damien with a warm smile. With Cooper there, she was sure they would have a blast. From what she heard, Tyra had two boys and a girl, with the girl as the middle child.

 

[Dominic Corelli]

Dominic laughed at Danielle's answer. She was the baby in the family which he wondered if she would be up to the task of babysitting. Good thing, the food arrived to which he signalled to the pair to dig in. He would never take it away from him to look after his sister's welfare. But, at least now, he had Damien to rely on when it came to his little sister.

Lunch was satisfying and the man could really see the love between the young couple. This was something he wanted someday. Or anytime now. There was one particular woman came to his mind while thinking about it. He smiled just the thought of that petite woman. @Rowan Coltsfoot That woman was definitely something. Enjoying dessert and coffee for him, Dominic decided on one thing. Clearing his throat, "Dani, Damien. I'd love to stay longer but I'd have to go back to work.", he lied, although realized too late that he had told his sister he was off that day. He actually wanted to visit Rowan and asked her out on a date. Hopefully, Dani would not call him out of his fib.