Roundabout

[Sara Moon]

The time had flown since Sara Moon and Mason Talarico had set up house, with very little incident. She found it much easier than she'd anticipated to share her life with him in this larger way. Sara had never been a solitary creature, but she was changeable. There were days when she liked to exclude herself from the world, live in a book for a while, or simply watch the world go by, and Mason knew how to let her do that. Her personal life, in a strange turn of events, had become her haven, while her professional life was suddenly less satisfying. The reverse had always been true, but things were changing. As she sat in the window seat which had drawn her to this house, a book lay in her lap which she couldn't read. She couldn't concentrate. Outside, rain splattered against the window and she looked through it, her eyes fixed on a bird perched on a tree just outside their property. She was waiting for Mason, and as she imagined the conversation they would be engaging in, she couldn't help wondering whether it was the right time to bring it up. Still, it wouldn't do to put these things off, and she needed to speak with him eventually.

Mason Talarico was a good man, a man she hoped to spend the rest of her life with, but recently it felt as though they were at odds sometimes. Each hurdle made them stronger, matured their relationship to another level of trust and security, but Sara wondered at how much work love could take. She'd assumed it would be easy, but somehow the fact that they needed to negotiate with one another and sort through things made it feel more satisfying when things went right. The obstacles to their relationship had been substantial, but they'd made it this far. As she stared out the window, her thoughts were muddy. She loved Mason desperately, and had elected to remain calm when they disagreed, but the hotheaded days of her youth were still a part of her, and when Sara Moon was annoyed, it showed. That worried her too, because she hated to be angry with him. More than anything, she hated the idea that she could hurt such a wonderful man with hasty words, and so she practiced the conversation, and her words as she stared out a window into what was rapidly becoming night. Mason was never home early though, so she wasn't worried, merely anxious to see him.

 

[Mason Talarico]

Stepping through the various charms and spells that the pair had put in place to safeguard their home was uncomfortable but Mason barreled through with no complaint. He would take the chill that washed over him or the raising of the hairs on his arms any day to ensure that the place he and Sara called home, their sanctuary, was never put in harm’s way. And he was confident that it wouldn’t be. They’d put in every safeguard they knew and some that Sara had uncovered in her research to the point that when Mason took the step through the final safeguard, he was able to let his guard down completely, confident in the bubble of safety that he’d stepped into. Stowing his wand away, the man broke through the trees and immediately spotted Sara in the window. It was his favorite spot in the house, and one of the reasons why they’d settled on this home. Mason watched her for a moment, admiring her features and the happiness he felt in his heart as he did. To say that life was going well was a complete understatement on his part. Moving in together had not proven to be the stressful incident that his brothers had warned him about. He’d lived with women before, but living with Sara had proven to be a much easier transition than he’d expected. Sure, she needed personal time at times but he did as well, and it was good to know that he wouldn’t be thought of as being distant or uncaring when he retreated into his study or office for some alone time.

As he entered their home, Mason shut the door and began to take his coat off. As he hung it up, he called out over his shoulder. “I’ve brought dinner. I hope Chinese is ok” he said, the bag full of goodies beside his leg. He finished putting his coat on the rack, his briefcase left against it as he picked up the bag and continued on to the dining room, expecting that Sara would catch up with him there. The day had been a difficult and busy one. The Aurors were in the midst of testing some items they’d unearthed, working with the Unspeakables to determine their worth. He knew they were on the brink of something but what, he wasn’t sure. The Head Auror could only hope that it would eventually help them to bring the entire Scitorari down. Heading to the sink to wash his hands, Mason continued speaking. “Busy day, right?” Mason hadn’t seen Sara all day. It wasn’t totally out of the ordinary that they spent the work day apart, their different tasks keeping them in different parts of the office.

 

[Sara Moon]

Sara wasn't looking forward to this chat. Ordinarily, this conversation would've happened in the office, but she didn't wish to draw attention to her relationship with Mason. Trouble in Paradise wasn't a phrase she was willing to have bandied about. She hardly noticed Mason's entrance, the door opened and she heard nothing, so absorbed was she in her planning. His voice, however, drew her attention and she rose from her seat, taking a moment to breathe before exiting the sitting room. "Chinese is perfect." Her voice was smaller than usual. She'd known their working life might lead to some awkward situations, but this was particularly uncomfortable, since the issue she had was directly to do with Mason. As she walked into the dining room, she found herself being more careful in her movements. Confronting this improperly could only lead to both personal and professional problems. "Yes it was, which actually brings me to what I want to discuss with you." Deep breaths. Deep breaths.

Reminding herself that if this were any other superior, she wouldn't have any issue asking this question, Sara stayed standing. "I know we've said we won't let our professional lives and our private lives cross over, but I thought that if I were to do this in the office, as I would in a different situation, it might just cause grief or gossip which I know we'd both like to avoid." This needed to stay strictly professional, or at least she hoped it could stay that way. Sara didn't want to launch some sort of personal attack on the man she loved. "And, I want to preempt this with saying, it has nothing to do with us as far as I'm concerned, but rather is a professional issue, well I hope it is. I'm speaking to you as Head Auror, not as Mason." She was rambling, and she knew it. "Look, I want to ask why I have been taken away from this case. I haven't been put in the field in quite a long while now, and I want to ask if it's something to do with my performance? Has the Brandt issue made you doubt my ability in combat? Samual Kaster and I found the place, and suddenly we're told to pay no more mind to what we discovered?" She'd worked her way to the opposite side of the table now, unsure if she'd done the right thing by having this conversation now. "If you'd prefer we not speak about it at home, I understand, or if you'd prefer me to owl you about my concerns, but I felt this would attract less attention. I just haven't been able to concentrate all day, it's worried me." She rarely doubted herself with Mason in recent times, but this had shaken her. Did he no longer believe in her?

 

[Mason Talarico]

Mason continued washing his hands, oblivious to the fact that anything was wrong. The man was thinking more about enjoying dinner with Sara and perhaps listening to the New Zealand game on the radio while he reviewed some work that couldn't wait for the morning. It wasn't until he heard Sara, her voice much quieter than normal, the rush of the water nearly drowning her out, that he realized anything was amiss. Her tone was telling of something so he took his time wiping his hands on a dish rag before turning around, his back against the counter, the back of his shirt becoming slightly wet as he'd let the water escape onto the counter. Mason remained silent, knowing that Sara was only just getting started but he nodded to let her know that she had his full attention. It wasn't typical for them to discuss work-related matters in their home, so Mason was even more curious to hear what this was about. She didn't even move as she launched into her speech, and Mason knew that this wasn't going to be some quick thing. Sara was a planner, he'd learned and he knew that whatever this was about was something she'd mulled over for a bit.

Her next words put Mason on guard and he slowly let out an "okay" as she prefaced the rest of what she had to say with that statement. As she continued on, confusion leaked onto Mason's face at all of the build-up to whatever this was she wanted to discuss. He nodded, confirming that he'd put on his Head Auror hat for this one and do his best to leave his boyfriend hat firmly on the table along with the chinese his stomach was eager to devour. His stomach rumbled in complaint, unhappy with the delay. Mason ignored it, focusing on what Sara was saying now, his gaze scrutinizing her as he would any member of staff who came into his voice to discuss their performance. Glad that she'd finally moved, Mason moved to his usual seat when they dined at their table and settled in. It was a bad idea, the smell of the food even more present here. The man would prefer to not speak about this at home, but now that it was out in the open, he surely couldn't just leave it there to mess with the atmosphere of their home for the entire evening. He sighed. "Sara" he began, choosing his words carefully. "Your performance at work has been fine. If I had any concerns, you know I'd discuss them with you" he stated, leaning his arm against the table. "I've told you before and I'll say it again. I will not baby you. That would not be good for me, you, or the office." The last thing he wanted was for people to doubt Sara's abilities. So, even when he was fighting against his own instincts to protect her, Mason had to remind himself that she could handle herself and that if he didn't allow her to he'd be damaging a lot more than just the Aurors.

 

[Sara Moon]

His words did little to explain why Sara had spent the last twenty-four hours with her stomach in knots. Sara was a rambler, it was one of her more annoying traits, and she knew it. For Merlin's sake, when she'd first met Mason she'd blabbed away with very little encouragement, but at times it made for a difficult life. As Mason spoke, she found herself sitting straighter, her hands clasped on the table in front of her. Her inner Ravenclaw forced her to analyse and it felt like there was something amiss. "I know you won't baby me, I dont want you to baby me, believe me, but I want to be treated like any other auror. If any other auror had been on this case, and had made the discovery we made, the usual course of events would be for them to proceed with the investigation. Now, I don't know who is on the taskforce, whether Sammy is or not, and I'm not asking, all I know is that I'm not." Theirs was a secretive department at the best of times. "I'm not asking to be put on said taskforce, that would be childish, but I want to understand why I'm back at desk-work again the minute a case I was working on began to look like there might be something more to it." Her tone remained polite, and it felt odd and awkward to speak to Mason in this way, but she needed to keep this as professional as possible.

"I suppose the crux of the issue is that I haven't been assigned to active fieldwork in months, Mason, and I want to understand why." Maybe she should call him sir? No, that would be ridiculous, and would somehow come across as flirtatious, she felt. The thought almost made her laugh, but that too would be inappropriate. While this was about work, she didn't want to damage her relationship at the same time. With another boss, she might've acted differently, but she knew Mason strove to be fair with his employees, and she couldn't understand why this had happened. The first field work she'd had in what felt like forever had basically consisted of canvassing muggles, and while it had been enjoyable at times, it wasn't challenging in the least. Sara liked a challenge. She knew Mason didn't want to show favouritism in work, but it felt like she wasn't being allowed to perform to the best of her ability, like she was being cushioned in bubble wrap. The thought provoked another, and not wanting to voice it she looked across at Mason, her eyes wide.

 

[Mason Talarico]

A part of Mason was glad that Sara was standing up for herself, he just wished she'd chosen a different evening. Mason listened to her continue to speak, slipping further and further into his work demeanor - gruff, slightly standoffish- and he wasn't happy about it. The man had come home to enjoy a quiet evening with his girlfriend, not with an employee from his office. The line was always there, but they'd typically done a good job of keeping it from blurring too much. "Kaster is also off the case" Mason stated quietly, answering that question easily enough. It wasn't a secret as far as he was concerned. In a few days time, both he and Sara would be off on other Auror work, and he hoped that they'd both get with the program. Dwelling on anything else could put them at risk. With a sigh, Mason turned to face her. He began to speak, unsure of how this was going to come across. He was going to say it anyway though. Mason needed her to get beyond this, to put her focus where it needed to be, and he knew that wouldn't happen unless he gave her something. "Sara, I don't have to explain who I'm placing on what assignment to any of you, but as I did it for the people on the team, I will to you as well" he stated, hoping the point got across that this was a one time thing.

Mason launched into the same speech he'd given the men and women on the team, though for them it was a warning to beware of every action they took. For Sara, it was simply an explanation. "We are under immense pressure to produce, and this is our first biggest break in a while, which means that people who wouldn't normally have their hands in our business do." He grimaced, recalling all of the meetings where people who only knew of fighting dark wizards in theory tried to tell him how he and his Aurors should do their jobs. It was a combination of everything that had happened over the past few years - the Scitorari gathering, the Sparkles murder, Amauri Chevalier's attitude during the trial to name a few of the more recent issues. "I had to fight for the people I did get on the team. They have years of experience that you do not" he said, being as honest as possible. That was an oversimplification if ever there was one. It left out that he'd argued for both Sara and Samuel, but had been vetoed. For Samuel, it was because of his age though Mason wondered if the guy's last name had anything to do with it. Even he'd managed to hear about the issues between the Minister and Carter Kaster. For Sara, it'd been her injuries during the Brandt case. They'd wondered if she was reckless, a bigger liability in a case like this than anything, making it clear that they'd never read his report on the case where he clearly stated that it would have been near impossible for her to avoid what had happened. "There will be other cases" he added gently, "and your work during this one won't be overlooked. Trust me." He sighed again, knowing that it was easier said than done.

 

[Sara Moon]

She knew he didn't like this kind of thing. Complications weren't something Mason welcomed particularly in their relationship, she'd found, but she would not let her professional life suffer because she was too precious about protecting her personal one. As Mason spoke, she knew he probably wasn't happy about having to have this conversation. His next words made her frown. She knew he didn't have to tell her anything. She wasn't an idiot, but knowing Mason as a boss, she'd assumed he wouldn't have any particular issue with employees bringing queries to him. She hadn't been aggressive or accusatory, she'd inquired as to what the issue with her being in the field was, and now he was speaking to her like she was a child. As he continued, justifying the choices made, choices which he placed at others feet, she found herself losing patience. She wouldn't lose it, because she cared about Mason, but with any other employer she would've spoken by now. The line about experience prompted an eyebrow raise. "Right." He wasn't giving her any real answers; if this were about her experience, he would've said that from the off. There was something he wasn't saying.

His final words, she found particularly irritating. He sounded as though he were placating a child. "Mason, I know you have to be vague, but my concern isn't just about this case." Her voice was lower than usual as she fought to make sure she didn't get annoyed. "I know the number of aurors is not what it could be, and I know that one can't expect to be put on every active case, but one would hope to be assigned to some active cases, especially when there is a lack of aurors, which I haven't been in months." This was the real problem. She'd been stuck behind a desk for too long. "If this has something to do with Brandt, I could understand that, I don't see how I could've acted differently, but I can understand why it would make someone question my ability in the field." Again, it was difficult not to say something she would regret, but it was becoming almost necessary. "I won't be babied, but it feels like... Like I'm being kept from the field, out of danger, generally." It felt like Mason wasn't assigning her to active cases where there was any likelihood of combat, and she couldn't help but wonder why. Was it some misguided attempt to protect her? She couldn't imagine him doing such a thing purposefully, and hoping he didn't read into her words, she continued, "As far as this one case is concerned, I understand that the decisions aren't all yours, but the grander scheme of things is much more worrying to me. I've been behind a desk for months, the only active work I've had was basically surveying muggles about magical activity, and please don't think that I'm saying I'm above that or anything, because it was interesting, and I understand we don't always have the most interesting cases possible, but I haven't had cause to use my wand beyond summoning charms in work for months; months." At some point during this rambling speech, she'd left her seat and begun to pace. She felt incompetent, and that wasn't a feeling the former Ravenclaw enjoyed.

 

[Mason Talarico]

As Sara began to speak again, Mason listened. He knew from her tone that she was fighting showing her full annoyance, and that struck Mason more than anything she'd said so far. He looked her over again, her agitation clear, especially as she rose and began pacing. His eyes watched her, wary as if he were watching a caged animal and waiting for it to strike. The last time he'd seen her like this had been...when she'd found out about his ex-wife, he recalled. That little nugget sent a frown onto his face. Wanting to figure out what to say to fix this situation, the man's brow furrowed as she continued to speak. When Sara got going, she was going for a while. She'd been dodging around the issue, but now she'd put it bluntly enough that even Mason could take notice. Mason shook his head, sure she was mistaken. No, that couldn't be right. Mason thought back, thinking of all the cases that had crossed his desk over the past few months and who they'd been assigned to. But, he was coming up empty, struggling to find one beside the canvas that she'd been placed on. The realization that she was right was akin to being hit with a freezing spell.

"Please sit" Mason sighed, pushing the chair beside him with his foot. He didn't wait to see if she would, but chose to continue instead. "Sara, I'm sorry. In my effort to..." he began and then stopped, looking her right in the face and starting over. "I messed up, but it's not exactly for the reasons you think. Of course I want you safe, but one of the reasons I love you as much as I do is because I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, without my help. You were a great Auror before we began dating and will continue to be even if we stop" he said, though that thought pained him to say out loud. "And so I was overly cautious about not wanting people thinking I was playing favorites by placing you on every case" he explained, both to himself and Sara. "But I see now that I haven't given you the opportunity to do anything to prove yourself to anyone because I haven't placed you on any case" he continued. Mason felt terrible, realizing that he'd inadvertently been preventing Sara from furthering her ambitions. There was no one else he'd rather have his back, and he knew the others would feel the same way if he gave her a chance. It hadn't been his intentions at all to stifle her in any way. He reached for her hand, hoping she wouldn't pull away. "Sara, I'm really sorry" he finished on a sigh.

 

[Sara Moon]

As she spoke, she could see Mason not wanting to believe. His shaking head was disheartening. She didn't want to argue, she wanted him to realise she wasn't making this up, or being dramatic. Mason Talarico meant more to her than she'd ever thought someone could, but their working situation wasn't ideal., and she didn't want to let it impact their relationship. His words, however, surprised her, and after a moment's hesitation, she took the seat, leaning forward to look her boyfriend in the eye. Mason rarely spoke without thinking; she knew that she would never be privy to all of his thoughts, but this was important. She smiled slightly as he continued, relief washing over her as he confirmed that she wasn't imagining it, but his mention of possibly breaking up wasn't a welcome one, and a frown line formed in the centre of the brunette's forehead. "Mason.." He had more to say, however, and she stayed silent, taking the hand he offered. "I knew there was something, I wasn't sure if it were a protectiveness thing, or whether it was not wanting to play favourites, as you say." She was glad he'd reached his own conclusion, but she didn't want him to feel guilty now that they'd addressed the problem. "Mason, I knew it wasn't intentional. You don't need to apologise for something that wasn't intentional." She didn't want to ruin Mason's evening, and moving closer she brought a hand to his face. "Look, there's no harm done, we identified an issue and now it won't be an issue anymore." This whole adult relationship thing was much more complicated than she'd originally thought.

Worried about his mention of their possibly breaking up, she made her best effort to look him directly in the eye. The thought of a life without Mason Talarico in it, wasn't a happy one, and she'd hated to see the pained look in Mason's eyes as he'd said it. Speaking about her feelings wasn't always Sara's forte. "Mason, I know that I sometimes get a bit..." She didn't really know where she was going with this one. "I love you" she sighed, a smile gracing her lips as the three words were voiced. It got easier every time. "I will continue to do so for as long as you'll let me. As I said, this wasn't about us really, it was about work." She leaned in to kiss him, and stood as she did so, moving to the counter and picking up the dinner he'd procured. "Now, food?" It was a relief to not have argued. There was no need to lecture or fight. Mason knew well enough that this wouldn't happen again; he was an intelligent man, and a careful one, she had no doubt he would make sure not to bring their relationship into any work business.

 

[Mason Talarico]

Mason was glad that she’d taken his hand, welcoming the comfort that came with that. Her words were more reassuring than Sara could ever know, but the man still couldn’t help but feel guilty for his oversight. Mason was charged with overseeing an entire office, making sure that they lived up to their own standards and his and that of the office for which they worked. As her other hand moved to his face, Mason leaned into it. He was a lucky man and knew that a lesser woman wouldn’t have forgiven him so easily, wouldn’t have been as understanding of the pressures that he dealt with on a daily basis. The man had always known that Sara was an incredible woman, but each day seemed to bring with it some new insight to make this belief firmer in his mind. Mason would never say that he shied away from commitment. In his mind, his having been married before meant that he was capable of it, even if he wasn’t exactly interested in marrying again. Or he hadn’t been before. Mason wasn’t ready to admit it to anyone, not even his brothers, but the thought of Sara floating down an aisle in a wedding dress had crossed his mind on several occasions. One day, he hoped. Mason knew that he still had work to do to earn that place in her life.

Narrowing his eyes, wondering where Sara was going with that statement, Mason softened his gaze as his girlfriend said the three words he enjoyed hearing most. He accepted her kiss, wishing it had lasted longer as she moved towards their food. Thankfully, they were wizards so heating their food again was nothing more than a flick of the wrist if needed. “Yes” he nodded, happy that they’d been able to move on so quickly, happy that Sara knew that a lecture wasn’t needed and that they’d move beyond this moment together. Content to remain in his place, Mason used his wand to lazily assist with getting them settled and ready to eat. “Any other business to attend to before I eat, Ms. Moon?” he quipped as he reached for his spoon, a flirtatious tone to his voice as his penchant for terribly timed jokes reared its ugly head.

 

[Sara Moon]

If Sara knew her boyfriend, he was kicking himself over this mistake. "I'm just relieved it wasn't something I'd done." Mason was a good leader, but she did worry about how her dating him had impacted her career. They both tried not to allow personal business into the office, but aurors lives were so connected to who they were that it became quite difficult. Mason had mentioned to her once that she should consider training, and sometimes she wondered if he still wished for that. she couldn't see herself leaving the field any time soon, though she'd decided long ago that when she had children she would consider it, but only that, no decision had been made. Thoughts of the future had become less and less terrifying the longer she was with Mason. Leaving Hogwarts, she'd never have thought she'd be in a serious relationship at twenty eight, but people changed, and the last ten years had changed her. Her temper wasn't quite what it had been, she'd learned that sometimes it wasn't worth losing her cool. Mason seemed to get the brunt of her bad moods sometimes, something she regretted, but they lived a mostly peaceful life, the only big hiccough had been his ex-wife, and they'd gotten past that. She did wonder about the woman sometimes, the most trivial things; what she looked like, had she made him laugh? Where was she now?

As she watched plates fly toward the table, Sara felt content. Work was back on track, she and Mason seemed alright. A half hour ago, there was no way she could've eaten, but now her stomach protested as the smell of the food wafted toward her. Mason's comment prompted an eye roll. "A discussion might need to be had about Dad jokes being made in this house, but I think we're good." Her arms dropped around his shoulders as she voiced the well-meant jab. There was a time when Mason using the words 'Ms. Moon' sent her into a spiral of discontentment, but now she found it endearing. "Mr. Talarico." A kiss on the cheek, and and she returned to her seat, ready to relax into the evening Mason had probably expected before her ambush. There was a time when Mason using the words 'Ms. Moon' sent her into a spiral of discontentment, but now she found it endearing.

 

[Mason Talarico]

"A discussion for another day" he agreed, waving his spoon dismissively before digging it into a pint of food so he could spoon some onto his plate. The tension that had filled the room not five minutes ago was quickly dissipating, and Mason was glad about that. He realized that perhaps there was still hope for the rest of the evening, especially in light of how quickly they'd managed to resolve this issue. He knew that it would likely not be the last time they'd be dealing with uncomfortable conversations, but he hoped they at least wouldn't have to revisit this issue. Mason had always been good at learning from his mistakes, rarely making the same one twice. He looked over at Sara, a smile on his face as he watched her prepare her own plate and realizing that he was more than happy to enjoy this moment and the next ones that followed so long as this was the view he'd have.