Aftermath (Rigel and Kerrington)

"Yes, she is. Oh, wait, no. I was talking about my other wife. Her name's Matilda," Rigel teased. He loved teasing Kerrington like this; even if she got mad at him because of it, he knew it wouldn't last for now. How, he had no bloody clue, but he just... did. Why was life so complicated? Oh right, because he'd gotten drunk with the girl he'd had feelings for since Hogwarts and ended up marrying her while drunk. "Good, because I don't really care for brooding and feeling sorry for myself. Really, who am I and what have I done?" At Kerrington's wink, he smiled widely. "I think I can live with that."

He raised an eyebrow at his wife's expression. "No love, I never hated you. I think I can tell." He turned his head so her lips met his instead of his cheek.

As soon as they got home, Rigel swatted Kerrington into the room. "Go on, get comfortable. Get some sleep. I'll be in there soon, I reckon." He smiled as he walked into the kitchen. "Maybe this will be worth the effort," he muttered to himself.

Kerrington mock-pouted. "Matilda always gets all the glory." Kerrington said in a false bitter voice. Kerrington looked at Rigel with a brilliant smile for a second before blushing softly. She had feelings for this damn man since she first saw him in her first year. They were in the same house and Kerrington could remember wishing the older boy would notice her. Of course, when she was a first year, he was a fourth year. Now, she was married to him. Not the way her plan was originally made, but it filled the requirements. "Good. I don't want to hear you bitch and complain." Kerrington replied sweetly.

"I didn't try to hide my feelings, did I?" Kerrington wondered. In her context, acting like a bitch to the guy you lo-like was not hiding your feelings very well. Kerrington sighed when Rigel kissed her as she kissed him back. At least there was one thing in their relationship that was easy.

"I'm going! I'm going!" Kerrington said with a laugh. As she walked into the room, Kerrington groaned when she remembered something. Rushing back into the kitchen, Kerrington sighed. "I never picked up my clothes from my house like I was planning to. What do you want me to do?" Kerrington wondered. She had heard his "Maybe this will be worth the effort," and she couldn't stop the knowing smirk to slide off her face.

Rigel chuckled. "Of course she does." The tips of his ears turned slightly pink at Kerrington's dazzling smile. Yes, he definitely loved- wait, no. He definitely liked her. Maybe loved. Probably loved. Yes, definitely loved. "Oh come on, I know I'm going to have a good night. Why would I bitch and complain about that?" he asked with a grin.

"Well, I'd say you kind of hid them well anyway. I wouldn't have guessed you had feelings for me at all." He smiled as Kerrington sighed into the kissed and pulled away moments later.

"Good! I want you well and rested by the time I'm finished cleaning up. I searched up and down the house too. And I'm not going to use magic. That'd make things far too easy. I'm going to prove that I can clean up after myself and that I care." As his wife rushed back into the kitchen, he sighed and said, "Well, we'll just have to make do for now. You could always sleep in something else. Or nothing else. Nothing's good too," with a wink and slight smirk.

Kerrington noticed how his ears turned slightly pink when she smiled. A blush made it's way onto her cheeks when he did that. Why did he make her act like a silly school girl, yet at the same time a mature woman with actual feelings? It was confusing as hell. And Kerrington knew that it was definitely love. "You bitch and complain about a lot of things Malfoy." Kerrington said with a laugh.

"You wouldn't have? Odd, I thought I was an open book. As much as I hated it, I thought I was way too transparent." Kerrington admitted, smiling softly after they kissed.

"You care? Who knew?" Kerrington wondered with a laugh. She found it very sweet what he was doing though. Kerrington then frowned at him. "I'll sleep in one of your shirts, thank you very much Mister Malfoy." Kerrington said proudly, sticking her tongue out at him as she rushed back into the room to change.

Rigel mock-huffed. "I do not. I only complain about certain things like work and family and life and- yeah, I do, don't I?" he asked, running a hand through his platinum locks. But I won't about you...much. He smirked to himself at that thought. He chuckled at Kerrington's flushed cheeks. It seemed like they were little kids with both of them blushing like they had.

"Open book? If anything, you were the Monster Book of Monsters. You just snapped all the time, no offense," he added. "Not really. I'm not going to say that I did better than you at making my feelings obvious. But why would we have?"

Rigel rolled his eyes. "Oh haha. I think I knew. And you did. Maybe. I don't know." He sighed and mock-pouted. "Okay, fine. Just use one of my pyjama shirts if you could, please!" he called as she went to change. He started on the dishes, preparing the water for the dishes to soak. He then closed all the cupboards.

Looking over his shoulders and not seeing his wife anywhere, he took out his wand and pointed it at the dishes.

Kerrington nodded with each thing he listed off. "Uh huh, and you don't complain." Kerrington mocked, kissing him lightly. "You better not complain about me. My feelings would get hurt." Kerrington said in a baby voice, trying to hold back the inevitable laughter.

"No offense taken." Kerrington replied honestly. "Glad to know I'm not as transparent as I thought I was. Suddenly, I much more confident." Kerrington said with a laugh. "You were awful at feelings. Some days, I couldn't tell if you were hitting on me or if you were hating on me. It was quite funny actually." Kerrington stated, smiling at her husband.

"I'm grabbing one!" Kerrington called back as she took off her clothes from yesterday and threw on a very comfortable looking night shirt that fell to her knees. "Damn you tall person." Kerrington muttered under her breathe as she climbed into the very comfortable bed. And before she knew it, she was asleep.

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, yes, I complain a lot," he admitted before Kerrington kissed him lightly. Rigel laughed and said, "And I wouldn't want to hurt your little feelings. I won't complain about you that often, can we agree on that?"

Chuckling, he replied, "You should feel more confident. You've got me after all, haven't you?" He was obviously teasing, especially since he was talking about himself for the most part. "Yeah yeah yeah. It might have been both," he said with a wink. "Okay, okay, it was probably hilarious. I'm laughing right now." His expression was stony, but his eyes twinkled. "See? Laughing."

He called, "Thank you!" He got to work on the kitchen. First he swept up the floor, put away the dishes, and cleaned up the counter. It was mundane, womanly work, but he'd do it for Kerrington. She had looked exhausted when he found her.

He then finished up with the den, picking up scraps and straightening the sofa cushions. He worked his arse off, and, an hour later, the flat was looking spotless. Rigel sighed before taking a hot shower.

Fifteen minutes later, the steam cleared up and Rigel left the bathroom to go to sleep. He looked at his wife and smiled softly before kissing her cheek. He swore he could see her smile. He climbed in next to her and fell asleep, his arm around her waist.

Kerrington woke up a few hours later, a satisfied feeling of a good night's sleep showed as she smiled. Kerrington tried to sit up, but Rigel had a firm arm around her waist. Kerrington laughed slightly and turned to face him. Staring at his relax and happy face, Kerrington decided that he should wake up. Reaching down to the ground, Kerrington grabbed her wand and set a tickling charm his way.

When he woke up, Kerrington smiled brightly. "Good morning or afternoon or whatever the hell time it is." Kerrington said in a cheerful voice.

Rigel burrowed into the bed, muttering, "No mum, I don't wanna wake up." He could feel movement next to him, but thought nothing of it, since he was asleep. The next thing he knew, all he could feel was a tickling sensation in his abdomen. He scratched at it and his face scrunched in frustration. The feeling wouldn't go away at all. His eyes opened suddenly and he glared at his wife. He tried his hardest to ignore the sensation, but couldn't. "Kerrington, take it off. Take the charm off," he demanded.

"Yes, yes, good morning or afternoon or night." He turned over and over, trying to get rid of the tickling. "GAH TAKE IT OFF PLEASE!"

Kerrington couldn't stop the laughter when it started. Rigel was getting pissed at her and it was far too funny. Kerrington almost fell off the bed from her laughter. Finally, Kerrington released the charm, still laughing at Rigel's expression. Tears were gathering in the corner of her eyes.
"That was probably the funniest things I've ever witness." Kerrington admitted, wiping tears away from her eyes.

"So, did you have a nice sleep?" Kerrington wondered, a Cheshire Cat grin on her face.

Rigel glared at his wife as she laughed at him. He nearly laughed as Kerrington almost fell off the bed, and he would have if he wasn't so annoyed at the moment. He kept glaring at her as she released him from the charm. "And you'll never witness it again. I'm waking up before you next time," he said conspiratorially.

"I was having one until a madwoman decided to wake me up with a Tickling Charm. How about you?" he asked airily. He raised an eyebrow at Kerrington's unnaturally wide grin. "Why're you smiling so widely?" The grin was, well, weird.

Kerrington raised an eyebrow at Rigel. "Was that a threat Minister?" Kerrington wondered in a perfectly innocent voice. The look on his face really was priceless. Kerrington was glad that she woke him up that way, it made her laugh and that was good enough for her. And Rigel wouldn't be mad at her forever. Secretly, deep down, he was amused by her antics as well. Since she was his wife after all.

"Madwoman? Me? No, never." Kerrington protested with a scowl. "I'm brilliant." Kerrington replied, stretching her arms. "Because I just witnessed the funniest thing ever." Replied Kerrington, shooting him a less wide smile.

Rigel shook his head with a smirk. "No, it wasn't a threat, it was a promise," he said, sitting up in his bed. He poked Kerrington's still flat stomach. He wiggled his fingers on it, trying to tickle her. He didn't feel like using magic for tickling purposes. What was the point?

"Madwoman? You? Yes, all the time," he teased. "You sure you're brilliant? Oh ha ha. I'm sure you watching me make a fuss." He rolled his eyes at Kerrington, thinking about how she was lucky he loved her.

Kerrington scowled, but still was fighting a smile. "You better not be lying." Kerrington fake warned. Suddenly, when Rigel felt the need to tickle her without magic, Kerrington broke out into a fit of giggles. "RIGEL! STOP!" She screamed through laughter. "YOU ARE AN EVIL GIT!" Kerrington yelled at him as he continued to tickle her.

"I think you're making that up." Kerrington retorted with a scoff. "I'm completely sane. And, yes, brilliant!" Kerrington shot back, sticking her tongue out at him like a child. Kerrington loved being around Rigel. Most of the time it was easy and natural. Except when he was being a git. Then Kerrington just wanted to curse him. Most of the time it was amazing though. "It was awfully cute. Seriously you less serious." Kerrington admitted, kissing him softly.