It's Been So Long (Adele)

[DELILAH FROST]

Delilah was excited, she was going to get to spend time with her step-sister ADELE KOZLOV and was looking forward to it. It felt like decades the last time they had been able to chat together properly without having Dorian in the way. She understood that he must find it difficult with his arm and that she should be grateful for being alive still because he saved her but she wished he would get over it and actually be proud of the action he made. He saved her life, she thought it’d boost his ego but apparently, it didn’t. She was also hopeful that getting her sister out of the house would help her vent too if she ever needed to. She understood that her relationship with Dorian was getting there and going for the better but that wouldn’t put her at ease yet as she still didn’t trust him and his intentions.

She couldn’t blame him; in a way, her sister was good-looking and no doubt that it would be hard to find someone who wouldn’t give in to her charms. Was he scared of losing her knowing that? Knowing that he had lost an arm in the process and that she could wander to someone else who would treat her better? She wondered but she was still too mixed with her feelings to want to give him a word and one that didn’t involve arguments either.

She knew that she would eventually have to have a talk with him, an honest heart-to-heart one but she wasn’t mentally prepared for it. Her place was now tidied up and she smiled to herself, proud as to how it looked like; her sister had yet stepped in and she wanted to give her a good impression of the place. It was sad that her roommate wasn’t around, because her sister would understand why she was swinging the other way! Oh well, she could always spoil Adele with pictures, it’d be fun. She sighed contently and sat on the couch that was the closest to the door and waited for the other girl to come, ready to discuss whatever came to their minds till the dawn if needed.

[ADELE KOZLOV]

It had been ages since Adele had gone to see her sister. Not purposefully of course, but time seemed to slip away so quickly lately. Her time was essentially split between Hogwarts and Dorian, she hardly found time for anything else. Still, she made baby steps to change that, and instead of floo-ing home to Dorian, she made her way to the anti-apparition lines, apparated close to Delilah's.

She didn't mind the extra few minutes it took to travel. It wasn't often she had much alone time anymore, and she was grateful to take a few minutes to just breathe and enjoy the quiet. She needed to stop by the Apothecary in Diagon Alley before she returned to Hogwarts and pick up an order for Pomfrey, and possibly something for Dorian as well. If she was lucky she'd have time to pop in to Flourish and Blotts as well.

She paused a moment, stopping to make sure she was well put-together, and that there were no muggles nearby. She ran a quick smoothing charm over her hair and pulled out her lip gloss. She'd some straight from work and hadn't paid much attention to a mirror- too afraid to miss any more time with her sister than she already had. She pushed her hair back from her face as she neared the door, and took a deep breath. A genuine smile crossed her features as the door opened. "Delilah," she greeted, her voice soft but full of warmth. She pulled the blonde into a hug before she'd fully stepped inside. "It's so good to see you. How've you been?"

[DELILAH FROST]

Delilah couldn’t stand still on her feet when she waited for her sister. She was looking forward to this as she assumed that they both needed some bonding time. They didn’t get to do that a lot now that they were both out of Hogwarts and being on duty with their respective jobs. She wanted to hear how she was doing, and also to make sure that Dorian was treating her well. She wouldn’t forgive him if he broke her heart as she understood that her sister might have had trust issues in the past and honestly, could you blame her? She too had some at some point due to her mother abandoning her and it oddly made it easier for her to bond with the sister she never knew and thought she would have.

She beamed and was unable to hold back a squeal when she heard knocks on her door most likely announcing Adele’s arrival and quickly rushed to the door. “Adele!” She said with a voice tone that was just as warm as Adele’s before she hugged the older back quickly before letting her in. “Come in, make yourself at home, I know it’s not much but I like it and I think we did a good job at decorating the place.” She said as she let the girl see the small hallway that lead to a cosy living room. It wasn’t swamped with furniture but had the necessities such as television, a couch and a sofa for them to seat and a coffee table.

“I’ve been great, busy as hell with the job but it’s fun, I like it to hunt the bad guys, at least, I’m not part of them anymore.” She said with a light sigh. It was her way to kick them in the butt now that she was working to be an Auror and she liked it. She was even contemplating the job of being a Hit Wizard. “How about you? Is Dorian treating you well?” She asked, arching an eyebrow at her question. “Oh, I forgot my manners, you want something to drink? Ask and I’ll see if I have any of it!” She added with a bright smile.

[ADELE KOZLOV]

Delilah hadn’t even opened the door and Adele was already laughing- hearing her blonde sister’s excited squeals from outside. Adele hadn’t always been a warm person- affectionate, yes, but not always emotionally available. Delilah had changed that, her enthusiasm was infectious. There were times in the past it had annoyed the redhead, but it didn’t take long for her sister to break down that wall. She loved her father dearly, but over the years his workaholic tendencies had hardened her heart, trying to avoid the hurt from his absence. Delilah had been the missing piece, creating a family for Adele that was more than just her father.



“No, no, no. It’s quite inviting,” she insisted. Maybe it wasn’t the look of the apartment so much as the sense of warmth and coziness of Delilah and her decorating choices. She took a seat on the sofa, leaning back and making herself comfortable. “I quite like it.” she continued, her eyes scanning the room before settling on Delilah, “How long have you been living here, again?”



She gave her sister an understanding smile as she explained how work was going. Adele couldn’t quite relate to the same extent, though she hadn’t exactly been much help in the war. She’d been largely absent- and that was part of why it felt so good to be back and working at Hogwarts. She was making up for it now, and making a difference in the lives of the next generation- or at least that was what she told herself. “It’s nice to feel like we’re doing some good, isn’t it?”



She half-sighed, half-laughed as she mentioned Dorian. Adele knew it wouldn’t be long before she brought him up. Things were definitely better than they had been, but Adele knew there was still some level of animosity between Dorian and her sister. “He is,” she nodded in confirmation. “Though I daresay he misses me a bit too much while I’m at Hogwarts. He’d rather I play nurse with him than a bunch of children,” she giggled, though it was short-lived. “But it has been an adjustment. I think we’re both still trying to figure things out, settle into this new normal… whatever normal is,” she shrugged. It certainly hadn’t been easy, but in her heart she thought it was worth it. “I am happy though,” she said earnestly, looking up at her sister. “Just some water, please. I’ve been running around most of the day.”

[DELILAH FROST]

Delilah had missed talking to her sister and being there for her. She was glad that she wasn’t attending the school as everyone tended to put peer pressure on her for various reasons. When she was stuck working for the death eaters was the worst and her sister saved her from going down completely. She grinned when Adele complimented her apartment. It wasn’t big but it was big enough for two people and they could also invite a few friends over without feeling cramped. She liked it and she thought they had made it nice without having it look like a mess. She supposed it helped that they were always busy with their jobs.

She was proud when her sister approved of her choices it felt good having the approval of her family. She was the only family left and wanted to make sure that Adele approved of her choices, hence she would never hear the opinions of her parents. She tried not to think of it too much, preferring to enjoy her time with her sister at the time being. “About a year or so, it’s at a perfect spot too.” They could enjoy a bit of town life when they had time off.

She nodded, agreeing with her sister. “I feel like I can be myself again and I don’t know how long it has been since I could do that.” She admitted honestly. She never thought that being an adult would free her from the various worries she had.

She was relieved to get a confirmation that Dorian was being good to Adele. She was worried often, knowing his ways in the past. “I agree it’s not always easy to get life back to how it used to be if it is ever possible.” She said. “I am glad things are going well for you two, I will try to get to know him better and not be too harsh on him I promise.” She told to Adele. “Water it is.” She added when she pulled her wand out and flicked it so a glass full of water could levitate towards Adele.

[ADELE KOZLOV]

"It really is," Adele agreed with a soft smile, still taking it everything in as she looked around. The place held warmth, something she wasn't the most familiar with. She'd been more than comfortable growing up, yet her home hadn't seemed fully lived-in. As a student, her space in Hogwarts was overly warm and cozy, and there was hardly enough space to really make it feel like her own. Her space now at Hogwarts was still somewhat bare, as Adele had spent most of her time preoccupied with the students, her work, and Dorian. His space was more than fine as well, but it was his. She'd been so shuffled around lately, it was nice to feel at home- though she knew that was largely due to Delilah herself.

Adele couldn't help the giant grin spreading over her face as Delilah agreed. "I'm happy for you, truly. Tell me more about work. Any exciting take-downs? Any hot criminals? Or coworkers? Shame the wizarding world isn't keen on handcuffs" she teased.

She took a long sip of water before setting it on a coaster next to her. "He's changed," she added, pausing a moment as she thought about Dorian. "Maybe not too much on the surface. He's still arrogant and tries to be cocky... I know his hand really bothers him though he tries not to show it... But I can tell. It's like I can see into his soul without him saying anything." She took another sip of water. "Oh gods, I'm going all soft now, aren't I?" she shook her head, though she was grinning at the thought.

[DELILAH FROST]

Delilah was secretly relieved and happy to know that Adele approved of her place. She wanted to make sure she would be comfortable especially if she was to come to visit her on a few occasions! She wanted to make sure that it was a place Adele could come to if she ever felt the need to have a break from everything. It mustn’t be easy to bring work home. It was what it felt like to her, hence Adele was working at Hogwarts as a healer of some sort and she was trying to support Dorian as much as she could at home. She honestly hoped that he wasn’t giving too much trouble to her sister even if he saved her life.

“I really like it working at the ministry.” She said with a laugh. “Of course there are hot boys and girls, I can’t deny it!” She said with a grin. Life would be boring without hot criminals! But sometimes, she did believe that they were a shame! She thought about the co-workers for a moment. “I’m working with Potter and Weasley from time to time, it’s pretty chill.” She added with a grin. She liked that, it felt like this time, she could really be with the good guys as she too had been forced to work with the Death Eaters at some point and she detested it. “It feels good to be able to trap them though.” She admitted. She felt like she was doing something good with her life and she loved it.

She looked at Adele for a moment when they talked of Dorian. “It’s good at least you can call him on his crap if he does anything.” She said after giving it a thought for a few moments. “Gryffindors are always like that, pretending to be tough.” She said, also teasing her sister on the matter. “You did grow soft but that’s good, if you’re happy with him it’s all that matters!”

[ADELE KOZLOV]

Adele smiled warmly as her sister talked about enjoying work. For so long, it had seemed like a positive future wasn't certain. The end of war brought hope of new beginnings and bright futures- that was clear on the youngest Hogwarts' student faces. The older students were still processing the trauma, seemingly second-guessing the comfort that was a world without Voldemort. It was easier for Adele when she had the students, her father, Dorian, or her sister to focus on, but there were more times than she'd admit to where she'd woken up in a cold sweat, alone at Hogwarts.

She giggled with delight as Delilah brought up having hot coworkers and criminals- that was the kind of gossip she'd wanted! "Trap them, and give them a very thorough punishment, yes?" she teased with a saucy smile. "I'll say it again, it's a shame the wizarding world isn't more keen on handcuffs. I'm just saying, you could have a lot of fun." She wiggled her eyebrows at her sister for good measure. Delilah was more familiar with the Golden Trio than she was, despite Adele having shared a house and common room with them. "I never imagined hearing Harry and Ron's names involved with anything chill," she teased. She could hardly remember a day at Hogwarts passing without some sort of commotion surrounding Harry, Ron, and Hermione. She quieted a moment. "I'm glad they're all happy," she added, her tone a bit more serious. Everyone had lost something or someone in the war, but they knew that more than most.

As Delilah sassed about Dorian, Adele couldn't help but laugh again. "You know me, I don't hold my tongue with him." Especially now. she wanted to add- though she didn't want to remind her sister of another reason to dislike Dorian. "I know- I never thought I'd end up with another Gryffindor." She gave her sister another smile as she talked about her happiness. "I am.... I can't believe this- I... I basically just blurted out that I'd like him to meet my dad. That's insane isn't it? I'm insane."

[DELILAH FROST]

Delilah quite honestly wasn’t sure at first she would have been a good Auror. Before she had been stuck with the Death Eater for a couple of years, the idea never crossed her mind either. Then she saw what they were capable of and wasn’t hesitating into picking that route. It was quite thrilling, and she enjoyed it. She felt like she was doing what she wanted and not something she was forced to do and it was a nice change. Despite what she went through, she hoped that her parents were proud of where she was now. She considered herself lucky to have found a sister like Adele, and she would do anything she could to keep a good bond between them. Even if that meant being nice to Dorian.

She couldn’t help but laugh at Adele’s comment though. “That thought came to mind on various occasions.” She said playfully. Hey, she still was a woman with needs. Besides, she had a wide variety of people to hit on now. “They might not be but we could introduce them to a few special cases.” She added trying hard not to laugh too much. Delilah agreed when they talked of the golden trio. “It’s like trouble constantly haunts them, they attract it.” She said. It was a fact. She smiled warmly at Adele and nodded agreeing with her. “Me too, especially now that it’s behind us and we can have a somewhat normal life. It’s nice.”

She was glad that her sister was seemingly fine with him. Though, a bit disappointed that she couldn’t rip his head off yet. She knew that she should be a bit gladder of his presence; he did save her life, but there was still a feeling of resentfulness she couldn’t take away. “Actually, it’s a good idea, especially if you’re happy with him.” She mused. Not to add that it could be fun watching him meet the stepdad.

[ADELE KOZLOV]

Adele's laughter went up an octave as Delilah indulged her on the punishment and handcuff talk. "Oh really? How naughty," she couldn't keep a straight face if she tried. Silly as it was, it almost worked as a smooth transition into something she was curious about- her sister's love life. "Any of these smooth criminals caught your eye? Or maybe some boring, standup citizen instead?" She gave the blonde a playful nudge.

She nodded in agreement. Trouble followed the Golden Trio quicker than a sunflower chased the sun. She could only painfully imagine how many house points were lost due to their antics- as noble and important as they usually were. "Part of me thought we'd never reach this point," she admitted quietly. There were times it seemed like Voldemort was an impossible monster to defeat; after all, Harry was only a teenage boy. When Dumbledore died, it was harder and harder to not give up hope- though none of them voiced that aloud very often.

She smiled, though didn't necessarily grow any more relaxed, when the conversation turned back to Dorian. "I understand why he's hesitant- even if he shouldn't be. I do. But... My father is nothing like his parents. All he wishes is for me to be happy, and successful." She shrugged. "I know I largely kept him in the dark about how bad things had gotten in our world, but he hasn't really had to worry about me for years. I just don't see it going badly unless he royally screws it up."

[DELILAH FROST]

Delilah playfully wiggled her eyebrows at her sister when they talked about sexy criminals. She wasn't blind; she could still find a man hot, even if she did find a few girls beautiful as well. She wasn't picky and she believed she had a good taste in looks too; they had high standards to pick considering how pretty they both were! At least, being beautiful ran in the family! "I doubt anyone could resist our charms though." she said, with confidence. It was nice to be able to joke around and be playful without having to worry for her life. "Criminals? Nah, I mostly gazed at them when I liked their looks but no one truly caught my attention, I'm hard to get, you know?" She said the last part, jokingly. She didn't have much of a love life for now and she was okay with it. Besides, she could still run after criminals to lock them up in Azkaban! This was going to be a blast. "Besides, working with them feels like I never left Hogwarts, it's weird." She said with a light laugh as they talked of the golden trio. It was true that there was part of them who believed they'd never be 'free' from war.

She nodded, sort of feeling bad - but only a little- for Dorian when Adele mentioned having him meet up with her father. "Dorian is a Gryffindor just like you, he should survive the meeting with your father. I'm sure of it. Speaking of your father, does he know I exist too?" She asked out of curiosity. Delilah did mention a few things about a sister to her father but considering the fact he died when she was in her fifth year, there weren't much she could do about it. She couldn't talk to him anymore and suggest they have an official family meeting with her and her dad. She would have loved to do that at some point, but now was too late. Though, she'd still be curious to see who was the man who raised her sister and if he had similarities with her father. (As she was wondering if their mother had same tastes).