Author's Notes: Chapter edited and corrected by Scott Fellman.
January 9, 2008 – Bellatrix PoV
I took a deep breath, then I knocked on the door.
"Come in!" Sinclair's immediate response surprised me, but I nevertheless opened the door and looked into the room. I grimaced. Colorful was the only non-offensive word that could describe the interior of Sinclair's room. Colorful. And messy. It looked like a tornado of color had passed through the room.
Nothing seemed to match anything at all. But somehow, Sinclair was in her element; in fact, she blended perfectly well with the room.
"Give me a minute." Sinclair said with a smile, and then she returned to playing with her phone, which was positioned on a tall tripod with several circular lights surrounding it. She then started dancing… what was going on? It was a short dance. She stopped and went back to fiddling with her phone. After a few seconds, she smiled widely and turned to look at me. "Did you need me, Bella?" she asked happily.
"What was that?" I asked quickly, with a frown, and she looked at the phone, confused, before opening her eyes.
"Oh, yeah, Gen X… or before them. Boomers." Sinclair muttered incomprehensibly. "Don't worry, I was just recording a video to show other people on the internet." Sinclair said quickly. I narrowed my eyes; she was hiding something from me, but there were more important things than questioning Sinclair.
"Today is Sera's birthday. I need you to -"
"It's Sera's birthday?!" Sinclair interrupted me, and I tried to glare at her before seeing the completely shattered expression on her face. "It's Sera's birthday?... It's my imprint's birthday…and no one told me?" Sinclair whimpered.
"Oh." When you put it that way, she really would be just as sad. I sighed. "Sinclair, calm down." I demanded as I walked over to her. Sinclair looked like she was about to cry, but stopped and looked at me. I sighed again. She really looked like an overgrown puppy that had been kicked. "First, it really didn't occur to any of us to tell you for the simple fact that… actually, we just forgot. With everything that happened this last week of coming to a new world, we forgot that you didn't know about her birthday." I tried to comfort her, I made a promise to Sera to try, she'd better appreciate it.
"Really?" Sinclair asked plaintively. I nodded.
"Seriously, I'm sure even Serena can't remember that today is actually her birthday," I told her honestly. Truly, Serena had spent too much time in her makeshift lab studying her new demonic magic, and for the promotion test, she couldn't even remember what the dates were. That did the trick, as Sinclair gasped loudly in dramatic fashion.
"She doesn't remember her birthday?! Unacceptable! Let's get her out of her lab! We have a birthday to celebrate!!" she said quickly. She really did look like Narcissa when she did that. I couldn't help but snort in amusement.
"Not yet," I said, cutting off her sudden excitement. "I have some shopping to do first, so I came to see if you wanted to join me," I offered. Sinclair gasped again and looked at me with wide eyes.
"Are you inviting me... to go buy gifts for Sera, together?" she asked slowly, looking like she was about to explode.
"Yes!" Her squeal was completely expected; the hug, not so much, but I didn't separate her immediately.
"Sinclair, we have to go if we want to get there on time," I said simply. She pulled away.
"Oh yeah! Let me get ready! 5 minutes!" She ran out and started rummaging through her closet, grabbing a few clothes and shamelessly beginning to undress. I quickly turned around to give her privacy. "Ready! …what are you doing?" She asked as she approached me. I snorted once more.
"Nothing, let's go." I grabbed her hand and we apparated to the nearest town.
"Okay, that's still just as awful as before." Enid said. She felt slightly dizzy; it wasn't the first time we had apparated with her, but none of those times had really sat well with her. "Where are we? Is this... a bathroom? " Enid asked, confused as she looked around. I nodded.
"We're in a… mall, I asked Sera for a place where there would be a lot of stores." I said with a grimace.
"A mall?!" Enid squealed excitedly before stopping. "I don't have any money!" Enid exclaimed, distressedly.
"Don't worry, I'll pay for everything, just pick something if you want it." I said simply.
"But..." Enid tried to speak, but I looked at her.
"Don't make me repeat myself. I have money, so don't think about it." I said once more. Enid seemed to struggle, but nodded; then the excitement came back to her. "Come on, we have places to go." I said quickly and started walking.
" W- wait for me!" Enid said as she quickened her pace and caught up with me. "Where are we going? What do we need to buy? Do you need to buy anything for the birthday party? Have you bought her a gift yet?! Oh my gosh! I don't know what to buy for her! I didn't have time to think about anything! " Enid said quickly.
"Sinclair, stop." I said firmly. Enid quickly shut her mouth. " Everything is already prepared. Narcissa and Dobby are handling all the details. Yes, I already bought her a gift, or at least one of them. Lucius helped me get in touch with the Grey Wizards, and Narcissa with Golden Dawn. I bought her several magical books and many ingredients for potions from this world; she will love it."
"Lucius got her books on mythology, or well, history of this world, with the help of the Greys, while Cissa is making her clothes, or well, patterns for her stupid cloak to absorb."
"And you don't have to buy her anything, Sera won't be upset. And where we're going… I wanted your… opinion on… her other gift… It's kind of delicate." I said vaguely as I answered all her questions. Enid blinked a few times while pouting.
"Everyone already got presents for Sera, but I haven't. I don't know what to get her." Enid said, depressed, I made a face. I had really forgotten about it. I sighed as I thought.
"Don't think about it too much, we're just… making up for it a bit, we couldn't get any presents for Yule, for Christmas, we were too busy to go shopping at the time." I quickly explained. Enid looked like she was about to burst again, so I spoke again. "Can you… Help me pick out a couple of things, I'll tell her they're from you." I said as I squirmed in place., Enid looked at me curiously.
"What are we buying?" she asked curiously. I didn't answer as we continued walking to the place I had found. I had come all alone to try and shop on my own, but there were… so many stores and so many options that I didn't know what to choose.
"Well… my sister told me about that time Serena helped her with… with Malfoy and she mentioned something… that she helped her get-" we stopped in front of a store. "-lingerie." I nearly spat that word out like it was poison. Enid's eyes widened as she looked at me and then at the store in front of us.
"Lingerie?! You want me to help you buy lingerie to wear with Sera?! " Enid squealed in surprise. I made a face.
"I know... it may seem cruel to ask you for help with this when you're not with Sera in the same way yet, but... you're the only one I could -"
"I'd be delighted!" Enid interrupted my babbling with a bright smile. I paused for a few seconds before sighing in relief. She didn't really seem upset or hurt by my request; in fact, she grabbed my hand and began to drag me towards the store. I could feel myself blushing as soon as we were inside.
"Thank you, Sinclair." I said softly, and Enid turned to look at me once more, smiling widely.
"Don't thank me, I like helping you! Thank you for trusting me! I know it can't have been easy." She said much more slowly, and I sighed shakily.
"No… don't worry about it," I said honestly before taking a deep breath.
"Alright, let's get you that lingerie and make Sera lose her mind when she sees you wearing it!" she said quickly. I nodded and took the change of subject as it was.
"I leave it in your hands," I said simply. Enid began to drag me, still holding my hand, through the store.
---
I was exhausted, thoroughly drained. We had been shopping for hours, going from one store to another. Enid was clearly in her element and seemed practically tireless; even I, with my regeneration, was starting to feel mentally drained. We were now resting in a nearby restaurant while enjoying a small lunch. I had placed a muffliato around us for privacy.
"Are you... Are you sure Sera will like this?" I asked as I looked at the bags beside us. It wasn't normal for me to doubt my appearance, but this was so far out of my comfort zone that I couldn't help it. Some of those clothes were completely useless pieces of fabric that failed to fulfill their primary function as clothing, which is to cover the body. Enid snorted amusedly.
"She definitely won't be able to keep her hands off you anymore; you two make love all the time, this will make her devour you with greater urgency." Enid assured mischievously. I sighed in relief.
"Thank you." I thanked her more slowly. Enid smiled broadly at me.
"You're welcome, I'm glad you asked, I really enjoyed it." Enid said honestly.
"Wait, what did you say?" I said stiffly as I looked at her. Enid tapped her nose with a mischievous smile, my eyes widened, and my sense of smell was enhanced.
"I can smell Sera anywhere, at any distance; she's my imprint, it's the least I can do. So… yeah, I can smell her on you all the time; her scent on you is stronger after you have sex." Enid said, I shuddered slightly.
"I… I'm sorry, it must be horrible to know about that." I said with a grimace, I wasn't ashamed of my relationship with Sera, nor of the fact that we had sex most nights, but rubbing it in Enid's face wasn't something I really wanted to do.
"Huh? Why? " Enid asked, confused as she tilted her head. I looked at her slightly incredulously. Enid seemed to understand and giggled. "I already told you that I don't care, silly. You're my imprint's partner; it's obvious that you were going to make love. I expected it, and it doesn't bother me." Enid said, amused, before blushing slightly. "Besides, I like Sera to be happy, and you make that happen, so honestly, it doesn't bother me. In fact, I kinda like the smell." Enid said shyly. My eyes widened.
"What?" I asked dumbly, and Enid blushed a little more before clearing her throat.
"Are… are we being sincere? Sex is totally normal, having a healthy sex life with your partner or self-exploration is completely com -"
"Sinclair!" I interrupted Enid's stammering. She smiled shyly while blushing. I sighed, "Yes, we can be sincere, but I refuse to answer anything I don't want to." I snorted. Enid nodded.
"I… I like smells!" Enid said quickly as she burst into red. "I… I'm a wolf, smells are a way we have to communicate, to… say certain things, mostly to mark territory… or mates." Enid said shyly. "I… was very close to being a lone wolf, I couldn't turn into a werewolf despite being of age. My mother was about to kick me out of the pack, but… now I'm here and I have a pack and an imprint and it's wonderful." Enid said dreamily.
"I... don't understand," I said honestly. She smiled and shook her head.
"You don't need to understand, it's just that… I have a pack now, and I love you all so much. I like you a lot, like family! At least Lucy and Cissy, their scents are like family, yours… yours feels a little more intimate." Enid said shyly, I shuddered slightly. I didn't know for what reasons and I didn't want to find out now. "but Sera's-" Enid moaned loudly. "-Sera's smell… it smells divine, her scent is everything I ever dreamed of in a partner, in someone I could call my own and… I got a fetish for it. I can't stop smelling her every time I'm around her."
"I... what?" I asked stupidly. Enid was completely red.
"I like the way she smells, her normal scent is simply divine, it's… like ambrosia would smell and more… but when she's excited? When she's just had sex? Or better yet, when she's having sex with you? her scent becomes stronger, more dominant, more… more tempting." Enid was breathing slightly heavier than before.
I… didn't know what to say, really. I wasn't one to talk about other people's fetishes, not at this point when I barely knew what mine were, but smell? I couldn't really imagine it. Yes, Sera smelled divine, her scent permeating my nostrils as she sat on top of me-
No, I take that back. I can imagine how someone might enjoy that.
"Was that weird? Oh my Gosh, I knew it would be weird; forget what I said! I'm a normal girl with normal tastes -"
"Sinclair," I interrupted Enid's babbling again. Apparently, I had been quieter than I thought. Enid closed her mouth tightly.
"It's weird, but who am I to judge?," I said with a shrug before looking away. "Besides, I like it… a little rougher." I tried to speak vaguely.
"Oh, I know! I saw you once when I was with Sera!! I never imagined you liked being tied up, beaten, and praised! But there's nothing to be ashamed of," my eyes widened.
"Excuse me, what?! What are you? What?! " I exclaimed out loud while looking at her, slightly angry. Enid ignored my look and laughed.
"Well, you were in a public place, I was just trying to get to the shop, and there you were having kinky sex. It wasn't my fault! " Enid defended herself. I'm going to kill Sera; this is her fault. "I mean, besides, I wasn't alone, Cissy was with me." Enid said shyly.
"Narcissa saw us?!" I exclaimed in horror, and Enid nodded slightly. "I'm going to kill Sera!" I growled, utterly embarrassed. Enid laughed lightly.
"It's not that bad," Enid tried to placate, but her smile was too annoying for it to work. "Although… I have to ask… what if I say 'good girl'?" Enid asked mischievously, and I flinched slightly as the blood rushed to my face.
"Sinclair." I growled and tried to glare at Enid, who barely flinched; in fact, she had the nerve to laugh.
"Okay, okay, I'll leave it for Sera," Enid said quickly as she raised her hands in surrender despite still giggling. I snorted and looked away. "It's not the end of the world if you're submissive, Bella-" I moaned loudly, regretting my words. "-I mean, I am too," Enid said shyly. I quickly turned to her; Enid was blushing a little.
"Really?" I asked stupidly, and Enid nodded.
"I mean, not like you, I've seen the… aftermath of your encounters a few times. Even on your clothes and with your quick healing, and I… I don't like anything rough, there's nothing wrong with you liking it!!! But, it's not my thing, I don't like pain, I'd like my partner to be firm, take the initiative, take charge, be dominant, but treat me gently like a princess." Enid was practically bright red at this point. I should be, too. I took a deep breath before sighing.
There really wasn't much to think about, was there?
"If you ask her, I'm sure she'll oblige," I said simply. Enid nodded shyly before stopping and looking at me in surprise once she understood what my words implied.
"Y-you? W-do you mean that? " Enid asked, I could see and hear the hope in her. I nodded as I looked away.
"Yeah, I… I'm permitting you to chase after Sera, I… I just need a little more time to get used to the idea." Even though the idea was appealing to me, that was actually the biggest problem. I grimaced, which only grew when Enid squealed in happiness. I let out a pained moan when Enid tackled me in a tight hug and easily lifted me as she began to shake me.
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!! " Enid squealed quickly. I couldn't help but let out a smile.
"Okay, enough," I tried to stop her, but Enid kept shaking me back and forth. I huffed before looking around and letting my body turn into black mist before reforming a dozen centimeters away from her. I looked around to see if anyone had noticed anything, but I couldn't find anyone. I sighed in relief and looked at Enid once more. Enid didn't seem bothered; in fact, she still appreciated that she was vibrating with excitement.
"I… this is amazing! Thank you so much! I… I don't know what to say! " Enid said, vibrating in excitement, she had a broad smile on her face before she stopped. "But don't worry, I'll go slow! I'll try to keep everything between us away from your sight, and I'll even ask your permission for certain activities, all until you're comfortable! " Enid promised firmly, I made a face.
"There's no need."
"No, there's not, but I want to," Enid said with a smile. "I told you that your comfort is important to me, too, and I'll keep that promise."
"I… thank you." I finally said, Enid just smiled at me.
"Come on, I still have to buy Sera a present!" Enid took my hand and started moving. I let her drag me without any problem.
Enid had decided on a complete set of high-quality fountain pens, and although she complained about the price and the money she was spending, she was delighted with her gift. Enid was practically horrified when she realized we were still using real quills to write.
Fountain pens weren't a bad idea. They were certainly much more comfortable than the quills we usually used. Enid bought some extra ones of lower quality for the rest of us. Enchantments weren't my strong suit, but I knew enough to be able to enchant Serena's new pens to make them sturdier and self-refillable as a favor for Enid.
--
Sera liked the birthday party once we got her out of her room and everyone had arrived with their presents.
...including my new underwear.
I'll have to thank Enid.