All About Your Heart [Kamren]

Guest

With everything that had been going on with the appearance of the Deadly Nightshades and Lux (which was, in Clarinda's mind, much more important than everything else), Clarinda realised she and Kamren had not gone on their usual date night in quite a while. In fact, what with more and more people turning up in St. Mungos and all the things at the ministry that needed doing, the two had not even seen much of each other for the past few months -- and, when they did, they were so exhausted from work they barely managed to catch each other up on their days, let alone do dinner.

But that was about to change. Merlin knew that Clarinda was far too in love with her husband, and vice versa, for them to go so long without going out, and so, after making the necessary arrangements, she sent a note to Kamren that simply read:

Hello dear,

I'll be there at 6 sharp to pick you up. Wear something nice.

Love,
Clarinda

Trusting her husband would understand that she meant to take him out, she spent the rest of the afternoon treating patients and doing paperwork. At exactly five-thirty, she went to the nurse break room to take a shower. Settling on a simple black dress, Clarinda apparated to Kam's office, and then once he was ready, apparated them both to the restaurant.

In the Muggle part of France, Les Sens was the perfect place for a quiet meal away from all things magical, where they could just be a normal couple on a date instead of the Minister of Magic and the Head Healer of a ward.

As always, Kamren pulled out her chair for her to sit before moving to his own chair. Glancing at the menu, Clarinda smiled gently. "Everything looks so good," she commented. "I'm not sure I can decide!" Even after all these years together, there was something about having dinner with Kamren that turned her insides to mush, as though she was a young nervous adult all over again.

Guest

a whirlwind. That had been what life was in the past twelve months. The last six had been a nightmare. The Ministry was chaos, so many people, so little time. All demanding Kamren's time which had led to too many notes being delivered to Clarinda to apologise but he wouldn't be home for dinner. This he disliked immensely, missing out on the time he needed with his wife.

And when he managed to get home, fate would ensure someone needed Clarinda's time and pull her away from him. Both of them knew, however, that this was only temporary, and Kamren made sure that Clarinda knew of his love for her with the arrival of flowers, small notes left of his love for her, and gently curling her small figure in to him when he'd finally got home.

But their lack of contact had been nothing in comparison to their daughters grief. Kamren would have kept the distance with Clarinda, no matter how much it hurt, if only to keep Lux safe from the torment she'd had to endure. But what you wanted was never given to you on a plate, and Kamren had watched his daughter suffer, agonising over every second, unable to do much except assure her of his love.

It had, therefore been a welcome surprise to find Clarinda's note about dinner when he came out of his meeting with the German Minister of Magic. Kamren had a smile on his face as he asked his secretary to block his schedule out from five for the evening.

Not cancelling anything, just making time for his wife.

At half past five he'd changed from his office suit, to a nice navy blue, more casual yet still very tidy, suit. He didn't know where Clarinda would be taking him, and he didn't ask as she arrived, simply giving her a soft kiss on the lips in hello as he grabbed his valuables from his drawer. They separated only Merlin knew where, but as the sound of French accents filled the air, Kamren smiled to himself.

The restaurant was very nice, Kamren reached for Clarinda's chair before she sat, and then went to his own. It would never hurt to treat your wife like a Queen, and Kamren loved to make sure Clarinda wanted for nothing.

Taking the menu from the waiter, Kamren glanced through the items with care, glancing up as Clarinda spoke, smiling at her words. "It does... you can have whatever you want... or, let me know the two options you like most, I'll have one of them, so you can try both?" Kamren suggested, because that was easier for him, struggling himself with the decision.

"And, speaking of things looking good..." Kamren reached across the table to take her hand, bringing it across so that he could place a soft kiss on her knuckles. "You look beautiful this evening, my love." He told her very softly. Not that Clarinda didn't look beautiful in scrubs, of course. Or her pyjamas first thing when she woke up. Kamren simply wanted her to know that she was, as she always had been, beautiful to him.

Guest

Her eyes scanned the menu, every-so-often lifting to regard Kamren, drinking in his face as though she hadn't seen him just this morning before they both left for work. There were so many things to be said, so many things to be done, but in that moment, all she wanted to do was watch her husband.

She had to fight against the childish grin that threatened to cover her face at Kamren's words. That was her husband, always thinking of her and never him. How many things had he given up, insisting he didn't want it or was alright with 'whatever', simply because he knew she would like the alternative more? No, this night was his night; she knew how exhausted he was with everything going on at work, and she was determined to relieve at least some of that stress.

"Why don't you choose?" she said, closing the menu. "You know French cuisine better than me." Kamren would know what she was up to, naturally; they read each other like an open book, and it was difficult to keep surprises from each other. The first time she tried to plan a surprise party for him, he'd been worried for days, thinking she was upset at him because she was so quiet. Next time, she knew better.

He took her hand, his words making a light flush creep up her neck. After all these years, he still knew exactly what to say to make her feel first-date jitters. Only Merlin knew how many dates they've had since they started going out; yet, somehow, even after all this time, there was something about the way Kamren looked at her that made her melt.

"And you look especially dashing," she replied, smiling at him. "I have no idea what I ever did to deserve someone like you." They had spent many years together, but this was still something that perplexed her. How did she, of all people, manage to get someone as amazing as Kamren? He was kindhearted and gentle, but stern when need be. He was more than a little handsome. Most of all, he was loving, and caring, and Clarinda knew a love like theirs didn't come around often.

"Tell me, Kamren, how did I end up so lucky?" she murmured, a promise in her tone of more, later, when it was appropriate.

Guest

At Clarinda's insistence that he choose their menu choices, Kamren nodded his head once in acceptance and scanned the menu for a few more moments. Deciding on the starter and main, Kamren motioned the waiter back over, and ordered in French with ease. A baked Camembert to start, with rustic French bread to dip in to the melted cheese, for them to share, because he didn't want to have too much before their mains.

For main, he'd ordered the Confit de Canard for Clarinda and Ratatouille for himself, together with a French red wine to wash it down. Water, as well, so that it wasn't all too heavy. When the waiter was gone, Kamren turned back to his wife with a smile. "Duck is okay for you, darling?" He asked softly, hoping he'd made the right choice in that moment.

The soft words of how she had come to deserve him brought a sobered smile to his lips. The question... he was not sure if it was the idle question of a woman who was thanking her lucky stars, or Clarinda's inner demons threatening to bubble to the surface. Either way, his response was much the same as he thumb rubbed across the back of her soft hand in a loving gesture.

"It's not you that lucked out, Claire, you know that you do me the honour of being my wife." He told her softly. Honestly, Kamren would never hear it another way. Clarinda's history might be murky, but he... he had not only married the most beautiful woman in the world, he'd married the kindest, the most caring, the most understanding, dutiful and perfect woman the world could have made. And, just how he'd managed to entice her to marry him, he would never know.

"How's work, I'm afraid I haven't caught up with your schedule in much too long..." Kamren asked softly, his tone apologetic because he loathed being the kind of husband who wasn't fully aware, and interested in their wife's work.

Guest

As Kamren spoke to the waiter, she couldn't help but want to open the menu to see what exactly he was ordering; it wasn't that she didn't trust his judgement -- sometimes she reckoned he knew her tastes better than she herself did. It was pure and simple curiosity. Yet, she didn't, deciding that being surprised wasn't a bad thing. She knew a few words of French here and there, of course, having picked it up from times she heard her husband speak it, but languages had never really been one of her fortes, and she kept her knowledge to English and some very basic BSL (which she had one of the other Healer's teach her when there was an influx of Deaf patients coming in).

At the question, she flashed him a smile. "You know duck is one of my favourite meats," she told him. It was true; Kamren knew all her guilty pleasures, and she knew his. After all, they'd been married for so long it was impossible not to know the likes of the other.

Her hand was warm in his and she loved the feeling of it; there was something about Kamren's touch that filled her heart with love, and as cliche and soppy as it sounded, it was true. She never felt safer or more loved than when she was with him.

She let out a soft laugh. "Kamren, you know I love you, but I do have to disagree," she told him softly. It was obvious she wasn't arguing, just teasing her husband. "You could have any female you wanted, and you know it. You didn't have to pick me and yet you did," she said, words softly spoken.

At the question, she lifted her shoulder in a tiny shrug. "Oh, this and that," she replied. "There hasn't been much out of the ordinary. I told you about that young woman they rescued from the Deadly Nightshades, didn't I?" Pausing, she took in her husband's face, scanning it for any signs of tiredness. It had been so long since they last had quality time together, and while work wasn't something she wanted to discuss, it was different talking about their days, their struggles, their hopes... No, this wasn't talking business; this was caring for the other.

"What about you?" she asked, smiling. "How has work been?"

[[OOC: I'M SORRY THIS IS SO SHORT D:]]

Guest

Kamren's smile only grew when Clarinda said it was her favourite - he'd known that, of course, they'd been married for so long, it was impossible not to know each other's eating habits inside out. But, Kamren didn't like to brag about what he knew, he liked to play it humbly, make Clarinda feel, perhaps, a little guilty with the thoughts that he'd remembered.

After all, where was the harm in treating your wife of so many years in the same manner you'd treat a girlfriend in your twenties?

"I did choose you, so any one else is completely irrelevant." Kamren told her, giving Clarinda's hand a small squeeze. "And, given the choice again, I'd not change my mind for anything." He added very softly. It was true, through everything that had challenged them, through all the ups, and all the downs, the idea of choosing someone else, rather than Clarinda, was one he would never entertain. Their life together was perfect, and nothing anyone said could change that.

Kamren simply quirked his head to the side at the mention of a girl and the Deadly Nightshades. Whether Clarinda had told him, or whether he'd read a report, he could not place now. "I... think it was mentioned..." Kamren replied, leaving the space for Clarinda to extend upon that story with a look that simply said he was interested to know more. Clarinda was superb in her field, her stories sometimes beautiful in the way she'd treated someone back to full health, other times incredibly sad when he heard of the passing of a patient.

Whilst confidentiality was something they were expected to keep, Kamren was the Minister of Magic, it was hardly as if he wasn't going to find out some way or another, anyway.

And, of course, they trusted one another. With everything.

"Work..." Kamren gave her a small smile, a smile that showed he was a little tired of the headache that was work. "The Deadly Nightshade are giving the Ministry the run around. The Daily Prophet are fishing for stories all the time. I had the Belgian Minister in my office today, asking, no, sorry, demanding, that I hand over all the information I had on the Deadly Nightshade because he was terribly worried that the Nightshades have infiltrated his Ministry." Kamren explained, his tone inclining that he had not believed this tale for a single moment.

"I've been spending most of the day listening to the Aurors debrief some raids they've been conducting, which have pulled up nothing." Kamren finalised, shaking his head a little. The money it was costing to route out the Nightshades was more than substantial, and he had a number of foreign dignitaries on his back. "You will never know how deeply relieved I was to find your invitation on my desk this afternoon."

The final words were said with so much love, so much thanks, that Kamren didn't need to speak. But, it was there, how he was so very thankful that Clarinda always seemed to know when he needed her to pull him away from the office. To relax, and be one of two roles in life that matter. A husband, and a father, those two roles were the only ones that would ever, truly matter.

» There Is My Heart (Kamren & Clarinda)
» The Adoption (Lux & Kamren)
» Home is Where the Heart Is (Kelenore)
» Sophie Alyvia Heart
» Not For the Faint of Heart (open)