#orion really was so happy he got to fly alongside carewyn one more time before graduating

[carewyncromwell]

"Still harder getting up, getting dressed,

Living with this regret,

But I know if I could do it over,

I would trade, give away

All the words that I saved in my heart

That I left unspoken..."

~"What Hurts the Most (cover)" by State of Mine

x~x~x~x

Inspired by a What-If? Prompt from @drinkyoursoupbitch:

If your OTP got together as grown-ups, give them that teenage dream first kiss full of all the yearning, clumsy choices, and awkward hands.

Read the original unraveling of this scene from Carion's canon! // Read more canon Carion content!

x~x~x~x

Orion got up to practice on his own every morning. He'd always been an early riser from the time he was young, and there was often nothing more medicinal than having some time to just fly on his own, without having to worry about the stresses that came with being Slytherin Quidditch Captain.

Though in this case, perhaps it was the abrupt absence of that stress that made Orion so want to fly. Because as of three days ago, Orion had flown in his very last match at Hogwarts -- and, thanks in large part to Carewyn Cromwell's return to his team, they had finally achieved their long-sought goal of winning the Quidditch Cup. In fact, the Slytherin Quidditch team was set to accept the trophy later that very day.

A perfect ending to Orion's tenure at Hogwarts. It brought him some measure of peace, to know he'd finally seen his team reach their goal, and yet there was something restless in his soul. Something he could hardly put into words...

Orion tried to shrug this unease off same as his poncho as he set about flying around the goal hoops that muggy May morning. He'd just finished weaving through the last one when his eyes caught sight of it.

A Patronus, gleaming and white, shaped like a horse with long, beautiful wings that were spread wide as it galloped on thin air alongside him.

Orion's heart stopped.

His Patronus...? How could that -- ?

No. No, it couldn't be Orion's Patronus, when he hadn't cast the spell. So that had to mean...

Orion was barely conscious of how wide his dark eyes had become. The Abraxan Patronus's own silvery eyes seemed to consider him, before it turned and flapped off, back toward the commentary box.

And sitting in the box, holding her wand aloft, was Carewyn, dressed in a feathery white dress with a bright lipsticked smile.

Orion's heart felt like it had grown ten sizes, just seeing her. He hardly acknowledged just how quickly he flew over, nor how his entire expression had flooded with fondness and awe as he looked at her. All he really seemed to know was the overwhelming warmth that came with reaching her, even as her Patronus lingered behind her.

She was healed. She was all right.

"Carewyn Cromwell," he murmured, his mouth spreading into a full smile.

Carewyn beamed. "Good morning. Happy Ceremony Day."

"A very happy day it is," Orion agreed, "seeing you've recovered."

Orion was happy for it. He'd been so worried when she'd been hurt -- the anxiety attack he'd suffered was worse than anything he could remember.

"Mm. I'm not supposed to carry anything heavy or push myself too hard…and Chiara’s still going to have to make me Healing potions for the rest of the week…but I should be able to just take them at lunch and dinner now. And at least now I can actually wear what I want again – except at the ceremony, of course."

Carewyn's blue eyes sparkled in the light still coming off of her Patronus -- had they always been so bright? It made them look like moonbeams...blueish moonbeams, in the midst of broad daylight. Even her face, so soft and round, was as pale as the moon...

Had she...always been so beautiful, and he'd just never noticed...?

Carewyn's Patronus abruptly disappeared, and Orion suddenly realized that he'd completely zoned out.

"Orion?" said Carewyn. "Is something wrong?"

Orion offered her a placid smile. "Nothing is wrong. My mind merely...wandered away, for a moment, without my consent..."

And went skipping off into a daydream, he thought dryly. I didn't even know it could do that.

His eyes drifted over where Carewyn's Patronus had been, before trailing back over Carewyn's face. Her brows were lightly furrowed in concern and deep thought -- it made sweet little wrinkles crease in her temple, ones that made her almond-shaped eyes look that bit more piercing...beckoning...

At ease, Orion tried to rein in his brain again. You'll make her uncomfortable, staring so much.

Sure enough, Carewyn averted her eyes. Clearly the prolonged eye contact had taken her aback.

"...Well, perhaps that's because you've yet to eat something. One can hardly get ready for the day without a proper breakfast..."

She busied herself with taking off her wicker basket purse and unloading it of some pastries wrapped up in red and white checkered napkins and two bottles of Butterbeer.

Orion's expression immediately softened. That was so like Carewyn...thinking of everyone else's health and well-being before herself...

With an easy leap and a flick of his broom, he'd landed in the box, climbing the few stairs needed to reach her. Carewyn continued avoiding his eyes, but her shoulders still seemed to relax as he settled down beside her.

"I know Butterbeer's not exactly customary," she said in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Mum usually serves tea with her pikelets...but well, I figured Chiara wouldn't want me to aggravate my wound by lugging a whole tea service up here..."

"I can't say I've ever been much for custom, considering my life has never been built around it," Orion said with a smile. "In some sense you could say customs are merely rules of a significant age...and we Slytherins are well-known for having a disregard for rules, are we not?"

Carewyn giggled as she handed Orion his napkin-wrapped pastry. It was flat and covered in some sort of golden jam.

Orion considered it curiously -- Carewyn looked at him significantly as she held up her own.

"Here -- fold it so the apple compote doesn't fall out, and eat it like this."

Orion followed her lead, and was pleasantly surprised by how good it tasted.

"Mm...! This is good..."

His heart fluttered seeing just how proudly Carewyn beamed. He brought a hand up to brush his hair out of his face, even if it coincidentally obscured the rosiness of his expression.

"...You said this was your mother's recipe?" he asked.

Circulate air, restless heart. Carewyn has always been both kind and aesthetically pleasing, there's no need for this...

Carewyn nodded. "Yeah, Mum loves making pikelets in the morning. Not always with fruit -- sometimes she serves them with syrup. But she loves using fruit for special occasions...and well, I'd say today's certainly that."

Orion's eyes softened.

"Indeed it is. Especially because you will be there to accept the trophy with us."

My dream of seeing our team reach our goal would not have been complete without you.

Carewyn's face darkened in a slight blush, but her smile only broadened even as she bowed her head.

"...I'm just glad I could help," she said. "After how long and hard you worked to get the Cup -- how hard your whole team worked...you deserved to win, Orion."

She was trying to keep her posture proud, but Orion could see the shyness in her body language. It was...cute, in a strange way. Like a baby featherless Phoenix shaking off the ashes...

"Trust me, Carewyn," Orion said gently, "that without the hard work and loyalty you yourself put in, I would have nothing to celebrate. But because you did put them in, and because we got to achieve this victory together...I feel akin to a Seeker, having finally caught the Snitch. This gold we've won would've been out of reach forever, had you not beaten back the obstacles that sought to take it from us. And now I'm set to fly higher than any Abraxan, with the wind you've been under my wings."

Carewyn tried all the more to hide both her blush and the emotion in her expression. It wasn't quite smiling anymore -- now there was something almost bittersweet there.

"...Thank you, Orion," she murmured. "That really means a lot to me."

With a tap of her wand and a wordless spell, she opened the two Butterbeer bottles, handing the right bottle to Orion. The two then clinked the bottles together and then took a sip, looking out to the horizon.

Orion had always wanted Carewyn back on the Slytherin team, from the very moment she'd first left. The memory of their victorious first match together against Hufflepuff back in his fourth year was still one of the happiest in his life, ever after so long. Why, it'd even been the thing that helped him cast his own first Patronus earlier that year in Defense Against the Dark Arts...

The crowd cheering...Skye's whoops and Carewyn's happy, smiling face...that had been the thing that had flooded Orion's chest with enough light and hope to create a corporeal Patronus. A Patronus just like...

"Orion -- "

"Carewyn -- "

The two ended up speaking at the exact same moment completely by accident.

"Sorry -- you go ahead -- "

"Forgive me, I -- "

Orion found himself flushing darkly. Carewyn's face was pink too, but she offered him an encouraging smile.

"It's okay," she said, even as her eyes drifted away, "you go first."

Orion swallowed. Then, considering his words very carefully, he took a deep breath.

"...I merely wished to ask...about your Patronus. Has it...always taken that form?"

Carewyn blinked. Clearly she hadn't been expecting that.

"Yes," she said, confused. "Abraxans have always been my favorite magical creature, ever since I was little."

"...Really..."

Orion's eyes drifted away, but the corner of his lips seemed to twitch in a strange soft of smile.

Carewyn tilted her head at him, looking both confused and curious. When he caught her eye, Orion bowed his head, failing to obscure the broadening smile on his face.

"Forgive me, it's just...I'm quite fond of them too."

Carewyn cocked her eyebrows, smiling. "Yeah?"

"Yes. They are unique creatures. Beautiful, yes, but also...rare, in their spirit. Symbolic of light and wisdom -- of creativity and inspiration, of chasing the impossible. True, unbridled freedom..."

Carewyn's blue eyes seemed to shine.

"They really suit you, then," she said.

Orion looked up at her, surprised. Then his black eyes softened.

"...You think so?"

"Of course!" said Carewyn, the amusement in her voice tempered by its warmth. "You've always been so wise, Orion -- you've always been bright, creative, and ambitious. And you've always been a source of light for your team -- they love you with all of their hearts."

Her blue eyes became a little smaller.

"...You've always inspired people. You make people want to work hard and chase their gold, no matter how impossible it might seem. ...I don't know how Slytherin's team will ever be the same..."

She pushed down another bittersweet flicker from her face, instead putting on a braver smile as a flash of amusement danced through her eyes.

"...If I'm a Fire Crab for my temper," she teased, "then your lofty ideals definitely make you an Abraxan."

Orion couldn't bite back a laugh. It was very quiet, very hushed, and very short, and yet it made his heart swell up in his chest. His head fell as he tried to contain his amusement. Eventually he looked up at her, unable to suppress the bright, warm emotions from his face.

"...No...no, Carewyn Cromwell, you are no Fire Crab. Your Patronus proves that."

Carewyn laughed. "Why, because Fire Crabs can't cast Charms?"

But Orion merely smiled broadly.

"Cast the spell again," he told her.

Carewyn cocked her eyebrows.

"Please."

Still eying Orion suspiciously, Carewyn nonetheless raised her wand, holding it absently over her right shoulder.

"Expecto Patronum."

A cluster of white swirled around her shoulder, swelling up like a cloud that melded itself into the shape of an Abraxan Winged Horse with silvery gray eyes.

Carewyn waited for Orion to say something poetic or philosophical at the sight of it. Instead, though, Orion's smile only seemed to brighten as he too took out his own wand.

And when Orion looked deep into Carewyn's eyes, Carewyn saw something flickering at the back of them -- a memory of Orion learning the Patronus Charm himself...conjuring a misty shape with feathery wings...

The suspicion and amusement slid right off of Carewyn's face, to be replaced with shock.

"...You...?" she whispered.

Orion inclined his head ever-so-slightly to her, his black eyes serious.

"Expecto Patronum."

In an instant, a line of white smoke emerged from his own wand, swirling through the air until it had been weaved into a second beautiful, brightly shining Abraxan Patronus.

Carewyn watched in disbelief and awe as it landed behind Orion, its head arching over his shoulder as it sniffed the air. Carewyn's own Patronus extended its own neck over its owner's shoulder and gently touched noses with Orion's.

Carewyn and Orion both watched their Patronuses slowly faded away, before turning to look at each other. Both of their faces were flushed and they'd gone very quiet.

"...You..." Carewyn struggled to retain her composure. "...we...have the same Patronus."

"...Yes."

Orion's throat was very dry. It was painful when he swallowed.

"...I...know you don't believe in fate, Carewyn Cromwell," he said, trying very hard to keep his voice steady even though his heart and air intake were depriving him of his usual balanced speaking cadence. "I know that you won't want to invest time in anything frivolous so long as your brother is in danger, nor are you the type to settle for a person who would lean on superstition as a reason to pursue you. I know you and I are not so similar that I've developed romantic instincts, or that I will ever learn how to nest and settle, or that the futures we've dreamed up for ourselves would have any common ground at all..."

He had moved a bit closer to her when he'd bowed his head, but now he tried hard to look at her. Maybe if she looked into his eyes, she'd see through him, like she always had seemed to...

"...But right now I...I want to believe," he said softly. "Even if we're young and foolish -- even if we truly know nothing of the real world, even if I myself know nothing about love...I want to believe that this is real. Because the way I feel, right now...it makes me feel real. You've made my days better, just by being there. You've made my problems smaller, just by showing support. You've made Quidditch more fun, just by flying by my side. I cast my first Patronus in part because of the memory of you."

The words all came stumbling out in a stream of consciousness he couldn't suppress. It made Orion feel oddly vulnerable. Blind. Almost ashamed.

"...I look back," he said shakily, "and I...I'm amazed it took me so long to see it. I'm amazed it took me finding out we share a Patronus to see it. And during the match -- when you were hurt..."

Orion had to force himself to breathe. He inhaled and exhaled shakily.

"...it...frightened me...more than anything ever has. It still frightens me. Because I know you'll place yourself in danger as much as you have to, so long as your brother needs you. And as much as I could ask you to be safe...you wouldn't be the inspiring, brilliant Abraxan you are, if I tried to bind your wings."

Carewyn was left speechless. All she could do was stare. And yet through Orion's eyes, it seemed like she was getting everything she needed -- as if she could feel everything he could at this moment -- and it was overwhelming her. She even had to cover her face to obscure her emotions.

"Carewyn..."

Orion brought a hand down to her shoulder, wanting to comfort her, but as soon as he touched her, Carewyn's head immediately shot back up. She stared up at him, her flushed face stained with tears -- a sight that made Orion's heart ache.

"Oh, Carewyn, forgive me...forgive me, I didn't wish to -- "

Orion had been moving back, but he halted when Carewyn brought her hands up to hold his face.

"No," she said firmly. "No, Orion, you don't need to apologize."

She placed her forehead beside his, their noses touching just as their Patronuses had. Her red lips were curled up slightly, but trembling.

"...I just wish I was stronger," she murmured. "So I could protect you."

Orion's heart bled. Slowly he brought up his own hands and, very hesitantly, brought them on either side of Carewyn's face, cradling it as she was his.

"You, Carewyn Cromwell," he whispered beside her lips, "are the strongest person I know."

He paused.

"...Please...may I kiss you?"

Carewyn gave a choked laugh. "You practically already are."

"Practically is not actually," Orion said lightly. Then, through a darker flush, he added, "...Magizoologists say that Abraxans need forceful handling, but I cannot ascribe to that. I can't presume I have your permission."

Carewyn's eyes sparkled with fondness.

"You have it, Orion," she whispered.

And she pecked his lips.

Once Orion recovered, he swept in, capturing her mouth with his. He melted into Carewyn's arms as she brought them around him and stroked his hair -- he tried to copy her by burying his own hand into her hair, undoing her ponytail so he could tangle it into the strands. They kissed multiple times, a few long, but many short, and traded jokes and reassurance all the while. For truly, this was a bit frightening for both of them, however exciting it was.

Young love was scary. But courage could be love's most loyal friend.

x~x~x~x

This was not how Carewyn and Orion ended up confessing to each other -- but it did serve to be one of many "what-if" scenarios that Orion fancied, back in the days before he fully came to grips with how in love he truly was with Carewyn...and, perhaps, always had been.

[carewyncromwell]

Fluff Alphabet: Carewyn/Orion

@weasley-adoptee tagged me, and uh...yeah, while I’ve done this before, I did it before I’d settled on an endgame ship for my girl Carewyn! Now that I have, I can do this for the HMS Carion (AKA Carewyn Cromwell/Orion Amari)! XDD

Tagging @smarti-at-smogwarts, @department-shoe-stud, @cursebreakerfarrier​, @that-ravenpuff-witch​, @words-and-wands​ and anyone else if you’re interested and either haven’t done this already or want to do it for a ship they haven’t done it for! xoxo

A= Attractive (What do they find attractive about the other?)

Carewyn thinks Orion is the wisest person she’s ever met. She’s always admired how content he is with his life, even while he chases victory on the Quidditch field. He got dealt a pretty bad hand in life, but he’s always been able to make do with little and reach for the stars without being unhappy on the ground. She also absolutely loves how much he loves his friends and later his daughter, Eos. Orion’s a lover, not a fighter, and Carewyn finds it very attractive. Plus his smile, when he actually ends up smiling fully, makes her heart melt every time!

Orion loves how generous and selfless Carewyn is. Her putting her own safety on the line to help him achieve his dream of Slytherin winning the Quidditch Cup remains one of her most beautiful moments in his eyes, even after so many years. Although her passion can get a little much for him sometimes as well, he nonetheless finds her absolutely stunning when she’s fighting on behalf of somebody else -- the fire in her eyes, to him, are akin to the eyes of a wild stallion, and it makes his heart race.

B = Baby (Do they want a family? Why/Why not)

When Orion and Carewyn reconnect post-War, they actually both have kids already, Orion being the single father of an infant daughter, Eos, and Carewyn being the legal guardian of twelve-year-old Erik Apollo. Carewyn has no interest in bearing any children herself, so both she and Orion are very content raising their own kid as well as helping support their partner’s.

C= Cuddle (How do they cuddle?)

Orion and Carewyn are both on the “A” side of the LGBT+ community (Orion being gray-A and Carewyn being ace/pan), and Orion himself wasn’t raised with a lot of physical affection, so their cuddling is a bit muted, compared to a lot of other couples. They’ll very often sit side-by-side with their shoulders touching and/or holding each other’s hands, and sometimes Carewyn will rest her legs across Orion’s lap or Orion will rest his head on top of Carewyn’s, but they don’t usually tend to get way up in each other’s personal space for very long. When one of them decides to spend the night at the other’s place, they’ll take turns as the big spoon, with Carewyn sometimes resting her head on and arms around Orion’s chest and Orion other times resting his head over Carewyn’s heart with his arms around her waist.

D= Dates (What are dates with them)

Broomstick flying dates! Carewyn’s out of practice, considering how much of a workaholic she is, but she loves having the chance to fly alongside and with Orion again. Carewyn will also attend Quidditch matches with Orion when he’s not playing, and they enjoy cooking, baking, Wizard Dueling, and taking their kids on outings together.

E= Everything (You are my ____ (e.g. my life, my world…))

Orion to Carewyn: “You are my Abraxan.”

Carewyn to Orion: “You are my partner.”

F = Feelings (When did they know they were in love?)

Orion first had the feeling he could fall in love with Carewyn (in other words, he realized that he felt romantic feelings for her) when he saw her Abraxan Winged Horse Patronus (same as his) for the first time at the tail end of his seventh year and her sixth year. He was too afraid to chase those budding feelings at the time, only to realize how strongly he still felt for Carewyn and how much deeper his feelings had gotten when -- after they reconnected -- she immediately resolved to deal with all of the paperwork needed to give Orion sole custody of his daughter Eos. The blazing look in her blue eyes when she stubbornly insisted that she would do whatever she had to in order to make sure that Eos stayed with “the man who had put his life on the line to keep her in his life and safe” was so beautiful that Orion for a moment forgot to breathe, and he felt like such a fool for not chasing her from the very start.

Carewyn realized she was in love with Orion as she spent time with him post-War and saw both how much he’d changed and also how much he’d stayed the same. She saw how he’d only gotten wiser about himself and how he wanted to live his life, as well as how well he got through the more recent struggles he went through and how well fatherhood suited him. Seeing him again reminded Carewyn how much she’d always admired him, and also gave her all the more reason to admire him. It all came to a head one day, when after she’d sung Eos to sleep and brought the usually serene Orion to tears, Carewyn and Orion ended up sitting on her couch for the next half-hour or so together, with Orion holding the sleeping baby over his heart with his eyes closed, softly asking Carewyn if she could sing “just one more song” while they sat together. Seeing his handsome, peaceful face as he sat with her and his daughter was the thing that made Carewyn suddenly realize how precious Orion had become to her, and maybe had been, a lot longer than she realized.

G = Gentle (Are they gentle? If so, how?)

Oho, Carewyn is the ultimate Mama Bear type and Orion is a pacifist to the nth degree, so these two are ridiculously gentle. If Carewyn’s ever having trouble reaching something high up or lifting something heavy, Orion will frequently whisper a quick “would you like some help?” and if Carewyn says yes, he’ll either very gently pick her up or place his hands/arms on top of hers to help her with the object. Carewyn is prone to giving Orion chaste kisses of gratitude and helping him fix his collars or clothes before they head out.

H = Hands (How do they like to hold hands?)

LOL, when Carewyn first initiated hand-holding between them when they were still at school, Orion was faintly uncomfortable because he’d never really held hands with much of anyone before, but it quickly became something he really enjoys doing with Carewyn. Most commonly one of them will rest a hand on each other’s while it’s resting between them on the couch or in their lap, and then the other person will hold the first’s hand in return. When they’re out and about, Orion loves holding hands with Carewyn at their sides, though Carewyn will sometimes also hold Orion’s arm with one or in both of her hands, at which point Orion often kind of lean into Carewyn. Most commonly Carewyn is the one to initiate most physical intimacy, since Orion’s still rather unaccustomed to it given his background, but it makes it so that when he does initiate, it’s usually very spontaneous and romantic, since it’s often done in the heat of passion.

I = Impression (What was their first impression?)

Carewyn about Orion: ‘So that’s the Slytherin Quidditch Captain? ...How is he balancing on his broom like that??’

Orion about Carewyn: ‘Short and round, a Snidget’s build -- ginger ponytail, like the Weasley boy’s -- tight grip on her broom, slightly tense...a Seeker, perhaps? ...No. No, those are a Chaser’s eyes.’

J= Jealousy (Do they get jealous?)

Actually, no! Neither of them really feel jealousy much of ever. They’re both rather secure in themselves and in their relationship to not get jealous. In Orion’s case, he’s way too chill to really get aggressive or surly because Carewyn’s spending time with other people, and in Carewyn’s case, she knows Orion and herself well enough to not be that distrustful.

K = Kiss (How do they kiss? Who initiated the first kiss?)

Like with most gestures of physical intimacy, Carewyn initiated the first kiss, right after she learned she and Orion had the same Patronus and Orion finally came clean to her about how long and deeply he’d felt romantic feelings for her and she’d likewise expressed how she felt. Carewyn’s first kiss to Orion’s lips was very chaste -- so chaste, in fact, that almost as soon as she’d pulled away, Orion brought both of his hands up to her face so he could cradle it and hold it in place so he could kiss her himself more deeply. There’s often a build-up for their kisses, starting very short and then either growing deeper, or just turning into a stream of traded chaste kisses back and forth. Carewyn tends to prefer shorter kisses because she likes being able to see Orion’s expressions and deep kisses kind of require having your eyes closed, so over time, both Carewyn and Orion become very fond of kissing each other’s faces, foreheads, noses, neck, hands, and shoulders when they’re intimate so that Carewyn can more properly enjoy Orion’s facial reactions and Orion can be a bit more creative in how he expresses his affection.

L= Love (Who says ‘I love you’ first?)

Orion. Though, rather predictably, he said it in a very round-about way:

“...I have...nurtured this bud in my heart...longer than I have ever admitted to anyone -- including myself. But when we collided again, during the War, that bud only served to grow further...and then bloom into a blossom so strong and beautiful that I could never hope to hide it...however ashamed I am that I denied it the sunshine and attention it deserved years ago. I’ve wasted...so much time, trying to stifle it...trying to be happy with what was in front of me, rather than chase what my soul was clearly aching for...all because of my own inner doubts...because of the reluctance I felt, in the face of making a choice between the dream I’d been fighting for for so long...and the chance of a new dream I’d never imagined. I realize I have been a coward, Carewyn Cromwell -- something you have never been, from the moment we first met. I don’t know if someone like that could be your soulmate -- if I could ever live up to the standard that word entails...but most assuredly, you are a special woman, one I will never know the likes of again...and I love you, all the same.”

M = Memory (What’s their favourite memory together?)

One will always be the morning they spent together in the Commentator’s Box talking after Slytherin won the Quidditch Cup. Another is when Carewyn accompanied Orion to drop Eos off at Platform Nine and Three Quarters for the first time -- Carewyn took Orion out for an outing to the shore afterwards to cheer him up, and they spent the day swimming in the ocean, playing volleyball, and walking around the seaside town together.

N = Nickel (Do they spoil? Do they buy the person they love everything?)

Both grew up without a lot of money, so neither are the type to buy extravagant presents, but Orion does like to “surprise” Carewyn now and again, if he sees something he thinks she might like. Most commonly this involves single flowers or small bouquets, which he’ll leave in a spot he knows she alone will find them, such as on her office chair at work or on the windowsill next to her bed at home. Carewyn in return tends to spoil Orion with surprise visits (popping over to watch one of his Quidditch matches without telling him she’s coming and then running to greet him afterward -- the first time she did this, Orion was so stunned and happy that he barreled over to her and, once she hugged him and he’d recovered from that surprise, clung onto her for almost a full thirty minutes afterwards), as well as handwritten love letters. She’ll sometimes send them through Owl Post as usual, but other times she will leave them in his locker or on his pillow for him to find too.

O=  Orange (What colour reminds them of their other half?)

Carewyn always thinks of Orion whenever she sees anything black and white, as those are his Quidditch team, the Montrose Magpies’ colors.

Orion always thinks of Carewyn whenever he sees anything light blue, like her eyes -- he particularly likes forget-me-nots, since they remind him of them.

P = Pet names (What pet names do they use?

Although Orion frequently cites how Carewyn “has more fire than a Fire Crab,” he most commonly compares her to an Abraxan Winged Horse, with his pet name for her being “his Abraxan.” Carewyn dips into the usual “dear” and “love,” but when she’s particularly affectionate, she calls Orion “starlight,” as a reference to the constellation bearing his name.

Q = Quaint (What is their favourite non-modern thing?)

Carewyn loves records! Their audio quality is so much better than CDs.

As dumb and predictable as it sounds, Orion does enjoy lava lamps. He likes colored lighting as opposed to stark white light, as he finds it more calming (even if Carewyn points out that it often makes it harder to see!!), so you’ll find a lot of colored lightbulbs and such around the tiny cottage he shares with Eos.

R = Rainy Day (What do they like to do on a rainy day?)

Orion enjoys games of all kinds, not just Quidditch, so he and Carewyn will sometimes bust out a game of cards, checkers, or Scrabble when it’s raining, especially if Eos and/or Erik are also around. Carewyn’s favorite games are Hearts and Mancala, while Orion’s favorites are Blackjack and Jenga. Wizard’s Chess is one of Erik’s favorite games, so sometimes Orion will play with him while Eos and Carewyn watch, too.

S = Sad (How do they cheer each other up?)

When Carewyn’s down, Orion likes to encourage her to talk about it, but usually does so by starting off talking about something else entirely, so as to help her relax first. He will also sometimes want to show physical affection, like trying to hold her hand or wrapping an arm around her, which he always does so tentatively out of the worry of Carewyn not being comfortable with it that even if Carewyn’s not in the mood, she’ll nearly always try to adjust and initiate some physical affection in return to show some gratitude for the attempt (i.e. sliding her hand out of his, but kissing Orion gently on the cheek afterward).

When Orion’s down, Carewyn goes into full-on Mama Bear mode, coddling him to the nth degree and being his attentive listening ear.

T = Talking (What do they like to talk about?)

Anything and everything! Orion is a philosopher to the max and Carewyn is intellectual enough to enjoy deep conversations, so they can go way far afield when they’re talking about stuff. Sometimes Carewyn needs to refocus the conversation because Orion gets too vague and dreamy and sometimes Orion has to “lighten up” the conversation when Carewyn gets too serious, but one of the things they love most about each other is how easy it is to talk to each other. You could hear them talking about their respective kids Eos and Erik and their careers just as often as the meaning of life or the current status of a piece of legislation regulating dragon breeding.

U = Unencumbered (What helps them relax?)

Orion meditates constantly. He’s occasionally been able to get Carewyn to join him, but more often she prefers putting on some calming music and getting some work done at the kitchen table while he does so, claiming that the music helps her relax. (It does. To a limited extent.) Whenever she does this, Orion -- upon finishing his meditation -- will fetch her hairbrush from her room with a smile and then come up behind her and start gently brushing her hair for her, which does actually get Carewyn’s shoulders to loosen up slightly. They also will often drink tea together, which is very calming.

V = Vaunt (What do they like to show off? What are they proud of?)

LMAO, if Orion manages to catch sight of Carewyn in the audience during a Quidditch match, he ALWAYS has to break out the old “Inspired Broom Surfing” technique for her. He can’t resist showing off on his broom around “his Abraxan.”

Carewyn’s much more prone to “show off” her partner’s accomplishments by telling others about them when they’re out and about together, as well as any pretty new outfits she’s wearing.

W = Wedding (When, how, where do they propose?

Carewyn and Orion would never get married, instead becoming legal partners with their own separate homes and lives that nonetheless exist in perfect harmony. Orion describes their relationship as them being two flowers that have bloomed on the same branch -- separate entities that nonetheless are connected and are fueled by the same sun and nourished by the same water. Carewyn felt strongly about them having some sort of lasting legal statement for the sake of both each other and their kids, so that if anything happened to either of them, their partner would have the right to be with them in St. Mungo’s, make decisions in their stead, and take custody of their respective child in an emergency. The two had a very small ceremony at a courthouse in London, only attended by their respective kids, before attending a larger gathering later with all of their friends and Carewyn’s mother and brother.

X = Xylophone (What’s their song?)

These two have a whole playlist! ^.^

Y = Yes (Do they ever think of getting married/proposing?)

Answered above, but no. Orion has his own cottage in Montrose, Scotland, home of his Quidditch team, while Carewyn has her own flat in London, England, close to her job at the Ministry of Magic, so merging their two households would’ve been a real challenge. On top of that, Carewyn was never in much of a rush to get married and Orion never saw much point in the ritual to begin with.

Z = Zebra (If they wanted a pet, what would they get?)

There are actually a lot of hinkypunks in the woods around Orion’s cottage in Montrose, which Orion and Eos actually leave little treats out for and treat like pets, even if they’re generally known for luring people to their doom with their lamps. Eos tends to call every hinkypunk she comes across “Punk” by default, but there are a few she’s learned to recognize by overall attitude and given individual names like “Impy,” “Mello,” and “Wisp.” There’s also a large tribe of selkies that often pop up near the shore a short trek away from the Amari home too, and although Eos and Orion can’t communicate with them, Orion enjoys taking Carewyn down to the beach and encouraging her to sing so that the selkies will come up out of the water to listen better.

[carewyncromwell]

You have yourself a big fan of Orion/Carewyn. I was wondering if you have any headcanons for them yet?

-rosievixen

^.^ Yatta! Another passenger on the HMS Carion! Hahaha.

I’m still developing stuff, but here are a few things I’ve come up with --

Orion’s feelings for Carewyn really started “going off-balance” for him when she got hurt in the Quidditch Final, but he first realized that Carewyn could be someone he could fall in love with when he saw her Patronus. Orion learned how to cast Expecto Patronum earlier that year, and he was so stunned to see someone else with an Abraxan Winged Horse Patronus. He knew, however, that he was about to start on a path toward his future as a Quidditch player and that Carewyn herself was on a path centered around the Vaults, so he kept his thoughts to himself, telling himself that if they were truly meant to be, like the Patronus superstition dictates, they’d find a way back to each other someday. In the subsequent years they were apart, Orion often scolded himself for his cowardice.

Carewyn was always very fond of Orion, but she didn’t really acknowledge to herself how much the love she felt had become something deeply romantic until they were adults. Looking back, she realized that most people probably wouldn’t throw themselves in front of a Bludger just to make sure someone else’s dream came true.

Once Orion graduated, he and Carewyn exchanged letters somewhat infrequently, since Orion’s schedule as a Quidditch player is so erratic. Orion didn’t see Carewyn in person again until the Second Wizarding War.

In the years between their meetings, Orion had several romantic partners, but none of them lasted very long. The longest was with a young woman named Delilah Flint, the mother of Orion’s daughter, Eos Amari. Delilah gave birth to Eos right after the revelation of Voldemort’s return in 1996, and she not only was deeply afraid of Voldemort due to her family’s history with the Death Eaters, but she also suffered from severe post-partum depression after giving birth to Eos. To top it all off, Delilah was in such severe financial trouble that she soon would have no choice but to go to her family for help, who would not be all right with her having had a child of mixed ancestry out of wedlock. All of this weighed on Delilah enough that she was ready to give Eos up to an orphanage, which of course Orion couldn’t bear the thought of. Although he tried everything he could to try to convince Delilah to reconsider, even going so far as to propose marriage to Delilah so as to keep both her and Eos in his life, Delilah rejected all of his attempts, practically dropping six-month-old Eos in Orion’s lap and leaving for her family’s house that very night, never to return. When the Ministry fell, Orion had to go into hiding (a bit difficult with an infant in tow) -- fortunately thanks to fellow members of the Quidditch League like Andre Egwu, Oliver Wood, Skye Parkin, and Erika Rath, Orion was able to escape the Death Eaters when they swept over the League looking for people with “questionable” magical ancestry. One of those Death Eaters sent after Orion was Night Rhea @nightrhea-hphm, who had played alongside him on the Slytherin Quidditch team once upon a time -- no one knew until well afterward that secret-double-agent!Night had actually gone a bit over-the-top in her burning of the Quidditch League’s headquarters so as to give more fugitives like Orion the chance to escape.

Orion and Carewyn end up colliding during the Second Wizarding War when Carewyn and her friend and coworker Angelo Lancaster @angellazull were enlisted in helping smuggle several prisoners out of Ministry custody, including Orion. One of the very first things Carewyn and Orion said to each other was “You cut your hair.” “So did you.” (I see Orion taking on the “long hair with an undercut” look and wearing a short ponytail so as to keep the hair off his neck while he’s competing in Quidditch matches. Carewyn of course wears her hair shorter as an adult.)

The two reconnect further after the War while Orion tries to build a new home for himself and Eos. Carewyn, being a lawyer, helps him sort out the paperwork designating Orion as Eos’s legal guardian since he hadn’t been married to Delilah when she first gave birth to Eos.

Orion finds a wry amusement in how his daughter and Carewyn’s “son” have the same initials -- Eos Amari and Erik Apollo -- and both have names evocative of Greek Gods.

Carewyn is more amused by the fact that one of Orion’s primary lullabies for Eos is “Walking in the Air” -- the same song she sang for him after the Final match against Ravenclaw.

Orion loves listening to Carewyn rattle on about her court cases. He gets great entertainment out of the “Fire Crab” level of fire she expresses. Despite his amusement when she’s informally discussing the cases, however, he’s also always totally proud beyond belief when she wins one of those cases, even if he doesn’t explicitly say so.

What Orion loves more, though, is whenever Carewyn sings. One of the only times Orion’s ever cried happy tears (or even cried, period) in his life is when Carewyn first sings a lullaby to put fussy toddler Eos to sleep one night.

Carewyn loves watching Orion fly with the Montrose Magpies. She usually doesn’t tell Orion if she’s coming ahead of time so that when she rushes to greet him after the match, it’s a nice surprise. The first time she did this, Orion was so overwhelmed and happy that he couldn’t stop himself from pushing past all of the reporters to get to her. When she threw her arms around him in a hug, Orion -- not used to receiving or even expressing a lot of physical affection, thanks to his childhood -- kind of froze up like a startled cat, before mirroring her and holding her back. He then didn’t let go of her for a solid ten minutes.

Expect moonlit broom ride dates for these two. Carewyn’s a little out of practice on a broom given how much of a workaholic she is, and she loves taking the opportunity to fly side by side with Orion again.

After finding out Orion was vegetarian, Carewyn goes out of her way to learn a good amount of vegetarian-friendly recipes for whenever Orion comes over to visit. (She gets some good advice from friend Wendy Gordon @drinkyoursoupbitch while doing research.)

Even though Carewyn is the Mama Bear and frequently reminds Orion to assert himself more and meet important deadlines, Orion “Papa Bears” Carewyn just as much by encouraging her to sleep more and trying to ween her off of caffeine.

When Orion’s around, you’ll often see the two of them drinking tea together instead of coffee (which Carewyn drinks a lot at work) or white wine (which Carewyn indulges in at parties). Orion’s favorite is lavender tea -- Carewyn prefers a nice Earl Gray. 

When Orion uses his own Abraxan Winged Horse Patronus in front of Carewyn for the first time, it’s right around the time that both of them have realized the depth of their feelings for each other but have yet to actually verbalize it. Needless to say, Carewyn can’t stop herself from crying at the sight of it.

Although Orion frequently says Carewyn’s inner fire rivals that of a Fire Crab, he still most frequently compares her to an Abraxan. His pet name for her ends up being “his Abraxan.” Carewyn will dip into the usual things like “dear” and “love,” but when she’s feeling particularly affectionate, she’ll call Orion “starlight.”

Orion most frequently compares his daughter Eos to a Mooncalf because of her big, cutesy eyes. He most frequently compares Carewyn’s ward Erik to a Jarvey because of his snarky attitude and overzealous swearing. 

Orion/Carewyn would be a deeply romantic legal partnership more than a domestic partnership or marriage. Despite being partners under the law for legal reasons like child guardianship and healthcare, they’d each have their own flat -- Carewyn’s in London, England near her job at the Ministry and Orion’s in Montrose, Scotland, the hometown of his Quidditch team -- and their own routine apart from each other. They frequently will Floo over to their respective partner’s place for a meal or to stay the weekend and they’re very affectionate with each other, but the two never really create a traditional “nuclear family” with Carewyn as Eos’s stepmother or Orion as a second legal guardian for Erik. Despite this, Eos does see Carewyn as a mother figure and Erik does have a lot of respect for Orion however much he snarks his face off.