| Details for Misunderstandings Lead to Hilarity |
| Summary: | Emrys Snowdon announces that the Sykes and Snowdon families have arranged a marriage. Jocunda has some things to say about that… |
| Date: | Thu Nov 01, 1937 |
| Location: | Sykes Estate |
| Related: | — |
| Characters |
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It's mid-afternoon at the Sykes estate, an ideal time for receiving visitors and the like. Emrys Snowdon is currently waiting to be admitted, arms folded behind his back, occasionally shifting from one foot to the other. He is, apparently, here to see Miss Jocunda.
Whether Jocunda has been alerted or not is initially unknown. It's close to the weekend, which is a good time for visiting. There's no concerns of being caught at work and the like. The gate opens and Emrys is allowed admittance- the reason soon clear, as it's a house-elf that does the greeting. The estate is fairly large for being within London. A clean, broad lawn leads up to a large brick building with black and white accenting on doors and windows. Broad steps lead up to the front door and this is the direction the house-elf leads the man.
Emrys follows along behind the house-elf, looking around as they go. It's clear he's taking everything in, hands staying folded behind his back, as they walk.
The estate is not opulent, per say. It is, however, more than comfortable. Certainly old money. Certainly wealthy. The weather, perhaps, is even a bit more pleasant. Likely charmed to be so. The house within is also warmly and richly furnished. Portraits upon the walls of prominent family figures. It's the parlor that Emrys is let into. "Miss Sykes?" There's a blonde woman reclining on a couch, reading from a small volume. Blue eyes lift to regard the man and she shifts to stand. "I had been told a former classmate would be perhaps dropping by," she offers, voice lilting with some amusement. She doesn't look to the house-elf, but clearly speaks to him: "Fetch some tea."
Emrys smiles when she stands, incling his head in greeting. "Miss Sykes. It's…been some years." There's a pause there, though he starts speaking again just before it gets awkward. "I trust you are well?"
"Only four," Jocunda says with a brief twitch of lips into a smirk. She gestures to a couch across from hers, though the motion encompasses much of the seating in the room. "That's not too long, is it?" The aviatrix settles back onto the couch, tucking a bookmark into the novel to be set aside. "Well enough for a woman who has flown across the Atlantic. And you? I hear you are a… lawyer now?"
"No, four isn't too long." Emrys agrees with a shake of his head, settling into the couch. "Yes, congratulations by the way…I heard about that, when it happened. Impressive." There's a pause. "Right. A barrister, for the Ministry of Magic. Your parents told you why I'm visiting, yes?"
"Same reason many visit," Jocunda mutters dryly. It's under her breath, but the quiet room likely enables it to carry. The house-elf returns and sets out tea and biscuits. "I'm sure they think we will remember things we had in common and hit it off oh-so-grandly."
"You've had many engagements?" Emrys blinks at that, a little surprised. Such things do carry, after all. "I…suspect they hope so, yes. It's going to be many long, unpleasant years if we don't."
"Many attempted. Most in it for the money." Blue eyes lift, another brief smirk. "Fortunately, I know that cannot be the case for you." Jocunda clearly has little interest in this whole courtship thing she's roped into as an available, young woman. Eyebrows lift, "Unpleasant years? I'm not sure I follow."
"I thought you said your parents had told you." Emrys is apparently getting more confused by the moment. "Our parents have arranged for us to be married. So yes, I rather would think they hope we hit it off grandly. But either way, I am sure we will do our duty by our families."
There's a slow quirk of eyebrow as Emrys speaks and Jocunda doesn't move. In point of fact, she's nearly deathly still. "I think you have gotten ahead of yourself, Snowdon." Honorifics are dropped in favor of the familiar surname style of a student. Respectful, yet familiar. "It was impressed upon me that I should keep an open mind and you would be a rather good choice, but no /marriage/ was arranged."
"I…see." Emrys looks more and more confused by the moment. "It was impressed upon me that a marriage arrangement had been made, and we were going to be wed." There's a pause. "I think…some sort of confusion has occured."
"Bloody right there has been," Jocunda says, finally moving. It's from utter stillness into graceful gestures. She pours and prepares tea, placing a cup on a small saucer before Emrys, pushing cream and sugar nearer to him. "My parents wish me wed. Of course they do. But there has not been an arranged Sykes marriage in quite some time and I doubt they'll have started now."
"All Snowdon marriages are arranged." Emrys offers in exchange, with a brief smile for the tea. "Thank you." Cream, and sugar. Lots and lots of sugar. Setting up the tea covers the lack of talking, while he thinks. Finally, he offers "My parents always deal in absolutes. Is it possible your parents phrased things in such a way they could have taken it that way?"
"I do not know," Jocunda answers, voice earnest enough to indicate honesty. She sits back with her own tea, taking a slow sip. "I have never been privy to talk of arranged marriage. I cannot say I even know how such a topic would have come up."
"Well, I would imagine my parents probably approached yours…" Emrys sips at his tea, watching her watching him. "I suspect the process of finding someone suitable started when I left school, though they may have waited a few years to allow me time to settle into my career."
"Ah, so I am still a valuable item to be bartered for," Jocunda says, voice dry. Dry except for some hint of sarcasm. "I had hopes that, being from a family such as yours, that I may be sought after for better reasons. That perhaps you had developed an independent interest…"
"I wouldn't exactly call it bartered for. Just an agreement between families." Emrys offers out. There's a pause then, a long pause. "I have…always avoided developing independent interests. Such luxuries are not permitted to those of our station." Another of those long pauses, as he sips at his tea. "I was…quite content with my parent's choice, though."
"Perhaps such luxuries are not allowed if you cannot be trusted to make the right decisions," Jocunda says, though not unkindly. To her, it's a simple statement of truth. "For a Sykes, you are allowed to do as you please so long as you do your best and it reflects well upon the family. If that is as a healer, researcher, or upon a broom." The last earns a brief smirk, eyes flicking upwards to regard the man across from her. "Content, mm? I suppose because it is required of you?"
Emrys blinks slightly at that. Despite the lack of unkindness in the words, it's clear he's taken aback by what he undoubtedly regards as an insult to his family. Still, finally, his face smooths over. "It being required of me makes me willing to do it, no matter what. Contentment with my parent's choice is a different matter."
"Ahh," Jocunda says, voice dropping slightly. Her lips twitch vaguely, amusement shining in her eyes. These, however, she keeps lowered most of the time. Not daring look him in the eye. To avoid revealing that amusement, perhaps? "So a rebel does lie beneath. Who knew."
"I'm not sure what you mean by that." Emrys shakes his head. "Were I the rebellious type….I would be leading a very different life right now." There's a pause and then he adds, proudly. "But I am a Snowdon. And a dutiful son. And a Snowdon always does their duty."
A soft groan initially answers Emrys and Jocunda leans forward to set her saucer and tea cup down. She picks up one of the cookies provided with the tea and settles back to eat it. "/There's/ the Snowdon that brown-nosed his way through school. Duty, well-behaved, studious, never in trouble." Eyelashes flicker and she glances up at the man once more. "You would at least be leading /a/ life. Right now you're living your parents' life."
"I did not brown-nose my way through school, Miss Sykes." Emrys replies, though he's smiling briefly when he refutes it. "I simply…as you say. Behaved myself, acted appropriately, worked hard and stayed out of trouble." There's a long pause. "I am leading a life. My life. Yes, a great deal of it has been influenced by my father. But so far I cannot claim he's led me wrong."
"And how did those plans to become an Auror go?" There's no doubting when someone is trying to place into that particular role in the testing. It also shows that Jocunda did pay a bit of attention to those in her year. Unlike some of them, she was content to ensure she passed. She was too focused on Quidditch and brooms. "Is being involved with the paperwork of law /that/ much more enjoyable?"
The silence that follows is the longest one yet, and perhaps just a little uncomfortable. "I had very high marks, and would certainly have been offered a role in the training program had I desired one." Emrys finally answers. "I am quite happy being a barrister. It's very interesting, and very mentally stimulating. And the Wizengamot does fall under the department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"I find it hard to believe you'd be content behind a desk," Jocunda says with something of a chuckle. "Though perhaps you are. I know I'm not. It's dreadful most days." She shifts and gets to her feet, having finished the cookie. "As for this… arranged marriage thing, I will talk to my parents, but I am sure it's a misunderstanding. I advise you speak with yours as well…" A brief pause and she glances towards the door. "Would you like to join us for dinner or shall I see you out?"
"I would certainly be pleased to join you for dinner, Miss Sykes." Emrys likewise gets to his feet, the comment about life behind a desk going uncommented on. "And then you will have time to talk to your parents, and we can find out how things actually stand."