Annual Trip [Draven]

[Shelby Crescent]

Shell walked out of Honeydukes with an armful of boxes and bags, noticing a very happy store owner holding the door open wide for her. She couldn't help but laugh. She'd come here for years for the kids' Christmas stocking gifts and she always came to Honeydukes a week before thanksgiving.

Tis the season, Shell supposed this morning before she made her way to Diagon Alley and then to Hogsmeade on the way home. The annual long day of christmas shopping was always fun for her, picking out a few books for Ashlyn, candies and sweets for the little ones, quidditch gear for Isaiah; each of them with their own lists of wishes.

Shell only wanted one thing this holiday and it was to be happy for once during the holidays. Something always went wrong. A death, someone disappearing, getting fired from a part time job to keep up with all the expenses for the kids. With the busy holiday season, Shell would take up a side job at Honeydukes or on Diagon Alley to pay for all the gifts for the now nine of them.

Walking over to a bench and setting all her belongings on the freshly fallen snow, she sighs looking up at the snowflakes falling down into her dark brown hair. She smiled a bit at a young couple, both had to be Ravenclaws, noticing their scarfs. Now that she noticed there must had been a Hogsmeade trip for the Hogwart students tonight looking around at all the students, just specifically that couple stuck out. The girl had blonde curly hair and the boy was tall and slender with dark hair and blue eyes. It struck a nerve when her mind went straight to Draven.

Sighing again she looked down at her own light blue scarf wrapped around her neck and matching hat as she shoved her bitter cold hands into her the deep grey pockets of her coat as she tried not to think of him right now, but she couldn't help to smile to herself the more she did think actually about him.

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[Draven Slayter]

Three months.

It had been three months since he had seen the sky and felt the breeze on his face and smelled the crisp scent of leaves scattered among the earth. Three solid months had passed since that night he was forced to sleep on the couch, a guilty conscience nipping at his mind as he tossed and turned. Three months since he had seen her. Three months since he had woke up, finding himself on the cold floor of whatever type of prison he had been locked up in. Not Azkaban, no, but it was a prison nonetheless.

A shudder ran down his spine at the mere memory of it all, or what little memory he had left of it. It was kind of ironic how the mind seemed to block out horrific incidents all on its own. But here he was, strolling the streets of Hogsmeade. He managed to scrounge up a dirty and moth-eaten trench coat from one of those nickle and dime stores, and a musty smelling pair of gloves to go with it. Draven managed to find a hat in the mix too. So, at least he had clothes on his back. Though, they resembled those of an alley-dweller. That was fine with him; he wanted people to stay away from him and not bother him.

That really wasn't a bothersome detail, however. Being locked away for three months changed his perspective on everything, including the Ministry of Magic, where his previous occupation was. "It's all a conspiracy." His mind kept whispering to him over and over and over again, to the point where it felt like a nail driving deeper and deeper into his brain. Not to mention how much of a contradictory concept it was to try and remember something you knew you wanted to forget. All he could recall was that there was a man with a wand, and pain surging through Draven's chest. And then the man would speak, and say something crucially important, for he surely thought Drave would die in that room.

How wrong they all were.

Here he walked, traveling the streets without a care in the world, save one: laying low. "Oof!" His thoughts were pushed aside as he accidentally ran into someone. Draven's head lifted but only slightly, as he was intending to apologize and carry on walking. "Sorry..." And then his mind just stopped working, like a battery that runs dead in a watch. Drave's mouth opened a fraction of an inch as he caught a quick glimpse at the figure in front of him. He knew the soft brown hair, and the gorgeous, laughing, aquamarine eyes; the flawless face and just everything about the woman in front of him. It was like Draven was kicked into the past, all macabre happenings whisked away from his memory. "S-Shell?" His lips trembled.

[Shelby Crescent]

Shell looked up at the tall man standing in front of her. He nearly knocked her over into the snow. If she didn't have her arms full of all the gifts she bought, they'd be scattered around her sprawled out all over the place. Wincing her eyes softly at him she bites her lip, letting her eyes travel from the musky gloves to his coat, his whole appearance. Shell didn't recognize this man at all. Who was he and how did he even know who she was, was the thing that sorta bothered her.

Still letting her eyes travel over him, her eyes locked with his deep blue eyes and instantly all of her memories found their way into her head. "No, you can't. I can't do this again Draven. I love you but I..." she sighs, feeling a few tears falling from her aquamarine eyes. So many emotions flooded into at once.

Anger at him for being gone again, Happiness for him actually being safe and not apart of the horrible war taking place and confusion. She knew she still loved him, but he couldn't possibly love her back anymore it had been far too long. "How have you been?" she replied softly, but in a dry tone Shell decided to say, not leap into his arms and kiss him like she wanted to. No, she had grown far too distant from most people now, never seeing really anyone that was her friend or even acquaintance. "Out finding some other girl to call your wife Slayter? As much as you would rather be single, I'm still unfortunately yours." she lies, biting her lip before letting her eyes drop to the ground. She felt a few tears trickle down her cheeks and into the snow, but she refused to look up at him right now.

[Draven Slayter]

Draven's heart was skipping fifty beats, nearly feeling like it was simply going to burst through his chest. He couldn't think, let alone breathe. It was like he was drowning in his past. That good type of drowning though. The kind that you'd wish it'd absolutely smother you. The concept of not being able to think or or breathe also gave off the effect of not being able to hear a word she was saying. Maybe it was more along the lines of he couldn't comprehend what she was saying, since his brain just didn't want to work right now. However, he managed to make her last statement into some sense. "Unfortunately?" Draven wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. "Shelby, there isn't anyone new. I haven't been outside to meet anyone new. I've spent three months in..." His thoughts trailed for a moment. What was he to tell her? Well, what was he to tell her that would make her understand? To believe?

A sigh escaped his lungs. "I'm so sorry..." It was a reaction phrase now. Drave already knew she wouldn't think twice about it. "I love you. I always have, I always will. The whole time I was gone, Shell, I never lost sight of you. You're the only important thing in my life." His words came out rushed, in a ramble, as if this would be the last time he'd get to talk to her. But he had to let it all out. Three months, all emotions bottled up inside. Not able to think right, to feel, to say all these things to himself to let him know there was something to live for.

There was a spark of doubt in his mind though. That one little black dot, barely noticeable on the spread of white. But it was there. Already ejecting negative thoughts into his mind. She doesn't want you. You've been gone too long. Nothing you say can ever make this right again. Draven tried so hard to push all this away, but it stayed firm, her words and tears not bringing him much comfort. He wanted to badly to hug her, to hold her, to kiss her...

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[Shelby Crescent]

Shell frowns a bit more, wiping away her tears as she still listened to what he had to say. "What do you mean you haven't been outside for three months? Were you hiding away and avoiding our family? That's real comforting Draven seeing as I had to deal with everyone saying that you were dead and that I had to move on." she says feeling the tears pouring down her face now uncontrollably.

Glancing up at him she felt her bottom lip quivering as she stared into his eyes. They seemed to be thinking the same thing she was; if she still loved and wanted him as much as their wedding day. In honesty, of course she did but Shell couldn't believe that after three months apart he could really want her back after that, even after everything that he had said to her just now.

"Draven..." she says barely loud enough for even herself to hear before she moved forward a little bit and stood on her tiptoes. Biting her lip subconsciously for a second she leaned in and kissed him on the lips lightly, already feeling that same spark that she thought was gone. Pulling away after a few seconds she glanced back up into his eyes and sighed before turning away and looking to the snow covered ground.

[Draven Slayter]

Her words hurt, more than he would have thought. Did she think he liked being away from her for three months? Did she think he did it on purpose? Simple answer to all that: yes. But, as he quickly learned from the former words she had spoken, it was all because of other idiots running their big mouths. Telling her he was dead, telling her to move on, etc. Draven clearly knew that was how a lot of Shell's "friends" were. The ones that'd tell her anything to get her to sleep with them, anyway. He didn't bring that up, of course; now obviously not being the time. His head was already whirring with all these thoughts at once. It felt like he was going to collapse in a fit of dizzyness any minute now.

Drave was beginning to see that there was no way to make her understand. A good sit down with a proper chat was in order, though he wasn't sure if she would want to listen. How could he make her see that this whole time he had loved her and missed her so much; that it was the only thing keeping him going, back wherever he was? As all these things were rushing in a blurred mass of color through his head when she felt her cool lips reach his.

[uhm, thats all i had time to type?]

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[Shelby Crescent]

Shell sighs a little glancing up at him after she broke the kiss, just waiting for him to either just stare back at her in confusion or completely ignore what she just did, or even walk away and never speak to her again. If either of the those happened she wouldn't be surprised but she knew it would hurt her either way as well.

"Draven... you okay? Was I not allowed to kiss you or what?" she asks biting her lip as her brown hair was being played with in the wind again as she waited for his response. For some reason, whenever she was waiting for Draven's response to anything, bad or good it made her more impatient that usual which was hard to believe probably for most. "Hello... Earth to Draven..."

[Draven Slayter]

For the life of him, Draven would never understand how Shelby could be so impulsive. Yelling at him one minute, kissing him the next. His head was spinning a little bit from how quickly she had changed her mind. A dopey smile twitched at the corners of his mouth, a response to his thought. "You change your mind too much." He chuckled softly, beginning to shake his head at her. "But then again, that's usually what always surprised me about you." Drave finished, lifting up a finger to run over the gorgeous features on her face. God how he had missed her. Playfully, Draven twisted his hands around her body, pulling her in closer to him.

"Of course you're allowed to kiss me," He began, his grin not fading away, "I would actually prefer if you did it again." Another chuckle passed through his lips. There was so much he wished he could tell her, but with what words? He didn't know. "Or, perhaps, we can get a drink at one of the pubs. And i can tell you about this whole big ordeal." Drave felt a heavy sigh coming at the mere mention of having to explain this whole big thing. It definitely was the story of a lifetime.

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[Shelby Crescent]

Shell grins up at him, keeping her arms around his neck before tilting her head to the side. "So? It's good that I'm so indecisive. Makes everyone including you keep guessing." she says giving him a wink before closing her eyes the moment Draven starts tracing his finger along her facial features causing a faint smile to appear on her fair pink lips.

"Good. I don't think I would have taken no for an answer anyway." Shell murmurs lightly before leaning up and kissing him again for a brief few seconds, this time though letting her fingers tangle into his hair and tugging at it. Breaking the kiss and glancing up at him before sighing. "That would be nice to know why you've been gone." she says moving her hands away from him and nudging him away. Her ribcage was still bandaged but she took off her arm and leg ones but they were still sore from Logan literally torturing her.

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[Draven Slayter]

Of course Draven couldn't help but roll his eyes in response to her statement. His grin stayed perfectly intact, watching as she closed her eyes, his hand still gently running over her face. Watching her face slowly contort into a smile only made his grow. "Yeah, yeah." Drave merely let out another soft chuckle, slowly shaking his head at her.

Draven's smile grew even further. It was almost like everything was set into slow motion. He watched her every move, her face reaching up to his, his eyelids closing, the cool feel of her lips pushing against his. His hands snaked up the small of her back, fingertips dancing along her backside. He heard a small sigh though, and before he knew it the kiss was over. For as slow motion-like as it all had seemed, it was all of a sudden over to fast. With a small smile, though, he urged her into the run down Hog's Head for the chat of a lifetime. Draven already felt he owed her at least that: an explanation. "Ladies first m'dear."

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[Shelby Crescent]

[/b] she mumbles with a grin though as she opens the door and walks in. Shell never liked it here. Always dirty and covered in filth. And not to mention the bartender always hit on any walking creature with two legs. "Okay then, I think we're going to need a few drinks during this talk. Am I right?" she asks but instantly walks over to the bar and orders a couple of butterbeers. [/size][/ul]

[Draven Slayter]

All Drave could merely do was nod at her statement. "Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if we were wasted when we leave." Obviously implying that this talk was going to be long and difficult to understand. But all of this was completely necessary. Right off the bat he would have to explain to her that none of what he said was to be repeated or spread around to anybody. If word got around, things could seriously get bad. Way worse then they were already going to get.

That was pretty much the whole reason he was dragging her into a shady little bar like the Hog's Head. Draven knew she didn't care much for the place; honestly, he didn't either. His better judgement told him that it was one of the few places that would actually give them some privacy though.

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[Shelby Crescent]

[/b] she asks before taking his hand into her own before kissing his cheek lightly again. Shell glances around the shady bar with a look of disguist written all over her face. Even Hog's Head was cleaner than this dump. That was definitely a disturbing thought. "Can it be butterbeer? I'm trying to become a decent person and not sleeping around anymore..." she says softly as she averts her eyes down to her hands. [/size][/ul]

[Draven Slayter]

Merely chuckling, he returned her kiss with one of this own, right on the top of her head. It definitely was that long of a story. One that, as they entered the shady little bar, kept his brain racking for ideas of how to even begin it. Her next comment, however, made him abruptly shift his thoughts. Drave looked at her, eyebrows perked in a moment of interest; he had almost stopped walking. "I take it you have some stories to tell me as well?" Not a question. It was pretty much a mere certainty. Somehow, her statement didn't seem to shock him, nothing ever did these days. Of course, he had been gone for three months too... 'Even though I couldn't exactly get home without getting killed first.' He thought to himself.

Draven lead her over to a very small, private section of the establishment. There was a tiny, two-person table in the back corner, and decided that this was where they were going to sit. He pulled out a chair for Shelby, offering for her to sit. Almost as soon as he sat down himself, a ragged man came hobbling over, demanding their order. "Two butterbeers." Drave murmured, not taking his eyes off Shell as he ordered. When the man was out of earshot, he automatically turned to Shelby and said, "Before anything, the first thing I want to know is how Jake is."

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[Shelby Crescent]

"You could say that to say the least Draven..." Shell says softly feeling her eyes fall to the floor. Hearing his thought, she sighs and just crosses her arms over her chest. She didn't know why but it seemed in a way he was blaming her for his absence in their marriage, lives and the kids lives.

Shell follows him to the back of the pub, seemingly a quiet little area where no one was going to bother them while they were talking. That seemed to be necessary right now with her and Draven a lot of stories to share with each other for the time being. She sits down once he pulled out her chair and thanked him as she scooted herself back to the table. "Jake is fine. He looks like you more everyday and loves going to quidditch games... well my quidditch games. I started playing again while you were gone. But he misses you a lot seeing as he thinks you're dead. It was hard for him to hear the ministry say you were missing and perhaps dead when they came to the door."

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[Draven Slayter]

This time, he simply nods at her statement and waves it away. Everything, he could already tell, was pretty much going to be spilled on the table tonight. She'd get her chance to explain everything that she wanted to explain. But Draven needed to go first on this one. It was of major importance that he clarify everything and made sure that Shelby understood.

Hearing her words about Jake, it made him feel just a teensy bit better. He loved his son, and every day away from him was just as bad as being away from Shelby herself, and all her other kids. A small smile appeared on his face; it was just a natural thing that came to him whenever Jake was brought into the conversation. At that moment, the same man that had took their order wobbled back over to their little corner with their drinks. Drave gave the man a nod and took drinks, handing one to Shell. He pinched the bridge of his nose between his middle finger and his thumb, thinking about the ministry. "That's just it Shell," Draven began, making sure that the man was once again, out of range of hearing. "It's the ministry. There's...things going on there. Stuff that I can't even begin to explain." He had dropped his voice to a mere whisper.

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[Shelby Crescent]

Shell smiles back at him once the mention of Jake. She knew that he cared for their son dearly and it showed in his eyes and smile the instant she even said his name. Shell nods to the bartender as well and takes the drink that Draven handed her. "Thanks love... and what do you mean? They haven't been conspiring against the wizarding world in a long time, right?" she asks with uncertainty now flowing into her voice as she then took a sip from the bottle.

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[Draven Slayter]

Draven had never been much of a drinker, so butterbeer was fine with him. But at this point, a good shot of something strong wouldn't have hurt him a bit. This was going to be very hard to explain to Shelby, and so he'd have to be very careful about the way he worded things. He took a sip and mumbled a small 'welcome'. "Old habits die hard." Drave continued as he set his drink down, "It's probably why they sent people home to tell you I was "gone," bastards. They were the ones that took me."

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[Shelby Crescent]

"Obviously I guess. They what? Why on earth did they kidnap you sweetie?" she asks biting her lip now as her eyes widened by this information. "Are they stupid and said, 'Hey let's just kidnap random people like the lottery picks random people to win?' she asks again, her temper now getting the best of her.

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[Draven Slayter]

"Things with the ministry seem to be reverting back to the way they were." He took a sip hurriedly so as to go on with his story, otherwise this comment probably wouldn't make sense to her. "About a month before that happened, I started seeing some awfully suspicious things around the place, Shell." Draven communicated to her, using several hand gestures as if he were foreign or something. "Instinct got the better of me and I started snooping around." As he said this, he felt a little twinge of guilt. Yes, he had gone snooping and that was ultimately what got him taken in the firstplace, but there were bigger things at stake here. Drave leaned back in his seat for a minute, allowing Shelby to soak this in little by little.

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[Shelby Crescent]

Shell sighs and leans back in her chair, her tangled curls now laying about her shoulders now as her blue eyes appeared to be a dark shade of sapphire in the lighting of the place. "What do you mean by snooping? Going into restricted files while no one was there or spying on the Minister himself?" she asks softly as she casts her eyes back up at him before averting them right back to her butterbeer bottle.

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[Draven Slayter]

Drave immediately shook his head, "Neither," He tried to explain, "I was just out one day, doing a follow-up on something that had the ministry spooked and I was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time." This was the point where the most urgent part of the story was going to unfurl. Draven arched his eyebrows slightly and leaned in close to the middle of the table, waiting for her to close the gap between the two. This part was the whole reason why he had picked a shady, private little bar to sit in. "You remember how the ministry stopped executing past deatheaters?" Draven asked her, hoping that she would get where he was going with this.

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[Shelby Crescent]

"Yeah... they stopped after Voldemort was killed by Potter. What about it?" she asks leaning forward once he did looking into his eyes as he continued to speak. She sighs lightly before taking hold of his hands firmly in her own. "Are they continuing with the killings and mistake you for a deatheater or something? But then again you wouldn't have a mark so why would they take you?

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[Draven Slayter]

Before he had a chance to answer her first question, she pretty much hit the nail on the head with her second comment. Draven looked at her for a moment and then slowly nodded. "You're right about the first part," He spoke slowly, keeping the same even, quiet tone, "I wasn't mistaken for a deatheater. But you are right on the nose about them continuing with the killings. Again, I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and witness one of these things." Drave shook his head in discontent, lifting his glass quickly and taking a gulp. With a sigh, he set the drink back down at the table.

"You know me Shell, I am just as opposed to deatheaters as the next guy. But this...was inhumane." A shudder ran through him as he began to recall the memory.

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[Shelby Crescent]

"So you just got captured and kidnapped because you witnessed what they were doing to the deatheaters? That's inhumane. What were they even doing, just aveda kadabra right?" she asks with a curious face before kissing his cheek softly. "It couldn't be that terrible?"

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[Draven Slayter]

His brows furrowed in pure anger. He couldn't believe he was hearing. Why on earth was she acting so calm about this? Drave nearly thought about pulling away from her before her kiss. It wasn't her fault though, and he knew it. Right off the bat, he shouldn't have expected her to understand the severity of the situation. But of course, that didn't stop his anger from showing through. There was a moment when he definitely thought about slamming his fists on the table in fury; he nearly did was it not for the fact that it would draw attention to their little table in the corner. "Damnit Shelby!" Drave hissed, his tone becoming more hushed, but still holding rage in his tone. Really, he was trying very hard not to get upset with her.

"No, they were not just using Aveda Kadabra." He murmured through clenched teeth, his hands tightening into fists so that his knuckles were nearly white. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose between his middle finger and thumb. "Sorry, sorry..." Draven muttered, leaning in to give her a quick kiss. "It was just...so awful. I can't even begin to describe to you the things they did to this man." The anger seceded from his tone and was replaced by sadness, colored with just a hint of fear.

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[Shelby Crescent]

Shell glances up at him, obviously surprised by his reaction. To her it didn't seem that significant with her whole Dark Ruby past, everything she seen going between the Order and the Deatheater's headquarters and even the ministry when she worked there. That was the exact reason why she left for bizarre things like that. It couldn't really be that terrible in her eyes but maybe it was different for Draven because he wasn't an Order member or anything of the sort.

"Well then what were they using that was so frightening and terrible Draven?" she mumbles back to him, just raising an eyebrow at his clenched hands. She watches him pinch the bridge of his nose and kisses him back with a slight feel of uncertainity right now. "I won't understand what happened until you tell me, but if you don't want to relive it it's fine." she says noticing how fast his mood changed from anger to sadness and maybe even fear in his eyes as well. "Let's just go home then, alright?"

[Draven Slayter]

This wasn't working. He should have known it from the start. Yeah, he had known Shell was in the Order and a Deatheater at one point; her being a spy for the order, of course. And he knew that she had seen her share of plenty twisted, bizarre things her lifetime. Maybe that's why she was taking this so lightly. Then again, on the other hand, he half expected her to fully comprehend the situation because of this fact. One thing he knew for sure: he wasn't overreacting. Obviously, if this was something to have been taken lightly, the ministry wouldn't have taken him.

"Home..." He mused, feeling a migrane beginning to rise in his brain. Home sounded good right now. Then again, he started to think of how much "home" had probably changed while he was gone. All of this was absolutely crazy. Draven felt...vulnerable. Not as if he was weak, but more along the lines of being too out in the open. The ministry could find him; they could bust into his home and take him in the middle of the night without anyone knowing. "Yeah, let's go." Drave nodded, not blowing the thoughts off, but keeping them firmly tucked away in the back of his mind.

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[Shelby Crescent]

Shell nods lightly with a weak smile before getting up from her seat and taking Draven's hand into her own. "Yes home, love. You'll be safe and sound there with no worries or anymore bad memories alright?" she says as she leans down and kisses his cheek lightly. "I'm sure the kids will be thrilled to see you, especially Jake. Like I said, he looks more and more like you by the day. It's rather sickening." Shell adds with a laugh. "We can apparate, come on then."

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[Draven Slayter]

There was only one words that could describe how this meeting had felt to him: pointless. Well, only the fact that she wasn't understanding what he was telling her felt pointless. The rest of the time was wonderful. Getting to see her for the first time in months truly felt like freedom. Being able to go home and see his son was relieving. Again, for the first time in months, Draven actually felt like a human being again; like he was actually leading the normal life he had been before all of this hulabaloo. A faint smile lifted the corners of his mouth. Drave nodded at Shell and even gave a little laugh when she explained how Jake looked more and more like him everyday. He suddenly remembered something, "Oh, wasn't there something that you wanted to talk about too?"

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