Levens Hall

"I would suppose so," she said solemnly, her thoughts on the elf. "Why wouldn't they grow before?" she asked, looking up into his brown eyes.
 
"I haven't the slightest." Nicolas said, "I've never done any of the gardening here, I guess my Grandparents just couldn't get them to?" he suggested, not entirely sure of anything. "I'm sure Verney would be glad to enlighten you if you ever get the chance to ask him."

"But I've wasted enough of your time with this room, what would you like to do now?" Nicolas asked, making a mental note to try to bring his parent's wands to this room if he could ever find them. He suspected Cecily might want to retire for the evening, but would give her the opportunity to do something else if she'd prefer it. He also recalled seeing the tea prepared in the kitchen when he first arrived, he figured if Cecily retired for the evening he would grab himself some tea just so that it didn't go to waste.
 
Cecily hid a yawn behind her hand. "If it's alright, I think I'd like to turn in." The events of the day and the flooing had left her feeling relaxed and her body was screaming at her to sleep.
 
"That's quite alright with me." Nicolas confirmed, "Would you like me to go back up with you, or do you know your way?" he enquired.
 
"I think I could find it," she grinned, looking up at him. She was anxious to get out of her shoes, as she was never really one to wear them long.
 
"Alright then, good night." Nicolas said, bending down and giving Cecily a quick kiss goodnight.
 
Cecily returned his kiss, blushing when she stepped back. "Good night," she said softly, a smile on her lips as she walked from the room and up the stairs to the room she was staying in.
She opened the door and walked through it, quickly closing it before she took her shoes off with a groan and slung them on the floor, flopping on the bed and rubbing them. Fashion was torture! She got up after a few moments and got out her nightclothes and makeup bag, going into the small washroom attached to her bedroom. Coming out moments later, clean faced and wearing her oversized mens pajamas her father had given her when she'd forgotten hers at Hogwarts. He'd laughed hard about it, the old rascal, looking more like a pirate than her fisherman pirate with his scruffy face. She sighed, missing her parents already.
She hung her dress up and put her shoes away before sliding under the sheets and blanket, snuggling into the bed and resting her head on the comfortable down stuffed pillow. She lay there, staring out the window into the night sky.
 
Nicolas followed Cecily out of the room, leaving the door only slightly ajar for Verney. He watched Cecily as she climbed the stairs to the second floor then went into the dining area and through into the kitchen. He grabbed himself a cup and poured some tea into. After putting in the right amount of sugar and milk he left the kitchen again.

Climbing up the steps to the second floor he thought about recent events. About his students, the Yule Ball, the letter from Sarah and from vacation thus far. Recalling he had packed the letter he opened the door to what was once his father's study and set the tea down on the large desk. He then went into the master bedroom next door and rummaged through his trunk until he pulled out a stack of parchment, a stack of ministry papers, and the letter from Sarah.

Returning to the study he sat down at the desk and started to pen his reply to Sarah first.
Sarah,

I must say, your letter came as a surprise to me and I'm sorry for my late response, I decided to wait until I was on break before I replied to you. I'm in England again for now. We could meet up if you'd like, it might be easier for me to explain everything in person.

Regards,

Nicolas King
Click to expand...

He frowned at his response, it wasn't very good, and he wanted to spend the break with Cecily, but if this gave Sarah any peace of mind he would do it.
 
Cecily tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. She was so tired but her mind refused to shut down, as it happened most nights. She wondered if Nicolas had any Dreamless Sleep Draught. She'd be mortified to have a nightmare while staying in his home. Getting up, her feet padding quietly on the floor, she thought to look downstairs for him when she saw a light coming from under the study door. She paused, shifting from foot to foot and biting her lip, unsure if she wanted to disturb him. She stood there indecisive for a few moments before she approached the door, knocking on it softly.
 
Nicolas heard the knock at his door and knew it could only be one of two beings, and Verney didn't care to knock most of the time he assumed it to be Cecily. "Enter." He said in the kindest voice he could muster, turning Sarah's letter to him upside down and waiting for the door to open.
 
Cecily opened the door, careful to leave it open as her head of house had drilled into her back in school. The old woman would probably have a fit to know she was here without an escort but Cecily thought most of those ideas archaic. She could handle herself without an old busybody about.
"Sorry to be a bother," she said shyly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, "but would you happen to have any dreamless sleep draught?" She stood there in her grey pinstriped mens pajamas, her hair down around her shoulders and shadows forming under her eyes. She wrung her hands together, which were mostly covered by the grey fabric, her painted fingernails peeking out.

(sorry if I get over descriptive, I'm playing with descriptions and trying to get things right for my story. need practice! :lol: )
 
"I don't have any here, but I could go downstairs and get some." Nicolas stated, rising from his desk and moving toward Cecily. Cecily looked quite different at night than she did in the day, but she was still beautiful to him. He smiled as he drew near to her, looking down at her he spoke, "Is everything alright Cecily? And I assure you you're no bother."
 
"It's hard to sleep still, sometimes," she looked down at her hands.
 
Professor King moved his hand to Cecily's chin and gently moved it up so she would look at him. "You know you've nothing to fear, and especially not here, right?" Nicolas asked, concern on his face. He knew what Cecily had been through was hard, but hoped she would be able to forget it if even just for the break while they were away from the school and all it had allowed to happen to her.
 
Cecily nodded faintly against his palm, her green eyes older beyond her thirty two years. "It's not an issue during the day," she said quietly into the still room. "But when night falls...I still have dreams, bad ones." She'd hoped that being in a different setting, seeing her parents and spending time with Nicolas would have made a bigger impact on her nighttime habits. She didn't want to burden anyone with what she felt was foolish behavior on her part.
 
Moving his hand back down to his said Nicolas smiled. "Okay, well I'll go get some draught then. Will you be alright to stay here or do you want to come down too?" Nicolas offered, not sure if she would feel more comfortable in the study than wandering about the house with him or vice versa.
 
"I'll be fine,"she assured him, smiling.
 
"Alright." Nicolas said, leaving his study with a nod to go downstairs.
 
Cecily rubbed her hands up and down her arms, wandering slowly around the study, taking in the old furniture and the rows of books on the bookshelf. She skimmed through the titles, wishing she had more time to read one of them. Glancing around, she made her way to the window, going past the desk. Her body created a current of air as she passed, knocking the parchment from Nicolas desk onto the floor. "Shoot!" she muttered, not wanting to disturb his writing. Picking it up, she held it up to put it back on the desk when the message leapt out at her.
Feeling horrible for having even read a single word, she hurriedly replaced it on the desk as he'd left it. She clasped her hands together, her brow furrowed together in thought. She paced for a few minutes in front of the window before she stood there and stared out at the stars and then down on the garden. Seeing the roses in bloom calmed her thoughts and she knew she wouldn't mention what she'd read. She had to put her trust into Nicolas.
 
(I guess the roses have been enchanted to bloom in December? :-? )

Nicolas entered the kitchen and opened up a cupboard, pleased to see all the potions were still there from before he left. He scanned the labels and picked up the proper draught before closing the cupboard again. When he reached the foyer he noted that the door he had opened earlier and left ajar was now wider open. He smiled to himself then climbed the staircase.

Entering the study again he offered the vile to Cecily, "That should do it's job." Nicolas stated as he returned to his desk and took a seat again. "Cecily, I think I'd like to talk to you if you wouldn't mind too terribly much."
 
"Thank you,"she said, smiling gratefully. When he took a seat and asked to speak with her, she fought the feeling of being in trouble, like back in school, as she'd often been called into one office or the other. She felt her stomach flip. She had no idea what he would tell her. Did he have feelings for this Sarah? More than he did for her? Her tentative self confidence was starting to crumble, she wasn't sure if she could take another crushing blow so soon after learning everything Bearse had put her through. The fact her ex husband had ran around on her behind her back didn't help matters at all, but she knew in her heart that Nicolas was an honorable man. He wouldn't treat her that way. Her stomach still began to hurt.
"Alright," she said, sitting down on the chair in front of the window.
 
Nicolas frowned and turned over the letter on his desk. staring at it a moment he spoke. "Cecily, just before the Yule Ball I received an unexpected letter." he started to explain, looking now at Cecily at the window. "It was from a girl I had dated my seventh year at Hogwarts. After my parents died I withdrew myself from the world, and she was part of the world I withdrew myself from. Then I moved away, and I didn't speak to her again. Well, her letter was asking me what happened between us. I chose not to reply, then this evening I decided I would write to her. An explanation is the least she deserves, and I offered to meet up with her so I could explain in person." He explained all at once, hoping he was making sense. "Here's her letter." Nicolas said, picking it up and offering it to Cecily, "I haven't sent my reply yet, but I was going to. I hope you're not upset with me, I want you to know that it's not her that I care for anymore, I probably don't even know her anymore. It's you I love."
 
She listened to him speak, watching his face and hearing the honesty in his earnest words. She'd automatically reached out for the letter but when his last words hit her, they slid through nerveless fingers and it fell to the floor. "You love me?" she whispered, her eyes brightening, anything else she might have said flew out the window at those words.
 
Nicolas stopped a moment, thinking over what he had just said. He knew this was a bad time to think, he should've done so before he spoke but it was too late. 'Is it true?' he thought, 'Do I?' "Well...ya, I do." Nicolas said quietly, a gentle smile on his face.
 
Hearing him say that, along with the smile playing on his mouth, forced Cecily to be honest about her own feelings. "I love you too," she said, smiling shyly. She looked down at her fingers, worrying a nail. She was silent for a moment, their conversation not at an end. "How are you sure that what you felt for her won't come back when you see her? You can only run from things so long before they catch up with you. I should know," she said ruefully, looking back up at him solemnly.
 
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