Levens Hall

"I'm a different person than I was at seventeen, Cecily." Nicolas assured her, "If I were the same I'd tell you that I'd just have to run that risk, but there's no risk."
 
Relieved, she sighed heavily, blowing out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding. "Alright,"she said with a nod, "I trust you, Nicolas." She sat there in her chair, unsure of what to say next.
 
"I'm thankful for that." Nicolas stated as he got off his chair, picked up the letter from Sarah and put it back up on his desk. "So what was that that you gave me for a Christmas Gift?" Nicolas asked, not having had the chance to earlier.
 
"They're called Gemini Dragon. They're amulets, matching amulets,"she said, nervous to how he'd receive the idea. "They have the power to project one's Astral Form to the other Amulet. The shopkeeper said they only last for about five minutes then have to recharge for at least a half hour." She got up and stood by the window. She wondered what he thought of them. Her humor, which popped up when she was nervous, came out. "I almost traded those for a flying motorcycle, but I'm sure the Ministry would frown on one of their own breaking the law."
 
Nicolas stood up and took the amulets from his pocket where he'd kept them since unwrapping them. He approached Cecily by the window and held out the purple one, "You'll hold on to this one for me then, won't you?" Nicolas asked with a smile.

"And no, I don't figure the ministry would much appreciate that."
 
Cecily was flattered he'd chose to have her hold onto the other amulet. "Thank you," she said, holding it in between her hands. It was light and heavy at the same time with a slight hum to it. Silent hum but one that she felt with her magic.
"I don't reckon they would," she laughed. "I'd better go to bed now," she said softly.
 
"Well, you have a good nights sleep." Nicolas said, prepared to turn back to his desk and finish the work he had yet to finish before he too turned in for the night.
 
"Thank you," she said for the second time that night and turned to the door. Halfway there she turned and quickly went back to him, reaching up and kissing him quickly before she turned to leave the room. "Good night!" she called out.
 
"Goodnight." Nicolas echoed after Cecily as she left the room. He sat down at his desk again and poured over the papers he had pulled up. After a half hour or so he put them all in a drawer and used a special locking charm on it. He put out the fireplace, then locked the study and went into his bedroom.

He changed into his sleeping robes and went to sleep, his thoughts filled of what had happened in this day, and how much of the break was still to come.
 
Sunlight streamed into the fairly large bedroom, slowly lighting up the entire room and waking the sleeping woman on the old wooden bed. She snorted softly and burrowed her head under the covers before something hit her nose. She poked a bleary head out, testing the air with her nose, sniffing with her strong sense of smell, a 'gift' from that mongrel. Her mouth immediately started to water as the strong smell of sausage and biscuits and gravy and eggs hit her nose. Her stomach growled loudly. "Oh yeah,"she crowed, her grin feral. She hadn't had biscuits with gravy in years. She hoped there was enough, otherwise her dear Nicolas hadn't a chance in Hades. She wondered if he'd miss his share. She chuckled loudly, going into the washroom and washing her face and hands and brushing her teeth and hair, before going to her bags and throwing on some faded muggle hip hugger jeans -bell bottoms she'd stolen from her mum as a teenager-, complete with a holey knee, and a tank top that had a faded picture of the earth and read "Don't Tread On Me". Not bothering to throw on shoes, she raced to the stairs, looked around and hopped on the stairway banister, sliding down it on her bum, landed on her feet at the bottom and she did a little dance pushing her hands in the air. "Booyah! And she scores a perfect 10!"
 
Verney had been wandering around the house, breakfast being prepared on the table and Nicolas sitting on the couch in the living area waiting for Cecily to wake. As Verney crossed into the foyer to suggest Nicolas start alone Cecily slid down the banister. He stopped and waited for her to land. He was prepared to speak when she did her little dance and he simply shook his head. People were getting stranger every decade. "Good morning" Verney began with a bow toward Cecily.

"I'd say that was only an eight." Nicolas said, getting up off of the couch in the living room and walking into the foyer where Cecily was. "But I'm sure you'll get better in time." he assured her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "How'd you sleep then? Any dreams?"
 
Cecily let out an undignified squeak when Verney spoke, holding both hands up to her mouth before laughing. "Good morning, Verney,"she curtsied, looking even odder in her flared out bell bottoms. "Breakfast smells delicious."
Her cheeks grew pink, she turned quickly to see Nicolas coming toward her. When he kissed her cheek, she laughed lightly, wrapping her arms about his neck loosely and kissing his cheek in return. She let go of him, putting her hands behind her back and rocked back on her heels. "Like a kneazle," she said. "Best sleep I've had all year." She winked at Verney. "Not one dream."
It was apparent in her manner, in her very skin. She looked rested and had a healthy glow about her face. She felt more vibrant, younger, like she had when she'd first started teaching.
 
"Well I'm quite glad for that then." Nicolas said, turning to look into the dining area where the food was prepared on the table, "Shall we eat then?"
 
Cecily took in the myriad scents of the food laid out on the table. "Oh yes, let's!" she said, grinning.
 
Nicolas nodded and approached the table, withdrawing first a chair for Cecily to sit in. Once she took her seat he pushed it in slightly and sat across from her. The table was quite large and to sit anywhere else would seem foolish. "Anything you'd like to claim before I clean out the rest of it?" he enquired.
 
Cecily laughed. "I was just about to ask you that," she said, grinning, her eyes challenging. She'd never seen him eat that much and wondered if he were any match for how much she usually put away in the mornings. She picked up four biscuits before raising an eyebrow and asking him to pass the gravy.
 
Nicolas nodded and passed Cecily the gravy. He then gave himself a fair amount of sausage and eggs with a single biscuit on the side. "You really should save some Biscuit for Verney. He might starve with you around." Nicolas said before taking a bite of sausage. After he swallowed, he poured himself a glass of orange juice which he offered to Cecily.
 
She took the orange juice, smiling, filled her glass and put it on the table. Looking at the basket overflowing with homemade biscuits she rolled her eyes and considered throwing one at him. "Why doesn't he eat with us?" she asked, forking a bite of the biscuit with gravy into her mouth, humming slightly at the delicious taste.
 
"Because he's set in his ways." Nicolas explained to Cecily with a smile. "So, your father had been telling me about your adventures withe this Edward fellow, what happened to him?" Nicolas enquired in between bites.
 
"Oh but it'll get cold,"she said worriedly. She was beginning to like the little house elf and his dignified air. She let the subject drop when he mentioned Edward.
"We grew up together. He was forever getting me into trouble. Everyone thought he was this quiet boy but when we were alone together, he had the wickedest sense of humor. This one time," she laughed hard in rememberance. "Oh dear, this one time he brewed a hair growing potion and dared me to spike the professors tea. He knew I couldn't resist a dare, still can't," she grinned unrepentently, taking a sip of her orange juice. "I snuck into the teachers common room, put a few drops into their teapot and raced out. Classes that day were hilarious!" she laughed for a few moments until it died off. Her smiled faded.
"We grew apart for a few years. Pressures of being a teenager and fitting into our house molds, I suppose. Then when his mum died, we started being friends again. We've written to each other, catching up with a cup of coffee when we can. It's never been quite the same, always the same tension like when we were in school."
 
Nicolas smiled, "Sounds like an awesome time in your childhood, it's unfortunate about your more recent relationship with the guy though." Nicolas said, finishing off his sausages and eggs and looking now to the biscuit which lay on his plate. "So you travel to England regularly... for coffee?"
 
"Well, we used to regularly," she sighed, pushing her food about. "The last time I saw him was...oh my, we haven't spoken since last year when we met at an inn in Wales. Edward was the one who showed me that the note Bearse left was fake,"she said, placing some bacon on her plate and some fresh fruit.
 
"Ah, so that was him." Nicolas began with a smile. He chose now, however, not to continue the conversation on this Edward fellow as he didn't want Cecily to feel like he was hounding her.
 
"Yes," she smiled at him. "I'm thankful I did see him that night," she said.
 
"I am as well." Nicolas confirmed as he finished the biscuit that had been on his plate and started to finish off his Orange Juice. "Verney" he called out, the House Elf emerging from the kitchen. "Verney, there's a letter on my desk, could you send it off for me, please?" Nicolas enquired. The elf nodded and left the room with a crack to have the letter delievered.
 
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