Love You More.

[Ava King]

Ava Davershire took a step back to admire her handiwork. It was a cozy room, lit up by a couple of floating candles, along with the warm, flickering fire. The Headmistress had moved a small table from the Dining Room into the room. She felt that her Dining Room was too open, and definitely not romantic enough. She had invited her partner, Nicolas King, over for a romantic dinner, and Ava wanted to make sure it would be a night to remember for the both of them. The red table cloth covered the table, adding to the allure of the room. The silverware sat neatly on top of the table, waiting to be used. Ava had placed her finest wine and beverages on the coffee table near the loveseat sofa, which sat by the fire. Ava hoped she had everything ready and in her cozy room, so that the two of them wouldn't have to leave the room for the night. Smiling, Ava quickly rushed to put the final touches of her make-up on. She had curled her hair, and slipped on a pretty silver dress. This night was going to be magical, and Ava wanted to make sure she looked the part for Nicolas.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas had received Ava's invitation to supper at her home as a pleasant surprise. They two usually met whenever they could fit into each other's schedules, between jobs at the Auror's department or when she could escape the castle for short times. This naturally limited what they did and had prevented either from seeing the other's home at all, despite the advancements in their relationship.

Having cleared his schedule for the day, Nicolas ensured he could not be reached as he travelled to Ava's small London home. Having put on slightly more dressy robes than he would wear to work every day, Nicolas acquired a single long stemmed rose and a beautifully aged bottle of Firewhisky as gifts for Ava then he was off to her home for the dinner she'd prepared.

Having arrived at her door, Nicolas double checked he had everything with him, more nervous before this the door of the woman he loved than he was before the start of any auror raid in his past. Swallowing hard, brushing his hand through his hair for a moment, and then raising his hand to the door, he knocked.

 

[Ava King]

The red lipstick was the last touch. Ava wondered if it was all maybe a bit too much, but she could't help herself wanting to dress up for Nicolas. Thankfully, Ava had just removed her hand from her lips when she heard knocking on the door. Her hand had jumped a little, but no mess to clean up. The Headmistress didn't know why she was surprised when she heard the knock. She was expecting someone, and knew better than to think Nicolas would be tardy. Quickly having one last glance in the mirror, Ava smiled, trying to wash away any nerves that she had, and replace it with confidence.
It was a quick walk to the front door, her cottage not half the size of the Great Hall. She took a deep breath before opening the door, smiling radiantly at the man she loved. Ava leant forward and greeted him with a quick peck on the cheek, saying "Hi my love!". Her eyes moved down to the gifts he was holding. She looked back up at Nicolas, before asking, "Are those for me?" Giggling as he stuttered over his words, Ava took the rose in one hand, and Nicolas' hand in her other. Smelling the rose, she led him into their room for the night before conjuring a vase to place the rose in. Taking the Firewhisky from Nicolas, Ava moved across the room. "Thank-you for your gifts. The rose is beautiful. I made Yorkshire Pudding for dinner, it's my favorite. But don't stress, I also made Cauldron Cakes, because I know you love those." She grinned, walking towards her boyfriend, before pulling out his chair, offering him a seat.

 

[Nicolas King]

As the front door opened and revealed Ava's radiant form to Nicolas, any amount of composure left in him flew quickly away from him and he let it, absolutely in awe of the woman who stood before him and, his mind vacant of all thought, the moments passed by without any action on his part. Her greeting shocked him back to the present momentarily, wherein he complimented her attire and apologized for his being dressed perhaps too casually. He hadn't known what to expect and now he felt slightly embarrassed for his present state.

As Ava asked about what he had brought for her, Nicolas held out the rose and half-mumbled "Yes, well, I figured these were the least... I could do." and realized how very silly he must have sounded as he heard Ava's giggle. Inhaling and closing his eyes for a moment, the auror composed himself briefly before feeling the warmth of Ava's hand on his own and being lead in to her home.

Hearing about the meal calmed the man down even more as they moved to the room for the night, intimate as it was. Eating was something he could handle, he was sure. Then he could just take it from there. As Ava pulled out his chair for him and offered him a seat, Nicolas turned around, now his usual self, and placed his hands on Ava's arms. Kissing her softly, he smiled. "You're stunning, your home is lovely, this room is beautiful, and I'm incredibly fortunate to be here with you now. You've done plenty of work putting this evening together, why don't you have a seat and tell me what's left to do."

 

[Ava King]

The touch of Nicolas' hands against her arms was more than bliss. Ava didn't know what she had done to deserve such fortune as to have someone so wonderful with her. Ava smiled as Nicolas kissed her, that was something she could never get enough of. Her lust for the Auror was not stronger than her love, but she wanted nothing more than to have him. Ava laughed quietly when Nicolas told her to have a seat. She definitely liked it when he took charge. Taking the seat, Ava smiled at Nicolas as he asked what was left to do. "All I was going to do, was go get the food. You are welcome to go explore and find the kitchen. It shouldn't be too hard. And you look pretty good yourself." Ava replied, grinning back. It was true, even if Nicolas hadn't dressed up, he always looked good. As Kingy left to find the kitchen, Ava quickly took out her wand and flicked towards her music box. Soft, sweet music started playing as Ava placed her wand on the shelf near her, before waiting patiently for her man to return.

 

[Nicolas King]

Glad to have Ava seated, Nicolas nodded at her words. "Get the food from the kitchen - sounds like something I can manage." Nicolas offered with a wink and a smile, stealing another glance at the woman, now seated at the table, before leaving the room to find the kitchen in the small home, and quite glad of how small it was.

Having located the kitchen and picked up the prepared food, the man didn't spend a moment longer than was necessary out of the room in which his love sat, waiting for his return. Returning with the food, he placed it on the table and took the bottle of wine from the coffee table nearby. "Is this for supper?" Receiving indication that it was, he uncorked it with his wand before placing his wand on the shelf where he had seen Ava's. Putting his guard aside, with it.

Pouring the wine into each of their glasses, he replaced the bottle on the table before taking his own seat. "This all smells lovely. You've certainly outdone yourself." Nicolas remarked, looking around the room and taking it in more fully for the first time, its intimacy even more apparent to him. Taking up his glass of wine the man raised it slightly looked to the woman opposite him. "To this evening?" he offered in toast.

 

[Ava King]

Hearing the footsteps, and smelling the food's aroma wafting through, Ava sat up straight excited for more than one reason. She was, of course, excited to get the evening started with the man of her dreams, but, as she felt her stomach rumbling, Ava was excited to eat too. As Nicolas walked in, Ava nodded her head in response to his question. The small notion of Nicolas placing his own wand next to Ava's didn't go unnoticed, and while she didn't say anything, or linger on the thought for too long, Ava was happy that he felt such ease with her.
As Nicolas complimented her set up, she smiled. "It didn't take me too long to do. But I'm glad you like it. I'm really looking forward to the food." Ava laughed, hoping that it tasted amazing. Ava copied suit as Nicolas raised his glass. She clinked her glass against his in agreement to his toast before taking a quick sip. "Okay, you are going to have the guinea pig here, and try the food first." Ava giggled.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas took his first sip of the wine and was surprised with its quality. Glancing at the bottle's label, which he had at first ignored, he noted that it seemed the type of vintage reserved for very special occasions, not just a quiet evening - not even a quiet evening with somebody you loved. Perhaps he had underestimated what tonight meant for Ava, for both of them, and the continued slow march of their relationship.

Ava's encouragement to try the food first was confusing to Nicolas. He picked up his utensils and raised an eyebrow, looking inquisitively at the woman across from him who seemed quite keen to know his thoughts 'you are going to have the guinea pig here' the wizard repeated in his mind. Surely the meal didn't include guinea pig? What on earth did she mean? Smiling briefly to hide his confusion behind the mask of an auror, the man resolved that it was likely some muggle saying that he didn't understand and he wouldn't question, not now wanting to look the fool.

Cutting off a portion of the yorkshire pudding and avoiding what he would normally guess to be part of a Sunday Roast (but now held the distinct possibility of being guinea pig), Nicolas ate the morsel of food and was instantly reminded of the meals he had had throughout his childhood and during breaks from school. It was undoubtedly delicious (if disconcerting about the guinea pig) and the man didn't hide his pleasure. "It's wonderful. I may not have to choose between you and Verney after all, should you insult him." Nicolas offered with a wink, referring to their walk in the park and his invitation to her to visit Levens.

 

[Ava King]

Ava noticed the confusion on Nicolas' face at her comment. She realized that he may not have understood the muggle term, not many pure bloods knowing a lot about Muggle stuff. Ava smiled nervously as Nicolas took a mouthful of her food, hoping it was up to scratch. A grin broke out on her face as he said it was wonderful. She had spent some time working on it; she was used to making food for just one person; to her taste and to whatever she felt like. Ava hadn't made a big meal for a long time and wasn't sure if anyone would be a fan. Thankfully it apparently tasted good. Ava laughed as he said he wouldn't have to choose between herself and Verney. Ava hadn't yet met Verney yet, and knew she would be nervous meeting him.
Ava picked up her fork and took a mouthful of the Yorkshire pudding. Nicolas wasn't lying, it did taste good. Proud of herself, Ava swallowed her food before talking to Nicolas again. "It's a traditional Yorkshire roast. When I said you were going to be a 'guniea pig', I meant that I wanted you to try the food first. It's a Muggle saying. I wanted you to be the test subject to make sure the food was okay." Ava laughed. "And I will try my best not to insult Verney. That way you can keep both of us." Ava smiled.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas nodded as Ava explained what she had meant and nodded with a brief chuckle at his own expense. Despite his 'E' Muggle Studies NEWT and countless excursions into the Muggle world on various business he still had much to learn. Tucking that bit of information away in the back of his mind for later use, Nicolas returned his attention to the situation at hand, "If your food is always this lovely I'd be more than happy to continue being your guinea pig." This sentence punctuated by a heartier bite of the meal that Ava had prepared for them both, enjoying the meat and potatoes (as it were) this time and being quite glad of the traditional roast and not having to face the possibility of roasted guinea pig. He likely would have consumed it heartily for the woman, too, but the situation being avoided altogether was clearly preferable.

With Ava's last words Nicolas took another drink of the wine, buying himself a moment of time, before he spoke next. "I suppose I should be more worried of him scaring you off than of you and he not getting along and my having to release the poor soul." He paused at this. It was clear to him that there was no chance of him choosing the only living tie to his family that remained over the brilliant woman who sat opposite him and that his concern should lie with losing her for whatever reason outside of his control than anything else. With this sobering thought set firm in his mind, he set aside his jest about Verney and spoke more sincerely. "You don't scare off too easily, do you?" He asked, his eyes revealing the depth of the question while the thin smile that was default on his visage faltered for a brief moment. He knew she wouldn't, she'd done so much to ensure their relationship and future together was even possible, being as patient with him as he had been with her, but something within him urged the question to be asked.

So many of his relationships had failed, so many loves lost, so many eternities found to be briefer than a candle's light, he needed to know if he had found something more eternal than eternity itself, or if he should brace himself for what he was coming to know as a cycle. If he was to lose this love, too, and with it resign himself to his fate or if, indeed, Ava was as she appeared to him to be by the candlelight of her small home.

 

[Ava King]

Ava smiled at Nicolas as he chuckled at her explanation. She was glad he understood, and she hadn't made an idiot of herself. She giggled lightly at his comment offering to be her guinea pig if her food was always good. She figured she would definitely have to study more recipes and get into the hang of cooking again if she was going to be doing it more often for Nicolas. A quick thought popped into Ava's head that she should spend some time in the Hogwarts Kitchens with the House Elves, and learn some of their useful tricks. Pushing the thought of her head for the moment, Ava filled her fork and took another mouthful of the delicious meal.

Ava chewed her mouthful as Nicolas spoke next. A soft, muffled laugh emitted from Ava's mouth as she tried to hide the food still in her mouth when the Auror made the comment about Verney. Ava knew that there were a few foul House Elves in the world, but it didn't fuss her. People would be people, elves would be elves. If someone didn't like her, even if she tried her best, there was nothing she could do about it; as long as it didn't take Nicolas away from her, she would be okay with it.
Ava wiped her mouth neatly with her napkin and smiled at the man opposite her when he asked if she scared easily. "No." Ava replied sweetly to Nicolas, before noticing his question was quite serious to him. Ava reached across the table, and placed her hand on top of Nicolas, squeezing it gently. "I doubt very much that there could be something to scare me away from you. I love you Nicolas. Don't you forget that! And you won't have to get rid of Verney if we don't get along. A bit of competition for someone's attention never hurt anyone." Ava joked lightly, still holding onto Nicolas' hand.

 

[Nicolas King]

Whatever it was inside of him that had urged him to ask Ava what he had was satisfied and reassured with her words. Nicolas turned his hand over and returned the gentle squeeze Ava had given him. He knew he didn't have to worry about Ava or Verney in the least, but what had started as nothing more than a joke had presented an opportunity to establish that each of them was committed to their partnership lasting. Lifting Ava's hand to his mouth, he placed a small kiss on the back of it. "I know," were the only softly spoken words he could offer, withholding the thoughts in the back of his mind that sometimes, as it were, mere love wasn't enough. He was content with Ava's determination, having experienced first hand, and was confident in the future.

The meal continued as meals do. Idle chatter about anything and not very much, wine glasses draining themselves to be refilled and plates slowly returning to a state of cleanliness. Each bite of the meal seemed to be better than the previous and each word of the conversation more enticing in their conversation. Nicolas was, undoubtedly, quite glad to have the evening with Ava and this meal with her. Each of their plates now void of food, Nicolas set his napkin on top of his plate. "Well, I've had better." The man offered with a wink and a silly grin. "But it was a valiant effort for which I commend you."

Casting a quick glance to where his wand was on the shelf Nicolas looked back to Ava, "Can I help at all with the washing up?" He inquired, planning on having the table cleared for her and dishes cleaned within moments. "...and I seem to recall a mention of cauldron cakes?" he continued, a wry smile spreading across his face. Cauldron cakes were certainly the way to his heart, and she seemed to be more than aware of that fact.

 

[Ava King]

Ava thoroughly enjoyed the dinner part of the evening, even if it was just small talk. She felt more relaxed after food and a couple of glasses of wine. Almost splashing her last sip of wine down her front, Ava laughed at Nicolas' comment on her food. Taking a moment before replying, Ava put her napkin to her mouth, wiping any wine that may have splattered. "Well Mr King, I hardly think it fair that you can judge my food so easily if I have not had a chance to taste your cooking skills." Ava joked. "I daresay that it will be your turn to make the food next time." Ava responded, a smile still present on her face.
Ava placed her napkin on top of her plate before looking at the table as Nicolas offered to help wash up. At the mention of Cauldron Cakes, Ava grinned. It was lucky for her to be able to enjoy her favorite meal without having to wait too long, however Nicolas had to wait for dinner to be over before he could enjoy his favorite food. Not wanting to make him wait for much longer, Ava replied, "Why don't you wash up while I grab the dessert?" Knowing the wash up would simply be a flick of a wand, Ava quickly made her way through to the kitchen, picking up the dessert and went back to Nicolas.
The room already tidy, Ava placed the plate of Cauldron Cakes on the table. Picking one up, she moved towards Nicolas and offered it to him. "Hopefully these will be better than the average dinner we just had." Ava grinned.

 

[Nicolas King]

Ava's quick response to his empty criticisms caused Nicolas to offer a hearty laugh. Nicolas didn't have the first inkling of how to cook - with or without magic. He raised an eyebrow and spoke plainly in response, "That would be the thing to scare you away from me - my cooking. You'll be waiting a very long time if you expect me to cook the next meal." Nicolas could imagine his setting his home on fire quite by accident with Verney looking on in horror, wondering what on the face of the planet could have possessed his master to even attempt the feat that he had posed for himself. Then, the food prepared, serving Ava what would become her last meal. The auror was skilled in many things, but he knew where not to even try his hand and what futures he had no interest in experiencing - that was most certainly one of them.

Nicolas nodded at Ava's suggestion, more than happy to help - especially if it led to cauldron cakes. Rising from his seat, he retrieved his wand from the shelf and turned to face the table. A series of motions had the table cleared, dishes floating to the kitchen behind Ava to clean themselves before finding their appropriate places for the evening. Why the cauldron cakes weren't conjured in the same fashion was beyond Nicolas, but being forced to watch as Ava walked away from him in her dress then returned to him was likely part of the reason. As she returned with the plate of desserts, the man was transfixed by her movements and neither replaced his wand on the shelf nor returned to his seat.

Placing his wand down, Nicolas accepted the cauldron cake Ava offered to him and took a bite, closing his eyes momentarily to enjoy its flavour and thereby severing his gaze from the woman he loved momentarily. "Your baking certainly makes up for what your cooking might lack." Nicolas continued in response to her challenge about the 'average' dinner.

 

[Ava King]

The Headmistress laughed at Nicolas' response at Ava suggesting him cook the next meal. "Well, maybe next time we can cook together." Ava offered with a smile, quite serious on the invitation. It would be a fun experience for Ava, especially if she got to boss him around and if he actually listened. Though, Ava supposed it would probably end up with her doing all the work, but she wouldn't mind. She would just want the excuse to be with him again.
Ava laughed happily as Nicolas complimented the Cauldron Cakes. Ava picked up two more Cauldron Cakes, and smoothly made her way to the Loveseat by the fire. Taking a seat, Ava held out her hand, offering Nicolas another cake, while taking a small bite of her own. The Auror wasn't wrong, her baking was immaculate. Ava was very proud of herself for making something that her partner loved so well. "Come sit by me." Ava requested sweetly. She hoped that it was on this couch they would spend the rest of the night, but didn't mind if her gentleman wanted to move to the bedroom either.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas' face grew warmer with Ava's offer. He had resolved to ensure that they'd be spending a lot more time in each other's company in the future and would certainly take the opportunities that presented themselves. Even if he was quite sure it'd be a disaster, his experience indicated that, sometimes, disasters could be fun. "I think I just might take you up on that."

The man watched intently as Ava moved wordlessly, picking up two cauldron cakes and moved to the place by the fire. He neither needed to be invited twice nor tempted with the cauldron cake (though it certainly wasn't a hindrance). He may have had the plate of them beside him, but for once there was something more appealing to his eye in the room. Following Ava to the seat, he sat down beside her, leaning his back against the arm of the seat and a leg folded across the cushion, so his body faced hers. By the light of the fire side, Nicolas was afforded the opportunity to pause a moment and appreciate a great many things about Ava at once. Her beauty was the most obvious, but also her patience and quiet love, her willingness to go to great lengths to make things work when others would have given up by now, and the effort she would put in to making such an evening special and memorable. How those qualities found their way into one individual was certainly a magic beyond that of Merlin himself - but he was thankful for it.

 

[Ava King]

Ava watched as Nicolas made his way over to her. Her heart beamed as he sat next to her, and she realized how incredibly lucky she was to have him in her life. It was amazing how fate brought two people together. If Ava hadn't applied for a job as a Professor, she would never have met Nicolas. If she had decided to not stay late one day at Hogwarts, they wouldn't have walked into each other's lives. It had taken both of them a lot of patience, but Ava was happy with where they were.
As Nicolas took the second Cauldron Cake from Ava, Ava finished hers, running her tongue along her teeth to pick up any crumbs; she could imagine what she'd look like, turning to talk to Nicolas and looking like a gap-toothed hill billy. Ava turned and leant against Nicolas. Looking up at him, Ava reached and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Can we just stay here forever and forget about the real world?" Ava asked, grinning. Her hand found his and interlaced. At that moment, Ava was completely content to lay against Nicolas, his body warmth against hers made her feel safe.

 

[Nicolas King]

Taking the second cauldron cake from Ava, Nicolas set it on the table beside the love seat as Ava finished hers and leaned into him. Wrapping his arms around her, the man listened to her as she spoke, watching the fire dance in the fireplace and cherishing the moment while it lasted. Turning his head to look to the woman who lay against him, Nicolas' face warmed and he felt entirely relaxed. It would certainly be amazing for them to be able to stay there forever without another care, but his constantly active mind insisted that that could never happen. They would both miss the real world quite quickly, and it would very likely come to miss them, as well.

"No," Nicolas began gravely, "I should think you would grow tired of me quite quickly and that Hogwarts would find itself in shambles without you." A playful tone evident in his voice, knowing full well that both statements were neither wholly true nor entirely false. Kissing the top of Ava's head, Nicolas spoke again more softly, "And the best we could hope for is the rest of our lives."

 

[Ava King]

Ava's eyes quickly found Nicolas' as he replied with a no. However, a small smile was quick to follow when he stated that she would grow tired, and Hogwarts would be in shambles. The Headmistress knew that she would miss her school, and miss her students dearly if she were to stay away for too long. Ava supposed that the Auror Department would fall apart too, without Nicolas there. Her blue eyes lingered on the flickering fire wondering what life would be like if they both worked a nine to five job; a boring one that was for sure. It made the moments that the two spent together more precious and valuable, though she was sure if they were to get married, it would be more often that they saw each other.
Ava turned her body and faced Nicolas, her arms offering her support to stay up. The man that was in front of her was no boring man. Every time Ava saw him, she was filled with warmth and bliss. The brunette smiled as Nicolas mentioned the rest of their lives. "Nicolas, I could never grow tired of you." Ava said with a smile. The night had so far gone exactly to plan. Nothing had gone wrong, and as long as Ava could help it, nothing would go wrong. Ava smiled, thinking the best was still to come, before leaning in and kissing the man in front of her with fiery passion.

 

[Nicolas King]

As Ava leaned toward him, Nicolas expected a gentle kiss very much in line with the heady romance of the evening. Soft words of their future and soft actions of affection had been more than abundant and, anticipating more of the same, the man found himself surprised with Ava's passionate kiss but met it with his own passion. His lighthearted thoughts of the evening and their future melted away in the moments that followed and he unwittingly surrendered himself to his partner's plans for the evening.

Moving his hands from wrapped around Ava to hold her sides, and allowing one hand to move up her body to cradle her face, Nicolas reluctantly broke the kiss. Looking in to Ava's eyes, Nicolas was confident that the woman who he found himself with was far greater than anybody he'd known in the past and that his future would be a darker place without ensuring he could share it with her. Brushing some hair from her face, Nicolas smiled before leaning back again.

Suddenly leaning back toward Ava, Nicolas spoke in her ear: "You're not trying to take advantage of me, are you, Ms. Davershire?" His voice hushed, as if each word carried with it the possibility of undoing them both entirely. "I fear that I'm the head of the Auror's department and you will have to try a little harder than that." The same mischievous smile revealed itself on his face as had appeared earlier in the evening at the discussion of Ava's cooking.

 

[Ava King]

Ava stayed unmoving as Nicolas moved back. The Headmistress was unsure as to why he had broken the kiss, but let him speak nonetheless. Still straddling the man, she smiled as Nicolas moved her hair out of her face, enjoying his gentle touch. The woman was happy that he had returned her passionate kiss, knowing that there would be no way either of them would be turning back now. Her hands stayed put around Nicolas' waist as he moved forward and whispered in her ear. Faking offense, Ava moved back slightly, and placed a hand on her heart. "What kind of woman do you take me for, Mr.King?" Ava replied teasingly. "And, if I were to be taking advantage of you, we would not still be sitting here." Ava giggled. Taking Nicolas' words as an excuse to start the fun, Ava placed her hands on the Auror's chest. Taking a hold of his shirt, Ava pulled him down on top of her, hungry for the taste of his lips; their bodies intertwined, their clothing not staying on for much longer.

---

Ava had awoken draped across Nicolas' bare chest. Yawning quietly, Ava saw that the two had managed to find their way to her bedroom. As Ava looked at the sheets sprawled across the bed, she reminisced on the previous night, which had been more than enjoyable for the both of them, she was sure. The Headmistress leant over the handsome man beside her and kissed him gently on the cheek. "Wake up Mr. King." Ava whispered into his ear, before sliding out of bed and finding a loose top to put on. It was no secret to say Ava was feeling fantastic.

---

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas could not have fathomed a nicer way for him to awake morning than Ava's gentle kiss and quiet stirring. His eyes flicked open slowly, barely catching a glimpse of the woman as she put on her top and evoked thoughts of the night past. Propping himself up in her bed slightly, the man smiled and reached out his hand to Ava, inviting her to come back to where he was, not wanting to get up and begin the day so early, to return to both of their regular routines and go another several weeks without seeing each other. He was certain that he couldn't continue that pattern of life and that making time to just be near each other was going to have to become a more prioritized item for him. He hoped that Ava felt the same way.

 

[Ava King]

Turning around, Ava saw Nicolas with his hand outstretched. It was beyond tempting to crawl back into bed and spend the rest of the day with her love, but she knew that they both had to get up and start their days. Not wanting to be too cruel, Ava made her way to the bed and kissed Nicolas softly. Her lips lingered on his for a moment longer, before she forced herself back up. "Come on. Time to get on with our lives. And after all, I don't want to get tired of you." Ava smirked, remembering his words from the previous night. Ava winked at Nicolas before leading the way towards the kitchen to make breakfast, grabbing her wand on the way.

 

[Nicolas King]

Nicolas sighed as Ava kissed him then left to prepare breakfast. It seemed he would have to go back to life, whether he wanted to or not. Watching as Ava left, Nicolas coaxed himself out of the bed and gathered his clothes to get dressed. He mentally planned to make a stop at home before returning to New Zealand, determined to avoid any curious looks for going back to the ministry in the same robes as the day prior.

Having dressed, the man made his way to where Ava was in the kitchen and joined her for a quiet breakfast after a less than quiet evening together. As breakfast drew to a close he collected his wand from where he'd left it the night before and helped her do the washing up. Sharing a parting kiss, Nicolas reminded Ava that she'd yet to visit him at Levens hall, and that they'd have to find time in their schedules soon to ensure it happened.