Back For Good [Adeline]

[Adeline Green]

Adeline could swear her heart was racing a bit from the excitement, her face still very red, glancing up at him from under her lashes as he said he was learning fast. Oh, she was in trouble with him. Was there really anything about him that didn't make her feel like she had butterflies?

But thankfully, he showed her some mercy and changed the subject. She gave another little clear of her throat as she thought of what might be pertinent, "Well, I'm not exactly always in the know myself... this place is obviously new, there's a therapist's office now, cause heavens knows this whole community could use it... I heard one of Lysander Malfoy's set up a club around here, but I'm definitely not looking into that. He was never a bully, but he's a little scary," she scrunched her nose. "Hmm, oh, one of the professors, I don't know if it's hers or family owned, but they have a potion shop here too, I get stuff from them every once in a while. A place called Nightshade Curiosities went up too, but it's got a weird vibe, so I just stay away from that."

"People... well, I don't know if you remember all of them," she said before giving him a quick run-down of the former students from around their years that had become professors and the ones she knew to be Aurors from them being in town and at the school, "It's almost strange how many of us end up flocking back this way. Like we can't quite get away from it in the end," she said.

Though her wistful smile fell as she got this prickling sensation on the back of her neck, like someone was watching her. She turned, looking out the window, her brows furrowed a little. Unable to see anyone, she rubbed her hand across the back of her neck, quelling the different kind of sensation that was rising up before looking back towards V, shaking her head to shake off whatever it was.

"I don't know if any of them were ones that were jerks. I hope most of them can't get back. I was skeptical when they brought on Aubrey, but he seems to have matured a bit while being on a big team."

[Vincent Mathis]

V listened with quiet interest, occasionally huffing soft amusement into his coffee at certain details. “A therapist’s office,” he repeated, brows lifting slightly. “Honestly, that might be the most revolutionary thing the wizarding world’s done in centuries.” The mention of Lysander Malfoy earned a faint snort. “Little scary” coming from Addie sounded almost affectionate somehow, which amused him more than it probably should have.

“Noted,” he said easily. “Avoid ominous clubs and weird curiosity shops. Got it.” He listened through the rundown of former students turned professors and Aurors, some names familiar enough to tug at old memories, others only vaguely recognizable now. But when she mentioned people flocking back here no matter how far they’d gone, his expression softened thoughtfully. “Yeah,” he murmured. “It’s strange, isn’t it?”

His gaze drifted briefly toward the window. “Hogwarts kinda gets under your skin whether you want it to or not.” Then he noticed the shift in her. The furrow in her brows. The hand against the back of her neck. The way her attention snagged sharply toward the window before she tried to brush it off. Immediately, something in him sharpened. Not dramatic. Just alert.

His eyes flicked casually toward the street outside, scanning without making it obvious before settling back on her again. “You alright?” he asked quietly. The concern in it was steady and immediate, but calm enough not to make a scene out of it. At the mention of Aubrey maturing, one of his brows arched slightly. “That bad, huh?” A small smirk tugged at his mouth. “Maybe I should be grateful I missed the era where people started becoming authority figures.”

He leaned back slightly again after a moment, deliberately easing the tension back down. “Though honestly,” he added with dry amusement, “you saying someone ‘seems to have matured’ feels about as harsh as you’re capable of being.” His eyes warmed again as they settled on her. “Pretty sure your version of holding a grudge is just being disappointed politely.”

[Adeline Green]

Addie made a "No kidding" face when he said the therapist's office was revolutionary. "Considering the therapist is a former hit wizard, it's a bit... strange, but it works." She shrugged in a "I don't understand it" kind of way, before he talked about avoiding the shops she'd mentioned. "I mean, you might have better luck in them, but I'm alright with not finding out what either of those places is really for."

When he asked if she was alright, it took her a moment to think of how to answer, but she turned it into an awkward, half-laugh, waving her hand, "O-oh yeah, it's fine, just a spooky feeling here and there, probably should sleep more instead of trying to paint the shop ceiling." Deflecting. She didn't even know if there was anything there, "O-or who knows, I did pick up a bunch of random things while traveling, might have picked up something cursed," she said in a self-deprecating humor kind of way, but there was a part of her that clearly thought that was probably true. She put her hands in her lap, hiding her fidgeting, picking at paint beneath her nails.

Though his saying her assessment of Aubrey was her version of harsh had her giving a more real laugh, putting her hand to her mouth as he'd caught her off guard with it, "Well, I'd say that's not fair but I genuinely cannot think of the last time I was properly angry at someone, so I'm afraid you have me on that one," she shook her head at herself. Even with everything that happened, anger wasn't something she'd felt, just...fear. But she looked back at him, "But honestly, Gryffindors are always so troublesome as students. Luckily, I have a backup at the shop now cause they have been a problem in the past, but Mera keeps them in line with just a look. I don't know if I'm capable of such a look," she laughed softly again, moving back towards why she had thought him immature to begin with.

[Vincent Mathis]

V’s brows climbed slightly higher at the explanation about the therapist. “A former hit wizard becoming a therapist honestly feels very wizarding world,” he mused dryly. “Like somebody looked at unresolved trauma and went, ‘You know who should handle this? Another traumatized person with combat experience.’” Still, there wasn’t actual judgment in it. More baffled amusement than anything else.

“And yeah,” he added with a small smirk, “I think I’m alright staying out of ominous clubs and cursed curiosity shops for now. I just got back. Feels rude to immediately get hexed.” The joke faded quietly when she brushed off the strange feeling crawling up her neck. V didn’t fully buy the deflection. Not because she was bad at it, but because he recognized it. The casual joke layered over something less comfortable underneath.

His gaze dipped briefly to where he was sure her hands were in her lap, to the subtle fidgeting she was trying to hide, before lifting back to her face again. “Well,” he said evenly, “for the record, if you did accidentally bring home something cursed from your travels, I feel like that’d be the least surprising possible outcome for you.” A faint grin tugged at his mouth to soften the observation. “But maybe sleep before painting ceilings, yeah? I’d rather not hear you fell off a ladder trying to improve your artistic atmosphere at three in the morning.”

The concern sat underneath the teasing plainly enough. Then she laughed again at his assessment of her inability to truly hold a grudge, and the sound pulled another smile from him almost immediately. “See? I knew it.” He pointed at her lightly with the hand holding his coffee mug. “You’re too nice to commit to being mean properly.” His expression warmed as she talked about the Gryffindors and the employee who apparently terrified them into behaving.

“Mera sounds terrifying,” he said solemnly, though amusement gleamed openly in his eyes. “Exactly the kind of person every chaotic art store probably needs.” Then he tilted his head slightly, studying Addie for a second with that same fond attention he’d been giving her most of the afternoon. “And no,” he added, voice gentler now, “I don’t think you’re capable of that kind of look.”

One corner of his mouth lifted. “You’ve got a face built for being trusted. Not feared.” The compliment came easy, sincere enough to settle quietly between them rather than land as pure flirtation. Though the warmth in his eyes afterward definitely pushed it close.

[Adeline Green]

"Hey, maybe the combat experience helps him be firm with people who need a little tough love," Addie said, raising her shoulders in a being a devil's advocate kind of way. As much as that was just an idiom, she probably would advocate for the devil, arguing about how unfairly he was treated.

Addie gave a little laugh at the idea of just getting hexed going to places, "Fair, it is a possibility, I suppose."

She gave a similar one when he pointed out it wasn't surprising she would pick up something cursed. Well, at least it was a known possibility. She made a face though when he said he didn't want to hear she'd fallen off a ladder, "Uh, well... it wouldn't be a ladder..." she made a face that said she was innocent of wrong doing, "It's just... a plank that I've secured to the ceiling, don't ask how I get up to it," she giggled a little because the answer was kind of silly.

She gave a playful pout when he said she was too nice to be mean. "Is that so bad?" she said a little indignantly, but not really. "And she can be, but she's also the reason there's actually a system in the store now," she laughed at the admittance, "Leave it to the Ravenclaw to make me start taking inventory rather than eyeball it." His compliment drew her eyes finally all the way back up, and that warmth almost took her breath away.

Oh, she was in so much trouble. Flustered nonetheless, she looked back down towards the table as the blush came back, "Goodness, you," she said in a fond exasperation.

[Vincent Mathis]

V stared at her for a moment after the confession about the ceiling. Then he slowly lowered his coffee cup. “It’s a what?” The disbelief in his voice lasted all of two seconds before a laugh escaped him. “A plank.” He shook his head, looking thoroughly unconvinced by whatever logic had led to this arrangement. “You know what? Nope. I changed my mind. I absolutely want to know how you get up there.”

His eyes narrowed slightly in mock suspicion. “Actually, scratch that. I’m almost afraid to find out.” The image of Adeline balancing on some improvised artistic contraption while trying to paint a ceiling felt alarmingly plausible. And somehow very her. By the time she was talking about inventory systems and Ravenclaws, he was still chuckling quietly to himself.

“See, that's how they get you,” he said solemnly. “One day you're selling paint. The next day a Ravenclaw has convinced you spreadsheets are exciting.” The fond exasperation on her face after his compliment nearly undid him again. Merlin. He'd forgotten how expressive she was. Or maybe she'd always been this expressive and he'd just been too busy trying to disappear back then to notice.

His smile softened as she looked down, cheeks pink all over again. "No," he said lightly, leaning forward onto his forearms. "It's not a bad thing." The answer clearly referring to her question from earlier about being too nice. "If anything, it's kind of refreshing." His gaze lingered on her for a moment before he finally reached for the neglected canelé and broke off a piece. "The world's got enough cynical people in it already."

There was a quiet sincerity in that statement. Then his grin returned. "Though I reserve the right to revise my opinion if I discover this ceiling plank situation is as ridiculous as I suspect it is." He pointed a finger at her. "And for the record, if I show up at your shop and find you've somehow attached yourself to the ceiling with experimental paint, I'm telling Mera." The threat was completely empty and they both knew it.

"Actually," he amended with a laugh, "no. I'm telling Mera and taking notes, because at that point it becomes a story worth hearing."

[Adeline Green]

Addie pursed her lips as he reacted to her plank and couldn't help but giggle at the mock suspicious look, putting her hand to her mouth. "It's a bit of a project? It was easier to do it... that way..." she said as if she wasn't entirely sure if that explanation would make the situation even less crazy. "I'd say seeing it would make it make sense, but I'm afraid I may be the only one who thinks so," she shook her head at herself, giggling again.

She was relieved to hear he didn't think it was bad and a little refreshing how nice she was. She'd hate it if she was already coming across as too much.

She couldn't help but laugh again as he pointed at her. "Oh, she makes her opinion clear every time she's in there," she shook her head, smiling, "She puts a bunch of pillows and things under where I'm at while asking how I've managed to make it this without breaking my neck," she giggled again.

"I hope I've at least the side I'm on before you come, though I'm close. It's like my biggest project yet. You will at least see I've been sure to make sure the plank isn't just going to give way while turning myself into a human palette," she said like she was very proud of herself for at least making sure she wouldn't actually break her neck, "But I hope it's done enough you can at least tell what it's supposed to be. Do... Do you have an idea of when that might be?" She had started to ask with a bit more enthusiasm before stopping herself and trying to seem a little more demure. She bit her lip lightly, a little embarrassed at her outburst.

[Vincent Mathis]

V couldn't help laughing again as she attempted to defend the plank. "The fact that your defense is basically 'it makes sense when you see it' is not inspiring confidence, Addie." His eyes were bright with amusement. "That's exactly what people say right before showing somebody something completely insane." Still, there wasn't an ounce of judgment in it. If anything, he looked increasingly charmed by the entire thing.

The image of Mera building a safety nest of pillows underneath her while questioning her life choices earned another quiet chuckle. "Ah I see now, Mera's the responsible one. Everything you've said about her just keeps confirming that." He took another sip of his coffee before setting the mug down, studying her over the rim for a moment.

The enthusiasm that had slipped out before she caught herself hadn't gone unnoticed. Neither had the little bite of her lip afterward. A warmth settled into his expression. "Honestly?" he said. "Probably not too long." One shoulder lifted slightly. "I've still got boxes to unpack, furniture to sort out, and I'm pretty sure half my kitchen is currently hiding in random crates."

His grin tugged wider. "But once I've got my place reasonably put together, I think my first stop is going to be Hogsmeade." The admission came easily. "I've heard entirely too much about this ceiling masterpiece not to see it for myself." His gaze held hers steadily. "And considering how hard you've been working on it, I'd like to see it before it's finished, too." There was something sincere about that. Not just seeing the completed artwork, but seeing the process. The work behind it.

"So how about this?" he continued. "I get my house in order, then I'll owl you. We can figure out a day." The corner of his mouth curved upward. "I'll come see the famous plank, the mural, the shop, and verify for myself that you're not one bad decision away from becoming part of the ceiling." A beat passed. "And then after that, you can come over for dinner and hold me to my promise about Chicago." The smile he gave her then was warm and unmistakably pleased.

"That way we've both got something to look forward to."

[Adeline Green]

She laughed again at his assessment of the plank, "I promise there's a method to the madness," she put her hand to her chest, "And she is, for a student, she's really even keel," she then realized she was saying it was taking a student to make her be a more responsible adult and she pursed her lips a little at that. It was fine. Right?

Hearing it might not be too long before he visited her had her heart stuttering a beat, "Lovely," she smiled brightly, "I would offer to come help with that, but I feel I just verified I would be the least amount of help," she shook her head at herself, "But if you want decorations, that I can help with."

Hearing he wanted to come to Hogsmeade so soon had her practically beaming, though he was trying very hard to dim it down a little. When he made the plan to send her an owl when he was ready, she gave a nod in agreement. "Okay," she said, clearly quite excited already, "I hope I haven't oversold the excitement, but I can't wait," she admitted with a giggle.

She looked up as a cuckoo clock on the wall went off and gave a little gasp, clearly having lost complete track of time and remembered something she was supposed to be doing, "Oh! Oh goodness," She fixed out the galleons to pay for her tea and snack, putting them onto the table, "IIIIIIII was supposed to be somewhere in 5 minutes, it's a very good thing I know how to apperate~" she said in a hurried singsong as she gathered her things together, standing up.

She gave V one last beaming smile, unrestrained, "Don't make me wait too long," she said in a giggle before starting out of the cafe before she tried to hug him or something.

[Vincent Mathis]

V laughed as she swore there was a method to the madness. "That's exactly what every mad genius says before somebody gets stuck to a ceiling." His grin lingered, though it softened when she offered to help with unpacking. The image of Addie trying to help organize boxes somehow resulting in more boxes was amusingly easy to picture. "Decorations, huh?" One brow lifted. "Careful. You keep offering things like that and my place might end up looking significantly nicer than it has any right to."

The truth was he wouldn't have minded her help at all. He found himself smiling again at how excited she seemed about him visiting. It was infectious, impossible not to be affected by. "You haven't oversold anything," he assured her. "I'm looking forward to it too." Probably more than he should have been. The sudden alarm from the cuckoo clock made him blink, then laugh as Addie practically launched into motion. Watching her scramble to gather everything while simultaneously carrying on the conversation felt very on-brand.

"Five minutes?" he repeated with amusement. "Yeah, apparition's definitely saving you here." He stood as she did, collecting his own things while she hurried toward the door. And then she hit him with that smile. The completely unrestrained one. For a moment, all he could do was smile back. "Wouldn't dream of it," he replied. And he meant it. His gaze followed her toward the exit, warmth lingering in his expression.

"Get where you're going in one piece, Addie." Only after she disappeared out the door did he finally shake his head to himself, still smiling. Merlin. Coming back to England had already turned out better than he'd expected.