I Met A Girl [Adeline]

[Vincent Mathis]

A week and a half wasn't a particularly long time. At least, that was what Vincent had told himself. The reality was that he'd caught himself thinking about Enchanting Essentials more than once while unpacking boxes, assembling furniture, and trying to make his new flat feel like something more than a temporary stop. Every time he'd come across something that made him laugh, every time he'd found some oddity tucked away in one of his crates from Chicago, he'd found himself thinking, Addie would probably have a story about this.

Which was how he'd ended up standing in Hogsmeade on a pleasantly cool afternoon, hands tucked into the pockets of a dark jacket as he looked up at the burgundy storefront. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth immediately. The place somehow looked exactly like he'd imagined it would. Warm. Bright. Inviting. Very Addie. The glittering gold lettering caught the sunlight overhead while colorful displays crowded the windows. There wasn't a single part of it trying to be subtle, and somehow that only made him like it more.

"Well," he muttered to himself. "Guess she wasn't exaggerating." The bell over the door chimed cheerfully as he stepped inside. The first thing he noticed was the smell. Herbs. Spices. Paints. Something floral he couldn't immediately identify. The second thing he noticed was that the shop actually felt lived in. Not just stocked. Loved. His gaze wandered over neatly arranged displays, shelves full of supplies he couldn't begin to identify, local artwork displayed around the sitting area, and dozens of little touches that made it obvious somebody cared deeply about every corner of the place.

The smile lingering on his face softened. He was genuinely impressed. Not because it was successful, though it clearly was but because it felt like an extension of her. Every bright display, every creative project, every odd little magical trinket seemed to carry the same energy she'd brought into that café. A nearby display of enchanted paintbrushes suddenly began sketching flowers onto a blank piece of parchment by themselves. V snorted. "Yep," he said quietly. "Definitely her." His eyes drifted upward then. And immediately narrowed.

Because there was a plank attached near the ceiling. A very real plank. A very suspicious plank. For several long seconds he simply stared at it. Then laughed outright. "No way." The words escaped before he could stop them. She hadn't been exaggerating about that either. Shaking his head, still grinning, V wandered farther into the shop, blue-grey eyes searching for a familiar blonde witch. Mostly because he wanted to see her. Partly because he wanted an explanation for the absurd ceiling contraption. And definitely because he'd spent the last week wondering what kind of masterpiece could possibly require someone to suspend themselves from the ceiling like an artistic menace.

[Adeline Green]

In his look at the plank, he'd probably notice that across the space she'd already painted- which seemed to be a blend of colors that resembled a sunset starting from the wall, working towards the center, slowly fading into colors of night- there were eye bolts fastened into the ceiling. There were four to which the plank was currently attached.

"Just a minute~" Addie's voice called from the back when she heard the bell. She'd appear around the corner, looking a bit tired for a moment as she was sorting out the situation in her hands, tucking a wet brush behind her hair, which had the paint from the ceiling all in it... and there were streaks of it on her face and arms where she'd clearly used herself to clean the brush mid-paint. It was also on the loose beige dress she'd was sporting at the moment. She had several bottles of paint on a belt that looked like it was probably a Muggle utility belt, and she was shoving one more on there before she finally looked up, "Now how can I- Oh my gosh!" the tiredness seemed to wash away as she lit up with a bright smile, "Vincent!" She clapped her hands together, then looked down, feeling the paint on them, "Oh."

She laughed, shaking her head, "Well, I warned you," she started wiping her hands on her dress, creating smears of deep purples and pinks, "I'm so glad you're here! I was actually just topping up my paint bottles to get back up there," she motioned to the plank, and he might realize from this angle two things. One, there was a step ladder not far from the plank, which is probably how she got up, though there was still enough of a gap to indicate she jumped from the ladder to the plank. Two, the light change would make the paint shine and almost look like there was movement in it. An optical illusion of some kind being made with magical paint.

"How's moving going? Did you get settled into your new place?" She smiled at him, "Oh, where are my manners, c'mon, I'll make us some tea," she motioned for him to follow her before pointing towards the door, flipping the sign with a little bolt that spun it around until it stopped on the break side facing out. She led him back through the door she'd come in, taking the belt off as she walked. "Give me just a second," she said, stepping into the room that was clearly her personal studio. There was paint all over the walls, canvases leaned up against both sides, paintings and clean ones, and a table with all kinds of bottles and buckets of paint. She set the belt on the table, making sure the lids on everything were properly closed before putting down the brush she'd push behind her ear into a bottle of somewhat murky water. While most everything was open, a tarp covered what seemed to be a waist-high stack of canvases.

She motioned behind her as she wiped one of her hands again, "Here's the infamous explosion room," She laughed lightly, pointing to a corner that, in fact, seemed to have something yellow actually explode. "Though this does mean you've now seen all the interesting things I talked about," she shook her head before looking back at him, "Did it live up to expectation?" She smirked a little.

Oh her nerves were talking for her at this point. She hadn't anticipated him coming so soon, but she had rather hoped. Even still the rush of excitement and butterflies practically had her blushing the second she saw him. He was in her shop! And dear gods, she was never more aware of the paint all over her than she was in that moment. She could practically feel it drying on her cheeks. Well. At least it might hide the blush a bit. She was so glad Eryn hadn't been at the desk cause she remembered when she'd turned around in the main room, the sketch of V's hands holding the coffee cup was still sitting on the desk, where she had been trying to recreate his tattoos. He'd had one hundred percent made a scene of some kind realizing this was who they belonged to.

[Vincent Mathis]

V's attention lingered overhead another moment as Addie's voice came from the back. Now that he was actually standing beneath it, he could see what she had been trying to describe. The mural stretched out from one wall like the sky itself had spilled indoors. Rich oranges and golds melted into pinks and violets before dissolving into deep indigos, the colors flowing naturally toward the center of the ceiling where night was slowly taking over. Set discreetly throughout the painted section were eye bolts anchoring the plank in place, each one positioned with obvious intent rather than convenience. "...Huh."

The word escaped quietly. It was beautiful. Even unfinished. And when the light shifted as Addie pointed upward, the magical paint caught it in a way that made the colors shimmer and breathe, like watching the last moments of a sunset as the sky slowly surrendered to evening. Okay. He understood the plank now. Mostly. He was still fairly certain she'd lost her mind somewhere in the planning stages. Her greeting pulled him from the ceiling, and he couldn't help but grin as she noticed the paint coating her hands... then promptly wiped them on the dress that was already a masterpiece of accidental color.

"You did warn me," he laughed. "Although I don't think you mentioned you were wearing half the mural." His eyes swept over the streaks decorating her arms, her cheeks, the brush tucked behind her ear. There wasn't a trace of annoyance in his expression. If anything… "I kinda like it." The words slipped out before he really thought about them. "It suits you." His smile softened just enough to take any sting out of the compliment before he followed her deeper into the shop. "Moving's almost done," he answered as they walked. "Just a couple stubborn boxes left that seem determined to stay packed forever."

His shoulders rose in an easy shrug. "The place finally feels like mine, though." That part felt surprisingly good to admit. Watching her move through the organized chaos of the studio, carefully putting brushes away despite the obvious excitement of having company, only reinforced what he'd been thinking since he'd walked through the front door. This place wasn't just where she worked. It was where she lived. Creatively, anyway. His eyes wandered over the canvases leaning against the walls, the bottles of paint in every conceivable color, the evidence of countless ideas scattered around the room before landing on the bright yellow explosion she'd pointed out.

A laugh escaped him. "I was expecting more scorch marks." He glanced back toward her with a grin. "I'm relieved to see your explosions are apparently... optimistic." Then his attention drifted across the room once more. He was about to comment on another canvas leaning nearby when something caught his eye instead. A hand. Tattooed. Wrapped around a coffee mug. V froze for half a heartbeat. The familiar geometry winding over the knuckles... the line work disappearing beneath the cuff... even the angle the mug was being held.

His.

He knew those tattoos as well as he knew his own reflection. Slowly, almost instinctively, he looked down at his own hand where it rested at his side absently flexing his fingers briefly. Then back to the sketch. A slow smile spread across his face. "...You've been practicing." There wasn't a hint of embarrassment or teasing in his voice. Only quiet surprise... and something undeniably touched. "Not used to them making quite that kind of impression."

[Adeline Green]

If she hadn't been blushing before, he got her when he complimented her while looking like she'd tested the paints on herself. But she'd kept it moving, "I get that, I had one that took like a year to get completely unpacked just cause it was odds and ends that didn't really have a place," she nodded, remembering moving into this place. When he said it felt like his, she smiled at him, "Good. That's the most important part."

Addie laughed at him saying he was expecting scorch marks, "O-Oh, I'm not a big fan of working with fire, some of this stuff is kind of flammable after all, I might burn down the shop and half of Hogsmeade," she waved her hands.

Then he spotted her drawing, and she could have died. She put her hand to her face as her cheeks burned with the blush that consumed her whole face, "I-I um..." She couldn't seem to find the words to try to explain her way out of it. How did she say she hadn't stopped thinking about him and anticipating his coming to visit? "A-art of any kind tends to... get my attention," she settled on, though it was clear she was scrambling, "A-and I-I don't spend much time drawing people," her eyes flicked to the tarp for a fraction of a second before back towards her work bench as she realized she was kind of giving away more reason to be embarrassed with the confession she'd drawn something she normally didn't because she wanted to capture him, "A-A-Anyway," she sputtered out, "D-Did you want tea o-or maybe try your own hand at art?" she asked, wiping her hands at her dress again, "M-Maybe make something to add to your flat? I promise not every art project requires paint to be on the painter," she laughed a little.

Anything to get the attention away from that sketch and how silly she felt in the moment. She was a grown woman, she really needed to get it together.

[Vincent Mathis]

The color rushing into Addie's face was impossible to miss. V watched her try to explain, then accidentally explain even more, then try to escape the conversation entirely, and it took genuine effort not to laugh. Not because he wanted to make fun of her. Because she was absolutely, hopelessly adorable. His smile softened instead. "I wasn't complaining," he said gently, his eyes drifting back to the sketch for another second. "Actually... I'm kind of flattered." And he was.

He'd spent so much of his life feeling invisible that the idea someone had looked at him long enough to want to draw him... it landed somewhere deeper than he expected. "You've got a good eye," he added quietly. "You even got the proportions right." Thankfully, she threw him a lifeline by changing the subject. His gaze dropped theatrically to the ink covering the backs of his hands before he looked back up at her with one brow raised. "I mean..." He spread his hands slightly. "I kind of walk around as art already."

A grin tugged at one corner of his mouth. "I've discovered I'm much better at sitting still while somebody else creates the artwork than actually making it myself." He laughed softly. "I've got a ridiculous amount of respect for artists, but if you handed me a paintbrush I'd probably produce something that belongs on a refrigerator with 'Good job, buddy' written underneath it." His eyes sparkled with amusement. "So I think I'll leave the masterpieces to you." He nodded toward the kettle instead.

"But tea?" His smile returned, warm and easy. "Tea sounds perfect." He wandered a little closer to her workbench, careful not to disturb anything, his eyes roaming over the organized chaos with genuine appreciation. "You know..." he said after a quiet moment, "I think this might be my favorite room in the whole shop." There was something almost reverent in the way he looked around. "It feels..." He searched for the right word before smiling at her again. "...alive."

His gaze found hers once more. "And I like seeing where all your ideas start."

[Adeline Green]

Addie actually twirled a hair as he said he was flattered, biting her lip as she smiled shyly at his compliments. She seemed like it didn't matter how many times she was complimented, she'd always be flattered. "You kind of are," She said when he said he walked around as art, then flushed at how it just kind of came out, putting her fingers to her mouth, then made a face remembering she had paint on her hands. It was a look of "Not again," meaning she'd done that more than a few times.

"And it doesn't have to be masterpieces, I have a few abstracts that were just flinging paints at the canvas," she shrugged, her moving lips giving away the purple paint she'd gotten on them, and then she flushed again at him calling it his favorite room, and she seemed tongue-tied for a moment, "U-um, thank you," she said softly when she found her voice again.

Then cleared her throat, seeming to remember herself. "But yes, tea, we have to go upstairs for that," she said and walked back to the room they'd come through and up a small flight of stairs to a floor above the store.

It was a simple room with random flowers, birds, butterflies, and sun motifs. "Welcome to chez moi," she trilled before stepping into the small kitchenette to put the kettle on. There was a small circular mosaic table with loosely matching chairs. There were a variety of items hanging on the wall that were clearly from her travels, and only three other doors in the space. There was a shelf between two of them, with books in various languages and little trinkets on display.

"Do you want something a bit more domestic or exotic?" she asked, opening a cabinet full of tea canisters, smiling in a way that said she knew entirely how ridiculous it was to have that much tea.

[Vincent Mathis]

V caught the little admission before she realized she'd said it out loud. "You kind of are." His smile widened just enough to betray how much he enjoyed hearing it. "I'll take that as a compliment." Then she immediately touched paint-covered fingers to her lips. Again. The tiny look of defeat on her face made him chuckle under his breath. "Occupational hazard?"

He nodded toward the streak of purple she'd unknowingly left behind, amusement dancing in his eyes. He didn't point it out immediately, deciding she'd probably discover it sooner rather than later anyway. Following her upstairs, he took his time looking around rather than marching straight in. The apartment felt exactly like she'd described herself without ever meaning to. Bright without being overwhelming. Comfortable. Lived in.

Every little keepsake from her travels seemed to have earned its place, the books in half a dozen languages sitting comfortably beside carved trinkets and pressed flowers as though none of them had ever belonged anywhere else. "It's exactly how I imagined you'd live," he admitted quietly. His fingers brushed the back of one of the chairs before he pulled it out and sat down, still taking everything in. "It feels..." He smiled to himself. "...peaceful."

When she opened the cabinet, however, his eyebrows climbed. "...Merlin." He laughed. "I thought I was doing well having three kinds of coffee."His eyes moved over the seemingly endless rows of tea canisters before settling back on her. "I should've known you'd collect tea from everywhere you went." He leaned back comfortably in his chair, folding his tattooed hands together on the mosaic tabletop. "I trust your judgment."

His voice carried that same easy warmth she'd become familiar with. "Surprise me." A beat passed before his grin returned. "Although maybe don't start me off with whatever tea tastes like fermented seaweed and regret." His eyes sparkled with mischief. "I'd rather work up to your more adventurous recommendations."

[Adeline Green]

"That's probably the best explanation as opposed to my being flighty." Adeline gave a sheepish smile at the occupational hazard question.

Adeline smiled at his assessment of her home, then laughed at his reaction to her tea collection as well. "I have a hard time choosing between things, so I tend to just get everything," she shook her head at herself before looking up at the collection and pulling out a canister. "This one's pretty interesting," she said as she started to prepare everything for it. "I got it in China, when I visited some remote little mountain village. They were all quite lovely," she said.

"I had stopped there just before visiting a rather eerie marketplace, but I was trying to find the places that weren't on a tourist guide," she shrugged, a part of her more aware now how lucky she'd been to not end up in a bad situation being so careless in her travels there, but it didn't darken the memories of exploring those forgotten places, "I actually bought a music box there," she thumbed towards her room to indicate the music box was in there, "I've never opened it though. It's beautiful, but it's just got this... vibe to it that feels like keeping it shut is the right move," she shrugged, clearly not thinking too much on it.

"I think some dried fruit will go well with this tea," she mused as she went through her cabinets. She pulled out some glass storage containers, then remembered the paint on her hands. After washing them off, she put a mix of fruit in a bowl and brought it, along with the now-ready tea, over. "Hope my estimate isn't too biased to my own liking of the tea," she giggled a bit as she sat down. When he'd try it, he'd find it would be smooth and slightly earthy, though there was something slightly sweet in the aftertaste. "I do have some shortbread if the dried fruit isn't your taste."

She was clearly buzzing with energy, excited to have him there in her home. "Did you see the new shops coming in? Hogsmeade is starting to grow a bit too, which I suppose is a bit overdue," she laughed softly.

[Vincent Mathis]

V accepted the cup with an appreciative nod, letting the warmth settle into his hands before taking his first sip. His eyebrows lifted. "...Okay." He looked back at her over the rim of the cup. "I'll admit it." Another sip. "You've officially ruined supermarket tea for me." There was a grin in his voice as much as on his face. "I can see why you dragged this one halfway across the world." His gaze wandered briefly around the room again before settling back on her.

"You know..." he said thoughtfully, "...I'm starting to think you don't actually go looking for places." He smiled. "I think they find you." He gestured lightly with his cup. "Mountain villages nobody's heard of. Hidden markets. Mysterious music boxes that absolutely sound curious..." He laughed softly. "That doesn't happen to normal people." His eyes danced with amusement.

"That's an Adeline Green problem." The way he said her name carried an easy familiarity now, warm enough to make it feel almost like another compliment. "And somehow you always come home with tea instead of a lifelong curse." His smile broadened. "So I'd call your track record pretty impressive." When she mentioned the music box again, he shook his head with a quiet chuckle.

"I've got to admit... every instinct I have says leave the ominous magical music box closed." A beat passed. "...Which means I'm almost positive one day you're going to open it because your curiosity wins." He pointed gently at her with one finger. "And when that day comes, I'd appreciate an owl beforehand so I know not to be anywhere near Hogsmeade." The teasing was light, affectionate.

As she settled into her chair, practically glowing with excitement just to have company, he found himself smiling without even realizing it. She was happy. Really happy. It was... contagious. Her question about Hogsmeade brought him back. "I noticed a few," he nodded. "It's strange in a good way." He leaned back in his chair. "It feels... hopeful." His eyes met hers again.

"Places like yours opening. Cafés. Galleries. A new tavern. People building things instead of hiding." A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I like that." Then, after the briefest pause, his expression turned just a touch more playful. "...Though I have to say..." His blue-grey eyes held hers. "I think my favorite new discovery in Hogsmeade isn't actually a shop."

His grin grew as he watched the realization begin to dawn. "It's the woman who keeps making me tea from places I've never been and is often more colorful than she intends to be." He lifted his cup slightly in a quiet toast. "I'd say I got the better bargain."

[Adeline Green]

Addie laughed softly at his reaction to the tea. "Right? How does anyone just go back to things like Earl Grey when there are things like that to be had?" She shook her head before sipping her own cup of tea. "Well, I admittedly looked for places that weren't on the map," she said, shaking her head. "I wanted to see the parts of the world that weren't already being used as tourist traps. It's really quite fascinating what all you can find by taking a right instead of a left," she huffed a laugh at the logic like even she knew it wasn't the best. "I came home with a lot, actually," she smirked, "My parents just have most of it in a vault in Gringotts because there's no room for it here."

"Oh no, if I ever get that inkling, I might take it out to the Forest first, just in case," she shook her head, looking over towards her room before looking back to him as he answered her question about what was in Hogsmeade. "Isolde from Ravenclaw actually opened a bookstore too," she said, adding to the list. "But yeah, it does, like we're remembering what living actually is."

However, when he said his favorite discovery wasn't a shop and looked at her, she flushed again and bit her lip in that shy way, becoming aware of the paint on them once more. She put her hand over her mouth, rubbing the paint off as she murmured, glancing back up at him, "I think you have entirely too much fun making me blush," she murmured, a quiet bashful accusation, "B-but... I'm glad to hear it," she looked down towards the fruit bowl, too shy to keep the eye contact.

[Vincent Mathis]

V couldn't help it. He laughed. Not loudly or at her expense, but warmly, the sound carrying through the little apartment as he watched her immediately become fascinated with the paint on her lips the second she'd realized it was there. "I do," he admitted without an ounce of guilt. His smile was crooked now, almost boyish. "I've discovered it's surprisingly easy."

He took another sip of tea, watching her over the rim of the cup before setting it back onto its saucer. "The thing is..." His voice softened. "...you smile before you blush." His eyes met hers again, though he was careful not to hold them hostage. "And it's a really nice smile." He let that sit for only a moment before mercifully rescuing her from having to respond.

"I like what you said, though." He gestured lightly around the room. "'Remembering what living actually is.' That feels about right." He leaned back in his chair. "When I first got back, I kept expecting everyone to still be... surviving." He searched for the word. "Waiting… but people are opening shops. Making art. Writing books. Drinking ridiculously good tea." His smile returned.

"Turns out that's a pretty stubborn kind of magic." His attention drifted briefly toward the direction she'd indicated her room. "So your parents are guarding an entire vault full of mysterious souvenirs?" He chuckled. "I don't know whether that makes me feel better or worse about the music box." He reached over, stealing a piece of dried fruit before looking back at her.

"Although..." His grin returned with a mischievous glint. "If we're ever unpacking that vault..." He pointed the piece of fruit at her. "...I'm bringing protective charms." A beat. "And maybe a helmet." He popped the fruit into his mouth before adding with a completely straight face, "Mostly because I have a feeling you'll find something fascinating..."

His smile spread again. "...and immediately say, 'I wonder what happens if...'" He could practically hear her saying it already.

[Adeline Green]

Addie huffed a little, though she was still pink. Why was it so easy for him to send her into butterflies? Then he talked about her smile before she blushed, inevitably causing her to blush more, and she put her hands to her face again. "Oh, you," she murmured, totally flustered.

But he switched topics, giving her cheeks a chance to cool down. "I'm sure some people are still reeling, but putting on a good face is better than waiting for things to be totally better," she shrugged a little, speaking a bit from experience on that one, "But I think some are also trying to bring us out of the medieval era," she laughed softly, "Isobel has all kinds of books in her store, some that have to be kept in the back so the students don't find them," she made a face like how scandalous, but it was mostly because she was too afraid to read books like that for some reason.

"The music box was one of the last ones cause that was shortly after I got this tea," She said, lifting her cup and taking a sip, "And yeah, they were things I found in obscure places, and I wasn't entirely sure what they were or what they're for, but I found them in places like ruins or deep in the woods, which I can't imagine is where they were supposed to be, and maybe one day I can return them to where they should be. But I'm never quite sure who I should get to look at them and figure that out." Though none of her trinkets or keepsakes were from her South America trip.

Addie laughed at his talking about protective charms. "Probably not entirely a horrible plan. I grabbed them cause they fascinated me; learning what each of them does is like... turning a painting from black and white to color," she smiled at her analogy. She tried not to think too much about the fact he would be willing to go with her to explore it, even if it caused a bit of that pink to come back and her heart to stutter a little. "Though if I grabbed cursed items, I'm saying it's entirely by the warding of Gringotts and my trying to be positive always that none of those curses have taken hold," she gave a slightly weary laugh at the fact that was entirely a possibility. The irony of her having one of the ones that was cursed in her bedroom as a piece of decor, unbeknownst to her.

[Vincent Mathis]

V watched her hide behind her hands again and just shook his head with an amused smile."There it is." His grin deepened. "I was wondering how long it'd take before I got another 'oh, you.'" There wasn't an ounce of smugness in it. Just quiet satisfaction. "I'll count that as progress." He let her collect herself while listening to her talk about the town and the bookstore, genuinely interested. "A bookstore with a restricted section." He chuckled. "Somehow that feels inevitable around here."

His attention stayed on her as she spoke about the things she'd collected over the years, though his expression gradually became more thoughtful. "You know..." he said after a moment, "...I think that's one of the things I admire most about you." His tone had softened. "You look at something abandoned in the middle of nowhere and your first instinct isn't 'What can I get out of this?'" He gave a small shake of his head. "It's 'How do I get it home safely... and maybe back to where it belongs?'"

His smile returned, smaller now but warmer. "That's a pretty rare way to look at the world." When she mentioned curses, though, one eyebrow rose. "...Now that part concerns me." He leaned forward onto his forearms. "Not because I think you've got some dark curse following you around." A corner of his mouth tugged upward. "Mostly because I can absolutely picture you wandering into ancient ruins, finding something everyone else wisely left alone..." He paused dramatically.

"...and immediately deciding it deserves a second chance." His blue-grey eyes met hers. "Which is a wonderfully you thing to do..." He smiled. "...but maybe next time..." He tapped a finger lightly against the table. "...bring the six-foot-four bloke who's considerably harder to throw across a room." The offer came so naturally it almost sounded like he'd already decided it. "If you're going treasure hunting or accidental curse collecting again, I wouldn't mind coming along."

He lifted his teacup with an easy smile. "Somebody has to make sure the mysterious magical relic doesn't charm you into adopting it." A beat passed before he added, almost absentmindedly, "And I'd rather you didn't have to explore those places by yourself anymore." The words slipped out simply. Matter-of-fact. As though, somewhere over the last week and a half, that had become the most natural thing in the world to him.