A long overdue meeting

Jess chuckled and raised his hands in a defensive gesture, winking at Mari as he did so. "Sorry, just stating facts. I did try though," he said, smiling for a second before dismissing his thoughts with a shake of his head. "You drove me crazy," He added, "absolutely nuts for awhile there... I'm glad we're past that," he said, his voice softening as he started at the table for a few seconds.

"The Forest and I... we have a bad past, leave it at that. I wont go in if I don't have to, not from the Hogwarts side anyway..." he said, giving an overly exaggerated shiver to prove his point, giving only a small shrug afterwards to show that there was an element of truth to what he was saying.

He then considered what she next said and gave her a skeptical look. "Do I remember where our first date was?" He asked, his face turning very serious. "Mari, of course i remember that day. I remember fishing with you down at that stream, I remember the two of us falling into the water... I remember walking there. I remember it all," he said, his eyes flashing a hurt look at her as he wondered if she genuinely thought he'd forgotten or not.

Mariana looked a little surprised but tried to disguise it into a teasing look not sure if she entierly succsseded in that attempt. "You have haven't you? If i knew it i would have came back earlier. I was under impression that we..." she interupted her trail of thoughts without being able to find the right expression for what they were back then. "Anyway i am planning to drive you crazy differently tonight..." she said quickly not wishing to make an awkward moment.

"I have a couple of centaur friends in the forest if you ever need them. Must have been pretty bad when it makes you shiver." she replied not wanting to push it, but making a mental note to draw what happened at first opportunity.

It was Mari's turn to stare at the table before she gathered her thoughts. "Actually i was planning to take you there tonight.." she replied when she looked back up at Jess. Her face looked guilty. She was mortified considering the fact that somehow she hurt his feelings which was a very hard thing to do anless she really intended to do so. "I mean if you want to come ofcourse.." she said taking a sip of her drink to have an exuce to stop talking.

Jess chuckled and gave Mari a wink. "I look forward to it," he said, twirling another piece of pasta around on his fork before eating it. Truth was he was a little nervous about spending time with Mari... or at least he had been before today. All the worries, all the dramas... they took a toll on people. Still, luckily everything seemed to be returning to normal, and he was glad for it.

He then frowned and nodded, a thoughtful look settling on his face for a few moments before he smiled. "I'd love to go there," he said, "but not tonight... you've seen the weather. It's terrible here in the city where there's some great windblocks, but flying all the way to Hogsmeade wont do either of us any good," he said apologetically. "Sorry. But look out there," he said, pointing out the window where a thick wall of sleet was flying through the air. "Getting back to your place will be hard enough... getting across the country would be suicide," He said with a chuckle.

Mariana took another bite of her spaghetti and a sip from her drink in order to consider what to answer. "It was raining very good when we went there last time or maybe it started raining later, but you catch the picture." she replied with the resignation in her voice.

Spending the time in her apartment seemed to cheer her up visibly. "Well if there is a snowstorm tonight we are staying at my place tonight/" she replied not even making it sound as a question. She digged through her pocket searching for something as she remembered it. The little golden locket Jess gave her was now in her right hand. It was a reminder of their first day

"You gave me this on that date. I was planning to give it back, but well i never got the opportunity so i was curious. Would you have taken it if i gave it to you back then?" she asked not having the slightest intention to do this now that they were back together. It would not make sense right now.

Jess nodded and gave Mari a slightly consoling smile. "I know. I do remember that date you know... believe it or not, I was actually there," he said with a chuckle before shaking his head. "I wouldn't want to risk it tonight. I read in the Evening Prophet that we're looking at the worst storm so far this century... I think that the safety of four walls and a roof will outdo that of our first date's location, don't you?" he asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he smiled devilishly at Mari.

"But yes, I think that would be nice to go back to yours when we finish up here. It's been awhile since I visited, don't you think?" He asked. "I'd invite you to mine, but we'd probably be interrupted by some report or something," he told her as he rolled his eyes. Grimmauld place just lacked that romantic vibe that was sought after in situations such as these.

He then looked at the locket and frowned, thinking her question over as he prepared to give her an answer. A lot had happened between Mariana and Jess over the past few years. First their relationship blossomed and was well lived. But his employment at the school, coupled with the disaster which affected him whilst he was abroad, and then her own journeys had deeply affected his perception of her.

"No," he finally said after a long pause. "I gave that to you as a gift, to symbolise the love I had for you then," he explained, a concerned look stretched across his face. "No matter how that could have changed, it was always a part of what you and I were... it is yours, and it always was, and always will be," he finished, unsure as to whether or not he was still talking about just the locket.

Mariana listened to this, her face not showing enough concern for the possible snow storm or huricanee considering the Jess's worried face. Still it felt pretty safe at the moment and she wasn't willing to change that. "I don't mind." she assured him quickly "But just for the information sake i wouldn't mind outside either as long as we're together." she added like she was making something obvious very clear to him.

"Ofcourse it was a while. My house is your house i trust you know that?" she asked a little unsure if she didn't make it enough clear before. Maybe they didn't even touch the subject. "Or apartment anyway. Soon i won't have a house anymore. All this is so silly, my house your house. Haven't you considered us moving in back together? I mean we are both adults, no one would judge us anymore." she said clearly surprised by her own courage. The idea roamed in her head since they got back together, but she never dared to ask on loud.

Jess was thinking rather deeply. Was the question more complicated then she assumed it would be. "Was?" Mari asked a little disorientated by his use of the past tense. It made her feel a little concerned. "I did have a sensation i will be needing it one day. The symbol is right here." she said placing her hand on her chest clearly pointing to her heart. "It doesn't need to be anywhere else though i will keep the locket as a token." she replied now starting to mix the story about locket with something much deeper.

Her eyes were moving only slightly, enough for her to catch the outside atmosphere. The snow started to fall in such big amount that she wondered if they will ever get out of here, a lot of people started to leave in a hurry. "We have a great challenge to face out there." she commented still giving double meaning to her words.

Jess nodded, a frown appearing on his face for a second. "Well," he said, dragging the word out as he thought the implications out. It wasn't an issue of what he wanted, or what he felt was right, but merely a problem of what was regarded as home. "I don't quite know what to say... I don't really have a home of my own, I just float between Grimmauld Place and Hogwarts... it's almost impossible, logistically, for me to "Live" somewhere, if you follow my drift," he told her, a sad look crossing his face.

"I mean, we can live together in title, sure, and holidays, I'd love to spend them with you... but it's hard, as a professor to commit to anything, surely you can remember that?" He asked, hoping that she wouldn't misinterpret what he was saying as being a blow-off.

"But for tonight, your home is mine," he added with a wink, finishing off the last piece of his food before taking another sip of his drink.

She was right of course, something was going to have to give in order for their relationship to return to what it once was, or to at least allow it to grow into what the two of them were looking for, but he was worried, nervous... Jess knew that history had a way of repeating itself, and he wasn't quite ready to go through everything again.

That said, he wouldn't let fear of the unknown get in the way.

[[OOC: One question are they married or not? It's the same either way i just need to know]]

Mariana followed Jess's reaction closly. The expression on his face and the hesitating in his voice made her loose the courage she so suddenly gained few moments ago. "Yes i am familiar with the feeling. I think i spent most of the nights at the hospital when i worked there, the apartment never really felt like a home." she replied, less confidence in her tone. "But the concept of living implicates some place where you always come back on the end of the day." she added trying to figure out his expression.

"We are two messed up people aren't we?" she concluded with a sad smile. "But i think we'll be in the pretty same situation when i start to work on Hogwarts. And once we are both there what happens? Okay in front of the students polite, but not too emotional and in the night? You sleep in one room and me in the other one like when i was 15, and you were 16?" she added sipping so much questions together, more then she could ever remember. It was a rather long speech though she was only partly serious.

Her eyes flashed at the idea. "My home is your home, tonight and every other night or day. I think i could get used to the idea." she replied with a grin.

((Yep, they're still legally married, I think... is that what you thought?))
Jess smiled and gave a small grunt in amusement. "But what if the place is never really the same? I go between school and Grimmauld Place all the time, I rarely spend more than a week in either location," he told her with a wry smile on his face.

He then laughed and nodded. "Definitely, but that's what makes us so well suited for each other," he agreed, winking at her. "But you're right. We can't just hide behind closed doors. You and I are together, aren't we?" He asked, suddenly rather nervous about her answer. "I think we should tell the Headmaster and see if a separate accomodation can be organised... I'm certain he'd agree with us, and my office could easily be expanded to fit a second person," he told her with a grin.

He was nervous for the future and what it held. Returning back to what once was seemed a bad move to him, yet there was nothing he wanted more at that point than to bring back his old life with Mari.

((Yeah that;s what i mean. It got complicated in the topic with Silvyr when i tried to explain him what Mari & Jess are without using word boyfriend, fiancee or husband..))
Mariana put this under consideration for a moment "Yeah i guess i see your point or i do partly anyway. How do you manage to be a part-time professor?" she asked trying to get an exuce which could justify him being absent every other day.

"I hope that is not the only thing we've got in common." she replied with a chuckle which was replaced by a sound closest to a growl. "Aren't we? What kind of question is that?" she said raising an eyebrow. Did he seriously doubt they were together now that they were on a date so to speak. "Well usually nurses have an office in the hospital wing, but i guess we are kind of a unique case." she replied thinking of all the things that made them unique, she grinned for herself as it came to her.

She finished with her meal and her drink in record time not really paying attention to what she was eating at all. "So shall we get going or would you like another portion? There's a storm out there and it's getting worse by the minute." she asked trying to break the tension as she pointed across her shoulder to trees that almost seemed to want to get out of the ground and the falling snowflakes in the size of a hand.