The Professor And The Potioneer

It was Saturday. Usually Amelia would have spent her Saturday evenings sat at her desk in her seventh floor office reading The Evening Prophet. A lot of what was in the Prophet these days was rather risqué as, for once, they were beginning to challenge the Ministry. Times really had changed since Amelia was a second year student at The Prophet were under the influence of death eaters because they had taken power from the ministry. Little did Amelia know that it was a death eater writing the Prophets front page articles.

This Saturday evening was different, however, for the charms professor found herself sitting at a table in Eli's awaiting her 'husband-to-be.' Only having known each other in a ministry office it would be good to meet in public, a place they could relax and not walk eggshells because Ana Levski was in the room. 

She hadn't done anything special for the meal. Amelia had spent the whole afternoon marking NEWT essays and had only noticed at half past six that she had better make her way to Diagon Alley if she wished to arrive on time for her seven o clock dinner. After quickly changing out of her comfy jeans and jumper and into a knee-length skirt, blouse and Cardigan the Professor made her way into Hogsmede where she was then able to apparate to Diagon Alley. 

The line got Eli's was not-surprisingly and Amelia couldn't see Brant at all. Perhaps he was inside? Then again she had arrived ten minutes early and, after only a few minutes of being seated, she noticed a familiar face being escorted to her table by one of the waiters. 

'Good evening, Me Crawford.' Amelia politely greeted, standing up holding out a hand. She didn't intend to come across so business like, maybe it was the nerves. Hopefully, after their meal, the next time they were to meet Amelia wouldn't be as formal. 

Brant was dressed in casual trousers and a loose shirt his jacket was his favorite leather one. He had accepted Amelia's request for lunch as he wanted to know her better and at least give this new law a chance. He was accepting of being just her pen pal some one she could talk to who knew maybe even in the distant future they might have feelings for each other but at this moment it was more like two friends meeting. He walked to Eli's and pushed open the door.

His eyes fell to her sat already at a table for a second he could not help but smile. He walked over to her still smiling. " Good evening Ms Cooper" he said as he took her hand in his and held it gently for a moment. "Please, just call me Brant, at least for today." He asked as he then let go of her hand and sat down facing her. " um..so how was your day?" He asked still looking at her.

'Good evening, Brant.' Amelia smiled correcting herself before being seated and straightening the folded napkin in front of her. 'You can call me Amelia.' She added. Well, with that cleared up hopefully once they had gotten to know each other things wouldn't be as awkward, maybe they could even become good friends.

'It was okay.' She replied, 'I spent most of it marking essays on concealment charms.' Amelia told him casually. This was going well. Well, at least they were talking to each other rather than staring blankly into each others eyes not knowing where to start. Then again, they were both adults and hardly aliens to social conversation. 'How was your day? Did you do any travelling?' The witch asked, returning his question remembering that he had said something about being elsewhere during their first meeting in the ministers office.

Amelia's Father had been a Potioneer, she knew how much they had to travel at times. Her Father liked to experiment, perhaps more than he should have, and would go on weekends away to search for rare ingredients that could strengthen his solutions and perfect his potions.

Brant smiled as she said for him to call her Amelia "Its a beautiful name Amelia means Industrious and Striving" he said then looked at the menu "Sorry, you probably know that already and concealment charms, was never good at charms myself." He said softly as he heard her as if he'd been traveling and he nodded "Well, I went to Tuscany, they found an unopened burial chamber in a ruin...but I'd bore you with the details." He said smiling at her. "Safe to say there were some pretty interesting stone carvings that had some..." He stopped himself as he realized he was talking to much. "Sorry, this should not be about what I did or do for work but about knowing you better and you me" he said softly.


After he ordered he placed his menu in the hands of the waitress and looked around " I haven't been to this place before, though to be honest I don't really eat out or drink, what do you prefer, home cooking or dinning out?" He asked he could feel his hands sweating at his nerves. He took a deep breath in. "So how many got high marks?" he asked " how are your children doing?" he wanted to know to show he was willing to be part of her life including them too.

Amelia's eyes opened slightly. She didn't know the meaning of her name, weirdly, it was never something she had thought about. As a child she was never one for trivial knowledge, she much preferred to learn about magical theory, charms and enchantments. That was always, and still is, her specialty. Magic.

'Oh no I'm interested.' Amelia objected lightly, 'We spend a lot of time at work, so I guess it's kind of a big chunk of who we are?' She added before ordering her meal: chicken wrapped in bacon with baked potato and a side salad.

Taking a sip of the water that had arrived Amelia swallowed and thought back. The majority of her students had done well, there were a few on the fence between acceptable and poor but a large wad of the students had achieved exceeds expectations or outstanding. Unless she was being a generous marker? She didn't think so... or was she?

'They all did rather well.' Amelia told Brant, 'They are NEWT students so obviously want to learn about charms and put the effort in. It's usually my fourth and fifth years that cause a bit of trouble when it comes to assignments.' She told him thoughtfully. The fifth years were too busy either rebelling, getting into duels or stressing about other subjects and pushing their charmwork aside. Then the fourth years were at that age where they were wanting girlfriends or busy trying to get a guys attention.

'My children are doing well.' Amelia said with a slight smile - a rarity for her facial muscles had forgotten how to smile a long time ago. 'My eldest daughter Hallie, she recently wrote to me saying that she's pregnant, which perhaps isn't the best timing as she's close to finishing her auror training but she seems happy and her husband, Theodore, he's wonderful for her. Then Toby. He's at that age where he's finding out who he is and what he wants to do but. But he's happy I think.' Amelia didn't feel the need to delve into the fact her son was a werewolf, not yet anyway. Maybe later in the evening?

'Sorry. Now I'm rambling. Do you have any children?' She asked hoping to get the attention of her. The Professor wasn't one to talk and talk about herself, quiet the opposite, but being a Mother maybe it was that Mother-Pride coming out of her.

(OOC: Sorry it's a late reply. I was really busy yesterday)

Brant sat and listened to Amelia he heard her ask if he had any children and shook his head. "No I don't, unfortunately I never met a woman who could accept my career as a potioneer, as soon as I told them they would leave." He said his voice some what sad at the thought. " I guess they only wanted men with a fixed job and were home by five." He said sipping his juice. He had ordered Valigette Beef Rolls also known as stuffed, stewed parcels. He had taken a liking to them.

Brant paused as he saw the waitress brought over their food. " Sorry about that, I travel a lot looking for potions not many women will wait for some one like me." He told her as he began to eat. He hoped things between them would progress, even if it was slowly at first. Brant knew he would take his time.

Amelia didn't smile, but she didn't frown either. It was common for her to hold a blank expression. She had never been one of those women who wanted a man back by five, of course she liked it when her husband had finished work early, but she understood that there were times when her husband had to go away for weekends, leave the house at night on the spur of the moment. Her husband, Robert, had been an auror. A demanding job that they had never let control their lives. Who was Amelia to demand his resignation or a step back? Being an auror was everything that her husband had worked for...

There were times when she blamed herself for not stepping up and taking away his dream job. Maybe if she'd done that Robert Cooper would be sitting across from her today instead of Brant Crawford.

Yet whenever Amelia thought like that she had to remind herself that she wasn't the type of person to behave like that. Everyone was entitled to their own dreams and, in spite of his unpredictable hours, it payed for the bills, put food on the table and he was always there to help raise Hallie and Toby. Maybe seeing her Mother accept her Father's career as a potioneer had made her more accepting of travelling and unsociable hours?

'I am sure that wont be a problem for us.' Amelia began, 'For starters I work and live at Hogwarts for the school year and rarely get chance to leave so we probably wont notice if you're travelling a lot.' She told her husband-to-be with a faint smile before tucking into her Salad.

'So where have you been travelling to recently?'

Brant saw the blank look she held for several minuets as they ate quietly. He glanced up to see she was lost in her thoughts but said nothing. He picked up his glass to sip the water that sat in it and heard her speak again also seeing the small smile on her face before she started to eat. Soon he finished and pushed his plate to one side. Brant listened to her talk and smiled. “I remember Hogwarts fondly, all those corridors, places to sit and think, also remember blowing up the potions lab several times.” He said smiling warmly back to her.

As she asked where he had travelled, he chuckled softly as he spoke in reply to her question.“I recently visited Tuscany, beautiful and breath taking views, its where my family are originally from.” He told her “I still have family there.” He paused wanting to tell her they were werewolf hunters and he had broke away from that to be a potioneer, he knew of only one other his cousin that wasn't a were hunter. He took a sip of his water “we have a large holding out there I...I have a small villa on the land.” he hoped he didn't come across as pompous or stuck up as he continued “ its inherited from my parents they never used it so...when I returned I was given it, its just a two bed place with a small courtyard...maybe one day I can show you it?” he asked his cheeks his cheeks flushed a light pink as he tried not to let it happen.

'Oh that could be nice, I've never been to Italy before.' Amelia replied with a faint smile. The idea about going to Italy with Brant seemed pleasant, but at the same time it unnerved her slightly. What were Brant's intentions? Did he want to take her as a friend? Or as something more? Maybe as a friend with the hope of it developing? Amelia had to make things clear before they started.

Resting her knife and fork lightly on the rim of her plate she interlocked her fingers and gazed at Brant. 'You do know I don't want this to become anything more than friends? I don't want to get involved in anything romantic.' Hopefully he wouldn't be offended. Amelia was willing to marry him to follow the law but she didn't want to be his wife. Friends yes, but wife? No. All she wanted was a wedding because of a technicality.

Then another thought struck her. In their meeting Ana had said they may be exempt from having children because of their age but they'd have to find out. What if they were forced to have children? What would Amelia do then? Leave Brant, Hogwarts and go on the run? Hand herself over to the dementors? Or would she simply do what needed to be done as much as it pained her to betray her deceased husband?

Brant watched her closely he could see in her eyes how being forced into a loveless marriage hurt the memory of her deceased husband. It would hurt him to know that she would never love him and he looked at her but he could not go against the law. Finally she spoke and he placed down his glass as she finished. He sighed as he began to answer her softly at first with his head hung looking at the liquid in his glass. “Amelia...I know in your heart you don't want this, unlike you I have never been married nor known the love and devotion it brought, I...I don't want to bring any dishonour to your husband's memory,” He paused for a moment and looked at her again. “Your a beautiful, intelligent, strong willed woman and a loving mother to your children, we have been paired by the ministry to marry, both of us I feel want different things, yes I had hoped in my heart there might have been some small spark of romance that could have grown between us in time.” He now wondered if he should just disappear after the wedding to let her carry on with her life with out him in it not that it would be difficult with his current employer.

“but... if friendship is all you ask of me right now then, I'll accept that,” He ran his fingers threw his hair as he sighed again deep in thought. “Its more than I have right now and I asked because... I hoped you would use the villa as a place away from work, a place to be with your daughter to relax, nothing more.” He told her. “as long as you don't mind my family, they do get some what...friendly, its the Italian way, but the foods exquisite, nonna makes the best Chorizo and peas with garganelli pasta.” He paused and looked at her as he spoke again.“I guess what I'm saying is, I'm not asking for you to act as a wife in any way, I wouldn't be much of a husband being away for long times, but since were placing our eggs on the table, to so to speak, I won't ask for children but I will how ever stand beside you if you want to petition through the ministry to make it official though.” He hoped he had cleared the air with her making his feelings known just as much as he had hoped making her relax around him.