"Come in!" A voice said from behind the large oak door. Tessa smoothed down her hair, and looked herself over. A long skirt, a gray, lacy shirt and her hair tied up in a bun. She hesitantly knocked, and stepped inside, her footsteps echoing on the polished wood floor. Her eyes widened.
"Oh my god, Magnus, you look... different...?" Tessa's hand flew up to her mouth to hide her surprise. Magnus Bane grinned, and turned away from the burnt ashes in his fireplace to look at her.
"I could say the same to you." He said, sauntering over to the doorway where she stood.
"I guess, but at least I look normal! I don't have...have... What's with your hair, anyway? And the sequins?"
"Oh, that. Jeez, Tessa, I'm immortal, can't I have a while to be glittery and wild?" He snapped his fingers, and the fire in the fireplace sprung back up from the ashes.
"Well, yeah... but- but-" she stuttered helplessly.
"Anyway. What's been happening in your life in the last fifty years?"
Tessa slowly sat down in one of the warlock's cushy armchairs. She smiled sadly. "I still haven't found anyone after Will... I've been missing Jem… his old self, I mean. Not Brother Zachariah. And I've been traveling- all over the world. It's changed so much!"
"You'll find someone else, eventually." Magnus replied. He stopped and gazed out the window, deep in thought. "I miss Will too, you know. I miss him everyday."
Tessa and Magnus sat there for a while, talking about Will, and London, the Conclave, and mundane politics. Tessa told Magnus about her relatives, and Magnus told her about his life in Paris. Eventually, Tessa's head started to droop, her eyes slowly closing, and Magnus' eyes softened. "Do you want to stay here tonight?" he asked gently, pulling out a mattress out of the couch, "You can have breakfast with me in the morning, and then go on your way.." he paused. "You should go see the Eiffel Tower, by the way. It's within walking distance from here…"
"Thanks, Magnus." Tessa smiled sleepily, "Of course I want to stay." She plopped down on the mattress and closed her eyes, while Magnus turned out the lights and slowly tiptoed away.
Tessa stood by the window, looking at the pedestrians below. Soft footsteps came from behind her, and she whirled around.
"Hello, Tessa. How are you this fine evening?" Will asked, grinning from ear to ear.
Tessa gasped with joy. "Will!" She brushed her hand through her light brown hair, too happy for words. "I missed you so much!"
Will walked up to Tessa and laughed. "Well, now we're together again. What do you want to do?"
Tessa smiled. "Kiss you." she responded, leaning in to his chest. He smelled like pine needles and snow. She raised her head to look at him, and suddenly, Will was old, and gray haired. He looked at her mournfully, his dark blue eyes filling with unshed tears, the bags under his eyes prominent and his face tired. "I'm sorry, Tessa. I'm not long for this world." He clutched his chest, and slowly faded away, leaving behind the scent of winter.
She sobbed, clutching the floor where he had stood. "Will!" No answer. "Will!" she cried, "Come back!" She curled into a fetal position, crying into her hands. Will was gone, and he would never come back. She would never see him again. "WILL!" she screamed, her voice hoarse with longing and anguish.
A voice came out of nowhere. "Tessa! Tessa, wake up! Open your eyes!"
"But my eyes are open." she protested, her voice muffled by her pale, thin fingers that covered her lips.
"No, really open them," the voice insisted. Tessa raised her head, and opened her eyes.
"What- Magnus?" Tessa looked around blearily. She was tangled in her sheets, her pillows strewn across the floor.
"You were crying about Will. A nightmare, probably." Magnus was kneeling beside her, his hands scratched. "You were upset." He displayed his bloody hands.
"I- did I do that? I'm sorry" she said, looking down at her feet. She wiped away a tear that was threatening to roll down her cheek.
"It's fine. I heal fast." He straightened her sheets, and helped her up. "The first one is always the hardest."
"The first?"
"The first one you love who dies," he said. "It gets easier, after."
"Oh." she responded in a small voice. She started to brush her hair, silent. "I'm sorry, Tessa. Do you want to read? I have Great Expectations, A Tale of Two Cities?"
"No thanks," Tessa said, "A Tale of Two Cities reminds me too much of Will. I should be going. I want to see the Eiffel Tower, like you suggested."
"Okay…" Magnus replied, "But if you need anything, just come to my house here in France. I'll help you."
"Sure." Tessa swung her bag over her shoulder and opened the door, her shoulders hunched. "Goodbye, Magnus!" she called, and she walked out, back into the streets of Paris.