Marcia Overstrand had been reading a book about a particular type of animal transformation magyk that she hoped to soon teach Septimus when the door knocker clanged loudly. Gosh she thought as she scratched her head and stood up. What had Septimus done now? Regretfully she opened the door
"I apologize for the inconvenience on the stairs, please talk to the… Marcellus?"
"I am sorry if I am inconveniencing you Madam Marcia, I was wondering if you had seen Septimus. I believe I had an appointment with him."
Marcia suddenly felt a little self conscious as she fingered a button on her cloak. For perhaps the first time in Marcia's life she was rendered speechless.
Marcellus always did this to her but now with no Septimus to break the awkward science it was even worse.
Wait what am I thinking! Marcia shook her head and resumed the usual scowl she used when Marcellus was around. He's an Alchemist, and he's 500 years too old for you anyway, she told herself.
"Well, umm… Marcellus, come in…" Marcia said.
"Thank you Marcia."
Was it just his imagination or was his throat a little dry? Marcia twisted his brain in knots. Ugh! Complex potions were a breeze, women though, that was a troublesome subject.
And the beautiful wizard hated him, thought Marcellus.
"Umm… I brought you and Septimus a magyk book I discovered in the attic."
Marcia moved to the sitting room beckoning Marcellus along and for the next half hour Marcellus and Marcia pored over the book. They laughed about a charm that had been written on a half crown and ate chocolate charmed cookies slightly burnt by Marcia's magic stove.
Then with a crackle of old paper they realized they had reached the end of the book. Abruptly Marcellus stood.
"I should go."
He took a step towards the door and promptly fell over.
He woke up a few minutes later and realized that his head was in the ExtraOrdinairy wizard's lap.
She was applying a magykal salve to his head.
"What happened to my head?" Marcellus inquired.
"You tripped on the rug and hit your head on the coffee table." Marcia said "Here. Can you help me with this? I'm no good at phisyk."
With their combined efforts they fixed the gash on Marcellus' forehead until you couldn't see it.
Finally they deemed that it was okay for him to walk home.
He was halfway out the door when she grabbed his arm.
"Would you mind if I accompanied you home?" Marcia said in a rush.
She had no idea why she said it; he had no idea why she said it.
"Not at all, in fact I would considerably like that," he said.
After dealing with a peculiar problem with the staircase and walking through wizard way hand in hand (much to the bemusement of the castle inhabitants). The finally made it to Marcellus' house on Snake Slipaway.
Their faces were inches away.
"Bye Marcellus"
And before he could do anything else, her lips were on his.
If you had been a rat in a storm drain just then you would have seen two very odd types of shoes very close together.