As Nicholai sent off the single white rose he couldn't help the smile that came to his face. He was indeed looking forward to seeing Minerva. It quite honestly would not be that hard to sneak off and see her once more, after all, her smell was one he knew well and the halls of Hogwarts were all too familiar. It also helped that he had an open invitation to the school and several different areas of the school, which came with the invite, to be a professor from long ago.
Even at present the thought of being a professor at Hogwarts was odd. Yet when the offer came, it was such an honor that it could not have been refused and it wasn't. There had been rumor that the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors had been meeting some rather sticky ends and thus he was chosen. He could not easily die for one, and for two having had several years to study magic there was little that could truly take him by surprise, so he was a logical choice for the position even if it was a bit odd.
In approaching the school after being gone for so long Nicholai was somewhat surprised by the memories and smells that came back to him. There was one smell in particular that struck him and it was quite strong. The sheer magnitude of the smell negated the idea that it was just something that lingered over the years, and was supported by strong memories this was the smell of Minerva and it was recent. A certain light danced in Nicholai's eyes as his feet followed the smell almost as if on instinct. There was somewhere else he should have been going to but that was long forgotten in interest of what was before him. Of all things he had not expected her to be there at Hogwarts still. It was no surprise that she would be invited to teach as she was a brilliant woman. At the same time Nicholai had half expected Minerva to have settled down with someone other than him and forgotten her time with a vampire like him, at least that is what he imagined from time to time. Though the whole idea pained him, it was what Minnie deserved. Yet, there she was just across a threshold that he was not certain of, reading a book. She always seemed to be reading. With a careful step Nicholai found that the room she seated in was a public room and he was permitted access. With a few gentle strides he approached her and waited to see if she by any chance noticed his presence but when she ever so gently turned to the next page he knew that she had not noticed him. "So what is it I'm interrupting this time Minerva? Nothing too important I hope," he spoke almost showing his fangs with the smile that was on his face. It was rare that something could make him as happy as all that, but Minerva was one of those people who could cause him to be in such a state. His words caused her to jump in surprise, "Nicholai! What are you doing here?" "Dumbeldore didn't tell you then?" Nicholai took a seat near her taking in every aspect of the woman before him. The years had been kind to her, though they had left their mark, there were a few wrinkles on her face and her hair had grown darker, it was shorter as well. Though she had changed Minerva was still the same beautiful woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago. "I'm told your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor met an unfortunate end and I was asked to take his place as a more durable model. I didn't know you were teaching here. I suppose that would make us co-workers then." He waited a few moments for his words to sink in with Minerva. He assumed that his sudden appearance was a lot to take in. He knew that seeing Minnie sitting there before him was a lot to take in for him as well. He noted that there was no sign of a ring on her finger which in some way was good news because he would not have to act cordial to a beloved, but that was not something he needed to remark on. Once more his eyes landed upon her hair it was so short, just hanging past her shoulders. It had once been down to her waist. "You've changed your hair quite a bit." The conversation continued on lightly until Minerva moved to leave, he could hear in her tone that something bothered her and he had to apologize. "Minerva, I was meaning to tell you...I'm sorry I never told you about me when we were in school, but I honestly hadn't thought I would feel the need to stick around as long as I did. I didn't want you to have to find out like that... It's not fair of me not to tell people that should know." He said it very evenly and very calmly, but there was a sad sort of tilt to his smile. "I do hope you can forgive me." Minerva's face flushed in response, "You are apologizing to me? I was the one who ran out on you! I don't know how you could forgive me," she had looked away from him focusing on anything but him, and how he had lightly captured her hand to stop her leaving just seconds prior. "Of course I'm apologizing. Minnie, any animal facing a natural predator has the sense to run when it feels it has a good reason, there is nothing to forgive." He was indeed a predator, he hadn't bitten a human in hundreds of years, but vampires were predators by nature and in most situations a human had every right to be horrified by them. "I do wish you would have given me the chance to explain. I've been a part of the St. Mungos initiative to prevent vampires from attacking humans by supplying them with donated blood, and have been for..." He took a long moment to try and count the years, "Well since November 19th 1593." Nicholai gave a short laugh. "How about this..." He snapped his fingers and a rose appeared in his hand, something he'd learned from years of studying "We both say we're sorry and both get on with it?"
Of course, though the past had been forgiven that day and Minerva accepted the first of many roses Nicholai would give her, things did not go back to just how they were between them. Minerva had done some of the bare bones math and it was just hardly fitting. The emotions between her and Nicholai were still there and hard to deny but it just wasn't right. There he was, several hundred years old, while she was the mere age of a child in comparison at the ripe age of 51. But that wasn't the only problem, there was the issue that Nicholai looked to be no older than a man in his early twenties, a woman her age had no business being with a man who from all appearances was more than half her age. It just was not proper, no matter how one looked at it thus through out the school year Minerva fought to keep her feelings at bay and keep things professional. Yet there were times when it was rather difficult to maintain her distance.
There had been an issue with a young mister Rosier and behavior which was typical for him, but this time it involved Nicholai and thus Minerva had to speak with him about it. She knew Nicholai was in the right and Evan Rosier had struck once more, but all the same there were procedures that had to be met, and Merlin knew that if she did not follow procedure Rosier would have created more problems than he was worth all for the sake of attention.
It was early evening when Minerva knocked on the door to Nicholai's living quarters. It did not strike her how it was around the time when he would be resting as night was his natural time to be awake and he pushed through the day light hours to teach. Thus when the man came to the door he was lacking certain articles of clothing such as a shirt. It was something that Minerva was not expecting in the least causing the natural defenses that she had put up against Nicholai to start to crumble down around her. What had she come to say? Nicholai greeted her and asked what it was she needed but as the words stuck and caught in her throat Nicholai took it upon himself to invite her into his living quarters which was an odd mess of stacks of papers and books piled in various locations throughout the room. It was a mess and yet organized at the same time. "I fear it is a bit crowded in here," apologized Nicholai as he offered a seat that he cleared out to Minerva. "I suppose I haven't quite figured out a system to organizing student papers along with keeping up with my personal studies." Minerva payed the mess no mind taking a seat as she worked to regain her composure once more. This chance was only afforded to her with Nicholai having disappeared to don a shirt, as he realized he was without one. Though Minerva has seen him in much less it was best if he spoke with her fully clothed. "Would you care for some tea?" asked Nicholai when he returned already having produced a tray with a pot and cup. Her favorite was being poured into a cup, and it was the smell of it that helped bring her back to her senses a bit. "Yes, thank you," answered Minerva taking the cup that was offered her as she stared up at the same kind face that she had loved so many ears ago. There was a moment between the two as their eyes locked before Nicholai finally cleared his throat and turned to his desk opening a drawer and pulling out a red sucker and placing it in his mouth. It was that simple act alone that caused memories to surface for Minerva, memories she had almost forgotten. "You never did have a sweet tooth did you?" asked Minerva quietly as she took a sip of her tea. Nicholai leaned against the edge of his desk facing Minerva and shook his head the white stick protruding from his mouth as if it always belonged there. "Blood pops," he answered simply pulling the red pop from his mouth, "They tend to help when 'eating' isn't exactly an option." Minerva nodded bringing the tea up up to her lips before letting it almost crash back down onto the saucer. "Oh, it must have been the most horrible gift I ever gave you, that year for Christmas!" There was a small surprised look on Nicholai's face before the same memory came back to him. A warm chuckle issued forth from him with the blood pop once more secure in his mouth. "It was one of the most thoughtful things I had ever received even if it did cause me a great deal of pain." "Pain?" asked Minerva looking up in surprise. From there Nicholai explained what happened with the cherry suckers how they created a head-ache most akin to that of a hangover, minus the fun before hand, and how he had re-wrapped all of them so she wouldn't know the difference. From there conversation between the two continued on till late into the night as they relived many pleasant memories between the two of them. It was in that night that Minerva finally let her guard down and in some way Nicholai knew it but he waited, at least as long as he could. He took a deep breath, dressed to the nines despite it being nearly 10:30 at night, and pacing in his room. No matter what he tired his mind would not leave well enough alone, every thought was on Minerva. "Oh bloody hell." He shook himself mentally and walked straight out the door, turned down a short series of halls and wound up outside of Minnie's office. He brushed a hand through his hair and knocked, waiting for the door to swing open. When it did, he did what had been jumping around his head all day, stepped right into the room and pulled her up to him, and without even hesitating kissed her. "You've no idea how long it's been, since I've wanted to do that." "Oh bullocks!" came Minerva's response which is not what one would expect as a response, but it worked all the same as she moved in to kiss Nicholai a second time. She had fought against him long enough and there was no denying that the feelings were still there and were not going to go away. The door closed behind the two as Minerva whispered, "You don't know how much I've missed this."
