"What was Potsdam's response about Cider Day?" Alice asked the next Saturday morning, sorting letters. As elections had not yet occurred, she still had the job.

Hieronymous grinned at her from across the table, sorting his own stack of freshman mail. "She maintains that she would be thrilled to handle detention for me any time that would allow us to spend additional time together. She also implied that if you were to do less than what we both would expect of you on your exam, she would find some tasks for you to earn the necessary merits legitimately."

"I'll try not to disappoint you both," she answered. No pressure there, absolutely none at all. "Was she gloating much?"

Hieronymous snorted. "Some, yes. I have not yet told her that we intend to extend our marriage contract. That woman would be insufferable from then until at least a few weeks after the ceremony was done."

"As you have to deal with her more often than I do, I will leave that to your discretion," Alice replied, smiling. "And thank you for your latest installment."

It had been a striped tulip. So, he thought that she had beautiful eyes.

"It is the truth," he replied.

Having gotten there before Hieronymous had, Alice finished her sorting first, got up, and brushed her husband's lips with a quick kiss before leaving to go about her duties. She wondered if he had yet noticed that those kisses were gradually getting less light. It was not simply that she liked kissing her husband, which she did, but she was also hoping that it would help him become more accustom to her. While he had at first seemed surprised by the kisses, he had never objected to them.

She hummed softly as she worked, planning the rest of her day. Her grandfather had decided to give her and Clark an allowance in the form of pre-loaded credit card for each of them. He had also invited them both, along with Hieronymous, to spend their Christmas break with him in England. She would have to talk to her parents during Thanksgiving break about going to meet 'Uncle Ed.'

So, after breakfast she would take the first bus to the mall and check the balance on her card so she would know what she could purchase, then tea with Hieronymous after he was done with detentions.

She smiled as she finished pushing the last envelopes under the door. It was rare that her life was as pleasant and uncomplicated as it was now. She intended to enjoy it while it lasted.

…..

The first exam seemed to be an exercise in paranoia. By Alice's count, she had skirted or destroyed five traps and found two false walls before an Awareness spell had shown her a way out through a real wall she had had to Stoneshape out of the way. To top it off, she knew she was being timed. She guessed that the only reason creatures had not been added into the mix was that it would have been easier to just shove them ahead into the traps.

She staggered into the sunlight, drained.

"Well done, well done flower bud!" Potsdam praised, clapping her hands together. "Five merits to you for passing, and another five for being the fastest yet that was still unscathed."

"Thank you professor," Alice said.

"And off to the festival you go without me having to find you errands to run," Potsdam grinned. "So, you have finally gotten through to that minefield of a man?"

Alice had expected this. The woman was incorrigible. "After an exam like this, I was starting to think that he might be looking for an excuse not to go," she teased instead of directly answering the question.

Potsdam laughed, and then waved her away so she could concentrate on the student that was now entering their exam.

She went back to her dorm room and opened the door to find Clark sitting on her bed, talking to Virginia. She was spread out, prone, on her own bed with her head turned toward Clark.

"Let me guess," Alice said. "Did you try to blast anything without shielding yourself first?'

Virginia groaned. "I tried, but I was running out of mana by the end of it, and the wall I ducked behind instead was just an illusion."

"You ok though?" Alice asked.

Her roommate grimaced. "I was able to crawl out, passing the test, but Potsdam had to heal me. So now I'm just exhausted and achy."

"I could bring you something at dinner time, if you want," Clark offered.

Virginia paused before saying, "That would be nice Clark, thanks."

Alice turned to her brother. "So, how did your exam go?"

Clark shrugged. "Well, I tried using Blue magic and ended up by the coffee maker in the cafeteria. I must have been thinking about it. Potsdam gave me extra merits when she came into the cafeteria and I offered her a coffee. She also said something to the effect of at least I didn't end up in a tree."

Virginia's laugh ended in wince.

"That's what I did last year," Alice admitted, grinning.

"I assume you passed yours?" Clark asked.

"I was the fastest so far without getting myself hurt, so extra merits," she said. "I wonder how Ellen's doing. She should be in there about now."

"She'll be fine, she always is," Virginia said.

"Except for the one she took but didn't use any magic," Alice reminded her. "By the way Clark, don't forget to use magic during your tests."

"Interesting, I'll remember that. Must-use-magic-during-test-about-magic," he pretended to write on an imaginary scroll.

Virginia tried to snort, but it came out as more of a groan.

"I'm sorry, I'll try not to be funny until you can laugh. I'll see you with supper," he said heading towards the door.

After the door closed, Virginia was quiet for a moment. "You have a sweet brother," she said.

Alice sat down on her bed where Clark had been. "True. Why, are you interested?" she said, deciding to be direct.

Virginia looked mortified. "I…um…."

"I've heard you say that you want someone that doesn't really care what other people think about them, or that's overly self-absorbed. That pretty much removes any Falcon. I know you've said that you don't like the intellectual types," Alice continued. "But Clark isn't the sort of person to rub how much he knows into other people's faces. He knows that knowing more does not make him a superior person, but one that is better equipped."

"I can see that," she considered.

"I won't be offended if you do or don't date him," Alice assured her. "You two could be good for each other, but as I've told you about Grandfather, you know that Clark will have certain work and social obligations you might rather not deal with."

"I know Alice…I just…I'm not sure yet," she mumbled into her pillow. "Did…has he said anything about me?"

Alice smiled. "Not yet, and he might just be being nice to you. I just haven't seen him pay this much attention to a girl before. And I think he would understand you wanting to get to know him on friendly terms before deciding if you want to go beyond that."

Virginia sighed. "Well, that's nice to know."

Ellen then entered the room, looking worn out but pleased with herself. They talked about the exam until supper time, and then left and started walking toward the cafeteria. They passed Clark on the way there; he was holding a tray with about four or five desserts stacked next to the entrée.

…..