A/N: Happy New Year! Here's to a year full of growth and joy for all of us! I'll have another chapter for you on January 11th!
A/N: Go read Portent first if you didn't read it after Chapter 21 (it's actually Chapter 22 of this story but I won't be posting it here) then read this. ;)
"It's been great having you around, lads." Al grinned after tucking his wallet back into his pocket. "But I've got classes to get to."
Ellie had kissed him when she'd handed back his card and Al's high spiked again. Not even the impending finals prep was enough to bring him down.
"Al," Teddy put his hand on Al's shoulder, "I'm, I'm sorry."
"Me too," Jamie nodded. "I didn't think that someone could use a wand as a hair thing."
"You can make it up to me by accepting Mum's invite to dinner for Sunday. It's El's and my idea, and I'm bringing El to introduce her to everyone."
Jamie laughed, "Dad's ruined all of us."
Al stopped walking, "What?"
"Dad never calls Mum, Ginny, always Gin. I'm pretty sure the only time you've called Vic by her full name was at your wedding, Ted." Jamie smirked at Al, "And you're calling Ellie, El."
Al shook his head and started again towards his flat, "And I've never heard you call Allie, Alice. You're just as bad as we are."
"Of course I am," Jamie grinned. "We've been raised with the understanding that shortening names is a form of endearment."
"And we're all named for other people so we have our own names have nicknames as well," Teddy added.
Al chuckled, "You have no idea how weird it is for El's grandma to call me Albus."
"You need a long white beard, I bet Uncle George could help with that." Jamie laughed.
"Wait," Teddy eyed Al, "You've met her grandmother?"
Al nodded, smiling as he thought of the strange fondness he was developing for Naomi.
"How long have you been with Ellie?"
"A bit over a year now."
"A year?" Teddy and Jamie said in unison.
"And we're just now finding out she exists?" Teddy added.
Al sighed as they approached his building.
"I like to keep good things to myself. I'm pretty selfish that way, but El's doing her best to break me of that."
"So…" Jamie paused as if he was trying to find the right words. "If you need a jewelry store recommendation, Allie loves her ring."
Al felt Jamie's words knock the wind out of him.
"I, er, I'll let you know, if, if I need, er…"
"Hey," Teddy put his hand on his shoulder, "We're here if you need someone to talk to alright? Jamie's experience is a bit more recent than mine, but we're both here for you."
Al felt a bit of relief blossom in his chest, "Thanks, both of you."
"We'll see you, Sunday." Then Jamie chuckled. "You know, if I didn't know you as well as I do, I'd almost accuse you of setting us up. We can't tease you at all on Sunday since we sat there and lectured you about telling a witch you're a wizard."
"I'm not that on top of my life," Al laughed, "but I'm glad you stopped by."
Teddy and Jamie stepped over the grate and Al grabbed his pack and headed to class. Trying not to focus too hard on Jamie's offer for a jewelry store. He didn't have a job to have the money to buy a ring (it didn't feel right using his dad's inheritance for it) or the certainty that he and El could make a long-distance relationship work while he finished school, let alone if he was ready to relocate not just his country, but his freaking continent, because he'd never ask El to live anywhere but her home.
Al's internal turmoil was interrupted by his text notification as he sat down at a desk.
El: Your brothers are funny. ;) I can't wait for Sunday. Love you.
He felt lighter at just seeing her words.
Al: You made a good impression on them too. Love you.
El: Want me to bring leftover food from here to reheat tonight?
The professor walked to the front of the room and Al moved his phone to his lap.
Al: Sounds good, I haven't had a chance to shop so my cupboards are a bit bare.
El: We should definitely make that part of our evening. Now pay attention to your professor, slacker. ;)
Al grinned before sending one more text.
Al: Love you.
Then he slid his phone in his pocket and picked up his pen.
Maybe, maybe he'd talk to her about the future. Probably not tonight, but maybe after Sunday. Maybe they could figure something out. Maybe he could come to love St. John's the way Lisa did. Maybe…
Suddenly Craig bumped Al as he slid into his seat, giving a wave to the professor as he did.
"Hey mate," Craig smiled at him, "Work's pretty backed up, had to leave them hanging even with being late."
"You didn't miss anything important," Al whispered as the professor continued to answer questions from the assigned coursework.
"If you want something part-time, let me know." Craig pulled out his notebook. "It'd be nice to have someone competent working with me."
"What do you do again?"
"Run security analytics for companies, fancy talk for I'm trying to hack into all of our clients so we know how to stop the hackers from doing it for real." Craig clicked his pen mindlessly as the class continued to ask questions.
Al felt his phone vibrate and slid it out of his pocket as Ellie's response lit up his screen.
El: Love you too!
"Ask me again in the summer," Al whispered to Craig after a moment.
Craig nodded just as the professor moved onto his lecture.
Maybe, maybe Al had a solution to the money problem. Maybe. But he definitely had a deadline for talking to El now. That thought sent his heart racing.
He tried to set all that aside and focus on the lecture. It wasn't like he could have that conversation with her this moment anyway.