I awake with a start to the clambering of passengers and the speaker overhead. I yawn, stretch, clean my face and make way for the people in front of me first. After finally reaching the pick-up area, I notice my bags are nowhere to be seen. Just as I begin to worry, a familiar "Yoohooooooo~! " rings behind me.

I turn around, shocked. There's Potsdam, dressed in a soft, baby-pink buttoned shirt, a long, white flowing skirt with delicate, washed-out rose prints, a sunhat and sandals. She whistles me over, my rutty backpack and small, worn-out roller suitcase already in her hands. She looks so… Normal.

She hurries her way over to me, I casually walk towards her. She picks up speed at the last couple of steps and brings me in for a tight squeeze. "Oooh hellooo, my little flower. What a joy it is to see you again!" She squeals.

I can't… Breathe… Urk!

She releases me, I exhale in relief. "Come on, come on, off we go!" She cajoles.

Onlookers smile and giggle at us. To them she's probably my flightly, ditzy, over-excitable aunt. And I'm her darkly-dressed, much-too-serious, teenage neice.

Is this really the same woman who wrote me that cryptic letter?

She happily hums and walks with a skip in her step. "Marvelous summer, is it not?" She suddenly starts.

"Huh? Oh. Oh. Yes, it is. Sure is hot though."

She turns her head to me. "Isn't it?! I could not believe how early I as able to grow my tomatoes. It's been so hot my poor begonias have wilted, they need constant watering."

"Yeah, delicate." I nod.

We exit the airport.

"Why don't we get ourselves a spot to eat?"

She can't be serious! "But what about-?"

She shushes me with a finger to my lips. It's incredibly soft and smells like peaches. "Now, now. You've had a long flight. And it is a lovely day. I cannot resist a cup of tea and a plate of sweets on a day like this. Maybe with some fresh fruit? Follow me, darling. There's this charming little bakery in town, they know me well."

Deeply confused, I follow her into town.

It's a beautiful neighborhood. Flowering bushes and fruiting trees, green lawns, stone walls and roads. The homes remind me of old-fashioned doll houses. I feel, oddly, out of place. I'm dressed in my grey shirt with thin, black stripes at the sleeves and collar, black jeans and sneakers, with my hair in a braid. I look incredibly emo compared to the townsfolk. And lower-class.

We walk up to a small brown building huddled between the other shops. On its glass windows it reads "Exquisites Bakery" in gold, script lettering. I open the door for Potsdam, which causes a light tinkling of the door chimes.

"Oh, why thank you Lumie. How kind of you."

I only nod.

I'm greeted by the smell of cakes, muffins and buns baking in the oven. The collective scent of sugar makes my nose tingle. I also smell the deep, rich fragrance of coffee. The lighting is warm and bright, the flooring and walling are wood. The counters and shelves are filled with all sorts of treats: cupcakes, cookies, pies, fresh bread, you name it. On the walls are candy cases loaded with home-made sugary sweetness. There are a couple of tiny tables and chairs on the inside by the front windows, and a couple more on the outside under umbrellas. Wherever there is spare space, potted plants add to the general décor. It's not very big, but it's pretty and snug. She's right, this place is charming.

Potsdam is greeted heartily. "Petunia! Good to see you again. Will you be having the usual?" The friendly baker woman greets. Her voice is loud and welcoming, she is stout and dark-skinned, with her brown hair tied neatly back in a bun, dressed in her plain, green clothes and an apron.

"Eunice. How nice to see you as well. How's your husband?"

They greet each other with kisses on the cheeks.

"He's better, much better. That salve you gave him healed his burn real quick! It's getting better by the day. And he says the pain is barely there anymore! I don't know how you do it Petunia. All home-made remedies? You must be a wizard."

She giggles daintily. "You flatter me Eunice. I'm glad to hear he is well. Just make sure to use the cream I mixed after the wound has healed. It'll help reduce scarring. Yes, I'll take the usual by the way. And I've brought a friend with me. This is Lumina, an older student of mine. What would you like dear?"

I shake Eunice's hand, she has a firm grip. "Nice to meet you. Umm. I'd like a baguette please."

"That's all you're gonna eat? Don't be shy now, sweets are a girl's best friend! Why don't you try one of our brownies?"

I smile shyly, trying to be polite. "I'm alright, my Papa gave me chocolate bar, and I'm not finished with it yet. I'd really like to try your bread though, and I'll take a cappuccino too while I'm at it."

This is enough to please her. "You must be 'daddy's little girl' for him to spoil you like that. Wish I could say the same about my son. He's such a mama's boy!"

"More like 'grandpa's little girl'." I correct.

"Ah. I like to see young people respecting their elders, we don't get enough of that these days. Especially for those like you, in the troublesome years."

"Oh Eunice, isn't the boy only three?"

She chuckles. "Yeah, but I sure do wish he'd spend more time with his dad! I need a break from rearing the both of them."

We're seated by the window, a small table for two. Potsdam returns with a tray of fruit tarts, a slice of cheesecake, her own small kettle of floral tea and my stuff. It looks like we're going to be eating for a while.

She sits down. "Do feel free to nibble on my pastries if you're still hungry."

"Thank you."

We begin eating. I'm still confused however, what about the emergency? She couldn't have eerily urged me over to have tea and sweets.

"Lumie dearie." She says with seriousness.

T-this must be it. I spoke too soon.

"Would you be a dear and share some of your chocolate with me?"

…WHAT?

Astonishingly, I retain composure and hand her the bar from my bag. She helps herself to a few pieces. "Mmm. Thank you, you're so generous. Mmm." She nibbles.

I want. To scream. SPEAK TO ME WOMAN! Why am I here? Where's the danger?!

"I suppose now would be a good time to tell you why I've called you over here."

I perk up.

"I suggest you start eating, you wouldn't want your delicious hot drink to go cold, or your toasted bread to go stale would you?"

Ah. Yes. I'll take the hint.

"I've brought you here because I thought this would be a pleasant change of pace from the academy. After all, I did pull you from your vacation."

I sip my drink.

"It's also best to fill you up and calm you down before you return to Iris. It'll buy us time. Hieronymous doesn't know you're here yet."

"Wait. What? Wouldn't he be expecting me?"

"In fact, he doesn't know I called you over here at all. He'll find out soon enough. What a surprise he's in for when he discovers I've brought his pretty, little wife to him him." She winks from behind her tea cup.

I blush at her comment.

She notices. "You really are quite pretty, Lumina."

I choke on my drink. "*Ahem!* T-thank you. But-"

"Oh, don't be so modest. It's something you should be more aware of actually. You're going to need to be more confident from now on."

"Why?" I give her a look.

"Lumie, forgive me for being so brash. I'm sure you're very confused."

'Then get to the point!' Is what I want to say…

"You see, I've been doing some studying. I don't really like to study, but in this case, I must. I'm sure you remember that pesky manus."

I stiffen. "How could I forget?"

"Well that manus has been popping up recently. Looking much too smug nowadays. It has made me suspicious. So I've been monitoring it."

"Go on."

"Normally, a spirit in service only appears when summoned, but if a positive relationship between servant and master is present, most of the time they are allowed to roam freely as they please. When that is not the case, they tend to dwell in whatever plane they come from, and are only bothered to come out if a duty must be performed." She finishes her tart. "The latter is Hieronymous's case."

So he's not buddy-buddy with his manus. That's not hard to believe.

"It's not impossible for the spirit to roam around without a call, just unusual, especially for one so hostile. It's prohibited from doing anything or showing itself to the students, but for what reason would that manus have to be wandering around the school at night?"

Yes, I get it. If they don't particularly like each other, why would the manus want to hang around? There's not much it can do anyhow in the school with its limitations.

"I've had my brownies tail the spirit. It seems to frequently visit the particular cellar in which I bound you and Hieronymous in holy matrimony."

"What is it doing there?"

"On occasion it'll revisit the room where you first met the beast. And I've been told it has crossed through the detention room? Not only that, but when Hieronymous is not in his chambers, the manus has been found to circle his bed, his bathroom, and even visit your dorm."

Now I'm getting worried.

"It even had the nerve to question Hieronymous where his new bride had gone. Of course, you know, he was not having that. He dismissed his spirit immediately, but since the altercation that manus has been quite the stalker." She eats another chocolate. "Even worse, it's had the gall to make snide, inappropriate comments, even in Hieronymous's presence! It is becoming more defiant, it's cocky. That spirit is up to something, or he knows something that we don't. Which would explain his recent behavior. It would appear that Hieronymous is losing his control over the manus."

My eyes bulge, I sit up quickly.

"Be calm, be calm. Not physical control. Just respect. The manus is disrespectful, more so, than usual." She sighs. "Hieronymous has never had a way with the spirit folk, and even with his own kind he is not particularly pleasant. The manus looks down on him, but it is sworn to his service, so you can see why they maintain a strict working-relationship. And nothing more." She folds her hands over the table. "The manus's behavior made me do some digging. I was very concerned about the specifity of the locations it likes to frequent. Why now of all times it would begin to display this behavior, and not from the very start of their contract? Their dislike of one another would explain its rudeness, but not its calculative stalking and wandering. The brownies also brought up that it is known to mumble, smile, and even laugh to itself when these events occur. I couldn't ignore this. So when I connected the dots, the subject of your marriage came to mind."

I motion for her to continue, finishing my baguette, which is keeping me from biting my cheeks in worry.

"That manus seems too interested in your whereabouts and well-being Lumie. And I can safely assume it's not out of genuine care for your health. After looking through my books for anything that would make sense of the matter, I decided to check the validity of your marriage contract, just to be safe."

The validity?!

"And it's a good thing I did, because it looks like I found this out right on time." She takes my hands. "That manus is still after your soul Lumie. He is eager to have it. And he truly believes that he is going to get it."

"Why would he think that?!"

"That is because I overlooked a significant detail to the contract. We all did. Except the manus. And if this issue isn't resolved he will have rightful claim to your soul. And Hieronymous will lose his magic."

"What is it? Tell me what I have to do to fix this!"

She smiles happily. Shattering the seriousness of the moment. "You and Hieronymous need to go on a honeymoon!"

"…WHAAAAAT?!" I shout much-too-loudly, earning some stares from passers-by.

"See? Easy-peasy. It's an intimate matter, which is why I did not want Mr. Atchung to know of this little issue. This is the business of husband and wife, and he has no right to meddle. He wouldn't be able to anyhow, but his knowing would only makes matters worse. You know how he and your husband don't get along. Tsk, Tsk. Silly boys."

You've got to be kidding me! "W-w-w-why would we have to go on a honeymoon?!" I stutter, still in shock.

"Why, to consummate your marriage of course! That's what honeymoons are for Lumie. They're quite enjoyable." She winks.

This. This... This lady is nuts! "But Headmistress-"

"Ah,ah,ah,ah!" She interrupts.

I groan and roll my eyes. "But Petunia, this isn't an arranged marriage, I made no promise to produce heirs! Consummation isn't necessary, we have every right to have a much or as little sex as we want."

"But there's the key, Lumie. Even if you don't have much of it, or never have it at all. You would still need to do it at least once for your marriage to be considered fully valid. After that you're free to be as kinky as you please."

Those last words did not just come out of her mouth!

Before I can speak, she goes on. "I understand you are expressing your rights as an individual. Believe me, the magical world does not endorse or accept the forcing of any person into unwanted, non-consensual, sexual activity. But in our world, even with arranged marriages, the couple is fully aware of what is expected from their marriage contract. In our world, people do not marry people they do not intend to have sex with. And asexual beings have differing marriage rites. Arranged marriages are more business deals than actual marriages, but still, both parties are fully-aware, and everyone's general terms are specific to their situation. Producing heirs is not a requirement, unless agreed upon the two. Sometimes a person is wrongfully pressured into marriage by outside parties, and that is a sad situation. But it is still a conscious decision." She finishes her cake. "In your situation, I bound you two as adults, in a legal, binding, magical contract. And that is where I made my mistake. I forgot to mention this to you sooner, it completely slipped my mind. In cases where one of the spouses is too young to engage in sexual activity, the requirement of consummation is delayed. It still has to happen, but not until that young person is old enough. And that elongates the term of their marriage as well. I gave you two the shortest-termed contract in magical matrimony. The year and a day. But by doing that in our haste to make it as quick and painless as possible, I also gave you a crippling time-limit. It slipped my mind that you two would be bound on adult-standards because I forgot that you are of the legal age to consent. Not only that. But you have lost The Trace, which gives me nothing to excuse you from being treated as a full-member of magical society. You are an adult, plain and simple. You agreed to be married, bar the circumstances, you agreed to be married. You had the choice to not agree, but in your case agreeing was the far better option. It's still a choice, and therefore consent. According to the law you knew what you were getting into."

I feel an indescribable rage building up inside me. "But I didn't know what I was getting into! It was a life or death situation! And now you're telling me I have to have sex when I'm clearly not ready?! This is against my will! How is this consent?" I slam the table slightly.

She frowns. "But this is a clear example of what I mentioned earlier. Being pressured into a situation. You still have your choices, Lumie. Your options are just not very good. But they are still options. And you can choose to not consent, but you will have to bear the consequences."

I shut my eyes and shake my head violently. "But it isn't fair! There's no exception available to me at all?"

"Sweetie, in our society, things like this aren't supposed to happen. People in our society don't get married unless they want to. That is why the laws are the way they are. It also protects people pressured into arranged marriages by their families. The have the choice to not consent, which nullifies the marriage. It allows them to bide their time, it gives them the power of choice even after the ceremony has been held. These laws protect us. Your case is very unique. In your case, we do not want to nullify your marriage. That is why this must happen."

I slump in my seat. Suddenly feeling very sick. My throat grows tight and I can feel my eyes watering.

It makes me fed up because she's right. The laws are fair. Couples who are perfectly in love want to consummate their marriage. People who actually agree to have arranged marriages get something out of the deal. People who are forced, tricked or coerced into arranged marriage have the ability to not consent- which frees them from the contract. That could be a life-saver for some people.

My case is different. I have loose marriage terms and a short contract. But I still have to consent. Marriages need to be consummated to become fully valid. That isn't a controversy in a society that only marries people based on their conscious decisions. Marriage is a happy occasion, honeymoons are looked forward to.

And unless I'm androgynous or asexual and can prove it- which I can't. I can't get out of having sex with my husband. Worse yet, I only have until the term is up, which means it has to happen soon. Too soon. I've been caught in an air-tight loophole.

"There, there. It's not so bad. Again, I'm sure this was not the wedding, or honeymoon a girl dreams of. But you'd only have to do it once. And we have methods of making the process easier."

I look up at her from my hands. "How?" I say in a trembling voice.

"Well, sex is all that needs to happen. And believe me, sex isn't hard. You don't have to push out any babies, that's one thing to be happy for."

I sniff. "Also, as long as you give consent, it can be almost any kind of sex. There isn't even a need to finish. And you can engage in other things that might make you feel better."

I can't believe The Headmistress is having this conversation with me.

"Again, it's your choice. You can even be put to sleep if you want, or have it wiped out of your memory afterwards. If you want it so, we can make it so that you'd feel like it never happened. And if you're really gung-ho about the whole 'virgin' thing. Reconstruction is an additional option. I am a green mage."

This is really happening… This is going to happen.

"Now you know why you needed to be brought back here immediately. I figured it'd be better to let you know now rather than the night before your anniversary. It'll give you two time to prepare. Get a kick-start on things."

"Does he know?" I croak, fighting back tears.

"Hm?"

"Does he know about this? Was he even aware of it? If he knew about this all along and didn't tell me-"

"No dear. He has no clue. I told you first. Like I said, he doesn't even know that you're here yet."

I sigh and pull at my hair. I don't know if I should be relieved or even more worried.

"Well, we're done here. It's about time we returned to Iris. The remedial courses are about over by now. He'll be free for the rest of the day, and you two can catch up!" She adds happily. "Now I'm going to hand this tray back and give Eunice a nice tip. You wait right here. Dry your eyes Lumie. Here you are."

She hands me a cold, moist, hanky from who-know's-where because she doesn't have any pockets. It smells like strawberries and cream. I clean my face as she walks back into the shop.

I still want to cry.

I have to have sex with my professor…

The cab ride is spent with me ignoring the ramblings of Potsdam as I silently think to myself. I'm so upset. I don't think I could be more upset. I left school happy and hopeful, but now my hopes have been crushed. I was so eager to see him again, and now I dread seeing his face. I was okay with the possibility of a romance. I find him extremely attractive, I enjoy his company, we even kissed! But I am nowhere near ready to escalate what we have that drastically. It's going to shatter our fragile bond.

I wanted to work my way up to more adult things. I'm already married, I've come to terms with that. And we established that we have a mutual attraction to each other. But I still know so little about this man! I haven't even met his family. As much as I like him, it still freaks me out that I have this weird-thing, whatever it is, with my professor. I was looking forward to establishing trust, building a real relationship. Not something that was hurried and necessary and a matter of life or death. I was looking forward to having a choice.

But I can't have that can I?! No. I can't even choose when I want to have sex! Or who I have sex with! This is impossible!

I want to break something. I want to rip something up, shatter something into a million pieces, or set something on fire. That would be nice.

This is the same man who flung me against the wall when he found out news of our betrothal caught wind. The same man who makes snarky comments, is much-too-sarcastic, gives demerits and detention for no good reason, actively scares his students into submission and has blamed me for a myriad of things I did not do. He overreacts, he underestimates me and he's too high and mighty.

I've forgiven that because I truly believed that I was going to have time to get to know this man. That we could be friends. Possible lovers after what happened on May Day...

But that'll never happen now. Once he gets word of this, I know just how he's going to react:

He's going to fume, boil and burst. Then he's going to shut me out, refuse my company, reject my advances, and never get to know me or like me. Because he's going to feel the same way I do… Trapped. And if he feels forced into something, he's going to fight it. Good intentions or not.

And after this. After we've…. How is he going to look at me?

This woman he had to marry who he barely even knows, first met not too long ago, and that he banged that one time?

I can feel the tears welling up.

I can't have him look at me that way! I don't want him to have my body just for 'strictly business'. I wanted a chance. This is going to ruin my chance. I can't even blame him for wanting to divorce me after this. I'm sure he's not ready to have sex with me either. He has to… Has to… You know?! It's an invasion of his privacy, a violation of his body. This is just as much unfair to him as it is to me.

How can I expect him to want to build a relationship with me when we've already done everything without getting to know each other?

How do you bounce back from that? What if we're so negatively impacted by this that we can't look past it without feeling wrong? I was ready for holding hands, kissing, going on dates! I wanted courting, not… Not…

I don't even know how to do it! And if we do the sleep-thing, that's really not going to make him want me now. I have to be this limp, unconscious body that he…. Or we do it and I cry and resist and then he has to wipe my memory. Or better yet, we do it. Get in, get off, get out. No feeling, no passion, just… Necessity.

Oh no! What if he's the one that wants to be put to sleep? Then I'd have to… I whimper unintentionally. No, no, no! I can't do that!

I don't see us growing closer after this. I don't see myself being the same.

It's my body! Why? Sex is supposed to be this wonderful, romantic, mystifying... Thing. Not… Not… THIS! And it's going to be my first time?

"Here we are. Welcome back to Iris, Lumie." Potsdam chirps.

I put on a straight face.

We enter the swirly gates and I'm back to my small, private, boarding school for witchcraft and wizardry. Despite the circumstances, I missed this place. And I'm happy to be here. Just as I'm thinking of the multiple ways I can approach Professor Grabiner. It's him that I see, walking briskly towards the front gates, with a not-too-happy look on his face. In fact, he looks downright livid.

That doesn't stop my eyes from gluing to him, or my heart rate from picking up speed. I instinctively hide behind Potsdam, who smiles at my childish behavior.

His intoxicating voice rings past the gates. "Petunia! Where in bloody hell have you been?!" He shouts.

"That is no way to talk to your boss Hieronymous." She coolly retorts.

"It is such a way, if my 'boss' considers abandoning her job and running off to leave me to cover her white course appropriate behavior! You left without notice, without warning, without contacting me once you had left-"

"But I returned with a present for you." She coos.

"Bribery is not-"?!" She steps to the side, revealing me.

I flinch a little, then wave at him sheepishly.

He stands there, mouth open, unblinking.

"Your welcome!" Potsdam giggles.

He regains composure. "What is she doing here?!"

And just like that… All of my hope deflates. "Pfft. Well, 'hi' to you too." I snark at him, then reach into my pocket to angrily crunch on my chocolate bar.

Potsdam laughs.

He's thrown off by the annoyance in my voice. He clears his throat. "Er. Hello."

"Hmph." I look away, not hiding my dissatisfaction.

He goes back to Potsdam. "This is why you shunned your duties? To interrupt her holiday and bring her here? You are meddling in matters that do not concern you."

"She needs to be here Hieronymous. This is an urgent matter."

He suddenly switches moods. "Has something happened?" He directs at me.

I nod, slowly, a pained look in my eyes.

"It's best not to discuss this here. Let us go inside." Potsdam leads us back to the school. We sit ourselves in the conference room. Home sweet home.

"Give me a moment to bring Lumie's luggage into her room. In the meantime, you two can catch up."

Grabiner starts to speak, but before he can protest, she's out of sight. Poof. He groans and rubs his temples. Then he looks to me, fingers still on his head. "Are you alright?" He says softly.

I'm caught off guard by the gentleness in his voice. I exhale, unsure of where to begin.

"Has Mr. Atchung-"

"Papa is fine." I stop him there.

"Is it your family?"

I shake my head. "They are not my family anymore."

He hums and sits back in his seat.

I think of something, reaching into my back pocket. "Here, take this. It might have a spell on it that would prevent you from reading the real message, but I'm sure you can dispel it."

He gratefully takes the letter. "This is from Petunia." He notices.

"This is what summoned me here. Despite what she wishes, I think you should read it."

He understands and does not hesitate to begin reading the letter. He has to trace his wand over the page, but then he puts it away and resumes his reading. His eyebrows raise. "You are under the guise that we will be training you this summer in preparation for your sophomore year. That is why Mr. Atchung is not with you."

I nod.

"If you are in danger, then despite our differences I believe he should also be here to protect you."

"This is not something he can protect me from. In fact, his involvement would make matters worse."

He squints. "So you are aware of the situation."

I shrug. "Only until recently. She told me almost an hour ago, while you were still teaching the courses."

This makes him grunt in remembrance. "You are stressed about it." He remarks.

I sigh. He doesn't even know the half of it. I'm stressed about the further stress that is to come.

"Then tell me-"He begins.

But Potsdam returns much-too-soon. He quickly folds and stuffs the letter into his side pocket.

"Done. Did you enjoy your chat while I was gone?"

"For what purpose, are we avoiding Mr. Atchung? And why is it under the assumption that we are going to engage his granddaughter in rigorous study and practice?"

"Ah. So you did talk. That's good. Have you heard the news yet?"

"And what is this 'news'?" He frowns.

"Ah. So you didn't get to that part yet."

He taps his fingers on the table. "Do tell." He says, mocking casualty.

She sits herself on the table. "Your manus knows something that we don't Hieronymous."

He switches to dead seriousness.

"To be precise, he knew something that we didn't. Until now." She raises a finger for emphasis.

He is not fazed. "This information was considered vital enough to drag a student on holiday from her home and back to her boarding school, without her legal guardian's full knowledge of the matter."

"Yes." She insists.

"Then quit beating around the bush and get on with it."

Woah. Took the words right out of my mouth.

"Both her soul and your magic are at risk. There is a detail that we have overlooked regarding your marriage contract." She has his full attention. "Do you remember how old your wife is?"

He scoffs. "She is nineteen years of age. Get straight to the point."

She leans closer to him. Edge in her voice. "Do you. Remember. How old. Your wife is?"

He looks as if he's about to insult her, but then his face goes stone cold.

"That's right you thick-headed man. You have a wife. And she is of legal age to validify her marital status."

"This can't be true!" He suddenly rises from his seat.

"It is true. And there is no way to avoid it. You have until your first anniversary to consummate your marriage with Lumina, otherwise she will die and you will be exiled."

He is speechless. He darts his eyes towards me, to which I can only respond with a fearful gaze of my own. With that as his answer, he slumps back into his seat.

"Your manus was aware of this, and has been sneaking around at night looking for Lumina. He has even gone to such lengths where he visits the dungeons and absorbs the surrounding magic, hoping to retrieve the memory of the space. I've had my brownies track him, and just so you know-He mocks you in his spare time Hieronymous."

I can sense his anger. His humiliation.

"I see." Is what he manages to say through gritted teeth.

"There you have it. I hope you understand that The Tempest must never find out about this. Or it'll be our heads."

"No. It may ruin your chance of further funding and it would be my head!"

"Just be happy that we discovered this early Hieronymous. You two have plenty of time to get acquainted."

He flares up. "Happy? Happy?! You expect me to be happy about this?! That I have to-"He stops.

"Hieronymous!" She shouts.

But it's too late. He didn't realize soon enough. My feelings have already been hurt. He immediately turns to me. No you idiot. I'm not crying. I take a small breath, stand up, walk out the room, and shut the door.

Outside the door I can hear their muffled arguing. "Now look at what you've done! That is no way to talk about your wife! Imagine how insulted she must feel. You insensitive man!"

"It might have done us both better, if you had bothered to TELL ME FIRST!" He screams.

I've had enough. I will my mana to run through, and teleport to the back lawns of the school. I sit on the grass with a sigh. Well, I've heard his answer. Here I let my emotions wash over me. I run my fingers through the grass.

I thought that I would be able to sympathize with him. But it seems he's taking this as some form of repulsive punishment. I did my freaking out too. But I never said I didn't want to… I just said I wasn't ready.

I never felt disgusted by the idea of having sex with him. I was simply afraid. I was more worried about what kind of damage this would do to the relationship that we already have, more than the 'act' itself.

Here I am fretting over being a lousy lay, not getting a chance to fall in love first… And here he is dreading the day he has to lay with me! Simply because it's… Me.

I feel defeated. So much for that dream. Now I have to figure out how we're going to do this. Because whether he likes it or not, it's going to happen.

I tug at the grass. I'm so sorry the very idea of sleeping with me is abhorrent enough to make you cringe.

Poor you, Professor. 'Eww! Eww! I have to have sex with Lumina? I'd rather not. I'd really rather not. Can't I just live out my days in the dungeons instead?' I dig my fists into the ground.