A rustling noise pulls me from my thoughts.

I sense magick.

Then the sound of chirps and flapping wings.

A soft, light pressure on my shoulders. I gasp. "Is that you?"

A tiny, fuzzy something nuzzles against my cheek and lets out a whistle. I slowly lift my hand to the sound and sensation, it scurries onto my palm. When I finally look, it's a faery! I know you. This faery has green speckled skin, with vibrant red, yellow and orange petal wings, yellow antennae, and a deep green cape composed of leaves. The tall, curved head crest is a darker green with a stripe of yellow down the middle, and thin vines twine around es legs. The faeries seem to be sporting their summer colors now, as they change hue every season. It makes them difficult to recognize, but a few defining features never change.

But what makes this faery special is that es camoflauge is double-sided. Upon closer inspection you can see this faery can disguise itself as either a plant or an insect. Under the petals and leaves hides a shinier, harder surface. All the same colors, but arranged differently, to give a bug-carapace appearance. This faery has four wings rather than two. The colorful thick ones on top and the transparent, thin ones on the bottom. I've seen it for myself when they crouch and bend to push their leaves and petals up to imitate a plant when a person passes by. I've also seen them take flight by flipping their wings and shells around to reveal lady-bug patterns, bumble bee stripes, butterfly wings and so on. They even imitate their flight patterns.

Soon more of them gather. My heart flutters with joy and excitement. These magnificent creatures- so beautiful, so graceful, so plucky and spirited.

I am now surrounded by the fae. Chirps, trills and whistles fill the air, along with the humming of many flapping wings. My hair is tugged, my fingers nibbled, my cheeks and nose rubbed and poked. I can't help but smile. My friends.

"Hello everyone. I've missed you."

A chorus of tweeting and yipping.

"I've returned early, yes. There is urgent business to attend to."

Nods and trills of understanding.

I stand. "You all look so pretty."

This pleases them. They swoop upward and circle me. Exposing their wings and seasonal adornments, performing acrobatic tricks in the air.

Their leader flies up to me, face to face. Concern in es black, slanted eyes. There's no hiding it. "I'm sorry if I worried you, I was just feeling down. I'll be alright."

It is enough to satisfy them, and they pull at my shirt and hair to a certain spot further down the lawns. Here, they hum and sway in unison. I can feel myself getting drowsy. They're doing it again. Whenever they break into dance or song they always try to manipulate me. The last time this happened I couldn't help myself. The next thing I knew I was singing and dancing wildly, without shame, not a care in the world.

I'm hypnotized by their movements, completely still, not unable, but unwilling to move or resist. I can hear myself humming along with them. I begin to count in time with the rhythm.

"~Hmm-hmhm-hmmhmhm-hmmm-hmhmhmhm…~"

Once they know I'm humming, they become more aggressive. They begin to sing, I have to pucker my mouth to keep myself from singing as well.

The haunting melody of their ethereal voices echoes in my ears. It becomes all that I can hear, no background, no ambient noise. Just the symphony of tiny voices, all different pitches, all different volumes, acting as one unit. I have to sit down, this song seems to be longer than any other tunes we've played before. I must not fall asleep. Why are my eyes so heavy? …No, I must not. That would be disrespectful.

Somehow I manage to stay awake. They slow and stop, then within a gentle swirl of wind they vanish. Leaving behind falling petals, leaves, and feathers. Coating the grass is a shiny, glimmering substance I can only assume is faery dust.

I shake my head and rub my eyes. Was that… Real? Or a dream?

The sparkles in the grass answer my question. I dare to touch the alluring substance. It is soft and silky, as fluid as rain. Yet it has no weight, only gleam. Touching it sends a rush up my fingertips that quickly scurries up my arm and through my veins, until my entire body shivers. I let out a shudder.

As I compose myself, now undoubtedly awakened, I watch the rest of the dust sink into the ground. I rub my palms over the surface.

I am in awe. Such beautiful magick…

"There you are." An unwelcome voice says behind me.

I turn to him. Hieronymous. No. 'Professor Grabiner'.

He scratches the back of his head. "I suppose I should apologi-"

"I don't want your apology." I cut in.

He frowns.

I narrow my eyes at him. "Is that all you can do? Apologize to me? Saying you're sorry doesn't excuse everything that you do. Don't tell me you expect me to forgive you just like that because you said it."

He crosses his arms. "Leave the lecturing to me Mrs. Grabiner."

So he's calling me by my title, not my name anymore. Bet he wishes he could call me Miss Nocturne again. "Do you still expect me to forgive you?" I say once more.

"I would appreciate it if you did. You have proper reason to be offended, but it was not my intention to insult you."

I turn back around. "Intention or not, it was still the truth."

He steps closer to me. "Come again?"

I scoff. "Your true feelings came out in that room. What the first thing that flew out of your mouth? Not a question, not a concern. But a complaint. I was just as shocked as you were when I heard it. Probably more so. Yet, I haven't treated the situation like it was some gruesome fate." I glance back at him, hurt in my eyes. "Would it really be that awful?"

I can hear him exhale. "Perhaps I… Overreacted."

I shake my head. "It's not as if I didn't expect you to be upset. I was too. But I did expect better. It wouldn't have hurt so much if… Well. If May Day didn't happen."

"Oh." He says in remembrance.

I stand. "So I don't want an apology. I want action."

He looks uncertain.

Silence.

I shrug my shoulders. "I'm here, and we both know what has to happen."

"Surely you cannot be insinuating that we-"

"NO. Not YET. I'm asking you to take action. To make an effort, with me. Not against me."

He shrinks a little. "How can you be so concise about this?"

"I'm not. I'm nowhere near ready for this. But ready or not, our anniversary is coming, and I don't want to die."

He nods. "Certainly not."

I step closer to him. I've settled down by now. "You and I… We… We're in a mess."

He sniffs a chuckle.

"But it doesn't have to be this way. I don't want you to see this as 'strictly necessary'. Not for something so precious."

His eyelids lower. "Precious, you say?"

I blush, realizing what I've just said. "Ah. That is. Uh. Eventually, we will be sharing our bodies with each other. And um…" Say it dammit! "I-I don't want this to be a bad thing."

His expression doesn't change.

I keep babbling. "I know this sounds crazy. It's sudden, it's unfair. But… We… Kissed."

He takes another step towards me.

"That means, we must like each other. Even if it's just a little bit. And if there's at least a mutual attraction between us…"

Another step closer.

"Then, maybe we can... make this work." I finally finish.

"And how exactly, would this work?" He questions.

I sigh, aware of my reddening face. "Just because we have to do it, doesn't mean we have to do it today. I say we wait. As long as we can. Let's get to know each other first. We can… Work our way up to that."

He grins slyly. "You are offering up the idea that we establish a relationship. Beginning with small acts of courting until it leads into a more romantic direction, where you and I would engage in the more physical aspects of intimacy- preferably foreplay- before the moment arrives when we actually have sexual intercourse."

My eyes go wide and unblinking. I want to say something impressive and profound, but hearing him say the words "foreplay" and "sexual intercourse" has thrown my sense of class out the window. "YES." Is all I can answer, completely straight-faced.

He exhales in relief. "I think, that is a reasonable idea."

I sigh in equal relief. "I think I can forgive you now." I accidentally say.

"And why is that?"

"Because you didn't dismiss the idea of having a relationship with me."

"No, I did not." He simply retorts.

Now it's awkward. A giddy, I-can't-believe-we-just-said-that awkward.

He breaks the silence. "Well, this has turned out to be an interesting development. I must admit, your antics sound profoundly more appealing than mine."

We walk away from the lawns. "What did you have in mind?" I ask.

He looks guilty. "I was going to offer you a chance to 'get it over with' right here and now."

"What? WHAT?!" I choke back a squeak.

"You must be aware that pursuing this marriage is not your singular option. And after hearing the sudden news, I had to accept the fact that you may no longer hold interest in seeing this through. There are ways to make the consummation process easier on you."

P-Pursuing the marriage? So we're not just some fling? Could he be implying we're a couple?

"The Headmistress told me about being put to sleep, and having the memory removed from my mind. Amongst other things."

"I see. And you do not wish to utilize those spells?"

I stop walking, a little peeved. "Of course not! Why would I?"

A fraction of a smile on his face. "I am… Glad to hear that from you."

We resume our path back to the school. You know, you may not be so bad after all.

"Do you perhaps, possess free time to spare?"

"I have nothing but free time."

"You are not eager to reunite with your companions?"

I slump. "I don't have any friends here at the moment."

To my surprise, I'm invited back to his room. As we walk down towards the Teacher's Hall, the few students that litter the hallways flee at the very sight of us. But I cannot help but notice the hushed whispers and side-glances they exchange with one another. I roll my eyes.

This, I am not looking forward to for the next couple of years. I have to make sure absolutely, positively, NO ONE hears about the consummation clause. That's one rumor I would never live down.

He shuts his door. "They are all idiots you know, pay them no mind."

"H-huh?" He noticed?

"I am aware of the social stigmas that surround our marriage. But it would be wise to remember, that they are here to take remedial courses, and you are not. Any word that comes from their mouths are not to be taken seriously. I doubt they can even fathom the concept of common sense."

I giggle. His defending of me makes me feel better. "Has our marriage caused you trouble? More than with the students?"

He makes a strained face. "Visiting relatives of the students have returned outraged. Particularly the wildseed parents. As they are not well-versed in our laws. The general cover-up is that you and I are married by our own free will, as you are of age to make that decision. And they will have to deal with that. My noble-born family is also a useful distraction, as it looks to some that you married me merely to ascend in economic class. It is also the fact that no one knows exactly why we married in the first place. This leads to a myriad of theories, all ludicrous. In the end, our union is shrouded in mystery, and I prefer to leave it that way. However, none of this prevents me from appearing perverse."

"In other words, it's all rumors?"

He nods.

"So I'm either a gold digger, sleeping for my grades, or a really dumb, naïve girl who married an older man because she didn't know any better. And you look like a pervert because I'm so much younger than you."

"I am branded a lewd because you are my student." He corrects.

"But the official explanation is that you and I are married because we want to be. Plain and simple." I assure.

"That is correct."

"So. Does that mean everybody knows how old I am?" He shrugs his shoulders.

"Only the parents who insisted on calling the authorities. If they bothered to tell their children, then those particular students know. But again, it is not information privy to everyone, so I can assume your exact age has been exaggerated to appear as some great secret."

I can imagine the guessing games everyone is playing right now. Who knows what they're saying about me? "I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through that."

"Push it out of your mind. I am not fazed by the yelling. And I have only been slapped a handful of times. No magickal officials have bothered with the matter, because it is known to the community that our union is legitimate. Whether they approve is another story. But legal and legitimate it is. Petunia has made sure there is no room to doubt. And why should there be? It is the truth."

I see. To the mundane parents it looks outrageous, and to magick folk, they could really care less. It's probably more of an outrage that he would marry someone so underclassed. Then again, what can they do about it other than gossip and complain? I get it now. Nothing we've done is against either mundane or magickal law.

"There have been threats from the mundane parents to pull their children out of the school, fearing for their safety, but none so far have been followed through. However, there is no proof that they are in any danger, and it would be discriminatory on their part."

"So they're hollow threats." I shake my head. "This is just the kind of drama you wanted to avoid."

"I believe it is the kind that we wanted to avoid. You had no intention of letting the secret slip. It is your reputation after all that is far more damaged than mine."

Ain't that the truth? Slut, idiot, and gold digger? Sheesh. I mean, he looks like a pervy old man who jumped at the first opportunity to bang a teenager, but hey, it's all legal. So what can ya do?

"Are there any other concerns you would care to address?"

"Yes, actually. Papa believes that I'm going to be training. Is that just a farce or am I really going to learn something here?"

He scoffs. "You are at school, of course you are going to learn. However, whether or not you choose to make use of this summer for further study is up to you."

"I think I should."

He approves, I can tell. "Then I would be happy to assist you with that. It may also help my research."

"You mean your theory on 'witches'?"

"I mean my theory on your particular method of spell casting. That term is still up for debate. It was an interesting thought, nothing more."

I don't fully believe that, but perhaps he is sparing my feelings.

"If that is all there is to cover, shall we… Catch up?"

"We should." I say, feeling as though some burden has been lifted. Slightly, not fully. It is still there, and it will be grow heavier as the approaching deadline for our marriage comes to a close, but I am comfortable knowing that he will be helping me along. It won't just be sprung on me in the moment. "So, why didn't you send me a letter yet?"

He looks confused for a moment, then slaps his forehead in shock. "I confess that it has slipped my mind. As you probably know, Abd Al-Aziz has been ill-behaved of late. I was thoroughly distracted."

A-ah-ab-ad-abd- what? "Is that the name of your manus?"

"Yes. Do take care to learn how to pronounce it properly, for it would be offensive otherwise. It could be easily mispronounced to mean a many other things."

"What does his name mean? He is a he, isn't he? Potsdam addressed him as male."

"It is old Arabic. The name bestowed upon him by my forefathers long ago, in the language of his native homeland. The primary words 'Abd al' means 'servant of' and the secondary 'Aziz' means 'powerful'. It is a literal translation. There are other stems of 'Abd al' that branch off into similar definitions. Always the 'servant of' but whatever follows varies. 'Al-Hamid, Al-Karim, Al-Latif, Al-Malik, Al-Rahman, Al-Wali' and so on and so forth." He waves his hand dismissively, as if the matter couldn't be any more dismal.

Servant of the powerful. "Ah… Abd. No... *Ahem.* Abd. Al. Aziz?" Just in that moment, I feel a powerful sensation of fear and dread.

The room buzzes with magick. I can hear a low humming. In a rising mist of purplish-blue smoke, the manus appears. With a toothy grin and a sweeping bow, he speaks. "You called for me madam?"