AN: I know this is earlier than normal, but I'm starting to hit a difficult bit to write, so I'm hoping uploading will help me push through the block XD So thank my writer's block for a quicker update :P

Arianna followed the Professor in silence, her head bowed, and tears once again threatening to burst from her eyes. When they began to fall, she hastily wiped them away with the back of her hand. But they kept coming, the torrential force of them unrelenting.

Finally, the Professor went through a door, and she followed, only then finally looking up.

She immediately recognised the accounting room. It had become a sort of sanctuary in her eyes… But now, the room felt cold and horrid… The same way it had felt the day she'd found him lying on the floor, unconscious. Except this time it was not magic that caused the cold, or the sick feeling in her stomach.

It was the look on his face.

She felt the sudden urge to run from the room as he turned to face her, a rage burning in his eyes that she had only seen once before…

That was a memory she'd prefer to leave alone.

But it battered against her brain, until finally she was forced to recall it… The fear she'd felt when she'd been held against the wall of a classroom purely by his will. The choking sensation returned, and she couldn't speak. But again, no magic was in use… It was her own fear that drove her to this end. Why was she afraid? He had made it clear that he had never intended to harm her.

Perhaps she wasn't afraid of being hurt.

She had no more time to think on it though, as he finally spoke.

"I thought we had come to an agreement." He said fiercely, and she frowned in confusion. What agreement?

"Professor, what do you-"

"That agreement."

"W-what?" she was shaking. She tried to stop, to calm herself… But her body would not obey. She was wracked by silent sobs, as the tears kept falling. She knew she looked a wreck… A terrified-for-no-apparent-reason, sobbing wreck… But they would not stop.

"Our involvement must stop." He clarified. "That is the agreement we came to."

"W-when?" It felt as though he had her heart in a vice grip… She thought she would vomit.

"When you came to see me, and then left. I think I made my position clear." He said. His voice was defiant and angry. She was leant against the closed door now, because she didn't think she could stand alone. Her emotions were a wreck anyway, and here another thing was being torn from beneath her feet… Now all she stood on were jagged rocks.

"Then… You do hate me." She said, her voice unbelievably even, despite the tears and the shaking. Or did it just feel like she was shaking? She couldn't tell anymore.

He frowned. She flinched.

"I never said I hated you." He said.

"Th-then what do you mean!?" she cried, angry and upset. She had already lost her parents… And now she was losing him. She had believed they were getting along well. You were clearly wrong. She snarled at herself.

"You obviously wanted to be alone. And I believe pursuing anything between us is unwise; friendship or otherwise." He said firmly. And her world collapsed. The tears kept flowing, but her heart seemed to stop. Anger flooded her mind, and she pushed herself away from the door.

"THEN WHY DID YOU SEND ME LETTERS!? WHAT WAS THE POINT!?" she yelled. "WHY BOTHER WHEN YOU HAD NO INTENTION OF EVEN BEING FRIENDS!?" Her tears were burning down her face, but she ignored them, too angry to care.

He was the one to step backwards now, his frown fading to a look of surprise. He remained silent.

"I THOUGHT WE'D HAD THIS DAMN CONVERSATION!"

"Arianna-"

"WHAT WAS THE POINT!?" she collapsed to the ground as her emotions crashed on top of her like a land-slide, tears falling to the floor as she cried.

It seemed like a million years passed before he said anything.

"It would seem I have misunderstood something." He said calmly. But if she had looked up, she would have seen him frowning in concern. When she did look up, his face was blank, his mouth pressed into a hard line as he looked at her. "You were distraught about your parents. I did not think that my companionship would help you. I recalled your anger at the yearbook, and how your classmates treated you towards the end of term. I believed it was in your best interest to return to how things were before we became friends. When our marriage was merely to save your life, and we had no intention of becoming friends… or anything more. I still believe that is best for you."

She muttered something, but he did not hear it. "What?" he asked.

"What's best for me?" she sniffled.

"Yes."

She stood and looked him in the eye.

"What would have been best for me would have been to have never stepped over that circle in the first place… To never become a burden, or cause you trouble… What would have been best for me would have been to have said 'no' when I was given the choice." Her voice was shaking. "If I'd said no… I'd have my parents… But I didn't. I'm not going to regret that decision." She said defiantly. "But don't tell me that it's in my best interests for you to ignore me… To make me feel alone. You thought I wanted to be alone?"

He nodded.

"No. All I wanted was for you to knock on the door… to tell me it was okay, even though it wasn't. I wanted to know Ellen wasn't my only friend in all this… I didn't want to be alone. I wanted to be with you. But when I went to see you, you acted as though I shouldn't have even known where your rooms were, as if you'd forgotten me too… I don't want to be forgotten again… I can't…" she trailed off, unable to keep speaking, because the tears drowned her words. She had squeezed her eyes tightly shut, trying to keep them from falling. But she failed.

She heard him let out a shaky breath.

"I- I am sorry. I had no idea." He said quietly. "I thought that you- Gah, I've been a fool. You were right before. It would seem I know nothing of the world. I certainly do not know how to comfort a crying girl. So I thought it best to keep my distance. Perhaps that was wrong of me. It did not occur to me that it would seem I had forgotten you. I only thought of your education; that it might be disturbed by your classmates' opinion of you, if they thought you were…" he trailed off, knowing she would understand his meaning. "I never considered your feelings. I have little experience of having a wife, or more importantly… a friend. I only know how to act for a student…"

She took a few breaths. "Then… I'll go. I don't want to bother you anymore than I already have." She stood, her arms wrapped around herself, and she turned to leave, reaching for the door.

But before she could pull it open, she was pulled backwards, as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into an awkward hug. Her eyes widened.

"P-Professor?"

"Why did you stop calling me by name?" he spoke into her hair.

"I- I thought you were angry with me…"

"Foolish girl."

"Hi-Hieronymous." He let go, and she whirled to face him, wide-eyed.

"It seems we have repeated a conversation…" he did not look at her. "Perhaps I should listen to you, this time." He admitted. "I don't often admit to being wrong." He babbled quickly. "Think yourself privileged." He coughed. Arianna took a steadying breath before she spoke, her voice smooth again.

"Hieronymous." He looked at her then. "Did you not think that perhaps the damage to my social life was already done? People already think the worst of me. They are either afraid of me, or else they believe I have done things I haven't. I fear little will change that. It's certainly too late to think that having no contact with you would help matters… It just makes me more alone." She explained. "I was scared today."

He flinched.

"I wasn't scared of you." She clarified. "I- I was scared of losing you… I haven't got many friends left in this world… Now my parents have forgotten me, the friends I had before have as well. Perhaps you find it hard to believe, but I enjoy your company. I always did. If I had to make my choice again, knowing that this would all happen again no matter what I did… I'd still say yes. Because, even though I have lost a great deal, I have gained other things. Also, I strongly believe that experiences make a person. If I had not had the experiences I have had, then I would not be the person I am today. I'm not proud of some of the things I've done, but I wouldn't change them, because they made me who I am… As does my relationship with you."

"I don't find your company wholly unpleasant." He replied, refusing to look her in the eye. She smiled, wiping the remainder of her tears away.

"That's a great compliment coming from you. But… Hieronymous?" she knew this was a bad idea. Hey… It's all or nothing. No regrets. She told herself firmly. He met her eye. "What I said to my roomates… In the exam?"

"I recall it…" was he blushing? She looked away.

"I… Well I wasn't totally honest with them. And what I said to you when I came to see you..."

"I-I know." He stuttered, and Arianna looked up, blushing furiously. He refused to look at her. "It's one of my reasons for... staying away." He said, quietly. He seemed nervous.

"What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he released it. "I mean… I was also scared." Silence reigned over them for some time while that sunk in. Arianna frowned.

"You were scared…? Of what?" He opened his eyes and stared straight at her, summoning all his courage.

"Of… Of loving you." He coughed again, turning to the window so as not to look at her. He had revealed everything now, shown her his heart… He had revealed his greatest fear to her. He closed his eyes again, before continuing. "When I heard you talking in the exam, I was praying for you to say… something else… Even though I thought- knew- it was impossible… Then when you – I had not meant to kiss you." He paused for a moment, allowing her to add her own thoughts.

"I thought you kissed me because I asked..."

"But you did not ask. You merely mentioned you had not been kissed. There was no request within that sentence… And yet, I kissed you."

"So… You mean…"

"It is difficult for me to see you as simply a student, Arianna. You mean quite a bit more to me, now, than that." He confessed at last. Arianna couldn't move, or speak…

Silence ruled them again, as the two of them tried to figure out what to do with his confession. Arianna shifted a little in place. Finally, he turned from the window. For a moment, their eyes met, and then he smiled.

"I am truly sorry for the pain I caused you. I was acting selfishly, and rashly…"

"I've noticed you do that a lot…" Arianna looked down, sheepishly. She heard him chuckle. "So… we're good?"

"Haha!" he laughed. "Sometimes, you manage to make me forget you are an American teen… And then you say a phrase like that."

"Sorry…" she muttered.

"Don't be. It is part of your charm, after all." He smiled, and she blushed. "In answer to your question. I believe we stand in a similar position as at the end of the term. Except now, we know a little more. Perhaps one day, I shall learn from my mistakes." He said, with a wistful smile.

Suddenly, Arianna remembered that she had left Ellen in the dining hall, looking rather worried.

"Well… that's good. I should go… Ellen will be getting worried about me." She said. He nodded in agreement.

"Very well. I shall speak to you soon." He said, giving her his signature smirk.

Before she realised what she was doing, Arianna had her arms wrapped around his middle in a tight hug. He let his arms rest around her shoulders easily.

"Talk to you soon, Hieronymous…" she said, blushing as she left the room.

Well I'm glad that's resolved, although I can't help but laugh at how awkward their way of resolving things seems to be :') I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and don't forget to let me know what you think, you have no idea how much it helps XD x