AN: So I'm bored and uploading another chapter staves off said boredom XD I've had a couple of really exciting but tiring days, and now I'm sat in my room again so I got bored XD

I hope you enjoy today's chapter :)

Her walk down the valley was peaceful, but long, and she suddenly wished she'd been allowed to keep her iPod. She'd give anything for portable music. Music could numb the senses. Or, in most cases, it amplified them and therefore allowed one to expel those they didn't want. She'd often done the typical teenage thing of blasting rock music at deafening volume when she was angry or upset.

Without her iPod, she didn't have that luxury. She couldn't 'sad-music' her sorrows away… She had to face them head on, and the silence of her long walk meant she had plenty of time to do it.

By the time she reached the bottom of the valley, she'd cried a total of four times…

A little while away, she saw what she assumed was the church; or the skeleton of it at least. It looked beautiful, decrepit as it was.

It wasn't until she was right beside it that she noticed pieces of rubble were being levitated around, glowing a deep purple as they circled. She paused to watch, entranced by the movement, as they slowly span around the structure.

Suddenly, she was thrown to the side by a force that felt like magic, as someone cried out her name, and she saw several rocks fly through the spot she'd been standing in, at high-speed. She coughed, the wind knocked out of her by the force push, and she pushed herself to her feet with a grunt.

"IDIOT GIRL!" came a familiar voice, and she flinched, spinning on her heel to see her enraged husband storming towards her. "Are you trying to get yourself killed!? I understood you were upset but I had hoped you weren't suicidal!" his words stung, and she drew into herself defensively.

"I'm not… I… I was trying to find you…" she muttered quietly, feeling fresh tears prick in her eyes.

"Next time, wait for me to return to the academy, something you should do now if you hope to be back by curfew! Ten demerits for your reckless behaviour, I hope I won't have to assign more!"

"Hieronymous! Don't be so harsh, she did come to see you after all." Arianna turned to see Professor Potsdam, who had been the one to call out her name earlier. "Are you alright, my dear? He didn't throw you too hard with that spell, did he?" she cast a quick diagnosis spell, and smiled pleasantly. "No, you seem to be fine." She brushed the dirt from Arianna's dress gently. "There, all better. Now, why were you searching for Hieronymous, starlet?" she asked.

But Arianna couldn't bring herself to answer. She couldn't remember what she'd even meant to ask… Tears had begun to fall from her eyes again, and she turned away. "It… It doesn't matter… I should go… You- you're right… I…" she hurried back towards the hill, trying not to sob, when suddenly someone grabbed her wrist. She spun to face her captor. Hieronymous was glaring at her, and this did nothing to stem the flow of her tears. She wasn't really sure if it was because he'd shouted at her, or just a part of the cycle of tears that had formed while she was walking down the hill. Or perhaps it was a combination of it all. Either way, she was crying again, and his gaze was making it worse.

"Wait here, and you can come back with us." He said, through gritted teeth. Potsdam was smiling behind him; she'd probably made him say it.

"N-no, I should just…" she snivelled, trying to pull her hand away. His grip tightened slightly.

"You shouldn't go back alone. You shouldn't have come alone either." He said. "This valley is outside the school's wards; it's not safe. You're likely to get yourself into more trouble if I let you go alone." Did he sound worried? Arianna sighed.

"Okay…" she sniffed, wiping the tears away again. She felt foolish, crying like she had, she'd had no reason to cry. There had been no reason to try and hurry away as she had.

She was in a delicate state though, and that meant that the slightest thing would set her emotions tumbling away from her, before she could rein them in like she normally did.

He finally released her wrist and indicated a nearby rock.

"Sit there, out of the way, while we finish." He ordered, and she obeyed with a sigh, slumping onto the rock, her hair bouncing out behind her.

Although she watched as the rocks began to swirl again, settling slowly into place on the sparse structure, she found her thoughts weren't on the beautiful, broken building before her. Her mind had wandered back to her birthday again… They'd laughed more that day than they'd ever laughed before, they'd joked and danced and everything had been wonderful… But it was all tainted, and fresh tears began to drip onto her hands, which were folded neatly in her lap.

That day felt so far away as she sat in the cooling evening air, staring at the overgrown ruins. That was her, right now… She was just like the old church; broken. People were trying to fix her, but they weren't making much headway. It was a slow process, and they didn't have the time to really keep trying.

When the Professors were finally done with their attempts, the sun was beginning to set. Arianna drew her arms around her shoulders as a cool wind ruffled through her hair.

"Oh, isn't that beautiful!?" Petunia Potsdam cried in wonder. Arianna heard Hieronymous huff agitatedly.

"Come on, woman, it's getting cold. We must return to the academy." He said seriously, frowning at the headmistress.

"Oh but, Hieronymous, the sunset is so beautiful! Don't you think so, my little sapling?" her attention had turned to Arianna, who looked up to notice the expression on Hieronymous' face. It was like he'd forgotten she was there… She felt a lump rise in her throat, and she found herself unable to answer the cheerful Headmistress, as she was too busy trying to stop the tears that had formed in her eyes from spilling over. She turned away.

"We must return at once, Arianna did not bring a cloak, foolish girl…" Hiernoymous muttered, the last couple of words clearly a personal comment.

"Well, you were the one who insisted she stayed; she'd probably be back at the academy in the warm by now if you hadn't made her stay, you grumpy old goat." Petunia scolded him.

"You are older than me…" he murmured with disdain. "Although you certainly never act like it." He added, with a roll of his eyes. "Arianna?"

She looked up and met his gaze; hard-set, but concerned.

"Come." He gestured. "I will teleport you back."

She was about to suggest that she could do it herself, not wanting to cause him any trouble, when he sent a silencing glare her way.

"The last time you attempted teleportation magic above your level, you ended up upside-down in a tree… Perhaps you would like to avoid such a catastrophe again. Besides, I brought this on myself by making you stay. The Headmistress is quite right." She didn't fail to notice the way his teeth ground together as he admitted that. "Come and stand with us, I shall teleport us all back to the school." She obeyed, joining the two Professors in silence. A circle of blue runes glowed under-foot as Hieronymous began to chant a spell she'd never heard before.

And suddenly they were in the school courtyard. Arianna watched as the blue runes faded away beneath her. She cast a confused gaze to her husband.

"That was Teleport Group; a spell you will learn late into your sophomore blue magic studies." He stated. "A simple enough spell, but it can sap a fair bit of magical energy."

Arianna nodded.

"Speaking of expending magical energy… Restoration work is quite exhausting. Goodnight, Arianna. Goodnight, Hieronymous." And Petunia Potsdam disappeared with a flourish.

For a long moment, the two of them stood their awkwardly, a dim golden glow cast over the courtyard as the sun continued its descent. Finally, Arianna broke the silence.

"I-I'm sorry for causing you trouble…" she said quietly. Hieronymous sighed.

"What I said was harsh. I am sorry. You had come to see me, and I was cruel. I was simply… concerned for your wellbeing. You have not been seen once in a week. My only indication you were still on the premises was that Miss Middleton kept taking an extra portion of food from the canteen." He explained with a huff. He did not look at her.

"I… I was sorting out my things." She said, rubbing her arms in an attempt to stave off the goose bumps forming on them. "Ellen was kind of forcing me to eat. I haven't really felt like eating much lately."

"You should take better care of yourself."

"I am now… I went to lunch with Ellen, and I'm going to start coming to the summer classes." She argued defiantly, staring at him. He met her heated gaze. "Oh! That's what I wanted to ask you about…"

"Hm?"

"Why is it that you teach more lessons that all the other teachers?" she asked. He seemed a little taken aback by the question. But he quickly regained his composure.

"I have more time on my hands than the others. Petunia is running the school, and Seymour and Ynaedra both have families. I have neither concerns."

"Oh…" as another cold breeze blew through her hair, Arianna shivered. "It's cold… I should get back."

"Yes, it's coming up to curfew." He was about to say goodnight, when her stomach grumbled and he frowned. "Arianna… I just realised, you haven't eaten, have you?"

"No… So what?" he scowled and took her wrist roughly, dragging her into the school.

Aw, Hieronymous cares :) (Loathe though he is to admit it)

Please tell me what you think! Any positive or constructive feedback is appreciated :) xx