AN: Hello again. So... University... Yeah. I go back in like 2 weeks... and I'm now being swamped by things to get ready so I can move into my new house... So updates are gonna slow down now. I'm really sorry guys but don't worry, I won't abandon this fanfic! I promise x

Enjoy the chapter, guys :) x

As morning arrived, and the sun peaked over the mountains that surrounded the academy, Arianna was shaken from her slumber by a sharp rap on the door. She groaned, rubbing her eyes; an action she then regretted as she noted the dried tears that had formed a thin, painful-to-remove crust around them. She looked around the room. No Ellen.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

She pulled on her dressing gown and trudged to the door, opening it just as the realisation hit as to who would be behind it.

Her eyes widened.

Hieronymous Grabiner was stood at her door, fists clenched at his sides, bags under his eyes.

She had not been prepared for this… For him to come to her. She didn't know what to do. She wanted to hug him and never let go. She wanted to scream and cry and run away… Instead, she just stared at him, feeling a lump rise in her throat and tears prick in her eyes as she pulled her dressing gown tighter around her self-consciously. For a long moment they stood in silence. It was awkward and stifling and Arianna felt as though she had been punched in the gut. She felt sick, and weak, and-

"I'm sorry." He said quietly. He sounded tired, like he'd been up all night… He had. He had agonised over apologising to her for hours. Suddenly, the tears broke free, and they burned hot with anger as they rolled down her cheeks. She wanted to be strong, to act like she had somehow managed to the day before. But she'd been caught off-guard, and it was too late to even try and build up a mask now. Her tears had shattered that glass wall into a million tiny shards. "Arianna?" her hands balled into fists, her fingernails digging into her palm, but she didn't care. She couldn't feel it. She stared up at him, the fire in her eyes doing nothing to stop the flow of tears. If she couldn't hide her feelings, she would let them out… Full force.

"MAKE YOUR GODDAMN MIND UP!" she cried. He staggered back a little, shocked by the strength in her voice. "I've tried… So hard to wait, to let you come to me… But every time it seems like we're making progress you pull away again. I can't handle it. Please. I…" she paused. You might as well say it, Arianna… It won't change anything… "I love you. Maybe that's stupid, maybe I shouldn't feel like that, but I do… I love you." She closed her eyes. That's it. It's all over. He'll walk away and it'll be like before…

But she never heard any footsteps. He was still there, silent, contemplating her words. Finally, she heard him move, and she looked up to see he had stepped towards her. Her eyes widened as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm sorry." He repeated quietly. "I simply couldn't bring myself to think that you might care. That I might care… That… Perhaps it is time I stop running. Though I'm not sure I quite know how."

She was still for a long moment, before throwing her arms around him and hugging him back, hoping her tears wouldn't stain his robes, though she knew they probably would. It felt like they were stood there for an eternity in each other's arms, but finally they both pulled away and Arianna used the sleeves of her dressing gown to dry her eyes roughly.

"I… I'm sorry." She sniffled. He shook his head, smiling gently.

"You have nothing to apologise for, it is I who should be apologizing. I have been selfish. I should have considered your feelings. It seems I cannot learn from my mistakes." He was, of course, referring to their last conversation. It seemed to be becoming a habit to repeat the conversation, and he knew now how urgently that needed to stop. He couldn't keep upsetting her like this…

"So you'll stop pushing me away?"

"I shall certainly endeavour to." He said, and she managed a watery smile as she wiped the last of her tears away. The relief that flooded him at the sight of her smile returning was less surprising than he imagined it should have been to him, and he returned the gesture. "Now, I believe there is breakfast to be had."

He waited outside while she hurriedly changed into her school robes. Since those that were arriving that day would be wearing them, it only seemed fair. When she was done, she opened the door to see him waiting patiently, looking out the window. He turned and smiled at her, before joining her to walk down the hall.

To him, his smile felt wide and genuine. To anyone looking at him, it would look like a cruel or sardonic smirk. But to Arianna it was the most wonderful thing in the world to see her husband smile at her, even knowing that it was perhaps a rare treat. Arianna smiled back happily. She didn't need grand romantic gestures. She just needed to be with him, and for him to not be awkward with her.

Suddenly, a thought occurred to her.

"It's been a year." She said as they walked.

"Hm?"

"Since we met."

"If we're being accurate then technically it will have been a year tomorrow."

"Don't be pedantic!" she complained, and he smirked.

"I understand your meaning." He placated her, before allowing the memory to surface properly. It had, technically, been as much his fault as hers that they had collided that day… Just as it had been partly his fault that they'd been married.

Why must they all be so loud? Hieronymous thinks agitatedly, trying to ignore the throbbing ache behind his eyes as he enters the courtyard, intending to head straight to his rooms and fortify them with silence charms so that he might get his final pieces of work done before the summer officially ends. The new freshmen are always the loudest, crying as they say goodbye to their parents, greeting their new classmates and being generally rowdy.

He closes his eyes and tries to drown out the noise, when suddenly he feels someone bump into him. He stares down at the girl as she seems to register that he is most definitely not a student. Her eyes are wide as she stutters her apology. He feels the irritation bloom in his mind, aided by the growing headache, but he manages to smirk.

"A new student, I see. And what might your name be?" It comes out smoother than he'd hoped, and he watches her relax minutely with some small pride in himself that he managed not to upset her, he hardly wants to make some poor girl cry on her first day. Although… that doesn't mean he shouldn't instil the proper fear of him in her mind early on. He opens the record book Petunia gave him and skims through to her name as she explains her actions. Arianna Farrell… Ah, there you are.

"Miss… Farrell, is it? Wildseed. How unsurprising." He lets a thick sarcasm and fake disdain coat his voice. He has nothing against wildseeds, but it's a good way to show her he isn't one to be trifled with. He slightly regrets his decision when he sees her face fall and her eyes grow a little worried at the foreign term.

Unfortunately, he cannot dwell on his regret. He must scare her, or she's liable to get hurt walking around without looking where she is going. Foolish girl… "More than likely a complete waste of my time. You have no idea how much you have been given, and you will throw it all away."The girl looks startled, but not scared. Reluctantly, he writes down in his record book a reminder to give her ten demerits once the year officially starts and slams it shut, making her jump. "Ten demerits, not a promising start." Tucking his book under his arm, he stares down at her with his best glare. "Pay more attention to your studies than you do to where you are walking, Miss Farrell, or you will find yourself expelled from this academy before the New Year." Her eyes widen, and he feels his work is done.

One student is all that is needed to spread the word about "horrible old Grabby" to the rest of the student body. With a slightly unnecessary flourish, he stalks away.

He finds he is too distracted to do his work tonight.

He looked down at his young wife and smiled again. How ironic that after trying so hard to make her hate him, she would end up loving him.

She loves me… he repeated the phrase in his head, and sighed. And I love her… Honestly, he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to actually tell her that, but by the look in her eyes when she smiled back at him, he imagined he might never need to.

So summer is over. Everyone is heading back to school. Ironic that I finish the summer section of this fic just as summer is actually ending...

Don't forget to let me know what you think :) Your feedback keeps me writing x