Annoyance was written clearly across Lily's face as she ventured through the castle. Exams were upon them and she had much to grade, and many students to prepare for NEWTs. Yet, she was being summoned to the Headmaster's office for whatever reason. She halted outside the door and knocked, waiting for him to call out. He did a few moments later and she walked in, immediately sitting down in one of the chairs. One thing Lily knew was that she bristled his nerves, but for some reason he seemed amused by her. "Miss Potter, I apologize for taking your time, but there is an important matter to discuss."

"Listen, I can explain what happened last Wednesday, it was just a minor explosion—"

"No, that's not what I am talking about," he said with a frown on his face. "I want to offer you a position here, a permanent position. The Professor that was supposed to be returning has decided to retire and we want to line up a teacher for next year."

"I...I'll have to think about it. This was supposed to be temporary, give me a break before I go back into healing."

"Durmstrang needs someone like you. We're training to change, but change comes slow to place deeply rooted in tradition. The students have flourished with you as a teacher. Is there something we can do to encourage you to stay here?"

"No, it's…My home has always been in England. All of my memories are there, my family, my friends…Moving here permanently is…" She stopped herself. How could it be a mistake? She thought of her Uncle Charlie and the dragons, she thought of Jordi, she thought of her Aunt Fleur…Just because you left her home physically, doesn't mean that a part of you doesn't stay, doesn't mean that those family members and memories are all gone. She came here for a fresh start, what would be better than staying here?

A knock jars Lily out of her state of concentration. She was on the very last student test and had just gotten her focus back after that meeting. "Come in," she said, trying to hold back the disdain in her voice. She didn't want another student coming here, bothering her for a grade. When she looked up, she saw the large figure of David in the doorway.

"I know the Headmaster talked to you about next year, and I thought I would talk with you a bit more." He pulled out a chair in front of the desk and looked at her. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, I was just trying to finish this."

"Well, if you're looking for a job this summer. There's need for tutors in the nearby towns. It's mainly parents wanting a head start for their kids, but it pays decent and it'll be easy for you."

"I was planning on going home for the summer. I just rented out my apartment and it'll be empty come middle of June. By then I'll be done here."

"My cottage has an extra room and I'll be gone for a decent chunk of the time. Rent will be cheaper than your flat and—"

"David. Please, I need to get this done." She shut her eyes, clutching her quill tightly between her fingers.

"You just don't want to talk about it." He leans forward a little further. "Would you be happy if you left, if you started being a Healer again?" His face is one of concern as he searches for answers in her body language.

Lily set the down the test. She was nearly done, mainly she just wanted to go back over it since her concentration was a continuous battle, but she didn't want to talk with this David about this. She wasn't ready to go home, to face everything. By now she should be ready and things she have gotten back to normal, but that wasn't enough reassurance. Something was telling her that Durmstrang was where she belonged for now.

Empty take out counters dotted Albus' normally tidy kitchen. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the television set in the living room. All signs of work were neatly tucked away, briefcases and robes hidden in the closet near the front door along with a pile of shoes. It was Wednesday night and getting late, still Scorpius came over to Al's to unwind after a long day of work. This had become a regular occurrence, and it seemed as if things were transpiring between the two of them. Scorpius didn't even know how it happened. He and Albus went from being childhood friends that had grown apart, to work partners, and then to…He didn't want to think about it as they sat on Al's couch watching some muggle movie. There was quite a bit he didn't understand, but Al appeared engrossed in it so he tried to keep his questions to a minimum. The two were sitting closer than was considered normally, hands gently brushing against one another. As much as they tried to distance themselves from each other, it was comfortable to fall into a routine. The discussion about what was to happen next was something they wanted to avoid. Unless one of them wanted to transfer departments there was a major risk analysis involved.

"Score, movie's over." Al touched his arm, causing the other boy to jump slightly. "Didn't mean to frighten you."

"No, you didn't Al…" He yawned, wiping a hand across his face.

"You want to crash here again? You left some work clothes here last time and I threw them in the wash with my stuff."

"Your couch kills my back, even when you transfigure it." His voice was thick with sleep, as he ran a hand through his hair.

"I didn't say anything about a couch." Al's voice lowered a bit and he rubbed the back of his neck. Even in the dim light, it was clear that his cheeks were tinged pink.

"Al, I…We…It's not a good idea." He twists his body until Al isn't touching him, but he's looking him straight in the eye.

"Merlin…" Al leaned forward and rested his hands on his knees, contemplating what to say next. Then, he looked at Score and tilted his head, then said, "To hell with the ministry. We can be responsible and mature. Hell, we can give it a shot and not tell anybody. If things go sour, no harm, no foul."

"But what if they go right?"

"Then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

"I think what you mean, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it." Score shook his head.

"Smart ass." Al let out a laugh and shoved his shoulder

"I am almost positive my ass is part of the reason you are attracted to me." A slight smile crossed his face as he leaned a bit forward to pat Al's leg. "But we'll be having our first argument if you put my extra uniform robe in that muggle drying contraption of yours."

Al laughed, leaning forward and reaching out to touch his arm. Sometimes things were worth a risk. They'd been friends for ages, seen each other when they didn't want to be seen by anyone else…Hell, he still remembered the first time they had a real conversation. Scorpius had been bent over the sink, trying to clean the blood off of his shirt after some kids punched him. Al thought for sure that Scorpius would hex him, but he still stood his ground and was glad he did.

"Al, I wasn't actually serious."

"I know."

Scorpius smiled a little wider and put an arm around Albus. The pair got up and took their time getting ready for bed, before they both slipped under the covers. Scorpius curled around Albus' back and threw one arm over his waist, allowing their breaths to match one another.