Emmeline watched him as she waited for his response. She smiled when he did respond, hummed lightly at the feel of the gentle caress along her cheek. It was a light brushing but was more than enough to cause her skin to raise like gooseflesh.

She nodded in response as she said, "I would." It was a simple and quiet response, accompanied with a pleasant smile and eyes focused on his own

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#LovelyLadySet

“Then I will,” Charles responded distantly – almost dreamily – as he looked deep into her soul. It was as if time stopped every time he looked into her eyes and though he couldn’t explain it, he didn’t particularly want to. To put an explanation to it would infer that there was a reason behind it and if there was a reason for something to happen, there was a reason for the opposite to happen too.

People jumped into the air because they leapt upward, and they fell down for the same reason. If he was to try to explain why he found being around Emmeline so wonderful, he would soon see why being around her was also the exact opposite and he didn’t want to think on that.

Rather, he was quite content knowing he was falling for her just because he was. There was no rhyme or reason to it; it just was. And he liked that.

“I’m sure we’ll spend plenty of time together before you go back to school at any rate, Ems.”

---

  

Emmeline's smile widened at his response and she took more of the change in his tone and demeanor. He meant it, of that she was sure but he also seemed a bit wistful about it. It was a bit of a surprise, especially when he seemed to have a hard time admitting to feeling before. His tone and demeanor often gave him away though and she just happened to be observant enough to notice the slight changes.

"I hope so," she responded when he spoke of spending time together before then, "I'm sure I'd expire of boredom if not." And though she was being silly and dramatic, her tone even playful, she was sincere in her hope of being able to spend more time with him.

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#LovelyLadySet

Scoffing a little at her words, Charles shook his head and moved in the bench a little, “and I’d be loathe to see you expire, Ems,” he replied just as playfully – and sincerely – as she was being, “Though if there is risk that would happen even so, I will do what I can to ensure you’re not bored.”

Moving slightly when he realised what he said, Charles cheeks flushed a slight hue of pink – though not enough to be easily recognisable. It was a little strange for him to feel embarrassed. He’d made jokes like that before though he’d always intended them as a joke – the implication was always there. This time, he meant it as innocently as his tone would have indicated though the realisation of what he had actually inferred had him all sorts of flustered.

“Erm… Maybe you could come to London one day. Mhm. That would help ease the boredom, would it not? When this fog clears, I mean.”

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Perhaps luckily for him, any inference was lost on Emmeline and she took his words much more innocently. It made her own cheeks flush but she was still smiling. The fact that he cared enough to want to make sure she wasn't bored wasn't lost on her even if she didn't know how he'd prevent her boredom. Simply talking to her was good enough. Anything more than that would would just be icing on the cake. Though, if she realized that there was less than pure thoughts involved, she'd surely have blushed even more. Probably from head to toe even.

"I'd like that," she answered honestly, "I haven't been to London often. There's never really been much of a need since we have all we need here in Hogsmeade." She paused briefly, thinking about it all over in her mind. "Though my mother would probably insist on coming along," she added after a moment of thought. It wouldn't be proper to go to London by herself at all and her mother would likely put her foot down in that regard. Luckily for them, her mother was just as smitten with him as she was.

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#LovelyLadySet

Oh, now there was something where Emmeline was completely wrong. There was so much more to do in London than Hogsmeade! And that’s just magical London. Were you to explore non-magical London (if you were so inclined), there was so much more! Charles put her disinterest down to not having explored the wonderful city as much as you could.

“I wouldn’t ask otherwise. It would be quite… discourteous of me to not have you with chaperone if we were to explore London together. Not to mention the rumours that would start. And I’m sure your mother would just be looking for an excuse to see me,” He said with a slight chuckle, “Maybe I will show you the Ministry – seeing as you are looking to pursue a career in the Care of Magical Creatures and such,” Charles continued.

He was quite liking the idea of showing her around London it seemed. He could take her to all of the small nooks he’d found – the small charming areas that most didn’t notice. Plus, he could show her what good firewhiskey was. There was a store in London called Jewell’s that sold various flavoured firewhiskeys. Charles knew there was a branch in Hogsmeade though he didn’t particularly like that one – the original was always the best. Perhaps, he thought, he could persuade her to try it a second time.

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Emmeline couldn't help but to laugh at his remarks about her mother. It was a joke that likely would continue for as long as they were in each other's lives. It was a good one though, one that was too good to abandon. At least, that was how she liked to think of it. It gave them a bit of comic relief if they needed it.

"I'm telling you, one of these days my father is going to disappear and she's going to find a way to get you to marry her," she said with a small smirk, thinking it would actually be a rather funny thing to happen, "And if you take me there, I may not ever want to leave." She could only imagine what it would be like at the Magical Creatures division at the ministry. She didn't think they'd actually have creatures there but..well, the people there were certainly ones to look up to and hopefully people she'd be working with in time.

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#LovelyLadySet

Charles shrugged, “I didn’t think it was acceptable for a mother to marry their daughters husband,” he teased before changing the topic to focus on Ministry matters for a spree, “I’m failing to see a downside here. I’d see you every day, we’d be working together. What’s not to like? And at least you’d finally believe that I’m in your life for good, Ems” He said half-joking, half-serious (though it was more out of concern that she was still underestimating the strength of their blossoming relationship more than anything).

Of course, they wouldn’t actually see each other all that often. He barely saw most people across all the departments including his own - beyond the aurors of course (oh how he despised those arrogant pricks). He really had a strong disdain for all things auror and the longer he worked for the Ministry, the more he had come to realise it was a good thing he wasn’t an auror. He’d have likely killed them all during training. Not having the right temperament… He supposed that did make sense.

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Emmeline's head came home from resting against his arm as she stared at him in clear shock at his first remark. That had not been an expected response, not even in the slightest bit. But before it could be remarked on further, he was already talking about the Ministry. It didn't stop her from continuing to stare at him in shock though even as her cheeks flushed an even more vivid shade of red when he told her he'd be in her life for good.

"Do you.." she paused, trying to find her breath, "Do you really mean that? I'm not.. I'm not exactly the best of wife material. I want a career. That isn't exactly conducive with being a housewife. And I'm really not that great in the kitchen. You may very well starve." She might have been exaggerating a little bit, but she definitely had stranger skills outside of the kitchen.

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#LovelyLadySet

Well, this conversation had turned. As it always did. Determined not to have it go the same way it always went when they began talking seriously, Charles moved back a little so he could watch her properly without looking down on her as she rested on him or laid in his lap like last time – or even sat cuddling her knees on the floor.

“I do mean it. And I don’t care about that stuff. I…” Okay, he did care a little. He did need to be fed. But that was something they could work on, “I’d rather be happy. I know people get married because of family and society. It isn’t because of love. But I don’t want that. You would make a great wife one day,” Charles said. He’d wanted to add ‘to whoever you marry’ because he didn’t – wasn’t – going to play on certainties right now.

Instead of adding that however, Charles elected to smile a little and allow his eyes to drift to her lips before looking toward a small flickering light of a lantern as if he was avoiding her gaze. He knew if he’d said what he was thinking, it would have caused hurt. And he couldn’t do that again.

“And you’d make great company for a husband, too.” He tried to sound casual as if he was applying it to someone else and not himself, “So if – when – you do become my—” Charles paused briefly, “—when you do get married, I wouldn’t worry about whether or not you are good house wife material. I think you’re perfect.” Charles shrugged and for once, he didn’t really listen to his own words when the last four left his lips. He thought he was saying she would be perfect at her wifely duties – though that wasn’t what came out.

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Emmeline continued to stare at him in a look that could only be described as shock. She was surprised by what she was hearing but.. she still quite liked what she was hearing. It had just caught her off guard and she didn't truly know how to respond. Not at first anyways. He'd said a lot, a lot of things that made her think he was still trying to avoid admitting what he truly felt. But she didn't want to fight with him. She hated fighting with him and whenever they started talking about anything even remotely close to emotions, it ended up that way.

She eventually nodded though, her shocked expression fading into a small smile as she looked to him with round eyes. "I hope I can meet your expectations then," she answered softly, "For whenever I do marry that is." She got quiet then as she watched him, looking over his features and smiling faintly, her cheeks still flushed from him calling her perfect even if he hadn't meant it as he had. She'd take it regardless.

"What are you thinking?" she asked after a few moments of silence, her gaze never leaving his face.

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#LovelyLadySet

“I’m sure you’ll surpass them,” Charles said quietly with eyes fixed on the flickering light ahead of them.

He wasn’t entirely sure what he was thinking so when she asked, he turned to look at her with a questioning expression, biting the inside of his lip as he tried to come up with an answer. And it was impossible.

For all the things in the world that were impossible and all the questions that remained unanswered, Charles Caulfield would never have thought that her four words would have taken him to pause. His eyes drifted down slightly before he shrugged and looked forward once again. He truly didn’t know what to say.

He knew how he wanted to answer. He knew what was going on in his head. But his thoughts? The patterns in his mind? All the words floating around in his head? It was like a void when he tried to pluck something from his brain. It was as if there was a magnet repelling everything away from him.

A few seconds passed before he answered and having returned his gaze to the lantern, Charles finally managed to answer.

“Us,” He spoke with quiet confidence.

That surmised it quite well.

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While his gaze seemed to focus mostly on the flickering lantern barely made out in the fog, Emmeline's never left his. She watched and studied, took in the lines of his face as she saw his profile. The slight scruff to his cheeks and the way one lock of hair didn't seem to want to bend in the same way the rest of his hair did.

The silence was easy between them as he stared off and she stared at him. One would think it would be awkward but she didn't find it to be that way. It was pleasant, really, and she was enjoying it. Even when the silence did break, with just one little word, she continued to feel at ease. It was simple and honest and she could understand that. Her own thoughts were a bit hectic when it came down to it as she tried everything she could to ignore the fears that still lurked slightly underneath it all. He was slowly chipping away at those fears and concerns. She just hoped it was something to stay.

"Me too," she answered softly as she brought one of her hands over to hold his hand gently behind her. She squeeze his hand gently, almost willing him to look back to her and stay looking at her as opposed to the lantern in the distance.

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#LovelyLadySet

Keeping his gaze on the lantern, Charles was only pulled out of his reverie when he felt her soft hand squeeze against his own, causing him to squeeze hers back and look at her with a smile that could only be described as the kind of smile you had when you were laying in a field on a summers night watching the stars flicker to their music. It was comforting, content, and calming. That was Emmeline. She was for all intents the stars that shone against the night sky.

Her eyes glistened like them, her smile illuminated as they did, and her touch inspired him as the stars would and there was absolutely nothing the Hit Wizard would do to change that. If she was to drift amidst the stars, she would be indiscernible from an angel living amongst the dark backdrop.

There were no words he wanted to say in that moment: - he just held her hand, pulling her slightly toward him, and smiled softly.

He was falling for her as the stars sometimes shot through the sky.
Though just as the shooting stars came, they often vanished.
And Charles found himself wishing upon the shooting star in front of him.

He wished this moment would never end and they would never depart.
He wished, for the first time in his life, that love would find its way to their hearts and meet one another.
Charles Caulfield wished in that second – more than anything he’d ever wanted – that she could be his.

And it almost felt as if she was.

Though she wasn’t.

His smile feigned for a moment as did his grip on her though they quickly regained their composure and he opened his mouth, “I’m… glad. So it means there is an us?” He asked, the pit of his stomach was swirling with anxiety though he wanted to push through it. He did not want this to turn out as it always did – he was determined to not allow that to happen.

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Emmeline continued to watch, her smile widened some when he returned to gentle squeeze of her hand and looked back to her. He really was a handsome man. A bit of a rogue in looks, surely thanks to the the facial hair he sported but she liked it. He stood out without being an outcast. He'd caught her attention long before she'd realized just how handsome of a man he was. It was strange to think of such a thing, especially when she'd fancied herself with quite the crush on Mr. MacFusty not quite a year ago. And looking at Charlie, she realized he couldn't be any more different from the Gryffindor she'd found to be cute.

Scooting along the bench as he pulled her closer just a bit, she felt her cheeks flush at the close proximity. Which was silly, really. She'd all but sat in his lap on the kitchen floor not that long ago and as it was on the bench, they were barely touching. Other than the handhold they were sharing. But it seemed decidedly different, especially with the way he was looking at her.

Being closer, she was able to see the almost dreamy sort of expression in his eyes as he looked to her. But it words caused a slight flicker of alarm to go through her eyes. She hadn't expected it to be put into such terms even if she had hoped there would be an "us."

Her bottom lip caught between her teeth as she nibbled almost nervously there, her eyes focused on his before she nodded slowly, calmly. "I'd like for there to be," she ended up saying, soft and quiet. It was a big step to make. A terrifying one, really. Because even though he had asked it out loud, there was no knowing what he truly thought. Regardless, she was daring to get her hopes up in the moment. She just hoped they wouldn't crash down around her.

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#LovelyLadySet

Her reassurance at their future had the butterflies burst into life once again in his stomach. This was far different to usual. Was this how it would have gone if he hadn’t ran from what was forming? If he’d had just admitted that there was something blossoming between the two the first time, would they have had argued each time? Maybe they wouldn’t have – but maybe that was how it had to be.

Maybe they needed to have their moments of anger to see what really was happening. After all, it was their shouting that had him thinking on his future with Emmeline. So perhaps then to be where they were right now, all of the shouting and arguing had to have happened.

“So do I,” He replied with a tone similar to her own as if their entire world had synchronised, “Even if I’m not to court you yet – I think I’d like for you to be mine eventually,” He then smiled playfully a little before remarking with a teasing manner, “So don’t go off flirting with other guys.”

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