March 10th, 1888 — Backus Family Bakery, High Street Hogsmeade

I think I'm losing my mind now
It's in my head, darling I hope
That you'll be here, when I need you the most
So don't let me, don't let me, don't let me down

Damn that Lorcan Byrne. He was the one that had convinced her what was surely months ago to look into her own shop. So she had. She's spoken to a solicitor about the inheritance her grandparents had left the girls. She'd quickly found out the money would be more than enough to get her started with a shop in London. She'd been elated but it had quickly been diminished when the elderly and portly gentleman had read out a stipulation. "Inheritance to be received only upon marriage." To put it simply, she felt as if her heart had dropped out of her stomach. She'd left his office defeated and gone back to the family's bakery on High Street. Where she waited. And waited. Then waited some more.

She was currently in the front of the shop scrubbing down the front cases with her bare hands. Her mother had asked why she hadn't just used magic and had quickly retreated to the back of the shop due to the glare she received from Maggie. She needed to work the anger and frustrations out. The defeat and borderline depression that her dream had been so close she'd been able to taste it only to have it ripped away from her so suddenly. She blamed Lorcan. He'd fueled the fire of hopes and dreams within her. If it hadn't been for his prodding, she'd have never gone through with any of it to simply be left utterly defeated. And then! Then he didn't shop up in the shop again for weeks, probably months!

She'd just slammed the bucket of soapy water down behind the counter when she heard the tinkling of the bell above the door indicating a customer having come in. "Be with you in a minute!" she called, perhaps a bit too crossly, from behind the counter with her back to the door oblivious to who she'd been less than polite to.

  

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Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

Lorcan had lost track of time of how long it had been since he'd last visited the Backus bakery - Hogsmeade was quite out of his way, after all. Still, he'd thought about it passing a bakery after work yesterday in London, and resolved to stop by today. Naturally, he'd stopped bothering to feign that he only visited for their baked goods (good as they were); by this point, he mostly came to see Maggie, and loiter around talking to her awhile.

He'd spotted her through the front windows, but she seemed too absorbed in her cleaning to notice him. The shop looked quite empty though, which meant he'd picked a good time to come by!

...Or not, judging by the force with which she'd just slammed down that bucket. Lorcan's mouth was open with a greeting on the tip of his tongue, but nothing came out just yet, as instead he surveyed her for more signs of her bad temper, or perhaps a clue as to what had brought it on.

There was a chance to sneak out now, while her back was turned - but Lorcan imagined he might be impervious to her grumpiness. Maybe he'd even be able to cure it. So, he sauntered over to the counter anyway, patient and chipper.

"What's the matter, Cinderella?" He wasn't sure when the nickname had progressed from something in his head to something he called her, but she'd certainly looked the part today, with all that scrubbing. A grin crept onto his face. "You look like someone's not letting you go to the ball."

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If Lorcan Byrne's voice wasn't so familiar, his joking manner and calling Maggie Cinderella was enough for her to recognize just who it was that had entered her family's shop. It also had a way of turning her already flushed face an even more vivid shade of crimson. He'd always seemed to have a way of flustering the usually level headed Backus girl. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't a school girl crush flustering he was causing in that moment.

"Where have you been?" she questioned quite tersely, completely ignoring his use of nickname and joke, as she flipped around to focus what she hoped to be quite the glare. Though, she was rather unkempt in that moment so she probably looked more a fright than actually being able to frighten the gentleman.

"I've waited ages for you to come back and tell you everything but you never came!" she exclaimed, clearly seeing no point in putting off the inevitable.

  

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Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

Perhaps he'd been optimistic, expecting a laugh out of her in response, even a little huff of begrudging amusement or something. Because instead she whirled around, rather as though she were a scolding mother or a disgruntled wife. Lorcan hadn't been aware that he'd done anything wrong, but - ah. Her question was not only indignant but directed at him personally; in answer, Lorcan only offered a hasty half-shrug and wide eyes as though he'd been cowed into apology... although there was a little bit of laughter bubbling in his chest at her wild look.

"I've been..." here and there may not be the most satisfying response, now that he thought about it - but before he could finish his first sentence, he realised what she must be getting at. "Oh! With the shop!" He exclaimed right back, gesturing with a hand to pry forth some detail from her. "And? How did it go?" he encouraged, crossing his fingers that she'd let her irritation slide now that he was here to hear her tell it. Hopefully that had been the only reason for her mood, and it had all gone well otherwise. He had rather championed the idea. (Not that he had a history of good ideas, particularly.)

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Maggie tried to continue simply glaring at him but he made it so damn hard. He's too attractive and charming for his own good even when he wasn't actively trying to be either. And she hated that he made her feel like some empty headed schoolgirl whenever he was around.

"It didn't," she said bluntly with a bit of a sigh while leaning on the counter. The air of anger was gonein that instant and quickly replaced with what could only be described as defeat. She was just grateful she was good enough with her emotions not to burst out in tears.

"I thought it was all going quite well. There's certainly enough money to let the shop and really get the bakery going without depleting the inheritance entirely," she started, knowing very well he'd want more details though she hasn't realized just how much she needed to actually get it all out unto she'd finally been able to start talking. "But then the solicitor found a clause my grandfather had put into it," she said but didn't continue, looking up at him to see if he truly was listening or even seemed to care

  

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Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

Lorcan's encouraging smile faded swiftly at her change in demeanour. He took a step nearer to the counter, watching her closely.

As final and resigned as it didn't sounded, Lorcan brightened a little at the news that Maggie did possess enough to get started, because, thinking about it before, surely the money had been the only real hurdle. (If he were richer - if he were rich at all, and not still half living off his father whenever he blew too much of his pay at once - he would have liked to loan her the money, help her with something to put towards her dream. People's dreams were interesting things, and he rather thought Maggie worked hard enough already to deserve hers to pay off.)

But it sounded as though she didn't have the money after all. Lorcan let out a commiserating sigh, leaning a little on the other side of the counter himself and letting his brow furrow in confusion when she paused. "What did the clause say?" He prompted, presuming she was just pre-empting him for some complicated legal jargon he was too daft to properly understand. What could the clause say? 'Not to be used for a bakery', or something? Surely the solicitor could have found a work-around!

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Maggie took in a deep breath as she watched him. He was the only one that knew just how much she wanted her own bakery, knew just how far she'd gone to look into it. She was almost embarrassed to tell him what it was exactly she had to do if she wanted that inheritance.

"I have to get married," she said bluntly though could no longer actually look him in the face when she did, "I can no longer be a Backus if I want the money. Apparently the grudge my grandparents had against my father never faded with time."

  

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Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

She'd been looking at him directly, as if to challenge whether he was paying attention or not, but all of a sudden Lorcan found she had ducked her gaze, and that told him that she must be even more disheartened than she sounded. Her tone, too, was bitter, defeated, the sort of blunt and matter-of-fact that covered up real upset. He really didn't want to see her cry.

After a moment, the words sunk in, not just their delivery but their meaning. "Hm," he said, and blinked. That was a rather ungraceful move on their part, and a nasty way to hold a grudge. Lorcan didn't know the Backus family history in detail, but he was especially sure Maggie had had no personal part in it, so it hardly seemed fair to penalise her for her parents' choices. And he'd thought his family were a mad bunch!

He considered railing against her grandparents for a bit, to be indignant about the whole affair for her, as some kind of validation... but he didn't think that would end up much helping to ease her disappointment.

"Well, at least that's easily solved," Lorcan remarked instead, deciding to look on the bright side. (Though maybe that sounded a little too flippant, oops.)

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Maggie was back to glaring at Lorcan, frowning at the same time. That was not the answer she thought to hear from him. It was not really an answer, not in her mind really. Marrying was out of the option. She had never even been kissed let alone courted to where she thought she had a potential suitor.

"No," she did with a shake of her head, "It's far from easy. How do you get married when you've never even had a suitor? How do you even get a suitor when all you do it work?" With a sigh, she away from the counter and tried to give him the best smile she could muster. "So what'll it be this time?" she asked, knowing that even though he probably didn't always come to actually get goods, he still typically always left with something.

  

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"No, no, no, wait a minute," Lorcan countered, having listened to Maggie's sad sorry spiel about non-existent suitors (he thought she must be understating her situation a little, since surely he wasn't the only good-looking customer who casually came by to make eyes at her!) and frowned outright as she instead directed him to the bakery's produce, like they weren't already in the middle of a very important conversation.

"People get married all the time," he explained nonchalantly, silently pooh-poohing all her practical problems. Really, it didn't have to be that hard, surely she could see that! To give up on her dreams, just like that! Just because she wasn't some uppity debutante whose parents had betrothed her at birth didn't mean finding a husband was somehow out of her reach. Admittedly, it might be a rather drastic step to have to take merely to inherit some money, but Lorcan hardly expected Miss Backus - pretty, and honest, and with the talent to win over anyone with a sweet tooth - to struggle finding someone, if she chose to look. Besides, Lorcan hadn't even necessarily been looking, and he had still found himself on the verge of getting married more than once already in his ridiculous, ridiculous life. "See here," he declared, how easy it is, clearing his throat for added effect in his demonstration:
"Maggie Backus, will you marry me?" All she need do was propose to someone, or flutter her lashes and extract a proposal from someone; easy as pie!

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   Bella Scrimgeour

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Maggie had started milling about behind the counter, quite ready to bag up whatever it was he wanted, rather intent on putting it all behind her. Lorcan had done what he could to get her to take those first steps toward her dream but clearly it just wasn't meant to be. She was ready to move on, she had up, but then the handsome man spoke. No, not just talked but proposed.

She stared at him then, slack jawed and eyes wide. Her grip on the tongs used to pick up treats slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground as she continued to stare at him.

"Merlin's beard," she started, continuing to stare in clear shock, "You're out of your ever loving mind. I can't marry you, Lorcan. Of all the crazy things to say."

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   Lorcan Byrne

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Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

Lorcan let out a startled laugh at her reaction.

At first.

He'd only been joking, really, only speaking hypothetically - as an example - just trying to show her how she could get married with very little ado, if she really wanted. He hadn't meant - well, it had shocked her, that much was evident, with the clatter of the fallen tongs still echoing against the floor.

But. But.

Was the idea really so shocking?

Because he wasn't married yet - he was free as a bird, to do what he liked. And she knew him decently by now, he wasn't a stranger, as she might have to find otherwise. She was pretty. (And he was pretty, so that was no reason to complain.) He mightn't be a catch, if one were considering his prospects and his finances... but they weren't considering his finances, and meanwhile hers were so tantalisingly close.

In fact, he found he was almost rather offended at how she'd reacted, as if the idea were lunatic, as if he were mad!

"Now, hold on," Lorcan returned, mulling the whole idea over with his eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "I'm not sure I see why it's so crazy." He drummed his fingers on the countertop in case some reason materialised that he'd missed already.

But, the more he thought, the more genius an idea it seemed. Maybe he was serious after all.

He turned his gaze back on her directly, a new glint in his eyes. "Go on then, why can't you marry me?"

(She'd even called him Lorcan, just now.)

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Was he narrowing his eyes at her? Had she offended him? Maggie was a bit surprised by it if she were being totally honest. She hadn't actually thought he'd been serious but now it seemed as though this was a serious conversation being had.

"We comefrom different worlds," she started a bit lamely, unable to really meet his gaze anymore as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, "I'm not the type to just sit at home waiting for my husband. I want this bakery, it would take up all my time. It didn't exactly go hand in hand with being a wife especially one of a higher class."

She shook her head before bending down to pick up the tongs and tried turning a smile back to him again. "Now, what can I get you?" she asked, hoping he'd give up on it. It was too crazy of an idea to even consider. Besides, who would he even want to marry her? He could have any girl he wanted surely.

  

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Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

For what it was worth - and perhaps unexpectedly, after all her shock - Maggie did seem to be attempting to answer his question seriously. She'd cobbled together a fair few reasons, all practical things (none of which had come to Lorcan's mind yet, despite all his deliberation).

But that was because they were all stupid reasons. Lorcan wasted no time in rolling his eyes at them, although she wasn't really looking at him anymore. Different worlds, pah! It seemed she had a very particular image of what marriage was supposed to be; he, however, liked to think of it in looser terms. He may not know her world, not properly, and she may not know "his", if he even personally counted among his peers in that respect... but he knew her. Surely the bakery was the whole point! There wouldn't be any sense in him doing something like marrying her to prevent her dream from coming to fruition. Even Lorcan didn't think he'd be so daft as that.

Perhaps she didn't see it in the same way yet.    

"I thought you wanted your bakery," Lorcan countered emphatically, ignoring her second question for a moment more. Apparently not enough to actually be able to get it.

Not that he was bitter! He didn't mean to be coming across so disappointed. "Anyway, I was only trying to help," he explained with a shrug, returned to his usual nonchalance. Her dreams were her dreams, and she'd do what she saw fit. "You'll regret missing this opportunity one day," Lorcan added, waggling his eyebrows to confirm that he was just teasing again, "I would make a marvellous husband."

He grinned at her, hoping that they wouldn't have to leave this conversation on the tenser, less comfortable turn it had taken. He rather enjoyed what they had going, after all. It'd be a shame to ruin that. "And I'll take some of those hot cross buns."

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   Ernie Nuffer

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"I do want my bakery," Maggie said a bit indignantly, it was her dream, one she'd had for a long time but one she thought she'd never see. It made it hard having it right there at her fingertips but still so far away. Marriage was a big deal, something not to be taken lightly. Honestly, something she had never thought she'd have simply due to her lacking of trust in others. It was a terrifying prospect, even if she did quite like Mr. Lorcan Byrne. Clearly he wasn't thinking about himself and simply helping her to achieve what she wanted. It was a selfless act but...one she couldn't dump onto him.

"As marvelous of a husband as you may be," she started, a hint of a smile on her features as she started packaging up his request, "Do you really want a wife whose first priority is a bakery and not you? Because you can be certain of that Mr. Byrne." She handed him the packaged treats and waved the tongs at him in a mock scolding sort of way. "My bakery would be first. Always," she said with a raised brow, "You'd be lucky to even be a close second because my family might even still edge you out."

  

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Marvelous MJ Masterpiece

He sighed. She was probably right, in the end. It seemed a shame that everyone had to be so sensible about everything.

And he supposed he didn't know what he wanted from marriage. Close as he'd come, his attentions had usually waned before following through, so marriage itself was still something of a mystery. Lorcan didn't really see that it should be as dull as most people made it seem. And whatever Maggie said, the vision she conjured up of her married self did not sound so dreadful, did it? (Besides him not being the priority. That would be an oversight. But still.)

"I like a challenge," Lorcan replied, with a delicate smirk. "I like bakeries. And I like family." (Not living with them, necessarily. But he had enough family of his own to know the importance of those ties. Maggie's family seemed nice, and tight-knit, besides the whole inheritance issue that had seen her in such low spirits only a short while ago.)

He grasped the box and gathered it into his arms, quirking his head in thanks. It was probably time to leave, but he loitered there for another moment, just looking at her in faint amusement and even fainter sympathy. "I'm sure you'll figure it out, at any rate," he declared optimistically. She wanted it badly, so she'd find a way. "But," he said, and he leant briefly, brazenly back over the counter, with his most dazzling smile. "My offer still stands. Just in case."

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