September 27th, 1888 — Museum of Magical Miscellany

The owl brought the mail right to the window of her wing. It tapped fervently at the glass pane until another one of the Healers retrieved the strange pink envelope it was carrying. Since it was addressed to Zipporah, it was brought to her at the desk where she was sitting, studying an artifact that had been used to cause pox like marks on a young boy's face. They'd healed him right up, and he had only stayed overnight but now she couldn't get past it without looking at it over and over. So she was sitting there studying it.

The envelope was placed beside her and as soon as Zipporah realized it was there, she picked it up and looked at it with great scrutiny. It was pink, obviously. And the envelope was quite sturdy. Though, since an owl was delivering it, it wouldn't do to have it punctured by anything and it couldn't really be rolled up into a scroll-like shape.

Using a letter opener, something adapted from the Muggle world no doubt, she sliced open the top and pulled the equally as pink parchment out of the envelope. As soon as she unfolded the letter inside, Zipporah felt about as warm and fuzzy as a pair of socks on a winter's night as she sat beside a fire. It was rather nice. She knew that the feeling wasn't there a minute ago, but she was so happy to feel that way that she just ignored the irrationality of it and went with the flow.

There was a name scrawled at the bottom and Zipporah realized that it was a name she vaguely recognized. When she'd debuted in the spring last year, she had kept a copy of the Daily Prophet that had listed her as a debutante. This was before she had told her parents for sure that she wasn't going to attend the parties they expected of her as a debutante and that she was officially "off the market" to work on her internship. But the party had been nice, and many people had complimented her hat. On the other side of the Prophet where she'd been listed as a debutante, there had been a funeral announcement. The widower's name was the same that was on her note here. The note was quite possibly the sweetest thing she'd ever read.

It was almost time for her lunch and she was going to go find him. She just had to. It was almost like a compulsion to go to him, but in a sweet way, like he was exactly what she'd been looking for her entire life. He needed a wife, she needed to get out of her parents' house. It was a match made in heaven.

After she'd inquired about him inside the hospital--someone had finally known who he was and where she could find him-- Zipporah had wandered outside the building, stopping only thrice to stare at something interesting, and apparated to the outside of the Museum of Magical Miscellany. How lovely that he worked there! They would have so much in common, she was sure of it.

Feeling for her hat on her head, Zipporah made sure that it was firmly attached to her hair and then walked inside, gaping at the entrance. She loved everything about this building, just like she was sure she'd love everything about Thaddeus. Thaddeus. She had to find him. Wandering around, Zipporah finally found who they'd pointed out to her as the man she'd been looking for for her entire life. Touching his shoulder, Zipporah smiled sweetly up at him and held onto her hat as she tilted her head backwards. "Hello," she said as pleasantly as possible--it wasn't even hard considering how handsome he was-- "I believe I've been looking for you my entire life. My name is Zipporah and I think I might love you."

  

The owl had brought the pink envelope directly to Thaddeus's office, pecking on the windowpane until he let it in with a disgruntled huff. He had been mid-way through penning a new catalog card for a newly acquired Grecian vase, and the owl's sudden appearance made him jump. He had smeared some of the ink, and took the envelope without even noticing it was pink; tearing it open, he began to read.

His annoyance evaporated, replaced with a warmth. It felt like happiness, like getting to lounge on a blanket in the park with a book, the sunlight beating down and making everything warm and carefree. Perhaps he might have questioned it, but he was so engrossed by the letter's contents (and the name scrawled at the bottom of the page!) that Thaddeus did not even give it a second thought. It simply was, just like he knew that he had to find Zipporah Farley because he might die if he didn't see her.

But where to even start? Hurriedly he took a new card and scrawled out the cataloging for the vase, then a smaller card that would go in the display case. Pulling on his jacket, he grabbed his leather briefcase, cotton gloves, and the smaller card. "I must go home, I feel unwell. I finished the work on the Grecian urn, and I will place the card in the case before I go," Thaddeus explained rotely to a colleague in the next office over, before making a direct beeline for the vase room.

He had placed the card in the display case and was just adjusting the vase so that the design could be seen better when a soft hello made him turn. Shutting the case and spelling it locked again with a murmur, Thaddeus turned and saw her.

It had to be her, it was her! Her voice was soft and kind, and her smile was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. The warm feeling spread even further through Thaddeus, and without thinking he grabbed for her hand, not even bothering to remove the white cotton gloves they wore to protect the artifacts. It felt like the most natural thing in the world, holding hands with her, and he squeezed gently. "My name is Thaddeus." A bit shyly, he admitted, "Your letter was so sweet, Zipporah. I have no idea where you have been, but I love you entirely."

And then in a completely un-Thaddeus fashion, he bent down to kiss her softly on the mouth, words failing to express how deeply he cared for her in exactly this moment.

  

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Avatar courtesy of Bree! <3

He turned and it was like the sun broke through the clouds. Inside a building. Where there were no clouds and definitely no sun. But the metaphor stands. The look on Thaddeus's face as he turned made Zipporah's knees go weak. Luckily she was made of firmer stuff than that and she stood her ground. His voice was like a rumble of thunder in her ears-- Zipporah had always loved a good rainstorm so it was like music to her-- and the self-effacing smile on his face made her heart-strings twang.

"Thaddeus..." she breathed as he told her how sweet he found her letter. It didn't register to her that she hadn't written a letter to him, it was obvious he was talking about the sweet words he'd written in his own letter to her. He was just confused by the sight of her appearing out of nowhere, obviously. He reached out to take her hands and though there was a thin layer of cotton between them, Zipporah could feel the zing of true love shoot through her palms. A delighted beam lit up her face and she tilted her head back slightly to look at him more thoroughly.

A good strong jaw with no sign of a receding hairline either. They would make beautiful babies with delightfully caramel skin but their father's eyes. She could just see them now, strolling through the park holding hands while their little ones ran around them. It was a good feeling, a wonderful vision, and the best thing she'd ever thought of.

It went from hand holding to kissing quite quickly, and she couldn't help the slight moan that escaped her as she stood onto her tiptoes and buried her fingers in his hair. All too soon she was pulling away though, aware of the people who might be watching. She didn't care about propriety in that moment as she touched her forehead to his own. "We should get out of here, where should we go?"

  

She was so sweet, and Thaddeus could have kissed her forever, but there was some propriety that should be maintained. Flushing a bright red, he pulled back and squeezed her hand gently. "I would walk with you, perhaps in Padmore Park? Maybe we could picnic, if you would like." At the heart of it, Thaddeus was one for propriety and the kiss had been impulsive, more impulsive than typical. He just couldn't help himself!

"It seems a shame, to hide away someone as wonderful as you," Thaddeus explained. "I would like the opportunity to show the world what a lovely person you are, Zipporah--and talented, too." He lifted a hand to lightly touch the brim of her hat, grinning down at her. "Surely all the ladies would go mad for a hat like this if they had the opportunity to see it."

Thaddeus smiled again, feeling that strangely giddy warmth rush through him. Just to have the opportunity to gaze upon her would be enough, but he wanted to treat her like a lady should be treated -- with wooing and sentimental affection, because it was what she deserved.

  

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Avatar courtesy of Bree! <3

The dopey look on Zipporah's face increased tenfold when Thaddeus suggested they go to the park. In Hogsmeade of all places. She'd actually not been to Hogsmeade since the final Hogsmeade weekend right before her graduation and the thought of returning there was positively delightful. Padmore Park had been one of her favorite places to go and think and ponder the Muggle artifacts she pilfered whenever she had gone home to Tutshill or to London with her family.

His compliment of her hat was more than enough to send Zipporah over the edge. She had to go spend the afternoon with him. She had to.

"I would love that, Thaddeus. I hope it's okay that I am using your first name, it's just, I feel like I know you already." Grinning sheepishly, Zipporah took the hand that was still holding his and raised it to her face, nuzzling it with her cheek. He was still wearing the gloves but they were soft enough that the fabric slid right against it. Sighing with gusto, Zipporah turned to the door, still clutching Thaddeus's hand. "To the park! A picnic is waiting for us!"