11th December, 1889 — Outside Elias’ house, Bartonburg

The decorating had started off rather well. He had put a tree up in the house - and a smaller sibling in the workshop downstairs, if only because he’d see that one more than the other (though hadn’t tempted fate with any candles upon it, thank you very much). Today, he had tackled the outside of the house, determined to make a proper effort this year. (To prove to himself he was on top of things for once. It was a fight against time, wasn’t it, all this? And this year Elias was going to win.)

So he had gotten hold of half a forest’s worth of greenery, affixing long swathes of holly and ivy to the window frames and over the porch top, his height not making this too tall an order. Once the facade of the house was bursting with green, Elias brushed the dusting of snow from the steps up to his front door, sat down upon them, and started work on another little wreath made of broomstick tail-twigs, spare materials he’d swept up from the workshop floor. He wouldn’t quite call himself an artist, but there was at least some craftsmanship to them, his hands fairly well-practised at shaping and snipping away at the twigs until they bent the way he wanted them to.

He liked them, plain as they were, like this, but he wasn’t certain that anyone else would appreciate a wreath of dry twigs unless they were a quidditch fan and he told them that these were old tail-clippings from one of the Chudley Cannons’ brooms. If he made them look a little nicer, Elias supposed, he might set them out with a collection box, gather a few knuts to donate to charity. With the seed of that idea in mind, then, he leant over the wreath in his hands and began twining some greenery into it, weaving strands of ivy into the circle and battling with the holly leaves pricking his fingers as they - well, spruced up the decorations, one could say.

He glanced up in time to see someone passing through the Bartonburg street who was watching his progress. He cast them a grin and straightened his arms with the latest wreath in them to properly survey his work. “How do they look?” He asked easily, proffering it for their opinion.

(And not noticing, quite yet, that the branches of holly decking the house above him had - ever so slightly, ever so treacherously - begun to slip.)

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

The soft flurry of snow had done little to help Melody settle into the holiday spirit this year. The blanket of white, something she so looked forward to in previous years, smothered her in dread. Her father's promise to arrange a match for her would come true on New Year's Day, and every other match had fizzled out before it could come to fruition. She had dragged her feet as much as she could on the matter, but she could hold him off no longer. Penny was debuting in the summer, the spotlight could no longer remain focused on Melody.

Penny likely would find someone quickly too. She was bright, sociable, and eager to please (much like a puppy in obedience school). The younger girl certainly wouldn't get herself caught up in the foolishness of love with the wrong sort. Melody sighed as she quietly traveled down the snow covered street. Merlin. Not even a visit with Lis or the snow crunching under her boots could lift her spirits.

She watched from a distance as someone worked diligently on their house's decorations. It was a good thing that most people were happier than she to celebrate, as she couldn't fathom what sort of gloomy winters they would have if everyone was as downtrodden as she. "It's lovely." Melody called back. The decorations were simple but very well crafted. Plenty of thought had obviously gone into the wreath on the door. The house lookee charming.

Just as she was about to offer another compliment, she heard a snap and her eyes darted towards the slipping holly. "The garland - " she exclaimed too late. Behind her, she heard Mrs. Bradley gasp as the decoration fell from one end of the house and swung quicky towards the man she belatedly recognized as Mr. Grimstone.

---

  

---

beautiful set by mj

Elias didn’t have much time to revel in the comments on his handiwork, much as compliments on the things he had crafted (whether they be brooms or useless decorations!) were the only sort of compliments he didn’t mind accepting - and he had fished for this one.

There had been too much hubris in that, he soon realised, because nor did he have much time to register that the women walking past were those he recognised; the younger had been Miss Finch, of the bludger incident at the post office.

She had told him to watch out last time: this time, her warning came too slow, or his reactions were not so quick. The garland... the garland indeed. The long bough of holly came swinging down off the eaves like a jungle vine, almost as though it had heard him being presumptuous; it smacked Elias roughly in the face and swatted the wreath from his hands. (It went bouncing down the steps and rolling into the street, but never mind that.) He batted the prickly garland away from his face as best he could, but in the process he must have accidentally tugged on it, because no sooner than he had done so, the rest of the garlands bound up with it came tumbling down too, until Elias and his front steps were half-buried under a blanket of greenery, all his hard work on the house undone at once.

Elias didn’t move for a minute, too dazed by what had happened. Lovely. Hm.

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

The two women stood stunned on the street as the lovely greenery unraveled in slow motion. Her warning had come too late - her attention unfocused from any possible disasters. Though, in her defense, most decorations in this area were secured by magic; the thought didn't register that the man who had captured a rogue bludger wouldn't know simple charm work.

"Mister Grimstone! Are you alright?" Melody called out once the garland landed with a final thud. Stopping only to collect his slightly damaged wreath, she moved closer to the stairs. "Shall I call a healer?" The fall he took looked rather harsh, who knew what sort of injuries he'd have under there?

Quickly, she took her wand and levitated the mess away from him. The worst of the thorns stuck to him, but at least now he could sit up comfortably. "I apologize for not noticing the holly sooner."

---

  

---

beautiful set by mj

Under the weight of it, he went flailing down one or two of his front steps, where the corner of the stone bit into his back and arms at unfortunate angles - though, mercifully, missing his head. He was not so protected from the holly prickles, which had attacked him most viciously, leaving him as festooned as a Christmas tree...

Grumbling underneath this unceremonious layer of greenery, Elias had scarcely begun to dig himself out of this mess when most of the boughs went soaring upwards off him. Ah, so this time he was being rescued, then.

Good of her.

“No, no, I’m quite confident I’ll live,” Elias assured her hastily as Miss Finch mentioned getting a healer. He attempted to pull one of the thorny tips out of his sleeve where he could feel it scratching his arm, but his gaze flickered over to her.

“You’ve no need to apologise - indeed, I ought to be thanking you,” Elias pointed out good-naturedly, but his smile was tinged with rue as he raised his eyebrows to gesture upwards. “Though it turns out I should have used a sticking charm.”

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

Melody gently released the greenery onto the lawn and brought her attention back to Mr. Grimstone. While there was no blood, he did take a decent spill. She stared at him wearily. Was this a show of male bravado or was he truly alright? Melody turned the wreath over in her hands before laying it on the step beside her. Whether or not he was okay wasn't her concern. Mr. Grimstone would seek out a healer if he found he needed one.

"It might have been wise." She replied lightly. Danger seemed to follow this man wherever he went. First with the rogue bludgers and now with heavy boughs. Unconsciously, Melody took a slight step away from him. Best not to get in the way of any further unfortunate events. "The wreath is beautiful." She added after a moment. It wasn't something her mother would feature amongst their decorations, but Melody loved its simplicity. Perhaps once she was married she would be able to have a more minimal touch with the decor.

---

  

---

beautiful set by mj

Fine and dandy as he’d said he was, Elias supposed that he probably did look a bit of a sight, still splayed out on his front steps in a daze, his sleeves nicked by thorns and his hair stuck with leaves. No, wise he was not. “Pride comes before a fall, eh?” He murmured, mangling the phrase to mean the garland’s fall, but oh well.

“Thank you,” Elias said, in slight surprise at the sincerity with which she had bothered to repeat the sentiment towards his handiwork. A wealthy, chaperoned young woman like herself undoubtedly saw all the best trimmings in the highest society shops and balls, so to call a bundle of twigs beautiful was probably more than they deserved; he was pleased, all the same. “You ought to take one, as a favour for my rescue,” he said teasingly. She wouldn’t have anything to do with it, of course, but it was the gesture that counted, anyway.

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

Melody needn't turn to see Mrs. Bradley's face to know the older woman's reaction to taking such a wreath home. Marianne Finch was not a woman to be trifled with when it came to her holiday decorations. It was possible too that should the simple wreath be detected it would be promptly discarded. No, best not to bring one home with her.

"Oh, that's alright." She said with a sad smile. "Mother has spent weeks arranging the decorations to her liking, I'd hate to cause a tizzy." A tizzy would be putting it mildly, as Marianne likely would likely inquire as to where she acquired the wreath. Which would, unfortunately, lead to yet another spiel on the misfortunes of middle class men. Then, if Melody was really lucky, Marianne would start a tangent about that Crouch boy, and Melody would want to die. "Thank you, though. Do you need assistance standing up?"

  

---

beautiful set by mj

He’d supposed right, about the wreath. He’d had his own experiences of the upper class’ ways in the past, and the general impression he’d received never had faded. Still, it was surprising in itself to see the faintest fray of sadness about the young lady’s face to say it. She seemed a little sad all round, really; he could not presume to know why, but it was a pervasive kind of downheartedness, the kind entirely at odds with the festive season. He couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for her.

(And he was the one who’d just been targeted by the festive season, hadn’t he?)

“I might,” need assistance, Elias admitted, moving half an inch towards standing up and feeling the blood rush to his head in an unusual way. Still, he smiled at her grandly. “But I shan’t trouble you for it, Miss Finch, if you think your mother won’t approve.” Or her chaperon, for that matter. Well-to-do young ladies were not the sort expected to provide physical assistance in the street, not even on the doorsteps of Bartonburg; he could not begrudge her that fact if she felt she ought not.

He’d manage.

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

"Nonsense." Melody waved his concern off carelessly, though she could feel Mrs. Bradley's eyes boring holes in her skull. Mother would have a fit when this story was told, but Melody would simply insist it was a charitable act. After all, she could hardly just leave him with possible injuries on his stoop! Who knew how long he might linger there before being spotted by a neighbor? And what if he were concussed?

"Here." She offered her hand to help him stand. Melody was hardly the strongest woman alive, but as long as he put effort into standing himself she would be able to assist him plenty. Mother's worries be damned.

  

---

beautiful set by mj

It seemed he had underestimated either her resolve or her compassionate heart or both, because she had waved off his protest without batting an eyelid, and stretched out her hand. Elias took it, naturally, though did his best not to put too much pressure on it as he helped pull himself to his feet, lest when the balance tipped - she struck a petite figure where he really did not - she ended up today’s casualty instead.

“Thank you,” he said gratefully when he was upright again, though in spite of himself, Elias had to place his other hand on the railing to feel steady.

Not as bad as a bludger, he considered silently, looking at all the greenery strewn about the front steps. Really he ought to work on fixing that back up - this time with magic - but there was the dull throb of a headache forming somewhere at his temples, so he wasn’t sure the repeat would be any more successful than the first attempt at the moment.

“Is is strange that I should want so badly to be sitting again after only just having stood up?” Elias asked with a slight frown.

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

Behind her, Mrs. Bradley was muttering incessantly about how improper all this was, as though Melody ought to have left an injured man on the doorstep without a care. Melody knew they were going to have to leave shortly, but with how woozy Mr. Grimstone seemed it felt wrong to abandon him. "Are you sure you're alright?" She persisted. At least if they took him to the hospital he wouldn't be dealing with an injury on his own. They could summon his family to sit with him.

Melody drew her wand and transfigured a chair from the garland. "Please, sit." She gestured towards the chair. "Is there anyone nearby we can send for? Forgive my bluntness, Mr. Grimstone, but you don't look well."

  

---

beautiful set by mj

Elias sank into the transfigured chair, finding it a firmer support than the front step had been, even if the shock of the accident was mingling more and more now with rueful sheepishness. “No, no, I’ll be fine, I promise,” Elias said, trying now to brush off her concerns. Besides - “My younger brother is a healer, and -” he fished out a battered watch from his pocket, squinting against the headache to read it, “he’s due back in no time. He’ll sort me out.” (With a round of laughter and head-shaking at the mess Elias had made for himself, no doubt. Unless Elias cleaned himself up and fixed the garlands before he got back.)

He smiled at her in grand assurance of this, and thought being able to make light of the situation might assuage any lingering guilt on her part for going about her day. “Though I’m much obliged, Miss Finch. And perhaps next time you come across me I won’t be getting in such a scrape!”

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3

The tale of his brother could've been a white lie to make her more comfortable leaving him in such a state. However, they weren't friendly enough for her to question him on it either way. As it stood, Mr. Grimstone appeared as though he'd survive this. "Okay." She hesitantly agreed before looking back to Mrs. Bradley. "As long as you're sure you'll be okay until then."

With little else left to say, Melody stepped from the porch to rejoin her chaperon. "I hope should we meet again it is under not as ... hazardous conditions." She said lightly. "Good day, Mr. Grimstone."

  

---

beautiful set by mj

It seemed to convince her - which was fortunate, as it was true - and Elias was privately relieved that he would not need to be frogmarched to the hospital under the supervision of Miss Finch and her rather-less-friendly-looking chaperone. “I hope so,” Elias said, bidding her a rueful farewell.

---

  

---

look ANOTHER beautiful bee!set <3