Love, Love is strange.
Many people, take it for a game.
Once you get it, you're in an awful fix.
Cause after you've had it, you'll never wanna quit.
September 9, 1893 — Groundskeepers Hut

Being a professor took a lot more than Winston had been expecting. It was great fun though and he was enjoying teaching the younger generation all about the subject that he loved so much. Even so, he was still left feeling a little exhausted so he was glad when Saturday rolled around. The first week of classes had gone just fine. Of course, he had seen Natty at the Sorting Ceremony and on and off throughout the week. It felt like they had both been too busy with their respective jobs to do much more than greet one another though.

With his day quite free, Winston had floated himself down to the Groundskeepers Hut. Once he was permitted entry, he smiled brightly at the older man, curious eyes flitting around the groundskeepers hut. He had been in it before, as a boy, but he still felt like he was seeing something new. Perhaps because the man he had strong affections for resided within it, with traces of Natty around the residence.

"I missed you," he said as soon as the door had closed behind them. Seeing one another around the grounds and castle wasn't quite the same as... well. Being in Nattys arms, if he was being honest.

Jonathan Copper

  

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty had been working at Hogwarts since May, so the job itself wasn't new to him — but certain other things about this new school year were. For a start, he'd decided to forgo lease on his flat in Hogsmeade and save a pretty penny by moving into the on-site accommodation for the Groundskeeper; a cosy little cottage by the forest's edge.

But more notably, there was Winnie. They had... found something in one another over the Summer. And after long walks, and deep musings, and stolen kisses, and the feel of the young dryad's smaller hand in his, it had been quite the adjustment for them both to work at Hogwarts.

Natty had just put the kettle on the stove when he heard a gentle knock on the door, which he opened to the sprightly gentleman.

Blimey, why did he have to be so pretty...

"I missed you too..." He smiled, and felt an overwhelming desire to touch him, to kiss him — but he resisted, feeling awkward and flustered. "How was your first week?" Natty asked as he busied himself with fetching two teacups from the cupboard, running a hand distractedly through his black hair. "Professor Umbra", he added with another smile.

  

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Winny smiled when Natty said that he had missed him too. At least they were together now and working in the same place would make it so much easier to see one another. "It was so fun and really busy. I think I am going to enjoy this Professor stuff," Winston said. At the very least, so far it had kept him more engaged than the Spirit Division ever had. He still scarcely remembered even working there.

As Natty fetched the cups, an impish smile swept across Winnys lips and he crept close enough to plant a kiss on Nattys cheek. With a small giggle of delight, he settled himself at the table.

Jonathan Copper

  

---

Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty poured them each a cup of tea — but as soon as he turned to place them on the table, Winston headed over, gave him a peck on the cheek, and sat down with a charming giggle. Natty smiled. He was not sure why he felt a little... nervous. He and Winnie had spent time with one another over the Summer, albeit never alone in a room together. He supposed that was why he felt a prickling of anticipation, to accompany the thud of his heart — they'd never been in this kind of situation before; no possibility of being found out, no ticking clock, no passers-by. Just them. Alone.

He placed the tea in front of Winnie before sitting opposite him. "That's good", he replied warmly. "And the children are engaging? I admit I've had very few interactions with them."

  

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Winny wrapped his slender fingers around the cup of tea that had been placed in front of him. He smiled happily as the older man sat opposite him. He allowed his gaze to be greedy as he took in the groundskeepers face.

"Very engaging though some are more eager to learn than others," Winny said, which honestly was pretty typical of teenagers. "Do you ever get lonely? Your job is all around Hogwarts unlike us professors."

Jonathan Copper

  

---

Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty nodded — while he knew very little about children, he did remember being one. And he'd been the type who was more eager to learn than others.

As he waited for his tea to cool, the man gazed into the other's mis-matched eyes, and considered Winny's question, slightly moved by it. "I've been used to a solitary life some ten years. I suppose it can get lonely sometimes, yes — but... these days, not so much", he concluded quietly, thinking of this new, quietly thrilling companionship.

He hesitated, toyed with a thought, and then spoke it; "can I kiss you, Winny?"

  

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Winny listened as the other man spoke of having a solitary life. Winny had experience brief moments of solitude but not ten years of it. And never quite for long as he tended to move through groups of people. He enjoyed his fellow humans just as much as he did his ghosts and ghouls.

"What changed these days?" Winny asked naively, seriously pondering what might have changed in the others life. Could it perhaps be himself? It made him blush faintly to think so and then Nattys question made him blush even more. "Of course. You don't need to ask," he assented brightly.

Jonathan Copper

  

---

Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

What changed? Did he really need to ask? Natty was admiring the young teacher's fine-boned features when he said it; and even the mere thought of him had been enough to stop any loneliness in its tracks. The Groundskeeper smiled to confirm it.

As Winny agreed (the blush was very cute), Natty didn't get up, but moved his chair back and extended a hand, beckoning the other towards him. "Come here, then", he invited softly.

  

---

Winny returned the others smile. His feelings for the Groundskeeper were steadily intense and exhilarating. It felt rather like a magic carpet ride. He wondered if it was the same for the other. From what he could tell, it likely was.

Winston got up and went over to where the other was seated. Rather than just stand there, he slipped onto the Groundskeepers lap. "Hello there," he said teasingly.

Jonathan Copper

  

---

Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty's move felt a little bit brazen — he didn't know he had it in him — but it felt sort of... right. And evidently Winny felt that too, as he ventured over to the older man as bid, and sat in his lap.

He rested his arm lightly on the other's legs. He'd seen the young professor around a fair amount, and as diverting as he was from a distance, he was even more beautiful up close. So Natty slid his other hand lightly into Winny's hair and drew him forward for a kiss.

  

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Winny smiled as Nattys hand slid into his hair. He eagerly leaned into the kiss. He deepened it, his own hands dipping into the older mans darker hair. He leaned back a bit to catch his breath. "Kissing you always makes me feel like I'm flying."

Jonathan Copper

  

---

Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

His heart soared — or sort of burned — as their kiss deepened, Natty's arms around the young man's smaller figure, feeling sprightly fingers slide pleasingly through his hair.

Eventually, they broke apart. Natty's eyes were darkened as he gazed upon Winny with curiosity and attraction. "Kissing you makes me feel... young." He smiled slightly, and then went on to explain; "I know I mentioned I was married once, long ago. But I must confess... well, that's all there ever was. I'm quite new to all of this."

  

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Winny smiled as the other said that kissing him made the other feel young. Natty was hardly ancient but Winny supposed he had lived more of a life than Winny had. At least in the sense that he had been married years ago whereas Winny was just barely at the age where he would be expected to consider such things.

He was surprised to hear that Natty had gone with nothing since the time he was married because he found Natty to be quite handsome. "So am I. You're the only person I ever kissed," Winny said with a smile before adding on, "And I haven't been married."

Jonathan Copper

  

---

Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

In some ways Natty was surprised. Winny had a sweet, natural confidence that no doubt lured many people to him — and that was even without mention of his looks.

One hand rested lightly by the young man's waist, thumb grazing lazily over the edge of his shirt. "I'm honoured", he replied with a smile. "Have you..." he hesitated a moment; "have you always been attracted to men?"

  

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The feel of Nattys thumb grazing lazily over the edge of his shirt distracted him briefly. It had a tingling sort of feeling where the others thumb had moved over.

"I believe so. I have never had any such interests in women," Winny answered as the other asked if he had always been attracted to men. He had always just accepted it as a truth of himself that men were where his attractions tended to lay.

Jonathan Copper

  

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Winny has heterochromia. His right eye is blue and his left eye is green.

Natty nodded slightly, not altogether surprised by his dear one's answer. For Winny had never seemed exactly surprised to find himself in Natty's arms... just curious. Curious and delighted.

"You are the first male I have kissed", he shared. "Your self-awareness, your confidence in your identity, is... enviable", he added with a smile.

  

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