(tag Miranda) let's catch up

Neige whistled as he walked across the lawns. the day was fairly warm for an English fall, the skies were clear, all books were currently where they needed to be, his leg didn't hurt to badly and so he walked with barely a limp then. life, was good! Neige twirled his cane as he walked, his robes billowing around him. he felt he cut a pretty impressive figure, if he did say so himself, and the hat just added to his image. the assistant librarian tilted his hat at passing students, continuing to whistle. he stopped however when he saw a familiar figure. Neige creeped up behind Miranda and put his hand on her shoulder. "Bonjour Mi-Mi! how are you this year?"

Miranda jumped and spun around, fist clenched.
"Neige!" She gasped in relief. "What on earth are you doing out of your dusty stacks?" She said with a grin. "Won't the fresh air make you shrivel or something?"
She teased, straightening the bandana on her head.
"I'm good, my friend. Just reacquainting myself with some of my charges. Some of them seem to think that since I was gone all summer, they can do whatever they please." she sighed in exasperation. "How about you? How was your summer?"

he gave one of his silent laughs and bowed slightly to his old friend. "what? non! actually, Madame Pince kicked me out" he rolled his eyes. "apparently I'd been in there for two weeks without break again. but time just goes so fast!" he smiled and looked around her at the students. "they are silly that way, are they not? are the thestrals and unicorns and things happy to see you again? he sometimes helped with the Thestrals, even though they creeped him out, because he could see them. refusing to leave as your wife died in pain from cancer would do that. "my summer was alright, Blanche is growing so fast. she's already to my knee!" he laughed another silent laugh. "we went and spent the summer in Bourdain this year, it was nice. very good wine! I brought several bottles, if you'd like to sample some some time" he smiled slightly.

Miranda shook her head with a grin. "Of course you WOULDN'T notice you were in that dark place for so long. I just don't understand you my friend. How can you go so long without hearing the sound of a bird's song? Or feel the fresh air on your face? OR feel the soft grass between your toes?" She turned her head to the wind and wiggled her own bare toes on the green grass.
"The thestrals are behaving, mostly. Though, some of them grumbled about leading the carriages this year. They get so used to flying free. But they don't really mind. They just like giving me a fuss." She laughed. "And the unicorns?" She shrugged. "Keep to themselves mostly. Unless one of them is injured. They know enough to find a way to tell me or Korso, the gameskeeper."
She smiled as he mentioned Blanche. She hadn't seen her since she was a baby. But, as always, the talk of children left her with a cold ache in her chest. "I'm glad she's doing so well. I look forward to seeing her again."
She grimaced as he spoke of wine. "You know I don't drink wine, Neige! No matter how many times you try, I simply won't!" A mischievious grin danced on her face.

he rolled his eyes, grinning. this rant was very familiar. she said it every time he mentioned being in the library for days on end. "it's so easy to get lost in a good book, I'll come out more if it'll make you feel better" something he said every time. he nodded. "well! that's good then. I know it can be a hassle keeping them safe, with all the magical properties in their blood and things..." he patted his old friend on the shoulder. he knew a little about her pain, but not very much. "oui. and she wants to see you as well. calls you the angel" he snickered. "but Mi-mi! you're so funny when drunk! and it only takes so little...I keep saying you must build resistance, non?"

"Don't you roll your eyes at me Neige Bascall," She ordered with mock severity. "And we both know nothing I say will pull you out of those books."
Miranda blushed. "She calls me what?" she asked startled.
"Mr. Bascall! IF you EVER mention that ONE instance I swear I will set a flock of angry owls on you!! That was one night, when I was frustrated with life!"
She was blushing furiously now and determinedly trying to avoid his gaze. She cleared her throat and asked, "Soo...seen any of the students yet?"

"psh" he laughed and waved his hands. "la, you are finally learning! after what? ten, twelve years?" even as kids she would pull him kicking and screaming out of the library, only to find the second she turned her back he was amongst the dusty tomes once more. "she calls you the angel" he laughed. "because you are so pretty and kind and always have animals around you, like the angels in her storybooks" children, so impressionable. but Miranda did look like the angels in the book, he had to admit. "ah? but Mi-MI! how can I forget when I have the pictures?" he snickered, then paused. "m, yes. Miss Darkbloom, Miss Starkey, and Miss Landon" he didn't mention his attraction to Vivienne Darkbloom, but he couldn't hide the light blush tainting his cheeks.

"..., like the angels in her storybooks" Miranda blushed furiously, and stared at the ground awkwardly and began messing with her robes.
Miranda noticed the slight blush but didn't know what to make of it.

after what? ten, twelve years?"
Miranda laughed then frowned thoughtfully. "How long HAS it been? Let's see, we met during my fourth year..your fifth....so that would make it....yes eleven yeas. Can you believe it's been so long? Time seems to pass with hardly anyone to notice."

he smiled. "now now Mi-mi, no need to be embarrassed, you do bear resemblance to them" Neige chuckled. "incredible! I remember when we met, I ran into you while reading and walking and you were trying to sneak some creature into the castle! ah, it feels like yesterday it happened but look at us! teachers where we used to be taught" Neige laughed at the irony.

"I wasn't smuggling him!" She immediately protested. "The nymph was scared...and needed some company..." They hadn't talked too much after that but found solace in one another's company. Not many people understood their aversion to human company. It wasn't that they didn't like people, it was just sometimes much easier to get lost amongst the books or creatures.
"But I love my students, Neige. I finally feel like I'm where I'm meant to be. After everything, I'm glad that Dumbledore dragged me back here. How did you end up here again? I forget. You came a year before me, right?"

"he was under your jacket, and you at first denied he was there, then claimed it was a toy, before you admit to bringing the nymph into the castle" he reminded her. "in France that is called smuggling" he smiled slightly. "oh...well, I was looking in the paper for a stable job, and found a need for an assistant librarian here. I answered it on a whim, actually, and to my surprise, well" he chuckled. "never regretted it since, and I'm back in my favorite place in the world besides with Blanche, Hogwarts Library~"

She grinned sheepishly. "I just wasn't sure my head of house would let me help him..."
"Well I for one am glad you chose to come. It is nice to have a um...human...friend here," She grinned. "But who takes care of Blanche while your away? Or at least until she's old enough to come to Hogwarts. Or will you send her to Beauxbaton?"

he laughed, then shrugged. "maman et papa take care of her, and I'm not sure...her mama went to Beauxbaton, but I don't know if I want her there..." he shrugged, rubbing his head. "I will decide later, when she is older. but now she is five and I have plenty of time" Neige chuckled.

"Time..." she sighed. "There's never as much of it as you think. I thought I had plenty of time with Branden but..." She looked stonely across the lawn. Neige knew some of what had happened. But she never did tell anyone the whole story. He knew that her fiance had died. But no one knew that he had been murdered.
"We can't count on time. All we can do is the best we can and love with all we have."

he looked at her and wordlessly pulled her into a hug. "I'm so sorry, you know I am. cheer up okay? smile!" he leaned back so he could see her face and gave her a goofy grin. "better to smile than let things get you down, no? I live in the moment and cherish my time" well, that was that then..he almost felt she was talking about Vivienne and urging him to go forward with it...maybe it would be a good idea to stop avoiding the girl... "Blanche, I worry for her, but France is safer than England, so I am confident she will grow up and go to school"

She forced a smile. "I'm fine, Neige. Really." she said, pulling away from him. "I just don't want anyone to make the same mistakes. And I know you do, old friend. Just don't hesitate to latch onto whatever love you find. You never know what will happen." She smiled wryly to herself. For herself, she chose to avoid any kind of serious attraction. She couldn't go through that again.

"Do not worry for your daughter. If she is anything like you she is strong and sure enough in who she is to do what she wants."

now he knew she was talking about Vivienne. "I won't, Miriam. trust me. I'll always stay by my loved ones" Neige laughed. "oh, I know that! once she sets her mind on something it's impossible to change her mind!" he sighed. "even.. Miriam, don't repeat this. to anyone. there is..someone...a student" he cringed. "I know, I know! it just happened!"

Miranda fought to contain her surprise. Instead of balking openly like she wanted she merely raised her eyebrows.
"A student?" She controlled herself as it seemed Niege himself wasn't quite comfotable with whatever emotions were coursing through him. "That's most unlike you my friend. "
She tucked her legs under her and waited for his explanation.

he sighed and sat beside her. "oui, it is. I won't deny. I do not have a habit of getting close to the students. but...Vivienne-Miss Darkbloom-is different. there is a...connection" he put his hands over his face. "I kissed her. I shouldn't have! it's so wrong! we were just talking, but the more we talked...it's a mutual attraction" as if that made everything better. "Mi-mi, what do I do?"

Keeping her face a passive as possible, she asked, "Well...tell me about this connection first. How did you two even meet, or get to the point where you could kiss?"
She watched his hands slide over his face. Her brows creased. She was genuinely concerned. But hadn't she just told him to latch onto whatever love he found with both hands?

"it is..electric" he moaned. "I want to be as close as possible. and I think about her constantly" he sighed. "well...we met in the room of requirement. and began talking..." he sighed again. "it looked like a teashop I swear the damn thing was setting us up" he never sweared, that was odd. he gave her a slight smile. "so, still think I should grasp this love with both hands?"

She smiled weakly. She knew that feeling all too well. But it was also a dangerous game to play.
"Neige," she sighed. "While I would love for you to find love again. You know I do. This is a dangerous game to play. For both of you. But, I hold to what I said. You must follow your heart and make the most of every moment. How does SHE feel about the age difference?"

"well...she kept pushing it, till I pointed out all the problems of this...and she still wanted it" he grimaced. "there's more, non? she's a pureblood. oh, if any of her Slytherin housemates finds out we're both done for" Neige closed his eyes. "I know it is, I know! very, very much aware" he smiled slightly at the end. "thanks Mi-mi. I think we will"

She smiled warmly at him. "You know I'm always here for you, Neige. To talk about whatever you need. You must be dying being away from your books for so long," she laughed, trying to carry on the conversation. "First the room of requirement now out here in the sunshine!" She pulled her hair behind her ear.

he laughed, relieved at the change of topic. "oui! oui! but I think Miss Pince will actually go at me with a pitchfork if I try sneaking back in right now" he laughed. "ah, well! my poor poor books..."