The last few months had been full of transitions it seemed.  Isaac had accepted a position with the Ministry, only to be called back to Hogwarts for the beginning of the term.  However, it became evident rather quickly that teaching was not meant to be.  He had felt constantly distracted with publication dates looming.  A distracted teacher wasn't a teacher who was able to truly do their job, in his opinion, and that was hardly fair to the students who had been counting on him.  So, he had tried to step down as graciously as possible.

It had been a bit of a rough transition, sitting at a desk for eight hours a day.  A lot of his time was spent on paperwork, and he was slowly adjusting.  There were many good things about this new position and the work he was doing.  The position also provided ability to leave work truly at the office at the end of the day.  It meant non-work hours were truly his.

That was also a bit of a scary proposition for him.  After all, he had spent so long diving into work to avoid having any real time for much of a personal life.  Maintaining friendships had been hard enough back when he was traveling the world in the name of research, and then Hogwarts had been a way to be in the United Kingdom and near his parents while still basically avoiding building a life outside of work.  Having free time meant there was time to ponder the things he had managed to never truly fit into his life.

Entering the Leaky Cauldron he ordered two beers at the bar before making his way to a somewhat private table on the other side of the establishment.  The regulars had gathered to listen to a Quidditch match and on occasion their outbursts of cheers or profanity laced exclamations of disappointment would fill the room.  At least the spot he had chosen meant two people could hold a conversation without yelling...for the most part.

Working in London had many perks, including being able to meet up with Jacoba on a more regular basis.  When she had left London he had questioned what he could have done differently to prevent her feeling like she had no where to turn.  True friends were often hard to come by, and he had felt he had found that in her.

Another outburst drew him from his thoughts and he looked over at the crowd for a moment.  It seemed they were rather divided tonight as there was a combination of cheers and boos at whatever call had just been made by an official.  The researcher in him sat back and watched, taking in the scene.  People in general had always fascinated him.  Of course his chosen path had been Muggle Studies, but one could learn a lot by just sitting back and observing wherever they were.

There was neither reason nor explanation for it but that didn't seem to matter much.  The residents of Diagon Alley had decided that Tuesday, November 24th, would be a slow and sleepy day.  As such, it had taken a little longer than usual to get through the stone passageway between Diagon Alley and the Leaky Cauldron.  Perhaps the cold, damp rain was keeping everyone tucked around their fireplaces but it was almost fifteen minutes before someone with magical abilities (usable magical abilities, at least) paved the way through the brick for her. 

Perhaps, as winter trudged on, Jacoba's motivation to solve her own magical dilemma might increase. 

But, finally, Mr. Clithers from across the alley came bustling down the street on his way home.  With a jovial greeting, he led the way into the alley behind the Leaky and bid Jacoba a goodnight.  Jacoba stepped inside and took a moment to stomp her feet and shake out her coat.  Her hair, of course, could be written off as a lost cause.  Eliminating frizz was a full-time endeavor under the most friendly of humidity conditions.  In London's dreary attempt-at-rain, it was easier just to decide the black-sheep-sprinkled-with-glitter look was in. 

"Either you're a saint or cruel." Jacoba stepped up to booth as Isaac people-watched and leaned over to offer him a hug.  She, of course, had never known the man to be cruel so it seemed safe to hope that both beers were not for himself.  The booth creaked, slightly, as she settled herself on the opposite bench, pointedly ignoring the long, stray glance from a younger, scraggly-looking wizard by the bar.  It wasn't long, though, before the fellow turned back to the game and Jacoba shrugged it off. 

"Back in London," Jacoba offered, curiously.  "It kind of has that affect, doesn't it?  Draws you back like an old Italian grandmother who can't let go.  You settling in alright?"  Not that she doubted he would; she knew he'd done enough traveling to be able to settle wherever he happened to be. 

"Either you're a saint or cruel."

The familiar voice drew him quickly away from his people watching as a grin spread across his features.  Returning the hug, his attention turned completely to Jacoba.  He was now very glad his gentlemanly ways had kicked in and that he had a pint waiting for her as it appeared the trip through Diagon Alley had not been a particularly smooth one.  He made a mental note that future he would be going by Reducto first before proceeding to the agreed upon location for post-work drinks until her still rather newly discovered abilities had been developed a bit more.

"You know me, ever the chivalrous type," he replied with a slight smirk as he pushed the second pint closer to her as she settled into the opposite side of the booth.

There was part of him that was keenly aware of the looks she tended to attract when they were out.  She was, after all, a very attractive young woman and a man would have to be foolish not to notice that.  He always tended to stop himself from thinking about it too much in the past.  There had been a couple of occasions where things had turned a bit more flirtatious but, there was still the fact that there was a considerable age gap between the two of them as well as the fact her brother had been one of his students.

He chuckled a bit at her analogy about London.  She was right of course, and taking a permanent position in London had been a long time coming.  Every time he had found himself between assignments the Ministry seemed to be lurking with an offer.  When the latest offer came followed by news that an old friend of his was renting a brownstone just a few blocks from the Ministry building, everything had just sort of fallen into place.  Even with the option of apparition, he had felt being closer to work would make things ultimately easier.  Plus, more and more his life was in London.

"The more you resit it, the stronger the pull to come back," he said.  "So far things are going well...it's just a bit different.  All government offices are the same - large stacks of paperwork to get even the smallest task accomplished.  But, there is the potential for the work we're doing to help Muggleborn students and their families."

He took a sip of his beer, and then said, "How have things been at the shop?  I've been meaning to stop by, but there always seems to be another piece of paper floating across my desk during the day."

Jacoba wrapped her fingers around the pint and took a sip, grinning slightly around the rim of the glass.  This was a pretty ideal way to end a Tuesday: sitting back, relaxing and enjoying pleasant company.  "Indeed, Sir Isaac," Jacoba confirmed with a playful grin as she set the glass back down on the table. 

"Of all the places to end up," Jacoba shook her head and gazed out the dusty window at all the unsuspecting muggles passing by.  That comment could be extended to any number of contexts.  London, as the conversation had indicated.  Wizarding London.  Or, here at the Leaky with Isaac.  It was officially twice now that Jacoba had left the city, convinced she'd never return.  And, yet once again, here she was.  "So, you think this is it?" Jacoba asked, curiously, turning back to Isaac.  "Here to stay?  You don't think you'll get restless?" 

The young woman nodded her head.  She'd been hearing rumors and comments about the MAO for quite some time - Sasha used to speak of it frequently until his application for an internship over the summer had been rejected.  "It sounds like it'll be interesting work.  Seems more and more offices seem to be taking an interest in the challenges they face.  Despite the paperwork, I'm sure it'll be rewarding.  Leaves you wondering where we'll be in ten years."  For her, especially, it was a strange and intriguing thought.  After all, she'd still been oblivious of all of this even as of a year and a half ago.  Now, despite having no practical magical ability to speak of (technically...sort of), reintegrating back into the muggle world sometimes seemed almost insurmountable. 

"The shop is the shop.  Not much changes.  Which, is nice."  Jacoba nodded and shrugged.  And, she was being honest.  There was a reliability and consistency that one could grow to rely on - it was a consistency that had been all but absent from most of the young woman's life.  She knew where she was going to sleep, she knew where she would be working.  "Seems there might be a potential for a job at the Ministry for me, as well," she offered, casually.  "I haven't done much to follow up on it, yet.  But,... I don't know.  It would be interesting." 

At one time the thought of staying anywhere in the UK had been laughable.  Even when Isaac had accepted the teaching position at Hogwarts and returned home he had been convinced that it was just temporary.  The plan had been that he would stay in the country while his mother was in need of his help with his father, but somewhere along the way that had changed.  Perhaps it was just a sign that he had in fact changed.

"The funny thing is when I first came back I thought it would be easy to leave again," he told her after another sip of beer.  "Whenever one of my studies came to an end it always felt like I was leaving home and home felt like the place I was just visiting.  I guess I'm just to a point where I'm tired of making connections only to fall out of contact with them a few months after a study ends because we're scattered all over the world.  I think any future traveling will likely be of a more short-term nature...sometimes priorities simply change."

Sipping at his beer, he knew she was right about what his office might be able to accomplish.  It didn't matter how many forms or reports he had to submit, or how many times the department's legal expert hounded him about some small seemingly insignificant  details...it would, in the long run, do some good to help Muggle families who were suddenly thrust into a world they considered impossible.

"Seems there might be a potential for a job at the Ministry for me, as well.  I haven't done much to follow up on it, yet.  But,... I don't know.  It would be interesting."

This was certainly a bit of surprising news in some ways.  Jacoba was intelligent and capable, but given her past trouble with the Ministry he hadn't exactly expected a job offer.  Whatever he abilities might be, it clearly opening up new paths for her to explore.  Of course the final decision would be hers, and it would be quite a change from the record shop.

"Which department?" he asked curiously.  "It could be a really good opportunity for you.  The Ministry isn't all bad...just a change."

Jacoba smiled warmly, even closing her eyes briefly while she gave Isaac's words careful consideration.  She could easily picture the man constantly wandering and moving from one place to the next and, with his personality, it was easy to see how he'd grow to feel at home wherever he ended up.  He was warm, empathetic and reached out to people without being overly intrusive.  Comfortable and reliable. 

"Looking to settle down roots?" Jacoba summarized, smiling across the table.  "I'm sure I'm not the only one here that's pleased to hear that." 

The young woman took a sip of her beer and turned her head to look out the window.  A woman was hurrying through the rain, her shoulders hunched against the cold.  "I never thought I'd stay here for very long.  When I came last year to check on my brother, I thought I'd be back in Amsterdam by the end of the week.  I don't think I've ever really had any place I considered home.  This - here's the closest I've ever come.  At least when they're not trying to run me out."  She couldn't have explained it if asked, but it wasn't Greater London she'd come back to.  It had been Wizarding Britain. 

Jacoba grinned and shifted forward on the booth bench.  Partly out of excitement and partly in an effort to keep the conversation from traveling too far.  There was no sense in having the wrong person overhear and sabotage the whole thing before she'd even officially interviewed. 

"For Edwin Glass?  In the Department of Catast- no..."  Jacoba hesitated a moment.  She'd practiced this so if her excitement didn't move faster than her tongue than she'd be able to get it right.  "of Accidents and Catastrophes.  I don't think the details are quite worked out, yet.  But, he mentioned bringing me in as a consultant for the Department.  To help with training and other stuff.  I think-"  Jacoba grimaced sheepishly.  "I think he's kind of excited about the idea of having a muggle in the office.  I, obviously, need to tell him - you know.  But, nothing's confirmed, yet, anyway."  And, she hadn't actually decided to confirm it, yet.  "Hopefully, that won't change things but ... it'd kind of be a real job.  I'll have to find somewhere new to live but ... who knows."

He could not avoid grinning a bit when she mentioned being pleased to hear that he wasn't planning on taking on any new studies and running off now that life had put him in a position do consider it once more.  Settling down and having a position that kept him more firmly rooted in London and not tucked away at Hogwarts or at his cottage all week meant he was finally truly doing just that.  He wasn't hiding from having a real life in his true home any longer.

He truly hoped that if she was working for the Ministry and it was discovered that she did have some magical capabilities that she would never be run out of the city and the Wizarding community again.  There was a certain amount of protecting and access for Muggle parents or Muggle spouses of a witch or wizard, but siblings were generally not high on the Ministry's priority list.

"You would offer a unique perspective," he told her.  "I think it would be a good opportunity for you, and it would open up some new possibilities for the future.  The details will work themselves out if you decide to take the position.  I'd say go talk to Glass and see what he has in mind...I'm happy to help you figure out the rest should you want to pursue it.  The choice is ultimately yours...I've avoided the Ministry route for years, so I'm sure you know I'll understand no matter what you decide."

He took a sip of beer and then a small half smile formed on his lips and he added, "Of course, I can't honestly say that my encouraging you to explore the particulars of the position further would be from a strictly professional stand point.  It would be nice to see you around the Ministry every day...I...well...Given that I have more of a personal stake in what you decide, I'm probably not the best person to give advice."

He diverted his eyes a bit to his pint as he spoke, relatively sure he was teetering on a bit of a fine line and the fact the he was getting a bit tongue tied was not helping.  If he was truly being honest there were times his friendship with Jacoba had caused him more confusion than he had expected.  They had tip-toed a bit with flirtation, but nothing had ever really come of it.  Usually he simply tried not to analyze it all too closely, especially when he hadn't been entirely sure how ethical it would have been for him to flirt with the considerably younger sister of a student.

With glass of beer half-raised, Jacoba paused a moment to listen to Isaac.  A subtle grin tugged at her mouth as she shook her head, slightly.  "A unique perspective, you say?" Jacoba repeated, coyly, peering over the rim of her beer glass as she finally took a sip.  Such a phrase could mean any number of things, depending on their source.  It wasn't too long ago that such a comment would have been delivered with a measured degree of condescension and derision.  A cutting dismissal rather than a positive affirmation.  The difference in interpretations was a measure of how much things had changed, as well as her current chosen company. 

Jacoba offered a genuine smile for a moment, before the coy grin returned.  "Are you saying the Ministry won't quite know what to do with me?" Jacoba asked.  Of course, that wouldn't be too different than the status quo.  Jacoba had been crossing paths with the Ministry for over a year and she suspected they still didn't know what to do with her.  "To be honest, I think I've already decided to.  I love Reducto and ... I don't know.  Might stay on part time or something.  Everyone there is like a new family and - their the primary reason I'd stay."  But, like the old saying said, when opportunity knocks...  "I'm ready for the challenge." 

"So, I might take you up on that offer to help find my way around that place.  I admit, I'm not even sure how I get in.  And, I think, the fewer faux pas I can commit, the better.  Like, dress code? What's witch business attire?  And, should I even try to fit in that much?  Reducto was a good stepping stone but, I have a feeling I'll be a bit out of my league." 

"Of course, I can't honestly say that my encouraging you to explore the particulars of the position further would be from a strictly professional stand point.  It would be nice to see you around the Ministry every day...I...well...Given that I have more of a personal stake in what you decide, I'm probably not the best person to give advice."

Isaac's words, alone, were interesting enough.  But, followed, as it was, by the averted gaze, it was ... intriguing.  Jacoba had spent enough years making her way on her own, flirting her way to free meals to have developed some ability to read men.  Jacoba grinned and arched an eyebrow in Isaac's direction, considering him in silence for a few moments.  There seemed to be three obvious approaches to this particular situation.  She could ignore it and assume they were still talking about career opportunities - which, of course, was the safest route in the event she was misreading him.  She could also test the waters, offer some subtly flirtatious comment in return.  Which could offer further illumination, if her guess was correct.  Or, make things awkward if it wasn't. 

Or, there was always the third and, arguably, the most cruel option.  She could continue to watch him, quietly, without saying anything and see what the prevailing reaction was - confusion or more flustered, tongue-tiedness. 

Given a few moments had already passed, it seemed she'd already decided on Option #3.  Though, she couldn't resist toss in a curious "Oh?"

It seemed that she was relatively set on joining the Ministry.  It was a bit of a relief to him as he had a suspicious she was the type who would flourish when given a challenge.  Perhaps it was a bit of intuition he had developed as a teacher.  One had to learn what type of person would do well when pushed and what type of person needed to have their hand held a bit as they maneuvered uncharted waters.

His stumbling was left to hang in the air and he shifted in his seat trying to figure out what to say next.  He glanced up to find her watching him and he wasn't entirely sure what to make of her expression.  Had he managed to make things awkward without really meaning too?  He had a way of doing that...The last thing he wanted was to muck up a perfectly good friendship with his conflicted feelings...especially if she only saw him as a friend.

Oh?

The single word hung in the air for a brief moment as he realized she was not going to simply let his last comment drop.  Nor was she going to help him through his stumbling awkwardness in any way.  He felt a blush creep into his cheeks, and he took a long drink of his beer, realizing his pint was nearly empty and wishing for something a bit stronger.

"I...It's...." he fumbled for the right words, shifting again in his seat.  "I'm just not completely impartial.  You're a dear friend...Of course if I had my way you'd take the job.  Getting to see you on a more regular basis would obviously be a nice perk of you working at the Ministry."

Looking down at his nearly empty pint shaking his head at his inability to express anything that he felt was coherent and added, "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's good you're ready for the challenge...that's why you should take the job.  It just came out in my usual stunning way of stumbling over whatever it is I'm feeling."

Not surprisingly, her entirely unhelpful response did little to alleviate Isaac's discomfort.  Her curiosity, though, remained unsatiated and, as such, she didn't immediately change her actions.  She continued to watch him for just a few more moments, sleuthing for any hints - subtle or otherwise - for the unspoken reasoning behind the sudden awkwardness. 

Finally, after watching him fidget awkwardly a few more moments,  Jacoba offered an apologetic smile and she dropped her gaze back to her beer.  She listened as he answered, surprised by an unexpected touch of disappointment.  Given the subtle potential scandal Isaac's nervous fidgeting, blushing and halting delivery suggested, his actual answer was polite and altogether proper. 

Isaac pointed his explanation and the conversation back towards decidedly business-oriented grounds and, a bit reluctantly, Jacoba followed his lead. 

"I imagine we'd see each other fairly regularly.  I mean, I assume there's a fair bit of cooperation between the departments?" Jacoba asked.  "Or, are they all their own little villages?  I really don't know much about how the Ministry works.  Apart from being on the receiving end of questions and inquiries."  She was quite familiar with being on the other side of the Ministry's confusions and concerns but that, of course, could hardly be the same thing.  "It'll be a whole new world." 

Jacoba took a drink off her beer before glancing, once more, curiously in Isaac's direction.  "You know," Jacoba offered, setting her glass down once more.  "It's alright to have more selfish motivations.  Even if it's not entirely appropriate."

He finished his beer, a little relieved the conversation was back on course talking about her new position at the Ministry.  The color in his cheeks was fading and he was sure of himself once more.  There was the briefest moment when he thought he saw a hint of something he hadn't expected to see...disappointment perhaps...flash across her face, but he wrote it off as just the realization that she had put him on the spot.

"Honestly, cooperation varies from department to department," he told her.  "For example, my office tends to rely a lot on Accidents and Catastrophes in certain cases.  Then you have the Department of Mysteries, which is supposedly all research oriented...they're sort of their own island."  Unless one was in the DoM, one couldn't possibly understand what went on up there.  The name of the Department contained the word Mystery for a reason.

"Magical Accidents and Catastrophes was actually the department my father worked for," he told her.  "There are a lot of good people who still work there...I think you'll your place rather easily."

Looking at his empty mug, he was about to offer another round when Jacoba caught him a bit off guard with a statement that brought on a fresh and deeper bout of blushing.  Perhaps he should have known better.  They had been friends for about year, and he knew she was observant and certainly not daft.  His assumption that he had managed to talk his way around an uncomfortable conversation had obviously been premature.  He took a breath, trying to process the thoughts racing through his brain and come up with a complete sentence...it was easier said then done with burning cheeks.

"I...I suppose I know that," he told her.  "I suppose I've just gotten into the habit of always appearing to do that appropriate thing...It tends to come with the territory when your job involves setting an example for students twenty-four hours a day.  I haven't quite internalized the fact that my personal life is now completely my own." 

He offered a bit of a shy smile and said, "I think I could use something a bit stronger then beer, would you like another pint or something else?"

Jacoba listened politely to Isaac's explanation about the Ministry departments.  She was interested, of course.  To some extent.  With luck, she'd be traversing all of this new terrain herself and negotiating her way through, with Isaac's and other's help, of course. 

But, the whole situation was far from a done deal and Jacoba had learned long ago to never count those proverbial eggs.  One's luck could change in a heartbeat.  For better.  For worse.  There was no telling.  For all she knew, the offer had been simply drunken musing and the man had thought better of it a day or two after.  Until the position had been formally offered it was, and she'd continue to regard it as simply a possibility. 

"I hope so," Jacoba offered.  "It would be an interesting opportunity.  I know I'll get some ribbing from the Reducto gang.  Reducto isn't exactly pro-beaurocracy central.  But, I think the position would be 'nouveau chic' enough to pass muster.  Especially as a muggle."  After all.  How much more counter culture could one get?  A "Muggle" at the Ministry of Magic.  Or, whatever she was.  She supposed they'd be finding out soon, though.  Jacoba's trip to Ireland would either confirm or deny it.  Jacoba still wasn't sure what she was hoping for.

Odd how, for someone as brazen as she usually was, she seemed to find herself surrounded by men who had blushing down to a fine art.  Jacoba listened closely as Isaac elaborated, nodding when he elected for a change of alcohol content.  "I've never been known to turn down a drink.  But, I can also change - or drop the subject, if you'd prefer.  My primary goal isn't necessarily to make you uncomfortable.  As fun as it is to see you blush." 

"Or, we can go elsewhere," she offered as an alternative.  Perhaps providing an alternate activity to drinking and talking would help.  Playing a game, walking, anything really often made it easier when there was some sort of distraction.  "I'll stop putting you on the spot, I swear." 

I've never been known to turn down a drink.  But, I can also change - or drop the subject, if you'd prefer.  My primary goal isn't necessarily to make you uncomfortable.  As fun as it is to see you blush.

Isaac couldn't help giving a soft chuckle, his previously shy smile becoming a bit more relaxed.  He certainly was good at letting someone get close to him while still keeping them at a bit of an arms length.  He was well aware that it was one of the personality traits that had kept him relatively unattached all these years.  Now it was simply habit to pull back when someone started to get to close, and he was clearly doing it yet again with Jacoba.

Or, we can go elsewhere.  I'll stop putting you on the spot, I swear.

He pondered it for a moment, and then offered, "It's not necessarily a bad thing to discuss topics that make me blush.  It just wasn't one of my more eloquent moments...It's a bit of a flaw of mine."

At the end of the day, if he was being truly honest, he knew he had been attracted to her from practically the moment they had met.  It had just been easier to ignore that particular thought when he was presented with the daily reminder that she was the sister of a student.  He had been tied up at the school and with his book so having any sort of personal connections outside the staff had been a bit more difficult as well.

"Perhaps...it might be good to get a bit of fresh air and enjoy the night," he said, deciding to take a bit of a risk and see if she would take him up an idea he had been chewing on since she mentioned going elsewhere.  "We could get out of London for a bit...the poofing thing still comes in quite handy."

He knew this had the potential to lead to a rejection, but he was tired of always bumbling through and mucking up things with his inability to just take a chance and not always to the perfectly appropriate thing.  Where had it really gotten him until this point after all?

"I actually need to retrieve a few books for work that I managed to leave at my cottage over the weekend," he continued.  "Perhaps you could come with me?  It's really quite beautiful up there at night....And I do know how to make a tasty hot buttered rum."

When Jacoba had originally suggested the change of scenery, she'd done so picturing something small and simple.  Something that would draw attention away from the moment of awkwardness.  Like a walk down the street.  A friendly game of ... darts.  The counter proposal was, admittedly, a surprise and it showed in her face for the briefest moment.  Either Isaac was attempting to make the vague symbols clearer or he was succeeding in making them more vague. 

The invitation was a surprise but not an unpleasant one, independent of what the implications behind it might have been.  Whether it was simply a friendly gesture or something more (and, perhaps, he simply was confused), the young woman was more than capable of accepting the invitation at face value.  Years of accepting offers to crash on couches had taught Jacoba to find her comfort zone just about anywhere.  Jacoba grinned and nodded her head, lifting her glass to down the remainder of her drink. 

"I haven't had a chance to get out of the city since getting back," Jacoba admitted.  "I think I could use a night away from the lights.  If you're willing to 'carpool' with me in the morning, I have to admit that sounds pretty nice."  Admittedly, Jacoba had never given that particular advantage of apparating much though.  Weekends, or even evenings, away certainly were much easier when it wasn't a couple hours and however much in petrol to get there and back.  "You said, once, it was on the coast.  Right?"  Jacoba asked, sliding to the end of the bench and slipping her coat over her clothes.  "Can't remember the last time I was there." 

Jacoba grinned as she fished in her pocket for her gloves.  "Buttered rum?  That seems fairly befitting of the weather.  Do I need to bring anything?  Food?  Ouiji board?  What other stereotypical sleep over activities are there?   Makeover kit?"

To his relief she had agreed to the change of plan he suggested.  Honestly he wasn't entirely sure if he would succeed in his attempt to get over some of his own hang-ups and there was certainly some risk involved if he threw caution to the wind and misjudged the situation.  There was a distinct possibility his feelings of attraction could be one sided and then things would be awkward between them for quite some time.

Following her lead and standing to retrieve his coat he reminded himself once more that never taking a chance meant never allowing for the possibility that something good might come out of it all.  Never taking a chance meant he would likely only be adding one more regret to a list that was longer than he cared to admit.  So, dropping enough money on the table to cover their drinks and a tip, he ignored his self doubt for now, reminding himself she had agreed to come with surprise, not hesitation.

 "You said, once, it was on the coast.  Right?  Can't remember the last time I was there."

"It is," he said, fiddling with his scarf and gloves.  "It's outside of Largs....just far enough away that what little light  there is in the town doesn't really effect the view of the night sky.  The back of the house has a view of the water...and it's relatively private.  I think that was part of the charm, I didn't have to worry about neighbors seeing me suddenly appear out of nowhere."

It also meant that they could talk and he could perhaps get a more definitive read on what was going on between them without feeling like all of Wizarding London could witness his inability to keep from blushing.  The cottage was somewhere he considered to be a place to simply relax and forget nearly everything else for a while.  Due to the private nature of the property it didn't seem like the outside world could burst in at any moment.  If the conversation got awkward he could simply change the subject or perform any number of hostly duties and in hopes of smoothing things over.

"Buttered rum?  That seems fairly befitting of the weather.  Do I need to bring anything?  Food?  Ouiji board?  What other stereotypical sleep over activities are there?   Makeover kit?"

He chuckled as he began to lead the way to the door so they could find a spot to apparate from and teased, "I think I would make quite the splash at the Ministry tomorrow with perfectly manicured nails and pink polish.  The office gossips will be beside themselves."

A bit more seriously he added, "I keep it relatively well stocked for those times I need to escape for a bit...So, unless there's something you need we can hear there whenever."