~9am

Set the morning after A book is like a garden carried in the pocket
 

Standing outside a familiar door just next to his own, Isaac wondered for a moment if he should perhaps checked on Morrigan the previous night.  She hadn’t shown up for her shift of hall monitoring, and he had covered for her.  It wasn’t like her to forget.  In the entire time he had known her, Isaac had perhaps come to consider Morrigan one of the most dedicated members of the staff.  She rarely missed a class, and this was the first time he could remember her missing her Saturday night shift.

With a slight sigh he knocked on the door before entering her chambers.  Their doors had been charmed so they might enter if the other needed something, and they had long ago stopped waiting for the other to answer.  He had been worried about his friend, but had been too tired to check on her the evening before.  She was usually up by seven, something he had learned when she had shown up in his chambers at that ungodly hour.

Opening the door he moved inside calling, “Morrigan?  Are you…”

He stopped when he noticed two figures on the couch, one of whom had a very familiar head of red hair.  With a smirk he waited for them to finish stirring from their slumber, knowing he would be teasing the red head about this for days to come.

The blanket was drawn up to his chest, and was warm. But not as warm as the body wrapped around his own.  Kendall couldn't remember the last time he had slept so well.  Of course maybe it was the Ogden's and Goblin Brandy that helped, but there was a warmth he had long long forgotten.

At some point during the night he had changed position and now had his arms around a peacefully sleeping Morrigan. In his wildest dreams he could not imagine falling asleep as he did last night.

The end of that peace began when he felt a coolness across his face.  A coolness generated by a change in the air patterns of the room.  He thought in the fuzziness of sleep that he heard a mans voice. "What would a man be doing in Morrigan's rooms at this time of the morn..."

Kendall's eyes shot open, a motion immediately regretted as the brightness of the sunlight streaming in her window struck his face. Wincing he closed his eyes quickly, even the motion of wincing causing his ears to ring.  The attempt to then move  his arm resulted in not being able to move at all, however something warm and slightly soft in his hand immediately stopped him for moving at all. Looking down he found his hand cupped against Morrigan's hip and backside.

"Oh this is not good." Kendall sighed.  "Okay... this is all some sort of odd dream and I am going to wake up in my rooms in my own bed right?" Kendall asked slightly above a whisper.  He then looked down to the head of red hair using his chest as her pillow. "Oh boy..."

The sound of a soft knocking drew Morrigan from her dreams, but she dared not open her eyes when the dull thudding starting.  She heard Isaac’s voice and was sure she was in the sitting area of her chambers; he would never venture past there.  She nearly groaned trying to figure out why she was there and why she felt like she had been run over by the Hogwarts Express.

Despite the obvious hangover she was warm and relatively comfortable and so she pretended to slumber on for a moment as her haze mind worked through what was going on.  What had happened the previous day?  Yesterday had been her day off and she had decided to spend it at the lake reading.  She had been quite peaceful until…

Oh this is not good.  Okay... this is all some sort of odd dream and I am going to wake up in my rooms in my own bed right?  Oh boy..."

Suddenly it all came flooding back to her at the sound of that familiar voice.  The conversation at the lake, the tumble into the lake, the start of the drinking….Suddenly she was very aware of the face that what was keeping her warm and comfortable was not a piece of furniture and she shot up quickly so she was sitting a couple inches away from him.  The action had been a major mistake, however, and this time a groan did escape her lips.

“Death would be kinder then a hangover,” she mumbled under her breath.

Slowly she opened her eyes, first seeing Kendall across from her.  The light was blinding, but she was slowly starting to adjust to it.  She also let her eyes wander to the door, sheepishly looking at Isaac.  She wasn’t sure how she ended up sleeping on the couch and on Fleetfoot of all people, and she was certain he wasn’t going to let her live down the fact that he had caught her.

“What was I thinking?” she asked with a groan, leaning back against the arm rest of the sofa.  “And what in hell are you still doing here, Fleetfoot?”

It didn’t take long for Isaac to figure out what was going on.  Beyond the pair on the couch he could see the coffee table and two nearly empty bottles of potent alcohol.  It wasn’t like Morrigan to ignore responsibilities, especially for alcohol so he found himself a bit confused by her actions.  They were slowly coming out of their clearly drink induced slumber and he could tell by their reactions this was probably not how either of them would have expected to wake up.

"Oh this is not good."

His smirk grew at that.  Clearly whoever this man was knew Morrigan’s temper.  Thankfully Isaac had never seen it turned on him, but he had listened to some of her rants in an attempt to let her vent and then calm her a bit.  As she shot up on the couch, groaning, he had to fight to keep from laughing.  The hangover she was obviously experiencing was clearly enough of a punishment for missing out on her duties.

“Death would be kinder then a hangover.”

“Yes, but then what would one learn from the experience of engaging in too much firewhiskey and brandy?” he asked, knowing he would probably have a spell launched at him, or perhaps just a pillow since she probably wasn’t thinking too clearly yet.

“What was I thinking?  And what in hell are you still doing here, Fleetfoot?”

Fleetfoot…that was a name he knew from talking with her.  That name often came up when she would talk about Red Rocks, and usually not with the kindest tone.  He had been under the impression that this man had been a source of constant annoyance to Morrigan with schools days filled with taunts and attempts to embarrass each other.  What could she possibly be doing with him in her chambers?

He had been about to excuse himself, but curiosity was getting the better of him, and form Morrigan’s tone he figured they might need someone to referee.

"What was I thinking?  And what in hell are you still doing here, Fleetfoot?”

Kendall sat up slightly himself, feeling the throbbing in his skull kindly reminding him that first it was not a good idea to mix brandy and Ogden's finest, but secondly, don't fall sleep with a childhood nemesis on your chest.  Thirdly Kendall realized that Morrigan and not realized his hand had been cupping her hip and backside.

"Hmm lets see, You asked for a blanket, I proded the fire, I sat on the couch with you and we fell asleep. I think that about wraps that up.  And we are back to last names again Morrigan?"

His mind now screamed at him that antagonizing the fiesty red-head was not the best idea before hangover potions, or at least strong black coffee.

He looked at the gentleman standing near the door.  "Since I have no idea why there is another man in your quarters, I suppose introductions must be had." Kendall carefully stood, his head swimming slightly, and extended his hand.  "Kendall Fleetfoot.  Childhood nemesis and new Charms professor." he then turned to Morrigan.  "You do still drink coffee in the morning right?  So  you must have some around to make?"

Kendall moved to take and fold the blanket and to restart the fire. "Is it me or is it a bit chilly in here?"

Morrigan squinted slightly as she looked at Kendall.  She couldn’t help the glare that happened when he called her by her first name.  What the hell had happened last night?  She was so confused and her head felt like it might explode at any moment.  She hoped whatever she had forgotten would come back to her soon, since apparently it might have been important.  The last thing she could remember was arguing with him over whether or not he had the qualifications for teaching.

“Well that explains why your still here,” she said a bit coolly.  “What I was thinking by allowing that to happen is a bit beyond me.”

She stood, pushing the blanket aside as he went to introduce himself to Isaac.  She didn’t say a word, letting him go about the introductions himself.  Honestly, she wasn’t sure she could handle this before a strong cup of coffee.  When Kendall mentioned coffee, she raised an eyebrow slightly wondering if he had developed the ability to read her clouded mind.

“The house elves should have some here shortly,” she muttered as he took the blanket and folded it.  “I can take care of that you know…”  She wasn’t sure how to feel about him fussing with the blanket and fire.  He seemed completely at him in her chambers, and given her current state she felt even more confused.

"Is it me or is it a bit chilly in here?"

She ignored him, turning to Isaac.  At least they were still dressed, which meant things had not gone too far last night in a drunken stupor.  Now she was sure he was simply using the hangover to confuse her further and irritate her.

“What are you doing…” she started to ask Isaac before she realized why he would be at her door so early on  a Sunday.  “Oh Merlin, I missed my hall shift last night…Isaac, I’m sorry.”

Isaac had to give Kendall credit for being brave in confronting the somewhat unpredictable redhead, especially when she was suffering the effects of too much fun.  He was ready to intervene if he needed too, and relaxed when Morrigan seemed more intent on trying to figure out how she had ended up cuddled up on the couch with this man.  Clearly she wasn’t in a mindset for throwing too many spells…yet.

”Since I have no idea why there is another man in your quarters, I suppose introductions must be had.  Kendall Fleetfoot.  Childhood nemesis and new Charms professor."

“Pleasure,” Isaac said, shaking his hand.  “I’m Isaac Fraiser, the Muggle Studies Professor and your nemesis’s next door neighbor.”

He watched Kendall move back towards the couch, making a comment about coffee.  Morrigan turned her attention to him then, and suddenly she remembered her responsibilities.  He smirked slightly as she apologized, glad he didn’t have to clarify it too much for her…after all, he wasn’t that upset with her.

“It’s alright,” he said.  “I covered for you, but it’s not like you to miss a shift which is why I came to check on you.”  He paused for a moment as the perfect payback hit him, and with a smirk added, “Wait…Fleetfoot…Morrigan, is this who you went to hear speak that time I had to cover your classes?”

He waited, knowing Morrigan had tried to avoid Kendall at all costs that day.  He had listened to her rant and rave about every minute detail, convinced there was more to the story then she was telling him.  Clearly he had been right all along.

Morrigan was now on the opposite side of the room from him now.  He looked back noticing Morrigan's wand on the side table and closer to him.  for some reason he figured that she hadn't figured it missing.

With a fire now blazing in the hearth, Kendall slipped over toward the table and slipped the wand into a pocket as he moved to stand by the  window.  He almost made it to until he heard Isaac. “Wait…Fleetfoot…Morrigan, is this who you went to hear speak that time I had to cover your classes?”

Kendall turned toward her, a gleeful look on his face. "You mean you came to hear me speak? When? Where? Oh it doesn't matter really. Here I thought after everything that happened back at Red Rocks you dispised me, by you came to see... Me!" Oh he was going to see if she had the fight in her.  Inside he was actually pleased and surprised that she had attended one of his talks.  Likely the one given in London just nine months before.  It had been a huge audience and he hadn't recongnized a single face in the crowd that day.

"So you are relying on the over-worked and lightly abused house elves to bring your coffee? Fine perhaps my own quarters for me then.  I have my own coffee there and don't depend on servants for everything."  That was  meant to get her to try and pull her non-existant wand.  This could be fun, but at the same time, the threat of leaving seemed to create a pit in his stomach now.

Wait…Fleetfoot…Morrigan, is this who you went to hear speak that time I had to cover your classes?

Morrigan shot Isaac the dirtiest look she could manage without making her headache worse.  However, it jogged something in her memory from the previous night.  Kendall had though she was Aiene coming to hear him give a talk; he had seen a head of red hair in the audience and never assumed it to be her.  For some reason that conversation had been tied to something else…but what?

You mean you came to hear me speak? When? Where? Oh it doesn't matter really. Here I thought after everything that happened back at Red Rocks you despised me, by you came to see... Me!

“Red Rocks,” she admitted coolly.  “Only you mistook me for someone else.”

She didn’t say anything else, knowing the reference was perhaps a bit of a low blow.  However, he needed have his ego knocked back down a bit in her opinion.  He was thinking entirely too much of why she would have gone to hear him speak and she meant to rectify that quickly.

So you are relying on the over-worked and lightly abused house elves to bring your coffee? Fine perhaps my own quarters for me then.  I have my own coffee there and don't depend on servants for everything.

She reached into her pockets, trying to make it look like she was simply letting her hands rest there, but was feeling in her right pocket for her wand…which wasn’t there.  Her eyes narrowed at him slightly as she looked at the table…for some reason, she remembered putting it there.  Yet only the chopsticks she had used for her hair the night before were on the table.

“Don’t test me, Fleetfoot,” she said, walking towards him, not letting on that she was almost sure he had her wand.  “Tell me, last night, did you have to lift a finger to find anything in your quarters?  Do you think if you went back there right now the coffee wouldn’t already be waiting?”

Looking at Isaac she asked, “Have you had coffee yet?  I’m sure there’s three cups waiting for me in the dining area.”

Isaac saw Kendall pick up Morrigan’s wand out of the corner of his eye, fighting the urge to laugh at the exchange over her visit to Arizona to hear him speak.  He had always thought that perhaps his friend had a bit of a crush on her old nemesis, but the glare he received confirmed it.  He certainly seemed more capable then most of holding his own against the somewhat outspoken and quick tempered woman.

He weighed his options for a moment.  Somehow he didn’t think it would be wise to be in the middle of this, but he wasn’t sure how close they were to an explosion giving what he knew of their history and the fact that they were both quite hung over.  He knew he should at least be able to hear them from next door in his chambers if it got too heated…he could always come back.

“No, I’m fine,” he said.  “And I should probably excuse myself since I can see you’re fine.  I have some work to do before classes tomorrow.  It was a pleasure to meet you Kendall, and welcome to the staff.”

"Thank you Isaac. Pleasure to meet you as well."

Kendall replied in deep contemplation.  Morrigan had come to Red Rocks to hear him speak.  This was a huge revelation to Kendall as well as a complete blow to the bravado that had been brought on by the hangover.

"You really came to see me speak in Sedona?" He asked, "You and I are not exactly the best of friends Morrigan, nor are we enemies enough to attend a speaking engagement over four thousand miles away to heckle one another.  That means that the person I saw was you, not Aiene but you." Kendall then handed over the wand he had picked up, not noticing the silver sparks emitted from it's tip.  He collapsed into the chair he had sat in the night before.

"You must think me an idiot after what was said last night.". He ran his hands down over his face, feeling the roughness of his unshaven growth.  Truth be told Kendall had spent nearly three hours after the talk had finished scouring the campus for the redhead.  What would he have done had he found that it was Morrigan and not Aiene?  "You realize that nothing more than falling asleep happened last night?"

((OOC: To make this easier and to avoid a pointless post from Isaac who is also my charrie, I'm just making one post here))

Morrigan gave Isaac a nod before he showed himself out.  She would have to stop by to see him later and apologize again.  She hated that she forgot one of her responsibilities, and it bothered her more then she thought it would.  With a sigh she looked back at Kendall as h spoke, knowing he was right.  How could she ever explain her presence there?  She took her wand, moving to sit back on the couch again.

That means that the person I saw was you, not Aiene but you.

"Yes it was me," she said softly, curling her feet under her.  "I...I was curious.  I get notices from them all the time and I saw your name and I couldn't resist."

She closed her eyes for a moment, pinching the bridge of her nose as he continued on.  She looked at him a bit curiously when he asked her if she realized nothing had happened.  She nearly laughed, and normally a snarky comment would have rolled off her tongue, but not came to mind for some reason.

"Last night is a bit fuzzy, and that's maybe not a strong enough word...but I believe you," she said.  "So, why would I think you an idiot exactly?"

"Last night is a bit fuzzy, and that's maybe not a strong enough word...but I believe you," she said.  "So, why would I think you an idiot exactly?"

The end of the previous evening was indeed fuzzy if not completely cloudy. Kendall remembered however the vow he had taken. "Last night I told you about the talk in Sedona.  How I had seen a red head in the audience and thought it was Aiene." He paused and sighed.  "I spent several hours after the talk looking for that red head.  You must have made a very abrupt exit."  He was wondering where those elves were with either tea or coffee now.

"I thought about it and when I was searching for her, I was angry.  I was upset that she would come and mock me in front of the school I had attended while she had led a typical pureblood life here. I thought she was rubbing it in my face, yet..." He looked up into her face, openess on his own. "You were the one who came.  Out of some perverted interest, or out of some deep seeded desire hoping I was make a fool of myself.  Or even out of an ernest deisre to see what I was doing.  It doesn't matter."

Kendall stood and moved to the now all too familiar window ledge. "When Isaac indicated that you had been and attended one of my lectures, I had figured it was London at the Ministry, not Sedona. Then to hear it was you at Red Rocks..."  He turned to face her "I don't know how I should react!  Based on yesterday, our first conversation in nearly what seven years? Then there was falling into the lake, last night with the Brandy and Ogden's, and the truce... I just don't know where I stand with you, or you with me."

It only added to his confusion that he had never slept as soundly as he did last night.  Even when he and Aiene had been together, sleep had been fitful and broken.  And it wasn't as if alcohol had helped then for he and Aiene were both able to hold their own in that department too.

Waking up with Morrigan in his arms this morning had been utter contentment.  A peace he had never had before in his life.  Well if he thought about it that wasn't true.  There was one time before that he had felt that peace, when he and Morrigan had shared common areas at Sedona.

Morrigan listened as he spoke, slowly more of the evening coming back to her.  They had done quite a bit of drinking…There had been a moment when he dropped the manuscript and while picking up the papers their eyes had met and both had been unable to look away.  There had also been quite a bit of flirting.  Had she really allowed Kendall Fleetfoot to flirt with her?  How much flirting back had she done?

You must have made a very abrupt exit.

She snorted softly remember that she had wanted coffee, thinking she would look in the dining room in a moment, and said, “Do you think I would have willingly admitted to you I went?  I wasn’t even sure what I was doing there so the thought of explaining it to you was not a very pleasant one.”

He continued on and she watched his face, seeing sincerity there.  The vow from the night before suddenly echoed in her mind.  He had made a promise to uphold their truce.  She couldn’t remember the context, but he couldn’t deceive her or make any move against her without her first releasing him from his promise.

She stood slowly, moving away from the couch to seek out her coffee.  She was vaguely aware of him standing as well, but she continued to listen as he spoke, letting him sort through things.  Her own mind was as much of jumbled mess as his, and she wasn’t entirely sure what to tell him at that moment.

I just don't know where I stand with you, or you with me.

She sighed as she found the tray with coffee and two mugs on the take in the dinning room area on the table.  Picking it up, she carried it back to the coffee table, not looking at him for a moment.  She set the tray down slowly, the glass mugs clinking a bit as she did so, and then finally her eyes travelled to the window.  It was then the memories from the rest of the evening hit her.

"How is it I spent all this time trying to keep you at an arms length and somehow you seem to know me better then I know myself?  And here I am blubbering like some foolish girl."

He had wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks, standing next to her at the window.  She could almost feel her skin warming a bit at the memory where his fingers had caressed her skin as a display of comfort.  She had told him then she wasn’t good at letting anyone in, she had tried to put the distance back between them with that statement, and she was almost successful in allowing that to be her cop out.  That was until she remembered something else he had said…

“And who supports you when you fall? When you take that step off the path.  Because I can tell you it is scary to fall.

“You were right you know.  I am scared out of my wits about handling classes.  I know you are here now.  Someone I respect and know.  Someone I can turn to.  Who do you turn to?  This isn't Red Rocks anymore, and we may want to challenge each other to duels like back then.  Honestly I need your friendship.  And it sounds like you need someone too."

She stared at him for a moment, not moving or speaking.  She had started to let him in last night, and that thought frightened her more then she cared to admit.  She didn’t let people in, not really.  Not even Isaac who was a bit like a brother to her.  How is it he had managed to break down her carefully placed defenses?

“Maybe we shouldn’t try to figure it all out in one day,” she said finally, looking away and starting to fuss with the coffee.  “I mean…this is a big step, you and me trying to be friends.”

A realization had come over her, one that felt a bit like punch to the gut because it seemed to knock all the wind from her sales.  She had fought so hard to keep Kendall always at an arms length because she was afraid.  She had been afraid if she let him in she would end up hurt.  What had it earned her really?  More hurt from the comments he would make in response to her coldness.  She would never admit that to anyone…She hadn’t even admitted it to herself until now.

Listening to her soft voice as  she brought the coffee to the couch, and began to fix her own, Kendall realized that she was right.  Things were moving rather quickly for the two of them from enemies to something different.  Something scarry to both of them.

“Maybe we shouldn’t try to figure it all out in one day,” she said, and she was right.  This was an event that would take time.  And time was something that the two of them would have.  Well between classes, hall duties and marking work.

"No I think you are right.  I think trying to analyze everything would be a huge mistake."  Kendall came back and sat in the chair, watching as she prepared her mug.  He knew that this may  be the moment that would tell how long the truce would last.  "If you don't mind the company a bit longer I'll join you in a cup of coffee, but I really should finish getting my rooms settled. Mind you I am sure that the house elves will have everything in a place I will never find it by now."

His own nerves were on end.  He needed to sit and contemplate what he and discovered.  Surely the ability to sleep had been the combination of exhaustion and alcohol.  Surely he had not found himself waking up with his hand on Morrigan's bottom  and without any prrotest from her.

"Of course if you would rather the time alone, I can certainly go back to my own quarters now."