It was a leisurely Sunday. Juliette had the luck of having off from work, and despite a few brief showers, the sun was now peaking from behind thin clouds, the temperate mild enough for March as the redhead apparated from London to a similarly pleasant, if much less busy scene at the edge of the forest. Green was beginning to poke through a bed of leaves, all of it wet and soft as Juliette wound up the path to the waiting figure[1] and offered a musical-sounding, amused hello in the tongue of her father.

Whatever Juliette had expected of the day, it had not been what happened next.

But it had happened: Landis, on one knee, with the customary wooden ring of long wizarding tradition, that ring which would be beget another, and another, before their commitment was sealed, its own peculiar and singularly powerful brand of magic. A wizard’s proposal, markedly distinct from the brasher kind of their magicless neighbors. Juliette’s mouth opened, clearly shocked, before it caught up with reality— a rare, off guard moment for the witch. She regained control of her face and limbs, then, her expression melting into one of overwhelmed joy, and she reached out with both arms, her pale fingers netting softly about the wizard’s cheeks. The innocent surprise in her expression broke into a lively smile, and there was a kind of laugh as she exhaled, remembered to breathe. “Yes,” she said. “Yes.”

She bent to kiss him, a spell of red hair and warmth, before he even slipped the wood band onto her finger. By the time he was on his feet again, and the ring in its new home, Juliette was leaning up to capture his mouth more properly, her eye lashes a bit wet as they closed. It was a smile as much as kiss, though, and she could hardly keep it from her face. Landis, too, was smiling, his hands at her waist as he returned her kiss. With arms knotted around his neck, she pushed her forehead to his, and murmured the things she said occasionally, when they were alone. Landis had his own way of bestowing affection, and if Juliette’s was different, it seemed only to kindle her quick and sure answer. “I choose you,” she whispered, quite sure she did. His answer, “I’m glad,” made her laugh.

Withdrawing her hands to stare down at the new ring, Juliette could only smile harder. It was perfect, a ring in the tradition that her grandmother had followed, an elegant and carefully chosen thing that matched one he wore. It fit them, this little symbol that they had found one another, and were, perhaps, by some unknown element, made for one another.

As they walked toward the town, she turned a bit to look at him, and gave his hand a testing-but-seemingly-nonchalant squeeze. “Louis will be devastated he missed it.” She spoke as if it were all his fault. Juliette was thrilled.

Landis laughed and then, quite straight-faced, offered most generously, “He can come to the wedding.”

He ducked to kiss her again, and she shook her head, playfully, in mild awe, humming against his lips. “I can’t believe you managed that without saying the word love.” There seemed to be an unspoken, teasing 'and I said yes' tacked to the end of the statement. It was endearing, though, in its way. A Landis Morgan way. Impressive, really. The look he gave her was mildly apologetic and certainly smart, his mouth drawing a familiar line. “I tried, but it burned a bit.” Juliette scrunched her nose as she smiled, keeping him close. “I love you.” Effortless. She was rubbing it in his face, now.

They began to approach shops and people, the start of the high road, a merry secrets visible on their faces and in their movements. Juliette hadn’t a care for Landis’ usual discomfort with public affection (not that she always went without cheekily testing it). She might have been biased, but she thought he didn’t mind in this particular moment, either. She had entwined her newly claimed hand with his; the touch of the band on her ring finger was made more obvious as it pressed into Landis’ grasp and his own ring.

She shared a luminous smile and small nods with familiar faces, students and townspeople she easily recalled and missed from her time at the castle. They soon stepped into the Three Broomsticks, which was crowded with yet more well-known faces. As she greeted them, the traditional wood ring held no ostentatious glare, but rather a rustic beauty. Even so, one glance, and its meaning would be immediately obvious to those familiar with the ritual.

1.	All Landis godmodding approved by Zira

It was a little tiresome, when one's face was now known to the locals, who in turn knew one's profession. Ignan was resenting it particularly that squally Sunday in The Three Broomsticks with its rain-speckled windows. He fielded questions from a small cluster of drinkers about all sorts of daft devices and minor household charms that had suddenly risen in popularity with the dementor news splashed across the Prophet.

"Moving to the tropics has other risks, yes, but you are correct that dementors haven't established themselves particularly in those climes." Ignan explained to a rather insistent squat witch who clasped a pint in both hands, her short stubby fingers meeting in the middle.

The door opened and revealed the familiar shape of the Hogwarts Librarian and Head of Slytherin, Landis Morgan. A familiar face that would either provide a polite exit from this conversation, or a useful ally in re-educating these unfortunate members of society who had cornered him. To his delight, and further assurance that the former would be the solution to his irritating conversation topic - he also spied his old colleague, Juliette with the wizard.

"Look, it's all in the Ministry advice -."
"But you said that was weak at best-."
"-perfectly adequate to your magical aptitude." 

The squat witch made a face that for a split second matched Ignan's estimation of Lucrezia Di Luca's face if embraced by Nightingale Kesali. The disgust and offence he'd caused gave him enough of a chance to break free. He landed his empty wine glass with a dull ring on the table before them all.
"Good day to you all."

He approached the familiar pair with a look of relief, behind him the group he'd conversed with were preoccupied with the protests at his critical measure of one of their party's magic. With any luck they'd not speak to him again if he came in another day.

"Landis." Ignan greeted, offering a respectful nod, and then softened his features to greet Juliette, after all, she was both a beautiful lady, and one he'd not seen in a little while.

"Juliette, how lovely to see you." Contrary to popular belief, for those he respected - Juliette and Landis quite high up that list - the silver haired wizard was rather polite, and borderline charming.

He gestured generally with both hands - never quite knowing whether it was proper to greet the courting partner of one's colleague with a nod and a smile, a gentle hand on the arm, or something more familiar.

"The two of you look very well…" He observed their bright eyes. "Forgive me, I'm interrupting something aren't I?" He held up a hand and took half a step back, suddenly conscious he'd been rather swift in his approach.

It was a rainy day, the clouds hanging low in the sky, broken by the occasional beam of sunlight. Grey, dreary and chilly - ideal for a warm drink at the Three Broomsticks, really. Just enough to warm one up, of course - it wasn't 5 o' clock yet, now was it? And turning up to classes buzzed was terribly unprofessional.

Tapendra ran a hand through his hair as he stepped out of the street into the warmth of the bar, the thick air a shocking contrast to the cool thin air outside. Reaching into the pocket of his long coat for his wand, he brushed his shaggy bangs out of his eyes. It'd been a long walk from the castle, and a few waves of his wand and some muttered spells soon took the mud and water off his shoes and coat.

It was a familiar place, the bar - it'd hardly changed since his time as a student, war or no war. He'd become far more familiar with it recently, of course - it was the only decent watering hole in town.

He walked in, tucking his wand back into his pocket - and stopped short at the sight of Ignan, Juliette and Landis.

Juliette was a welcome sight, if an awkward one - he'd still not paid her back for the shoes he'd discarded when stuck in her body - but the bright shine in both her and the librarian's eyes was odd. Mostly in Landis's case, of course. Emotion was not something the man expressed often.

Ignan stood nearby, frozen in mid-greeting; Tapendra wandered over, long legs accentuating his ambling gait and easy smile.

"Good afternoon," he said to the group, gaze polite but searching. It was that searching gaze that let him spot the ring on Juliette's finger. His eyebrows rose and he was unsure what to say - had that been there for awhile and he'd missed it, or...? He glanced to Ignan as if the man would have an answer.

Landis was, unsurprisingly, in a remarkably good mood. He and Juliette had been planning to meet in Hogsmeade for some time; they met as often as possible, which still wasn't very. Though initially dead chuffed to separate his professional and personal life once more, Landis had found Juliette's leave of Hogwarts ultimately less than ideal. Oh, it'd been much easier to face his colleagues without the distraction around, and though the occasional (stupid) student still gossiped of their unfortunately public past spat Landis intimidated better without Juliette to soften him. He'd been able to get all manner of work done without taking out time each day for her. His sleeping schedule had returned to near-abyssal, giving him helpful extra hours. The detritus of shared living - her clothing, the wandering perfume vials, the chair she always pushed out of alignment to move closer to the fire - all gone. His rooms had never been more clean. Even the library was better-organized, which perhaps spoke more of his returned singular focus than any actual library treatment by her.

And of course, thank Merlin, the bloody dog was gone.

For perhaps the first month Landis was uber efficient and a little secretly thrilled. It was possible a lack of Louis contributed mostly to this thrill. (No more fur on his inevitably black trousers. No more piss in his high-end shoes. He might have taken a blasting charm to the dog crate with unusual enthusiasm.) But gradually he found that he had become entirely accustomed to having Juliette around. It wasn't thoughtlessly easy to go back to how he'd lived before. Even visiting regular weekends, he'd missed her.

Hardship was no hardship for Landis; he was a serious, dour man, a workaholic, who preferred to be alone. Juliette was probably the only person around whom he relaxed. She badgered him into informality when he was more naturally inclined to freeze. It was odd how much he missed that - to think, at 3 or 4 AM when he finally retired, of laying down beside her. Of wanting her beside him, and being disappointed when she wasn't. It was a fearful sort of closeness. Landis had wanted it before and it had gone very badly - a slow, unfurling tragedy that years later still affected how he looked at Dazmond, and which had made things complicated between his few friends. Did he really intend to try that again? There was a permanence in what he considered with Juliette, which made it simultaneously more reassuring and more frightening. He would be far more invested, as if Landis ever did things halfway when he did decide to place his trust in another person.

A traditionalist in the extreme, he bought the first of the rings for an old, old ceremony. Wood, iron, silver and finally, if they married, gold. It wasn't like a muggle proposal but the start of the path that led there. They would both wear the rings as a symbol of their commitment and intentions, the different materials signifying where they were in the process.

Even up until the silver ring, the arrangement was breakable. Landis cautiously tried optimism that they'd make it effortlessly to gold. He thought he'd read her right. Wasn't this what she wanted, that she'd held onto him so stubbornly? He wasn't as comfortable with anyone else as he was with her.

She loved it. She loved him. The proposal went so easily.

Juliette had always been the more demonstrative, unsurprisingly. Both Landis' heritage and his nature reserved him against open affection, a caution his impetuous and unself-conscious French lover did not possess. On the forest road into Hogsmeade they were alone and he kissed her deeply, without reservation, very happy. She was actually his. The decision he'd made regarding his darker activities, and getting involved with her regardless, seemed absolutely right. He was so glad he'd decided to take the risk.

As they walked towards Hogsmeade, finally coming into view of the buildings and the students who rushed about, Landis did move a little apart from her. He didn't move away entirely. He was aware that he didn't deserve a woman like Juliette. Landis had warmed up for her but he'd never be quite like other boyfriends, and although she teased him madly she in turn had been so understanding. So patient. If he entertained any discomfort about holding hands before his students and colleagues, or allowing her to press close as they walked, it was easy enough to smother for the sake of her bright smiles. It wasn't difficult to smile back, and it didn't cost him anything to slide an arm around her waist with more of the casual intimacy he showed when they were alone.

After all, he could have asked at a different time if he'd wanted more privacy than they had now. But Juliette missed her former colleagues and Hogwarts, more than she'd perhaps admitted to him, and he felt she'd be happier here than in the quiet intimacy of her Parisian flat where they'd spent the summer. Landis recognized his own emotional shortcomings, and thus always tried to be very considerate; although her answer had pleased him too, this was all for her. He might have miscalculated greatly - it seemed like a guessing game sometimes, so thank Merlin he'd seemed to guess right - but he thought she would like being proposed to here where it had all begun.   

Romantic, right? ....Right? Landis really didn't know.

He'd always expected his own marriage to be a partnership rather than the result of a sentimental attachment. If he was so lucky as to have found someone with whom he'd actually enjoy that partnership, it all seemed rather new and miraculous to him.

So he was, for Landis, rather relaxed and friendly when they entered the Three Broomsticks. He was less tense than usual, his body language loose, and although he wasn't smiling like Juliette's open mien his expression did not appear to be carved from any type of rock. He ignored all students who would require him to put on frostier airs and tried very hard to let his pleasure buoy him into a more sociable mood. Juliette would want to greet anyone she remembered from Hogwarts and the truth of their matching wooden rings would probably come out, and he was okay with that. Really. It wasn't anything to hide. He repeated this statement silently to himself until he felt he had more of a normal person's conception of privacy instead of an extraordinarily paranoid criminal's. It took a little doing, but he had good incentive.

Of course, a pint would help.

It also helped that the first recognizable greeting was from Storm. Landis held Ignan in extremely high esteem, and though Ignan took a step back retroactively the younger man didn't seem the slightest bit discomforted by the familiar approach.

"Not at all. Why don't you join us?" Landis' gaze shifted visibly over Ignan's shoulder, to the thwarted witch and others lingering by the table from which Storm had beat a quick retreat. His tone turned dry. "Perhaps a different table." He said it just as Trishna ambled up. Landis nodded in greeting, his expression neutral but hinting that Tapendra would be welcome too.

"Not at all. Why don't you join us? Perhaps a different table"

Not far behind Juliette and Landis was Tapendra, who greeted them all good afternoon, and then seemed to look to Ignan to fill in the gap of what the matter was. Matters were still rather prickly between the two friends, so Ignan barely took notice, and hadn't as yet, noticed hands.

"Yes, a different table." Ignan echoed and glanced again at Tapendra, wondering what he had stopped and given the look for.

"Can I get anyone anything?" He asked, having left his empty glass back with the irritating and ignorant members of wizarding society behind them.

"Something the matter, Trishna?" He added, the way he addressed Tappy was more formal than he might usually.

He had been here only for a quick bite to eat, and met with a few friends to ease his heart after the transition period where he went home alone. It wouldn't be for long, he kept telling himself, but there was a great deal of him that already missed Chaz…and that damn cat. He had gotten a few letters already and enjoyed each one, but knew there would come a time when they would slow or even stop and for now he was just taking it a day at a time. Break-ups were never easy, but this one was on mutual grounds. Plus he didn't have time to be sad, there was much to do with having a new house. School would be let out for the summer soon, but he couldn't think about that at all.

"Thank you," He smiled to the tender who wrapped up his dinner and turned to make his escape seeing that it got rather busy before he flat out ran right into the gathering group of his colleagues and nearly took them down.[1]

"Oh." He whimpered a moment, "I'm sorry I…wasn't paying attention, but…" He stopped seeing his favorite couple, having always felt like a creepy stalker when they were together in places and he couldn't help watch. They were a good pairing and after a careful glance over the pairing he hopelessly spotted the rings.

"Mr. Morgan," He gave Landis a grin before going to  Juliette (who he hadn't much of a chance to get to know, but lord Maker he certainly thought she was something, and missed her being at Hogwarts.) "And… the soon-to-be-Mrs. Morgan?" God he hoped he was right, and looked around for confirmation while saying his hellos,

"Trishna…Storm."

1.	Can be anyone, or just a NPC professor.

Juliette’s eyes landed on Ignan, and seemed to further light up. She had not seen her former colleague in quite a while, but missed him and the other professors as much as she missed the castle and her classes— even the children, whatever her librarian’s particular thoughts on teenagers.

“Ignan, it’s wonderful to see you, too,” she returned the greeting, smiling broadly. “There’s never quite a day off around here,” she added, clearly humored by the relief he’d worn as he approached. She peaked beyond him at the ever-crowded bar, before catching his eye again.

Landis assured him that he was not interrupting, and Juliette elaborated. “We’re celebrating.” The thrill was still obvious in her face, and in no danger of disappearing anytime soon. She might have explained further in that moment, but the crowd and sudden influx of friendly faces meant more greetings and staking a claim on a table first. There was plenty of time to share the news— or perhaps poke Landis to do it, and delight in the results.

“Tapendra,” she called warmly. “How are you?” Juliette was clearly in a good mood and glad to see the astronomy professor, whatever their body-swapping misadventures of months past. Where Landis was subtle, she gestured openly for him to join them, but was cut off abruptly by the flurry of light hair. Juliette backed up quickly, narrowly grazing Nightingale as he ran into others.

It was becoming quite the little reunion, and a timely one at that. Nothing could keep Juliette from grinning. The diverse but familiar gathering seemed only to add to her good mood. It felt right, somehow, the right place and time.

If the other two were unsure about what was going on or what to say, Gale was more forward in his question. She smiled at him, the strange and ethereal Charms professor. “Landis just proposed,” she confirmed, obviously still elated-- though decisions like taking names were a far off discussion. She held out her hand gracefully, showing the ring before glancing again at Landis. And then, with a renewed grin: “I think it means we’ll have to get him drunk now.” She had missed this peculiar grouping.

She gestured to the table emptying beside them, waved her wand to pull out one of the chairs, and began to remove her scarf, lest Ignan’s favorite chattery patrons spread to multiple tables like dragon pox. Juliette settled on wine while the others decided on their orders, and looked around the table, her chair close to Landis’. “How are things at the castle? Are the children charming as ever?” The word charming was tinged with humor.

Kesali got there first.

"And the soon-to-be-Mrs Morgan?"

There was a moment of confusion and then Ignan's eyes fell to Juliette's hands and then to Landis in puzzlement and then polite surprise.

"Landis just proposed." Juliette informed them all, confirming the suspicions. Her dainty hand was held out to reveal things properly.

"I think that means we'll have to get him drunk now."

"That can be arranged." Ignan replied, still looking ever so slightly dazed. It had been a long time coming after all. "Though I am sure there will be another opportunity for that without his good lady's presence."

He let the others take their seats, having caught the attention of the figure at the bar, and inclined over  little to convey the order, gesturing back to the table where the strange group of them were now sat.

As he slid into a seat at the table, he could hear the conversation had already slipped onto marginally less exciting topics of Hogwarts students, so when the champagne, chilled by charms and the glasses arrived at the elbow of Landis, Ignan feigned no knowledge to be polite.

"Charming? Only when they want something." He echoed his colleagues. "Ah, how convenient."

Another addition to their little party came when Gale Kesali nearly took Landis out from the side - only the distinctive blaze of his pale hair turned Landis' head in time, and he side-stepped before the little stumble could become more embarrassing. He would not have expected Kesali to be the first to identify the older wizarding tradition but then, Landis supposed matching rings were conspicuous no matter their origin. His brows rose but he nodded, slipping an arm loosely and casually around Juliette's waist as she flaunted the sleek wooden ring.

He did not have the respect for and familiarity with Kesali as he did with Trishna and Ignan, and the pale man's presence called Landis somewhat back to himself in a pubful of colleagues, students, and strangers - mien nearly retaking the stern blandness which was as instinctive to his public persona as the shrugging on of his suit jacket or knotting of his tie. Distance visibly crept into his expression only to dissipate again when he looked down at Juliette, and he breathed - relaxed - she was so obviously happy. Landis had no problems with Kesali if Juliette wished him to be there.

“I think it means we’ll have to get him drunk now.”

He let out a short, startled laugh, not expecting Juliette's conspiratory aside. "I don't think so," he said, his reply gentled by easy humor into something more snarky than sarcastic. He glanced at Ignan with a half-rueful, half-grateful twist of his lips; the man was looking a little dazed, which Landis could quite empathize with, and had more importantly suggested they save heavy drinking for another time. They all migrated to a table as Ignan went to order a round.

"All right then?" he asked Tapendra, who had been quiet thus far. But Ignan was back quickly to retort on the castle, and also quickly came the champagne. Landis' brows rose for a second time. He might have expected this and yet he had not, so he looked to Ignan again with a quick darting smile and inquisitive eyes which seemed pleased if surprised - all subtle enough, though it made his thanks clear, only seeming demonstrative because it came from Landis. At the direction of his wand the bottle set to pouring glasses for each at the table. "Convenient indeed."

She had spent much of her weekend having meetings with students, filling out paperwork, and writing letters in preparation for career day. Working in her office was much more effective than at home, where she was likely to get distracted by the neighbors, her dog, and her younger brother. Before heading home to her brother and furchild for the evening, she wanted to stop by the Three Broomstick s for a glass of wine and maybe some good conversation.
There were several staff members here—more than usual.

"Hello Gale! Tapendra! Ignan! Landis!" She greeted each person enthusiastically as soon as she recognized their individual faces, but a certain redhead stood out to her.

"Juliette !"  She exclaimed, practically leaping over to the redhead. Maiko was rather fond of the former Potions professor, “Oh—Oh what a happy surprise!” Mai looked around wildly, and it was time to bombard her with questions. “Is this a celebration?” There was sparkling wine! “Are you two getting married?” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper.  “Tu es enceinte?! Qu'est-ce que tu bois?"[1]She eyed the glass in Juliette's hand.

"Champagne?! Quel scandale!”[2] She shook her head in mock disapproval, though her wide grin gave it away. If Juliette was pregnant, she probably wouldn’t celebrate at a bar.

1.	You're pregnant?! What're you drinking?!
2.	Champagne?! So scandalous/what a scandal!

"No," he said to Ignan, with a slight smile that took just a moment too long to come. "Just been a long day. You know how it is." The heavy feeling between him and Ignan cut into his mood, though he was determined to leave that out of this.

"Juliette," he greeted her, fondly. He still owed her a new pair of shoes. Some student had found her expensive pumps, no doubt, and thought their lucky day had come. He'd seen the price tag on them only a few weeks later, and the damn things had never turned up again.

He was thankful - so very thankful -it was Kesali that asked the question he'd been wanting to ask. Landis was not the sort of man one made assumptions about, after all; nor was Juliette. Both were subtle and careful people in their own ways.

Tapendra's smile was wide, sunny and bright. "Congratulations," he said, and resisted the urge to laugh. A happy Landis was still subdued, but seeing the man seem pleased - light, even - was odd in a way he rather liked. The man's almost casual greeting was met with a nod, a happy glint in his eye.

 "Alright," he said in response, as he sat at the table. The prospect of drinks helped him with tension...and helped when Maiko rather abruptly appeared, crying out in French. He watched her, wide eyed, not understanding the sentences but picking up a few of the words.

"Err-" he said, and looked to the others to translate.

The idea of Landis having even a marginally proper bachelor party was enough to double Juliette’s smile. She backed off the joking suggestion that they get him drunk here and now. For now. She was sure she could depend on this group to recount to her in detail the highlights of such a promising future party. "Only if you promise to get him arrested, Ignan."

Champagne arrived more quickly than it should have, and Juliette was warmed by her former colleague's perceptiveness, as well as the congratulations that continued to pour in as the professors themselves trickled into the pub.

Despite the occasion, Juliette missed discussing the students. Her former coworkers' mistrust of their charges always proved amusing. As did their adeptness at rooting out rule-breaking suspects in teenagers’ clothing.

Maiko’s arrival brought a much appreciated female presence. And someone fluent in French. Juliette kissed each of her cheeks and confirmed the answer to the first two questions. The next— more an implication— made her laugh, an almost instant recovery from a look of surprise. Juliette shook her head with brisk assurance, and offered a rapid answer in their shared language. “We have a few more rings to get through.”[1] And Juliette rather hoped to participate in her wedding toast, when they did eventually marry. “But you know how much Landis loves children.”

And she knew that he understood her perfectly, whatever language she spoke.

The confusion the counselor inspired among their non-French-speaking friends was worth a ship of champagne. Juliette raised her glass casually, with an innocent nonchalance, as she looked at Tapendra again. “She wanted to know whether he asked me out of desperation,” she explained, smiling. She turned toward Landis, and it was her turn to raise an eyebrow.

1.	Italicized dialogue = French

Morgan had the grace to utter a thanks without needing to speak a word to his older colleague. The glasses began to fill upon the table.

Maiko's arrival was easily resolved by the duplication of one of the remaining glasses while she babbled in French to Juliette. The whole conversation was entirely lost on Tapendra, and Ignan tried not to let on he'd only caught a word or two from his scant understanding.

“She wanted to know whether he asked me out of desperation,” Juliette explained directly to Tapendra. Ignan decided not to question this - and afforded a momentary smirk of humour, his mind preoccupied with recalling some words to toast them with. Seeing glasses were now across to hands, he interjected -

"May Merlin fill yourhearts full of cheer, and love that grows deeper each day of the year." he began, lifting his glass, "To the happy couple, Juliette and Landis" he looked to the others to echo, hoping he hadn't put his foot in it.

Juliette's look of surprise was mirrored by her other half, though Landis did not follow it with a laugh; his French had become quite good during the course of the year, childhood lessons augmented by the summer they'd spent in Paris, and he understood Maiko perfectly. Though the woman was clearly teasing he was still surprised into a taken aback and unintentionally vehement, "No."

He also understood Juliette's follow-up answer, and his sigh was wry. "Not that kind of desperation," he replied, looking between Maiko and Juliette as the two co-conspirators in a quelling manner. His nose wrinkled fussily. Children were not particularly something he wanted to think on, just now.

It would rather ruin the mood.

He returned Ignan's toast with slight embarrassment, torn between smirking, smiling, and some unidentifiable oddness that such words were being applied to him. Merlin fill his heart full of cheer. Sure. It was certainly the kind of thing he'd have to question if it wasn't so sincerely meant, and so appropriate for the occasion - that Ignan even knew such an optimistic toast surprised him. It was just odd all around.

Landis made it doubly clear that children were not on the seasonal menu. (Unless, of course, it was children in detention, children being scared into obedience by the very same voice that had uttered the assuring ‘no,’ children who seemed never to falter in their un-ending quest to lose House Points.) That was conversation for after a few sets of rings... though Juliette always delighted in teasing him. If Maiko wanted to join her, she welcomed the collusion.

Her smile was resplendent as he elaborated, the manifestation of what a compliment. Whatever desperation he had or hadn’t in his heart, it was for her, at least.

Juliette was much easier with the toast than the flaxen-haired wizard. She raised her glass a bit, but only just, given that the toast was meant for them. Her smile lingered on Ignan. “Thank you all. It’s lovely to have to such a group to share this with.” Her eyes made the rounds of the table. It was, as always, a motley collection. “No one can ever accuse this group of being boring,” she promised, a glint of something in her pale gaze. Her smile widened. Yes, Juliette was glad for this particular company. They made it a properly festive engagement. (She could only imagine Landis’ level of awkward, should they replaced with family members. But that toast would come later). "Never mind what your students think,” she added, with a note of laughter.

As they enjoyed the drink that was the perk of such a toast, Juliette made casual conversation with her old colleagues, updating them on her life and poking them for details of their own. While her ringed hand held the glass, the other found Landis under the table, the wood of his ring a perpetual thrill upon entwined fingers.

“At least one of you must have interesting plans for the upcoming holiday.” A friendly demand of the table at large. As she’d said, they were not a boring group, and she missed them. Perhaps she would be able to catch up more as spring unfolded... when she was not dragging Landis off to unfurl their own interesting plans. Their leisure time would be more eventful to outside eyes, now that they had more than a tree to decorate.