Around 2:30 in the afternoon.


Upon walking out of Carstairs' office, Abby had asked the trainee at the front desk to please send a memo to Raine, announcing the good news. She got the job! The young man had grasped both her hands, thanked her, and wiped at something in his eye. Abby had shoved down her trepidation and grinned.

This was good!

This was wunderbar, even!

When she'd floo'd home, she immediately opened her window and stuck her arm out with her cell phone in hand. Kneeling preciously on her bed, she updated her Facebook status, as the cat in the flat across the Hiraeth Gardens courtyard watched and judged from its less precarious position on the windowsill.

Abby raced around the flat to change into a cute dress and fluff up her hair, and returned, in various states of dress, to her window, commenting and liking and giggling at the comments of her friends.

One time, she'd looked down to find a neighbor in the courtyard below appearing quite confused, and she'd shouted 'muggle mobile!' and waved her phone, and nearly dropped it. The hazards of the internet!

Abby floo'd to Sasha's house as soon as she was ready. She stepped out into a grand entrance hall, complete with a marble tiled floor, a pair of settee benches, and a chandelier. She barely batted an eye. Felt like home! The home where she'd grown up, anyway.

"Sasha!" She called out. "Das ist wunderbar!"[1]

She said in slightly accurate, but mostly terrible German, punctuated by giggles. Lots of giggles. Abby rested her hands on her knees and giggled. And then she dropped her purse, strode up to Sasha, and threw her arms around him.

"I got the job!" She exclaimed unnecessarily and a little too loudly in his ear. "I don't know how, but yay!"

1.	Referencing this exchange

As Anton had surmised, Sasha had been at the computer in his study working when the notification from Abby's facebook feed popped up on his screen.  But, he'd been more then happy to set the tedium and minutia of stock portfolios and account summaries to the side in favor of more celebratory activities. 

After seeing Abby sign off on Facebook, Sasha had turned off the desktop and confused a poor, German house elf by giving her a quick hug before heading upstairs to shower and change.  Equally oblivious to the cause of the excitement, yet slightly more willing to play along for no reason what so ever, Baldur had followed Sasha eagerly up the stairs and immediately pounced on the favored stuffed squirrel that was nestled in the dog bed. 

Of course, between his own tidy nature and the meticulous efforts of Giada, there was almost no straightening up to focus one's excitatory and time-killing energy on.  So, instead, Sasha had returned to the study to flip randomly through tv channels while waiting. 

Luckily, he didn't have to wait long.  He'd only just settled on a rerun of fisherman looking miserable in horribly cold-looking waters when a pop in the fireplace and ... German ... caught both his and Baldur's attention.  Baldur dashed out the study ahead of Sasha to greet Abby, excitedly.  Sasha had just reached the entrance hall when Abby set down her purse and walked over to hug him. 

"Ganz Wunderbar!  Herzliche Glückwünsche!" Sasha said, excitedly, meeting Abby in the hug and lifting her slightly off her feet.  "That is so exciting!  Again, congratulations.  You must be on cloud 9!"  He set Abby back on the floor and beamed at her. 

"So - details!  Details!  Is it full time?  Do you get your own office and stapler?  Do-"  There were just so many questions but, before he got another out, a tiny, squeaky voice admonished him. 

"Herr Sasha!  You never tell Giada when we have guests!  Can I get the miss anything?"

Abby held on tightly, grinning, as Sasha lifted her off her feet. He smelled really good. She suspected he either took multiple showers every day or this was just his Sasha goodness wafting from his pores. Essence of Schlawkward, lovely and geeky. He was one of the first people she'd wanted to tell about the job, and his excited reaction made her feel like she could walk on the clouds. Cloud Nine clouds? Must be a Level Nine mystery.

"Glück-gobledegook?" She teased as he congratulated her in German, which she hoped to hear more often since witnessing him tell his friend Anton to piss off in another language. Of course, she'd looked up everything they'd said through Facebook on Giggly. Google. Gobledegoogle.

She opened her mouth, about to tell him how it went, when a pop sounded and a tiny house elf appeared to admonish Sasha.

"Hi," Abby's smile wobbled for just a moment. Something about the house elf reminded her of Jeeny, the elf that the Lilly's had mistreated at the lakehouse. Since escaping, Abby had no idea where the elf was or if she was even still alive.

"Giada! I've heard lots of good things about you."

She'd heard that Giada reminded Sasha to eat when he was working, which was good enough for Abby.

"I've got Sasha right here, so I'm happy," she hugged his arm, then stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek.

Baldur licked her hand, as if in agreement. Abby patted the dog's head.

Sasha definitely did not miss that this was Abby's third attempt at German so far today and he beamed down at her as he set her back on the floor.  He had to give her credit, she'd been spot on for two out of the three tries.  This last one - well, it was a hard one to fault anyone for finding it a bit of tongue twister. 

"Herzliche Glückwünsche" he repeated, more slowly.  He highly doubted she was actively trying to learn German, but it was endearing to hear her try.  "Congratulations, of course.  We repackage that one for birthdays, so you'll no doubt hear it, again," he offered, grinning. 

Mirroring her, Sasha turned towards the elf when Abby greeted Giada.  The little elf dipped her head in a polite curtsy as Sasha offered the other half of the introductions.  "And, Giada, this is Abigail, my-" he hesitated, momentarily, glancing at Abby.  Should he say it?  Did he get to say it?  He briefly arched a questioning eyebrow and grinned sheepishly.  "My girlfriend." 

He cleared his throat and, despite the prominent blush, turned back to Giada.  "Abby just landed an excellent new job at the Ministry, saving wizarding kind one memo at a time.  Once she decides how, we're going to celebrate.  Is my grandmother going to be alright?"

"Frau Waldgraf is happy watching that visioner thing." Giada offered, primly, clearly fully confident in her ability to handle the situation. 

Sasha turned back to Abby.  "Your last few days of freedom.  How do you want to celebrate?" he offered. 

Abby laughed when Sasha repeated the gobledegook (German) word for her benefit. She hoped to hear it again soon, as there were quite a few birthdays coming up.

She returned his questioning look as he paused for a long moment before introducing her, quipping a few titles in her head. Unicorn, dragon, or hair-is-carrots girl?

Oh! Girlfriend!

Her eyebrows flew up, as Sasha cleared his throat and acted as though it were a word she heard every day! Slowly, a grin spread across her face. She glanced at the adorable and efficient Giada, tuning into the conversation.

Abby sobered a bit. She and Sasha had met once after the slumber party, exploring the neighborhood around Hiraeth Gardens, and he'd mentioned that his grandmother was living with him and that she wasn't well, but they hadn't had a chance to talk about it in depth before some passerby had spilled coffee on her shoes.

"Before we decide where to go, your girlfriend would like to meet your grandmother," Abby raised her eyebrows and smiled up at him. "Only if it won't disturb her, and if you don't mind, Sasha," she said more seriously, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

For just a brief moment, uncertainty flickered across Sasha's expression but almost as quickly, he looked down at Abby with a cheeky grin and nodded his head.  "I suppose your boyfriend can make that happen."  Blatantly ignoring the Giada's pleased little giggle, with Abby's hand still on his arm, Sasha led the way to the stair and down to the lowest floor. 

"Just to forewarn you," he offered as they reached the wooden floor of the reception hall.  "She doesn't respond much to things going on around her.  The muggle disease she has messes with the mind."  Sasha wasn't sure if there was an equivalent in the wizarding world; wizards seemed better equipped to protect their mental abilities.  Interacting with dementia patients could be unsettling for muggles who were familiar with the condition but Sasha was grateful Abby was willing to meet her.  There was no telling how many more opportunities there would be.  "I think she hears what's going on, but ...  who knows, really." 

He led the way into the theater room where Katrine Waldgraf was seated comfortably on one of the plush recliners.  For not the first time, Sasha couldn't help but think that a muggle-naive house elf and an Alzheimer's patient were a probably a solid match, especially as far as entertainment selection was concerned.  He doubted a younger Oma Waldgraf would have shown any interest in Muppets In Space[1] but it was probably the first option Giada had come across.  Or, it was still in the cue since the last time Sasha had watched it.  Either way, Oma Kat was unlikely to complain.

Sasha smiled warmly at Abby before sitting gingerly on the corner of the neighboring seat.  "Abby, this is my grandmother, Katrine Waldgraf.  Oma, this is Abby.  The woman I told you about," he said, raising his voice and speaking more slowly when he turned to his grandmother.  Oma Kat stared blankly at suds-covered, singing penguins and gave little recognition of their presence. 

Sasha turned back to Abby and shrugged, awkwardly.  "Unfortunately, that's pretty much all there ... is to it.  Other then, you know, Muppets," he added, nodding towards the screen, in an attempt to add some levity. 

1.

Clippy!

Abby smiled at the house elf when she giggled, which expressed exactly how she felt. Giggly and giddy. She looked at Sasha, not wanting to make him uncomfortable, but relieved when he agreed. His grandmother was one of his last remaining relatives, save for Professor Storm, and his older sister Jacoba, who she actually hadn't heard him mention since she'd come back. Abby made a mental note to ask after her. She missed her friend from the 'squib' club.

Though she knew of Professor Storm and had met Jacoba several times, she looked forward to meeting another who had helped shape who Sasha was today.

Accompanying Sasha to the stairway, her hand fell from his arm as she glanced back, listening for the house elf. Giada was giving them space, it seemed. She followed a few steps behind him, her shimmery ballet flats landing softly.

For a moment, her foot hovered mid air, stuck in place, and Abby shook out her leg to get the feeling back. It was just a moment, but unease rippled through her. Her hand glided along the railing as she continued down.

Not now, Abby thought.

Flower Girl remained strangely silent. As Abby joined her boyfriend at the bottom of the steps, she glanced at Sasha, tuning into his words.

Abby blinked in surprise. His explanation brought up several questions, but those could wait. "I understand. Thanks for telling me."

She rested her hand on his arm again, hoping he wouldn't feel the chill of her fingers through his sleeve.

In the theater room, an older, elegant woman sat, her gaze focused on the huge muggle tv screen. At first glance, she seemed fine, her expression neutral, her attention on the show. But as Sasha introduced her, the woman kept her gaze ahead, and her expression looked more blank than neutral, from what Abby could tell in the dim light.

Like someone afflicted by a botched obliviation. Like someone attacked by a dementor.

Or even like someone living with two souls.

Her heart sank. She smiled brightly, trying to match Sasha's warmth. "Hello, Ms Waldgraf, I'm Abby. It's a pleasure to meet you. Your grandson is lovely," she stood next to Sasha where he perched on one of the seats.

No response, but she hadn't expected one. Abby followed her gaze to the screen.

Muppets?

"What in the world," Abby stared at the colorful assortment of characters, then pointed excitedly. "That's the frog you were referencing! On Facebook!"

She moved to the side so Sasha could see. A variety of creatures traveled the house as a silly song blared. Focusing on it helped her battle her unease, not only from Flower Girl, but upon seeing the grandmother's condition.

"It's a menagerie of mayhem!" She forced a laugh. "I'm so glad Raine and I don't live with anyone else. How much do you want to bet it's like that at Ari, Nick, and Virgil's flat."

After the slumber party, her friends upon waking had slumped and yawned and bumped into one another. They'd all caused enough mayhem the night before.

"You would be waiting politely for the loo, Sasha. Like the frog," she offered commentary as the show continued. "And you'd go heal whoever flew over the banister."

Abby looked at him with affection in her eyes. She smiled softly, then glanced at his Oma, curious if there was any flicker of response.

Sasha attempted to return Abby's smile but it felt tense and strained, like something was externally pulling it into place.  He was grateful for Abby's attempted introduction and he wished ... hoped that somewhere in there Oma had heard and maybe even understood.  For the past seven years, Sasha had been living this double life filled with important people and events that, by necessity, he'd kept hidden from his family. 

This could be the first, and last, time someone important from the wizarding world met part of the family he'd grown up with and there was no telling if his grandmother was aware of any of it. 

But, those were hardly thoughts that fit with a celebratory afternoon.  Sasha smiled, again, up at Abby and nodded.  "I know she would have- would like you," he offered sincerely.  "In our family, she was the ... hearth?" he wasn't sure if that was the right word or if there was even a better one.  "She always organized the holidays and parties.  Christmas.  Easter.  Always slipping rum into the Christmas punch, even when we were little.  She would have liked your spirit."  Just as she'd been the only adult in the family to be fond of Jacoba's. 

As usual, the Muppets could always be relied upon to brighten any situation.  Sasha shifted in his seat to look more properly at the screen.  "Yes.  That's Kermit the Frog.  They're ... this is a particularly zany movie but they are always a bit -"  What, exactly, was hard to describe.  But, Abby wasn't far off the mark. 

"Menagerie of mayhem is a good description.  In fact, Animal - the one that flew over the banister - is the drummer in a band called Dr. Teeth and The Electric Mayhem.  So, even they acknowledge it."  Which was, in Sasha's opinion, the key to the Muppets success.  They embraced their own ridiculousness unabashedly and unapologetically. 

He laughed at the mental image of Virgil, Nick and Ari's flat as a Muppets' set and nodded his head.  "Nick, I think, is definitely Animal."  Sasha definitely didn't object to being compared to Kermit, though, with a blush and a grin, Sasha added: "Kermit is generally dating Ms. Piggie - the one that's, well, a pig.  Which, I never understood.  But, I don't think you're Ms. Piggie."  It all sounded about as logical as anything in Muppets did. 

"Virgil is - well," Sasha pursed his lips.  Unique, equal parts methodical and cerebral in his thought processes and quirky.  Sasha laughed.  "He's totally a Gonzo, I think, but Gonzo isn't in this clip."  He was waking up late after a strange, Noah-and-ark related dream.  "We'll have to watch the Muppets properly sometime." 

But, not now.  Not when there were new jobs to celebrate.  "Should we go contemplate our options?" Sasha offered, pushing himself to his feet.  "Decide what mischief we can get into?"

"I would hope I'm not Miss Piggy," she laughed, though that depended on if he asked Raine.

"It was nice to meet you, Ms. Waldgraf," Abby smiled at Sasha's oma, taking his hand in her own as he stood, and forgetting how chilled her fingers were.

"Sasha and I are going on a date," she swung his hand a little. "A celebration full of mischief! A date," her smile turned more genuine. She enjoyed saying that word in relation to Sasha. Her boyfriend. Sasha.

When they left the theater room, she glanced back at Katrine Waldgraf, motionless and silent as the bright characters on the screen sang. She understood why Sasha talked about her the way he did, and imagined that his oma had once had a great deal of spirit, making his life at home a little better, warmer, and full of heart.

The strained smile he'd given her earlier made her decide not to ask him questions right then. They had plenty of time.

After the darkened theater, Abby blinked at the sunlight shining through the open doors of a connecting room. Instead of heading up the stairs, she veered into the bright reception room overlooking the gardens, still holding his hand.

Detour, she thought, and then paused, realizing she hadn't said it out loud.

Abby touched the side of her face, her skin prickling. She glanced up for a moment as her head started to pound, all too aware that the floo stood a whole flight of stairs away.

It was as if the light had brought her unease back, illuminating the opulence around them.

For the first few days upon her escape, she had felt the same restlessness at her parent's sprawling mansion with their sparkling floors, intricate wall mouldings and efficient house elf. She'd worn the rug thin with her pacing, and had startled the Aurors stationed outside when she'd rushed into the garden in the middle of the night.

Except it hadn't been her, not exactly.

The sunlight and the view drew her forward. Abby felt her legs moving, taking small but brisk steps up to the glass doors. As she stopped, she sucked in a breath, finding her voice at last.

"Pretty view!" She shot Sasha a smile that didn't quite meet her eyes.

"What's open at this time, do you know? Any preferences?"

Sasha glanced down at their joined hands, surprised by how icy her fingers felt under his sleeve.  They hadn't been outside yet and, even if they had, it was still quite pleasantly warm.   But, he was initially (quickly) distracted by Abby's words and he glanced up at her and returned the smile. 

A date.  Yes, a date.  He loved to hear it and he kept needing to repeat it - sometimes aloud and sometimes in his head.  "A mischievous date," Sasha offered with a wink as they stepped out into the reception hall.  He had to keep reminding himself that this was real and it was actually happening.  Otherwise, it was sometimes hard to believe he'd gotten this lucky. 

Right on cue, the portly little house elf shuffled past them into the theater just as the two of them left the room.  As the door swung shut behind them, Sasha could hear Giada launching into a full, one-sided conversation in German sounding just as gossip-y and chatty as the silent, older woman had been back in her day. 

Sasha followed Abby's lead between the scattered sofas and chairs into the center of the long reception hall.  The movement of her hand caught his attention and he glanced towards her, just in time to see her raise her other hand to her face.  Concern was etched across his face and his gaze flickered from Abby to the doors and to the ceiling overhead, trying to determine what had caught her attention. 

"Are you alright?" he asked, turning back to Abby and following as she closed the rest of the distance to the doors.  "I'm sorry if this is all a bit too much.  I know it's a fair bit of change."  After all, the house had been completely replaced and the occupants entirely different from the last time she'd been here.  There was even a centaur out roaming the grounds. 

With his free hand, he turned the handle and let the glass door swing open onto the backyard.  "I'm glad you like it," he offered, sincerely.  "I admit, it was a rather daunting project and it's not like Sims."  You couldn't just drop and drag if a garden ended up in the wrong spot. 

Sasha gave Abby's hand a gentle squeeze before turning his attention to brainstorming potential ideas for their mischievous, celebratory date.  "Well, most movie theaters should be open.  Eating places.  Museums for another hour or so - but that hardly sounds mischievous.  Not that I doubt our ability to find a way to make it so."  He pursed his lips for a moment and watched as a late summer butterfly landed on a flower in one of the planting beds.  "Late summer roses are still blooming at the botanical gardens.  Up at the school.  And, the scented gardens were still ... aromatic ... the last time I was there." 

I will be, she tried to say, noticing his concerned look.

Though her smile flitted fleetingly across her face, she kept a hold of his hand, grateful for his support. She needed to tell him soon, she knew.

The Sims reference sailed over her head, but as she followed him into the backyard, Abby glanced back at the interior with renewed appreciation, considering that he must have rebuilt and furnished the house mostly on his own. Jacoba didn't strike her as the type to care about whether the counters were laminate or marble, though she felt sure his sister would have had some input.

Sasha listed options, and she watched him watch the butterfly, her face relaxing into a small smile.

"Aromatic and romantic?" She teased, gaze lingering on his pursed mouth, then at his profile, the sunlight highlighting the gentle downward turn of his eyes and the long line of his nose.

A breeze swept her red hair over her shoulders, and her hand lifted automatically to tuck the strands over her ears. As she looked out over the greenery, her gaze turned distant, and the pounding in her head intensified. Her hand felt warmer in Sasha's, but the fingers that grazed her face were cold and numb.

      ...go!

Abby's shoulders stiffened. Annoyance flared.

The problem with sharing a mind was that she wanted every single moment for herself, to live freely without someone else tugging at her thoughts and moving her limbs.

But so did Flower Girl. The presence had left one prison only to leap into another.

Abby shut her eyes for a moment, and took a deep breath.

Where do you want to go? Abby formed the thought as clearly as possible.

For a long moment, surprised silence.

As Abby watched the wind rustle the trees, her mind filled with hazy, scattered images. A girl, finding a flower pressed into the pages of her favorite book in the library. The same girl, dropping her ratty old glove outside the greenhouse. A boy, tall with blue eyes, handing it to her, having mended the rip in the seam that had caused her to get stung by nettles.

And then later, the two of them standing in a creaky old flat, making a wreath for winter. Their hands moving in unison, overlapping as they arranged berries and leaves. A ring, glinting on a branch. The boy, a young man then, smiling shyly as he held it out to her...

Sorrow rose up as Abby's head pounded.

      Gardens.

Abby blinked, seeing the lush grounds outside of Sasha's house once more. Butterflies flitted and birds chirped, and she glanced down at Sasha's hand in her own.

You... sure? Abby questioned shakily.

She nodded, and felt a sense of relief.

Flower Girl wanted to go to the botanical gardens.

Flower Girl wanted to go somewhere, not just resent everything they did.

"Let's go to the gardens!" Abby turned to grin at Sasha, only vaguely aware of the number of seconds that had passed since she'd last spoken. Her smile felt shaky, but she squeezed his hand gently in return.

"We can chase each other and snog behind the rose bushes," she continued.

"And on the way you can tell me what 'the sims' are."

Sasha smiled at the teasing and lifted her hand to press a warm kiss to the cool skin.

At first, Sasha kept his attention directed at the various insects that hopped and drifted between the petals in their determined but almost lazy fashion.  But, as the silence continued to stretch on, Sasha shifted his gaze to Abby and the creased, worried expression returned. 

Sasha still wasn't sure he'd found the right balance of giving Abby space and providing gentle encouragement for her to open up about her experiences.  He remembered being on the other end of that kind of support; those tense, painful conversations with Professor Trishna had been necessary and helpful in the long run.  But, Merlin, he remembered all too well how skewed his perception had been and just how he much it made him feel on the defensive.   And theirs had been a mentor-student relationship. 

As the seconds ticked by, Sasha continued debating whether to say something.  It was worrisome, but Sasha knew part of that was his own hypersensitivity from not taking Ava Grosvenor's peculiar episodes of spacing out more seriously[1]  But, he had to remind himself that that had been an entirely different circumstance.  There was no reason to project that onto Abby; those were his own guilty demons and not something Abby needed to worry about. 

Finally, Abby came to a decision and broke the silence.  For a moment, he arched a questioning eyebrow at her but decided against commenting on the hesitation.  Instead, he turned his attention to their plans and grinned broadly, blushing and grinning sheepishly at the list of recommended activities.  "That sounds like a brilliant plan," he offered, leaning down to kiss Abby before turning back to the house.

---

Though taking the floo would have been faster, the warm weather and slight breeze made taking the Martin Aston convertible a much more enjoyable approach.  From Sasha's home, it was only about a forty-five minute drive and, if they stayed too late, Sasha could always leave the car at his flat and they could floo back.  After a quick introductory tour of the entertainment system, Sasha had left the tune selection in Abby's more then capable hands.  Over the last few years, his iPad had assimilated both of his sisters' musical collections - his own personal, pocket-sized shrine to the both of them.  The end result was a proverbial schmorgesbord of musical offerings. 

But, in honor of Abby's previous introduction to the Muppets, did kick off the musical entertainment with a demonstration of the Muppets' diverse talents[2] as they set off. 

With the car safely parked in the apartment building's garage and the expandable bag with the "humble" picnic lunch Giada had "thrown" together[3] draped over his shoulder, Sasha had offered Abby his arm and led the way to the trails winding through the Cambridge Botanical Gardens.[4]

"They recommended living on campus in dorms."  Sasha had been talking about the ongoing move up to Cambridge as they paused by a water lily-covered pond.  "But, I've been living in dorm rooms for twelve years; I wasn't really keen on another three or four years of it.  And, going back to sharing living space with  other students," - muggles - "just seems like it would be strange.  I wasn't really expecting to be as nervous about it as I am."  He chuckled and shook his head.  "I'm starting to see why more of us don't do this." 

1.	At the start of Sasha's fifth year, seventh year Ava Grosvenor had been under an imperious charm cast by Cinaed Tawse.  She had moments of 'loosing herself' and approached Sasha for help.  Though he tried, initially, to help, suspicions of family relation and Sasha's own abduction caused him to focus his attentions elsewhere.  The imperious curse eventually led to Ava's death, an event Sasha still feels responsible for.
2.	Wild Thing - from Kermit Unpigged
3.	In defense of a hard working elf, it was neither humbly nor hastily thrown together
4.	http://www.botanic.cam.ac.uk/Botanic/Page.aspx?p=27&ix=2702&pid=2&prcid=36&ppid=0

Abby hummed and bobbed her head during the car ride, making up lyrics as her hair whipped in the wind. Everyone should own a convertible. Everyone should ride in one at least once, she decided.

Before she could forget, she pulled out her phone briefly to text Jonas Trevelyan. The Auror had given her his number when she'd returned earlier in the month, and told her to reach out if she needed anything. She appreciated it, especially in muggle areas. So far, she'd refrained from texting him pictures of her breakfast.

Trevelyan, I think *she* was engaged.

Abby sent it, and scrolled up. Her previous texts included gems such as:

Trevelyan, I think *she* was an actual hippie.

Trevelyan, I think *she* knows how to play the violin or is making sad violin jokes at me.

Once inside the botanical gardens, Abby took Sasha's arm, listening with interest as he spoke about Cambridge. It was basically a huge, sprawling Hogwarts with multiple castle-like buildings, in her opinion. She pictured the Hogwarts greenhouse (thanks Flower Girl), and glanced around at the expanses of flowers and trees. He had graduated in more than one sense.

"Why would you live in the dorms when you have your own house?" Abby nodded. "Especially that house. And whatever multiple other lodgings you have," she waved her hand and let out a giggle. "There's no contest."

She imagined it might be easier to get to know people in the dorms, but Sasha would make friends. He kept friends better than most people.

"I can understand why you'd be nervous after your summer of slacking," she teased as they passed an apple tree with clusters of pink and purple flowers below.

"You might walk into class and forget what its purpose is. I can picture it now. Giada sends you off with a beach towel and a picnic basket, and you're just sitting there, completely neglecting to take notes as the professor drones on." She mimed glancing around. "Cabana boy? Where's my mai tai?"

Abby grinned as she nudged his arm. "No, but really? You feel nervous?"

"I can understand why you'd be nervous after your summer of slacking."

Sasha's jaw dropped, briefly, in feigned offense and disbelief.  "Me?  Slacking?" he offered, placing his free hand on his chest even as he paused and stepped to the side as a pair of young girls went racing past along the walkway.  "No, you're right.  In fact, you'd be proud of the amount of slacking I accomplished." 

He laughed, brightly, at the image Abby wove.  "That was it.  That was exactly me, on the beach in Belize.  Another Bahama Mama, please," he said, lifting his hand as if to flag down an invisible drink-bearer.  This.  He'd missed this so very much over the last year.  Her unapologetic humor and bright spirit.  It was as beautiful as she was and it was infectious. 

"But, don't go giving Giada any ideas.  She already accuses me of working too much and I've been in slacking mode!"  Giada hadn't even seen Sasha this past year, when he'd fully hidden himself behind preparing for eighteen secondary education exams.

He smiled at Abby when she nudged him and nodded, with a slight shrug.  "I do feel nervous," he admitted.  "I haven't really been around muggles in an academic setting for years.  I'm hoping I'm as prepared as I should be, but I won't know until I'm in class." 

But, really, academics weren't really the primary concern.  Even if he started out a little behind his peers, he had no doubts he'd be able to catch up.  After all, he would only be taking four classes. 

"I think I underestimated how weird it would be to reintegrate into that kind of class.  I mean - so far, three old classmates from Chapter school reached out to me on Facebook.  They wanted to meet up and hear about what it was like going to school in Switzerland.  For a little bit, I started questioning whether this was really what I wanted to do." 

"Oh, Giada and I will be conspiring against you to get you to relax more. It's already working and you don't even know."

She grinned, loving it when he played along with her, even as they had to sidestep strangers on the path. She was distracting him from work today, wasn't she? Giada would be proud.

Abby nodded, catching on that he was more nervous about being around muggles again than succeeding with academics. He often had nerves about social settings, and this just added another layer of confusion to navigate.

"It's exhausting to lie? To people who only have good intentions and want to get to know you."

She smiled in understanding. It didn't surprise her that several of his former classmates had reached out through Facebook. She wondered what he'd been like in chapter school. Perhaps a little shyer, a little less confident, but no less brilliant.

They passed yellowing katsura trees, which smelled strangely of toffee. Abby glanced up at the leaves, then back at Sasha.

"I hear what you're saying, but it's worth it, too. So many people prefer to live in their own little bubbles. You? You pop those bubbles. Pow," she swung her fist lightly in the air, then laughed, ignoring the sudden ache in her head.

      Oh. my. god.

Flower girl, go back to your bubble! Abby laughed a little more, clutching Sasha's arm.