In the Hall of the Potioneer

Professor Gage Hall walked back to his office, returning from a pleasant lunch in the Great Hall. It was the weekend and therefore he had no classes to teach nor anywhere to be except in his office, grading papers or studying. But after such a grand lunch it seemed almost a pity to get back to work on a full stomach.

The playful wizard paused in front of the music classroom. Standing stock still, Gage leaned against the door to listen. Was there a class going? Silence... Gage's lips seemed to pull tighter together in an unvoiced 'hmm' as he debated with himself. Technically he would still be on the right floor. Just in the room next door to his office. Surely that wouldn't be too difficult for anyone requiring his attention to riddle out? All they'd have to do is follow their ears...

Besides, after all the studying and class preparation thus far in the term, he could use some time when he should be doing something that can be spent doing relatively nothing.

That was more than enough incentive to get him to turn the knob and explore the classroom he'd always been so close yet so far to.

As Gage stepped into the classroom, it was as though the wizard had one of his dreams come true before his very eyes. Many instruments hung on the wall, were propped against the wall, or stood independently in and of themselves. One of those in the last variety caught the professor's attention immediately:


Promptly abandoning the door, Gage limped toward the piano in a state of awe. He himself had a keyboard upon which he played, but had yet to purchase a full-blown piano. It wasn't for lack of money but lack of space that he hadn't yet gone through with bringing a set of ivories home with him from the music shop.

So as not to disturb the quiet of the place just yet the wizard gently rested his cane against the instrument and seated himself upon the stool in front of the instrument. Gage had to use his wand briefly to cast an unlocking spell upon the cover, and after replacing the magical implement slowly lifted the cover off of the keys. "Wow..." whispered Gage, much like he had when he first arrived at Hogwarts all those years ago as an eleven-year-old boy. A handful of fingers caressed the keys, noting the piano's pristine condition.

Unable to delay any further, Gage placed both hands on the piano and without so much as a warm-up or test to make sure the thing was tuned he began to play.

((Gage is playing In The Hall of the Mountain King. Link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7zcS8yr33Q ))

Theresa walked down the corridor and smiled when she heard music coming from the music room. Some how she just knew it was her brother, he always did have a talent for it, and he played so well. She must have leaned on the stone wall of the castle for a few minutes with her eyes closed taking in her song the echoed through the large Hall.

Then she suddenly got the feeling she was not allone in the corridor..

__

Minister Liara Lightle snuck through the halls of the castle not wishing to cause a fuss. She wore a big cloak and kept her hood up, as well as a minor illusionment charm on herself, So people would genrerally ignore her, unless she did something obviouslt noticable..

She was there to pay Gage a visit, and ask him something.. she been thinking about it ever since the night they had dinner with him, and now she had the nerve to ask.. she couldn't wait til he popped over to her place.. Plus she thought it might be a plasent surprise for him... as long as she didn't get caught anyway. She almost laughed at herself.. back sneaking around Hogwarts looking for her boyfirend, and worring about getting caught it was silly really.

As she walked down a hall she started to hear wonderful music.. perhaps it was Gage? or it could have even been the music instructor, no how to make sure without getting caught?

Then she saw the answer to her problem.. Theresa Gorden who seemed quite content with listening to the same music she was.

Theresa then opened her eyes and looked right a Liara, smirking she tilted her head toward the door. "He is in there, want me to show you in? Might be fun actaully, he 's likely not expecting you" she said with a chuckle.

Liara blinked "Nothing ever surpises you does it Res?" she asked amused as she followed her toward the classroom.

"Nope" she answered simply. As she went to open the door she motioned for liara to be quiet and winked at her with a mischious glint in her eyes, intending to sweeten the already planned surprise.

Liara chuckled Terri and Gage were most deffinaley brother and sister. she then nodded agreed stayed behined the older taller woman so Gage wouldn't see her at the doorway right a way.

Theresa opened the door though didn't interupt further til Gage was finished.

Gage thought he'd seen the door open up via the reflection playing against the shiny surface of the piano. Not wanting to lose his place he didn't give the person much thought until after the song had ended. Hogwarts was safe and as far as he was concerned he'd more than paid his dues for being a Muggleborn years ago.

Finished now with the song he eyed the reflected figure clearly watching him. Although distorted he could tell right away that it was his sister. The potions professor smirked widely. "Uh oh. Looks like I've been busted," he chuckled, sliding on the bench to turn himself around.

"What's up, sis?"

Theresa had a look on her face that she offered when she knew something good the person she was talking to didn't know. Which was rather often thanks to her sincitive intuition.

"I found someone wandering the halls looking for ya" she with a wink.

Liara shock her head at Terri, sometimes the woman seemed like she had too much fun playing the "I know something you don't know" game. But she had to admit the thought was amusing.

"Therra you keep us in suspense for so long" she said over the womans shoulder and smiled at Gage.

"She requested to serve detention with you" Theresa continued with a chuckle, as she fully revealed Liara behind her. in her long black cloak.

Liara rolled her eyes in amusment. "I would hate to be a student out of bed with you around Terri, they won't get a way with anything" she said with a small laugh before turning to face Gage again.

Theresa shruged, "They still give a good effort.. most do anyway" she said with a snicker.

The look Theresa set him with made Gage smirk. Oh, he knew that look well. It reminded him actually of one of his birthdays, when Theresa had bounded in and interrupted him from some activity declaring she knew something he didn't. He had replied with interest in knowing what it was and ruffled her hair. Good times...

"Oh?" he asked, quirking a brow. Gage only saw Theresa there, so he wasn't sure if maybe there was literally someone with her or if she was getting all cryptically philosophical on him.

He knew the second voice as soon as it had spoken, and the wizard's eyes lit up. Gage looked around for Liara and didn't see her, and set his eyes back on Terri. Then Liara poked her head out from behind the witch. Even though Liara wore a large black cloak Gage thought she looked stunning as always. He stood up and attempted to take a step without his cane, but then decided better of it and grabbed the item from the piano. "Oh, I'll bet. She loves getting in 'trouble' with me..." Gage grinned, giving Liara a good-natured wink.

"Not sure even the other professors can get away with it," he whispered to Liara, setting his mischief-laden eyes on Terri as he said it. "How've you been?" Gage asked, giving Liara a kiss in greeting. He was already close enough to as it was, so why not?

Liara smiled and laughed at the joking between the siblings, Theresa's gift in Divinations always astonded her.. She hadn't been sure of it before, but the incident with Gage and his assult changed her mind as it were. She wasn't sure they would have found Gage in time without Terri.

She wrapped her arms around Gage, thinking about the meeting she just got finished with in France the Day before... She wanted to talk with him about what she was going to do... since it involved him as much as her.

"I am alright, just retured from France actually, had a meeting the Minister there, it was interesting to say the least." she said recalling the subject matter.

"Good news?" Terri asked, though she had a gift of divinatination she wasn't all knowing. She could feel the news Liara carried was important news indeed.

Liara thought for a moment, "Perhaps, I am rethinking things currently, England may see some many changes soon enough. It remains to be seen if it will be good or not" Liara replied.

Then she turned back to Gage, "It is why I came today, what is to be planned involves you as much as me... Dangerous times may lie a head for all of us" she said looking up at Gage, starting to feel rather nervous for suggesting was she wanted to suggest. As it would bring up the hurt that still loomed over both their heads.

"I can no longer be in the middle of the pureblood tug a war going on, I am choosing a side, and i think it is obvious which side I am taking" she said slightly more softly, merlin she hated juggling politics with love... but she was minister.. what choice did she have?

Terri blinked, that was big news indeed.. in fact it was a understatment.. The more she thought about Liara's words the more wary she became... War could be coming to england they all knew it.. And she was asking Gage if he was alright with standing with her in the thick of it...

As Liara put her arms around him, Gage Hall realized not for the first time that if allowed he could spend all day just like that. Perhaps it was sentimentally pathetic of him to some. Quite frankly he didn't care. The wizard's eyes closed with brief bliss to hear that she was alright. When she mentioned the meeting with the French Minister for Magic, though, Gage opened his eyes so he could thoroughly take in this new piece of information. Gage didn't know much about Demarchelier other than the wizard was picking up where Prideux had left off.

England, changes, uncertainty... these three elements put Gabriel on his guard. What sort of changes, why, and several other questions ran through his mind. Instead of bombarding the love of his life with them he decided to wait. If she knew him as well as he thought she did, the answers would be arriving any second now. Gage made certain to wipe the wary look off his face as Liara returned her gaze to him.

Now, Gage was openly worried. Dangerous times. The present was already dangerous to begin with. Liara seemed to be suggesting things would get worse. Liara's declaration earned a blink of surprise from the wizard, her news much bigger than Gage had anticipated. Of course he knew which side she would take. Gage was curious how she would declare that stance to the world, if that was her intention. He also knew that by taking such a position Liara was setting herself up for more assassination attempts and plunging parts if not all of England into war.

A part of him wondered what had changed between when he had asked Liara to marry him and now? What new revelation occurred? Of course, just because she was going to take a side didn't necessarily mean anything would specifically change between them. He couldn't ask her those questions because of the pain it would bring. Although he had never had the chance to officially recite his vows, Gage meant them. "If that's what you think is best, I'm right behind you," he replied with solemn conviction.

"What do you need me to do?" Gage was already thinking of ways to further fortify Liara's home, and the home of her parents. Attempting to round up his family in one house would be tricky due to the climate between him and them, but perhaps Terri could help there. Perhaps he'd better slow down first and hear what Liara's strategy would be in this new game of chess with the world.

Liara smiled slightly at his answer, though she wasn't asking him to plung into danger, not quite like that anyway. And from the look Terri was giving her she had better make that known.

"What are you getting at Li?" Theresa asked clearly not liking the idea of her brother being in even more danger casue of political ideas.

"I don't need anything so dramatic" she said looking at her wedding ring wondering how such a little thing could make a couple so happy if placed on the right finger in a fancey ceremony.

"There is a press conference this week, after it my views will be clearly said to the magical comunity" she explained then the real compaignes wou;d start. She had the backing and the funding, there as a chance she could change this... but the danger was increased as well, for a time anyway.

"My meeting with the french Minister of magic, opened my eyes I guess you could say. When I can't marry the man I love in fear of starting a riot, then things need to change, it can't be done passivly." she said the former repressed rebel in her coming out.

She placed her right hand on Gages shoulder, still looking at the wedding band on the wrong finger. Would it be wrong of her to suggest that perhaps they could carry on with there marriage? She felt very guilty, basing her wedding plans on her politic's, Gage deserved better then that.. but that was who she was..

Terri sighed feeling it was her time to split, Liara needed to talk with Gage alone she could feel it. "I will muse to myself outside, give you two star-crossed love birds some time together" she said moving to step out of the room.

Gage didn't have to look at Terri to know she wasn't liking what she was hearing. Curious eyebrows performed a little jump as the professor's eyes darted in their owner's sister's general direction. He was prepared to step between them if need be, but he doubted it would be necessary. Terri was the family peace-keeper despite being the youngest-born.

His eyes followed Liara's, and instantly he began trying to piece everything together. Did he dare to assume this was Liara's way of asking him to marry her? A little demon of a thought occurred to him that maybe the witch he felt sure was the love of his life was exasperated at being held back by the rings. Not that either of them were truly holding anything back behind closed doors, of course, but it was a challenge to say the least in hiding it from the public. The intruding thought vanished.

Gage figuratively put on his set of "student ears" as he listened to what Liara had to say. Her opening statement somewhat worried him. So much as hinting at a slant would put Liara in great danger. The heart within the wizard's chest pounded. What had changed to make her take this route? As she continued, Gage wasn't sure if he should remain serious or smile widely. His expression showed it: partly smiling, partly still serious, with eyebrows furrowed and yet raised. The wizard's eyes were bright with worry and a flickering hope. Did that mean...? He would gladly fight to declare Liara as his wife. And even still, they'd been living together all this time. The only difference was the whole world didn't know about it.

Gage decided to put his faith in his bad leg, propping his cane against the wall as he placed both hands on Liara's waist. She was still looking at the ring, he knew, and instead leaned over to place a kiss on the top of Liara's hand. He chuckled a bit at his sister. "Thanks, Terri," the wizard murmured, watching the other witch for a moment before setting his gaze once again on the woman of his dreams.

"So what happens after we let the cat out of the bag?" Gage asked, pressing his forehead to Liara's affectionately. The tone was quiet: half joking, and the other half gravely serious.