So This is Christmas (Invite Only)

Taking the usual path towards his home, Mycroft was relieved to finally have everything come together. His parents had tired themselves out by protesting of his impending marriage and instead ran off to Australia to take advantage of the seasons. This meant that not only were they not spending it near him, but it had prompted Tess to accept the same offer that he had made every year during the same time. When she had actually said yes, he had been shocked. Picking him over the castle was already enough of a step, and he had run off to tell Teagan.


The fact that their move had been rushed and their budget had disappeared they both wanted it to be perfect. It had taken them forever to find their home and as he took the snowy path towards their country abode was enough for him to think it was perfect. He hadn't had the chance to help Teagan much in decorating, it was never his strong point, but as the lights glittered through the snow, made it seem that it was definitely something she loved.

Taking out the keys, he pushed the door in and he smiled taking it all in. Mycroft began to look around the room and noted that perhaps he never realized how dedicated Teagan was to the Christmas theme. Before they had lights here or there and it was homey, now...well it looked like Christmas had exploded into the room and no one could ever confuse the time of the season. Fairy lights were hung all around the room, simple whites and blues, to not distract the centerpiece of the room. The tree was large, and he was thankful that he did not have to lift it one bit, considering it's height. Teagan had thought enough of it to take advantage of their large ceilings of their new house to make it wonderful.

Closing the door behind him, he called out her name, wondering where in the large house she would be.

"Tea! Love, where are you?"

Merlin, why do I do this to myself?! Even though most of the decorating was done with wand work, it was the accompanying stress that had Teagan feeling like she was going to lose her mind. Hanging the last bit of garland around the staircase, she shrunk all the boxes and tossed them in a drawer for later, moving into the kitchen to check preparations.

Decorations were one thing. Dinner...that was a whole other story. She'd tried being subtle over the last few weeks, asking Mycroft tiny things here and there about how he and Tess had grown up. What parts of Christmas had meant a lot to the pair of them. She tried to work them into her plans, especially when she'd heard they had a definite yes from the younger witch.

Rhian had been helpful, of course, but Teagan wanted to do most of it on her own. She and Mycroft had spent a few holidays together now, even if they weren't always perfect. But this one...THIS one meant something.

They'd bought the house in a rush before school started, realizing with Conner staying over that the flat was a bit on the small side. It was especially helpful now, since there would be quite a few guests this evening. But with guests came the responsibility of making the evening, and following day, perfect.

Going through her check list for dinner tomorrow, she heard the front door shut and Mycroft calling out. "In here, My!"

Turning to greet him, she couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. She hoped she hadn't gone overboard.

Following her voice he had the smells hit him before he could even see her. So many things were hitting him, for one thing, the smells of quiche, soup over the oven, the cheddar broccoli wafting towards him and the beef bourgignon as well. So similar to what their grandmother would serve during Christmas. He smiled brightly as he saw her in all her glory. He thought that those women who cooked were things out of tales. Women he knew would never spend time in the kitchen but rather would hire people to do there bidding and there she was, laboring like crazy over things that meant so little to some.

Walking over he kissed her softly, wiping the smudge of flour from her face and pulled her closer, tugging the apron for his purpose. Puling back he kissed her neck and grinned.

"I know it's a shame that it can't be just the two of us" he murmured.

Sliding his hand from her waist he picked up a warm cookie behind her and brought it to his mouth, his brows rising with amusement as he got his prize.

"You're trying too hard" he chuckled.

Teagan's smile lit up her face as Mycroft moved closer, hugging her to him. She couldn't help laughing freely as he wiped Merlin knew what from her face. Honestly, she tried to stay as tidy as possible while cooking, but sometimes a mess couldn't be helped. At this stage, though, she had cleaned up most of it, and had a heating spell over the dishes so they'd stay ready for when everyone arrived.

Returning his kiss, she smirked. "Delayed gratification, Mr. Holmes," she taunted lightly. "We may not have the whole holiday to ourselves, but the kids will have to sleep sometime." With one raised eyebrow, a mischievous twinkle came to her eye.

She was so distracted by his proximity, and her general happiness, that she didn't even see Mycroft snag a cookie from the platter behind her. Feigning shock, she let out a small gasp of pretended offense. In truth, she hoped he liked the recipe. It may all look easy now, but just a few hours ago...she didn't even want to think about it.

"Am not!" Teagan countered. Her hands resting on his chest as he ate the cookie, she looked around the kitchen. Even in here, the decorations were numerous. She tried to be tasteful, and didn't mash too many colors together, but anything that could be decorated was. Trimmings around the door and window frames. Holly and lights everywhere. Even the china and table cloth in the dining room were themed.

"Okay...maybe I am," she agreed. Sending Mycroft a shy smile, she wound her arms around him, tucking her head under his chin to rest on his shoulder. "I just want it to be perfect. For everyone," she sighed.

"We may not have the whole holiday to ourselves, but the kids will have to sleep sometime."

Mycroft chuckled at the mischief in her eyes and finished his cookie squeezing her side softly. She was so nervous, and so out of character for a woman that was so beautiful and confident. Now she wanted everything to be perfect, for teenage girls that would probably overlook most things. It made him wonder exactly how would this work when they would get kids, would this be every year? He hoped so.

Winking he pulled back looking over everything else around them. The beef smelled delicious, perfect with soft potatoes; he hadn't realized he was hungry until he smelled everything. Turning to face her he shook his head.

"Everything is perfect and everyone will love it...I know I do" he said sincerely, "everything will work out great"

He hoped so. The relationship formed between Tess and him had been a tentative one, slowly rebuilding the years they had lost. He wanted things to work and he had splurged on gifts for everyone just to it would show that it mattered. He knew that Tess could have gone with their grandmother and spent her days in Paris but she had chosen them. And that was did stress him as well.

"What time are they coming?"

The witch beamed at his praise, squeezing Mycroft's arm as she turned in the space between him and the counter. Teagan grabbed the cookie tray and one other as she moved towards the dining room. There was a large archway separating the two, but there was easy traffic in and out. The table was set for six normally, which was just as well, for this evening.

Humming to herself in thought, she went over her letters with Rhian over the last week. "Well, Rhian and Conner will be here shortly, I think." Looking up at the clock, she was surprised to see how right she was. "Actually, any minute now."

She moved a bit quicker, what with the time, into the kitchen and back out with more dishes. Taking off her apron and hanging it in the pantry, she smoothed down her cream sweater, checking for any mess from the cooking. A few flour smudges on her black pants were easy enough to get out.

Grabbing the last few dishes, she started rearranging everything on the table. "I think she said Tess and her guest would be here just after them. Closing up the dorms, and all that, you know."

'Rhian and Conner?'

A look of confusion appeared on his face until he remembered the situation that was his life. He was a good kid, and a good student, and he tried hard in his class. The poor boy was all alone in the world now it seemed and when Rhian asked if he could come over for Christmas at first he was a bit bothered till he was swayed being reminded that it would be the first Christmas without his mother. He figured that since the kid was serious with Rhian for some time, it would do good for them to get closer to one another and try to be a family as needed.

"Tess is bringing a guest?" he asked aloud confused.

Tess didn't have friends...except Rhian he supposed. Who would she even think of bringing, and where was his memo? She was so forgetful sometimes. At least she had contacted Teagan, which was a miracle in itself and brought relief to him.

"Makes sense why when I asked her if she wanted to floo over she said she had to make a pitstop...figures she'd forget to tell me"

Rolling his eyes, he figured he could maybe get another cookie before the doorbell rang. He knew who it would be and relaxed against the counter. He knew that Teagan go along better with the boy and signaled her to perhaps create a warmer welcome that he would ever be able to.

"Seems like we have the first people here"

Teagan didn't notice anything wrong until Mycroft spoke, too busy setting the places for everyone. At his question, she paused and looked over at him. It wasn't until then that the witch really thought about what all of this would be like. Tonight, tomorrow. It would be Mycroft's first venture into really feeling what being a parent figure would be like. He'd been around for the first few days that Conner had stayed with them this summer. But he'd soon been called away to work.

She realized then, seeing the confusion and possible hurt in his eyes, that this was going to be a long night.

"Yes, my love." Resting one hand on his cheek, and planting a kiss on the other, she smiled softly at him. "Your young ladies are growing up. Remember what it was like to be their age?"

With a soft laugh, she heard the echoing ring of the door bell. Her eyes lit up, as she scanned the room one last time. Everything seemed about right. Walking to the door, she sent one last spell around the room, lighting the candles here and there.

Opening the door, she beamed out at the pair on the doorstep. "Hello! Please, come in. You're right on time."

Rhian cursed herself for not taking the time to visit Diagon Alley earlier. As it was, Conner was probably ready to murder her for this. They'd been lucky enough that she'd chosen some of the more obscure shops to do her last minute shopping in. Still, what should have been a half hour trip ended up taking two hours with all of the crowds. In the end, though, it was worth it, she thought.

Once they were safely out of the way of most of the people, she'd pulled out the small Portkey that Teagan had owled her. She'd never been to the new house before, and had chosen this instead of flooing, since she had Conner in tow. As they both held on to the small bell ornament, she had felt that familiar tug in her gut.

A few seconds later, they'd landed on a stone path a little walk away from a beautiful house. "Wow," she breathed, the air fogging in front of her. The witch had been glad for the couple, that they'd decided to finally get a real house. Whatever she'd imagined them picking out, this house topped it. The old stone and intricate arch ways made her think of the schools, yet there was a homeyness about the place that couldn't be overlooked.

It's perfect, she thought.

Holding out her hand to Conner, a large smile on her face as the snow fell around them, they walked up towards the house. "Thank you for coming, Conner. It means a lot to me." As they reached the doorstep and she rang the bell, Rhian couldn't resist stealing a kiss before the evening began. "I love you," she whispered.

Pulling back before the door opened, she was happy to see Teagan. "Hey, how are you? The house looks amazing!" she said, moving through the door and into the living room. Her eyes widened, seeing all the decorations, as she hugged the older witch.

Conner was not an organized person; in fact he lived the casual style he liked to call 'pick the first thing at the top of your clothes pile', but for two days that had to change dramatically. For one thing he knew he was spending the night at the new home with Mr. Holmes and Miss Finn and he was not about to mess up at first impression. It was one thing being a student, another actually dating the Headmaster's adopted daughter and sleeping over.

He had appreciated her offer and he'd made sure to use his paychecks for first nice presents, going to the muggle world to get it at cheaper value, then the rest to some clothes that was presentable enough for him not to feel so nervous about.

The next panic was when Rhian was late; she was so late that he briefly wondered if he'd gotten the dates wrong. But as she breezed into her flat and immediately dragged him out, he knew that everything was going to be okay. That nervousness that had since lessened grew considerably as the portkey brought them to the large mansion that they had bought for themselves.

"Thank you for coming, Conner. It means a lot to me." As they reached the doorstep and she rang the bell, Rhian couldn't resist stealing a kiss before the evening began. "I love you,"

Conner smiled brightly and leaned forward taking her kiss more than happily.

"No, thank you for bringing me here...it's the first Christmas since...I love you too" he whispered.

He managed to pull away the moment Miss Finn opened the door and he smiled nervously hoping not to look too guilty at simply kissing Rhian. Parents were hard.

As they were ushered in, he gripped Rhian's hand a bit tighter than usual and looked around, impressed at all the decorations, it seemed like those movies you watched during Christmas time that his mom used to fawn over.

"Your house is beautiful" he murmured.

Hearing the chit chat from the kitchen was enough for him to know it was time for him to try to appeal to a kinder side within him for the sake of two of the most important women in his life. Taking a deep breath and a swing of cider, he placed it down and walked out a small smile at seeing Rhian once more. Embracing her immediately and patting her cheek softly her turned to Conner and extended his hand, offering a handshake that the boy nervously took.

"Welcome, I hope you find everything to your liking? Teagan definitely outdid herself don't you think?" he asked smiling.

He tried to show the boy, who looked nervous to calm down, and Merlin he was trying not to appear as the headmaster at the moment but as a concerned parent who happened to not to be too feared. Holding Teagan close, he noticed all the things they carried.He figured he could take them. After all that way he could possibly separate all of them from even being in the same room together.

"Should I take all their things upstairs?" he asked Teagan.

Teagan smiled brightly at the pair, not having missed the embarrassment on the boy's face. She'd been young once. And much more reckless, if her judgement of these two was right. It was nice then, to see them acting like normal teenagers, instead of...well, she didn't want to dwell on that.

Returning Rhian's hug, she smiled kindly to Conner. "Thank you both. I figured if we were going to have a proper Christmas, why not do it right!"

She heard footsteps and turned to see Mycroft join them. For those who didn't know him, not really, she knew he seemed a formidable wizard. One to be feared. And she'd known that side of him too, in their beginning. Hell, they hadn't gotten on well at all. But there had always been...something there. She didn't know when it all changed, but she was glad it did.

Her arm wound around him as he pulled her close, her smile softening to one just for him. He was trying. She almost laughed as he offered to take their things. Try as she might, though, a small chuckle left her.

"Sure," she squeezed his side lightly, out of sight. "You could maybe give Rhian the first tour. Conner," she looked over at the boy, "I could find something for you to help with."

Yes, the boy had stayed with them over the summer, but she knew Mycroft had been gone for most of it. Plus, this way, it would give him time to relax a bit with Rhian first. Letting go of her fiance, she motioned for Conner to follow her into the kitchen. There were a few last minute things to get together before they all sat down to eat.

Keeping hold of Conner's hand, Rhian accepted the hugs. This may technically be her home now, but what made her feel welcome were three of the most important people in her life. Here, together. Over the last year, now that she and Conner were on a good track, she'd felt like she couldn't want for anything more. And now that Tess was back in her life...it was hard to contain her emotions right now.

"It really is wonderful, you guys. Thanks, for doing all of this." As stressed as she knew Teagan was, it was kind of a big deal for the young witch as well. She'd always known what Christmas was supposed to mean. Family, friends, loved ones. All together. But this was the first time where she felt this really applied.

Laughing openly, she nodded at Teagan's suggestion. Even though she hadn't grown up with Mycroft, there was something about him that made Rhian feel accepted. No matter how hard it was to remember those times, she could never forget that day at his old flat, when he'd offered to adopt her. And...what came before that.

She sent him a small smirk. "Yeah, Myce. I haven't even seen my room." She grabbed a few of the gift bags and carried them over to the tree skirt. Turning back to him, she smiled brightly. "Lead the way!"

As the pair moved out of the living room, she looked back at Conner. Her soft smile told him it would be okay. With a wink, she followed Mycroft through the house.

This was all very awkward; Conner felt a bit of an interloper here, with the whole family dynamic, the fact that they had really gone all out, oh and the fact that Rhian's mother figure had basically caught them kissing. This wasn't exactly what the impression he was hoping to show, but he thanked his lucky stars it had been Teagan and no Mycroft. When they had gone into the house, he was surprised at how Rhian had not let go of his hand; it made him a bit nervous about all of it. At least he couldn't get harmed if she was close by.

Teagan was a good host and welcomed them in, but as he was starting to get comfortable, Mycroft came into the room. The man had always frightened him, not on purpose, but the air about him made him feel like he could hex him in the blink of an eye. And he wasn't for that. The man was friendly, at least trying to, and in some way he felt even more uncomfortable. As he volunteered to take their things to the rooms for Christmas, Conner was very confused. It seemed the women were more in charge here, as Teagan signaled him to go to him and Rhian to be shown the room.

Squeezing Rhian's hand tightly before letting go, he scurried over to Teagan to help her out with whatever she wanted. It was then when the smells of the kitchen were wafting towards him and he smiled despite his nervousness.

"Everything smells so good" he said softly.

This was awkward; his eyes zooming into the fact that Rhian had not let go of the boy's hand. It was uncomfortable for him to see it at first, especially because it made him realize his daughter wasn't a child anymore, and that did bother him more than he cared to dwell on. But as Teagan too the reigns calmly, he took the rest of the bags that Rhian couldn't carry, and let her upstairs. He knew it was Teagan's way of signaling him to try and not intimidate the poor boy. Still, taking the lead he took Rhian to her designated room and pushed the door open.

"I do hope you like it, we moved the essentials from your old room here and Tea added different things she hoped you'd enjoy. We're hoping you'll feel comfortable here" he said softly, putting the luggages down to wrap an around around her shoulders. "And your boyfriend will be on the other side of the house, so don't even think about anything"

He was pleased with himself about planning that. He was not about to have them fornicating in the house, unthinkable really.

Teagan laughed openly at the boy. She'd had the chance to spend time with him over the summer, with Rhian as well. Over that time, she really saw how wonderful they worked together, even for two as young as they were. Part of it, she figured, was that they both just had good hearts. That was hard to find sometimes.

"Well thanks. I really didn't know what everyone would like, so...I made a little of everything." It was harder than she'd made it sound, deciding what to have. But she was excited either way.

Pulling glasses out of the cabinet by the refrigerator, she set them out on the counter. "If you could, would you mind getting water for everyone to start? There's other things to drink, if you want something else."

She looked at the clock, wondering when the other two would get here. Honestly, she didn't know who Tess planned on bringing, since the two of them weren't that close. Teagan was happy Tess had agreed to join them at all, instead of staying at the castle this year, what with her folks away for the holidays.

There were only a few little details left before they all sat down. She grabbed her wand and lit the candles around the room and on the table. They were placed low, so they didn't obscure conversation, but they added a warmth to the room. As Conner joined her with the glasses, she tried to break the ice.

"How are classes going? Anything exciting yet?"

Rhian let out a soft "Oh!" as they reached her room. Her green bed spread and curtains were the same from the old flat, as well as the dark mahogany of the wooden furniture set. Those had come with her through the years from her house back in the states. It had been a bit cramped with the desk and dresser in her last room, but now there was enough space to walk around. But not too much. Her personal things were scattered here and there, placed with care. But she could see a few new things on the walls and on her book shelf. Some she recognized from the old place, things that Teagan had picked up here and there. Others were new.

"I love it," she breathed out. When Mycroft put his arm around her, she couldn't help but hug him lightly in appreciation.

With his next words though, she pulled away, embarrassed. "Dad." She scowled at him. It was loving, of course, but she couldn't help but be annoyed. She and Conner hadn't done more than heavy kissing. While she had thought...well...yeah. Anyway, they'd not done anything to need to be separated. "It's not...we...you don't have to worry about us. Besides, that would just be weird." Her face scrunched up at the idea of trying anything like that in their house.

Sitting on her bed, feeling a bit of the tension leave her body, Rhian sighed. Even though this was her first time here, it really did feel like home. The outer wall of the room was lined with tall windows. A set of matching doors led out to a small balcony, and she could see the snow gently falling.

She looked back at Myce. "Thanks for letting me bring him." Tucking her hair back behind her ear, she wasn't sure how to talk about this. "It's his first Christmas since...his mom passed. I know he won't say anything about it, but. Well, it means a lot. To both of us."

Mycroft was relieved at the fact that Rhian did enjoy her room; Teagan had gone a bit overboard with their wallets, reassuring him that it would fit the house perfectly and welcome Rhian to the house easier. The transition to a new place was always a bit frustrating, but he did think that the girl was happy. Since the beginning of Teagan's and his relationship, he was relieved to have them getting along and provide some sort of companionship when he was away at work.

Despite the annoyance in her tone, he did enjoy hearing the term dad being thrown at him. At 31, it was a bit of a odd thing to hear from a seventeen year old, but he did enjoy it nonetheless simply because of the title that simplified their connection. He did love Rhian as a daughter, totally different than how he felt for Tess, he felt more authority with Rhian because she allowed him to have it, as with Tess, he'd have to pin her down to get it from her.

"It's not...we...you don't have to worry about us. Besides, that would just be weird."

At her broken comment of his intolerance of impropriety in the household, he felt relieved despite her awkwardness. No sex between the pair meant that he had her as his little girl for a bit longer and wouldn't lose her too quickly to the boy downstairs.

"Good to hear, and...in return I promise to try and not scare him...too bad" he said smirking.

"Thanks for letting me bring him." Tucking her hair back behind her ear, she wasn't sure how to talk about this. "It's his first Christmas since...his mom passed. I know he won't say anything about it, but. Well, it means a lot. To both of us."

He shuffled awkwardly at her comment about letting Conner come to their Christmas celebration. He couldn't help but sympathize to the poor kid that had so much loss in such a short time.

"And as I said, Teagan and I will try to behave"

Conner could admit to himself that out of the adults, he was most comfortable with Miss Finn, or Teagan or...he didn't really know what to call her really. She would be a Holmes soon that was clear enough from the big rock on her finger. Still, she was friendly and pretty and he liked hearing her talk. She soothed the nerves that Mycroft tended to ignite. It was an interesting connection between the two adults but it was clear that they did love one another, simply because Mycroft looked more human than anytime he had ever seen the man.

"Well thanks. I really didn't know what everyone would like, so...I made a little of everything."

Looking around his mouth watered at the multitude of food that he could eat. He always had an empty stomach, never filling up no matter how much he ate. But he promised himself he would be polite about all of this.

"Well I promise to eat more than a bit of everything, you're cooking looks delicious"

As she took him to help, he immediately began to fill the glasses with the cold water. Six perfectly even things, and he even managed to avoid spilling anything. He had worked at a restaurant before, and he had felt that it had prepared him for not messing up everything.

"How are classes going? Anything exciting yet?"

He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as she tried to break the ice.

"Well for Professor Holmes class he's a bit tough and all, never been the best at potions but I'm trying to hang on. As for my interrogation class...let's just say that Ben and I have bruises all over from that whole debacle. Oh yeah...Ben is my roommate" he said.

As soon as he finished he heard the doorbell ring and turned to look at Teagan curiously.

"I guess there are more guests"

Christmas break was always a tough thing to do. She had many options this time of the year, and it had been hard to choose. For one thing, her parents had asked her if she wanted to come along to their trip to Australia, which she immediately denied, not favoring the idea of dealing with extreme heat. Then came her grandmother who had asked her to spend it with her in Paris, and she had at first been keen on the idea considering it would have been a time for them to spend together. But the choice she ended up going with was her brother. Every year since the rift he had made an effort to try and invite her to their home and every time she denied him swiftly without even thinking about it. But this time around ,she felt compelled to try. She was older, and she felt more mature that she once was and allowed him to have this Christmas. Her grandmother asked for her in New Years and she had agreed to that.

She had agreed on the condition she could bring someone with her and Mycroft readily agreed. She was relieved because that meant that she would be making a big step; introducing Ben to her family formally as her..sort of boyfriend. Labels were hard for her to deal with, at the moment they were together and had promised a future to one another and she was going to believe him.

So with quick work with her rounds she was off towards his flat in London to pick him up before using the Portkey towards the new house. She hadn't bothered to notify them who it was because...who cared! She had said a plus one and everything else would have proven tedious. She also hadn't bothered to tell Ben what to take; he knew what was expected during Christmas, so with a quick kiss of hello, they had rushed off to the estate.

Now they were at the front door, and Tess was insistent of fixing herself up before they rung the doorbell. Her hair was down her back, much longer than she had ever had it, allowing the ends to curl around it, as a red headband framed her face and a red dress covered by a black coat. Her legs were cold, too stubborn to wear pants as Ben had told her had been a better option. Instead she grabbed his hand softly and smiled.

"Are you sure you don't want to run away? I haven't rung the doorbell yet." she teased, her cheeks red from the cold.

It was unlike her to even show she had interested in another person, let alone a boy, and it did lighten her spirits a bit. And Christmas meant spending time with her loved ones and there was no one she felt as strongly for as the man whose hand she was holding.

Christmas holidays had usually meant forced smiles and large parties with people he didn't know. Ben's parents were never ones for the private, at home celebrations. No, they took this opportunity to mingle with others and promote the business. Sure they would exchange gifts, but they were meaningless things, all of them. Books that Ben had no real interest in, or objects that they forgot they'd gotten him years previously. They were just going through the motions, really.

So, when Tess asked him to come to Christmas with her family...well, he was down right terrified. He'd said yes, of course, not wanting to let her down. But he didn't quite know how to handle himself with other people. With Tess, through the years, he'd given her a few gifts here and there. But that had been between the pair of them. This whole 'family' thing was just...uncertain.

Having spent the better part of an hour pacing his flat, waiting for Tess to arrive, it did his nerves no good when she simply popped in, gave him a quick kiss, and shuffled them out the door. The tug of the Portkey was nothing to the unease he was already feeling, and it only grew as they neared the stone house.

As they stood on the doorstep, however, he took a moment to just look at the girl next to him. Her pale skin was flushed with the exertion of the walk, and the briskness of the air, bringing an attractive glow to her face. He'd made an off-handed comment about her dress, but in truth, he rather liked her in a dress. Outside of the school uniform, he didn't get to see her like this very often.

Hearing her comment, he smiled gently, one of those kind that were only meant for her. His free hand moved up to twist one of her curls around his finger. The determination in her eyes gave him a sense of strength he didn't quite know he needed.

"They're important to you. So, they're important to me."

Pressing a soft kiss to her temple, Ben leaned past her to press the doorbell.

Teagan chuckled softly as Conner talked about classes with Mycroft. It was no surprise to her that the man she loved would be a tyrant in the classroom. They were both of the mind that too many people, especially students, tried to slack off in life. And that high expectations were part of what drove people to do great things. She'd always wanted to see him in action, though.

Hearing Conner mention a roommate, she nodded in remembrance. Rhian had mentioned something about him getting a flat with his friend for this year. She vaguely remembered the boy from her brief time at Hogwarts, but couldn't pull a face to the name.

"It's nice that you have someone to go through all that with, though. Makes things like that easier to deal with, usually." She'd never spent time as an Auror, but Cursebreaking usually involved working with partners or a team, even. Teagan wasn't overly fond of that idea back then, but it had been useful at times.

When the doorbell rang again, she checked her watch. They were a bit late, but it worked out nicely, as Mycroft and Rhian were still upstairs. "It's probably Tess and her guest." Her eyes lit up at the mystery of it all.

Moving to the door, the older witch felt a bit anxious at seeing Tess again. She'd visited the younger girl in the hospital a few times over the summer, with Mycroft, but they were still not on the best of terms. Steeling her nerves, her smile was at least a genuine one as she opened the door.

The first thing she noticed was the tall boy beside Tess. How could she not! It wasn't that she exactly expected Tess to bring a girl with her, though that wouldn't have been strange really. It was just so...startling, seeing the two of them. A quick glance down and she saw their hands joined. Her smile never faltering, she stepped to the side to gesture them in.

"Welcome, please come in. We're about ready to eat."

Rhian didn't even try to hide her laugh at Mycroft's comment. It was just so very him. She saw him day in and day out at Hogwarts with other students, and she knew exactly what he meant. They were afraid of him, and rightly so. In an age where too many adults slacked off on their children, or their students, some kids didn't know how to handle the pressure of a real teacher. Honestly, Rhian preferred his classes over others, even if potions wasn't necessarily her favorite.

"Thanks," she responded, a relieved smile on her face.

She heard the faint ring of the doorbell then, and was happy for the interruption. As much as she loved time to just relax, the two of them, she was getting really hungry, and the topic of sex was just putting her off a bit. If she had questions...when she had questions, Myce would not be the one she wanted to ask. No thank you.

"Guess the others are here." Happy to leave everything in her room for now, her stuff and Conner's, she walked out of the room and towards the living room.

Conner was relieved when the doorbell rang to be honest, it wasn't as if Teagan was a bad person, but it was a bit of a pressure. See the doorbell meant that the spotlight would be stretched out with another person that he so loved seeing grilled. He let out a wide smile at the thought and immediately trailed after Teagan popping his head out and giving a shit-eating grin at the couple in front of them.

That was all weird; the fact that the two of them were back together considering last time....that experience was frightening. Trailing his gaze from the pair to Teagan, he noticed that she looked genuinely surprised, but was too courteous to say anything, instead he took the joy over the awkwardness of it all. Still, simply stepped beside her and looked innocently at the pair.

"Oh...did you not know Ben was coming? That's the roommate I was telling you about Miss Finn" he said politely.

He knew that he was being a bit irrational, but in reality he couldn't help but have those fears of maturity coming from his girls. He knew that there was no point in trying to stop it, it was inevitable. Instead he'd enjoy what time was given to him, and take it in stride...whatever that meant. But as the doorbell rang, it seemed that Rhian was more than ready to run out of the room and avoid any more talking. He supposed he was the same at her age.

"Guess the others are here."

"I suppose so, let's go greet her yes?" he said.

He smiled brightly simply because he knew who that was. Tess had finally taken his invitation with some merit and accepted it and he knew that it was one step forward to fixing everything. He tried not to quicken his pace down the stairs, instead took his sweet time, walking alongside Rhian. But as they went down the stairs, the smile that was one his face soon disappeared to confusion then rage.

The fact that Tess had visited did in no way stop him freaking out at the fact that her guest was not some friend, instead it was a boy. And not even any boy, Benjamin Watson. Who wasn't that bad of a kid, in fact was his apprentice and believed he would go far. It got worse as he realized that if this was a thing, and the children weren't all that surprised meant that it wasn't told to him. That bastard had been working alongside him as he woo'd Tess?!

"No" he said annoyed, "No, I am not having this, no"