Dec. 22: A Little Christmas Charm: Helena

[Helena Goldstein]

She had been waffling back and forth her entire life. Part of her wanted her gift to work both ways -especially with certain people like Greta and Em- but another part was infinitely glad that it didn’t. It was a one way link between her and the rest of the world and it protected her in a way that exposed everyone else. She wanted Mal to know she was feeling the same as him, thinking along the same lines, but she didn’t want it bad enough to want him to be able to read her mind. So, she took a risk, she said out loud what he had only needed to think. To put them on a more even footing, to try getting them past the tense uneasiness that had crept into their encounter at her faux pas.

It’s alright. You can recover.

    You have messed up way bigger than this before.

That was true. Particularly in her early years at Hogwarts, she had made more than one situation awkward in the past and frankly made more than one of her classmates angry. And she had come back from that! She had repaired her reputation and made so many friends. She could do this. Helena even managed to complement herself a little and she beamed when Malcolm corrected her. He thought she was extraordinary. Well, that had turned around better than she could have hoped. They worked together and moved on from the consequences of her gift and before long they were back to conversing normally, about safe topics.

Holidays. They were such a happy time of year and she was really looking forward to being with her Nan properly this Christmas but what Mal was describing, well, that sounded just as grand. She knew he had a big family and she could see them all in the kitchen in his mind preparing a feast. The noise, the mess, the joy. She could almost smell the bannock Malcolm would make. He went on and Helena’s brows puckered, bugbear? She was completely blank on what those were and opened her mouth t ask when Malcolm posed a question that momentarily left her speechless. She really should have seen that coming! A bright smile sprung to her face and she dropped her fork with a clatter. “Oh, oh, um…yes.” Helena laughed, holding a hand in front of her eyes in embarrassment. She sounded like a fool. “I mean, I would really like that. We could…set something up by owl. Maybe I could come help with those bugbears, might help me remember what they are.” She was rambling, she knew, but she was just so…excited!

[Malcolm Rabnott]

That feeling of this being so fragile was greatly eased by the beaming smile Helena shortly sported, and Mal could exhale. His compliment was genuine, and taken as such, and she had helped them onto even footing, and it was good. They were good - rather, she was extraordinary, and knew he felt as such. Their conversation meandered back to the holidays, and while he wondered just what she could tell from his descriptions of the upcoming chaos and celebrations, in his speech and in his mind - he remembered Helena's hand on his, urging him to relax, and did his best. Overthinking may serve him well in exams - to a point - but it wouldn't here, it wouldn't help one bit, and they were good, and it was time to just ask.

And so, he did.

Mal waited, on edge, as the witch seemed lost for words, even dropping her fork. On instinct, he grabbed the fork and quickly stretched across the counter to nab her another, and belatedly realized that he'd...surprised her? He'd actually surprised her? So that's what happens when you don't overthink things, eh, Mal? Malcolm couldn't help his own startled laugh at the realization, and she was saying yes, and running with her words like he was prone to doing when nervous, and it was his turn to gently press the handle of the fork to her palm and wrap her fingers round. A grin stretched across his face, heart clamoring with thrill, and while he'd hoped it was a rather safe bet - he was still proud of himself for summoning the nerve to ask, and surprised at her surprise. It was a delightful look on the bonny lass, something he assumed she didn't experience all that much, and Mal couldn't stop grinning.

"Grand, grand," he said, giving her hand a squeeze before letting go, still chuckling as he scratched the back of his neck. "They're - er - they're rather nasty vermin, nuisances for anyone who keeps chickens and the like. I'd love for you to see the farm, wouldn't ask you to get in the muck with us to find the pest, but we - we can write, and we'll set a date, and if you want to come hunt for the bugbear, we can go hunt for the bugbear." He let his arm fall to the back of her stool, and while there were far more beautiful parts of the farm he was keen to show her and get her take on (what would she think of Da's greenhouses, and the sheepdogs underfoot and the barn kneazles and their own feisty chickens and wandering sheep? not to mention his family. even if they thought of this as a first date, he was suggesting to bring her home to his family on their second? You may have gone mad. But if you have, you've gone together.), his ma's side of the family business did lead to thrilling tales, after long stretches in the cold and much tracking of scat. If Helena wanted the full experience, to feel what it really was his life, his family, was like? How could he deny her that?

He took a few bites and, emboldened and not wanting to resist, asked, "Did I really surprise you then?"

[Helena Goldstein]

“Grand!” she heard herself repeat like an idiot. She didn’t mind so much being this kind of idiot though, it felt kind of nice. Much better than making people uncomfortable with her gift; she could stand to be stupid like this. She could stand how warm Malcom's hand was on hers, and how it made her stomach do an odd little flip. She could more than stand for it, or tolerate it, she very, very much liked it. So much so that she grew a little sad when he removed it but she perked up again quickly when he stretched his arm along the back of her chair. Without even thinking, she angled her body towards his, swinging her knees in so that they were almost touching. “No! I mean yes. Yes!”

Get it together Helena, you’re not making sense again.

    Deep breath and start over.

        Okay.

“Yes, I would love to see the farm. And help with the bugbear, now that I remember what it is. Nasty things. I have no qualms about getting my hands dirty. Nan and I have geese you know, they make the largest smelliest mess of all the animals, but I love them and I take care of them every day. So some dirt is nothing. Besides, that bugbear will have no shot against us.” See, a full complete sentence that made perfect sense, and she wasn’t the least bit bothered but how excited she sounded at the notion of spending time with him, even if they were up to their elbows in mud.

It was silent for a moment as they ate, Helena for her part, reveling in the plans to come. She was already mentally penning her owl to him and could not wait to get home to start it. Simultaneously, she was not ready to leave his company yet. She would eventually need to let him get to his interview though, then she would have time to write to him. Would it be too desperate for a letter to be waiting when he arrived home? Maybe she would ask Greta or Em, they would know better than she.

Helena turned to Mal just before he spoke his question, just wanting to look at him next to her, and smiled. “Yes.” she admitted sheepishly, with a small blush. “You did. It does happen, as I said I'm not omnipresent and I usually have a lot of voices in my head at once, I don’t always catch everything. In this case…” The blonde reminded herself that she was going to be completely open, it was only fair. “I was distracted. By you. And bugbears, to be fair, I was trying to remember what they were. But mostly by you, and your family, and how lively your house must be.”

[Malcolm Rabnott]

"Yes!" Mal echoed after her back-and-forth, letting loose a giddy laugh in relief as they turned out to be in agreement after all. He listened, enraptured, as Helena spoke. She wanted to see the farm, help with the bugbear, get her hands dirty. She and her nan kept geese and she cared for them. Mal felt foolish for never having asked about what home was like for her before, and kicked himself for not making this connection earlier. It wasn't as if he had an extensive checklist of what he looked for in a partner, or that a girl would have to check off every little box for him to consider a relationship. Nothing of the kind. He hoped to connect with someone, just like they were just now - but something he knew would help keep him together with someone is if they could share a love of the outdoors and its creatures, the pretty bits and the less glamorous parts and all. There was hardly an article of clothing in his trunk that hadn't been stained by grass or mud or worse, torn by errant chicken talons or thorns - his parents made sure he was handy with a needle and thread, knew his cleaning charms, and knew the muggle methods too. From the sound of it, she would fit just - just perfectly at home, rambling through the pens and the fields and all, and have a grand time at it.

He'd been beaming at his companion as she spoke, and perhaps too late realized he should've, well, said something by now. Happily flustered, he affirmed, "You're going to love it, I can feel it. I may be biased, but it's the most beautiful land I know. Have you been out much in Scotland? Outside of school, of course."

Courage mustered to ask another question, more personal, Mal was relieved to find her already looking his way with that smile when he asked. He shifted the arm that lay over her stool to give her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, turning a never-before-seen shade of red as she admitted that part of her surprise was due to distraction. By him. Bugbears and the family too, don't pass over that. "I hope you don't mind me asking, I don't mean to pry," he hurried, holding her eye as he smiled, "but I - er - thank you, I'm glad to know it. It's good knowing I've got a chance at bringing that smile back."

While he would have more than happily spent the rest of the afternoon in her company, Mal was too keen on the interview for it to have fully left his mind - Helena wouldn't have let him miss it either, surely - and his eyes darted to his watch again. He had enough time to walk over without hurry, and freshen up... With a reluctant smile, he removed his arm from around her and dug out coins from his pocket as he spoke, laying enough on the counter to cover the both of them. "I'm sorry to say, really I am, but I should hop to it. I'm so glad you were here, Helena. I'll send you an owl, and - well - next time, in Scotland?" he chuckled, stepping down from the stool.

[Helena Goldstein]

Part of her could hardly believe this was happening. When she had embarked on her late Christmas shopping trip today, she didn’t have an inkling in her mind that she would even run into anyone she knew, much less Malcolm. To anticipate that their conversation would go so well, that they were for all intents, setting up a date now to see each other again; would have been impossible. Helena was, therefore, incredibly surprised by the turn of events, and though she was an equal participant, it was still difficult to accept it as reality. Mal seemed just as excited as she was and his words helps solidify that it was indeed real. Helena found herself giggling along with him, shaking her head at his question. “Not much. Other than school I spent most of my time in Cornwall. So, I’m really looking forward to seeing more of it. I would take your word for it’s beauty but I’m going to insist on making my own opinion.”

Helena…

Was that a solid flirt?

Helena bit her lip at the thought that she was flirting. How well, remained to be seen, but it felt nice and at the moment that’s all that mattered. And he was flirting back, she was almost completely confident of it. The way he looked at her, his smile, and his words had her head ducking, a deeper blush staining her cheeks. As long as he kept looking at her like that, he had every chance in the world of taking her by surprise again. And making her smile. And blush. And giggle. And who knew what else? She was like a giddy little girl again! “I think it’s fair if you pry a bit.” she said after a moment. “I don’t mind.”


Sharing those parts of herself came very easily with Mal she found that her words were honest, as was her disappointment when he moved away from her. It was psychological, she knew, just she felt just a tad chillier now with his arm at her back. What was physical was the way her stomach sang, so much so that she realized it had been dancing on high this whole time. She tried not to let it show on her face and rose as Malcolm did. “Yea, I can’t wait. And um. Good luck.” Without putting too much thought into it she reached up and placed a purposeful kiss on his cheek. “Not that you need it.”

[Malcolm Rabnott]

"As you will. I look forward to your full report after the tour." Mal grinned as she played along, unable to stop as the witch giggled beside him, all big brown eyes and wayward golden curls. This was actually happening - Helena Goldstein was coming to visit the farm? Had he ever done something so impulsive as this ask? While he wasn't sure if they'd believe him at first, Mal had a feeling that his mates would be proud of him for asking, and was already feeling a bit of that himself too. Even if he hadn't had a moment to think this all through - neither had Helena, and yet she was moved by the same feeling. Nervy as it was, it was a good feeling, and he was glad to not be alone in it.

The question was - well, perhaps not the, but a - could he keep up the spontaneity over owls? When there was opportunity to read and revise, to try and perfect his wording, could he pull that part of himself back and simply be as he was here? It's just a few days, and you'll see her. Couldn't possibly make things go wrong by then, could you?

Again, Mal was relieved at her kindness and openness in letting him understand her more. There was far more to Helena than her natural talent with Legilimency, though, and he hoped she didn't think he was too caught up in that facet of her alone. He'd ask more, better questions, when they were next together. Although, he assumed, her talents would pop up in discussion. How it affected her family life, making friends at school, and now finding her way in the world? Better to have a decent understanding before getting deeper into things, wasn't it?

She went to her feet as he did, and wished him luck with a swift kiss to his cheek. The lad was left stunned like a fool in surprise at the gesture, feet rather stuck to the floor of the Leaky for reasons that had nothing to do with its relative cleanliness. How could he leave now? When a girl so beautiful inside and out was looking at him like that? But no - tempting as it was, he owed it to himself and the team at the Charms school to put his best foot forward with them. And with Helena's encouragement? How could he fail? "Can always use a spot of luck - thank you, I've got it in the bag now," Malcolm said with a growing grin. "Happy Christmas, Helena." Taking up his shopping and unsticking his feet with difficulty, the lad shot her one last flash of a smile before turning to the door. He'd already had such good luck with running into her and the conversation going so well, but hopefully there was a little left to spare to get him through the next hour's trial. And if not? If it didn't go as well as he hoped? He could take his own advice, eh? Keep going, as many stops as needed, until he found his place. 

[Helena Goldstein]

“And I look forward to giving it.” She assured him, already thinking of several creative adjectives that would go perfectly with a country setting that she hadn’t had a reason to use yet in her life. Even more so, she was simply looking forward to writing him in general, and even more than that, she was almost giddy at the prospect of spending more time getting to know him better. She wanted to assure him that there was no way he was going to muddle things up before they met again but she also didn’t want to make him uncomfortable again. Additionally, she could be the one to ruin things. There was no way to be rid of that fear for her and somehow, she knew it was the same for him as it was for so many. Hadn’t she watched from the sidelines as so many of her peer's thoughts reflected her’s and Malcolm's in this moment?

They were flirting, intending to owl one another, planning to meet up, and Helena was… hopeful, in a way she didn’t think she had ever been. She wished him luck and they stood for a moment, she thought, both taking in the time they had just shared. At least, that’s what she was doing. “Happy Christmas, Malcolm.” She responded with a smile, waving him off as he made his way from their chance meeting and into probably one of the most planned-out meetings of his life. She herself thanked Tom for meal and headed back into the cold with her gifts in tow, intend on home and a warm fire and telling her Nan all about her night. Her mind remained on Mal through her travels and she knew in her heart that he had the job in the bag but she sent up a silent prayer to wherever was listening to look out for him. It was Christmastime, after all, maybe someone was listening.

If you can hear me Saint Nicholas,

    For my Christmas wish…

        I wish for Mal to get everything he wants, especially if that includes me.