Pandora heard a crack in the hall and paused, wand in hand. When she heard Ronan's voice she she relaxed and replied, "Yes, it's me."

As he wrapped his arms around her, she smiled. "Oh, it's just one of my well hidden talents. I take it that you have no objection?"

She turned, seeing the exhaustion in his face. Her insides twisted with guilt. That was partly her fault, she knew it. "Don't worry about Dora, she's just hypersensitive right now. I guess being pregnant will do that to you." She reached up and pulled him into a gentle kiss.

"The only thing I want you to do is go sit down. Dinner will be ready in a minute. I made Cioppino, but without muscles, because I don't like them. I've sorted out the crab shells too. A sort of preview of our holiday if you like." She opened the bottle of wine that she had brought with her. She poured each of them a glass. "Try this, it's not very strong but it is delicious." She took a held up her glass. "A toast. To... moving on together."

"Nope, no objection at all. It's nice to have a proper cook in the kitchen. Usually, I just scrounge up whatever I can find and eat that." Ronan said his face flushing just so, slightly embarrassed by his eating habits.

Ronan was pleasantly surprised by Pandora's kiss and took the chance to deepen it just a bit further. Gazing at her with a wicked glint in his eyes he replied, "Quite so. I told her in the break room how my mum passed and she broke down in tears about it." Ronan recalled the event where an unknown man had chided him for causing Dora, a pregnant woman, such emotional strain. It just was apart of their conversation, he hadn't meant anything by it--most certainly not to make her break down in tears.

Ronan went and sat down at the table and mentioned, "Oh good, I'm not a big fan of muscles myself." Taking his own glass and listening to Pandora's toast, he added in a "Cheers." before taking a heady sip.

Placing his glass down and letting out a small sigh Ronan frowned and then looked to Pandora. "Rose, why'd the cat run off, he's usually so interested by people's cooking."

Pandora smiled at him when he told her that it was nice to have a proper cook in his kitchen but she didn't comment. She could see from the state of him that he wasn't eating properly.

When he deepened the kiss she responded a little, intoxicated by him. She rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. She let him go reluctantly.

She frowned when he told her how he had accidentally made Dora cry, wondering exactly how that conversation started. "I know that she's had trouble controlling her morphing, her hormones must be all over the place. She's a great person, she wears her heart on her sleeve. Not like me."

She turned her attention to the food, dishing up the cioppino and taking the garlic bread out of the oven. She carried them to the table. "Lancelot? He was winding himself around my ankles and I almost smashed the vase. I told him off. He's not used to it, is he?"

She sat down and smiled. "Tuck in."

"Yeah, I suppose it was indeed my fault." Ronan said as he sat there looking at his wine glass.

"No, I think I spoil him too much." Ronan admitted realizing that he had an unusually close relationship with the small animal.

"It looks amazing Rose." Ronan said with a bright grin to the young woman looking down at the plat of food and picking up his fork and knife to start eating.

Pandora reached out for his hand. "I'm sure it wasn't darling, don't let it worry you."

She took a sip of her wine. "Well, he's your familiar, he's important to you. Just like Tajma is to me. Except he seems to think that I belong to him, not the other way around." For a moment she wondered if Ronan would spoil a child in the same way, if she would have to be the strict one. She
blinked rapidly. "I hope that he behaves himself at Dora's while we are away."

She tried some of the cioppino, it was better than she had expected it to be. "Thank you darling. It's the first time I've made it, I'm rather pleased with how it turned out." She ate some of the garlic bread. "I'm glad that we're both eating garlic." She was thinking aloud, thinking about kissing him again.

Ronan was comforted by her hand on his and he ran his thumb along the back of her hand gently.

"I think he certainly feels the same about me, he hardly is out of my sight except for when I go to work of course. I love the little bloke." Ronan explained fondly. And then Pandora caught him off guard with the words, 'I hope he behaves himself at Dora's when we're away.'

"Oh has she offered then?" he asked Pandora, a little taken aback by the statement considering the fact it wasn't really her responsibility to take care of the animal.

Ronan took a first bite of his food and nodded in agreement with the young woman. "Yes, really quite fantastic."

He chuckled when she mentioned eating the garlic bread and nodded. "Yeah, wouldn't want to be the only one with smelly breath here eh?"

Pandora listened to him talk about Lancelot in fond terms. "He's a lovely cat. Just a little spoiled." She eat a little more of her meal. She looked at Ronan, realising that she may have made a bit of a mistake. "I asked Dora to take Tajma and Tadgh. I thought you'd want to make your own arrangements for Lancelot. I can ask her if she'll take Lancelot too, if you'd like? She absolutely adores cats, I'm sure she would love to have him."

She chuckled. "All these compliments, my head will be so swollen. I'm just glad you like it." She laughed properly when he made a joke about smelly breath. "Well, I wouldn't want to you knock you out by kissing you with garlic breath, would I?"

"Yeah, that seems alright. I'll talk to her tomorrow about it or something." Ronan said with a small grin to Pandora. "Hopefully, Lancelot doesn't try to beat up Tajma. He's very territorial around foreign cats. But it'll serve him right to be put in his place."

"Oh no, I wouldn't mind darling." Ronan said with a mischievous grin and wink to match. He always loved to tease Pandora just a little bit. Taking a sip of wine and then another bite of the main course, he asked Pandora, "So will there be any dessert to follow this fine meal?"

"Okay, you'll probably see her before I do. Perhaps we should introduce the two of them, so that they can get used to each other? I feel guilty for leaving him on his own two nights in a row."

She arched an eyebrow at him. "Surely that would spoil all the fun?"
She mirrored his actions, taking a bite of her garlic bread and then a sip of her wine. "There is desert yes, but I have to admit that I bought it. Strawberries covered in chocolate." She smiled, taking a sip of her wine. He looked so much more relaxed and she was pleased that she could have that effect on him.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea Rose. Wouldn't want to leave poor Dora alone with two frightening tom cats having a row with each other." he replied with a firm nod of his head.

Ronan chuckled. "My breath's just as bad as yours, so we'd probably just end up passed out next to each other on the floor."

Ronan nearly fell out of his seat in surprise as Pandora mentioned chocolate covered strawberries. "That is with out a doubt, my favorite dessert ever." he told her fighting the urge to leap across the table to plant a wet kiss on her lips.

When he mentioned the two cats rowing she frowned. "Tajma is a full kneazle so he might be a little snooty. When Jared took me home, Taj was really upset and tried to scratch him out of the house."

"Passed out on the floor? That really doesn't sound like any fun at all, not when we could be doing something else. I think brushing our teeth in between courses might just be a good idea." She winked at him.

Pandora saw the unrestrained joy on Ronan's face and smiled widely. "I almost bought a lemon drizzle cake. I'm glad I didn't now." She pushed away her plate, having enjoyed her meal. She took a sip of wine. "Could we eat them on the sofa?" She wanted to be closer to him. It was a constant need when she was in his company.

"Our cats are as different as we are." Ronan noted with a small laugh. "Lance isn't exactly snooty, just protective and a bit spoiled mostly because of how I treat him. He likes other people all very well and good, just not other animals."

"Sure we can go over to the couch. But first, I think I'm going to take your advice and brush my teeth first." he said wiping his mouth with the napkin at his right hand and standing up from his seat to go into the bathroom and reach for his toothbrush. Ronan noticed Pandora's resting near the sink as well and smiled despite himself before completing the task at hand.

"If you'd like to brush yourself, you're welcome to it." Ronan said kissing her cheek as he entered the kitchen once more, reaching for the plate of strawberries covered in chocolate.

Pandora nodded. "I think you might be right, we'll have to wait and see." Privately she thought that any disagreement between the cat and the kneazle would end in Tajma's victory.

Pandora chuckled a little when he said he would take her advice. "That's a good idea." While he was gone Pandora cleared the table and put the chocolate strawberries on a plate. Noting that there was an odd number, she eat a little one. "Mmm, divine." Just as she swallowed the last of it Ronan reappeared at her side. When he made his cheeky invitation, she almost refused it. Instead she shot him a mock offended look and then grinned. Walking away from him she said, "I won't be long. Do try save me some strawberries."

'Do try to save me some strawberries.'

Ronan gave Pandora a mock pout before she headed off to the bathroom. He walked with the plate of strawberries to the reception room over looking the garden and sat down with a comfortable sigh on the couch facing the large T.V. Ronan rested his feet on the ottoman that matched the couch and placed the plate on his lap fighting the urge to gobble them all up.

He took one and had a small bite, savoring the taste that he hadn't experienced in a good long while. "Mmmmm, delicious." Ronan noted as he took another bite of the treat.

Pandora returned from brushing her teeth to see Ronan relaxing on the sofa, restraining himself and not gobbling all the strawberries. She smiled, and crossed the room to join him. She sat down and snuggled into the nook of his arm, her favourite place to be. She took a strawberry and bit into it. "I have to say, these were a really good idea." she said when she had eaten it. She chewed her lip for a moment and then asked "Would it be okay if I left my toothbrush here?" For some reason, one she could not pin down, asking this question was far more nerve wracking than saying 'I love you' for the first time.

"Oh yeah, they certainly were Rose." Ronan said with a bright grin as he finished off the last of the first strawberry he had eaten. He paused not wanting to seem too greedy and simply let the plate rest comfortably on his lap whilst Pandora lay comfortably in the crook of his arm.

'Would it be okay if I left my toothbrush here?'

Ronan was slightly caught off guard by the question, more because of Pandora's expression. She looked rather nervous and he wondered why. "Sure Rose, I don't mind if you leave your toothbrush here." he said kissing her forehead gently.

If she kept her toothbrush here, it almost certainly meant that she would be staying here more often which comforted Ronan because he could keep an eye over her. Hopefully, the nights wouldn't be as hard as the previous one.

When Ronan answered so casually, Pandora breathed an audible sigh of relief. "You could leave a toothbrush at Old Mill if you want to. It makes sense really."

She smiled when he kissed her forehead. Pandora picked a strawberry covered in dark chocolate. She bit into it and her eyelids fluttered closed. It was the best thing she had ever tasted. When she finished that one, she took another and scoffed it in a most Dora like fashion. "Try one of the dark chocolate ones. They're... fantastic." She smiled guiltily.

Ronan grinned happily to Pandora's reply. "I'll have to buy or transfigure a second toothbrush first." he said. "But sure, I'd love to bring one by next time I go to your house."

"Feed me one darling." Ronan said with a cheeky grin. He really was being a bit of a fresh bloke tonight, but at least he was allowed to be in his own house. Ronan opened his mouth facing Pandora hoping that she would actually do so and not blow him off or scold him.

Mutually resident toothbrushes. That felt important somehow. "Good." she said quietly.

When he asked her to feed him a strawberry, she gave him a very devious smile. She chose a nice, not to big strawberry and bit part of the way into it. She leaned forwards and kissed his open mouth, biting the strawberry into two pieces. She settled back into the nook of his arm, thinking about the last surprise she had for him.

Ronan was pleasantly surprised when Pandora decided to actually feed him the strawberry. He had thought that she would simply tell him off for being to cheeky and chewed away at the strawberry as Pandora nestled into the crook of his arm.

"You're right Rose, the dark chocolate is delectable." he noted swallowing the yummy treat with a small grin on his face.

Pandora relaxed into Ronan's arm. "Hmm, delectable. That's a brilliant word."

She rest her head on his shoulder, and took one of the last strawberries. She ate it slowly, feeling her nerves building. She fiddled with his tie threading it through her fingers.

Finally, when it felt like her heart might explode, Pandora sat up, away from him. She reached behind the sofa to where she had stashed her bag of books. She lifted it up and felt inside. "Aha!" produced a brown leather box which looked old and more than a little mistreated.

She smiled nervously at Ronan. "I want you to - Well what I mean to say is that I'd like you to have this. It belonged to my grandfather."

She offered Ronan the box. Inside it sat a watch. She chewed her lip, hoping that he would see how important it was to her.

"Oh brilliant really? I'm brilliant." he said having a bit of an egotistical moment.

Ronan watched as Pandora took one of the last strawberries and he himself decided he wouldn't eat another bite.

His eyes opened up in amazement as he watched Pandora take out a ratty looking box from behind the couch wondering if it was a gift of some sort.

He took the box from Pandora and looked inside to see an antique looking watch. Ronan smiled genuinely as he looked at Pandora and then down at the watch and then back up at the young woman. "Rose, I love it." he said kissing her cheek enthusiastically, as he took the watch out of the box and placed it on his left wrist.

"Will you help me fasten it darling?" Ronan asked.

Pandora watched his reaction closely, trying to gauge if he liked the watch or the idea. When he was clearly thrilled by it, she smiled delightedly. The kiss on her cheek sent a pleasurable wave of electricity through her.

She nodded when he asked her to fasten it. She lifted the plate off his lap and put it on the coffee table, out of the way. With trembling fingers fastened the watch. Her fingers caught his pulse, she thought it was racing, just like hers.

"It was an antique when my grandfather wore it. He was muggle born, but his mother found out about the tradition of giving a watch when a wizard comes of age. She saved for three years to buy him this. It cost several thousand pounds, I don't know how many galleons it might have been. I want you to wear it, so that you have something of me with you, just like I have something of you with me." Her trembling fingers found the keys on her necklace, the one she now never took off.

She settled back into the nook of his arm. "I love you." She murmured.

Ronan smiled warmly as Pandora began to put the watch on his wrist and explain the importance of it to him.

"That was really nice of you to think of me Rose." he said kissing the top of her head after she finished the job.

"I love you too." Ronan whispered gently, leaning his head ontop of hers their bodies so close it would've been a wonder if Pandora couldn't hear his heart thumping out a rather distinct and rapid beat.

The night had been one to remember for sure. Ronan settled his feet back up on the ottoman and let out a rather satisfied sigh.

Pandora smiled. "I'm always thinking of you. I just wanted you to know that I'm not going anywhere. I was so awful to you last night." Her finger traced the scratches on his arm, the physical evidence of how crazy she had been. "I can't remember all of it but did I try to leave? I know I felt like I was putting you in danger." She put her hand on his chest, she could feel his heart racing beneath her fingers. "No-one has looked after me like that since I was a child. It's difficult for me to let you do that, but I love that you did it. Prometheus," her voice broke on his name and she cleared her throat.

"It's difficult to explain to someone who doesn't have a twin but I always felt like he and I were a jigsaw puzzle. We fitted together, like he was half of me and I was half of him. I've been half a person for nearly twenty years but I feel... complete now. And that's because of you. And..." She was being totally honest, every feeling that she had experienced since she fell into his lap was pouring out of her. "That terrifies me Ronan. I don't know how to do this."

Pandora was distracted by Lancelot padding back into the room. With ease he jumped onto Ronan's lap and across on to hers. "Oh no, not on a new silk dress Lancelot. I'm sorry." She lifted him up and placed him back on Ronan's lap, tickling him under his chin and then stroking him.

"I want... No, I need you to know that love you, even when I'm not thinking rationally." She said in a quiet, serious voice.