you're the morning when it's clear

Marianne tousled her brown hair, yawning as she made her way downstairs. She'd decided to stay in Paris instead of returning to a lonely, empty house in Alsace-Lorainne. Glancing down at the feline weaving her way between her feet, a smile danced across the witch's face. As great of a companion as Suki was (and Marianne loved her little Kneazle to death), she just couldn't beat human companionship.

Picking her up the rest of the way, she padded towards the bar, ordering breakfast. With the tray floating beside her, the brunette set Suki down before taking a seat, grabbing her meal out of the air with a tiny giggle.

Even to this day, magic never failed to amuse her.

Gwen merely glanced up at the ringing bell, as she entered the inn, feeling surprisingly in a good mood. It was one of those rare days she wasn't anxious or worried, and she wanted to cherish every second of it.

After all, no one knew who she really was. At least, in this country.

She made her way to the counter, planning on spending quite a while sitting there, even if it meant doing nothing, since she did not want to go back to her 'family' just yet. Though she knew they'd be looking for her.

As she sat there contemplating on whether to buy a glass of something alcoholic or just have plain breakfast, she was aware of someone sitting next to her, but made no move to converse.

In her opnion, small talk with strangers was really a waste of time.

Glancing up at the sound of the door opening, Marianne watched the girl for a moment before returning her gaze down to the pancakes in front of her. She was pretty, she noted. But so were many other people she knew. And she'd never been the one to do anything about it.

She didn't want to get her heart broken. So loving from afar became the story of her life. Thoughts making their way towards Adria, she sighed softly, images of the blonde flashing through her head.

It took her a moment, halfway through her first pancake to notice the company. Blinking up at the redhead, she offered a small wave. Taking her owner's greeting as an invitation, Suki leaped up into the woman's lap, purring loudly.

"Sorry," the brunette apologized, "she sort of does that to everyone."

"It is alright," Gwen replied with a brief smile, as she stroked the cat's head hesitantly a few times before placing her hands back on the table once more.

It was then that she saw the stranger carefully, and realized that she was, in a way, beautiful. Not that it mattered to the English woman. It never did. She was not looking for love or friends. Those things were overrated. They only let you down at the end.

Finally deciding on just two strawberry muffins, she took a bite and let the silence rule them, not really sure what else to say.

"I'm Arya, by the way," she introduced herself after a few minutes. She had never uttered her real name in almost four years and she was not going to start now.

"Okay, that - that's good," Marianne grinned shyly. "Because you never know. You could be allergic to cats. Even though...Suki's not a cat. She's a Kneazle. But then again, they're similar enough that people with cat allergies have allergies to them." She frowned down at her plate. She was babbling. Why was she babbling?

"That's a pretty name," she murmured, glancing back up at the redhead. "I'm Marianne. Nice to meet you."

The redhead raised an amused eyebrow at the woman, "Well, I clearly do not have Kneazle allergies, so you can be assured of that." Had she made the stranger feel uncomfortable in any way? In reality, Gwen was beginning to feel her familiar awkwardness she always experienced when talking to some so casually.

She had an idea of what it could be, but did not want to admit to herself.

"No, your name is a pretty one," Gwen corrected and offered a genuine smile, hoping she did not appear as rude as she really could be. That was not her current intention. "Pleasure to meet you as well."

"Yeah, I guess so," Marianne shook her head, her tone amused. She'd just had to start with allergies, hadn't she? How was it that she'd managed to make friends, again? Suki began to make herself comfortable on the redhead's lap, continuing to purr.

"Aww, thank you. Though I guess it's my parents you should be thanking." The professor laughed softly, grinning as she thought of her family. "So, what brings you here?" she asked conversationally, taking a bite of her pancakes.

"Nothing specific really, I just wanted to get away from some people," Gwen answered with a shrug as she finished off one of her cupcakes. "That and the fact that I have never been able to stay in one place for so long," she grinned lightly. With all the hiding she had to do, her main motto was 'keep moving and don't look back'.

It was definitely working very well upto this point.

"France is a nice place though, possibly one of my favourites," she admitted, pushing back a strand of her hair. Sometimes however, she did miss Switzerland. It was her second home, a more pleasant one than her birth place.

"How about you? Are you a frequent customer here?" She questioned, wanting to keep the conversation going for some unfathomable reason. It was kind of unlike her, but she ignored that at the moment.

"I know what that's like," she agreed, her eyes pulling away from the redhead to scan the room around them nervously. It was ridiculous, she knew. The people who'd beat her up had been Muggles, she was sure of it. So why did she feel like she was being watched.

"I haven't been able to keep the same job for more than three years," Marianne grinned, returning her gaze to Arya. Grabbing her glass, she held it up in a mock toast. "Who knows? Maybe teaching will be different?"

She hoped it would. Something about it was just so refreshing.

"France ... it's definitely my favourite. But then, I'm biased. I've spent most of my life here. Though," she added dreamily, "Romania was amazing." The year she'd spent there with dragons had to have been one of the best of her life.

"Not really. I just wanted to stay in Paris over half-term instead of going back home." She shrugged a shoulder. "An empty house doesn't feel like much fun. Not even Suki can make it better." A small smile flitted across as her face as she looked at her Kneazle, who cracked an eye open to look at her owner for a moment before yawning and rolling over.

"Are you trying to avoid someone?" Gwen questioned as she noticed the woman glancing around the room, as though she was worried about watchful eyes. But seeing as the room wasn't that crowded yet, she wondered who it could be.

"Three years, you say? That is actually better than my records, seeing as I haven't been had the same job for more than six months or sometimes a year," she revealed with a shrug of her shoulder, but there was a twinge of sadness in her tone. As much as she loved the places she visited, a part of her desired to settle down once and for all, without having to look over her shoulder every now and then.

The redhead held up her glass as well and clinked it with the brunette's, "To teaching, then. Which subject, by the way?"

Romania. Now there was a place Gwen hadn't been to. Possibly her next hideout. "What's it like over there? I have wanted to try to tame a dragon, though I never found the right time to go."

"Oh, so you are not in a relationship? I think you are one of the few people I'm meeting who are apparently single," she grinned slightly. "Join the club. Then again, I am in no hurry, finding the right woman is supposedly quiet difficult." She did not mind in the least revealing her sexual orientation to people. If they didn't approve, she could hardly give a damn.

But she hoped that Marianne did not mind that fact.

"Sort of," she shrugged, "There are just some people I'd prefer not to see, that's all." She wasn't going to dump all her life problems on a stranger. It wasn't fair to Arya.

"Looks like I'm better than you," Marianne teased, her lips lifting into an honest grin. "What sort of jobs've you held? Anything mind-blowingly cool?" Taking a sip of her water, her grin widened. "Magical Beasts. I've always loved animals, so when the job opened I was like 'Hey, why not give it a chance?'" she gave a small shrug. "It's been great so far. No regrets."

Romania...How to even begin to describe it? Those had been some of the best years of her life. The scenery had been gorgeous and the dragons had been so majestic. "Indescribable," she breathed, staring off into space. "It was just amazing. Sometimes I wonder why I left."

But being able to specialize in all kinds have animals had been a once in a lifetime thing. She'd had to jump at the chance.

"As single as can be. I doesn't really bother me, but sometimes when see my friends who are together, I feel lonely." Marianne shrugged her shoulders. As happy as she was for them, there was a little ache in her heart every time she saw some her couple friends together.

She nodded along to her words a little absentmindedly, "Yeah, it can be." Pausing, she blinked owlishly at Arya. "Wait," she said slowly, "You're gay too?"

Merlin, she couldn't remember the last time she'd met someone who was.

"Believe me when I say that I know the feeling," the redhead murmured, mostly to herself. "Hiding has become like second nature to me."

"Well, I first worked as an Auror, then one year as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Curse Breaker at Gringotts and a few odd jobs here and there," Gwen replied, a smile on her face. She had loved each and every one of those jobs and knew that if given the choice, she'd go back to teaching DADA. "Magical Beasts? That sounds great," she told, impressed.

The smile didn't leave her face, as she noticed the way the brunette spoke of the country. She knew it was something very similar to, if not the same, passion for Romania and most definitely the dragons. "That is on my list of next destinations, then," she told decisively.

Gwen did not think she had to say anything to that, her silence said it all. Even though loneliness was like a friend, sometimes it did get a little too much wherein she wanted someone around.

"Oh wow, it is actually quite nice to finally meet someone like me," Gwen let a real grin spread across her lips as she looked at the brunette.

She nodded along to Arya's words, finishing her obsessive sweep of the inn and allowing her gaze to rest on her breakfast one more. Hiding was something she'd become a little too used to doing.

"Wow," she murmured, grinning at the redhead. "Those all sound amazing. What was it like being a Curse Breaker? Sounds dangerous." But then, some of the jobs she'd done had been sort of dangerous. But the dangerous animals were also the most interesting. "Aww, thank you. It really is great. Though I have to admit, it is kind of weird to be back at school." She added with a small laugh.

"I could show you around, if you want," Marianne offered, tilting her head slightly at her. Even though she hardly knew the woman, she seemed nice enough. And getting to know people was always nice, wasn't it?

She grinned back at the redhead, shaking her head slightly in disbelief. The number of gay people she'd met were exceedingly low, to the point that she wasn't even sure what to say. "It is," she said softly, nodding her head.

"It is pretty dangerous, actually," Gwen agreed with a nod of her head. "There are plenty of chanes to get hexed by some of the unknown jinxes, and I even have scars to prove it." There was a few on her arms, and one on the side of her face, almost like a straight line. "School was not really my place when I was younger," she frowned. "I never fit in there, though no one bothered me much."

The redhead grew hesitant. Was it alright to befriend Marianne? Or was it all just a plan? Deciding that she could always keep her distance, she said, "That would be nice, I guess. But I do not have any near plans to travel go Romania at the moment."

"Being of the other kind makes things harder on us, huh?" She questioned. It was one of the reasons she rarely made friends, no one was willing to accept her. It got to the point wherein she realized that it would just be her against the world.

It was mostly working so far.

"Ah, danger." Marianne shook her head, a smile pulling her lips upwards. "I know so many people who live for that thrill. They're all nuts." Her tone was coloured with affection, her smile only expanding. She kept dangerous company, she knew it, part of her enjoyed it. There was something about being surrounded by thieves that was just so thrilling.

Maybe part of her lived for the thrill as well.

"I was always the popular kid, really don't know why, but I guess it was nice," she shrugged, biting at her bottom lip as she frowned down at her breakfast. If Destan was still alive, it would've been perfect.

The professor glanced sidelong at the redhead, noting her hesitance. Why had she even opened her mouth? "I'm sorry," she said, rubbing at the back of neck, nervous laughter bubbling up. "I don't even know you and here I am, offering to show you around a foreign country."

She nodded, a sad smile flashing across her face. She knew firsthand how much her sexuality made her life difficult. "It really does."

Danger. Another word Gwen was more than just associated with. Every minute she was breathing, her life was at risk. She did not think it would ever truly leave her. There would always be a shadow she had to look out for.

She was beginning to tire of it.

"When I was a musician, things used to be so much more simpler," she confessed quietly. "My band was my everything. But things changed." Her positive inspiration was lacking these days, and she had been on the hunt for someone or something to take her down a different path.

Probably Marianne's that person.

Shaking her head at the thought and at the brunette's reply, the Swiss woman said, "No need to apologize. It was actually very kind of you, and be warned that I might take you up on that offer," and grinned lightly.

"It is very refreshing to finally meet someone who understands," Gwen admitted. "It was getting a bit lonely, honestly speaking."

"Oooh, you used to be a musician?" Marianne's eyes widened, a grin already crossing her face. Despite Beauxbatons being known for its music program, the woman had always been more invested with animals that playing an instrument.

She'd failed at each and every one she'd tried.

"What instrument did you play?" Pausing for a moment, her brow furrowed. "Wait, what happened? I mean, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but if you do, I'm all ears."

She couldn't help it. She'd spent so long dealing with other people's problems that it'd become a second nature for her to be there.

"I'll be on guard," she grinned, though relief was apparent in her tone and all over her face.

"It was," she nodded, swinging her legs. "I guess. I mean, I've never really known anyone who did, so this is nice."

"Actually, I kind of still am one," the redhead smiled lightly. "It's been a while since I've composed anything of note, since I'm trying to keep a low profile. But I never became a 'professional' per se, since the other jobs took up most of time."

Even she seemed cold hearted to people, the one thing she would always be true to was her music. It was always there for her, when the world turned against her, and for that, it was forever her best friend.

"I play the guitar, and sometimes the drums," she replied with a grin, but quickly faded at the brunette's question. "I'd rather not talk about it, if you do not mind," she said, her voice quietening once more like it always did when she was putting her walls back up. "Let it be a story for another time."

Gwen nodded her head, "I wonder what it is like to be in an actual relationship. I mean, I am not really open to the idea of falling in love, but the concept seems appealing."

It was not fear that was keeping her away. She felt as though she was already broken on the inside and relying on someone would just ruin her more. And even if she wanted to, her reserved attitude would get in the way.

Worst of all, she could not admit to herself that everyone did need a person like that in their life. Or at least as a friend.

"Hey, who knows? Maybe one day you'll get that big break of yours and be famous around both the Wizarding and Muggle worlds." She grinned, the idea of that kind of fame rather mesmerizing. Though she'd long since realized that she'd never achieve fame in her field of study and work unless she discovered a new animal, the prospect had never failed to amaze her.

She was curious though, about why Arya was keeping a low profile. But it was her business, she didn't need to know. After all, they were practically strangers to each other.

"Ooh, those sound like fun. I've never really been one for music. I suck at it." She shook her head, laughing softly. "I've just stuck with animals. I know I'm good with them." She nodded down at Suki, a fond grin spreading across her face. Looking back up at the redhead, she nodded her understanding. "I totally get it. I'm sorry for asking."

The head of house sighed softly, thinking back to the long list of girls she'd fallen for. "I've been in love. Or at least, I thought I was. And of course, with my luck, each and every one of them won't feel the same way about me."

She'd be lying if she said she'd ever get used to it.

"That sounds really amazing Marianne," Gwen murmured in agreement. Just like many other kids, it had been her childhood dream to become a musician. Her parents were quick to realize that she had the talent and were very much encouraging. And since then, her abilities had only escalated to a higher level.

And she had made sure to enjoy every second of it.

The redhead chuckled lightly, "Not everyone can be good at the same things, right? I haven't really spent a lot of time with animals," she admitted. "I love them though, all sorts. But since I never had any pets of my own, I am not very familiar with personalizing myself with them as a companion." She waved off the woman's apology, "No need to apologize, I understand your curiosity."

"So what exactly does falling in love feel like?" Gwen questioned with a raised eyebrow, though it was more of a casual question. "And besides, why would they not want to feel the same way? From what I've gathered, you seem like an appealing and intriguing woman and I am rarely wrong in my judgement about people."

She was surprised that she said that aloud, though it wasn't shown on her face. When was the last time she had given someone a compliment?

But this was a very honest one.

"It'll be even better when it happens." Marianne nodded, a large grin brightening up her face. Why not be optimistic for someone else? It let her forget about all the things she didn't want to worry about.

"As long as you don't hate them, I can't fault you for that," she teased. "But you have to start somewhere, right? I don't think I was born good with animals." She tilted her head slightly, trying to remember a time when she hadn't had animals in her life. But she'd gotten her first pet when she was five, and her earlier memories were foggy at best.

"What does falling in love feel like?" she repeated, a tiny smile flashing across her face. "It's incredible. It's exhilarating, the way your heart just won't stop pounding when you're around them. It's like being on top of the world, like everything's going right. As long as you have them, you know everything's going to be alright." She sighed happily, grinning. But the question brought her back to reality with a startling landing.

"Thank you," she murmured, blushing at the compliment. Her hands clasping together, she smiled wanly. "I seem to have a problem with falling for straight girls. Never even had a chance."

"It sounds like I have already got myself a fan," Gwen grinned and took a sip of her Butterbeer. She wondered why the brunette was being so supportive; they had just met after all.

"I do admit there is a bit of laziness involved," she replied and blushed just the slightest in mild embarrassment. "That and the fact that I do not have the time to do any additional hobbies. Most of my previous jobs used to keep me busy for nearly the whole day. Maybe you could show me a few ways on how to befriend animals?" She suggested with a small smile.

The redhead did not how to respond to Marianne's response. "Wow, sounds...nice, I suppose," she said finally, her awkwardness choosing this time to reveal itself. "I sort of wish I had a chance to experience such a thing, but..." she trailed off, knowing the truth was indeed far from pleasant. "Either way, I'd say you are lucky."

Her smile widened lightly at the brunette's blush and she shrugged her shoulders, "That is probably because fate is keeping the right girl away from you for Merlin knows what reason. But I'm sure you'll find her soon."

"Well, I'd have to hear something before I can really say I'm a fan, but from this conversation so far, I can say I'm a fan of you." She nodded to emphasize her point; Arya seemed like a very nice girl.

She brushed it off, amused. "We're all lazy, I can't blame you for that." She couldn't ever remember meeting someone so busy and living a life so full of things that they didn't have time to be lazy. No, she was sure. Everyone had a lazy side. Marianne grinned at the suggestion, "Ooh, I'd love to!"

The house head nodded, lost in her memories a moment longer. "It really is." Giving the redhead her full attention, she inclined her head in her direction. "One day you'll fall in love. I'm sure of it." If she'd been able to fall in love, than surely she could. "Lucky? Me?" She shook her head, laughing softly. "Not really."

She nodded, though deep down she couldn't believe those words. "I sure hope so."

Gwen looked at the brunette with a hesitant smile, "If you are interested in listening, I'd love to play you one of my songs one day." It wasn't something she offered to people she just met, but for some reason, felt like she had to do.

"True, though my parents used to be pretty strict, so laziness wasn't really an option for me," she shrugged. "I do have to admit that certain days, it's nice to lounge around and do nothing." Smiling more widely at Marianne's enthusiasm, she said, "Great, I'll be looking forward to that then."

She shook her head, as though appalled by the idea. "Love is something fictional in my mind and it's not permanent," she mumbled. "Besides, that is not really a goal of mine." Her only goal was to survive the rest of her life. "Of course you are lucky. After all, you did get experience something, that I suppose is sensational, repeatedly. Not everyone gets that chance." She pointed out.

"I do not get a lot of opportunities to talk to people like this, so I hope that this is not the last time that we see each other," she told softly, fidgeting with the ends of her hair and mentally cursing herself for sounding slightly vulnerable. It was this sort of weakness that made her more prone to being found.

But she was beginning to find a little difficulty in being emotionless and stoic around Marianne, and also beginning to feel a bit like her own self.

Almost feeling like she was back to being Gwen and not Arya.

"That'd be great," she smiled at the girl. Just because music wasn't one of her strengths didn't mean she didn't enjoy it. A good song could make a terrible day suddenly a lot better.

"Ah, parents," Marianne sighed softly. Growing up, she'd practically had two sets of parents, growing up in two separate houses. Her parents divorce had never been something that she'd dwelled on, having been so young when their marriage had ended. "They just want the best for you." She grinned back, "So will I."

The woman tilted her head, a small frown etching its way across her face. Though her experiences with love had never been pleasant, she'd seen people fall in love right in front of her, and it'll always made her realize that there was more to magic than just spells and wandwork. "I don't think it's ever anyone's goal to fall in love. It just sort of - happens." She shrugged a shoulder, staring down at her food. "I guess so. And it is a nice feeling, even if its not returned."

A small smile spread across Marianne's face. "I'd like that. I really would. You seem amazing. I - I'd like to see you again."