(Staff Room) Get Over It

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

The words had been said, there was no going back no matter how much he wished he could. It was not that Dan did not want Dia to know how he felt, it was important to a small part of his mind that it had been said and his intensions made clear. This was no longer a fling that rested completely on late night meetings and long nights spent together. In Dan’s eyes it was now a proper relationship, which although scared him at first he knew that he was almost thirty and should stop acting as if he was eighteen.
Dan wanted to spent time with Dia in a normal manor, he adored what they had now and he did not want to lose it and he started to fear the mere mention of love being spoken out loud could put all of this in jeopardy.

But he should never have doubt or feared his own feelings as well as Dia’s. It was not everyday you met a witch such as Dia and have such an amazing connection with them and as her sparkling blue eyes turned upon him, the small smile dancing across her fair lips gave him the small sense of relief. As she rested her hand on the side of his face, Dan did not filch or move into the hand, he just looked straight at Dia trying to read her emotions, just waiting for her to answer. But Dan’s heart sunk as Dia started to give her answer.

Was that all she had to say, that she knew that Dan loved her. He knew he had been honest with Dia with every word he spoke and every look he gave her, but he at least hoped…it was then when Dia kissed him, started to talk and then falter. Dan could do nothing but blink, he wanted to smile, he wanted to have the hope that Dia was about to say the same to him. But he did not want his hopes to be built up only to be smashed. But slowly yet again Dia’s quite voice said those few words Dan had been dreaming of.

It was now he allowed himself to grin, he allowed a soft chuckle to escape. She loved him. And for once Dan Hubbles was lost for words and actions. He wanted to kiss Dia passionately, but then he also wanted to just look at her smile and drift off into a sweet dream with Dia as the lead actress. But then not wanting to seem to be love struck Dan gave Dia a small wink and planted a gentle kiss on her cheek.

“I like to think I knew you did. I always hoped you did anyway.”

[Professor Dia Hubbles]

It had been the wrong thing to say, that she had always known but if Dia was honest with herself, during all the times they had spent together, all the countless hours they had lain next to each other and simply spoken about life and simple things, she had come to the conclusion that he felt the same as she and she loved him so he must. But this was all semantics, the real heart of the matter was that they loved each other and it didn’t matter when they realised it or said it, they had said it now and it was out in the open.

Dia’s heart was thumping hard against her chest and as much as she wanted to look away from Dan she couldn’t. His intense gaze penetrated through her into the very core of her and she felt naked in front of him, when he looked at her like that. She had come to long for that feeling and she promised herself she would soon share all that Dan meant to her with him. He had to know and she would have to say it but now was not the time or the place. They had only just reached a mile stone, no need pushing it any more for one day.

She smiled coyly at him as he spoke again. His voice alone gave her shivers up and down her spine an all she wanted to do was kiss him. She tilted her head towards Dan’s, her mouth towards Dan’s mouth and as their lips met she closed her eyes and breathed him in. It was the loveliest thing in the world, to be with Dan now and to have a man who would fight for her honour as fiercely as she knew Dan was capable of doing filled her up with joy and exhilaration as she breathed him in. Slow and gentle was the kiss, lasting longer and being sweeter that way, unlike their fist passionate exchange in the kitchens.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan looked down at Dia and thought about everything and anything at once. His mind flashed in quick succession from past events in their relationship, to where they were at present and for the first time in his life Dan Hubbles thought about the future, he imagined having a family and for that small space in time when his mind wondered into the realms of fantasy he imagined Dia as being his wife.
But these thoughts were pushed out of his mind when Dia leaned closer and gently planted a kiss on his lips. It was slow, gentle and out of every exchange they had shared over the months of being together that was the kiss that Dan felt most connected with. It was simple but showed how much they cared for each other.

As they slowly broke away Dan rested his forehead against Dia’s and looked deep into her eyes. His heart was filled with joy and love, in such a way that he has never felt before he just wanted to be with her. A small laugh escaped from his lips as he leaned his head back on the chair.

“Now why did I deserve that kiss? Not that I am complaining of course. I am just worried about making the other teachers jealous. You do know that half the female staff fancy the pants off me, I think you need to fear for your life from students too. There is this one Gryffindor who used to stalk me and Jonathan but now he has gone I fear one day she will find her way into my bed chamber and when I climb into bed she will be there. “

Dan shuddered slightly at the thought of her spotty face starting at him with lungful eyes, although the candle light might hide the spots it was still not a pleasant thought. But then Dan had thought that before about someone and then five years later actually ended up lying in a bed next to the individual with a very bad hangover.
Snapping back from thoughts of past romances and one night stands Dan turned his attention back to Dia, the one woman he knew he would never purposely cheat on. He did not want to be the cause of more heartache or the reason for her to spill any more tears. He was not going to be another Fitz.

[Professor Dia Hubbles]

Dia's heart was amongst the stars as their foreheads rested against one another’s. It had been the most passionate, most intimate kiss that Dan and Dia had ever shared and it had been perfect, however imperfect Dan found the circumstances. Dia had always felt that the where didn’t matter it was the what and the with who that made all the difference, the where was just the scenery. And now as they connected simply by their foreheads Dan was the only thing in Dia’s life that mattered.

When Dan put his head back, Dia rested her head against his chest as before. It seemed odd to her now that she was curled up like a cat on Dan’s lap. The other professor’s must think this an odd sight though when Dia quickly looked the two professors she could seem were engrossed in their work and were paying no attention to Dia and Dan. His arms around her was a comfort of sorts, a promise that he would always be there for her. He didn’t need to say it but she knew.

She let out a small laugh and kissed Dan’s bristly jaw (that only bit of him that she could reach without straining herself). “You didn’t deserve that kiss,” she informed him after a moment locking eyes with him, “I did. I’m the one who has to put up with the competition, you just have to sit around looking pretty. Not that it’s much of a challenge for you.” She put her head on his chest again, listening to his heart beat. “But I’m not worried,” she said after a silence, “I know I mean as much to you as you do me. And that means I’m the only one in your bed from now on.” This last she spoke almost sternly, except for the slight giggled that followed. She wasn’t worried.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Even the thoughts of Theodora and his Gryffindor stalker could not ruin the moment. He was caught in the moment, just having Dia with him, sitting as they were, together. It was the closest he had ever felt to anyone in his life. And as Dan looked back over their past he could not help but smile. To think it all started because Dan found her feisty, she had a temper that he liked and when she fought back it just made him want her even more.
But now that did not seem important, Dan knew that he did not have to prove himself anymore, they were in perfect harmony.

But that still did not mean Dan would not worry about silly little things. An example of this was when Dia said that he did not deserve the kiss. His first thought was one of pure panic as he racked him mind to think if he had done anything wrong but as Dia continued he was reassured that she was only joking. Although what she said after a small moment of silence was something he had been dreaming of for such a long time.
Dan often lay in his bed thinking about how little he got to see his Dia; he missed her smile and the gleam in her eye and wished she could be with him there and then, just to hold.

“You will be in my bed will you? Well that is bad, means I will have to tidy my room, have not had a lady in it for a long time…well apart from Girty…in fact half the mess is hers. I always tell her to throw away her sweet packets and bottles of fire whisky, but she never listens. Must run in the family.”

After he said this and shared a small laugh with himself Dan wondered why he lacked the ability to be able to enjoy the moment with Dia. Why he always had to be smart and try to have the last laugh. He should have just planet a kiss on the top of Dia’s head and been done with it.

[Professor Dia Hubbles]

Dia loved the way Dan spoke of his youngest sister. Girty was quite something but the way Dan painted her you would have sworn she was an angel with the inability to throw things away. Dia could see that family was important to Dan and that made him so much more attractive. Family was important to Dia too, though all she had for it was her busy parents who still found the time to write. Dia smiled at the thought of them sending her post with an owl. By now they would have gotten used to it but it must still be strange to them.

“I’ve seen how you keep a room, Dan,” Dia reminded him with a smile. She had always found it amusing the way he frantically gathered clothing every morning when they woke. After the first few days Dia had nagged Dan enough that he got the picture but it seemed he needed a little more reminding. “We spent a great deal of time in your room when we were in Egypt, even though Moswen would have thrown a fit if he had found out. We sneak very well together,” Dia spoke with a fond laugh in her voice. She rested her head against Dan’s chest again.

After a moment Dia decided to voice what had been on her mind. “Dan?” she said, “what would you say to meeting my parents over Christmas? Mother seems very keen to meet you and Father would like to as well, I am certain.” She had met Dan’s parents, even though it was a stressed time for all of them. It seemed so long ago but she still remembered each moment with crisp clarity. Her parents had stayed out of the picture for so long that Dia began to feel home sick again. This swirling feeling in the pit of her stomach always meant it was time to go home soon.

She wondered how Dan would react. It was a big thing for her, him meeting her parents. She wanted to show her mother the Dan she loved and her father the man who she was willing and wanted to spend the rest of her life with. This was a big move for her but she didn’t want to burden Dan with that information just yet. She wanted to hear his uninfluenced answer and she hoped it would be the right one. She knew it would be.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

The mere mention of Egypt forced Dan to burst into laughter, it had been a very productive holiday and he had not had that much fun since him and Girty went on a camping trip to Sweden…however him and Dia had had a different kind of fun, then staying up late roasting marshmallows.
Dan’s cheeks turned slightly red about how they used to sneak around while staying with Moswen, he had only known the man for a while when he felt the stab of guilt y going behind his back and going something he knew he would disapprove, the problem was that Dia was so irresistible these guilty thoughts soon went out the window…along with his trousers., that had been a hard one to explain in the morning.

But then Dia said something he did not expect, she asked a question that he would normally flee from. Meeting the parents was not normally something Dan did, that would signal to the fact that they were approaching a serious relationship. And even as Dia said it his natural reaction was to try and stop himself from showing the look of panic, but this time he had no panic to hide. He had heard so much about Dia’s parents it escaped him the fact that he has not met them in person.

“Meeting your parents over Christmas…oo not sure I could do that. I have a lot planned. I mean I want to put on a few pounds from eating too much and then drink my own body mass in alcohol.” Dan gave a soft laugh before kissing Dia lightly on the head before continuing. “Of course I want to met your parents, I need to thank them for having such an amazing daughter.”

Dan thought about joking about making sure that the family had no health issues that he needed to worry about. Make sure Dia was not going to drop dead on him or that their kids would not have some problems. But Dan caught himself as he even thought about children and uttered it out loud. He needed to worry about making the right impression on her parents and not stuffing everything up before he started to even contemplate children.
Girty always laughed at him, saying he was getting old, and he was a lot closer to being 30 then 20, but Dan wanted to do things at his own pace, he always wanted that. After all he planned on living another 60 years at least.

[Professor Dia Hubbles]

There seemed to be some hesitation at the question Dia posed. Dia held her breath and shifted on Dan’s lap so she could look him straight in the eyes. She looked into his eyes, deeply, searchingly. Then, she spoke and Dia almost gasped when he said it might not be a good idea, but soon his little joke was sprung and Dia let out her breath in a short light laugh. She couldn’t believe that she had doubted him, again.

Relaxing, Dia tapped Dan lightly on the chest to show she had been upset by his little jest. “For a moment, I thought you were being serious,” she said with a laugh playing in her throat, as though she was surprised at her own silliness. To be truthful she was but she soon moved on because he had agreed. “I’m so happy you’re up for it,” she said, laying her head on Dan’s chest again. “Mother will be ecstatic,” she said thoughtfully, “She’s been nagging me for a while about how I was getting alone and who I’ve been with. Moswen must have mentioned it to her.”

Dia laughed at the thought of Moswen avoiding her mother’s heated, piercing gaze and short quips about him becoming more and more blind every time she saw him. Dia’ mother was the only woman, let alone person, who Dia could recollect that had made Moswen shake in him sandals. Her mother was tough when it came to matters that called for it but loving and supportive when it came to her daughter, the witch. Neither of Dia’s parents fully understood what it meant, though her father did try, to be a witch and Dia had never taken the time to explain it to them; they were always so busy with their work.

“They’re probably busy,” she commented absently, “but they’ll make time when I ask for it. Not because I’m asking of course, but because … I think they miss me when I’m gone and this time I’ve been gone a long time.” Dia wasn’t sure exactly how long it had been but she was certain it was over two years. Though correspondence never ceased between Dia and her mother via letters it was not the same as seeing her parents and being able to hug them. She missed that, she would admit, and was looking forward to it now. “I don’t think your parents liked me much,” Dia added as an after though.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

Dan laughed with Dia as she admitted her own foolishness at believing that Dan was being serious. He would never dare say no to Dia, what ever the question was not that he was afraid of her he just did not want to cause her pain, see the smile that graced her fair lips fade and the sparkle in her eyes fades.
But the idea that her mother was keen to meet him made him rather nervous, the idea that she wanted to know more made Dan’s mouth go dry. From what Dia had told him her mother was a very fiery person and he could imagine being interrogation for information about how he would treat her daughter, he just had to make sure he did not slip up otherwise he feared Dia’s mother would take it out on him.

“My parents? When did you meet my parents?” Dan was taken by surprise by Dia’s little outburst about his parents but when he took his time to let this information sink in Dan finally remembered where Dia had spent time with his family.
“Oh then…well that was a stressful time. Surprisingly enough I do not remember much, but I can guess that it was Mum who was being short tempered with you and having a go at Girty while Dad just sat there. Mum never thinks anyone is good enough for me, how could anyone be good enough for her precious Daniel.” He stopped to try and calm himself down, stop the emotion from rising in his throat. “But it should be the other way around. How am I good enough for you? Mum will see it one day, Girty does, and she reminds me everyday. But I do not need to be told that, I know that I love you and that I thank the Gods for bring you to me.”

Dan broke off and tried to swallow away the lump that was in his throat, he felt the emotion build up and the want to escape. But for some reason he knew that it did not matter in essence. Dia would not mind if he showed his softer side, it might even appeal to her more. But for his own pride Dan held it all in, he had not changed that much.

[Professor Dia Hubbles]

Dia knew she could over react some times and take things out of context but she also knew when that was, well, most of the time she did. She knew herself pretty well that way. She knew too that Dan understood that about her very well and she treasured that. Understanding was one of the main foundations in their relationship and Dia had come to trust that, with Dan and within herself. They had sorted their misunderstanding out and life was simple, bearable again.

Speaking about Christmas and families were the simple things that made life seem normal, normal like her parents had: love and each other, nothing else was necessary. Next thing you knew they would be talking about their childhoods and first kisses all over again. Pleasant, that is how Dia would describe those short, simple conversations that she and Dan shared, pleasant and always too short. She would have asked for more time every time but she knew that would be selfish and smothering and she didn’t want to want that.

Dan spoke about his family and Dia could tell it was bothering him. As he spoke she trailed her finger up and down the side of his face with an amused smile on her face. Dan always got so worked up about his family and Dia couldn’t help but smile. Her finger ran slowly down his jaw as he spoke about her. It was enduring the way he revelled in having her for his own. She would not let him slip through her hands again. “And I do likewise for them bringing me you,” she said softly.

Leaning forward and cupping his jaw in her hand, Dia touched her lips lightly to Dan’s, running a hand through Dan’s hair. She loved being able to do that, kiss Dan when she wanted and she could run her hands through his hair whenever she wanted. Resting her forehead against his, eyes closed, Dia smiled softly and sighed. “I love doing that,” she said softly, with a hint of sadness, “but it feels like we are going to part again soon.” Dia was never sure why but she could feel it in the pit of her stomach, a knot tightening around her insides, that the time was coming closer and closer when they would have to separate.

[Professor Daniel Hubbles]

The godfather clock that stood proudly in the corner chimed signalling the arrival of a new hour. A few of the other Professors who were in the room stood up and left, but Dan did not move, he kept on looking in Dia’s perfect eyes, lost in his own thoughts. But as she spoke about having to leave he was unable to hold her gaze any longer. Dan almost felt ashamed that he would have to break this magical moment, which he would have to walk out that door and away from his Dia.

“I am sorry, I have a tutorial. I promised some third years I would help them with their Charms work, I am late already and they would never let me forget it. What is it with children these days with having such an attitude? No respect for there elders that is what it is.”

Dan gave a soft chuckle before leaning in and planting a light kiss onto the soft lips of Dia, before slowly picking her up off his knee and gently placing her on the empty space next to him. It was now Dan’s turn to be the one to look down upon the other, and with searching eyes Dan studied Dia’s face and ran his fingers through her smooth hair.

“Promise you will come and see me later. I do not care what time it is or where or for how long. Just as long as I get to look at you one last time before I go to bed tonight.”

He could have given her puppy dog eyes or the same type of grin that five year olds give when they want the last cookie. But instead Dan just look at Dia normally, he knew she would do her best to see him and that is what he adored about her. Dan actually loved every single fibre of her being but he would never tell her that, not yet anyway that was just too much. So instead he kept it to a simple three worded sentence that once upon a time was so hard to say, now it just seemed to roll off his tongue.
So leaning in once again he gave Dia one last kiss and looked her dead in the eyes.

“I love you.”

And with that Dan forced himself to move away, and slowly began to walk out of the staff room, giving one last look over his shoulder before he walked out of the door and into the corridor.

[Professor Dia Hubbles]

Dia might have flinched when the clock chimed the hour but wrapped in that moment when all else seemed far away nothing reached her but Dan. She gave him a joyful smile and when he kissed her she put her fingers on his cheeks and held him gently. She nodded slowly, showing that she had understood his reason for leaving, though her down case gaze implied she wasn’t happy he had to. As she thought about it she realised she had marking to do so raised her eyes to meet Dan.

He wanted to see her again and she smiled broader for it. “I’ll find a way,” she said softly, looking up into his face. The more time she spent with him the more she began to think that he radiated happiness and love. It was infectious and Dia beamed up at him. She would not let him down, not once he had looked at her so earnestly.

A shiver rippled down her spine when Dan said once again that he loved her. It was what her heart had longed for and after kissing him again Dia smiled. “I love you too.” It came so naturally and she believed it. Before she had wondered if she really did have true feelings for Dan but now it was clear that she did and that there was no other in the world for her but him.

Watching Dan leave was always the best part of her day. It wasn’t very often that she got to watch his swagger or his buttocks as they walked together. The click of the Staff Room door brought Dia back to herself hard and she realised she was alone. No one else was in the Staff Room any more. Sighing heavily, she pulled her legs up onto the seat and curled into a tight ball, hugging her knees tightly to her chest. She could still smell Dan on her, that was a small comfort. She would have to find him, as he had asked. She would have to.