[Puddifoots] September Brought the Fall

[Dax Simmons]

It was always strange for Dax to settle back into the swing of things at Hogwarts as September brought the downfall of the British weather and the falling of the leaves. His day started with the dark of the Scottish mornings and ended when the stars were slowly revealing themselves in the night sky; to put it basically his days were extremely long. They were spent sweeping up leaves, cleaning up after the students, tending his precious pumpkins and wondering around the forest making sure that all its inhabitants were alive and well.

Today was a particularly dull day to say the least, the skies were overcast and grey with the threat of rain all too prominent. The smell of damp earth still slung to the air from the last downpour and as Dax trudged his way over the lawns of the castle he gained a sudden change in heart and became spontaneous. Throwing down his rake where he stood, (only later would he find out from Mr Nish that a poor 3rd year Gryffindor was knocked unconscious by the tool) and marched towards Hogsmeade in search of an old school friend.

The grounds man hurried down the cobbled street of Hogsmeade, the first drops of rain falling from the dark clouds above giving the signal for people to start to duck for cover inside the nearest shop to avoid the downpour. Joining in with the mad rush Dax pushed open the closest door next to him and dived in, only to his horror to find it was Madam Puddifoots tea shop. After a moment or two of standing in the doorway, in his mud covered boots and dripping wet with the rain did he see the one person he had been looking for…Grace Marks.

[Prof Grace Marks]

It had been a stroke of luck, this dark, rainy weather and Grace was taking full advantage of it. The team had been given a few days off before their next match against the Appleby Arrows on the coming Saturday and, as always, Grace had chosen to go to Hogsmeade until she had to go back. It was always good to come back to the village as she always saw people she knew and liked and there was always something to do.

However, on this particularly overcast day Grace had found herself without anything to do. This was not good. It was a strange concept for the Hufflepuff-graduate to not be sorting things out for The Bird or to be arranging get togethers with her friends in the village or even helping out in the kitchens of the Bird. She was at a complete loss at what to do. It was Cook's wise words that sent her on her way to having a relaxing day for herself and as she walked the streets of Hogsmeade she was grateful to him for them.

"Everyone's got to have some alone time, Gracie," he had told her, "even if you're amongst a million people."

And so, Grace found herself walking through Hogsmeade, taking in all the new shops and things that had sprung up all around. It made the blond woman smile to see the village thriving so. A cold, wet wind blew, throwing her long hair around her face and the tail of her black and orange coat blowing past her. Her black trousers did nothing to stop the wind from chilling her legs and by effect the rest of her. A shiver ran up her spine and she ducked into the door to her right: Madam Puddifoot's.

Grace remember coming her a few times with Bog and the memory made her smile, but as the door swung closed behind her and she began pulling off her coat, looking around at all the new and younger faces, Grace was happy that that state of her life was over. Draping her coat over the back of a chair by a table in the back corner, Grace went to the counter and ordered a large pot Earl Grey tea, going for her usual instead of being adventurous because the choice was simply too great! Then she moved back to her table and took a seat.

The tea was too hot to drink right away but Grace didn't mind. Instead, Grace planted her chin on her locked fingers and watched the other people in the place. It was great simply watching people, they were truly fascinating. The door opened and it took a moment for her to look there was she had become distracted by a portrait on the wall but when she did her face broke into a wide grin and she sat up, waving her hand.

"Dax!" she called, a little louder then she had intended but it would work all the same. She waved him over and pulled out the chair next to her for him.

[Dax Simmons]

It was strange how things never really seemed to change, here he was standing in Madam Puddifoots after trying to take cover, the creepy old witches in the corner eyeing him up and signalling for him to join them at their table. Last time this had happened Dax had dived to the closest table where, at the time, a complete stranger sat and that simple action planned the seeds for a budding romance between Dax Simmons and Loren Hayes. However today Dax did not need a complete stranger to save him, today there was someone who he knew and with the call of his name the Grounds man could not help but sigh in relief.

“You have no idea how happy I am to see you Grace.” Dax grinned as he approached the small table where his friend was sat. “I thought I was going to have to have tea with toothless Tina over there.”

A small nervous laugh escaped the man as his gaze flickered from Grace to the toecaps of his shoes. After moment or two he finally noticed that Grace had signalled for him sit down and so quickly he slipped into the chair in an attempt to cover up his previous over sight. Unzipping his raincoat and loosely placing it over the back of the chair Dax managed to summon a small smile at his old Hufflepuff house mate.

“So…why are you not at the Bird? I was heading that way to find you when the rain came down.”

It was not that this fact really mattered since they were now sitting down together, but Dax was still curious as to why Grace was not at her normal haunt. When they had been in New Zealand over the summer the enthusiasm and look in her eyes when every time she mentioned her little restaurant was heart warming, the passion and dedication was incredible. Dax longed to have something that burned a passion that deep in him, he had nothing while Grace had the Bird and Quidditch…lucky sod.

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace had stretched out a hand and was setting out the two cups she had been given - it always seemed to happen that Madam Puddifoot knew exactly how many cups she would be needing on any given day - when Dax finally got her hint and joined her at her small table in the back of the tea shop. It was much bigger then her quaint little restaurant but Grace, obviously being biased, thought it was not as homey though she liked it all the same.

It was even better to have some company, of course, and as the years after her graduation had passed she had found that there was no better company then Dax Simmons. The two had often had lunch together when they both could spare an hour or three, either at his hut - which Grace simply adored - or at The Bird. Grace could not choose where was best because both places lead to such diverse gatherings that they were all unique and always fun.

Dax sat and Grace smiled widely at him, her blue eyes flashing to the old hag-looking woman sitting in the far corner of the shop. She snorted a laugh as she picked up the tea pot and began pouring the tea. "Well, I am very happy to see you too Dax," Grace said smiling at her past team mate. "Tea?" she asked, holding up the tea pot to show she still had lots left.

Grace nodded and her smile dimmed a little. "Cook chased me away," Grace explained, rolling her eyes. Cook was a wonderful chef, a good employee, but sometimes he was simply too wise for his own good. Grace remember the day Bog had come to see her to tell her that he did love her but couldn't be with her. Cook had given her some wise words then, which since seem to have become a bit of a habit, and then became irate when all she wanted to do was cry. Ah well, that was a while ago and Grace had cried enough over that.

"And what about yourself?" she asked teasingly, one eyebrow raised, "aren't you meant to be working?"

[Dax Simmons]

Declining polity the offer of tea from is old friend Dax listened closely to what she had to say. It was strange that in Grace he had found such a friend. They had always talked (mainly due to Quidditch) but Grace, Bog and Girty had been such a tight knit team that the always felt like an outsider so had to find friends elsewhere. But now after graduation situations had thrown Dax and Grace back together again and a much more mature friendship had began.

“Well Cook is a sensible man.” Dax stated. “You work to hard Gracie, we do not want you to fall off your broom mid-game due to exhaustion.”

In the old days there might have been a moment when he made a joke other reasons why Grace might be too exhausted to fly, throwing the odd innuendo into the conversation but now at twenty one Dax Simmons was actually maturing. Being with Loren for over two years of course had an affect on the poor man but they had been seeing less and less of each other and Dax could not help but wonder…luckily Grace broke Dax from this train of thought and the very dangerous process of thinking.

“Working?” Dax asked slowly pretending that the word was foreign to him. “Grace my dear you must remember no one works at Hogwarts. Not even the Professors!”

With a small chuckle Dax looked down at the empty tea cup that Grace had placed in front of him. He knew he really should be out there raking the lawns of all the dead leaves that fall from the forest. He knew that being a magical school that with a simple flick of a wand would do the job for him, but then he hit the problem of what did he do for the rest of the time. So he had resorted to the good old fashioned muggle way of doing things and although it took longer there was a definitive positive and that was Dax was fitter then he had ever been before.

“In all honesty I had motives to hunting you down.” Dax looked up from this tea cup and met Grace’s gaze. “I was wondering if you had some spear tickets for your game on Saturday?”

[Prof Grace Marks]

It was a surprise that Dax declined the tea that was on offer - and free tea too - but Grace nodded and put the tea pot down and replacing it in her hand with her full tea cup. Holding it poised before her lips, Grace blew gently on the steaming tea absently. She smiled at Dax when he spoke of Cook. He was right: Cook was a sensible man. It didn't matter how much Grace went on about it, Cook was ninety-nine-times-out-of-a-hundred right and Grace knew it.

"Hmm," she murmured in agreement before taking a small sip. It was true that when it came to working herself silly Grace took the cake, sold it to make a profit and gave the proceeds to some welfare organisation. Grace had begun to slow down thought and many of her friends had commented on it. It had been brought to her attention that it was after the whole debacle with Bog that she had begun to unwind but she had only recently started seeing what people meant.

Another small sip and the hot cup went down to the table again. That was the second time she had thought about Bog today and she didn't like it. Dax made a wise crack and Grace laughed heartily, forgetting about having thought about a said ex. "Now that I will believe," she chuckled, sitting back in her chair. "But then what in the name of Merlin's pants was it that I did while I was there? Running a bowtruckle race?" She laughed again, her blond hair falling behind her shoulders.

She was wearing a black t-shirt with the Chudley Canon's logo on the front of it in bright orange. It stood out from the black even more because of it. Grace was still laughing to herself when she picked up her cup of tea again. If there was one thing Grace enjoyed more then laugh with her friends it was laughing with her friends with a cup of tea in her hand. And then it was down to business again.

Dax's serious tone made Grace sit up straight, put her cup on the table again, and turn slightly in her seat to face him better. She fixed him with a quizzical look that showed she was waiting with baited breath for what his motives had been for hunting her down. For a moment Grace thought Dax was going to tell her he was going to propose to Loren. So it was only natural that when his question finally came Grace burst into laughter.

"Dax," she said, lightly hitting his arm with the back of her hand, "I thought you were being serious, like someone had died or something. Of course I've got tickets." She chuckled to herself, shaking her head and smiling, as she picked up her tea cup again to sip. Just before the cup reacher her lips though she froze. "Does that question mean you'd like them? Or was it just a sense of curiosity?" She was teasing him now, Dax was such fun to tease.

[Dax Simmons]

At the thought of school Dax could not help but think about the good old days, the five of them sitting by the fire in the common room. Grace normally with a book in her hands, Girty with a box of a never ending supply of sweets and chocolate, him and Thom throwing screwed up bits of parchment at each other and Bog chortling away as he sat with his arms around Grace. So much had happened since then, the death of Thom, Bog vanishing, Grace being such a successful, beautiful person and that just left him and Girty still at Hogwarts.

“Come on Grace, you were like the only person to work. I mean you were Head Girl and Quidditch Captain but still found time to study then just to rub salt into the wound you got better grades then us all.“ Dax could not help but chuckle away as he was listing the list of achievements that is friend had managed. “I mean did you not sleep or are you just a natural genius.”

Dax was not the brightest spark among most of his friends and for him in was an achievement to have got an E, he could only dream what it would have been like to get an O. But he never let that stop him and has managed to plod on with life even if being keeper of keys was not the most glamorous or well paid job. This was something that Loren had repeatedly brought up and Dax knew she was ashamed when people asked her what he did and why she never visited his hut, he always had to go to her. Trying to push these thoughts out of his mind and luckily Grace was moving the conversation onto the tickets.

“Yes.” Dax paused as he thought that he had not really answered Grace’s question. “Yes I would like the tickets, not yes to it being out of curiosity.” Dax gave a nervous laugh before he slowly caught onto what Grace had said “Why would I ask if it was out of curiosity? I mean if I wanted the tickets I would have asked, which I did. If I did not want the tickets there would be no point in asking…”

Dax was sure he could have continued to gibber on and most likely start going around in circles. The poor man was getting himself into a state that for on lookers might have been rather amusing but for Dax it was making his brain hurt.

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace held her tea cup up by the handle, stabilising it by pressing her first three fingers of the other hand on the other side of the cup. Gently she sipped it as Dax went on about how as though she was the only one who had worked. Resting her cheek again the back of one of her wrists, Grace smiled a small at Dax before dropping her arms and sitting up straight.

"I didn't do as well as all that," she said a little more indignantly then she had wanted. "And my grades weren't all that good, honest." She shrugged her shoulders as though she knew that Dax did just as well as she did if not better. "And you know I don't function well if I have too much sleep. What was I supposed to do with all those hours I was awake if not do what I was supposed to do?"

Grace had helped the odd student with their homework while she was at Hogwarts and she had enjoyed it, helping others always made her feel good. Like Sianna for example. There was a wonderful woman who Grace was more then happy to help. Now, where was she? The US of A, following her dream, and that made Grace happier then she could say. Helping Dax out with tickets, now there was something that left her feeling very happy.

At his quick, short reply, Grace frowned at him and then he elaborated. Grace giggled with the man, just so he wouldn't feel so bad about being a little bit of a blundering fool sometimes. He couldn't help it, bless! But he didn't stop there, oh no, he carried on, and Grace couldn't help but laugh as he did. "Okay, Dax, okay," Grace said, putting her hand on his arm, "I get the picture. I was only playing with you."

Picking up her tea cup again, Grace took a sip, saw that she had very little left and drained it. Setting it down again, Grace picked up the tea pot and filled her cup, then pulled over the empty one and filled it as well before pushing it towards Dax. "I'll use Jonas' owl and send you the tickets when I go home. Do you just want two ... or would you like more? Because you know I can get you more if you want me to." Grace's hand, elbow propped on the table, flopped palm up to emphasis her point.

"So," Grace said, slightly sheepishly, "how are you and Loren?" Grace didn't meet Dax's eyes. She had heard things ... things that made her worry for her friend. It wasn't often that Grace put any sort of credence in rumours but these were hard to dismiss.

[Dax Simmons]

This was something Dax truly had missed, the sitting around and talking to Grace as if they saw each other everyday. The problem was he could not remember the last time they had just sat down and talked, he truly had missed it. Grace seemed perfectly happy with her life, she was smiling more then he could ever remember, even when she had been with Bog she had never smiled this much and boy did Dax love that smile.

“Well if you are offering I would like three tickets.” He shot Grace a very cheeky grin over the rim of his teacup. “I have had special permission from the Headman himself that I can take Alice and Marcus to a Quidditch game.” Dax gave a small chuckle as he thought about the conversation he had had with Dan and the years of pestering that Alice had given him to use his connections and get them to a Quidditch game! Dax could not help but wonder if it was truly Marcus cup of tea, but Alice had been persistent that at times like that Dax was scared of his little sister.

The grin that filled the Ground keepers face however soon faded away as Grace had asked it, the dreaded question, ’How are you and Loren?’ and by the way that Grace was avoiding even looking at him he gathered that new travelled quickly…well it was over a month ago, but still. “We er…I…” Dax was finding it hard to find the right words and his own gaze dropt to the brown liquid that was sitting in his teacup. “I called it off around a month back, she gave me back the ring and that was it. High school romances never last and ours well, I think she was more in love with Prof-”

Dax broke off as a frown appeared on his face. For some reason his mind had back tracked to what Grace had said earlier and he had clearly over looked in the prospect of getting the Quidditch tickets for Alice, Marcus and himself. “Wait, who his Jonas when he is at home?” Was there a mystery man that Gracie was not telling him about?

[Prof Grace Marks]

"Three tickets?" Grace mimicked in shock and surprise, "getting rather wild today, aren't we?" Grace chuckled lightly and hid her smile behind her hand. It was a bit of a mocking laugh and she knew it. She didn't mean to mock him but the temptation was just too great. It had been like this when they were at school, teasing each other every chance they got. Things had certainly changed since then and Grace was happy for it.

But Dax continued and Grace's smile increased. "That's lovely Dax," Grace said, reaching out a hand and giving his a quick squeeze. "I'm sure you'll both enjoy it tremendously, I just hope the weather's fair for Marcus. I don't think he'd enjoy it if it's otherwise." Grace sighed. "But I'm sure that Alice will keep him preoccupied so ... yes, of course you can have three tickets, Dax."

Then it dawned of Grace that Dax had mentioned Dan, the man who Grace had met so long ago now that it seemed a life time. At that stage Dan wasn't even teaching at Hogwarts, it must have been years! "Dan?" Grace questioned, "Daniel Hubbles? How is he?" The last Grace had heard he'd gotten married to the Astronomy professor, what an odd pairing Grace had thought it was but it seemed to work. Go figure!

Then Dax clammed up and avoided looking at her. "Dax?" Grace inquired when he paused. And then he dropped the bomb. A month ago? A whole month? "Why didn't you tell me, Dax?" Grace asked, "I'm sorry to hear that..." She could hear that there was more her old school friend wanted to tell her but he didn't seem able, so she want going to push it. Dax's comment on high school romances made Grace chuckle. He had a point, both of theirs had failed, some more spectacularly then others but these things happened.

"I don't know about that," Grace said after a moment's pause, "Girty and Alex seem to be going strong ... and don't forget about Jac and Jack. Talk about unconventional!" Grace rolled her eyes emphatically and sighed, smiling. "Sometimes I wonder if it's all just an affectation to rub in how happy they all are." She didn't really think that ... in fact as soon as the words had come out of her mouth she frowned, uncertain why she'd said it at all.

And then came her own questioning that she knew would come. Blushing profusely, Grace avoided Dax's eyes for the time being. He wasn't one of her girl friends that she could giggle with about her latest crush, he was Dax! She looked at Dax, her supercilious smile still plastered on her face. "He's just this guy, you know," Grace said noncommittally. "I met him at a birthday party of one of my team mates and he's really great, Dax. Really sweet and thoughtful and helpful and ... he's just wonderful." Grace suddenly sat up straight and added defiantly, "not that anything's happening or anything like that. He just enjoys helping me out when I need it is all."

[Dax Simmons]

He was sure that the other people in the teashop would soon be thinking they were mad. Here they were one of them who looked perfect and the other in mud splattered jeans and most likely mud on his face. They were the odd couple…not that they were a couple, but still….a professional Quidditch player and the grounds man of Hogwarts, they must have thought he had won a competition in the newspaper. However Dax was sure that if he had been a competition winner there would not have been such an air of comfort and joy, they were just simply two friends meeting up for a brew and simply enjoying being in one another’s company.

“Well he is my boss so I have to be nice about him, although Professor O’Donnell is at the opposite end of the spectrum. I think she moans enough about him for the both of us.” Dax gave a playful smile as he thought about all the occasions that he had worked away in silence as the Care of Magical Creatures Professor moaned away, at least it past the time he guessed. “But the last time I saw him he was off to the pub, so everything is normal there.”

Dan had held a small grudge over Dax due to the whole Loren situation, but then again the man had changed a lot over the years and their relationship was merely one of work colleagues but there was just that extra bit of leverage otherwise known as Girty, which each party used on many occasions and it always struck Dax as peculiar how Girty seemed to enjoy being in that situation.
Dax however did not enjoy being in this particular situation, he could listen for days about other people’s problems being that shoulder to cry on but when it came to his own private life that is just how he liked it being…private. Grace seemed to be shocked that he had not told her, but in all honesty other then his family she was the only other person who did know. He was then extremely happy that the conversation moved on and he was able to wipe his sweaty hands on his trouser legs and take a deep breath to steady the fast beating of his heart.

“Yeah they might be the exception.” Dax begrudgingly agreed it was true that while he was at his worst state of missing Loren he would look at the happy couple by the lake and hate them and their happiness. Jealousy was a truly amazing thing and when Grace was mentioning about her ‘boy’ who was a ‘friend’ the Grounds man could not help but feel slightly deterred. He was happy that Grace had found someone who, judging by the wide grin on her face and the look in her eyes meant a lot to her, it was the same kind of look that would pass over her when you would talk about Bog.

“Oh no, clearly nothing.” Dax shot her a playful smile; it was his turn to mock now. “I mean who would not enjoy helping you and for him to let you use for owl. Just be careful Gracie, it is an owl one day and then next…” He left the sentence hanging a cheeky grin filling his face as he raised his eyebrows.

[Prof Grace Marks]

Grace chuckled quietly to herself as Dax spoke about the Hubbles/O’Donnell relationship. The ex-Hufflepuff remember a time when Prof O’Donnell would have flown over an ocean to help anyone … something must have happened to change her so drastically. “The woman does know how to bare a grudge,” Grace said simply, taking another sip of her tea. It was getting cooler now. She felt the tea pot, it was still warm. She drained her cup and topped it up again, while trusting that Dax would do as he needed to do when it came to refills.

“Dan? In a pub?” Grace’s expression was that of mock-surprise but she couldn’t hold it in. The laughter flowed out of her as she finished, “I don’t believe it!” It was always were Girty had said Dan enjoyed spending his time. And the once or twice Grace had witnessed it she’d understood why he’d enjoyed it so much; the women just swooned over him. She’d always found it to be too weird, honestly, her’s her best friend’s bother, how much weird could you get? And thinking of Girty and Dan, a thought came to Grace which made her frown slightly. “But didn’t Dan give up drinking?”

Grace smiled helplessly at Dax Simmons, shaking her head. “Ever the pessimist, Dax,” Grace said sadly, her head moving slowly from side to side. “It’s not a healthy out look to have on life, dearest.” Again, Grace took Dax’s hand in her own, giving it a tight, hopefully comforting squeeze. She didn’t like seeing her friends hurting and while Dax wasn’t going to share with her she knew he didn’t have to. He was hurting, maybe as she had been hurting and it had taken her far longer then she should have to get over Boggleworth. Giving him a small smile, Grace turned back to her tea.

Grace raised an eyebrow. “Clearly,” she said with the same doubting tone that Dax had used. She didn’t mind that he knew but his words of warning did worry Grace some. Grace wanted to say something like, ‘what do you think of me, Dax?!’ but all she did was nod her head. She knew that Dax had only her best interests at heart. He was thoughtful that way. “I’ll be careful,” she said solemnly.

Taking a deep breath, Grace drained her tea cup again. Letting out her breath, she frowned. Wow, that was a mood killer, she thought, staring at the bottom of her empty cup. “Are you hungry?” Grace asked after a moments lull in the conversation. “I’m starving,” she patted her stomach as a demonstration. “And I’m expected back at the Bird soon. You’re welcome to come and join me for lunch there if you don’t have anywhere else to be.” The rain that pelted down seemed to have taken a momentary lull and now seemed the perfect time to duck if they were going to.

[Dax Simmons]

It felt strange to be talking about the Hubbles bunch to Grace, after the whole Loren and Dan thing there had been bad air between them and although him and Girty still met up once in a while it was not the same…although Girty had not been acting the same recently full stop, so Dax really did not feel all that special.

“Yeah, Girt said he only gave it up for a year just to prove to Dia he could do it and win her back.” He grounds man gave a small shrug, the love life of Dan Hubbles would always be complex and he picked not to focus on it, or at least at the time Loren would not let him…but it was all she ever did talk about. That should have been a sign, and not just any sign, a huge neon one that flashed 'WARNING' everytime those words escaped his ex-girlfriends lips. "You always love the one you hate." He muttered to his drink.

Dax had barley touched his cup of tea as the casual conversation was continued to be batted across the table, he was more of a coffee drinker preferring the caffeine rush to the delicacy of a cup of char. So there he was with the cold cup of tea clasped in his hands, a slightly sombre look on his face at the mere thought of Loren and Grace sitting in front of him. These two Hufflepuff’s had always been there for each other in recent years, Dax could not help but wonder what could have been had he truly been there for Grace after the whole Boggleworth situation…that was when she touched his hand. Slowly raising his gaze it met the blue eyes of his friend and he knew there and then that that is all they would ever be and all he would want them to be. Two good friends, ironically the two least likely to stick together out of the Hufflepuff gang, now they would have been good odds in a bet.

Dax laughed as he watched Grace pat her stomach and mention something about going to the bird to get a bite to eat. “Me? I am famished.” A small white lie yes, but where would be the fun in him going back to Hogwarts. He would only get shouted at by Bree or end up chasing a gang of Gryffindors across the castle grounds, no food sounded much more appealing. Pushing his chair out from underneath the table Dax stood up grinning over at Grace. “Well then Miss Marks, you lead the way. It is you restaurant after all.”