[Lake] I love you, I hate you.

[Prof. Hannah Edgecombe]

The day was breezy and cool most certainly not a day to be cooped up I'm the castle moping about the way life should be. Of course Hannah was still pissed about the state of things between her and Will, but she was sick of trying to win him back. Still she had no clue as to what had changed between them, what she had done to warrant such ill treatment and she was done trying to figure it out. If he didn't want her then that was his choice and he was free to move on. Even as she thought those things her heart ached and her tummy ached. No matter what She tried to tell herself she still wanted him, thought about him, cared for him. The only person she was trying to fool was herself, she figured if she stopped caring her feelings would cease, too bad it wasn't working. So she was spending most of her time outside.

After she woke up and had a leisurely early morning breakfast in the Great Hall she made her way outside onto the grounds. At first she just took a stroll passing along all the landmarks the school was known for such as the greenhouses which housed all sorts of amazing plants though Hannah never much cared for plants. The there was the infamous whomping willow that would knock you out with one branch as soon as you got too close innocent as it looked it could pack a wallop. After that she drifted off toward the Quidditch pitch where hundreds of matches have been played. Hannah loved to watch those matches they were so action packed always kept you on your toes. After standing there a while she turned and walked toward the black lake.

This was her favorite place it's where she came to think and unwind. She would sit at there and just think. Sitting there her back leaning against a tree Hannah started to wonder what she should do with the rest of her Saturday. It was still very early and she pretty much had the whole day ahead of her. Maybe she would venture into the village and do some shopping, or maybe she would go into London and visit some friends the possibilities were endless plus she didn't want to be cooped up in the castle where she would surely think of him.

Her green eyes shut as she thought things through Hannah never heard the approaching footsteps.

[Professor William Vaid]

"Things are a complete mess, and it's all my fault."

He sighed, and cradled his throbbing head in his hands, dragging his sweaty palms down his face before looking back at Dan, his best friend, and right now his only rock.
"Maybe so, but you can put things right Will. Hannah if anyone should of seen it coming and known it wasn't entirely your fault after all..." he trailed off, speaking words of wisdom as he absent-mindedly rolled a small matchbox on the table. Noticing this, Will looked down and frowned, a small smirk appearing on his face.

"You've either turned into a smoker or you've found out your a fraud and you're a squib afterall" he said before giving a small manly chuckle.
"Oi. I'm Daniel Hubbles, the Mighty Hufflepuff. I am no squib!" He smirked back and laughed as he threw the matchbox at Will. Catching it, he raised his eyebrow and pushed open the box, pulling out a match, flicking it against the side before blowing it out and catching the scent of it as it burnt out.
"There's just some things magic can't reproduce..." he sighed, sniffing at the blackened match once again before the smell finally faded. Placing the box back on the desk, he pushed it back towards Dan before standing up and pulling his light black Pilot jacket off the coat rack and sliding it on in one seamless movement before heading towards the door.

"Wish me luck" he said to Dan, his hand on the door knob as he twisted it, he looked back at Dan for reassurance as his free hand scrapped back his re-growing hair from his eyes.
"You won't need it" Dan replied before Will left the Headmaster's office, closing the door quietly behind him.

The fact that the pair had been up all night getting drunk in Dan's office had given Will the new found confidence he needed to pluck up the courage to have a serious talk with Hannah. The truth was, he was besotted by her but after all he'd put her through he wasn't sure she felt the same. Closing his eyes, he stood outside of the Headmaster's door and took a deep breath. Hannah had re-taught him a few tricks to try and tap into whatever Divination prospects he had. Clearing his clouded mind, it didn't take long to tap into seeing Hannah sat by the Lake. Smiling just seeing the vision of her, he opened his eyes and walked briskly towards the lake.

His hands thrust in his jacket pockets, he made his way towards her, picking up a small flat stone on the way before casually standing next to her in silence for a moment then skipping the rock into the water. The darkened pebble skimmed the water's surface a few times before giving up and sinking deep into the Black Lake.
"I never was too good at Skimming rocks" he said softly, looking out onto the water. Picking up another rock at his feet, he stood back up and looked back at Hannah, his other hand outstretched to her to take hold of.
"Do you care to show me how it's done?" he asked, offering a small, light smile... the only one he had really felt in months.

[Prof. Hannah Edgecombe]

Things just weren't right. She had no idea how things had gotten so bad, one minute they were all hunky dory and the next it was like cat and mouse they just couldn't get along. This isn't why she had come out there for but her mind kept wandering to him every time she had a moment alone. Since the whole thing started she had been feeling wretched. Funny, Hannah had been the one woman who thought being alone and just having fun was a good thing, but then she went and found a man who made her want to change all that. Then as soon as she put her heart in to it she got hurt. She was trying to bounce back, but it was so hard.

The pain was so deep that it cut her like a knife. There were days she didn't feel like getting out of bed. Plus, it was messing with her powers, the visions were coming in less and less lately, they were jumbled, and sometimes she was dead wrong. That made it kind of hard to be the divinations professor when your skills were on the fritz.

It got so bad that she even sought out the advice of a friend. One day in the staffroom she had practically begged the Headmasters wife Dia who was good friends with Will to talk to him for her. How high school was that? Hannah wasn't proud of it, she was actually humiliated by the fact that she had done it in the first place, but what else was she to do Will wouldn't speak to her and she had no idea what she had done. Not even her psychic abilities could have told her what the issue was. Hannah remembered the day she walked in the staff room to find Dia there. Both of them looking the worse for wear. Something had been going on with her Hannah had an idea of what it might be, Hannah knew a lot but she hadn't told her the truth. Why burden someone as nice as Dia with something like that. Poor woman married a womanizer.

That was neither here nor there Hannah knew she was supposed to let go, needed to try to let go but she couldn't seem to do it. Time was only dulling the pain it wasn't easing it at all. Sometimes it would just take a whiff of him in the halls to set her off on a crying binge. Outside she tried to find solace they wouldn't run into each other out in there.

When she came out there that is what she had been hoping, why she felt comfortable enough to close her eyes and try to relax. Why she didn't take notice of him walking slowly up to her. Didn't take notice of that familiar smell of his, the smell that drove her insane mad for him. It was the sound of the rock splashing in the water that brought her reeling back to reality. Her eyes flew open and locked onto him. Her heart immediately began to race and she sat there stunned waiting for him to say or do something nasty.

He grabbed another rock Hannah sat there and watched him still not saying a word simply waiting for some sort of altercation between them. What she hadn't been expecting was him to hold out his hand to her. Hannah stared at his hand suspiciously, how did she know that if she held it he wouldn't simply try to push her into the lake. Something is different her inner voice told her. Hannah hadn't heard her inner voice for some time now it had been dormant along with the rest of her abilities. Biting her bottom lip still staring at the hand Hannah threw caution to the wind and took hold allowing herself to be lifted off the ground.

His sweet voice sounded in her ear, sending a shiver that started from the top of her head and went straight down to the tips of her toes. Her eyes sparkled, as her mouth twisted upward into a smile. "I was never much good at this either but I suppose I could give it a go" grabbing her own rock from the floor she tossed it onto the water oddly enough it skipped but only once before sinking straight to the bottom of the lake. "Ah well I'm surprised it did that much." Feeling sort of odd, and awkward she turned to Will "So what, are you speaking to me now?" Her voice might have sounded a little bit harsher than she meant it to but she just needed to know what was going on now.

[Professor William Vaid]

Truth be told, Will had been thinking so much about what to say to Hannah that he hadn't actually thought of the exact words to say. Instead he had just been swirling the guilt and feeling of neglect and abuse around and around in his head like a whirlpool of hurt. He couldn't bare that he had hurt Hannah mentally, and he was absolutely disgusted with himself that he could hurt her physically.
Things were bad, really bad. All he could think of now was that the entire relationship was unrepairable.

He was utterly ashamed.

He took her hand and offered her a warm smile, the least he could do currently. He tightened his grip slightly on her hand and slowly wrapped his arm around her waist, stepping slightly left and right to dance with her. He really wasn't sure what he was doing, nor why he was doing it but he felt the need to try and show how sorry he really was. He breathed a sigh.
"Hannah..." he began, looking at her for a few seconds before looking away towards the lake. He felt like he didn't deserve to look the woman in the eyes. They showed so much hurt, hurt that he had created in her. Her eyes had never looked so dull and saddened.

"Hannah, I..." he continued, stuttering and stumbling over his words, unsure what was going to come out next.
"I love you. I really love you. I adore you, and I worship the ground you walk on. I cannot forgive myself for what i've done to you, and the hurt i've made you face. I've put you through hell and yet still, here you are actually willing to talk to me, even look at me" he blabbed. He sighed again, feeling strong enough to look her in the eyes.
"I don't expect you to love me or even forgive me. I've been in a really bad place, but i'm not there anymore. I realised being in that dark place made all the things I needed, all the things I wanted, fall apart. I want you, I need you, Hannah. You're all i've ever needed, and I can't believe i've managed to throw it all away." he continued, his eyes forlorn and melancholy. His voice became soft, almost a whisper.

"I just need you to know i'm sorry".

He paused for a second, leaning back and took it the sight of her face. He took his hand from her waist and brushed her cheek with the back of it, feeling her smooth warm cheek, he sighed deeply.
"Hannah, I've treated you like dirt, and this is no excuse....but whoever that was, the darkness in me, wasn't me. I don't know what it was, but I don't have that side to me. I'm not that guy who hits a woman. I never thought i'd be the guy to even raise his voice to a woman. My mother brought me up different, and truth is, i'm so ashamed of myself how I treated you and the thought of ever doing anything like that to anybody, let alone the love of my life"

He stopped dancing now and held her face in both hands, staring deeply into her eyes.
"Hannah Edgecombe, you are the love of my life. I can't believe I treated you with such disrespect, but if you can ever forgive me..." he smiled slightly, thinking the words that were about to slip out were absolutely crazy and she would slap his face off for thinking about it, let alone having the cheek to ask it...
"...will you be my wife?"

[Prof. Hannah Edgecombe]

Hannah wasn't sure what she was doing out here with him. After all he had done to her it was a wonder she hadn't sought revenge against him it was in her nature after all. Just because she was no longer a Slytherin student didn't mean she didn't have Slytherin tendencies. Back in her day if anyone had treated her the way Will had she would have taken no mercy, funny how age changes things. Maybe she was kidding herself with that whole age excuse Hannah hadn't changed that much, the problem truth be told was how she felt about him. Hannah had made the mistake of falling in love with him deeply in love this she knew would be her downfall and that's why this was so hard for her. She wished he would go away leave or something to make it easier for her. Of course she tried to be cordial but it was hard way harder than she wanted it to be. What had he wanted from her now, she couldn't tell, couldn't see, her powers were on the fritz something that sometimes happened when she was upset about something.

He grabbed her hand and her fist instinct was to grab it back from him to tell him that he had no right to touch her not after what he had done, too bad she couldn't find her voice to tell him so. It became harder to do when he wrapped his other hand around her waist. He moved her left to right, a dance. Anyone on the outside looking at the two of them might have thought they were both nutters, Hannah would probably be one of them so why did she let him. Again the answer was that she loved him.

The sound of her name caused her to look into those eyes she thought she had known so well. What was he going to say now, was he going to call her names and push her into the lake sort of like the cherry on an already discombobulated sundae. But he didn't say anything after that not at first instead he looked away from her and Hannah sighed. Here we go again, came her next thoughts. All of this was getting a bit old and all of it was taking its toll on her making her wonder if it was all worth it. Love was supposed to be wonderful but so far love was pain.

He started talking again and she was struck dumb that's not what she was expecting at all. Will it seemed was full of surprises today. Hannah's eyes were on him listening trying to make sense of it all. For the first time in a long time Will Vaid had a lot to say and Hannah did not dare interrupt him. Everything she had wanted to hear he was saying, the apology she had longed for slipped easily from his lips. Hannah knew she should stay mad at him but when he was standing there looking so vulnerable how could she. When he brushed her cheek with the back of his hand Hannah couldn't help but lean in a little it felt so good. Despite it all Hannah missed him so much it hurt.

How she wanted for things to go back to the way they used to be, but then again so much had happened between them he had done so much so many things she didn't deserve how could she allow it?

Almost on the verge of tears Will captured her face in his hands forcing her to look at him. Again he said all the things she had wanted to hear professed his love for her and Hannah was so desperate to believe him but she was scared. What if he turned on her again? Thinking it was time to turn away from him she prepared to move to make him let her go so she could go back up to the castle and think things through. Hannah didn't get to make that move not after Will had stunned her into silence when he proposed to her. She stared at him unable to think clearly surely he was just kidding around, Hannah put her head down and shook her head trying to clear it. Then looking back up she said "Is this a joke or something? Why would you? I-I-What?"

[Professor William Vaid]

He hadn't planned the proposal. Not at all, but he knew he wanted Hannah to be his wife and that was all that mattered. He felt so guilt stricken about his evil actions towards her the past few months though that he was sure she would laugh in her face. For all he knew she had moved on and left all this whole drama of a relationship behind her and called it a life lesson and found somebody new. Hell, probably even a Hubbles, they seemed to always get the girl. His eyes boared into hers as his hands still held her face, his body tense and his head full of hope.

Why would she possibly want to marry me after all the things i've done to her and put her through? Nobody deserves to be treated the way i've treated her, and here I am asking for her hand in marriage?
You've crossed the line.
No.
You've gone so far past the line that you can't even see it on the horizon anymore.

"Hannah. This probably sounds totally ridiculous to you, after all i've done. Please, trust me. The darkness in me has gone and I will never forgive myself for what i've done to you. You were the one for me and I blew it. It's absurd of me to even ask anything of you, but I know I could make you happy, and i've spend the rest of my life making it up to you. You deserve more than me, but I would like to try and do my best for you always" he whispered to her, his voice full of reassurance and longing for her to listen and understand.

"If you could see what had happened to me, in my head, then...." he continued before tutting and sighing, his hands sliding from her face. He stood there limply.
"We belong together Hannah. Anybody can see that. I just messed you up, and I will never be able to fix it will I?" he asked. He stood for a moment before bending onto one knee and nuzzling his cheek onto her drooped hand. He breathed heavily before planting a slow soft kiss on it and standing up once again.

"I know it's sudden, not to mention crazy, but the offer to be my better half will stand, for as long as it takes until you decide and give me an answer." He said softly, offering her a small smile afterwards. He began to walk away from her before turning back.
"Think with your heart, not with your head."

[Prof. Hannah Edgecombe]

This was certainly not what she expected from him. After everything she honestly thought he hated her or something. No one who truly loved someone could ever treat them the way he had treated her, a person who loved someone would never have disrespected them the way he had. That wasn't love it couldn't be but standing there right now listening to him he sounded like the old Will the one she had fallen in love with the one before the madness. Her heart thumped loudly she wanted to believe that he had reverted back to his old self.

Why should she believe in him though? She had already done that hadn't she when she gave her heart to him. She believed in him and look what happened to her. He had made a complete fool of her something Hannah swore no man would ever do. It was bad enough her parents weren't speaking to her because of him, but then she allowed him to embarrass her the way he had. Why would she, hell why should she because he said so.

Damit though her love for him hadn't really faltered despite it all. She would lay up in bed at night thinking of him, wishing he would come to her to tell her he loved her. He was doing that right now expressing his love, asking for her forgiveness. Hannah had trouble with that always had since she was younger holding grudges against people was what she was known for. Again though she was older now then she had been then time to act like a grown up right?

As much as she wanted to it was still hard pretty words and all. She wished she could see into his head see if he was telling the truth, but her powers had been malfunctioning for days now and she could barely even tell if the ant that was climbing up the tree next to her was going to be eaten by the bird also watching its assent. Another thing this screwed up relationship had done to her.

Still she loved him, her mind and her heart were at war with one another each one with valid reasons for taking him back and for not taking him back. Having no idea which one to listen to made this even harder. As he knealt down in front of her Hannah couldn't help but cry now he was her Will the Will she still loved.

Watching him walk away again hurt her, she didn't want him to walk away even as he turned back to her she had made up her mind. The idea of not having him in her life was too much to bear and the moment she realized that her heart won out in the end. "It's you it's only ever been you. You are the one for me I know it and I want to spend my life with you so yes yes forever and a day yes" she called to his retreating back.