Harry,
Even though we haven't talked in a while, I wanted to wish you a happy new year. I wanted to remind you that I love you... and that I'm still here.
I miss you,
Spencer.
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"Are you sure?" Walter asked her for the third time.
"Yes. There's a cake in oven 3, cookies in 5, and 1 needs a cleaning. Besides, it's only an hour and a half... the place won't burn down."
Gracie snorted.
"Hey!" Spencer punched her shoulder.
"Appa, it's okay. She knows the number to 999."
"911" Spencer nodded.
"Not funny" he pointed at her, smiling.
"Go! I'll be okay!" she practically pushed him to the door.
"You have my number" he nodded.
"Yes. And 911, don't worry" she laughed. "Seriously, all will be well."
"Ok" he nodded. "Gracie, let's go" he took her arm.
"Fire extinguisher is below the cash register and there's another one in the kitchen" she chuckled before leaving.
Spencer got a head start on the oven, making sure the timers were near by so she could hear them.
Twenty minutes passed, she continued scraping grease and burnt pastries from the bottom of the oven.
The bell from the front door rang.
Her eyes widened as she looked down at herself- her clothes, including her apron, were a mess.
She took off her gloves before leaving the kitchen.
"Good morning! I'll be with you in just a second" she walked toward the apron's and tried to get a new one.
"Spencer?"
She turned around before getting to her intended destination.
"Mason! Hey" she walked toward the register, standing in front of him.
The table between them.
He smiled awkwardly.
She wondered why.
A few moments passed before she realized.
"Shit- I'm sorry- I forgot to call you" she shook her head.
He shook his head, "all is well" he laughed. "Just thought you weren't interested" he shrugged.
"I was! I mean- I am? I don't know it's..." she let out an awkward laugh. "There's been a lot going on and I'm barely getting it together."
"No worries" he smiled.
"I did intend to call you though- life just got in the way" she shrugged.
"I get it" he nodded.
He brought his hand up the her face, wiping something off of her cheek.
"Ugh! Gross" she chuckled.
She held his wrist, bringing his hand closer to her apron so he could wipe it off.
He stared at her hand on his.
She left go once his hand was clean.
He cleared his throat, "So, you work here?"
"Yes" she smiled.
He nodded, taking a look at the pastries.
"Any good?" he asked.
"Of course, I made them" she nodded. "Here" she reached for a chocolate filled croissant and handed it to him.
"How much?"
"No- just try it."
"I can pay."
"I know- I don't care" she laughed. "Come on, try it."
He took the croissant hesitantly, "it won't bite" she giggled.
"Shut up."
She ran her finger over her lips, fake throwing out the key and zipping her mouth.
He took a bite, his eyes widened at the taste as he nodded.
"This is delicious."
She smiled, "I told you you could trust me."
"I never should've doubted you" he took another bite.
"I get that a lot." She brought out two boxes, filling them up with pastries. "Do anything for New Year's?"
He nodded, "this is the first year Eliza stayed up with me."
"That's sweet."
"Yeah, we went to go skate at the lake- some people bought fireworks."
"I loved fireworks as kid" she reminisced, filling up the second box.
"She was scared at first but then they pulled out the colored ones which she of course enjoyed."
She chuckled, "I can imagine" she nodded.
Spencer put the two boxes in front of him.
He stared at them, confused.
"On me" she smiled.
"No- I couldn't possibly-"
"Don't worry about it" she shook her head. "Really, I'll make all of these again in about 45 minutes."
He laughed.
"Thank you" he took the two boxes.
"Of course!" she smiled.
They stared at each other, unsure of what to say next.
"It was nice seeing you again."
"Yeah, likewise" she nodded.
He nodded back before saying goodbye.
She watched him leave.
A weird knot appeared in her stomach.
She stared at his back, something told her to follow him.
Do or don't.
Do or don't.
She did.
As he opened the door, she went after him.
"Mason!" she called. "Hold on."
"Yeah?" her turned around.
She stood inside the store, he stood outside.
It was awkward, to say the least.
She didn't know what she wanted to say.
She hadn't planned this.
"Things are kind of weird in my life right now" she admitted.
"You don't need to explain- I get it" he replied.
"No- I need to tell you. I intended to call. I saved your number and everything."
He smiled at the ground before looking up at her.
"I am still figuring myself out. And one of my resolutions this year was to just put myself out there. Do what's scary. It's hard to say the least. And honestly I don't even know if I can be in a relationship yet" she admitted. "I mean- what I'm trying to say, rather ask, is... can I still call you?" she asked. "I'd like to get to know you. Keeping in mind that it'll be slow-"
"Yeah" he cut her off, a big smile on his face. "I'd love to know more about you too" he nodded. "You can call me anytime."
"Cool" she smiled.
"Cool" he smiled. "I'll see you around Spencer" he winked.
She blushed as he left.
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"You're late" Andrew noted as she came in through the kitchen door, placing her keys down and taking her shoes off. "Doing any nefarious activities I should know about?"
Spencer chuckled, "yes I am secretly running a cartel out of the basement in the bakery."
"Thought coke was a hard no" he took the steak out of the stove.
"Just dealing- coke is still scary" she hopped on the kitchen island, sitting down.
"The kitchen island is not a chair" he noted.
"The kitchen island is not a chair" she mimicked. "Remember I told you I wanted to take those piano lessons?"
"Get off!" he laughed.
"No" she shook her head.
He shook his. "I thought you were joking about those."
"Nope, today was day one."
"Hm" he thought. "When we take down the tree we can put a piano there" he nodded.
Spencer laughed, "don't worry about that, Sirius has one"
"But it would look cute" he looked at the tree.
"Andrew you can't seriously buy a piano."
"Why not?"
"Who's going to play it!"
"You?"
"I'm barely a day into the lessons" she laughed.
"Nox then" he looked down at the cat. "Isn't that right?"
He meowed.
"See?"
She shook her head, a smile on her face.
"What's a good brand?"
"I wouldn't know, you'd have to ask the workers" she shrugged.
He nodded, walking to the fridge and grabbing the notepad that stuck to it.
He summoned a quill, "buy piano" he wrote down.
"We don't need one" she noted.
"Can't have the house looking empty" he shook his head.
"You shouldn't get one, it's not a wise investment" she shook her head.
"Tomato, potato" he shrugged.
"Andrew, I'm serious. You've been spending so much-"
"I know- the money is never ending!" he chuckled. "Now, I made steak, let it cool off and then dinner?"
She sighed, giving up on arguing.
"I'll change into something comfortable" she nodded.
Spencer walked to the stairs, "black tie" he called out.
She snorted, "in your dreams."
She changed into some joggers and a loose tee. Andrew poured himself a glass of wine, "abstaining or indulging?" he asked her.
"Indulging" she answered. "Thank you."
"How was work?" he asked before taking the seat beside hers.
"You won't guess who I saw" she started to cut her steak.
"Arthur?"
"Nope."
"Molly?"
"Nope."
"Gracie is too obvious."
"Obviously" she nodded.
"Hmm... Professor Snape?"
She shook her head.
"You... you didn't bump into Professor Lupin did you?"
"What! God- no" she laughed. "But you're getting warmer."
He thought about it.
"Oh," he rolled his eyes, "Mason."
She laughed, "why the eye roll" she asked. "He's nice."
"He's a muggle- and if he starts coming over I'm going to have to muggle proof the house" he shook his head.
"You already muggle proof the house for movie nights and parties, what's a couple more days" she shrugged.
"Blah blah blah blah blah- what are his intentions."
"If you're wondering- he intends to pay a dowry father, don't fret."
"And a pig."
"Pig!"
"Well, you aren't worth a cow now, are you?"
"Shut up" she punched his shoulder. "And if you must know I was the one that made the move."
"After the millions he's made."
She laughed.
"What about you?"
"What about me?" she took a bite.
"Your intentions" he answered. "I mean- a while back you were... with Sirius and talking about not wanting to date and now you're... wanting to date?"
She shrugged, "I told him that I wasn't ready to date. That I just wanted to get to know him. Friends."
He snorted.
"What!"
"I think it's physically impossible for a man to be friends with you."
"Is not-"
"Is so" he laughed. "It's not your fault you're pretty" he shrugged.
She took a deep breath, thinking about it. "I know we won't be just friends. But he won't be my boyfriend either... do you think he'll understand?"
"Mason?"
"Yeah."
"I don't know" he shrugged. "Guess you just have to let it play out."
She nodded.
"But if you get home with a bump I call godfather."
"Do not speak that into the universe."
The two finished dinner, then moved to the living room. Andrew watched television as Spencer read about the psychology of trauma.
"Do you know you get this line in between your eyebrows when you're learning?" Andrew asked after 40 minutes had passed.
"What?" she looked up.
"You're very focused" he said.
"Yeah, it's interesting" she nodded.
"Trauma?" he looked at the cover of the book. "Why?"
"It's what I would've studied if I went to university" she answered. "Might as well figure out how to fix myself am I right?" she chuckled.
He laughed, "I'll just send you to a padded room."
"Ha ha."
"Do you want to go to uni?" he asked.
"Not really" she shook her head. "Maybe in another life I did- I think I want to work in the magical world. You know... when I'm ready to go back to it."
He nodded, "do you think you'll bump into him or something?"
She shrugged, "even if I don't, he's everywhere."
The doorbell rang, "expecting someone?" Spencer asked.
"No... I'm sure it's Mason" he joked.
"Shut up" she stood up.
"Who is it?" she called before opening the door.
"It's me" her dad spoke.
She turned to look at Andrew, wide eyed.
"Who?" he mouthed.
"My dad" she mouthed.
"Hi" she opened the door.
"Hi... can I come in?"
"Uhm- sure" she nodded, moving out of the way.
"Hi Andrew" he greeted.
"Hey" he stood up.
He awkwardly looked at Spencer.
"I'll... go" he left the living room.
Spencer's dad faced her, "how are you?"
"I'm okay... you?"
He nodded, "I wrote you letters."
"I know" she replied. "I haven't... opened them."
They looked at one another, "I'm sorry kiddo" he shook his head.
"I told you I didn't want her to come."
"I know, I should've listened-"
"You should've," she shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest, "but you're not the one that needs to apologize, and I don't see that happening any time soon."
He sighed.
"It's okay, don't beat yourself up about it dad. It is what it is" she gave him a soft smile. "I'm sorry I didn't write back, I had a weird time getting it together."
"That's okay" he shook his head. "I know where you live, after all" he chuckled.
She laughed.
"Do you want to go watch a movie?" she asked out of the blue. "I mean, if you don't have plans of course. If you're free, I'd like to... hangout?"
He nodded, "of course darling. Let me make a phone call and then we can go."
"You don't have to change your plans-"
He shook his head, "go change, don't worry."