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Corvus’ eyes crinkled with his merriment. “Exploring Paris with a beautiful woman who saved my life? Yes, I’m sure.”

It turned out to be an almost perfect day. Any place Pearl said she wanted to see, Corvus pointed them in that direction. The weather was an unseasonably perfect 65 degrees, and they only had to share the city with a few tourists since March was well before the summer crowds would descend. They marveled at the impressionists at the Musee D’Orsay, walked along the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe, and climbed every stair to Montmartre while admiring the local art being sold. The only time Corvus pushed back was when she asked to go to the Louvre. “We’ll need to pick a day to come back for the Louvre - you’ll need at least a full day dedicated to exploring it.”

That was answer enough for Pearl, and when the day began to wind down, Corvus took them to Notre Dame. Although the cathedral was lovely, Pearl was immediately drawn to the booksellers along the Seine. They wandered from stall to stall, and it reminded Pearl of a day many years ago when Corvus followed her through book stores without complaint. And for the first time since she had seen Corvus again, the memory filled her with warmth rather than sorrow. Pearl had started off holding all of her book purchases, but Corvus smoothly took them from her when she was distracted. The booksellers began closing their green boxes as the sun began to set, and she and Corvus strolled contentedly along the Seine. It would have been easy enough for her to take his hand, but she was wracked with indecision. Did she want to cross the Rubicon? Did he? She had so many questions about what this was and what she wanted out of it. But her mind finally stilled when she told herself she could just enjoy a day with a gorgeous man in Paris and worry about what it meant tomorrow.

Chapter twelve

Past - November

Fred had been pestering Corvus for weeks to let him go on a double date with he and Pearl. Fred had been going out a bit with her friend Prudence after Corvus had passed along her incredibly rude message. Corvus had asked Fred how he even knew about Pearl’s friend, and Fred replied cheekily, “Just because you can’t see anything else when Pearl is around doesn’t mean the rest of us are blind to her surroundings.” Corvus decided maybe Fred and Prudence deserved each other. Fred claimed a double date would be fun, but Corvus could not imagine that being the case. He hoped desperately that his father hadn’t managed to convince Fred to spy on him like he’d done with some of his other friends in the past. In a moment of frustration, he even asked Fred if that was the case, but Fred looked genuinely wounded. “You think I’d take money from that old git and lose the best friendship I’ve ever had? You just seem so happy lately, I’d like to get to know her, too.” It had been so sincere, Corvus had immediately agreed to the date, and then Fred had ruined it by saying, “Now, I will say because I’m rich, your father’s money isn’t tempting, but if my father follows through on his threat to disown me, I might take your father up on his offer, but I’ll promise to give you a cut.”

Fred had insisted on a fancy restaurant, and Corvus said Pearl would prefer Indian food. Fred said not everything was about Pearl, and Corvus made the chair Fred was sitting on fly out from under him. Eventually, the debate was settled when Prudence sent a letter saying she expected to be impressively wined and dined, and that Pearl would hear about it if she wasn’t impressed.

When Fred knocked on the door of the girls’ flat, Prudence predictably threw it open and almost broke Fred’s nose in the process. But Fred’s protests were white noise in Corvus’ ears as soon as he caught sight of Pearl. She was always beautiful, but she’d done something ridiculously intricate with her hair, and her dress looked like the night sky had been turned into fabric. It hugged her curves deliciously, and he was sure the stars on her dress were twinkling. He almost couldn’t believe he was the lucky bloke who had won her affections. Reaching for her hand, Corvus gave Pearl a spin to see the dress twirl, and maybe admire a few other things, before pulling her in for a kiss.

Fred made noises of disgust behind him and shouted, “Don’t put me off my dinner!”

“Look away if you don’t like it.” Corvus was already questioning why he ever agreed to this. “Pearl, this rude blighter is Frederick.”

Pearl took Fred’s hand graciously, and laughed. “Yes. I believe we met when I trapped him in a wall, but I suppose that’s not a particularly formal greeting.” Fred pretended he didn’t hear any of this and bowed low as he kissed her hand. Corvus shoved him in the shoulder. “Keep your lips to yourself or they’ll be connecting with my hand next.”

Prudence decided it was her turn to speak up. “Off to a rough start, gents. Let’s get to dinner before you muck up anything else.”

Both Fred and Corvus had expected to transport to the restaurant as it was close-by and they’d both been there before, but Pru insisted that she didn’t trust them to transport her, so they would be taking the Tube. Corvus was sure she was just attempting to torture them with every method at her disposal.

Corvus had taken the Tube a few times, but he avoided it if at all possible. So many people packed underground in such dingy spaces made his skin crawl. His anxiety ramped up with each escalator they took into the bowels of the Underground until he felt a hand slip into his. “It makes me anxious sometimes, too. I’m so used to wide open spaces, I can feel a bit like a sardine down here.”

Corvus still wasn’t used to someone not only noticing his distress, but making the effort to put him at ease. Squeezing her hand gratefully, he looked at her dress once again. He was sure this time. The stars were definitely twinkling. “Ms. McCoy, are you wearing a magical dress? Around all these non-magical people?” He tutted, and she looked mischievous.

“It’s only a little magic. My grandmother has always been so good at weaving in just enough magic that non-magical folk won’t think much of it, and she was thrilled when I wanted to learn her tricks.”

“Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Alas, I still can’t make my ears pointy.”

Laughing, Corvus said, “Well, that’s why you keep me around.”

Fred, apparently determined to cock block him for the entire evening shouted across the masses. “Quit flirting and keep up, you two - we’re going to miss our train.”

When they were all finally settled on the train, Corvus tried valiantly not to think about how many germs and bodily fluids he was sitting on. And again, a hand found his. Eyes drawn back to her for the hundredth time that night, he couldn’t help another compliment from tumbling out. “It really is a beautiful dress, you know.”

“Oh, I know. Someone can’t keep their eyes off of it.”

“I’m not looking at the dress, love.”

Smacking Corvus playfully in the chest, she couldn’t hide her red cheeks. “Charmer.” Corvus caught her hand before she could pull it back and tucked it into the crook of his elbow.

“I’ll risk my praise going straight to your head and tell you how ridiculously handsome you look. How can a 21-year-old pull off a three piece suit?”

“I have an excellent tailor.”

“And he has an excellent subject.”

Pru and Fred’s arguments suddenly grew louder, and Corvus realized they’d arrived at their Tube stop. He pulled Pearl tight to him as they made their way out into the cold street, and he sent a warming charm her way. This had the pleasant and perhaps anticipated outcome of her snuggling closer, and when they went into the restaurant, he was almost sorry to get out of the cold if it meant she was farther away from him. Chivalrously, he took her coat as he’d been taught, and Corvus almost wondered if her eyes were enchanted as well - surely they were twinkling even more than the dress.

Corvus had intentionally chosen a restaurant with a prix fixe menu so that ordering would be smooth, and he’d called ahead to request a table in the most private part of the restaurant. He’d also intentionally chosen a restaurant with no magical connections. Corvus’ father Rupert had eyes and ears everywhere, and the last thing he wanted was for his father to find out about Pearl from one of his lackeys.

Dinner went remarkably smoothly for the first course until Fred remembered the entire purpose of this dinner was for him to get to know Pearl.