[mcg] dream sequence | jeremy

Overhearing her colleagues discuss their plans to attend the annual Magical Cowal Games sounded like the perfect opportunity to get in a few much-needed hours of rest and relaxation outside of the city and in the company of her boyfriend. While they were still in the early stages of a relationship, they had gone out several times since their first date earlier in the summer, making the idea of traveling somewhere with him that much more appealing. A friend had once told her that it was through travel that couples often found out each other’s true nature, often either strengthening their bond or breaking up after their first time away from familiar surroundings. But Montserrat wasn’t about to let such cynical ideas get in the middle of their little bubble of romance. The witch had an incredible tolerance for differences and was so curious about what Jeremy was like in other aspects of his life, not just a few hours they saw each other during a date, that the idea of traveling with him sounded much more exciting than ominous.

Montserrat had thoroughly investigated the activities available at the games, even going as far as to get some nearby lodging and restaurant suggestions from her colleague, a Scottish native, just in case they needed them. She had taken the next day off and had hinted at the idea of staying there together but didn’t want to push it. She wasn’t even sure if there was enough to do to keep the two of them entertained for that long or if Jeremy had plans to meet other friends. Either way, she had made sure to pack a change of clothes just in case, the idea of just winging it much more her style than trying to incessantly plan every minute of their time together.

He had come by to pick her up as he had promised and the two of them had traveled to the portkey and apparated to Scotland together. It had been a very sweet gesture of his, especially since Montserrat suspected that it was a little out of the way for him and probably extra work to come to get her rather than having her just meet him there. But Montserrat’s initial suspicion about Jeremy had only been further proven right with every date: he was devastatingly sweet and extremely in tune with what made her feel comfortable. It was almost as if he could read her mind or simply had a way of sensing her needs. Although she had yet to tell him about her consensimency, if things continued going the way they were, Montserrat felt confident that she would feel at ease revealing it to him sooner instead of later.

Taking in the excitement around them she smiled, holding onto Jeremy’s hand. “Have you been to Scotland before? I’ve never been but it looks super exciting, what shall we try first?”

@Jeremy Edwards

"I'm going out with my GIRLFRIEND!~" Jeremy pretty much screamed down the hallway of the flat at anyone who was listening (including the neighbors who absolutely wished they couldn't hear the goings-on in the apartment). He tucked his mismatched socks into his sneakers, patted down his hair, and checked once more that he had buttoned up his shirt correctly. (He'd missed the top button twice, leaving the bottom uneven and hanging out on one side). He stepped out of the apartment, patted his pockets for a wallet and a wand, and then disapparated to Montserrat's home. Sure they could have met there, but this was more romantic, and Jeremy wanted to spend every moment that he could with her. It was simple math really, and not that he was angling for anything, but if he picked her up at home then it wouldn't be weird to drop her off their either. And maybe she'd even invite him inside. The wizard could only hope.

After they'd made it through the portkey and the sounds of bagpipes filled the air Jeremy relaxed a little. Every time they started a date he was nervous, but the more times they went out, the faster those nerves were replaced with excitement. They always had fun together, or at least he thought they did, and he was happy to be heading to the MCG together this year. Usually, he went to things like this with his mates, they all got sloshed, and somehow Jeremy ended up going home wearing someone else's kilt (and not in a good way). This year he hoped it would be so much more fun, and that he'd remember more of it too. He smiled at her question as they stepped off of the landing and into the surge of the crowds. There were all sorts of things to do here that it was all sort of overwhelming at first. If Jeremy wasn't such a connoisseur of the chaotic he might have needed to take a step to the side, just to let all of the commotions around them settle before continuing.

"Yeah, Hogwarts is in Scotland." He told her over the buzz of the crowd, "Never really been sightseeing in Scotland or anything though," Jeremy added quickly because just going to Hogwarts in the country couldn't have meant much. The school was technically in Scotland, but also it was it's own little area, and with such a diverse student population, it wasn't really like "being in Scotland" he assumed. "Have you?" The wizard asked, trying to keep her hand in his for as long as he could get away with, even as tiny wizards in little plaid kilts ducked between them and walked in the opposite direction of the crowd. "I'd say we could try out some Whiskey, but it seems like they don't have any vendors this year." Jeremy said, his free hand making a playful and sarcastic motion toward the long row of little shops and stands, each one of them selling the 'old family recipe' and chuckled.

“Oh that’s right, for some reason I keep thinking Hogwarts is in London but now thinking about it that’d make very little sense,” she laughed a little as she realized her mistake. Having been invested in Beauxbatons for what seemed like the majority of her life, thinking of other magical schools outside of the bubble she had been nurtured in did not seem as second nature as anyone else might have believed. “I’ve never been to Scotland, or traveled too far from the usual touristy spots,” she confessed, as they weaved their way through the crowd. “But this is our first official trip together so that’s exciting,” she added, squeezing his hand a little as her voice rose just slightly, hoping that both of these would be equal demonstrations of how delighted she truly was about it.

“Well that’s disappointing,” she noted when he explained that there might not be any whiskey vendors but it wasn’t like it would put a damper on their day, there was plenty of things to do and as he pointed in the direction of the stands and shops, Montserrat led them in that very direction. She was hoping to find something that she could give her parents as a souvenir. But as her mother had said every time she had visited home, the best souvenir she could bring home was Jeremy himself. Her parents were dying to meet him, but Montserrat, wanting to avoid the embarrassing questions that would surely come from her extended family at dinner if her boyfriend did come over, simply promised that in the near future she would invite him over. But that was a topic for another day, the two of them were taking things slowly and for now, that was good enough for both of them.

“Normally people say that when couples travel together they start realizing each other’s weird quirks and things like that,” she explained, “so if you have anything you’d like to confess to now—speak now,” she teased him, wondering what sorts of things someone like Jeremy could be hiding. He had seemed forthcoming from the very beginning, if anything, Montserrat had a few things she probably would do well to confess to sooner rather than later. She pulled him closer as a candy shop caught her interest, “Is it too early for traditional Scottish treats and sweets?” she wondered out loud reading the sign with a smile on her face.

There wasn't much that could make Jeremy happier than spending time with Montserrat. It hadn't been that long, and they hadn't moved super fast, but he was already basically obsessed with her in the cutest of ways. Jeremy never stopped thinking about her, barely stopped talking about her (sometimes they had to remind him he was doing it, it happened so much these days). When he went shopping with Freya or Danny, he always wondered if 'that was something Montse' would like. It was absurd and fantastic all at once, and the fun-loving former Gryffindor couldn't get enough time with her. When they'd decided to head out to the Scottish festival, he could barely contain his excitement, and now that they were here, his cheeks were already starting to sting from smiling so much. "Our first trip together," he repeated her words with glee, bumping his shoulder gently into hers as they walked.

Jeremy chuckled a little when she said it was disappointing, wondering if she got his joke or if she was joking back, but finding it amusing either way. There were so many Whiskey shops it was ridiculous, but also, it was Scotland, so Jeremy hadn't expected anything less. As they moved toward the shops and vendors, Jeremy started eyeballing things laid out on the tables. He'd buy anything she wanted (that he could afford, he'd been saving, but Jere didn't make a ton of sickles, so he didn't have a lot) and wanted to pick something up on the sly to give to her later. Something to surprise her. Jeremy liked to make her smile, anyway he could, and he thought a cute gift might do just that. And they had plenty of time to look, which was nice.

Shrugging, he answered her teasing with another grin, "Well, I'm pretty weird in general.... so I guess I should confess normal things about me?" Jeremy laughed again, "Well..." He thought on it for a minute, finger raised to his chin before shooting up into the air excitedly, "Oh, I've got something. Promise you won't judge me?" He asked her, never for a second thinking she really would, but Jeremy couldn't say or do anything without making a production out of it. Leaning toward her, he whispered theatrically, "I don't know how to swim." The redhead confessed. Jeremy  could fly with the best of them but had no idea how to hold his water. "You turn?" Wanting to know everything he possibly could about her, Jeremy was genuinely curious.

Moving toward the next shop, he gave her a fake surprised look. "It's never too early for treats and sweets! Which are your favorites?"

Now that she had mentioned the idea that travel was what brought out the true sides in couples, Montserrat felt a little nervous, wondering if she might have somehow spoiled the moment with some of her ranting. But more than the fear of discovering a side of Jeremy she wasn’t crazy about, she worried that the more time they spent together, the more he realized that she’s as great as he had assumed her to be. Montserrat had her faults, many of which had often caused the death of her previous relationships. Many more which had prohibited her relationship from launching forward to begin with. But Montserrat shook the thoughts away, and rather, willed herself to be content with the way things were. If she noticed a change in him, in his emotions, then she would do something about it. Until then, there was nothing more to do than to enjoy their time together.

“I don’t think you’re weird at all,” she quipped almost immediately. It was a statement he had made before though Montserrat had never seen any truth to it. Sure, he was not anything like her exes but so far that was a good thing, considering how those relationships had ended. “You can’t swim!?” she exclaimed, though the expression on her face made it obvious that she was simply teasing him. “Sorry—” she said after a moment, realizing that it probably wasn’t a nice thing to say and she wasn’t really even sure if it was a sensitive topic or anything, “But don’t feel judged, I can’t swim either,” she confessed with a shrug. “The one-time my dad tried to teach me, he tossed me into this lake near our home and told me to swim,” she laughed, it had been a traumatic experience at the time but now she could laugh about it without issue. “Needless to say, I almost drowned but he stopped bothering me about swimming after that,” she added, “But something about me let’s see…” she brought a finger to her lips, deep in thought for a moment, “I’m scared of dogs,” she said after a moment.

That was not anything she had ever told anyone. Her fear was unfounded, she had never been bitten by a dog or otherwise been in a situation that would have warranted such a strong response. However, it was something she had noticed a long time ago. “I’m willing to try anything once,” she noted when he asked about the desserts, “You’ve got any recommendations? Maybe something that pairs well with whiskey?” she suggested, “is that a thing? Whiskey and dessert?”

Jeremy pulled a face when she reacted to his confession, his hands on his hips, but it quickly returned to a smile. Chuckling, he shrugged his shoulders, "Weird, right?" He asked, and then she impressed him again when she admitted that she didn't know how to swim either. "Really?" Jeremy thought it was funny that neither of them could swim, but he hadn't expected the story that came next. "No way, bet he didn't try that again," Jeremy laughed for a moment, but then turned to make eye contact, "I'm glad you didn't drown." Smiling Jeremy meant it, but seriousness never lasted long for Jeremy. As they walked, Jeremy got distracted by things around them, shiny displays, grown wizards in skirts (kilts), and the smells, but never for very long. The hyperactive wizard's attention always came right back to Montse. The focus was a rare thing for Jeremy Edwards, which only proved further how interested he was in Montserrat.

"Oh, just all dogs in general, or were you bitten by a crup or something?" Jeremy was curious where the fear had stemmed from, but he couldn't really relate. He was basically like a big puppy, so naturally, he got along with all of canine-kind. They moved along the aisle, and Jeremy made sure not to trip on anything, asking a lot and keeping them moving toward the dessert shops. "Does anything not pair well with chocolate?" He asked with a wiggle of his eyebrows, but Jeremy wasn't exactly an expert in pairings. He knew that was something, like wine and cheese, but he rarely thought that far ahead. He just ate whatever was put in front of him, really. Drank too. He wasn't picky. He could be, though, to impress Montse.

As they reached the counter, he quickly looked over the selection and then waved the wizard behind it down. "What is your best dessert to pair with a Scottish whiskey?" He asked, trying to sound way more intelligent and refined than he really was. Jeremy patted down his hair a little and stood up a bit straighter. The wizard took a moment, but eventually, he spoke, "Well you don't want a whiskey, you want a Scotch," Jeremy didn't know the difference, but he nodded and traced a finger over the peach fuzz on his chin, pretending he was following along, "And for that, you'll want Glenfiddich 10 and an apple crumble, luckily, we sell both." It was a pretty good sales pitch, especially when the wizard brought out a piping hot tin of freshly baked apple crumble. Jeremy turned to look at Montse, waiting for her approval, before he said anything. It wasn't chocolate, but it certainly smelled good.

"Whatcha' think?"

Montserrat smiled at him, even something as simple as I’m glad you didn’t drown felt particularly sweet coming from him. “I don’t think my mother would have let him live it down,” she added, making light of the situation. It had been frightening at the time but in retrospect, it had not been as terribly traumatic as other more recent events in her life. If anything, it had thought her a few important lessons about life and relying on others to do things one ought to do on their own. While the witch had no intention to take up swimming at any point in the future, it had made her more open to trying new things and in turn, make her life much more rewarding.

She shook her head, “No, I don’t think so at least,” she explained. Montserrat supposed it was always possible that she had simply forced herself to forget a particularly traumatic event with a dog just because she wanted to avoid coming to terms with it. No such thought came to her head yet. “I suppose I’m a little too old to be afraid of dogs though, all the kids at St. Mungo’s tease me for it,” she added as an afterthought.
Montserrat laughed at his question, sure there had to be something that did not go well with chocolate but finding much humor in the way that he had said it. There never was a dull moment with Jeremy, something that she was starting to appreciate more and more as time went along. Who knew that her mother would finally get something right? She would have to remember to get her and his aunt something as a token of her appreciation. Things were still young but taking things slowly was working wonders for the woman who otherwise rushed into love and lived to regret it.

She stood next to him, pretending to understand the difference between what whiskey and a Scotch was and not understanding what any of that meant, “Oh yes, must be a Scotch,” she added with a small laugh, looking over at Jeremy, wondering if he had any idea what that meant but enjoying the process of finding out just as well. “Oh that smells amazing!” the girl said enthusiastically, giving him a thumbs-up, “I’d say we must, especially if it’s a Scotch,” she added, “not that I have any idea what that means but I’ll take this guys word for it,” she continued, leaning in to lower her voice as she spoke. Though the look on the man’s face made it obvious that he had heard her. “It’s my treat!” she announced, taking out her wallet to pay for their apple crumble and two glasses of this Glenfiddich scotch.

Jeremy shrugged when Montserrat looked at him, smiling because he didn't know the difference and because the gentleman behind the counter spoke like he expected them both too. Either way, it smelled fantastic, so it wasn't like Jeremy would stop the display. When Montse offered to pay, Jeremy held up both hands, "No, no, this is a date, I have to insist," He had at least to put up a little bit of a fight. It was a cute thing they pretty much did every time paying for anything came up. And of course, they both paid for items just as often as the other.

"Okay, okay, but I've got the next thing then," Jeremy said to her with a smile, and the man behind the stall took that as a sign that he had made a sale. The wizard shuffled off to gather up the merchandise, packing it into a little picnic basket and returned to them. Jeremy picked up the basket as Montserrat paid for it, and then the pair turned back out toward the crowd. "Want to sit over there?" Jeremy asked, his hand falling to the small of Montse's back as he used the basket to move toward a picnic table on the top of a small hill. It was underneath the shade of an old oak and set all by itself.