way up in the clouds [maisie]

The afternoon was full of 'nice to meet you's, 'how's it going's, and 'good to see you again's. The meeting hadn't even started and he was already exhausted.

This meeting had been on the books for months. Every year, the Magical Games and Sports department held a charity gala to fundraise for charitable organizations around the country, many of them being grassroots organizations to keep kids active and in sports, which Circenn was a fan of. He was not a fan, however, of the fact that it was the Magpies turn to host the gala and thus he had been named the official co-chair of the event, a perfunctory position that didn't require much heavy lifting. Or so his manager had told him. Judging by the amount of people in the room, he wasn't sure that was the case.

It was a large conference room with a long table, chairs crammed up next to each other with witches and wizards from the department, from the Magpies front office, from the charity arm of the organization, and more. He didn't recognize half of them although they all smiled at him with recognition and he nodded and smiled and shook hands, slipping into the public role as Captain easily.

Wearing black slacks and a suit jacket over a Magpies tshirt, his compromise to formal dress that he didn't particularly like, Circenn was guided around the room to meet some of the notables. He tried to be careful, turning his broad shoulders so as to not bump into anyone in a room that was increasingly becoming more crowded. How many people did they need to run this one event, Merlin. His manager Bec was chatting up a wizard with a thick mustache, but Audrey, PR for the Magpies, introduced several people from MG&S. Circenn's big hand engulfing several people as he shook hands. One of the officials was being particularly verbose about all of the items he was going to work on for the gala, not that Circenn was impressed with his posturing. He knew guys like this. All talk, no results.

"And my assistant Mary-Elizabeth," the man had been saying with a short wave at the small, dark-haired woman behind him before he started talking again about some of the great ideas he had, trying to schmooze, but Circenn peered around him.

"Maisie?" he asked, stunned.

@Maisie Miller

How many people did planning a party need?

Stood on the fringes of the gathering, Maisie tapped her left foot nervously. There were a lot of people here and more seemed to be piling through the doors. And this was without catering, security, lights, entertainment and security.

"Hi," she replied gently with a smile as a couple of smartly dressed men that she didn't know brushed past her and into the room, her quill ticking off the names in the process. They were all seemingly important and she was excited to be here, if not slightly overwhelmed. This was a big deal, huge, even. It was her first real chance at making a good impression. Maisie liked her job but it was just that - a job. It wasn't a career. It was safe but she longed for adventure. She'd applied for a post in Italy but had yet to hear back.

She'd been stuck close to Phil, her boss, for most of the afternoon and she played the perfect assistant. With a warm smile and laughing at his zones, she'd zoned out momentarily before her name was mentioned. Maisie wrinkled her nose, feeling like he should know by now not to full name her but she smiled all the same. Only to have it freeze and then falter.

"Circenn." It wasn't a question because she knew exactly who it was. He was tall and imposing, his shoulders seeming to fill up the room and she swallowed, stopping to anxiously adjust the waistband of her skirt.

She was so dumb. It was the Magpies. Who was the captain? Circenn. In a weird way of reasoning, she just sort of assumed that he was no longer with the team, maybe he'd moved or maybe he'd made the national team. There was a faint ringing in her ears as the sound of the room seemed to be muffled. Flashes of their previous meeting were blurry now but they had been crystal clear for so many months once upon a time. Her eyes widened as she drank him in. He looked shocked to see her and rightly so. After all, she'd been the one to disappear at the break of dawn.

It had been three years but he hadn't changed a bit. Still the same face, same hair, same smile, same eclectic way of dressing that made her smile fondly before she remembered now was not the time for a trip down memory lane.

A polite clearing of the throat from her boss made her blush. "Hi!" She exclaimed, thrusting a hand out towards the captain to shake. "Sorry," she blabbered on. "I'm just a bit starstruck," she lied with a laugh that was too high pitched to be her own. She couldn't work out Circenn's expression - was that surprise, shock or confusion? All three?

"How are you?" Maisie asked him politely as she removed her hand so she could hug her clipboard closer to her chest, an anxious smile curving the line of her lips. She didn't think she and Circenn had "history". It was one night … but he'd also saved her life. Literally. Maisie flushed hot and then cold in quick succession and she could have sworn her palms were sweaty. Her eyes darted to Phil and wondered if he'd picked up on anything.

His name on her lips was like a gateway to that foggy, starless night in the woods. Memories of her fear and then her gratitude, of Poco being injured, of them being attacked by wild wolves, of them sharing dinner by a campfire flooded through his mind and it was a shock to see his girl from the woods who had left without saying goodbye standing here in front of him, those big eyes still the same. He hadn't known much of anything about her back then and had always wondered if he would run into her around London or Edinburgh or anywhere, but he had chalked it up to being one of those one time meetings that turned into a party anecdote (that one time he foisted off wolves in the woods).

But he found himself smiling genuinely, maybe for the first time today, making his eyes crease at the side. "It's good to see you," he told her, ignoring the sound from her boss, happy to see she looked well. It had always been a question that niggled in the back of his mind. Had she made it home safely, was she ok after the scare they had had that night in the woods? It was at least something he could put to rest now. She looked great too, healthy, happy.

Circenn reached for her hand, swallowing her small one in his before he blinked at her words. Starstruck? Confusion filtered through him and he couldn't quite grasp if she didn't remember him, if she didn't want to admit to meeting him before now perhaps because of her coworkers, or if she honestly was starstruck even though they had inadvertently camped out together that one night. "No complaints here," he told her, his smile tighter as he tried to sort out which one it was and took a step back as she pulled her hand out of his. "How's everything for you?" he asked, working at making his voice sound casual as if it was the first time meeting her since he wasn't sure if that was what she was trying to go for.

He followed her eyes as they darted to the guy in front of her. Ah yes, her boss. He didn't like the way she was hiding behind her clipboard so he refocused on her boss instead and gave him a smile. "Are we ready to start this meeting or are we waiting to squeeze a few more people in here?" he asked with a glance around, aiming at levity considering how many people were already sardined in the room. Someone offered him one of the high-backed chairs at the table and Circenn glanced once more at Maisie before nodding his thank you to the wizard and squeezing his long legs under the table as the head of the charity arm got started on the agenda. Circenn glanced at the paper in front of him, belatedly realizing everyone else was busy scribbling away on parchment and pad and he had nothing. He had sat through enough of these not to worry about that too much considering they needed him as a face more than anything and they'd tell him where to stand and what they needed him to say when they were ready. Still throughout the long meeting, he found himself glancing at Maisie, trying to sort out her reaction earlier, still surprised to see her here.

"You too," Maisie replied quickly as she mirrored Circenn's smile, her posture visibly relaxing. She didn't know the Quidditch player well, if it all, but he was a calming presence on an otherwise hectic day. Maisie was in a daze as she smiled at him. It was funny, really. She hadn't forgotten about him, he'd always been somewhere in the back of her mind, and she'd spent weeks aimlessly hoping that she might bump into him at a coffee shop so they could get to know one another. But he was here on business. He was an international sports star and she was...well, nobody.

The change in his demeanour was instant and just as quickly, she regretted it. Her smile dropped as she bit her lip in realization that she'd made the wrong choice. The urge to apologise to Circenn - for this, for that night, for everything - was almost overwhelming and she opened her mouth to do just that before his expression stopped her in her tracks. While an apology was necessary, she didn't think it was a good idea to give it in a room full of her employers.

His smile was tense but hers was weak. "That's great," she offered before she nodded in response. "They're fine," Maisie downplayed as she began to fidget. She could have said that she'd changed jobs, got her own flat, took up yoga and didn't cry herself to sleep any more but he was only being polite. And to think he'd actually been pleased to see her, not five minutes ago.

"How is Poco?" Maisie blurted out suddenly as she asked about his dog, both genuinely interested and employing a last ditch attempt to make Circenn (hopefully) realise that she hadn't forgotten. His unease at the situation was apparent but she did laugh at his comment. It was funny, even if he seemed to be annoyed. Phil looked at her sharply and dutifully, she blushed.

Circenn was ushered away quickly and Maisie was left behind. Her boss was apologising on her behalf and she let out a gentle sigh, her hand coming to her forehead before she dropped into a vacant seat, not too far away from the Scotsman.

Equally embarrassed and chastised, she picked up her quill and began to write. The people at the table were chatting but it went in one ear and out the other. These meetings were just a formality - Circenn knew what he had to do, and so did Maisie, but she scribbled everything down regardless, only to look up to catch his eye.

Maisie swallowed nervously as she gazed back, her lips slightly open as she chanced a small smile at him. Suddenly, she didn't notice anyone else in the room. She hadn't realised she'd stopped writing, or that she was still staring, until someone snapped their fingers rudely in front of her face. The brunette jumped, her eyes wide and cheeks flaming as she realised several of the team were glaring at her. "Sorry," she whispered as she tucked her hair behind her ears and cleared her throat.

"I was just wondering what Circenn thought?" Maisie announced. "If he had any personal items he might like to donate or had any idea what kind of food he might like to have served?" She voiced her questions to the group. "It's just that it's his team's event," she went on, her voice getting quieter as the anxiety of public speaking crept in. "And I think it's important that he should be involved," her eyes slid to Circenn's face again. "And that he has an opinion. He might want to do things differently." Maise could feel a dozen sets of eyes on her. Someone had dropped their spoon on the table in shock. "I mean," she began as she tried to shrug nonchalantly. "Or not."

Her answer was nothing more than the standard reply most people gave and yet he felt a twinge of disappointment that was swiftly followed by his own inner chiding voice. Of course she wasn't going to give him her life updates right here in front of her boss in a room full of people, but he was still curious. Circenn gave her a nod instead and what he hoped was a friendly smile before surprise caught him and his brows flew up and his smile turned warmer. She had remembered Poco at least. "He's doing very well, full recovery," he added in case she was worried after what had happened that night they had met.

At least his joke had landed well, the room of people tittering with polite laughter and even Maisie laughed. He smiled in response as he had taken his seat. Her boss Phil, however, was another story. He made an attempt to be polite and civil as was expected of him even if he didn't take well to the guy. He wondered if he was worse when he was one on one with his employees and it was then that Maisie glanced up after writing notes so intently and met his gaze. Circenn only broke his gaze to level his gaze at the woman beside her who snapped her fingers rudely in her face.

But then she was surprising him again with what she said. In a room full of people posturing and trying to prove something, here was Maisie actually asking him his opinion. It had to be a first in his career of PR events. Most times, the team came up with all the ideas and plans and preparations and just asked him to sign off on it. Put his name on an event that wasn't his. And most times, he understood why - he didn't have the time or experience in planning events or knowing what venue would be best and perhaps it would be better to have the staff make decisions who did have the historical knowledge. But it was nice that she was even asking.

The room of people didn't seem to expect it either, but he wasn't sure if it was just because of him or because she didn't speak up much. It would be a shame if she didn't because he did like the idea and Circenn was quick to cover the silence that had cropped up as he looked at her. "I'd love to add some thoughts and give some ideas," he said, his voice a deep rumble but genuine and then he looked toward Phil with a cordial smile. "If you don't mind of course," he added, knowing guys like Phil loved to give their approval first. Circenn knew he could pull the diva card and demand things to be done a certain way since his celebrity and captainship afforded him privileges like that, not that he liked to use them. It wasn't his style.

Phil was nodding and smiling at him though, saying it was a great idea. So Circenn talked about the past events he had gone to and what he had noticed that people liked or items he'd like to see at the event. And then he really rocked the boat by suggesting that they change the traditional gala they always had to a more family-friendly event like a carnival out on the pitch with carnival games and a ferris wheel and pick up quidditch games that he could get other league players to play alongside the kids. He knew it would be a big change and he glanced around the room to see the mix of surprise, interest, and disinterest to his idea. "What do you think, Maisie?" he asked, caring about her opinion more than most.

"Yeah?" Maisie asked with a bright smile, her eyes lighting up and she let go of the stiffness she'd been holding in her shoulders. The dog was okay. The last (and only) time she'd seen Poco, there had been so much blood and yet, the dog still slept next to her and kept watch all night. She chewed on her lower lip momentarily because she really wanted to see him - to see them both, once this meeting was over. "Give him a big snuggle from me," the brunette settled on and she wanted to kick herself.

Circenn didn't know but this was probably the first time she'd ever spoken up, hence why Phil looked like he was about to pitch a fit. Maisie flushed red, blushing all the way to the roots of her hair. She didn't know why she'd chosen this exact moment to make her debut but she wasn't silly - she knew it was to get the Scotsman's attention. Her dark eyes flicked across to him in a silent plea for support and exhaled in relief as he came rushing to her rescue.

Circenn spoke and everyone listened. Maisie liked the lilt, the rise and fall of his voice. He spoke softly for such a large man. She watched him talk, her elbow on the table and her chin in her upturned palm, entranced. A smile curved the line of her lips as she nodded encouragingly. This sounded great. With the right weather, perfect. Even without the sun, too.

He addressed her and her elbow slipped, causing her to jerk out her reverie. "I love it," Maisie blurted out as she righted herself, her quill in hand and poised to take the notes she should have been. "Think of how fun it'd be," she gushed with a sunny smile, looking around the table for support before her eyes were automatically drawn back to the Quidditch captain. After all, he was the reason they were all here.

"Auctions are great," she was quick to placate the crowd. "But don't you think they're a bit --" trailing off, she wrinkled her nose as she struggled for the appropriate word. "Dull?" Maisie settled on. There was a murmur of agreement but she could feel Phil's eyes on her as he uncomfortably shifted his weight on his chair.

"Like Circenn said," she ploughed on, riding the adrenaline before it ebbed. "Involve other teams." There was a furious scribble of quills against parchments. "Make it a joint effort. Rather than an auction, what about a tombola?" She offered, hopefully. "Everyone buys a ticket to play. That way, we still get the money we can use to benefit everyone and it's way more fun than waving a paddle in the air to get someone's attention. It's win-win."

Maisie was steaming ahead, feeling light and floaty with excitement. "Family friendly," she nodded at Circenn. "Bouncy castles. Carnival games. Here," she paused to slide a piece of parchment into the middle of the table. "Some ideas." In her looped handwriting was a brief description of a couple of games. One where players had to sink a Quaffle into a hoop, similar to those Muggle basketball ones. Another mentioned a lucky dip where a player picked a golden snitch and opened it and there would be a prize inside. But she didn't stop.

"Barbecue?" Maisie offered. "Circenn is half Hawaiian and I know they have great food," she carried on, her ears turning pink in embarrassment at how she knew that detail about him (it had been in an article years ago but it just sort of stuck.) "With vegetarian options," Maisie tacked on with a smile in Debbie's, one of the other secretaries, direction. English food was fine but it was stodgy. People liked something different. "And it'd be memorable," she looked around the table. "That's what we want. People will be talking about it for months."

Pink cheeked and out of breath, the brunette stopped suddenly, her heart thrumming in her throat and her eyes wide. Parting her lips, she looked over at Circenn and gave him a sheepish grin. She knew this was completely different from what the committee was thinking but good, they needed a kick up the arse and, to her surprise, a ripple of applause broke out around the table, effectively coming to an agreement there and then.

"It would be fun, wouldn't it," Circenn mused with a growing smile as he took in Maisie's expression. It had been a risk and normally he was accustomed to taking them out on the pitch when absolutely necessary, but here, in a boardroom, where he was so clearly out of his element? No, it was not the norm and yet he felt immediately validated because of her. She seemed to be on the same wave length too and it so keenly reminded him of that night in the woods, though he wasn't sure why.

Circenn nodded along a she spoke, giving great idea one after the other. She was taking his idea and making it better, ten times better, providing concrete examples to his general notion of an idea to make it seem more doable and plausible. He glanced at the paper she had written on and since everyone else seemed reluctant to take it, he reached out a long arm to slide the paper towards him, rearranging his long legs under the table, careful not to bump his knees, as he skimmed over her ideas with yet another nod. He felt like a bobblehead but he couldn't help it. He was impressed. If he had a quill, he would have added a few ideas to her list, a few drills and games they played during practice to keep their skills sharp, activities they could easily tailor toward kids to make it fun.

But because she was on a such a roll, he was reluctant to interrupt. His brows rose a fraction as she mentioned his heritage, wondering how she knew that, but then he reminded himself that it was in every media guide across the country. It still felt weird that people just knew things about him, no matter how many years he'd be in the spotlight. Again, her barbecue idea was fantastic. He missed real, authentic Hawaiian food and he wasn't particularly concerned about the ego aspect of making a memorable event, but he did want to make it the best it could be for sake of the foundation and raising money for the kids. Maisie's ideas were all spot on.

When she stopped, there was a beat of silence and Circenn smiled back at her warmly, proud, impressed. "It's all a yes from me," he said simply before glancing around the room and smiling wider for Maisie's sake as the room applauded her idea. It seemed like he wasn't the only one impressed. It was easy to see why. "So you'll be leading the planning then, Maisie?" he asked to clarify once the clapping had quieted. "I know I'm co-chair, but you seem to have a great handle on what we're going for so I'd love your help," Circenn added with a glance at her boss. He wasn't sure about all the office workings and politics, but he was trying to be both subtle and clear that he wanted to work with Maisie on this.

Fun. That was what it needed to be. The other events got the job done, they raised the money and people had a nice time, but wouldn't it be better if people had a fun time? It'd be the best fundraiser ever. Everyone was welcome, no more of this invite only rubbish. No evening frocks or tuxedos. There should be summer dresses and jeans and clothes no one minded getting dirt on and she made a note.

Circenn was shaping up to be her guardian angel and she hoped he could tell how grateful she was for him and not just because she was making cow-eyes at him. She owed him this. She owed him a lot, come to think of it. If this was what he wanted for the Magpies, then Maisie would fight tooth and nail to make it happen. It gave her something to focus on. Her eyes slid over to the Captain quickly and she couldn't look away. Could a person have a crush if they already had a sort of boyfriend at home? It felt wrong. But it was happening.

Hot dogs, burgers, maybe something lighter like salad, something easy for the kiddies to hold. Her quill moved quickly. They should serve Hawaiian pizzas. Maisie didn't care if people booed her. At Circenn's agreement, her smile became relaxed and she let out a sigh of relief, as if the weight of the world had just been lifted from her shoulders. Of course, they'd need to get signed off on the idea from the big boss but it was Circenn - who in their right mind would say no to him?

"Sorry, what?"

Maise snapped back into it almost immediately as she gawped at Circenn's suggestion. She didn't need to look over her shoulder because she could feel Phil's gaze boring into the back of her head. She hesitated. Of could she wanted to organise this with him. She shifted on her seat as she chewed on her lower lip, waging an internal war. If she said yes, she'd be in trouble. She'd be stealing her boss' job but Maisie knew for a fact that the department had been looking for a way to relieve him of his duties. The man had the same game plan for every event; crab cakes and stilted conversation. If she said no, she'd feel like she'd be letting Circenn and herself down.

Maisie daren't look anywhere other than Circenn's face but her tongue seemed to be glued to the roof of her mouth as she swallowed. She could feel Phil about to open his mouth so the brunette decided. "I'd love to," she said in a rush, beating her boss to the punch. She didn't miss Circenn's not-so-subtle look in Phil's direction but it seemed to work. Quickly, she chanced a smile. No one around the table seemed to be against her newly appointed job role.

"I think we should start right now," Maisie announced as she gathered up her belongings and smiled at the Scotsman. "You know, strike while the iron's hot," she blabbered, caught up in the rush of adrenaline and the sinking feeling of getting absolutely bollocked by Phil at a later date. None of that seemed to matter, though. She stood as the team did the same, clearly keen to get out of here as much as she was.

Maisie side-stepped her boss who was red-faced and walked over to Circenn. "Thank you," she breathed out with a shaky laugh. While they were here strictly on business, the subject of unfinished business niggled at her. She looked at Circenn for a long moment. "Do you want to go for a walk?" She asked him with a hopeful smile. They had a lot to talk about and she could manage to keep things professional...sort of. They could maybe get some coffee, she could get Circenn a quill and some parchment if he really did want to get down to business. Selfishly, she just really wanted to be away from prying eyes.

Circenn saw the surprise on her face, followed quickly by a glance at her boss. What was that about? He paused and had to hold back a sigh. This was exactly the reason why he didn't like working on these events and why he had held off for so long in agreeing to this even though it had been Magpies turn in the rotation for a few years now. He had politely but firmly kept asking PR to defer it. No offense to any of the front office staff, but the office politics that he got a glimpse of from his cocoon on the team side made him wary of delving in deeper. This event was like blowing it all open. He didn't even have to know what was going on or if he even wanted to, but he could tell there was something there brewing in the worry on Maisie's face and the indignation on Phil's. He bristled at it.

He had known other players who have used what Circenn like to call the 'diva card' by having PR tell the front office staff that the Captain demanded this or wouldn't work with that or wanted this, but Circenn never had and wasn't keen to start now, but he couldn't deny that the thought crossed his mind as he looked at Maisie.

Lucky for him, she beat him to it and Circenn was quick to provide back up. "Great, it's settled then," he agreed with a wide smile. He glanced at Phil and gave him a nod. The meeting seemed to be coming to an end and he, for one, was very glad of it. He pushed his chair back carefully and stood up, his legs no longer feeling cramped beneath the table and pushed the chair back in gently, saying a polite goodbye to the witch and wizard who had been on either side of him, his focus squarely on Maisie as she came round the table.

"For what?" he asked with a smile but nodded immediately. "Lead the way," he said with a gesture toward the door and gave everyone a nod on the way out before letting out a quiet long exhale. Meeting rooms were not his thing. He didn't think he'd ever get used to sitting in a box and talking on and on. He needed action, strategies, air. He rolled his shoulders as they got out in to the hall and glanced down at her, slowing his steps as an afterthought so she didn't have to rush to keep up with him.

"Great ideas in there," he told her with a nod, wanting to tell her again how impressed he was. "It all sounds great, but I'm going to be honest. I have no clue what the hell I'm doing," he added, his eyes crinkling in laughter.

"For sticking up for me," Maisie replied quickly, a faint blush turning the tip of her nose pink before she grinned. She'd needed this, she'd needed him. If it was anyone else, the witch would have kept her mouth shut but he'd propelled her forward. While that was fantastic, the idea of bumping into Phil later on today was at the back of her mind.

As they exited, a few people patted her on the back. Maisie felt like she was in some sort of dazed dreamworld. She needed some fresh air. She also needed some time to process what had just happened. Had she just swiped a massive gig from under her boss' feet? Was she actually doing something important for once? This could be big. Huge. Massive. Still feeling elated from how the meeting had gone, the nerves and realisation hadn't quite sunk in yet. They'd probably wake her up at three in the morning like they usually did.

Quickly, Maisie laughed. "Not at all," she insisted with a shake of her head. "That was all you," she told Circenn kindly and with a smile as they wandered down one of the many corridors. Her chest felt less heavy now and her breath came easier and it was all to do with him and his calming presence.

He'd done that back in Spain on that night. Firm but fair. Assertive but not a way that people wanted to fight against but his admission made her laugh. "Me neither," she whispered with wide eyes. "I'm kidding," she tacked on quickly, reaching out to squeeze Circenn's bicep in a comforting manner as she cracked a grin. "It'll be fine," she assured him. "The main thing people remember about parties is music and food and I know great people for both," she smiled.

All she really had to do was make sure that no one died. It seemed easy enough. Maisie had to inform all the teams who were involved and let them know the plan. She needed to ask and organise which items or experiences they'd like to donate. She had to lock in times, see who was available and when. As they walked, she rubbed her left eye, her telltale sign that she was getting a headache.

"I'll start writing letters when I get home," Maisie stated to Circenn. She often did unpaid overtime. It was expected of her, especially now. She'd even use her good stationery. They walked further on, the crowds of people and visitors thinning out and Maisie took the opportunity to sneak a peek at Circenn. He hadn't changed in the three years or so since they'd briefly met. Maybe he'd gotten some more tattoos but it seemed inappropriate to ask.

"Let me get you a coffee," Maisie insisted before she smiled, her nose wrinkling cutely. "Not from here, though," she gestured at the canteen they passed on the way out. "It's dire," she joked but not really. She wanted to ask Circenn how he had been - how he was doing, what he was up to, how his team was getting on and everything in between - but she'd basically ghosted him. She cleared her throat. "So, Poco's doing well?" Maisie ventured, hoping it'd be an easy way to slide into conversation.

"Of course," he said simply with a sincere smile. He'd done what he thought anyone should have. Letting Maisie, with all of her great ideas, lead seemed like the most sense. Her vision was unparalleled. Circenn was actually excited to attend this event, for once. But he was happy to see that she was pleased with the win she had gotten in the meeting. Her laughter seemed bright, free, but he disagreed with her with his own shake of his head. "All credit is yours," he said with a nod toward her. He wouldn't even dream of taking that credit.

At her admission, he almost slowed, meeting her gaze with a faint hint of surprise, noting how warm her brown eyes looked all wide, but then a shocked chuckle burst from him, easing through him as he laughed at her joke. She was funny, he had forgotten that. "Almost had me there," he said, feeling her small hand squeeze his arm and meeting her gaze, seeing her eyes twinkle before he nodded. "Good, that's good." He really hoped she wasn't going to be relying on him for much, all things considered. He wasn't kidding that he had no idea what the hell he was doing on this. Bec had told him co-chair was mostly a perfunctory title that was more press and interviews than any actual organizing. He might have shot himself in the foot with his grand ideas of changing the traditional event to something more unconventional.

He nodded as she told him about getting started right away, blinking as he tried to think of something he could start on to help. It only took him a few moments to realize he had nothing. "You'll let me know if there's something I can help with?" he asked as he took a step in front of her to grab the door that led into the next corridor, holding it open for her before he followed her through.

Circenn was glad to pass up the canteen, he had eaten there a few times before and found the meat dry and the salad wilted. "Coffee sounds good, but I'll buy," he offered immediately, not entertaining for a moment letting her buy something for him. In the kindest way possible, he imagined her salary wasn't anywhere near his. He could afford to buy her a cup, especially with all the work he had just heaped onto her plate. "Where are you thinking?" he asked.

At mention of his German shepherd, Circenn nodded and gave her a smile. "Yes, he's doing great. We just did a hike in the Cairngorms this past weekend," he told her then added. "No wolves," mostly at an attempt of a joke but he wasn't sure if it would land and really he just wanted to ask her about that next morning and why she had left without a word, but thought it might come off as rude.

Maisie was uncomfortable with praise and it took all of her self-control not to rebuff it. Instead, she simply smiled. The organisation needed was not the issue - Phil was the issue. It was the reason that she'd escorted Circenn out and away. Not because Maise thought the Scotsman couldn't handle himself but rather because she didn't want him to witness her boss' inevitable rage.

She cracked a grin. "Sorry," she managed to say between laughter before she nodded. "Of course," she went on. "I'll owl you," Maisie insisted. She'd probably have to address it to the Magpies' head office or to his personal assistant. "It's mainly paperwork," the petite brunette explained as they walked on. "Insurance, vendors, ride, animals," Maisie loved alpacas and they were so gentle with the children, "Food, invites," she blabbered, assuring Circenn that he wasn't missing out on anything fun.

Circenn soon insisted that he'd buy her a coffee and Maisie opened her mouth to protest before she realised that if a Quidditch player wanted to buy her a drink, she would let a Quidditch player buy her a drink. "That's nice, thank you," she said with a blush before deciding that she was going to buy him a muffin, just to even out the playing field a little bit.

"Just across the street," Maisie replied as they left the Ministry, her head nodding towards a cute little cafe. It was unassuming but friendly. She visited every day because the idea of making conversation with her co-workers over lunch made her feel physically ill. Being outside of work made Maisie feel like she could breathe easier. She liked her job - regular hours, it paid the bills, she had weekends off - but it was a job, not a career. She sometimes wondered if she was destined for more.

"Oooh," Maisie gushed, her dark eyes wide in wonder. "Gorgeous," she added, approving of the choice of hike and of Poco being able to hike also. "How was it?" She asked, interested. "I've never been but it looks absolutely beautiful," she went on, unwilling to admit that she hadn't gone hiking or camping since that night in Spain.

His comment about the wolves made her freeze, right in the middle of the street. Someone bumped into her but Maisie didn't notice. Her eyes were wide before she realised he was joking and she laughed, blushing fiercely. "Thank goodness it's just badgers here," she joked. "But they'll give you a nasty nip," she teased once she'd recovered herself but her eyes slid over to him. It looked like neither of them forgot how things ended.

Maisie hesitated as she opened the door for him to enter, politely hanging back. Without thought, she selected a table by the window that overlooked the busy street. People watching helped her to forget about a lot of her troubles. "I'm sorry," she added softly, looking troubled. "It was rude of me to go, especially after everything you did," she frowned at Circenn as she scratched her head.

"And I really appreciated it, I did," she insisted, her eyes wide and imploring. "You saved my life." Literally. Then she became infatuated with him. "I just --" sucking in her breath, Maisie struggled to find the words she needed to say. "I just felt overwhelmed?" She looked at Circenn for support. "So I did as I always have. I ran," she frowned, images of the night flashing before her eyes; the campfire, her hands warm with Poco's blood, the snarling of the wolves, his soft voice. She swallowed and sketched a small smile. "You didn't deserve that and I'm so sorry. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." As though that was an excuse.

His question of her to 'let him know if there was something to do to help' felt too passive. Her answer was polite enough, what he expected, but he still felt like he should do more. "What can I help with?" he asked instead, trying to phrase it better. "We mentioned scrimmage games with some other league players. Would it be helpful if I talked to some people to see if they were interested? Or.. did you want to do that?" He didn't want to step on her toes, of course, but he felt the need to assist in some real way.

"Of course," Circenn replied to her thanks as they stepped out into the street and he touched his hair before remembering he wasn't wearing a hat because of the meeting - Bec had said hats weren't professional. Circenn had sighed. He glanced around furtively, hoping despite his height that he would go unnoticed. Fans were usually excited, blubbering, or gracious and he always kept gratitude at the forefront of his mind in those interactions, but some could be pushy and sometimes rude - as if he owed them something.

He nodded as they talked about the hike. "It was great, the weather held out for once. Have you been t--" he stopped as she inadvertently answered the question he had just been about to ask and he smiled. "You should go sometime. I think you'd like it."

As he was consciously trying to slow his steps so she could keep up with his long legs without rushing, he didn't notice she had stopped until he was a step or two ahead of her. Circenn glanced back over his shoulder, his brows knitted in question, frowning as someone in a hurry bumped into her and he threw out a hand as if to steady her though she didn't need his help. He was glad when she laughed at his obviously bad joke and smiled in return at hers. "Gotta watch out for badgers. Can be tough little buggers."

He relaxed a little more when he saw how low-key the cafe was and mostly avoided eye contact with everyone as they walked in after he had grasped the door above her head and waited for her to go before him, gesturing with a wave of his hand and a nod. He held the door open for the next two ladies as well before finding Maisie at a table near the window. Not ideal, but he wouldn't complain. Circenn simply angled himself so more of his back faced the window. He was so focused on trying to fit his legs beneath the table without stomping on her feet while trying to be as inconspicuous as possible, so much so that he didn't realize what she was apologizing for at first.

"What are you.. ohh, Andalusia?" he guessed, assuming she was speaking about the first and last time they had met. It made him pause, feeling like she had this uncanny sense of reading his mind. He had literally just been thinking about the same thing. He nodded, not really wanting the apology and not faulting her for what she did but he had wondered. Of course, he had wondered. "Maisie," he said trying to interrupt her, but more because he didn't want her to feel like she owed him an explanation. But as she kept going, his heartstrings pulled and he reached out a hand to touch the back of hers, patting once, squeezing lightly. "It's alright, I understand, it was a lot to deal with, you don't have to apologize," he told her before he made himself pull back his hand.

"I just wanted to make sure you got home alright, that you were safe," he admitted to the biggest concern he had had once she had disappeared. He gave her a rueful smile. "I'm sure if you request it, we can get another teammate to do the event with you instead of me," he again tried to joke, playing off her idea of never seeing him again. He hoped that wouldn't be the case, but he knew he would do it in a heartbeat if that's what she really wanted.

"Wow, yes," Maisie replied, almost instantly, nodding quickly in agreement. A word from Circenn would be much more impactful than from a nobody like her in Magical Games and Sports. "Please," she tacked on with a sheepish grin, two spots of colour high on her cheeks. And he was willing to help. Maisie didn't know him well (if at all) but he struck her as a pretty nice guy. Hopefully if this event didn't tank, there would be a possibility of a promotion for her.

Circenn had said she should go up to Scotland and she smiled gently. "I'd love to," she agreed. Maisie had spent a few days up in Skye with Jade but the country was made for solitary hikes. Her dark eyes flicked over to the Quidditch player to sneak a peek at him while he wasn't looking and her heart lurched. God. Honestly. What a genuinely lovely man but Maisie stomped down on her feelings and offered another quick smile. "If you have any favourite trails or maps and stuff, let me know," she nodded, trying to straddle the line between friendly and professional in a way that wouldn't upset him.

The sounds of the cafe were comforting. From the chatter and laughter of friends reuniting, to the whirring of the coffee machines and the clinking of cups and saucers. If she wasn't panicking, she might have ordered a mocha with cream but instead, she just felt queasy. Thankfully, Circenn understood and Maisie folded her lips together in a tight line before she nodded. It's alright, he'd kindly said. She shook her head. It really wasn't. Her hand relaxed under his light touch as he tried to soothe her, her chin tilted upwards to watch his face as he spoke.

"I am sorry," the brunette insisted. "You must have thought I was completely rude," Maisie sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Leaving a note for him was a coward's way out. Shameful, really. It actually felt like a one night stand and she'd snuck off before sunrise; awkward and uncomfortable. The idea of Circenn twisted in bed sheets distracted her enough that when he'd removed his hand, hers stayed firmly planted to the table. She squinted.

"It was a dick move on my part," Maisie admitted with a small, embarrassed smile. Embarrassment was the only emotion flooding her bloodstream as she sat there. Embarrassment soon turned to sheer panic as fear gripped her heart. "No," she blurted out, making things worse swiftly. She shook her head so quickly, the ends of her hair whipped her cheeks. "I don't want that," she assured Circenn. "I only want you."

The statement hung in the air and she froze, unsure of what to do. Maisie sat stiffly as she felt the blush run all the way up to the roots of her hair and she laughed nervously. "You know, professionally," she nodded, making things infinitely worse. There was no way on Earth that Circenn wanted to spend time with her in any other capacity than co-workers.  Overcome with shame and confused feelings, Maisie slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Please don't go," she laughed, her eyes wide as they gazed at him. Maisie wanted the floor to open up and swallow her whole. A waitress appeared and she turned her head. "Can I just have a glass of water, please?" Maisie asked, her nerves already shot and she was sure that caffeine would make things much worse. Great. And now she was starting to sweat. It was probably a good thing she skipped out on that night in Spain because imagine someone like him being friends with someone like her.

Maisie took a deep breath. "I'm just a bit weirded out," she went on. "This is huge for me," she went on to explain to Circenn, her eyes wide and slightly unfocused as the gravity of the situation at hand finally began to sink in. "And I'm really trying not to get in my head about it," she continued, despite doing just that. Did she want to work at the Ministry forever? No. But she needed to save money to do the things she wanted to. "And I really need your help," she finally spluttered out. "Please." With that, she reached across the table and patted the back of his hand awkwardly.

"Sure," Circenn agreed easily as he thought back to the trail maps he had at home and which ones might be good for first time visitors. "I'll owl them to you?" Then a thought occurred to him. "Or I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other to work on this event so I could just bring them the next time we meet?" He hated the amount of uncertainty in his tone, but he was very much out of his wheelhouse with this. He hoped to high heaven Maisie could help steer him in the right direction.

"No, not rude. Certainly a mystery though," he told her with an easy smile as he rubbed a hand over his beard and then a shock of a laugh came from him. A dick move? She surprised him with that and the way her cheeks tinged pink and shook his head in disagreement. Her humor was a delight and made him relax into his chair a bit more even if he didn't agree with her assessment of herself.

I only want you.

It had Circenn stilling, his gaze meeting hers, and he knew what she meant, but he also couldn't not think of it another way. Silently chastising himself, he laughed with her, shifting in his seat, grinning wider as she slapped a hand to her forehead. "I know what you mean," he said, hoping to assuage her worries. She was so expressive, it felt so honest. It was refreshing. "I won't. Unfortunately, you're stuck with me," he told her before the waitress appeared. "I'll have a coffee, black. Thanks," he added before she flitted away.

He watched her, noticing the way her dark hair moved about her shoulders and the way her hands had a certain grace to them as she moved them about and finally over to touch the back of his hand. "I'll help any way I can," he told her simply, reaching over to place his other hand on hers, sandwiching hers in warmth and a small squeeze. "We'll figure it out and get it done and it'll be great," he added, as if it was going to be that simple. He paused and then smiled. "But where do we start?"