The Scottish Retreat (Nerisei)

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Dimitri had just hit a wrong note the moment before the door opened, and a deep sigh escaped him. His concentration was off, and the song just would not flow through to paper. It was vastly frustrating, and the usual method of playing until he felt better was seemingly eluding him that morning. He knew why, though, of course, and he was trying to rid himself of the frustration before Nerisei woke up.

Unfortunately, though, the fates had a better idea.

"What's troubling your beautiful mind, my love?"

Before Dimitri could reply, though, Nerisei's lips had met with his, pressing a soft kiss there before she wished him good morning. The Ravenclaw smiled softly as she pulled away, returning the good morning she had given him ever so softly before returning to the question she'd posed for him.

"I am trying to finish a composition I started, but I have writer's block." Dimitri explained, moving up on the stool so that Nerisei could join him at the piano if she so wished.

"How did you sleep?" He asked tentatively, wondering if she'd notice how he'd slipped out of the room in the early hours of the morning. Nerisei didn't seem to be mad with him, though, so if she had realised he'd gone, perhaps she understood that he had grown to be overwhelmed in that moment...

Whatever the case for her calm demeanour, though, Dimitri was quite glad of it.

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"I am trying to finish a composition I started, but I have writer's block."

Nerisei took her time, sitting next to Dimitri after he moved higher on the bench, and looking into his beautiful eyes once again. He never failed to make her feel like the luckiest girl on earth. Though, it was obvious he wasn't enjoying the fact that he was stuck with this piece at all. And Nerisei, as a fellow musician could understand his stress. But he didn't have to feel so bad about it. He had time to work with it. It wasn't the end of the world.

"Well, sweetheart, you still have time to complete your piece. There is no rush. Maybe today is not the day." Nerisei explained, leaning in to nuzzle his neck affectionately. Nerisei had come here in hopes she would spend a few happy days with Dimitri. But there he was, being all sad about a composition. He could have asked her help, but it seemed like he wanted to work on the piece alone, which was totally fine. But seeing him sad broke the poor girl's heart.

"How did you sleep?"

Nerisei wanted to sigh, but she didn't. Truthfully, she had slept just fine, in his arms, until she woke up to find the bed empty and cold. A part of her understood the reason behind his retreat, but the other part of her, the selfish, childish one, hated him for leaving her again. For giving her hope only to crush it a moment later. "I would have liked to see you there in the morning, but I am sure you had your reasons." Nerisei spoke, avoiding his eyes as much as possible. She was slightly angry, but she wouldn't let him see it. He didn't have to know.

Her lips found the piano keys, and every so softly, the witch added some pressure, the sound of the piano echoing in the room. A single note against the silence. A single ray of hope against the darkness.
"I hope your run was constructive." The witch whispered, her eyes softly brushing over the keys. She didn't know what else to say, or do.

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The insistence that he had time to finish the piece was one that Dimitri gave a short nod to. He knew that, and arguing when Nerisei's lips were on his neck was not something the boy was going to do. He relented to her words and actions instead, allowing her the final say on that one as his hands left the keys of the piano and settled with drawing the witch closer to him instead.

"I would have liked to see you there in the morning, but I am sure you had your reasons."

Dimitri wasn't sure if Nerisei knew, or whether she was simply going off of the fact he'd 'gone for a run' that morning as the elves had said. Whatever the case, Dimitri couldn't tell, so he simply decided to let out a soft sigh. "I'm sorry, I'd grown restless." Which wasn't a lie, the situation had not left him sleeping peacefully for long. As he'd watched Nerisei in the early hours of the morning, he'd known he needed to break free before he committed to something he could not give Nerisei. And yet, it had been his idea to invite her here...

"It helped." Dimitri told her softly as her fingers brushed the keys gently. Carefully, Dimitri lifted Nerisei to sit between his legs, facing the piano as he took her hands and softly played a simple melody with her. Today was not the time for talking, and soon the two had fallen in to playing a duet with one another.

***

The next two days were spent in the same manner. Dimitri showed Nerisei around the estate in its entirety, he treated her to dinners on the lawn, breakfast on the balcony, tea in the library. They spent their time together, getting to know one another more, learning from one another, before falling asleep with one another once more.

But each morning, Dimitri woke for his 'run' leaving Nerisei to wake up on her own. Each morning Dimitri pretended to not have snuck off from their shared bed, but he knew he couldn't hold off the inevitable forever.

Whatever means it was that kept Nerisei from asking, though, Dimitri was glad as he held her close in the courtyard on the final morning of Nerisei's stay. The portkey was growing closer to leaving, and Dimitri wished he'd stayed in her bed that morning, holding the witch close to him because now he would not have the chance to do so for... Dimitri couldn't even be sure of how long it would be before they could do this again.

"Text me, to let me know you're safely home?" Dimitri asked the witch softly in that moment, waiting for her consent before he brought his lips to hers once more.

A month before he could do that again...

His chest ached softly at the thought as he let her go to pick up the Portkey that would see her home. He knew that it was not going to hurt as much as the time away from Nerisei was going to hurt, though. Just the witch's company was enough, the perks of her company he could wait for.

As the couple called out their various musings of 'I'll miss you', the Portkey opened, pulling Nerisei back to her home. Leaving Dimitri in the courtyard of the estate on his own. His jaw set for a moment, trying to place the feelings within, but there was little and less he could fathom when it came to Nerisei Gerber.

Just the impending dread that... one day he was going to have to let her go.

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