An Apartment On The Eastern End Of Diagon

When he sat down, Libby smiled--but noticed the Christmas tie. She tried to say he looked handsome, but it sort of came out sounding like "What the heck are you wearing around your neck, Max?"

"Oh-this?" Max lifted up the tie, and he stared at it. "This is the only tie I own. I wear it everyday to work."

Libby smiled feebly, raising an eyebrow at him. "You wear that thing to work everyday? You hunt treasures for a living and you can't afford another tie?"

"Actually, I have a different outfit I change into when I get there. This is for if I do front desk work. And besides..." he looked down back at the tie affectionately. "I like it."

Libby sighed. "Whatever floats your boat." She prodded at her food with her fork. "You look handsome tonight, either way."

"I think you look really nice, too. Did you get a haircut?" And Max began to dig into his baked potato.

"Err, yeah, actually." Libby fiddled with her newly-square-cut hair. It was just two inches past her shoulder and she had square-cut bangs. She shoveled some green beans into her mouth. "Thanks for noticing."

"Wait." he paused for a minute to stare at her. "You actually DID get a haircut?"

"... Did you just say that to make conversation?" Libby frowned at him. "Really? Yes, I did, actually!"

"Um a little bit?" he said with a small smile. "I noticed SOMETHING different about you, but I wasn't sure."

"Of course you noticed. That's why you were so shocked when I told you I did."

"Libby." Max suddenly stood up. "I know you cooked dinner and all, but let's take a walk instead. I've been sitting for most of the day today, and I want to stretch my legs."

"Sure!" Libby stood up, took his hand in hers, and walked with him outside. "Is there anything you'd like to talk about?"

Libby was here, cooking dinner, with a cookbook propped open on a counter.

A couple hours later, Rachel decided to pay a visit to Libby, and she knocked on the door.

Libby wiped her hands off, and opened the door. Much to her shock, Rachel was there. Hey, now she didn't have to go out herself! "Rachel!" Libby gave her friend a hug, grinning. "What a pleasant surprise. I was just cooking dinner.

"Oh, can I come?!" And without waiting for an answer, Rachel stepped into the house, chattering away the whole time. "...And Nick got REALLY mad at me this morning, for bringing home a goat, so I told him I was the greatest good he was ever going to get, and then he stepped out for some air, and here I am!"

Libby continued preparing, listening to Rachel's babbling. "That so rude of him! You're just trying to turn your house into a home, aren't you? You're married, do you really need permission for the little things?"

"I know! It's not like he's the king of everything, sheesh!" She rolled her eyes. "What's the worst that HE can do, anyway?"

"I don't know. Hey, what's it like being married?" she asked curiously, cocking her head to the side.

"Hmm..." Rachel thought for a moment. "Perfectly wonderful except when your husband gets mad at you for buying goats and ripping up some of the land in your backyard to plant a garden."

"Really? Cause, well..." she pulled the engagement ring out of her apron pocket and slid it on her finger. She had removed it while she was cooking. "Max proposed."

Rachel gasped excitedly. "Really?!" she squealed joyfully, staring at that large, beautiful ring. "That's great! When's the wedding going to be?! Can I be in it?! And, where did Max get that ring, it's beautiful!"

"Yes!" Libby beamed. "I don't know when it'll be, of course you can, and I don't know where he got it... Probably from work. He is a Curse Breaker, after all."

"Lucky you! I bet he had it made..." Rachel carefully took it from Libby, to examine it more closely. "I wish I had a ring like this." she said, handing it back to her.