Almost

Chapter 69: Deserve

"You're making this impossible."

"Impossible? I just don't have an opinion—"

"You always have an opinion."

"Katiebird," Ezra said, "you can't do it wrong."

Katherine shook her head. "That's not true."

"I disagree—"

"Ezra Finian Crawley, if you don't make a choice between marble and granite this instant—"

"Fine!" Ezra said, throwing up his hands and watching as she switched between the bathroom counter options. "I like the marble."

Katherine got quiet as the counter stayed grey and white.

Ezra scoffed. "I knew it! If you prefer the granite, why do you even ask my opinion—"

"I don't prefer the granite; I just think the marble might be a little light—"

"You aren't going to leave the walls white anyways. The marble won't be too light."

"You're right, you're right," Katherine said, leaving the marble and turning the walls a soft blue. "See, we can compromise. Now, I was thinking a nice sage green on the walls out here . . ."

She walked out into the top floor of the cabin, which now was one large loft rather than the two separate bedrooms and definitely much larger than the outside structure should have accommodated. The room was separated in half only by the staircase that led downstairs. The far right held the bathroom and a large walk-in closet, the only part of the back wall that wasn't made up of floor to ceiling windows. Except, of course, one column just to the right of the stairs, opposite the bed, that made room for a stone fireplace. She'd left the pair of wampus to prowl along the wall facing the front of the house, which had just one alcove of windows and a window seat on the left side of the room where Corliss and Smithwick were currently perched. She had moved the windows up instead, giving a skylight near the peak of the roof. Near the alcove was the now stagnant spiral staircase to the nest. The far-left end of the room sported two desks and a wall of bookshelves between. She'd gotten the idea from Spieller's Binding—even at the awkward angle, the books wouldn't fall.

"Too green?" she asked, biting on her cheek. All of the wood was a beautiful warm pine, which she thought fit the forest view currently bathed in early morning light. "Because the space is big enough, I think we could do a navy. Or even wood paneling if we did it right, really lean into the cabin vibe . . ."

Ezra, however, had stopped paying attention to decorating decisions, instead focused solely on his lips on her neck as he stood behind her. Which pretty well distracted her as well.

"I'm going to be late," she reminded him, looking down at her watch. He merely let out a soft groan in response, not making any effort to leave their bedroom as she laughed.

Eventually, however, he relented. She sat on the bed as she watched him disappear into the closet. He returned with a tie slung around his neck, his suitcoat slung over his arm, and a pair of her black flats in tow.

"So, you're really going with Percy today?"

"I am," Katherine answered. "He says there are plenty of jobs that don't require graduating from Hogwarts in the Department of Magical Transportation. But he also said he'd show me around some of the other departments—Gramps thought I'd like the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, and Hermione recommended the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Ron said something about the Department of Mysteries, but I think he was joking—"

"I don't need you getting involved with any more mysteries, Katiebird. Transportation sounds like a great spot for you."

"Harry already wouldn't budge on the auror thing," she mumbled. "Apparently, it was one thing to only miss a year of school like him—never going is too far. And it would be kind of hard to hide my magic there."