#jesley

Miriam, meanwhile, realises her feelings for Eli before all this. From the moment they met she thought him most handsome- easily the most handsome out of the group that had accompanied him- and most polite. She soon learned that (in his sore time away from work) he preferred to sit alone and read or stroll around the garden instead of gossiping with his colleagues or playing poker. He was the complete opposite of Everett (the man she grew up with and the man who thought he was entitled to wed her because of this) and a breath of fresh air in her life. She found it easier to talk to him when he was alone, thoroughly enjoying his company and tales of his studies and when it was clear he was comfortable with being more open and talkative Miriam knew that he was the kind of man she wanted to marry.

REX & EVELYN: Rex had a crush on Evelyn ever since he laid eyes on her, but he didn’t truly fall in love with her until she offered to tutor him in potions during their sixth year (he was AWFUL at it and exploded cauldrons on a number of occasions). She was the most encouraging, kind, and patient tutor and Rex was beyond grateful. They bonded and became very close. Rex was always too scared to make things official because he thought his father would go after Evelyn and her family and try to hurt them in order to have them all stay away from Rex.

Evelyn crushed on Rex too but always thought he was too good for her given his background and family reputation. She caught strong feelings around the same time as he caught then for her and they had their first kiss towards the end of their sixth year (which Rex initiated). She realised that, after being forced to separate after their graduation, that he was the one. During the early years of her career, Evelyn had several offers of courtship (mostly from decent men) but none of them even came close to Rex. None of them made her laugh like he did, none of them were as caring as he was, and none of them saw her as an individual with her own aspirations like he did. She realised he was the one a little too late, but her heart told her to wait and it eventually paid off :’)

ACE & ALETHEA: They’d been friends for several years before realising they were actually more than that. Ace was Alethea’s first friend after she transferred from Beauxbatons and they both had the same feelings about their uncertainty as to why the Sorting Hat had chosen Gryffindor for them. They shared classes together, studied together, went to Hogsmeade together, and even though she wasn’t a fan Alethea went to every Quidditch match in which Ace played to cheer him on. She knew Ace was the one for her when he stood up to a group of Slytherin boys on her behalf when they were mercilessly bullying her for being a woman and a foreigner; Ace physically got into a fight with the group’s leader and ended up with a bloody nose and detention, but he knew it was worth it and Alethea knew that Ace would do anything for her and she loved him for it.

Ace knew he loved Alethea when they first danced together during a ball hosted in their sixth year. She dressed up to the nines in a wine-red gown with matching jewellery and her hair immaculate dome up with bejewelled pins. She looked ever so shy even though she was easily the most beautiful girl there. He immediately offered her to dance and ensured that Alethea was comfortable in her environment and they danced for ages before sitting on the staircase and talking until gone midnight. Despite his feelings he never said anything until after graduation when they both attended an event with their parents and danced together once more: an excuse for Ace to reminisce and finally tell her the truth.

EISLEY & JESSE: Jesse had admired Eisley’s work as an actress and singer for several years and never could’ve imagined that he’d one day be married to her. The night they met was a whirlwind for him and by the end of it he wanted to see her again. He asked and immediately regretted it, thinking she might see him as some kind of gold digger or social climber, but Eisley admitted that she would like very much to see him again. They went on several dates after that and became the subject of gossip in the newspapers, but grew close very quickly and soon it felt like they’d known each other for years. Jesse was invited to every single one of Eisley’s shows after their second date and each time he went he fell more and more in love with her. Although Jesse knew he truly loved her when she laughed- genuinely laughed- at one of his terrible jokes and her smile and laughter was infectious. Eisley was beautiful and talented, but from her presence alone Jesse knew she was extraordinary and wanted to have more of that light and laughter in his life.