Charlotte's home suited her, Callum decided as he made his way through the flourishing garden to the front door of the charming seaside home, a light breeze making the flora dance where it stood. A smile curled his lips as he stepped onto the porch and knocked. He was looking forward to seeing his friend again. It was always a pleasant experience to see her react to experiences outside of her usual existence. Charlotte had an air of loneliness surrounding her, and Callum enjoyed making her smile.

Running a hand over her hair as she glanced in the hallway mirror, feeling particularly vain as she did the gesture, Charlotte made her way towards the front door. It had been quite a long time since she'd been social, and even that had been a new development that she was still getting used to. She couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten something that hadn't been grown in her own garden or purchased at a market, and the idea of being taken out to dinner was almost a foreign concept all together.

The soft material of the dress she'd chosen moved around her knees. She'd paired with it a pair of low-heeled shoes that she hoped wouldn't have in her too much pain later in the evening, but she had no basis of comparison as far as comfortable footwear and dancing went and was only hoping for the best.

Pulling open the door, she smiled warmly at Callum, realizing it had literally been months since she'd last laid eyes on him. "You've obviously been taking advantage of the summer sun," Charlotte said, taking a step back and allowing him entrance. "You're several shades darker than the last time I saw you."

"I've never been one to spend a lot of time indoors," he admitted, crossing into the front room. Taking her hands, Callum brushed a light kiss to her cheek. "It's good to see you again. How has your summer been? Lots of time in the garden from the looks of it. You have quite a talent with botanicals."

She looked lovely in her light, flowing dress. There was a hint of uncertainty in her eyes, but mostly Charlotte seemed happy and relaxed. Callum was looking forward to getting her on the dance floor.

"I've had more time this summer in the garden than I normally do, but I think that's a result more of the weather than anything else," Charlotte confirmed, a light blush rising in her cheeks at his touch. "I should hope my talent doesn't solely lie in flora, but I suppose that's a matter of opinion."

Slipping her hands from his, she crossed to a table and grabbed a small clutch before returning to stand in front of him. "Perhaps at the end of the evening, I can show you the night blooms that I've recently planted."

"I'd like that. Are you all set?" At her nod, Callum place her hand on his arm and stepped outside, Apparating them to Avalon as soon as Charlotte had set her wards.

They were seated in a booth with a view of the stage, the polished wood of the dance floor just a few feet away. The show hadn't begun yet, but a soft jazz tune pumped from the speakers. "Other than your flowers, what have you been spending your time on? I'll be quite put out if you've found someone else to go boating with," he teased.

Charlotte smiled, running her hands over the slightly nicked tabletop. "No, no one new. New patients, new flowers. Those tend to be the most exciting things in my life, Callum. If I did find someone with a boat, I'd always be comparing them to yours, if it makes you feel better."

Laughing out loud, his response was delayed when the waitress brought them the bottle of wine he'd requested, filling their stems with crisp chardonnay. Callum thanked her before refocusing on the woman across from him. "Great. I'll live in fear of hearing you've found someone with a 'bigger boat' now."

"Well, if you start to develop an inferiority complex, at least you know someone who can help, right?" Charlotte asked, toasting the idea with a lift of her glass.

"Touché," he said, grinning as he touched his glass to hers.

Dinner passed with good conversation interspersed with comfortable silence as they ate. Avalon was better known for its music than its food, but Callum had always found it to be quite tasty and the wine selection was excellent.

As they came to the end of their meal, a slender, pretty woman took the stage, opening the show with an upbeat jazz number. Her voice was a rich alto, the faintest vibrato in the depth of her tone. Extending his hand across the table, Callum queried, "Shall we?"

Nodding, a slight sense of uneasiness behind her blue eyes, Charlotte placed her hand in his, sliding from the table. The music had a soft, almost organic feel to it as it thrummed through the room. "Remember, if I start to embarrass you too badly, just slowly move us back towards the table. I promise I won't be offended."

"Don't worry, I'm an excellent lead," he assured her with a smile. Taking one hand in his and letting his other rest at the small of Charlotte's back, Callum pulled her close. "Here we go," he said, slipping in amongst the other dancers.

Charlotte's concern over her skill was unfounded; she followed his lead with grace and poise, if a bit stiffly due to her nerves. Looking down at her fondly, he murmured, "Relax, you're doing fine."

She smiled slightly, nodding, though she couldn't meet his eyes. Too much of her attention was being given to not stepping on his toes, trying to let the beat of the song move her body. He was a good lead, easy to follow, but for once Charlotte was inundated with reserved self-consciousness. It was a new feeling, as she was almost never in the position to experience it. Social situations were a new world, and she was still trying to figure out how to function.

"She has a beautiful voice," she managed, eyes flicking up to his briefly before looking back down at her feet.

"She does," he agreed. Callum had never suffered from a lack of confidence. If anything he straddled the line into arrogance more often than not. He understood that going out in company was unusual for his companion, though, and he hoped the unease she felt would not spoil the evening for her.

As the first song faded to an end, he dipped her low, making certain his grip on her was notably solid. "Allow yourself to enjoy the dancing, Charlotte. You and I are the only people we need to be concerned with right now, and I always like spending time with you."

She blinked up at him. His self-confidence was almost infectious, but she kept herself from letting it color her vision. "I'm trying," she replied quietly as he righted her. "I continually tell my patients to relax when they're in situations that make them nervous. I should listen to my own advice."

"Easier said than done, I suppose," he said, shifting seamlessly into the slower number that began. It had been some time since he'd maneuvered around a dance floor. It wasn't something that fell naturally in with his usual activities, more often a part of the society and political functions he tried to avoid. Just the same, it was a pleasant thing to have a woman in his arms again, stepping lightly under his direction. "Well, if anyone makes you uncomfortable, you just let me know and I'll sic my inner dog on them."

"A fearsome notion, to be sure," Charlotte joked, spinning as his arm rose, following his lead. Smiling as she came back into his personal space, she placed a hand on his chest. "And what about you? What have you been doing since we last spoke? Did you make your mountain climb yet?"

Glad to see her beginning to let the tension slip away, Callum chuckled as he navigated them through a difficult turn. "No, I don't expect that will happen for some time yet. Lots of preparation and training to do. My summer has been spent on very important things such as SCUBA diving, hang gliding, and attending a wedding of people I've never met before at the urging of my parents. Duty and all that."

Charlotte's fair eyebrows knitted together as she looked at him. "Why would you need to go to a wedding where you've never met the couple? That seems like a rather useless task."

"I imagine for the same reason I was invited - social standing and connections. There are a group of families and individuals that merit my attention based on their wealth and power, or so I'm told. The Zabinis are one of them." Callum's lips twitched. "The evening wasn't a total loss, though. The catering was excellent and I had an enjoyable conversation with a young woman."

"Not an entire loss indeed." Charlotte had never been a member of the world Callum and so many other pureblood families seemed to be a part of. She had secluded herself from a lot of the world, though certain areas still seeped into her daily life. It was impossible to be a part of the Ministry and not see the hold the pureblood families still held. "I suppose I've never had a 'duty,' to my family or society, in any case."

"Count yourself lucky there," he said wryly. "There are few things in life as boring as playing nice among people whose goal in life to to make others believe they've never experienced anything so mundane as a trip to the loo. There are some good eggs, but by and large they're as phony a group as you'll ever encounter."

Callum didn't often express his disdain for the games his position forced him to play, but he trusted Charlotte not to judge him for it. He knew he was a very fortunate man, born into a life he deserved no more than anyone else. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate all he had, but his inclination was to lead a much simpler life.

"People who think someone only as worthy as their blood dictates them to be shows a level of naivety that people seldom allow themselves to show. I'm sorry you're put in the position where you have to pretend to be someone that you're not, Callum, and from the time we've spent together, you are anything but naive."

The thinly-veiled contempt in Callum's voice had flowed over Charlotte's skin, but it wasn't his upset at the description, it was her own that fueled the words. She couldn't imagine being anything other than what she was, though she lamented at her wallflower nature, and the idea that he felt obligated to play a role for the sake of public face made her chest rumble with distaste.

"It's not all blood status driven, though there is a lot of that. More with each passing day, it seems. For some it's a simple, misguided belief that their lineage and the riches they've inherited mean that they are, in fact, better than other less fortunate people. It's bollocks, of course. I'm not more deserving than anyone else, nor am I less deserving. My situation in life simply is what it is. I've no more reason to feel pride in my good luck than I have to feel ashamed of it."

With a shrug, he let it go. He hadn't intended to go on a rant, and he wouldn't let it overshadow their evening. "Sorry, why don't you tell me what's been going on in your life? Any fascinating new patients? An eighty year old man who believes he's a Doxy perhaps?"

Charlotte laughed, shaking her head at the absurd idea. "No, not quite. If I did have any new patients, I wouldn't really be able to discuss them, however. It's one of the downfalls of my job. It's impossible to understand how rewarding it is, but that reward is strictly personal. I love what I do, I just know it's something unsharable with someone else, where I to have anyone to share it with."

"You could always make something up," Callum suggested as he twirled her out, then pulled her back into his arms. "I'd never know the difference. You could feed me all sorts of grand tales."

"I don't think I have it in me to lie to you, Callum," she answered with a smile. "I'll just have to start doing exciting things so I'll have things to tell you, though I admit I wouldn't know where to start."

Eyes lighting with mischief, Callum lifted Charlotte from her feet and spun her around, laughing at the surprise on her face. "I'd be happy to offer some suggestions. I might have one or two hobbies that fit in the 'exciting' category."

Afraid that her shoes would have fallen off, had there not been a cleverly placed clasp around her ankle holding them in place, Charlotte's fingers dug into the fabric of Callum's shirt, though she knew from the strength in his arms that his hold on her would not falter. "I'm not sure if I'd be able to survive your level of excitement."

"We'll start slow," he promised as he set her back on the ground. "Baby steps into the world of thrills and chills."

"Only because for some reason I trust you," Charlotte said, a smile turning her lips as he spun her out, a faster song filling the air.

Summary: Callum takes Charlotte out for dining and dance.