Well here I go again wrecking havoc on an innocent fandom I love. I actally prefer Marcia/Marcellus but, i've been reading stories on this site, and posts on the Septimus Heap blog and really couldn't help but write this little series of... Drables?... one-shots? I'm not sure. Please read and review if you would be ever so kind, and enjoy

Disclaimer: If I owned Septimus Heap no one would bother reading it.

Marcia Overstrand, ExtraOrdinary apprentice had just completed her first year when she met Milo Banda.

It was the beginning of the fall when the first cool winds began, and Marcia had been out late celebrating with her friends Endor and Quincy. The evening had ended with Endor walking the severely accident prone Quincy back home, after he'd climbed a tree to show off and promptly fallen out.

It was well past midnight as Marcia strolled slowly through the winding halls of the Ramblings, thin cloak wrapped tightly around her, and thought back on the past year.

She'd fulfilled part of her dream and was now ExtraOrdinary apprentice, she was renting her own room in the ramblings, and tutored students in math to pay for it all. She'd lost her parents, gained two dear friends and proven her mother wrong. All in all a busy,rather bittersweet year for her, and Marcia hoped that things would settle into some semblance of a routine. The nineteen year old was almost home and imagined the warm bed that awaited her. Just as she stepped onto her hallway though she heard something and stopped in the shadows between of the rush lights that lined the walls.

On the opposite side of the hall from her own room stood a tall man that was violently shoving and turning a key in a lock. The man began the shake the key noisily and suddenly with a sharp snap the key broke, and the man groaned. The man stood perfectly still and then punched the door which took absolutely no notice of the attack. The stranger mumbled something that Marcia guessed was insult aimed at the door, or possibly the key, or maybe at both.

Normally Marcia would have paid no attention to a ham-fisted fool who couldn't even manage to unlock his own door, but the evening had put her in an odd mood, and she felt the need to offer the man assistance.

"Um, sir, can I help you," she asked tentatively her voice echoing off the bare walls.

The ham-fisted fool turned around seemingly shocked to see some one else in the hallway, "Oh, um, no I'm...," he stopped in mid sentence and looked her up and down. Marcia was uncomfortable with being so openly stared at, and the man's odd half-smile made her nervous. She realized that getting this strangers attention might not have been the wisest course of action.

"Can I help you," Marcia asked again trying for a confident tone.

The man's smile faltered,"maybe, it depends on whether you can fix a broken key."

"Let me see it."

The stranger handed her the broken handle of a key, and Marcia stared at the slightly bent piece of metal for a moment before asking, "where is the rest of it?"

The stranger smiled sheepishly running a hand through is hair, and turned to point at the door, "It's still in the lock," he sighed, "I'm never going to find a lock smith open at this hour."

"Well, luckily for you, you might not have to go and wake every lock smith in the castle," Marcia responded brightly pulling a magnet charm from her belt. She pressed the charm to the key hole and a moment later the head of the key came with the charm as she pulled it away. "May I see the other half please," he asked proffering her hand. The stranger dropped the key handle into her palm and she set about fusing the two pieces back together.

"Here you are...," Marcia paused, "What is your name anyway?"

"Oh, I'm Milo Banda and you , my sweet savior, must be Marcia Overstrand ExtraOrdinary apprentice," he said officiously while flashing her a lopsided grin. Marcia felt herself blush against her will, "Just happy to help."

Marcia yawned, "sorry, it's been a long day." Milo shrugged and leaned against the wall, "I understand, I've spent the last six months at sea. I'm ready for a bed that doesn't move with the ocean."

Milo suddenly had Marcia's full attention, "Why would you be on a ship for so long?"

"I work on a merchant ship and we went to on aptly named far country, place was blisteringly hot. It was a three-month trip there and a three-month trip back. Not including the nearly five weeks that we spent trying to find the cargo that the captain was searching for. It was really tiring," Milo punctuated his statement with a yawn. "I'm sorry to delay you from your own rest miss Overstrand, thank you for your help, good evening." Milo turned around and entered his home without a backwards glance.

Marcia stood in the hall way for a moment and stared at the door. She turned around fumbled for her key and took three tries to get the key in the lock before she managed to get into her own home. As the door closed with a soft clunk Marcia leaned against it, something was seriously wrong with her. She'd had a boyfriend or two over the years, but Milo Banda was the only person who had ever made her feel so... so odd. He was good-looking but he wasn't really anything special. He had the well muscled body of all seafarers, but it was his natural easy-going charisma that had put Marcia so off kilter. Most people were formal around her because of her apprenticeship, or her slightly imposing height and brusque demeanor that made people edgy. Milo Banda took it all in stride and spoke to her as if she were anyone else. It was rather nice.

She carefully took her boots off and left them by the door. Marcia felt exhausted and didn't really want to think about this new neighbor, but those eyes of his kept distracting her. While she was brushing her teeth she could see those dark brown eyes with a slightly cheeky glint and this unmistakable warmth that made her feel oddly happy. Marcia shook her head she was going to spend the next day with Endor who needed help replacing her couch, which had suddenly collapsed right in the middle when her father came to visit, and really needed some sleep if she was going to be any use to her friend.

As the young woman collapsed on her bed she couldn't help but imagine on the deck of a ship, his slightly long hair blowing in the wind and his tanned skin gleaming in the sun with that lopsided grin of his enjoying the ride. She wondered if she ought to avoid her neighbor and why life was so complicated.

A/N: thank you for taking the time to read this. I would have put Milo in the characters list but he's not actually on the drop list and I have no clue how to add him to it. I guess the Queens consort really is ignored. Oh and high five if you know where I got the title from.