SEHE; Chapter 24

Dearest Bell,

It's impossible to explain through a letter. Know that I'll see you soon and tell you everything. I'm at home for now, I'm safe.

It's over.

Love, Lena

I hug the letter to my chest, half of the knot of tension easing in my stomach. As I read the letter over, committing it to memory a sudden tap at my window startles me and my legs almost give out at the sight of the owl on the other side of my window. I scramble to the window, wrench it open, and take the letter from the great eagle owl, giving him a pat before he lands on Hector's perch. In my haste to get the letter open I almost rip it in half.

What are you doing?

I turn it over. It's blank. "That's it?" Confused, I scribble a short Nothing. on the other side and give it to Bubo. I scream with frustration as I watch him fly off. All these weeks and I finally get something and he bloody well asks what I'm doing? The prat! I look up as Bubo flies back into my room, landing again beside Hector. I take the small piece of parchment from him.

Fancy a visit? What? A soft knock at my bedroom door has me spinning around, my eyes landing on Draco standing beside the foot of my bed. My legs have stopped working and all I seem to be able to do is stare at him. He's here, standing in my bedroom, in my house, and my brain hasn't yet caught up with my eyes. "Bell.." His voice is what finally breaks through and I stand up quickly, practically run and throw myself at him. He wraps his arms around me tightly and I squeeze him as hard as I can.

"You're alive. You're okay. You're here." I say these things to myself, hoping if I say them enough I'll start to believe it. Even though Draco is here and I am touching him it doesn't yet seem real. After a minute he brings his hands to my face and lowers his to claim me in a kiss that sets my toes on fire. It's full of need and desperation and love and everything we haven't had the chance to say. I've never experienced a kiss so full.

He mumbles things against my lips that I can't quite catch but he doesn't break our contact long enough to say them clearer. I decide they're for his benefit, not mine, and lose myself in him instead. When I've finally convinced myself that he's real do I finally pull away just enough to look at him. He's thinner, paler, and his eyes aren't as bright. He's been through something. He pulls me into another tight hug that lasts for several minutes. "I love you, Bell." I squeeze my eyes tight and breathe him in.

"I love you." A rustle in Cheyenne's crib catches my attention and I let Draco go slowly, going to the baby that's just woken up. I pick her up and smile at Draco. "Cheyenne, your daddy is here." A smile lights Draco's face and my heart melts.

"Merlin, she's so big, Bell! And beautiful. Your muggle pictures haven't done her justice. May I?" I gently place Cheyenne in his arms, explaining the proper baby holding technique. She's begun to support her upper body while being held so she's a little wiggly and unstable.

"We just got her first big belly laugh last week. It took us weeks to get it out of her. It was fantastic." Draco smiles warmly and holds one of her small hands with his fingers. She stares at him and then shrieks loudly, her legs kicking and then lets out the biggest laugh I've heard from her yet. I clap my hands together and suddenly feel like crying. You expect pregnancy hormones but no one ever tells you about post-pregnancy ones that make you deliriously happy at the sound of a baby laughing. "How did you get here?"

"I'll tell you everything but I just can't yet. I need to remind myself that I can be happy, that I am happy, before going through it all." I nod and give him a one armed hug. "Being with you, being with Cheyenne, it helps more than you can imagine."

"Don't rush yourself. We've got all the time in the world now." He smiles at me before kissing my forehead. Cheyenne laughs again and breaks the moment in the sweetest way possible.

+++

"He can't stay here? Even for a couple days?" My mum shares a look with Charlie before shaking her head.

"No, I'm sorry, hon." I've asked them if Draco can stay for a day or two and without even considering it mum has said no. I suspect they're scared of him. Or mum is, in any case.

"Then I'm going to stay with him at his house."

"Absolutely not." I raise an eyebrow.

"I'm an adult, mum. I don't need your permission." Her cheeks flush red and her lips form a hard line. "I would very much like your acceptance, though. Despite what Draco's family has done I will not cast him out of my life."

"I give neither my acceptance or my civility. He is not welcome here." I blink my eyes in shock.

"Then nor am I. I'll be packing my things and leaving." I walk out of the kitchen and stomp my way up the stairs. The audacity! The sheer ignorance! I'm fuming by the time I reach my bedroom and Draco looks up when I enter, alarmed at the expression on my face. I hold up a hand before he can ask and sit on my bed. At the sound of a giggle I look over at him. He's sitting on the floor with Cheyenne, holding her up so her feet touch the floor. She looks like she's quite enjoying herself.

"Bell?" I run my hands over my face a few times, willing my pulse to slow down.

"I'm leaving. Today."

"You're what?" I slide down to the floor and rest my head against the bed.

"I asked my mum if she'd mind you staying a day or two. She flat refused. When I told her I'm an adult and don't need permission she said you're not welcome here at all. So I'm leaving."

"Oh, Bell, don't do this on my account." I shake my head and smile at Cheyenne when she looks at me.

"You aren't to blame here. I had to leave some time, this was just the tipping point for me."

"I would bring you to the manor but it isn't safe there yet."

"I'm going to ring Phoebe. I doubt very much she'd mind."

"I'll owl mother and see about getting the manor fixed up. It shouldn't take long." He sets Cheyenne on the floor and goes to my desk, rummaging around a little before looking at me. I hide a grin with my hand.

"Yes?"

"You have no quills." I raise my eyebrows in mock surprise.

"No? You're sure?" Draco rolls his eyes and I laugh before getting up to assist him. "This is a pen. It has ink in a chamber inside the pen so you don't have to dip it." I hand him one of the pens on my desk.

"Fascinating. How does it work?" He twirls it around his fingers.

"There's a tiny ball at the end, hence ballpoint pen, that rolls when you write with it, dispensing the ink. It's much more convenient than a quill."

"I'm surprised with how easy your muggle trinkets make your lives."

"Well without magic it needs to be done some way. I guess this is our own magic of sorts."

"You know I thought that the first time I came here, when you explained to me your ell- elec- tristy?" The uncertain look on Draco's face makes me smile.

"Electricity, yes. It's wonderful watching you learn about my muggle world and the things within it."

"I find it all so intriguing. Did you learn things the same way as well?" I glance over at Cheyenne and she looks content, laying on her playmat, so I sit on the bed while Draco sits on my desk chair.

"Some things, yes. Most things I grew up seeing, like the lights or doing the dishes. Things need correction or direction, of course, but overall it's a lot of watching and mimicking. You'll see that with Cheyenne. She already does some things, mostly facial expressions."

Draco looks at my pen thoughtfully. "You don't mind me asking you these questions? About how things work? I know you don't always know the answers." I trace lines across his knee in what I'm hoping is a comforting gesture.

"Not at all. I love helping and watching you learn. And maybe it will be good practice for when Cheyenne starts asking questions." Draco takes my hand from his knee and kisses my finger tips. My heart stutters a little and I feel a warmth spread across my chest. I'm about to pull him to me when there's a quiet knock at my door. I take my hand back. "Yes?" My mum opens the door slowly.

"I had thought I would take Chey to visit Phyllis. Is that okay?"

"Yes. Her bag is beside the wardrobe." She gathers the bag and the baby in silence, leaving my door open a little after she leaves the room. "So what are you going to tell your mother?"

"The truth. That you've decided to move out and she needs to make sure the manor is presentable for an infant." He pauses and I can tell there's something he would like to say. Probably a lot of somethings, but I know we'll get to those in time. "My father is dead." I'm about to offer my condolences when he stops me. "It was his own doing. After my refusal to follow him and join the Death Eaters, mother said Voldemort was very angry and punished him by giving him outrageous missions and tasks. Instead of admitting lack of capability, he failed one too many and Voldemort killed him. I'm sad for my mother but I feel nothing about it myself."

I suspect that's a load of crap but keep my thoughts to myself. He'll have to sort that out for himself in his own time. "Mother had me leave school and go into hiding to ensure my safety. The manor was being used as a headquarters of sorts. I didn't wish to know much about it." I don't know why but a thought pops into my head.

"Nate is getting married. We've been invited to attend." Draco smiles a little but it doesn't reach his eyes so I keep yammering to distract him. "It's in Thailand, next month though I can't remember the exact date. It's on my calendar. Phoebe has said she'll watch Cheyenne so we'll be alone, relatively speaking." At that his interest peaks a little.

"Alone you say." I hide a grin.

"Indeed. I thought we could go hiking and explore and just stay outside all day." A smirk graces Draco's face as he gets up off the chair and pushes me back onto the bed, then climbs over me while keeping the majority of his weight off me.

"We could. There are a couple other things I think we could do since we'll be entirely alone for the first time ever." I wrap my arms around his waist.

"Hm, like what?" Instead of answering he brings his face down to mine and brings me into a deep kiss, his fingers threading through my hair. I press my body up into his and feel more than hear him groan into my mouth.

"Oh, gross, we do not need any more babies." Draco jumps off me, back into the desk chair, breathing a little heavily. I sit up to see Jordan standing at my door with an amused smile on his face. "Charlie wants a word, Bell." I sigh and get up, walking past Jordan to go downstairs where Charlie is waiting in the kitchen.

"You wanted to see me?" He holds up a finger to finish writing something down. When he's done he pushes aside the pen and paper and motions to the chair across from him. I sit.

"Yes. First I wanted to say that I'm sorry for the way Claire reacted earlier. She's been worried about you and seeing Draco in the house brought up a lot of feelings." I cross my arms and nod to show I'm listening. "After some discussion she's agreed to let Draco stay here for a couple days. Nate is at Bec's so he can use his room. She knows this doesn't and won't fix anything but she wants you to know that she's sorry she overreacted." I snort.

"No kidding." I think for a minute and nod, having made up my mind. "She's right, it doesn't fix anything. But even if it did I can't stay here anymore. It's time for me to go." Charlie nods.

"I figured that's what you might say. She said that's fine if you feel the need to leave but doesn't want Cheyenne caught up in anything so she's welcome to stay here until you secure a permanent living arrangement." I open my mouth to argue, to guarantee that making sure of that won't be a problem, but I can't.

It could take a day to clean up the manor or it could take a month. Phoebe can't possibly have us there for more than a few days, maybe a week. And I don't honestly have any other options. I manage to get out a 'fine' before getting up and leaving the kitchen, so I can cry without any witnesses.