CHAPTER 7 EVERYTHING CHANGED
After that night with Malfoy and Ian; I had to think it through, was I going to give Malfoy (who was still clearly engaged) another opportunity? Or I had to take advantage of my relationship with Ian; he was simply amazing or I better say… Perfect.
Days passed by and I didn't knew anything about Malfoy, he didn't come to the shop neither to the family gatherings on the weekend, I asked Albus about him, but not even Albus knew where he was, nor Grandpa nor My father. It was like he disappeared from the planet and no one knew where he went.
With Malfoy out of the picture again, I took advantage on concentrating on my relationship with Ian, I started to have deeper feelings about him, and spent even more couple quality time with him. And I enjoyed it. It was going out as it should be, and I started to believe that this was what I always wanted. He made all my days filled with love, care, attention. I was his and he was mine, and I liked it very much.
We cooked, we laugh, and being with Ian was perfect. We had a blast all the time and we have created this "tradition" of visiting a new place every other weekend. We traveled all over the country; we went to have lunch to Ireland, Scotland, Switzerland, Finland, and Holland. And every location we visited we asked for deserts or local recipes to add to our menu. The business was moving on fast and good.
One night, when we were coming back from a trip to Germany, Ian was making some tea at the shop kitchen and I was finishing some new deserts we had in mind; he came from behind and hugged me tightly and said: "What if we open a café shop on Hogsmeade? I was thinking may be to have it ready around fall… is a great season, Halloween and Christmas around the corner. Younger clients are equivalent to much more fun ideas, and we can make themed weeks, based on the quidditch school cup results, and make house competitions and stuff. It would be fantastic!" – As he explained it to me, I was able to visualize it. I was able to see us there, with a bigger accommodation and kids all over the place, his crazy contest ideas and I was able to see the place all crowed.
I turned around, and there it was, the exact same look on his eyes; the one I saw when we first opened our one and (by far) only café – "Are you sure you want us to do that? You know that is a complicated idea, we will be needing more staff, and someone to help us manage both locations or we will have to travel from one location to the other, or you will have to stay there and me here, separately… do you really want that?" – He smiled at me and kissed me on the forehead – "I knew you were going to say that, and guess what? I already have who will be our shop manager".
"Manager? We have titles now? And who's that?" – "I have asked Albus to be our manager, we all know how much he hates his job at the bank and he's a perfect fit! He knows all of our recipes, his already doing it all on his own on our days off. He's the one in charge when we are not here; please give it a thought would you?" – He made a begging look and I couldn't resist. Mostly because I loved the idea of expanding, it meant we were actually that good and we both knew that we were going to make it succeed there too.
-"Apparently there's nothing to think about, you have it all figured out!" – "I knew it!" He said excitedly and he lifted me from the ground and started to twirl me around and yelling excitedly. I will never forget those looks that smile, that exact moment; Ian was the happiest person in the universe. I never saw him as happy as he looked that day.
We went to Hogsmeade a few weeks after that, due to we took some time to find the new staff members that were going to help us on Hogsmeade. We got there to meet the location, well, I was there to meet the location that Ian had already picked and bought with Albus a few months back. We were located right on the center of it all. It was a perfect location and the placed looked very spacious and well illuminated. The décor was going to be a little younger, more colorful. We knew we need it to look appealing to our newer clients.
He had all taken care off, it was going to be like been on your common room, but, without your house colors, and those were evenly distributed all over the place. We were going to open right at the beginning of the quidditch season at school. So the first contest was going to make predictions and based on results the entire shop was going to be decorated with the top house results. The students were allowed to bring house distinctive to the shop to make it part of the decoration.
We had a wall that was specifically created for our visitors; it was a special moment wall, in which they could bring photographs of them or anything that made them feel at home. The first pictures hanged there were ours; of the shop construction and us with our staff standing outside of the shop on our opening day.
Time flew and we were already running two businesses. And our relationship was stronger than ever. Until one day, back at Diagon Alley, I was taking a break and was reading the Daily Prophet, that I found a note that caught my attention. It was about Scorpius and his multiple accomplishments, but what made me read it, was the part that mentioned that he had been living on central Europe for the past months. He was designated to work on Germany, Switzerland and some smaller cities on that location. The other part of the note that made my stomach to switch around was this:
"To all the ladies out there that are interested on getting a chance, well let me tell you that you all be happy to know that Mr. Malfoy is out to the single market again, yes!, you read it right! Mr. Malfoy has call off his engagement with famous actress Nathalie Finnigan. After a two year engagement there's no marriage lights on the other side of the tunnel; (Coming from a very reliable source), apparently Mr. Malfoy has placed his eyes and heart on someone else, but we are sorry to inform you that we have not been told who that lucky lady is. But we are joining efforts to find out for you".
I couldn't read anymore. Someone else? Well good to know that he was able to admit it to himself that he didn't wanted to be with that crazy brat anymore. I was distracted from my thoughts when Ian came to the table.
-"Babe you okay? You look very pale and worried" – he added worried - "I'm fine, I'm just tired, it's been a very busy months lately and we are just getting started, Christmas is around the corner and I'm running out of ideas of what to do that we haven't done yet!" – I said excitedly, that made him and me smile. And that was partially true, I was in fact confused about Malfoy, but I was also worried about our business and the fact that I was literally running out of ideas; until he added something that made my day.
-"Don't worry love, I have that all taken care of, and is going to be the same on both locations" – and he kissed me – "and May I ask what is it that you have done now Mr. Cleverness?" – I said smiling at him – "Well, we are having a Christmas contest! We are asking our own customers what would they like to have for Christmas, and the cleverest ideas are the winners!"
-"I have to admit that I'm so lucky to have you in my life! What would I do without you and your problem solving skills?" – I said sitting on his lap and kissing him softly on the lips, with a genuine smile on my face, he kissed me back and he added – " Well that's as far as I'll go babe, I have a trip planned for next week and you and Albus will stay in charge of everything, including the inventive part".
-"Trip where?" – I asked intrigued- "I'm going to visit Mum, remember? I told you weeks ago, is my father's tenth anniversary and Mum will need me there. Ten years… and still feels like yesterday" – I saw the sadness on his look and I did remember he told me that but I really hoped that was not going to be this soon and on Christmas season –" I do remember, I just hoped it was not going to be this soon"- " I'm sorry love, but I need to be there with them and is just a quick visit I promise I'll be back before you know it"- he said hugging me closer and kissing me.
Our relationship was working out perfectly, I knew how much he loved me and he knew how much I loved him. But no one knew what life had prepared for us. Ian left on a Monday, Dec 2nd. It was going to be a three day trip to Bulgaria, he wanted to go other places before getting to Bulgaria, and He wanted to do it his father's style. Climbing on rocks and doing some of the activities that he enjoyed doing with him as a child. He was expected to be on Bulgaria on the 5th.
The problem was that He never made it to Bulgaria.
