Chapter 8 truths

The alarm buzzed at five thirty and Harry grumbled, turning onto his stomach, but his eyes shot open as a small warm hand brushed down his spine. Turning his head he found himself lost in the brightest blue eyes, smiling at him.

"Good morning," Emily whispered, leaning forward to kiss him gently.

"Good morning," Harry replied. "This has got to be the best way to wake up," he added.

"Mmmm, I could get very used to this," Emily replied. "But unfortunately I have to get ready for work and it might be better if you weren't here when Sarah bursts in, in about ten minutes.

"You're right," groaned Harry as he shifted and sat up, "I should get up to my own room, but I'll see you at breakfast." He kissed her, pulling her into his embrace. Then he sighed and let his chin rest on her head. "We have to talk, today," He added pensively.

"Are you going to brush me off?" Emily asked, without looking at him.

"God no," Harry's arms tightened around her, "Never." He kissed her head again.

"Okay, then we can talk after I finish serving breakfast. The Davis's leave this morning and I don't have any other bookings until the weekend."

"Then scoot and get rid of them, so I can have you all to myself."

Emily laughed and climbed reluctantly out of bed.

Harry grabbed his clothes and dressed while she was in the bathroom and was waiting to kiss her goodbye when she emerged, dressed in her usual jeans and t-shirt. He just closed the door to their rooms when he heard Sarah call her sister. He sped down to his own room and lay on the bed for a while, a silly grin on his face as he thought about the night before. The only thing that bothered him a little was the fact that Emily had been a virgin, she had obviously not wanted to sleep with a man before and Harry wondered why she had changed her mind for him. He hoped it was because she could imagine spending the rest of her life with him.

The he realised what he had been pondering, did he want to marry her? Wasn't this all going a bit too fast? But the answer popped into his head almost before he could finish the question, yes, if she would have him.

He smiled all the way down to breakfast and found that the Davis's were just finishing and he had the room to himself. Sarah tore out of the kitchen to join him and whispered, "Will you show me more magic?"

Harry smiled at the girl and replied, "Not until later, first I have to speak to your Aunt."

"Do you think she'll believe you?" Sarah asked.

"I think she will," Harry smiled in return. But he was not worried that Emily wouldn't believe him, after all he could prove it very easily, but he was worried about how she would feel about it. Would she want to be married to a wizard?

"Morning Harry," Emily joined them, "Are you ready for breakfast?"

"Yes, sure," Harry was staring at her, hoping she might take pity on him and kiss him already. But she didn't, she turned back to the kitchen and returned a few moments later with his cooked breakfast and a pot of coffee. They ate in silence and the Harry helped her to clean up. Then he went out into the garden to play with Sarah, waiting for Emily to finish her work and join him.

He transfigured a couple of rabbits for Sarah to play with and then sat down on one of the garden loungers. He waited for about half an hour, getting steadily more nervous, he wanted to tell Emily but a part of him was enjoying being just a normal man for a change.

"Hey where did Sarah find those rabbits?" Emily's voice asked from behind him.

"Oh, I sort of found them for her," Harry replied, "But don't worry; I'll send them back later. Sit with me," he patted the space beside him and she took up his offer. Sighing happily she leaned her shoulder against his. Then catching his pensive expression she said, "What's up, are you having second thoughts?"

"No, I promise you that will never happen," Harry smiled at her, and then sobered slightly as he said, "But you might, I have something important to tell you."

Emily looked at him with a worried frown and then glanced over to check Sarah was out of earshot.

"Do you believe in magic?" Harry asked her.

The look on her face told him that this was perhaps the last thing she expected him to ask. She shook her head, "no, not really."

"Well, I do," Harry replied softly, "but more than that, I'm a wizard."

Emily now looked horrified and Harry knew she thought he had lost his mind.

He smiled at her and held out his hand, Emily looked down at it and then started; a red rose appeared there. He held it by the stem and presented it to her, stealing a quick kiss.

She grabbed his hand and turned it over, laughing, "How did you do that, it was brilliant."

Harry knew she thought it was a trick, so he held out his hand again and conjured a cup of lemonade, Emily tasted it and smiled. He kissed her and whispered, "I love you." And while she sat there staring at him in surprise, he stood up and disapparated, appearing just behind her. "Now do you believe in magic?"

"Harry, what's going on? You're frightening me," Emily whispered.

"You don't have to be afraid of magic, Emily, it won't harm you."

"Is that what happens to Sarah when she's afraid?" Emily was speaking so low, Harry could barely hear her.

"Yes, sometimes in a magical child their magic show itself when they are angry or afraid," Harry replied, "It used to happen to me when I was a child."

"But how can she be magical, she's my niece. Do these things just happen, or are they hereditary? How many magical people are their?" Emily seemed to have recovered from her shock and now had hundreds of questions.

"Sometimes it just happens, no one knows why. It is mostly hereditary, but not always. There is a whole world of magical people, but it's a secret from muggles."

"Muggles?"

"Non-magical people," Harry explained.

"Where do you really live?"

"I live in London in a normal flat, but there are magical places, like the place I work that non magical people cannot see."

"Wait…does this mean Sarah has been telling the truth? Where you here before? Did you wipe my memory, can you do that?"

"Yes, I'm what's called an Auror, like a policeman, I came here to apprehend an escaped criminal and you saw me and my partner using magic, so I had to … take those memories away," Harry responded.

"Oh well, that's just fine then, you can just wipe my memory any time you please," Emily started to sound angry.

"No of course not, there are laws about those kinds of things," Harry explained.

"But you stole my memory," Emily shouted. "How dare you do that!"

"I did it to protect you and protect my world," Harry tried to placate her; "Don't you see it could be very dangerous for us if the rest of the world found out?"

"But you expect me to trust you, when you lied to me from the beginning," Tears spilled out of Emily's eyes. "Why did you come back here anyway?"

"Because of Sarah, her magic was detected and I was sent to investigate," Harry knew this was going to sound even worse.

"So you stole my memories and then you came to spy on my niece. Did you sleep with me just because you could, do you intend to wipe my memory after telling me this?" Emily was on her feet shouting now and Sarah was running towards them, her hands waving.

"What's wrong Auntie Em? Please don't cry."

"Emily, I never intended to hurt you or to sleep with you before I had explained it all, but yesterday I got carried away and there wasn't time before…" Harry trailed off, knowing he was wasting his breath. Emily was too angry to listen now and all he could do was watch her shepherd Sarah inside and lock the door behind her.