Arabelle had wanted to write back the next evening, she tried and tried to get the words out. To tell him she missed him, and she was sorry with the way things ended but she couldn't get the quill to move across the paper. What was she supposed to say? That she had given up her own dream job because she was too depressed after he had left her. That she had to walk around for weeks hearing people whispering behind her back about how her fiancée had left her. How she had cried herself to sleep every night for almost a month because she was alone. That she barely ate anymore because she couldn't think of any reason to keep herself alive. How she couldn't look in a mirror without wanting to smash it.

She was pathetic. Without him she felt like nothing. It was partly pride and partly shame that she never replied to Charlie's letter. She tried many times but how could she admit to him that while he was in Romania having the time of his life, her world had come crumbling down around her and she wasn't doing a damn thing to stop it.

No more letters came after that. Maybe he had finally given up on her. That thought made her feel broken more than anything else. She feared it every day. But she knew it was inevitable, that Charlie would move on from her, find some other girl who wanted to live in the outdoors and didn't mind the cold weather or the rain and loved animals like he did. When Arabelle thought about it, Charlie and her didn't have that much in common, and the more she thought about that the less she could remember how they had got on so well for all those years, and then she would start to forget what Charlie was like, the little details she thought would stay in her brain forever, became mixed up and blurred. Memories of them that belonged to her would slip away. The more she forgot about Charlie the more she forgot herself.

One morning when the rain was pouring especially hard, Arabelle came downstairs to find Molly sitting at the table waiting for her. She had two coffees in front of her, knowing that if you wanted Arabelle to do something for you before 9 o'clock then she needed to be bribed with coffee.

"Arabelle sit down dear we need to talk" she said kindly pulling out the chair next to her.

Arabelle sat down slowly and reluctantly, mornings were not her favourite time for conversation especially as she was running late for work.

"Okay but can we make this quick, change over on the ward is at half 8"

Molly smiled ignoring Arabelle's impatience. "Well you know it's Christmas coming up in two weeks"

"Uhh...oh yeah of course I know" Arabelle lied, she was aware of Christmas, the hospital was decorated with tacky tinsel that made her feel depressed, but her concept of time recently was non-existent, she lived her life day-to-day doing the same thing.

"Well I just wanted to ask you something, it's just Arthur and I have managed to save some money, and we are going to take Ginny over to Romania to spend Christmas with Charlie"

Arabelle's stomach dropped.

"I thought I would ask if you wanted to come? It might do you good to see him again"

Arabelle swallowed as her stomach churned, she was trying to stop the feeling of sickness she felt. The thought of seeing Charlie in his new life without her filled her with dread.

"Umm...no" she replied blankly. She was trying not to give away any emotion.

"What do you mean no?" Molly's expression hardened.

"I don't really want to go" she replied blankly again.

"Why not? Don't you want to see him?"

"Not much"

"Well I know he would like to see you" Molly was starting to lose her cool.

"No. I don't want to" Arabelle replied emotionless as ever.

"I know you didn't reply to this letters" Molly snapped losing it "he told me he hadn't heard a word from you. Maybe you ought to stop being so selfish and start thinking how your actions affect other people, you walk around like no one else exists and all you ever think about is that Damon job of yours. I would have thought if something was worth staying here for it would at least make you happy, but you look awful Arabelle and it's affecting other people to you know" Molly's voice was high pitched and shaking now.

"Oh Molly save the bloody lecture will you" Arabelle cried rising to her feet "if you think I'm being selfish then why don't you remind that perfect son of yours that he was the one who proposed then left me here feeling like a damn fool, not the other way round. Why would I want to see him now? So he can clear his guilty conscious? If he doesn't like the consequences of leaving that's his problem. Not mine. Oh and the reason I spend all my time working and not talking to Charlie like you want is because I'm trying to move on with my life" the frustration Arabelle had locked up for weeks was finally boiling over "so when you see him you can tell him that he's free to move on with his life like he wants, because I already am." Something in that moment changed in Arabelle. The veil of self pitty that was hanging over her all these months was lifted. Why should she mope around feeling worthless because Charlie decided she wasn't worth hanging around for? She was still bitter about it yes, but being bitter was better than feeling sorry for herself for the rest of her life. She could feel the flames coming back inside her, breaking through the cloudiness in her eyes.

"Oh Arabelle don't be so ridiculous, it's Charlie for crying out loud. I wish you would both just realise that you'll never move on for each other. No matter how far apart you are."

"Well Molly" Arabelle said, the calmness returning to her voice, but the flames remained behind her eyes "I suppose you're just going to have to watch me prove you wrong." She picked up her bag and turned back to Molly "I'm late for work" she said smiling an honest for the first time in forever, but the spark that was lot inside her made her eyes glossy and for a moment she looked insane, frightening Molly who stepped back a few paces before Arabelle appareted on the spot.

Okay so I wrote that chapter off the top off my head. I don't know exactly where it came from but I just felt I didn't want to have Arabelle moping around after Charlie for the rest of her life because I think that as a character she's stronger than that and there's more to her. But don't worry I won't let her get away with forgetting about Charlie all together, because where's the fun in that!

For the next chapter I'm torn between doing a chapter from Charlie's pov or moving it forward a year or so to PoA when Sirius is back on the scene as I wasn't planning on having Arabelle & Charlie meet again until the beginning of GoF during the summer of the quidditch world cup.

I dunno! I've got so many ideas floating around I would love to hear what you guys would like to read, as I want you to love reading it as much as I love writing it. So review and let me know what you think as I am totally torn here!