Turning the key in the lock, Talia gently opened the door to their apartment. She was met with silence despite all the lights in the house being on, an un uneasy feeling drilling inside of her. She knew after the stunt pulled in the court room things were not going to be an easy affair, however she had yet to discover with how much resistance she would be met.

Inside the kitchen, Bill sat all alone, head hung over a steaming cup of tea. Before she even addressed the question burning on the tip of her tongue, he rose his eyes, offering her a small smile.

Blinking a couple of time, he averted his eyes from her "Fancy a cuppa?" something was not right, it was not the friend she knew, something heavy hovering over him, something she could not see or understand.

Talia just shook her head, quickly excusing herself in order to look for Talbott. She found him inside their bedroom, wand out as he chanted, several of her belongings being placed inside a suit case "What are you doing?" the question came as she hesitated in her steps.

Turning to look at her, he swallowed before speaking "I'm packing all your stuff." Her eyes widened, lips pressing in a thin line as she waited for him to elaborate "You can't stay here anymore. I have arranged with Bill for you to go to the Dragon Sanctuary."

"Romania? You are sending me to Romania?" nodding once, she chuckled in an attempt to mock the situation presented to her "I see. So…how long has this been going on for, this elaborate plan?"

Placing his wand away, he took a seat on the bed "I have asked Bill to prepare this for some time now." However he was having a hard time looking at her directly "You can't stay here anymore."

Cocking a brow, she faked a smile, for a second thinking she did not hear him right "You said that twice already." Digging her teeth into her lower lip, she pulled on her skin, eyes circling the room. He was not mad, his entire demeanor did not spell anger at all. With how he kept his head lowered, slouching slightly, refusing to look at her, everything spelled shame to her.

But it hurt no less.

"Is it because I came out to the Ministry?" her voice was kept low, concentration being placed on her not stuttering or breaking apart right there in front of him.

However he was doing the same thing, controlling his reactions, shaking his head slowly "As I said, I have made this decision prior to that."

To his words she remained silent and still, mind trying to shut down slowly despite her heart rhythm picking up. It made no sense, it would have if Constantine was still out there, not now after he was sent back to Azkaban, with his memories erased no less. She was the last one that knew of the ritual, even if his followers would still come after her, they would not risk killing her. It would be redundant to say the least.

Slowly he got up, passing her "I will let you finish packing."

He barely finished his sentence, Talia pulling him by the hand, forcing him to come face to face with her. Bright large eyes analyzed him without a hint of hesitation. She searched for answers, taking note at how he tried to look away once more, her fingers guiding him back in order to lock eyes with her.

A different type of pain burned at the surface as his jaw clenched, every fiber of his body tense as he faced her. He rarely blinked, chest slowly expanding from time to time as if he was holding his breath "Why are you doing this if you clearly don't want to?"

"Because you're not safe here, not at the moment."

Blinking away the fog wishing to settle over her eyes, she wanted to break in front of him, to just rage and yell, yet she found herself unable to resent him "There never will be a moment, not soon, not with what's to come. And yet you are wishing me away." Caressing his cheek, she let her fingertips run across his lip "You have wished me away for some time. Am I really that much to stand darling?"

His eyes widened, teeth biting on his inner cheek, willing all emotions to settle down for even a moment, for with them hammering against his chest, it felt as if no words would travel past his lips. He would choke on them, feeling as if everything he would dare to utter would taste like ash on his tongue, all due to her looking at him like that.

"Well, I see you have made up your mind." She scoffed, taking a step back refusing to touch him anymore "Tallbot Winger managed to overpower two Crane members. Well then mister Winger, I hope you know what you're doing, because I for one don't."

"You are better off being away from here, away from what's to come, away from me." It felt as if someone was twisting a knife in an already open wound, his own voice sounding foreign "This is not your home anymore."

She exhaled slowly, nodding softly as she turned to check the luggage and what he packed, Talbott exiting the room. Bill silently waited inside the kitchen, sparing a single glance his way "Are you certain this still needs to happen?"

"Positive. As long as she's still here she will always chase after saving me. I can't have that anymore. I'd rather she hates me now, than end up dead in the near future." Strong fingers opened the window, Talbott morphing into his Animagus form before flying out, leaving Bill all alone to deal with the situation.

With a heavy sigh, he got up from the table, making his way to Talia "Let me know when you're ready. We'll stay at the Burrow tonight then leave in the morning." Placing a hand on her shoulder, she shinned away, his hand hovering for a few seconds before he apologized.

"I just need you to not touch me right now. I understand why this is happening, I just…" swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she exhaled a shaking breath "I just don't…I don't want to lose him." Blinking rapidly, she cast her eyes towards the ceiling, Bill approaching her slowly.

"This isn't permanent, so please don't hate him."

"Hate?" she searched his face hoping to see a hint of amusement, a sign that he was joking "I'm not a child Bill. I understand he wants to protect me, even if it means breaking off ties. I know he's hurting, he's not that good at hiding it." Taking off her Phoenix pin she placed it on his night stand "But this is permanent, because I never look back. Not even for him." Clearing her throat, she zipped up her bag and nodded "Come, we have a long trip tomorrow."

Molly Weasley greeted Talia as if she was her daughter, pulling her into a tight hug, one that almost made her burst into tears right there in the small kitchen. She did not refuse their company, even helping and staying for dinner, making certain she thanked them for all the help provided and inviting a stranger into their home.

However when sleep should have been her friend, all sort of thoughts roamed inside her mind. She would have to ask Bill to explain to everyone what happened. Cradling her head in her hands, regret decided to rear its ugly head. She saw herself back at the small Hogsmeade train station, back when she could have still left everything behind. Back when Talbott and her were just at the beginning, if even that , yet he was the one that ran after her, made her look back.

"What now?" she whispered into the silence sniffing her nose.

She should have been able to deal with it better, she knew better than to be crying as if she had lost him forever. Talia knew well enough how stubborn of a man Talbott could be, that you could rarely move him when he set his mind to something. They would still keep in touch, surely, and he would see the error of his ways, miss her like crazy at one point in time.

Turning the lights back on, she went to wash her face before rummaging through her bag for a sweater. Pulling it out, from between the clothes an envelope fell, Talbott's neat handwriting addressing the letter to her.

"By the time you read this, you would have already arrived in Romania and have settled. Charlie Weasley will help you with everything you require in order to help you accommodate, but I know you are a lot more flexible than I and you will do just fine.

You are far more resilient, stronger than I could or would ever be.

Please know that the decision of letting you go did not come to me easy, however I feel and know it is best this way. You can't always come running to my rescue and frankly I can barely concentrate with you around. You have a certain effect on me no one had.

You will be better off without me, away from everything. Despite all that happened, I do care about you, but I also have my limits. Moody and Finnemore will know you left because of me, I will not cover anything up.

I'm asking you from the bottom of my heart to not be stubborn. Take care of yourself, don't do anything reckless. I know it is a lot to ask since you appear to conjure trouble from thin air, but please. Please just live Talia."

The letter ended there, usual secure handwriting faltering at the very end. Pulling the letter close to her chest, she hoped to bury it deep within her scars and past mistakes. If she was not a Crane, if she was someone else entirely, he would have still been there with her. He would have not chosen to sacrifice his happiness, their future if she had been a different person.

Entering the bathroom, she washed her face countless time trying to stop the tears from falling, yet seeing her own reflection brought her more pain, more haunting feelings, bubbling above all the composure she faked to have.

She despised her eyes, she hated the scars that were still not healed properly, everything that she inherited from her father "Diffindo." Auburn locks fell in the sink, red rims lining her eyes "Muffliato". She continued to cut away at her hair, embers burning bright in her eyes, Talia wishing to have them shine forever in her vision and never die out. It replaced her natural color, it replaced the madness she was exhibiting as she wept in front of that mirror, chanting "Diffindo" as she chopped her long hair.

Innocence died screaming, at the age of five, innocence dissolved into nothingness for Talia. Hope died screaming, at the age of twenty-one, on an irrelevant autumn day. And with it, everything that she had forged under the Hayes name along with it. It all dissipated as for the first time, reflecting off a mirror, a woman by the name of Crane, with wild eyes and flesh deep scars stared, ready to once again leave everything behind.

"Never again."

She repeated the same line inside her head as she tried to ignore the worried stares from the Weasley family when she came down for breakfast with red puffy eyes. She did not answer any questions, instead just listened to Molly's advice as she took a pair of scissors and sculpted a proper hair cut.

As she took followed Bill to the train station in order to arrive to the pory key location, that's when it rang the loudest. Never again would she wear her heart on her sleeves.