I knew I shouldn't have. But knowing and doing were different things. Crouching down behind a bushy plant, tall enough to hide me behind it, I decided I did trust Bill. It was that pink haired auror I didn't trust.

With a sick feeling in my stomach, I recalled the taunting voices of those goblins today at reception after Bill had left with Tonks.

As I had made my way to the cabin that I shared with Bill, a nasally voice called out, "What happened, Ms. Delacour? All alone today? Where's your boss?" noles' voice grating on my nerves.

"He left, didn't you know he did? With that auror girl again, ofcourse."

"She's an auror?" I asked, before I could stop myself. But really, she was an auror? I didn't have any insecurities about myself, but I did know auror was one of the most dangerous professions in the Wizarding world. I had thought this Tonks woman was some sad, mousy witch with a crush that could barely wave her wand.

To find that she was no mousy, sorry witch with strange hairs and was instead a capable woman that could easily hold Bill's attention... It made me uneasy. A bit.

Sensing that I had chewed the bait thrown at me, Noles and the goblin I didn't know the name of, smirked.

"Oh yeah, mademoiselle. She's an auror. And belonging to a pure blood family, just like our curse breaker here. Very tight she is with his family. His mum and sister just loves precious Tonks, they do." said the unknown goblin, his words pinching my heart for some reason.

"Where do you reckon they went Bogrod?" Noles asked slyly, turning to the other goblin.

"That is anybody's guess Noles, but I would say they would go to that park again. Benedict Park, in Central London. A friend of mine saw them strolling there in the evenings some times on his way out of the ministry. Its always empty after dark..." he trailed off, eying me with barely contained glee.

So yes, I knew I shouldn't have taken their bait, shouldn't have let the plant doubts in my mind. But I didn't trust that girl one bit. I knew Bill would never cheat on me. But that girl? She was in love. An unrequited love, at that. The way she looked at us when we would hold hands, the utter misery that radiated out of her when she would see Bill kiss me... Her sad eyes would fill up with a longing so heartbreaking that had it been for any other man I would've felt sorry for her. But it was for Bill. My Bill. It has to be. So I wasn't taking any chances. Whole day today I had sat at Gringotts, stewing over it.

In my mind I kept replaying Bill leaving with her, along with what those goblins had said.

I had left gringotts at precisely 5 pm, having had to work the whole day in Bill's absence. I wasn't the kind of person who kept every bad feeling within her until it soured everything good in my life. No, I was the one who gave direct answers, asked straight questions and got my problems solved. I knew Bill would clam up if I asked him about leaving or Tonks after he was back. He had done that before. Like, he was holding something back even though he didn't want to. So before I could let myself think it too much about it, I stepped in a quiet corner of diagon alley, thought of the park, and disapparated with a pop.

I had been waiting here for almost an hour now with no sign of life around me. The goblins were right. The park was directly across from the ministry of magic. It was dark now, the night utterly black with clouds so thick that it blocked any light that might try to shine from the sky. The air contained a slight chill. And here I sat, stupidly unequipped for crouching so long in the chilly air. Maybe the goblins were talking nonsense. I knew they disliked humans, and they looked down on me even more because of my veela heritage. Maybe this was some sick joke they played on me just to get momentary joy out of it to see me suffer.

Just as I was about to give up and disapparate back to diagon alley and go home though, I heard snap of twigs in a distance, as two figures appeared out of thin air and started walking across the park.

Bill

Something was off. Something very wrong. I could feel it in the pits of my stomach but I didn't know what it was. Hopefully, Fleur was okay. It wasn't like she wasn't used to being on her own. But that didn't make me stop worrying. The meeting was... depressing. Sirius and Snape spent all the time shooting down every suggestion the other made, with every bit of hatred possible. After hours of sitting around trying to understand pattern among these disappearances we all left with our minds cluttered, frustration and a surly Sirius throwing venomous looks at Snape.

Walking with Tonks wasn't as cheerful as it used to be either. For one, she was just as frustrated as rest of us. And two, she wasn't her usual spunky, happy self lately. I knew I needed to talk to her. So clearing my throat I started, "Did you talk to him, Nymphedora?" using her first name that she hated with passion.

"Don't call me Nymphedora," she replied, out of habit and without her usual fire. Sighing, I stopped at the place with taller plants to stay hidden from anyone exiting from ministry across the road, and caught hold of her hand to stop her as well. "Look Tonks, I know it's not easy. I cannot even imagine loving someone and them pushing me away like this. But look at what it's doing to you. This is not my Tonks. Not the tonks I know and love." "You're right, Bill. You don't understand. And for your sake, I hope you remain ignorant forever." she replied in a weak voice. She looked so small and sad, her hairs drab brown instead of the usual pink, bruise-like shadows below seemingly dead eyes, filled with a world of pain. I did the only thing I could think of at that moment. I hugged her tight to me, wishing I could take all her heartache away. Just as I felt her relax in my embrace, my eyes lifted instinctively, and I almost didn't believe what I saw. Fleur was standing few feet away, her eyes flashing, her face taut with barely restrained anger. I should've known Fleur wasn't the kind of woman to let something that bothered her slide down so easily. She sought her problems and solved them just to get it over with. But from her look, I knew she heard all the right things but understood everything wrong. I let my arms fall from around Tonks, and stepped away making her turn around and see Fleur in all her fury.

Fleur

"MY Tonks. The Tonks I know and LOVE." I hissed, throwing his words back at him. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. Here I thought I could trust Bill. My Bill. But he had a my Tonks all along? I expected him to look guilty. But narrowed eyes and angry tone was not something I had anticipated. "What are you doing here, Fleur? Did you really come to spy on me? Do you not trust me?" "Oui I deed trust you, Beel. Moi come 'ere because I deed not trust 'er. But Dios I cannot trust you too. Tu.. Tu tell 'er all theese? Eef tu loved 'ere theen what you teenk you are doing with moi?" I realized my accent was getting heavier, and stinging in my eyes said I was about to burst into tears. And to make matters worse, it was Tonks who protectively stepped in front of Bill, and started, "Look Fleur you're getting this all wrong."

"All wrong? All wrong you say? What I heard, and saw ees all wrong? I do not weesh to talk weeth tu, Tonks."

"Oh but you have to understand -" without letting her complete, I turned my back to both of them. I knew I won't be able to control my tears any longer. And I did not wish for either of them to see me break.

"Non," I said dismissively. "What he needs to understand ees, eet ees over." "Fleur! Fleur?" Bill's voice rang out with shock at first and then pain. It was enough for me to turn around, run to him and forget everything that happened. I knew I was being harsh - rash - but something was happening to me. Something unbearably painful moving around in my chest that was about to come out any second. Bill's betrayal hurt, but what hurt more was the realization that I will not be able to look at his handsome face ever again without feeling this stabbing pain in my chest. Pain evoked by the knowledge that he was no longer mine, maybe he never was. That last thought made a sob escape me. "No. No, love don't -" he sounded closer, much closer than I had anticipated. So close that I could almost feel the heat of his body on my back.

I was weak; weak for him. I have to leave. Escape before he touched me or I'll shatter in front of them. And last thing I wanted was to be a sobbing mess.

I knew I couldn't disapparate so close to ministry. So I made a run for it. Running in the same direction Bill and Tonks had just walked from. I nearly made it outside the park boundary when I felt a warm hand clasp my elbow and whip me around. Thrown off balance, my back crashed against a painfully familiar chest. Without waiting for me to gain balance, Bill put his arm around my waist and pressed me gently to the trunk of a nearby tree. The smell of daisies filled my senses from nearby plants and he pressed his front to my back, effectively immobilizing me. "Listen to me love, give me a chance to explain," he pleaded softly, too close to my ear, with pain in his voice. I was glad I was faced away from him, so he cannot see the tears dripping from my eyes as my heart lurched in my chest.

"Let me go, beel. Let go."

"I cannot, love. I really cannot. I cannot let you walk out of here, or my life. Cannot bear it. Can't you see? Can't you see how desperately in love I am with you?" I stopped struggling, and it became difficult to breath. I felt his lips press on my shoulder as he breathed me in, seeming to struggle just as much for the next breath as I was. "I cannot let you go, Fleur. Cannot lose you. Cannot imagine going home everyday and not have you waiting for me. Cannot imagine waking up in the morning and not having you beside me, giving me the most beautiful, most trusting smile ever directed at me. Cannot imagine falling asleep without the feel of you in my arms." He continued, sounding choked, whispering against my shoulder. His lips travelled up, up the curve of my shoulder to my neck as he trailed his nose against it, his hand no longer holding me in place. But I didn't move. Couldn't, even if I wanted to. His hand on my waist tightened fractionally pulling me closer to him, closer enough that I could feel every thud of his heart, every shiver that ran through his body. He pressed his lips on my neck, then trailed them ticklishly to the sensitive spot between my neck and shoulder, his breath fanning over my flesh as he spoke. "There is no one else, love. Can never be. I'm too besotted by you, hopelessly so, to even think of anyone else." Slowly, he turned me around, his bright blue eyes taking in my tear-stained face. He pressed my back to the tree, pressing entire length of his body to mine, igniting my blood. I could feel every muscle on him, every twitch and shift making me breathless. Cupping my face, he tilted my face up to him, and looked me straight in the eyes, right into my soul. "I'm in love with you, Fleur Delacour. Crazily, hopelessly so. And I do not think, I'm strong enough to survive without you. So I give my body, my heart, my soul... my life, everything to you. Whether you take it or not, it'll stay yours, forever." looking at him, I felt something mend and break in my chest at the same time. I replied him, in the only way I could with a lump in my throat. I kissed him.

Closing my eyes, I gave everything I had to him in that fragile moment. My heart, my soul... every dream, every thought, my trust everything belonged to him now. And I knew I couldn't take it away from him even if I tried. It came clear as a crystal to me that I trusted him. With my heart, my soul, my life. Trusted his truths, his lies. Trusted his secrets, his love... Every word that came from him.

He kissed me back with equal fervor, pouring every pain, every bit of love into it. His tongue swept in my mouth, marking me as his, as I forgot time, place... everything except Bill. My hands desperately pulled at him, drawing him closer as my leg snaked up his thigh, pressing myself intimately to him. He answered my flame with the fire of his own, pressing his most intimate part to mine, letting me know his desire for me, setting my blood on fire. Our teeth clashed and I broke the kiss to let out a soft moan as his hand explored every inch of my body he could reach. He drew my leg higher up his thigh, pressing me harder against the tree as his lips travelled the length of my neck, leaving gentle bites in its wake. His desperate fingers clawed at my neckline, exposing my shoulder, leaving small scratch marks there, which he soothed with his tongue.

My hands clutched his hairs, they weren't in a hair-tie today. Just as I was about to bring his lips to mine, get lost in the taste of him, we heard a small hissing creak coming from bark of tree pressed against my back, making both of us pause. I opened my eyes in confusion, and noticed my breath, fast as it was, was fogging up, coming out misty. The temperature around us had suddenly dropped, and steadily kept on dropping as the branches hanging down from the trees froze, the small daisies surrounding us, frosting over.

As one, we glanced up at the sky to see a flock of cloaked figures gliding over the clouds, making the dark night darker, for more that one reason. Before either of us could make sense of the horrifying scene above us, a shrill scream pierced the dead quietness of the night, as Bill turned his horrified eyes towards me and whispered, "Tonks.." and took off in her direction.