Chapter Three: The Potter Manor

The following Saturday, Bailee was lying on her couch when Trent came barging in through her fireplace. He looked confused and a little upset.

"Are you alright?" Bailee jumped up. This was the first time she'd seen him look any way other than blissful and completely satisfied with his entire perfect existence. Bailee felt the tiniest bit glad that he seemed to be in a bad mood. She knew that was mean, but it showed that Trent was only human after all.

"Yes and no...it's weird," Trent said, stuttering a little. "I broke up with Clarissa today."

"What?" Bailee was shocked. They'd seemed so happy together...too happy, in Bailee's opinion.

"I know, it seems odd, we've been inseparable for two months, and then the engagement...but I couldn't take it anymore, Bailes. She's just so..."

"Airheaded? Vacant? Blonde?" Bailee finished. Trent raised his eyebrows at Bailee in slight amusement.

"Sorry," Bailee said.

"It's all right...maybe you should have told me how you felt about her sooner, I might not have wasted my time," said Trent.

"Oh come on Trent, it's not like you would have listened to me," Bailee said.

"Yes, I would have," Trent insisted. "Just like I hope you'd listen to me about any of your boyfriends that I didn't like, yeah?"

"Erm, yeah," Bailee mumbled, blushing. "So, what's good about it? I 'd think you'd be all heartbroken."

"Well, this is where it gets confusing," Trent said hesitantly. "Do you remember the Muggle tattoo shop where we got pierced?"

"Yeah," said Bailee.

"So, you remember the Muggle girl with all the tattoos and piercings that worked on us? Well, I've been finding myself going in that shop to see her more and more, and...well..."

Bailee's eyes widened and she broke into a smile. "Really? You and that girl?"

Trent was blushing now and smiling. "Yeah, her name's Jamie and she's super-cool. I've never met another girl like her. And I even told her that I'm a wizard, and she doesn't think I'm a freak or a weirdo or anything. She likes it. And it's so great, because she doesn't know about Quidditch or our father or anything, so she likes me for me, not for my name and my lineage, you know?"

"Yeah, that's just great, Trent. I'm really happy for you." Once again, Trent had all the luck, and Bailee's heart sank just a little. She was happy for her brother, but all the same, she wished she could find that unconditional love of her life as well. She still wasn't sure if Alec was for real, and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to give her heart to him the way she had five years ago.

"So does Clarissa know about Jamie?" Bailee asked.

Trent nodded, grimacing.

"Oh, yeah, I figured it would be rather dishonest not to tell her," Trent said. "She was not happy, to say the least."

"Oh, well, she's too empty-headed to worry about it for long, so take comfort in that," Bailee said.

---

That afternoon, Bailee tossed her cigarette on the ground before she entered her favourite London clothing outfitters. She had to buy a dress for the party at the Potter Manor. Her mother Ginny wrote her an owl begging her to dress up for the special occasion. Bailee found it amusing that her mother didn't have a clue about Trent and Clarissa's break up.

She spent close to an hour looking for the perfect dress, when the perfect dress came to her. It was long pink dress with tiny straps and a frilly bottom. She tried on the dress and then for a pair of matching pink slippers.

After she left the clothing store she decided to get her hair done, the muggle way. Trent told her that not only was Jamie a tattoo artist but a hair stylist as well. Since Bailee had heard her Aunt Hermione talk so much about muggle hair stylists, she had to see it first hand.

Bailee walked into the salon parlour and immediately recognized the girl standing behind the cash register. It was Jamie.

"Hey! I know you!" Jamie exclaimed.

"Yeah, I know you too, I mean you're dating my brother. So is this another one of your glamorous jobs?" Bailee inquired leaning against the counter.

"Well you know, owning a flat in London isn't exactly cheap. This job pays more but I don't want to give up my job as a tattoo artist. So what brings you here? You don't seem like the type of person to just wonder into a salon for a new hair-do."

"Well, I'm going to the…party tonight. I want something, I just don't know what." Bailee replied truthfully.

"Have a seat!"

Bailee sat down on a sparkly red chair. She looked into the mirror as Jamie walked behind her. Jamie looked down at Bailee, "how about we get rid of these white streaks first of all?"

Bailee looked back at her reflection, remembering exactly how the first few strands of her hair had become white. It was back at Hogwarts when she was nearly attacked by a giant graphorn. The graphorn almost frightened her to death.

"Um, ok, let's do it." Bailee agreed slowly, after all it was a painful memory that involved Alec. If he hadn't saved her from the graphorn, she would have been killed.

"You have such beautiful black hair, how about some blue streaks instead? Then afterwards I can give you a funky hairstyle. You'll knock 'em dead at the party."

---

She then rushed home to change into her dress, she couldn't be late for Trent's special night. Her hair was loosely pulled back with curls falling all around her, there were tiny pink roses placed here and there. She changed out of her ordinary clothes and into the dress. Then she did her make-up and put on her shoes. She ran into her living room and used floo powder to get to her parents' house.

"Bailee! There you are!" Exclaimed Bailee's mother, Ginny.

Bailee stepped out of fire place, brushing the floo powder off of her shoulders. She coughed and looked up at her mum who was in traditional wizarding robes. Ginny pulled Bailee away from the fire place and into the living room so she could greet the Potter's guests.

"What on earth did you do your hair?" Ginny wanted to know.

"Uh…"

Bailee was about to reply but her father came rushing into the room. Ginny, Bailee and about ten other people turned and looked at Harry.

"Dinner is being served in the dinning hall." He announced.

He lead the group of guests (mostly Trent's Quidditch team mates) to the dinning hall but Ginny held Bailee back. Bailee turned and gave her mother a questionable look like, "hey what gives?"

"Mum, I haven't eaten in two days!" Bailee informed her.

"Oh Bailee," Ginny shook her head disapprovingly, "Your father invited Alec Malfoy to join us this evening. I thought I should tell you before you freak out when you see him."

"Why the hell would he do that?"

Ginny stared into the hallway making sure everyone had gone into the dinning hall and wasn't lingering about listening to them. She turned back to her daughter and began speaking again, "Because, his grandfather just died and he's going through a terribly messy divorce. Your father, and I, feel sorry for him. It hasn't been easy for him after all, and he need a break."

"First of all, Mum, you and Dad were never a fan of Lucius Malfoy, second of all, why all the sudden are you taking an interest in my ex-boyfriend's personal life?" Bailee demanded.

"It wasn't all the sudden, dear…your father has worked with Alec at the Ministry of Magic for close to three years now. The reason he never told you is because he didn't want to upset you. When Raven took all of Alec's savings, he found that he couldn't live off of his Ministry job alone. So your father pulled a few strings and landed him a job with your uncles. We knew you'd take it badly, we just didn't know how badly. That's why we had your uncles talk to you about finding another job."

Bailee didn't know how to respond to what her mum had just told her. She couldn't believe it, any of it. She just glared at her and then stormed off into the dinning hall. Her entire family was already seated at the table, so Bailee had to go to the far end to sit.

Shortly after Bailee arrived, Alec came into the room. It seemed as if the room had fallen silent as he walked towards Bailee. Everyone was turning and staring at them. Bailee could feel the heat begin to rise in her cheeks as Alec sat down next to her. He was wearing a black suit with a light blue tie. He looked at her and smiled slightly, even though she ran away from him yesterday, there was no way he'd let her go again.

"You're beautiful." He whispered.

Bailee turned away from Alec and noticed that Trent was standing in the room not with his ex-fiancé but with Jamie. Ginny and a few other Weasleys gasped loudly.

"I have an announcement to make." Trent announced

He smiled at his family and then continued speaking, "Clarissa and I are not longer together."

There was a round of shock expressions as Trent and his new girlfriend sat down at the other end of the table. Bailee couldn't be happier for her brother, he was lucky enough to find that one special person to spend the rest of his life with.

After dinner, Bailee excused herself and wandered onto the Potter's balcony. She sat down with her cigarettes and stared up at the star-lit sky. Alec followed her and leaned against the doorway.

"You must be freezing." He spoke taking off his coat jacket.

"I'm fine thanks, besides are you sure you want to lend me your jacket after I ran off with your cloak?" Bailee replied looking at him.

"Good point, however I have many cloaks, and I was planning on coming over to get it." Alec spoke sitting down beside her.

He wrapped the coat around her shoulders and smiled at her, "besides are you planning on running again?"

"Dunno." Bailee exhaled her smoke.

Alec stared at her hoping that she wasn't planning on running away again. He worked so hard to get to this point and he didn't want her to leave.

"About yesterday…" Alec started.

"I don't want to talk about yesterday."

"O.K…but we can't just ignore it, we have to talk about it Bailes."

Bailee grouchily tossed her cigarette over the balcony and stood up. She grabbed the railing and then turned towards Alec. She looked past him and inside the house. Trent and Jamie were dancing in the middle of the living room floor while the entire family circled them, clapping.

"I am so glad my family approves of his muggle girlfriend." Bailee mumbled, lighting another cigarette.

Alec was about to speak but stopped, he turned and looked into the window behind him. He realized that Bailee's brother didn't seem right for his fiancé. He was glad that Trent had found someone better because he was almost certain that Trent and Clarissa hadn't been in love. It was obvious that Clarissa was out for all she could steal. Alec looked back at Bailee, he was glad that she was nothing like Clarissa. And he was twice as glad that she was nothing like Raven.

"You should really quit smoking."

"Why? It's suppose to shorten my life span." Bailee tossed back.

"Exactly."

Bailee sighed and threw her cigarette on the cement then ground it with her foot. She looked back up at Alec, who was now standing and edging toward her.

"You look absolutely magical tonight." He whispered.

"And you look very…posh…"

"I'll, uh, take that as a compliment."

"Suit yourself."

Alec placed his hand on her shoulder, while his other hand touched her cheek gently, "please talk to me… " he pleaded.

"What do you want to talk about? I mean I think we've said everything we've needed to say, don't you?"

Alec shook his head, "no, I don't. You never told me how you really felt about me. "

"Of course I never told you Alec!" Bailee shot back.

She pulled away from him and took off his coat, then she handed it to him and wandered into her house. Molly Weasley ran up to her and grabbed her by the arm, leading her into the living room, "dance with your brother, maybe you can talk some sense into him."

Bailee gritted her teeth and walked in the centre of the room with Trent. He smiled happily as the music began to play, "So you and Alec huh?"

"No." Bailee snapped, "Nothing happened."

"Oh, I just thought, you two seemed…"

"No." Bailee shook her head.

Trent spun her around the room and Bailee saw Alec standing alone in the corner. He was watching them dance with a sad expression on his face. Bailee began to feel sort of bad. She knew she wasn't exactly the nicest person to him. She'd have to try harder if she even wanted to keep him as a friend.

"But you, I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks Bailes."

"Anytime."

Alec put down his glass of wine and walked over to the middle of the floor. "May I cut in?"

"Of course." Trent replied while Bailee glared at him.

Alec grabbed Bailee by the waist while Bailee placed her hands on Alec's shoulders. Trent went back to Jamie and pretty soon everyone was dancing.

"I dare you stay and work this thing out. 'Cause leaving is taking the easy way out." Alec whispered.

Bailee looked up at Alec with widen eyes, then she took him his hand and lead him out of the living room and upstairs to her old bedroom.

Bailee collapsed on her bed and kicked off her slippers while Alec stood in the doorway. He stared at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something.

When she didn't he walked over to a pink fake fur chair and sat down. He removed his coat and loosened his tie. Bailee turned her head and looked at him, "look, I'm sorry for the way I behaved. I just…"

"I know Bailee." Alec sighed.

She sat up placing her hand on her forehead, all the blood was rushing to her head. She kicked her feet over the side of the bed and breathed in deeply. "I guess we should talk, I owe you that much at least."

"How about dinner tomorrow evening at my place, please don't say no." Alec stated.

"Dinner would be lovely, I guess it would be weird talking here..." Bailee told him.

"Yeah, I'd prefer to be alone, alone." He responded and stood up again, looking around the room. He was fascinated by everything Bailee use to own. There were so many things non-magical, unlike his own childhood room.

"So this is your old room?"

"Uh huh…"

Alec picked up a picture of Bailee and her friend Michelle standing in front of the old oak tree at Hogwarts when she was sixteen. In the background Alec was walking in his Quidditch robes with the Slytherin Quidditch team. He put the picture down and proceeded to look at one of himself and Bailee in Hogsmeade.

"So why'd you dye your hair?" Alec inquired turning to look at her.

Bailee was lying on her back, hanging upside down off the end of the bed, she looked at him, "Oh that, just felt like a change is all…"

Alec nodded his head in agreement. Bailee sat up and put her slippers back on and stood up, "Guess we better go back downstairs…"

---

Alec drew in a deep breath as he used the end of his wand to light a couple of candles. He had set a table for two in his kitchen, with candle light, roses, and light classical music. As he was about to dim the lights he heard Bailee in the living room. He fixed his black dress shirt and quickly walked into the living room.

"I, uh, apparated. It was cold outside and I didn't want to use floo powder." Bailee stated quickly.

She had her hair pulled back in funky twists and covered in glitter. She was wearing a short orange dress and looked rather nervous.

"That's ok, I was just about to take the roast out of the oven. Please come into the kitchen." Alec replied.

Bailee glanced around Alec's tiny cottage as she followed him into the kitchen. It was much smaller than hers, by far, and much more clean. It was probably more clean because Alec had only been residing in it for a week and he still had a devoted house elf. "Oh I brought your cloak back, by the way."

"Thanks, just set it on the chair there."

She placed his cloak on a black leather chair and then followed him into the kitchen. She smiled when she sat down at the decorated table. She had no idea that Alec could cook, it was very flattering.

Alec took the roast out of the oven and set on the table. Then he brought over a bowl of mashed potatoes and a plate of rolls, "I hope you brought your appetite."

"Mmm..hmm." Bailee nodded.

After dinner, Alec poured two glasses of red wine and then lead Bailee into the living room. He used his wand to light the fire in the fireplace and then sat on the sofa across from Bailee. She took a sip and stared at him nervously.

"So, tell me what has been going on with for the past five years."

Bailee set her glass on the table and looked up at Alec. Of course she had come over to talk to him, but it wasn't going to be easy. "Well, I wasn't working for my uncles the entire time if that's what you mean. I worked for a couple of years as a conductor on the Knight Bus, and then I was working at the Leaky Cauldron. I came to work for my uncles because of my dad. I guess he was worried I'd do something crazy, like jump off a bridge, or committ suicide. If I worked for my uncles they'd be able to keep an eye on me. I really wanted to travel though, to get away you know?"

"Bailee…" he trailed off, Alec set down his glass and moved to the sofa beside Bailee. He touched her bare shoulders with his hand. She shifted uncomfortably as he touched her arm. She glanced up at him, "What about you? You spent the past five years married, obviously, what was that like?"

"I don't need to tell you that I hated every minute of it. I don't really miss losing my house, because I was never there long enough to miss it. Raven was never home for that matter. She was either in Romania or off in London with one Quidditch player or the next. As for myself, I spent late nights at the Ministry and most weekends."

Bailee nodded her head as Alec drew in a deep breath. She drank the rest of wine and then began playing with her hair. "Bailee, there is something I have to tell you."

Bailee looked up while Alec refilled their wine glasses. He unbuttons his collar and cleared his throat. "I, don't know where to begin. I guess you know that… my grandfather and Raven's grandfather, Mr. Warner, wanted Raven and I to have kids. I have to tell you this, because you're the only person I can trust. No one else knows. Well the thing is… one night, a year or so after we were married. I came home really smashed. Anyway, Raven ended up pregnant…" Alec shook his head, "I don't think she wanted to be, and to be honest I didn't want her to be either...that would mean I'd be tied to her for the rest of my life. Well, one day she got really sick and we had to call in the doctor. She had a miscarriage…and after that, we both avoided each other. As you can see it went on for almost two years. Then my grandfather got sick one day and Raven showed up at my office, divorce papers in hand. She and I were both waiting by a string for our grandfathers to die…"

Bailee glared contently at her wine glass, she wasn't sure how to react. She could feel the tears stinging her eyes but she didn't want to cry in front of him. She knew that if it were her child she'd want to save it… but Alec had a point. Bailee had her reasons to believe that Raven might have deliberately tried to kill her own child, but she wasn't sure that was the truth. If Raven had the child then chances are, they probably wouldn't have been divorced.

"Please say something." Alec spoke shakily.

Bailee looked up with tear stained eyes, "Well…I…I…I mean to say…"

Alec took a sip of wine and then turned towards Bailee. He cupped his hands around her chin while the tears began rolling freely down Bailee's cheeks. He leaned in so close that Bailee could feel his warm breath on her lips. She closed her eyes as he began to kiss her. He leaned forward more so Bailee was completely on her back and he was half-way on her.

Bailee ran her fingers through Alec's blond hair while Alec had one arm underneath her back. He had his other hand on her shoulder. Their kiss was so needy, so urgent. It was clear they both wanted it.

She was the first one to pull away. Alec sat back up so they could both catch their breaths. When Alec finally looked up at Bailee, he realized that was she was still crying.

"Bailee? What's wrong? I thought that we both wanted it…"

Bailee nodded her head, "I know… I do…it's just that I've been waiting for so long. I wished so many times that you'd come back. The practical side of me knew that you were married and you'd never be back. And now, now you're here and I never thought it was possible."

She wiped the tears away from her green eyes and bit her lower lip as he wrapped his arm around her. "I am here Bailee, and I promise I will never leave you. Not again, I couldn't bare it."

"But you promised me once before that you'd never leave me. Alec how can I know that what you say is real? How do I know that I won't just end up hurt again? I have no real assurance."

More tears came flowing down her cheeks as she avoided eye contact with Alec. Alec could feel the tears stinging his eyes as well. He put his other arm around her and breathed deeply into her neck. "Because Bailee…"

Bailee pushed him away, "I remember a situation just like this. Doesn't this seem a little too familiar? You tell me even though you love me you're marrying someone else. I just don't think I can go through it again. I'm sorry."

Alec stared at him in shock, he wanted to explain that he was no longer married. That it was all over and they could finally be together, nothing could stop them. But he couldn't speak.

Bailee stood up and straightened her dress. She looked down at him as she brushed her cheek, "Dinner was lovely."

Alec stood up and grabbed her wrist, gently pulling her back down to the sofa. "You're not leaving again." He placed his hand on her left shoulder and pressed his lips against hers. As the kissed progressed Bailee began to calm down and relax. Alec pulled away and stared at her, "I know you're scared to be with me, but things have changed. Lucius is dead, Raven is in Romania, there is nothing to keep us from being together. Trust me. Please trust me…"

"I am scared." Bailee admitted, "I am terrified."

Alec placed his head on her shoulder, "I am too, but it will be alright. We can get through this together."