Right Here Waiting

A/N: Whoo hoo! I'm cranking out the chaps! Enjoy!

Chapter Four: But I Can't Get Near You Now

"I have to go," said Eleanor. "They need me." She looked down at her desk, not even trying to stop her tears.

"I know," said Jace softly. "Do what you have to do."

Eleanor's shoulders shook as she sobbed. She fell forward into Jace's embrace and cried into his shoulder. He held her there and rocked back and forth, saying, "Shh, it'll be okay." He brushed her hair back away from her face and kissed her temple.

The door opened, and Jayne poked her head in. "Have you finished..." She stopped when she saw Jace and Eleanor. "Got it. Leaving." She walked out again.

When Eleanor stopped crying, she sat back in her own chair. "I have enough vacation time for a little while. If I need to, I can quit," she said quietly.

Jace nodded. "Do you want me to help you pack?" Eleanor shook her head.

"I can do it."

He nodded again and pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small, velvet ring box. "I was going to wait for the right time to do this, but..." he said, opening it and handing it to her. "I don't know if you...but if – when – you get back...Eleanor, I love you." He stopped.

Eleanor stood up and looked away. Her shoulders started shaking again. "Goodbye, Jace," she said as her voice cracked.

"Goodbye Eleanor."

She disapperated to her house.

--

Once Eleanor had gathered her most important possessions, she unwrapped the plastic bottle that was the port-key and was whirled away in a flash of color.

She managed not to loose her footing as she landed. She dropped the bottle onto the yard of number eleven, Grimmauld Place. Where on Earth was she?

"I knew you would come, Eleanor," said a voice behind her. She turned around to see Albus Dumbledore, looking exactly as she remembered him. Because now she did remember him. She remembered everything. As soon as she turned around, her memory played in fast forward like a movie she'd seen long ago.

Another tear trailed down her cheek. "Well, I'm here," she said quietly.

Albus walked closer to her and handed her a sheet of parchment. "Read this and memorize it, then burn it," he instructed her.

The meeting place of the Order of the Phoenix is located at number 12, Grimmauld Place.

As soon as she read this, numbers 11 and 13 moved out of the way to make room for number 12, which was inflating between them. Years away from the British version of magic had made Eleanor soft, and she couldn't help but stare.

Once the house was up, Eleanor looked down at the little paper in her hand, fluttering gently in the breeze. She realized she had a death grip on it and loosened her hold a little bit. Then she flicked her wand at it and it burst into blue flames.

She didn't feel the flames on her hand, but she watched with an almost morbid fascination as it curled and twisted, the edges blackened. When the last little bit fell into dust, Eleanor closed her hand to put out the flames then let the ashes float away on the breeze.

"I'll show you to your room," Albus told her. Eleanor nodded and followed him into the house.

Just inside the door stood a group of people that she remembered, but only faintly. She hadn't been close to any of them. She remembered Tonks, Mungundus, a few others.

And then she saw a face that send a sharp pain to her stomach and a shiver down her spine. It couldn't be...he was dead, gone forever...

She locked eyes with him and felt his eyes boring into her very soul. She couldn't take it; she tore herself away and followed Albus up the stairs.

Her room was a large, round one with a circular window with a magical view of the beach. It had a high ceiling and the walls were light blue. "It's beautiful," she breathed, walking over to the window. "Even if its not really there." She turned to face Albus. "Thank you," she said, but he was already gone.

Eleanor took her things out of her pocket and took off the shrinking charm. She decided she could wait until later to unpack. She stepped into the adjoined bathroom to splash some water on her face and brush her hair.

Once she had freshened up somewhat, she walked back downstairs, choosing to ignore the fact that she was still dressed in the jeans and t-shirt that had become the unofficial uniform at her office.

"It's good to have you back with us, Ellie," greeted Tonks, walking up to her. She looked her usual, with her bubblegum pink hair and violet eyes.

The name shot another pain to her stomach. She winced and said, "Actually, it's Eleanor now." She gave Tonks a weak smile. "It's nice to see you too." She chose to ignore, also, the fact that she was leaving yet another fiancé.

Another? Where had that come from? She glanced down at the ring on her finger and the memory flashed through her mind.

Her eyes filled up with tears again, which she noted had been happening a lot lately. She twisted the ring around her finger, a sort of nervous habit she had developed.

Tonks noticed this, and smiled at her knowingly. "Hey, I want you to meet someone, okay? Again, rather." Eleanor raised her eyebrow in confusion, but allowed Tonks to lead her away.

They stopped in front of the same man that Eleanor had locked eyes with before.

"Eleanor Tate," Tonks was saying, "I want you to meet an old friend. Eleanor, meet Remus Lupin."