Part Ten

It was now well into January, and though with it brought cold evenings, Ailene and Marden kept each other warm. Very warm. However, the month of January is a difficult one for Ailene, not because she returned to work, but the anniversary of her parent's death approached as well. Ailene arranged to have that day off, which her job new all too well and were willing to accommodate her. The war was still fresh for everyone.

Ailene woke on that particular day very late, having drained a bottle of wine the night before. She didn't really discuss it much with Marden. She sat on her sofa, a hot cup of tea in her hands and a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was disheveled, and she peered out of her window. It was a gorgeous day, the winter sun possessed that particular twinge of yellow; bold, white clouds floating gently by. She turned and glanced at her father's radio, she could still picture him by the fire, sipping his tea and listening to the news of the day. Ailene's parents didn't want her to listen to the news about the war, they wanted her to focus on her schooling and graduate with high marks. However, she would sit by her door and listen anyway. Hitler was advancing into Poland. Poland had fallen. He was moving ever West. It wasn't too long after that when Ailene had enrolled herself in the Nurses program and was able to take care of civilians and soldiers alike. They had bombed London on a particular day when she heard the news that her neighborhood had been hit. It was only a matter of time when she received more news that her parents didn't make it.

Ailene shut her eyes hard, "I'm not going to cry this time." She had told herself. She was forcing herself to push through it mentally, it wasn't going to get any better as the years went on.

The sky was now pink with the setting sun. Ailene had spent the day cleaning her entire flat from ceiling to floor, it was a way to be productive on a usually unproductive day, and still try to take her mind off of things. There was a soft knock at her door. She gave a small response, so it opened slightly.

"Ailene?" Marden came in slowly, and saw the newly cleaned state of her flat. His blue eyes then fell onto her, her hair set in rollers with old clothing on.

"You weren't at Rosa's again, so I figured I'd stop by, hope I'm not interrupting..."

"Oh no," Ailene responded in a breathless sigh, "Not at all, I was just finishing up anyway."

"Did you go to work today?" He asked, noticing how her flat was a little too clean, suggesting to him that she had been at this all day.

"Ah, no. I usually take off this day, anyway. Today is the day my parents died." She said, with not much emotion in her voice, trying hard to sound indifferent, but she wasn't sure if Marden could see through that or not.

There were a few heartbeats of silence. Marden then strode over to her slowly and took her in his arms. He didn't say anything, just held her, her cheek resting gently on his chest, his heart beating below. Now the tears slowly fell from her eyes and onto her cheeks. She then buried her face into his cloak. He smelled of stale cologne and parchment. Her body slowly eased it's tension and she practically rested her whole body weight into him. Despite Marden's lean physique, he supported her effortlessly.

Marden then slowly pulled away from her, turning away from her and she heard a sharp static fill the space. Voices came through the crackle until a sweet, jazzy tone came through. It was upbeat and light, not exactly what Ailene would want to hear right now. She looked over at him skeptically, a smile on his face. "You know, your parents would be incredibly proud of you."

Ailene was quiet, looking up at him with teary eyes.

"And, if I may be so honest, I don't think they'd want you to be so upset and sad."

Ailene then shot him a rather angered look. "It's true." He reaffirmed with her.

"Now, I just realized there was something I haven't done with you yet." He smiled and turned back to her, offering a hand. She watched him for a moment before taking it slowly.

"And what's that?" She asked softly.

"Dance." He smiled and they slowly came together again. With his foot, he pushed her small coffee table aside until there was enough room. He began to sway his hips from side to side, pulling at her arms gently to coax her into following his lead. She didn't at first, just watching him. She was then pulled into him, his arm wrapped around her waist, the other holding her hand up in the air. He swayed happily with her, the corner of her lips very slowly began to curl. He pulled away from her, outstretching their arms before twirling her. Clumsily, she did so, her back crashing into his chest. Ailene let out an "Ooof!" followed up a hysterical laugh. He laughed along with her before twirling her once more so they were at arms length, their hands clasped together.

He pulled her in and placed a gentle kiss on her lips, and they lingered there, close for a long time. Their eyes opened and they stared deep into each other.

"And do you know what else?" He asked her softly, his breath against her face.

"What?"

"I love you. With everything in me, I love you so." He whispered, and Ailene smiled for the first time that day, a large smile.

Marden wrapped his arms around her waist once more, pulling her in until their bodies pressed together, not a single gap between them. Ailene let her arms drape around his shoulders, looking at him with lidded eyes.

"I love you too. With everything in me, I love you so, too."

Marden brushed the tip of his nose with hers, one of his hands finding the back of her head as he began to take her rollers out. Ailene caught his hands, but he persisted.

Their lips enclosed in a passionate kiss as she then began to help him let her blonde locks free, the rollers dropping to the floor one by one. His kiss trailed down to her neck, his teeth grazing her skin now and again. She felt a familiar hardness from his body poking at her, and she had to force herself to pull away.

His eyes were full of lust as he stood their, Ailene taking a step back, her hair wild. "You are too much sometimes, Marden McKinnon."

"And I can't get enough of you." He purred back to her before she turned and began to pick up her rollers from the floor, placing them on her kitchen counter as she put on coffee for him. She'd have to reset her hair later, or maybe not.

"There was something I wanted to talk to you about," Marden said after a while, sitting on her sofa with his arms and legs outstretched in an exhausted position.

She brought over his mug of black coffee and set it in one of his hands. "And what may that be."

"Well, if you recall, my sister is getting married. In my world, especially with Purebloods like us, it's going to be a big deal."

"You're still invited after all that's happened?" She asked, remembering their rather public confrontation at the café.

"Yes, I am. My sister says things in the moment, but she never actually acts on her threats. Anyway, the wedding is coming up very soon, within a few weeks, to be exact, and I would love it if you were my date."

Ailene watched him silently. "Well, do you think that's a good idea, given the fact that your family hasn't exactly met me. And from what you told me, they seem very strict."

"They are, but I think that this is the perfect occasion to introduce you to them, to my whole family."

"I don't know, Marden. That doesn't seem like a good idea." Ailene said, feeling a sour feeling in her chest. "What if it causes a problem at the wedding. I don't want to be the reason there's a fight.

Marden sat up. "It won't, I promise. There will be no fight. And if there is, I'll walk out, and I'll take you with me."

"Can you at least talk to your sister about it? Or maybe we can meet her?" Ailene suggested to him, and he sat for a while.

"Maybe we can. That actually doesn't sound like a bad idea."