Part Twenty

Marden quickly strode over, grabbing her arm and drawing her to a corner.

"What in Merlin's saggy Y-fronts are you doing here!?" He hissed at her.

"I came looking for you." She said softly, ignoring his strange analogy. He looked rough, unkept stubble poking through the normally smooth skin of his face.

"How the hell did you get in? Are you alright, did anyone bother you?"

"No, not at all. Can we talk?" Ailene asked him quickly. "Please?"

"And what on earth do you possibly have to say to me?" He growled at her, his eyes full of anger, and his lips curled slightly in disgust.

"Can we go somewhere private, please?"

"I don't think so. I don't know if I'm ready to talk to you." Marden said simply, and Ailene could've sworn her heart and slipped out of her body and into a pool on the floor.

"Marden...please, I'm so-"

"Save it." He then snapped.

"Were you leaving?" There was no mistaking the sharpness to his tone. "I'll escort you." Despite the outward anger, he took Ailene's arm gently, flicking a galleon in Tom's direction. "For keeping an eye on her."

Once outside, Ailene ripped her arm out of his grasp. "I don't need taking care of! I was perfectly fine in there."

Marden turned and stepped in front of her, Ailene stopping short. "Do you not realize the danger you put yourself in? Some Wizards are not nice, and it's easy to tell you're a Muggle. Some wizards would like to do harm to people like you. They could hurt you, or kill you!" He hissed again. "I was right a few nights ago, you know very little about this world, so don't pretend like you do."

Then Marden's attention shifted to something behind Ailene. She quickly turned and saw a heavily cloaked person leaving the Leaky Cauldron, turning to look at them. Marden drew his wand and wrapped an arm around Ailene's shoulders, walking them briskly ahead.

"You see, we're being followed now." Marden said through gritted teeth. They walked a little ways, Marden's hand still gripping his wand tight. Ailene wrapped her arm around his torso for support.

She could feel him shift and look behind him. In one swift movement, Ailene felt Marden retract his arm from her shoulders and shove her hard in her ribs, forcing her to trip over her heels and fall flat down an entrance to an alleyway. She quickly turned to look as Marden swished his wand in front of him, huge sparks of yellow, like fireworks, bounced off of an invisible shield just inches from his face.

Marden then took a step forward and returned red sparks back at the cloaked figure. Ailene could barely see what was happening, but instinct told her to grab a rock that was nearby. She stepped back onto the street, now barefoot as her heels would otherwise render her useless, and she lugged the rock at their attacker; hitting him with a nasty crack on his hooded head.

"GET OUT OF HERE!" Marden roared to her. She didn't listen. She picked up another stone on the ground and tossed it, followed by a beer bottle in a nearby trashcan. She began throwing anything and everything she could find.

Their attacker began deflecting these objects, and this time Marden latched onto Ailene.

A deafening wind filled Ailene's ears. She felt as though she was falling thousands of feet at thousands of miles per hour. She felt her stomach and the rest of her intestines twist and turn and lift up into her throat. She felt like she was spinning, on some sort of rollercoaster from Hell. But she could feel Marden pressed against her the entire time, both arms secure around her.

As suddenly as it began, her feet hit the ground hard, and she was sure her ankles had snapped. She instantly fell to her knees, and all of the Butterbeer she drank quickly came up and onto the dirt ground.

She hurled a few more times, feeling Marden next to her as he caressed her back and moved the hair out of her face. Once she was done, Marden helped her up onto her feet and supported her as they walked, her stockinged feet were poked with stones, and she could feel dirt accumulating on the bottom of them.

She blinked the tears out of her eyes and she saw a quaint little house in front of her, vines climbing over the sides. Wellington boots sat outside of the door, and a dim light was lit as they entered the house. Marden sat her down at a small table.

She heard a happy screech and a gust of air against her face. She looked up and saw his owl, who looked absolutely delighted to see her. It nuzzled it's beak into her hair sweetly, and she reached out, stroking it's chest.

"Hello, old friend." She croaked, her throat raw from vomiting.

She was then presented with a glass of water. "Small sips." She was instructed, and she obeyed. The water soothed her throat quite a bit.

"Don't get used to it." Marden told his owl. "She's not staying for too long." His voice was apathetic as he cleared the table of parchment and other things that he was doing before his evening was interrupted.

Ailene rested her head in her hand. She felt like she was run over by train. "What was that?"

"What, the Apparating?" Marden asked, he was now fixing her a cup of tea at the stove, his pack turned to her. "It's a means of travel. Quick getaway."

There was another long silence.

"I'm sorry." She offered in a disparaged voice. "I always seem to cause trouble when I'm around." She took a few more sips of her water before he brought over an old looking mug with tea in it.

He lifted his hand, a small jar of honey then flew towards him and into his hand. He put a spoonful in her tea and stirred it slowly. Despite his anger, he was being awfully generous to her, she thought.

She took the tea graciously, taking a sip and letting the honey sooth her. Marden sat down across from her, though he did not look at her, but down at the wood of his table.

She looked around, his house absolutely impeccable. There were all sorts of unusual clocks on his walls that did so many things but tell time. His cabinets were full of dusty old mugs and plates. In front of the sink was a large, high window that would probably let in an immense amount of light during the day. There was a small little photo on the wall of Fleamont and Euphemia on their wedding day, and they were waving at her brightly.

"How are they?" Ailene asked, gesturing towards the moving photo.

"Just fine." He answered her, still apathetic and not looking at her. She turned and watched at him for a while.

"I'm sorry." She whispered again.

"For what?"

"Everything. Mostly for hitting you. That was wrong."

"It was. I was shocked you would even do something like that."

"I don't know what came over me. I don't know why I was so angry."

There was a longer silence that followed. Marden's owl nestled into her arm lovingly.

"If you want, you can stay the night. I'll set up the sofa in front of the fire so you can stay warm. It get's cold at night." He stood and left to the next room.

She watched as he left. Ailene felt helpless, she knew that it would take a lot more than that to convince him.

Out of nowhere, there was a huge, orange flash of fluff. Marden's owl screeched to the high heavens. Ailene's cup of tea and glass of water crashed to the floor, and what stood in front of her was probably the ugliest cat she had ever seen. His face was smushed, his whiskers stood out in all directions, and he had to at least be a hundred years old. The most striking thing about this cat was that he was massive, the largest she'd ever seen.

"CROOKSHANKS!" Marden yelled, coming back into the room and scooping the massive cat into his arms. He tossed it outside before shutting the door. "Stupid cat!"

"Sorry about him." Marden said as Ailene stood to get a towel. "No need."

He waved his wand and the tea lifted up into the air as if gravity made no matter, the mug reversed itself and was pieced back together. The tea poured itself back in , still piping hot. The water and glass disappeared altogether.

"I don't think you had to kick him out." Ailene said, mustering the strength to stand and open the door. There Crookshanks the cat sat on the door mat, as if knowing the door would eventually open for him again. He sat proudly with his head held high, like a child that won it's mother over.

"He's a monster. No matter how many times I try to get rid of him, he finds his way back. He came with the house, so he must be tied to it somehow. I think he might be part Kneazle."

Ailene scooped the massive cat into her arms and it purred immediately, nuzzling her face with his. Marden looked at the cat disdainfully.

"I think he's a sweetheart." Ailene said softly, bringing him back to sit down with. Crookshanks looked at Marden, showing off that he was getting all the loving while his human flatmate got zip.

"Well, good. He can go home with you tomorrow, he seems to like you better than me." Marden said, walking away from them and back into the small living area. It was equally as cozy as the kitchen, carpeted with a small chair and sofa. A small fire was building its strength in the fireplace. She noted how massive fireplaces in the Wizarding world were, perhaps for flooing? It was so large Marden could easily stand comfortably inside.

He conjured a large, knitted blanket and a large enough night gown for her to sleep in.

"You know, you don't have to do this." Ailene said as he reached out and handed her the gown.

"Oh, well, in that case you're free to go, take the cat with you."

Ailene snatched the nightgown out of his hand immediately. "Thank you."

"There are extra logs on the side, in case the fire dies down. Goodnight." He said simply, walking up the stairs to the second floor. Ailene changed, laying out her dress and tucking her undergarments underneath her dress and got comfortable. She watched the fire as Crookshanks came and laid comfortable in the crook of her side, his paws tucked neatly under his fluffy body.

Ailene's eyes slowly opened to darkness. She saw embers flickering in the fireplace. She was frozen to her core, her breath rising to the ceiling and catching the moonlight. Even Crookshanks was now lying behind her, nestled between the back of the sofa and Ailene for warmth. She forced herself to sit up, wrapping herself in the blanket. She knelt down in front of the fireplace, plopping large logs onto the top and trying desperately to stoke the embers back to life. She blew on them, but they just glowed brighter before dying down again.

"Shit!" She hissed, going into the kitchen and rummaging for some matches or a lighter. She found nothing whatsoever.

She sat back on the sofa, picking up Crookshanks and holding him close. He purred loudly, clearly just as cold as she, but it wasn't much use, and it only became more unbearable as she sat.

Finally making the decision, Ailene slowly crept up the stairs, his bedroom door ajar just slightly, a warm light illuminating the hallway. She peered in and could see the silhouette of his body under his covers in front of a much smaller fireplace that was alight. She felt the warmth radiate her face, and her bare feet led her in front of the fire, where she sank down low and let the flames lick her body warm again. Crookshanks slipped out of her arms and stretched his paws, letting out a large yawn, his fangs long and his tongue curled.

She could hear Marden breath, and she turned to see him fast asleep, the top of his messy head just peaking through his covers. There was nothing more she wanted to do than crawl into his arms and fall asleep next to his warm body. But she had to stop herself. Instead, she borrowed the unused pillow off of his bed and curled up next to the fire.

Next thing she knew, the sunlight illuminated the back of her eyelids, and she slowly flickered them open. The fire was dead, but it was already much warmer with the sun kissing her face. She sat up slowly and turned, Marden's bed abandoned save for Crookshanks, who was now stretched out on the sheets.

She looked at the clock. 8:46. She scratched at her head before she stood and stretched in the sunlight. Feeling much better than the night before, she wrapped herself in the blanket and made her way downstairs. The strong smell of coffee filled her nose. Marden sat at his table, only in his underwear, reading his strange newspaper with pictures moving and the articles seemed to shift around on the pages. He sipped his coffee, his eyes glued to a very important article about an illegal trade of dragon eggs that was infiltrated during the night in Yorkshire. Ailene came and sat down in the seat across from him. The sunshine illuminated the entire room, there was no need for additional lights or candles. The dirty dishes in his sink lifted and met the floating wash cloth, wiping them down before neatly stacking them in a pile to dry. She watched the dishes doing themselves for a few long moments, absolutely enthralled by them.

"You have a very beautiful home." She remarked, looking around and admiring the wood work and molding. She couldn't tell if the carvings on the baseboard were unicorns or birds. They looked like horses, but seemed to be crossed with an eagle. "You seem to be doing quite well for yourself. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you," He said softly, his eyes flickering over to her.

Then it dawned on her, she never told him about her strange visitor the other day.

"You know, something very interesting happened to me a few days ago. A man knocked on my door. A wizard, and we had a very interesting conversation."

He slowly lowered his paper, his eyes flickered to her. "And?"

"Well, he told me that...someone had filed a complaint about me and you to the Ministry. Told them that I was a Muggle that knew too much about your world."

Marden now set down his mug of coffee, entirely focused on her and this story.

"Who was it? What was his name?"

"Albus. That's all he told me."

Marden now sat back in his chair, one of his brows raised at her.

"Albus Dumbledore? Albus Dumbledore paid you a visit?" He asked, in complete disbelief.

"I guess so. He was tall, older. Very polite. Long, white beard and hair. Had these half-moon glasses on."

Marden scoffed and shook his head. "That's absolutely unbelievable. Albus Dumbledore left all of his important work to visit a Muggle."

Ailene looked at him incredulously. "And you think I would lie to you?"

"Well, I truly don't know. Wizards have ways of disguising themselves to look like other people." He explained. "Though, I would find it quite difficult to try and duplicate yourself as Albus Dumbledore. Of all bloody people to visit you."

"Who is he?" Ailene asked, not seeing the point.

"Albus Dumbledore is probably the most powerful wizard in the entire world, not just the U.K. He seemed to be the only wizard that could take down Grindelwald and contain him. His authority is highly respected, considering he's Chief Warlock and all. Plus, he's Headmaster of Hogwarts, that job doesn't go to just anyone."

"I don't know. He said that someone else was going to come and...I forget the word he used, but they were going to come and erase my memory of you, of everything."

Marden sat and watched her for the longest time. He wasn't so sure what to make of any of this. It was quite possible that Dumbledore visited her, but why would he? What was his motivation? "Maybe he wanted to prevent you from being Obliviated. If it was unnecessary, then there was no need to."

"I asked him who filed the complaint."

"And?"

"You're Mum."

Marden's nostril's flared in anger. His jaw clenched and he began to tap his foot. He then shook his head and stood, going to pour more coffee in his mug.

"I'm not even fucking surprised. She'd try and do anything to make my life a living hell." He stated with his back turned to her.

"But why would she even do that? We haven't seen each other in years. You didn't tell her that we spoke, did you?"

"Of course not! No, she's mad about an argument we had at Christmas. She's a master manipulator and will do anything out of spite. She probably thinks we're still seeing each other...which, well we are." Marden spat, slamming his coffee pot back down. "I know it's from that. She wanted to punish me."

Ailene sat silently for a while. "Well, then we owe it to Mr. Albus. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here, and I'd have no recollection of you, or our time together." She suddenly felt overwhelmed with the thought of never knowing that Marden existed. She'll never regret their short-lived romance, nor sitting in his kitchen in that very moment. She will always love Marden, no matter what. She couldn't help the tears that seemed to well in her eyes, feeling her throat tighten with absolute sadness.

Marden was now turned, facing her while leaning on the countertop. He watched her with a sad expression, but was reluctant to go near her. He was afraid of what might manifest between the two of them again. Ailene was clear in her decision to stay away from one another, but he wanted to comfort her so much.

"Can you just...forgive me? Please? Forgive me for everything. For ruining your life and hurting you."

"I never expected you of all people to hit me like that. My mother? yes. Sister, we used to beat the living daylights out of each other. But you? Never."

There was nothing in his voice, no emotion, no love nor empathy. It was cold and to the point.

"I can understand if you never forgive me." Ailene said, wiping her eyes and taking a few deep breaths to calm herself. "But just know I'm sorry."

"I should've stayed away, like you asked. I should've never followed you that night a few weeks back. I should've just went to the Leaky with the lads and get pissed drunk."

Silence filled the kitchen once more.

"And maybe I should've listened to my parents." He then said in a softer voice. "Maybe I should've stopped going to Rosa's after the first incident. I should've forgotten you a long time ago." His voice suddenly cracked, and it caused Ailene to jump slightly, and she saw as a tear streamed down his face before being wiped away completely. She hesitated, before standing slowly.

"Maybe Dumbledore should've Obliviated you." Ailene stopped in her tracks when Marden said this, and she looked at him. "Maybe I should." He then said, now looking at her.

"Please." Ailene whispered, pleadingly. "Please don't do that to me."

"It's always been about you. It's always been about what you want, about how you feel. What about how I feel? The absolute agony this has caused me. And then you hit me? You physically assault me?" Now there was emotion in his voice. There was pain, suffering, anguish. More tears streamed out his eyes and down his cheeks. He took a step closer to her with each sentence he so painfully spoke.

He searched her eyes for something, but what to find what?

Ailene searched for the words to say to him, anything to make this all better. To make it all go away.

"I need you to leave now." He whispered, flicking his wand in the air, and her clothes from the night before came gliding into the room. She slowly lifted the nightgown off of her, and all of her undergarments, and eventually dress, slipped onto her with ease without dressing herself. She grabbed her pocketbook and her coat.

He disappeared into the living room, and when she was ready, she slowly walked in to find a green fire ablaze in the fireplace. He was dressed now in ordinary robes. She knew the drill; stepping into the fire that was surprisingly cool before he joined her. He grabbed her upper arm before speaking loudly: "The Leaky Cauldron."

Ailene shut her eyes hard as she felt that familiar sensation in her gut as she felt as though she was in an elevator that lost control, ever falling. She held her breath, trying not to breath in the soot that whirled around them until they felt their stop under their feet. They stepped out of the fireplace, the pub now incredibly quiet. There was not a single soul, not even behind the bar. Marden quickly led her out of the pub and onto the brightly lit street. The Sunday morning bustle quickly swallowed them, and Marden, with his hand still gripping her arm, led her down the street and at a corner.

"You know your way home from here?" His voice was harsh.

"I do." She whispered, not looking at him. "I need you to know that I'm sorry. Very sorry for everything. I'm sorry I made things about me. I'm sorry I hit you, I'm sorry for making your life a living Hell."

She finally looked up at him, while he was watching the ground. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. I just want you to know that. And...I'll always be there for you. In case you need me-"

"I don't-" He said, before stopping himself. "I need some time to think." Marden offered, finally looking back at her. "Perhaps, when I'm ready, I'll reach out to you and we can meet up and talk." He couldn't bring himself to cut her out completely.