Part Twenty-Two

God damn Marden McKinnon.

God damn him to Hell.

Not only did he weasel his way back into Ailene's life, but he also successfully seduced her. Ailene had promised that she was to not have any relationship with Marden ever again, and that even meant sexual contact.

But as she lay in his bed, his sheets wrapped around her bare body, all of that swearing and promising flew out of the window.

She watched him as he slept, his hair an absolute mess, his mouth ajar, and his adams apple vibrating as he snored. Ailene slowlly leaned in and pressed soft kisses to his neck, moving them up to the sharp edge of his jaw.

Ailene was in love with him. She knew it. She felt it; the same, warm, happy feeling swelling in her chest. It felt the exact same as last time, and she had come to the quick conclusion that there was no way she could get rid of him again. It was only a matter of time before things escalated the way they did earlier in the evening...in her dressing room. Just the thought of their romantic encounter caused her body to shiver in delight.

Marden stirred, his brow furrowed as he shifted himself to a more comfortable position. Ailene noticed how he curled up in a ball, the blankets almost covering most of his face so that only his closed eyes were peeking out. A small smile creased her face as she sat up in bed, wrapping the sheets around her body. It was no longer frigid in his home, but comfortable as the summer nights were warm.

The sun was just beginning to peak above the horizon as she stood and stretched, the sky a beautiful shade of peach. Ailene took one look back at Marden before she threw on one of his shirts and crept down the stairs. With a kettle of water on the stove and a gurgling pot of coffee, Ailene stepped outside and inspected the empty garden beds around the perimeter of his little, stone cottage. She could just imagine a beautiful, massive garden growing bright and beautiful. Once she heard the kettle whistle from the kitchen, she snuck back inside.

She poured herself a cup of tea and a cup of coffee for him, bringing it back upstairs. Marden was sitting up in bed, an incredibly worried look glazed his expression at first, but it softened as soon as his blue eyes fell on her.

"I thought you left..." He said softly, taking the precious mug of coffee from her before she settled in next to him.

"No, I'm afraid not..." She said softly, taking a sip of her tea.

He rubbed his eyes sleepily and took a long sip of his coffee, as if his life depended on it. He then turned his attention to her, a soft smile slowly growing.

They looked at each other for a very long time, their eyes set on one another; no words were needed.

Marden set his mug down on the table by the bed and scooted closer to her, his cheek resting on her shoulder.

"Thank you..." He whispered.

"For what?"

He was silent for a few moments. "For letting me back into your life. You have no idea what you mean to me."

The strong scent of coffee hit Ailene's nostrils and it mingled with his natural scent. She, too, set her mug down and snuggled her way into his arms.

"I love you." She answered him, and everything now seemed right with the world. "And I will never leave you again."

"Stay with me. Move in with me. I want you by my side from now on. I want to go to bed with you and wake up the next morning with you. I want to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner with you. I want to sit and listen to the radio with you, and take you out on picnics and take you dancing. I want to do everything with you. Starting now. We don't even have to get married. Stuff getting married, I just want you here now and forever."

Ailene couldn't help but laugh at his last comment, turning her face to look at him. She considered this offer crucially, for she wanted to move in with Marden very much, but she'd have no way of getting to and from London. Derbyshire wasn't incredibly far away, but far enough that it would cause some obstacles. There was no way she could possibly Floo there without getting caught. Where would she even Floo to? And not to mention Apparating. She swore she'd never travel that way if her life depended on it. She never needed a car, so it had been a very long time since she drove any sort of car.

"Marden, you know I'd love to move in, but with my job, I don't think I'd be able to." She finally answered him, but he nodded slowly. "It'd be too difficult to travel to London. But don't worry, we're going to be seeing each other a lot more now." She reassured him, gently tapping the end of his nose with her finger.

"I don't ever want that to happen again. Being away from you...it was absolute torture."

"It wont. I am more in love with you now then when I was six years ago."

This statement made Marden sit up in bed and look down at her. His eyes searched hers, and within one heartbeat, their lips met in a passionate kiss.

Their arms entangled each other's bodies, and soon they back to making love. Sweet, impassioned love.

It didn't take long for their lives to settle in together. Ailene taught Marden how to get to her tiny flat, and even lent him some Muggle money to take the bus. But soon enough, he was Apparating to her doorstep, which saved them a lot of precious time.

He'd usually stop by after his shift in the evenings, she'd make him a cup of coffee and they'd talk until she was done with her lesson plans or grading. On the weekends, he'd accompany Ailene to her Saturday night concerts where she sang her heart out. When she wasn't singing, she was down in the crowd, swaying along in his arms. Then, it was her turn to stay the night at his cottage into late Sunday evening, where she was forced to depart from him.

Life as they knew it was starting to become routine again, and seeing each other was a breeze.

However, as the way the universe always seemed to work, their carefree lives together quickly came to a halt.