So I was out of town and that's why I haven't updated in a while. Please forgive me. So here you go!

Chapter Eleven

Ella had laid the engagement on the bar, picked up Victoire's gift, and marched out of the pub with no protests from George. She had wanted to turn around and shake him violently, but she forced herself to walk right out the door.

In the weeks that followed Ella managed to hold herself together enough to her classes through their exams. When her first year ended she wasn't elated like she should have been. She wasn't proud of teaching for a full year and making it out alive. And instead of moving full-time into George's apartment, she went to her parent's country home.

She could have easily gone back to Paris, as her mother had refused to sell her apartment while refusing the idea of her marrying George, but Ella didn't wish to live that lifestyle any longer. More than anything she yearned for the domestic life she had fought off for so long. Never wanting to get married before, Ella had been shocked when, by chance, George Weasley had come into her life. After she met him she found herself spending her preparation hour day-dreaming of their wedding and future freckly children.

So with her heavy heart and her luggage Ella retreated to the English countryside. She didn't even bother to unpack before she fell onto her bed, pulling the covers over her head. Her parents, mostly her father, brought her trays of food, never saying anything or asking any questions

Several days after she moved in and settled into her coma-like sleep Ella felt the bed sag under someone's weight.

"Come on, doll," her father's low voice coaxed. "Come out from under the covers." Thomas pulled them down and Ella blinked in the harsh light of the afternoon sun.

She watched her father look at a few plates of uneaten food sitting on the bedside table. "Ella, you need to something."

"I'm not hungry," she moaned.

"I'm not negotiating," he said sternly. Thomas had thought long ago that he was done treating his daughter like a child, but when she needed him he would no doubt come straight to her side. "Now come on, sit up. You can go right back to sleep when you're finished," Thomas' voice softened and he placed the plate on her legs.

There were two sandwiches on the tray and Thomas picked one up after Ella picked hers up.

"Do you want to talk about it, doll?" He asked quietly.

"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" She asked, looking over her sandwich at him.

"Are you going to try to fix it?" Thomas asked, after swallowing.

"It's much more complicated than that," Ella snapped, tears coming to her eyes.

She put her half-eaten sandwich back on the tray and began to bury herself under the covers again.

"Oh no you don't." Thomas took her arm and hauled her back up. He scooted closer to her and wrapped his big arms around her small frame.

Ella nearly choked on the sobs that she had fought with sleep. Her father held her tightly to him, murmuring into her raven hair. Finally, she managed to calm down a little and loosened her father's grip.

"I just want to sleep," she mumbled, wiping her eyes.

Thomas nodded. "Alright, doll." He stood from the bed and collected the uneaten food.

She didn't know how many hours or days had passed, but when woke again she could hear her father conversing with someone at the front door, which was right down the stairs from Ella's room.

"What are you doing here?" Thomas demanded a little roughly.

"I was hoping to see Ella, sir."

Ella gasped when she heard George's voice.

"You know, I've been hoping to speak to her as well, but whatever happened between the two of you has made her a complete disaster," Thomas said.

"It's completely my fault. I take full responsibility for everything that has happened," George replied bravely.

"So why should I let you see her?"

"I want to fix it. I want to try and make her feel better. I never meant for any of this to happen." George's voice faded with the last sentence.

Thomas seemed to feel a little sympathy for the young man standing before him. "If I get the slightest tingling of a feeling that something isn't right or that you're upsetting her more I'll escort you out myself, do you understand?"

"I understand, sir."

"It's the room right at the top of the stairs."

Ella heard George's footsteps, but she didn't come out from under the covers. She didn't fix her hair or do anything; she merely rolled onto her side so that her back was facing the wall.

George looked over the room and saw the still-packed bags, uneaten food by the bed, and the unmoving lump in the middle of the large bed. He walked slowly and carefully to the edge of the bed and slipped his shoes off. He gently pulled the covers back and edged into the bed towards the lump in the middle.

Ella's sweet scent that came with her sleep flowed over him and he wanted to pull her to him. It was a scent that not many other people would have cherished as he did, but to George it was the sweetest perfume. He had grown to love it all of those mornings after she had spent the night at his apartment.

He didn't speak, unsure if she was even awake or not. George carefully reached out to find her hand. When he did, Ella didn't pull her hand away. He moved slowly onto his side and wrapped an arm around her middle, pressing his chest to her back.

"What are you doing?" Ella whispered.

George started at the hoarseness of her voice. It sounded as though she hadn't used it in quite a while. "I had to see you," he whispered back.

"I'm not much to look at right now," she mumbled.

It was strange to Ella, but she didn't feel angry or sad towards George. She merely felt numb.

"You're always something to look at. Now roll over and look at me. Let me talk to you," he said gently.

Ella didn't move immediately, but she finally did. George nearly cried just looking at her. It was his fault that she looked so sad. If he hadn't memorized her face she would have been lost to him. Her normally pale, supple skin was sallow, her eyes were shrouded in misery, her hair was a wild, tangled mane around her face, and her mouth, that usually smiled or laughed at him, was turned down at the corners.

He tucked his arm under her head and stroked her upper arm with his other hand. He began simply, "I'm sorry."

Ella merely looked at him. Having him near her again brought back the warmth she had thought was lost to her. She didn't have anything to say to his simple apology.

"All I wanted to do was make you happy. You were everything I had and everything I ever wanted. I wanted to spend my life making you laugh." He looked into her sad eyes and it felt as though someone's fist was clenching his heart.

Ella gave an exasperated sigh. "You made me happy every single day. It's you that needs to be happy."

George nodded. "I know." He gingerly touched her face. "I've been trying, but I can't do it without you."

Ella looked at him. "I don't know if I can be with you." She paused. "You know, I never thought I would settle down with anybody and then you came along."

George smiled at her hopefully.

"But how do I know you won't shut down on me? Or even your own children? You've done it to your family and they clearly mean the world to you so what makes anyone else any different?"

George just looked at her, finally understanding why she was so fearful of a future with him. She could give him everything she had and he had the potential to leave her, emotionally, bereft of a husband and father to her children.

"Will you promise to be happy every day? Not all day every day, but part of each day. I understand there will be tough days, but I want to help." Ella looked at him earnestly.

George nodded. "I promise." He dug around in his jeans pocket. "Will you agree to marry me again?" He held out the beautiful diamond ring.

It was Ella's turn to nod her assent and after the ring was rightfully back on her finger she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face in his neck.

They spend the rest of the day and night in each other's arms, away from the world. They kissed more tenderly and loved more sweetly than they ever had before.

And Thomas must have felt that George was doing right by his daughter. He let the young man stay until the next morning. George had convinced Ella to come back to his apartment and if she was honest with herself there was nothing more she wanted to do.

I hope you loved it! Reviews make my day! You have all been so kind with your reviews and they really do make me a whole lot happier!

Happy reading,

Avonmora