Chapter 19: Secret

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There was not much movement during the next month. The closure of the case by Forrester's team was blocking any movement on the ministry's side and while Sean and Yannick were doing their best to prove that the dead culprit had been innocent, they were starting to see that their opponents had done a very good job at covering their trails. Each single lead they were following for the past month had turned cold, something that had increasingly irritated Yannick and Alex had found it hard to calm him down at these points.

She could see that he really wanted this case over with and Andrelith apprehended finally. He feared for her safety and she had seen that he had cast a number of protective charms on her flat, which he now shared with her. He had not told her the details of the charm and she knew that it was just him trying not to worry her too much. However, she was not worried; she was touched actually, that he would go at such an extent to make sure she was safe. That showed her how much he cared for her and her love for him only grew from these kind of deeds.

His actions had enabled her to focus more onto Quidditch. While her team had lost against Puddlemere United, it had been by such a short margin that the fact that they had plummeted Marcus Flint's team, Brighton, so hard meant that they had still retained their second place in the league, right behind the London Falcons who were still undefeated, and were very strongly heading towards being the first team in centuries to win the league twice in a row without a single defeat.

And today Yannick had asked her to pass by the Ministry after her practice. Such a request was not one she was going to pass on and thus, she asked the reception to notify him that she was waiting for him as soon as she came into the atrium.

While waiting she went towards the fountain in the middle of the atrium, two wizards being represented with other magical creatures. The water pouring from it felt cool and gave a nice fresh feeling around. While winter was barely away, spring had come on with a vengeance and the weather was already close to summer, so the freshness of the fountain was something not many could find problematic. She had been there for about 10 minutes, looking at the rippling water and waiting, when she heard a voice.

"Well, if it isn't Mudblood Dewitt," the voice said.

She turned around to meet the sneering look of Draco Malfoy, his arms crossed on his chest that sported the ministry employee badge.

"Don't you have something better to do than bother people, Malfoy?" she asked, not attempting to hide the disgust she felt for him in her voice.

"I'm more curious about the reason why a person like you is doing standing around in the Atrium doing nothing," Malfoy spat.

"I was not aware that standing around in the Atrium was against the law," she replied coolly, "but so you know, I'm just waiting for my boyfriend, who should be here any minute now."

"Oh and that would be?" Malfoy asked.

"That would be none of you business, Malfoy," Alex replied.

"It is my business when I see something that strikes me as odd," Draco spat, "As a ministry of magical law employee I'm ordering you to answer my question."

"And I'm telling you to go to hell, Malfoy," Alex snapped, his behavior getting on her nerves, "I've done nothing wrong and you have no right to question me this way."

"I have every right to do this, Mudblood," Draco hissed as he took a step closer to her.

Alex could see that their little talk was attracting a bit of attention and she was reaching for her wand just in case when a voice behind Malfoy stopped her.

"And I seem to remember warning you several times to leave my girlfriend alone, Malfoy," she heard Yannick's voice say.

"You were wondering who, Malfoy?" Alex said as she moved to join Yannick, "Now you know."

"I see you have not renounced on your pitiful relationship with a Mudblood, Silverleaf," Malfoy said, a smirk on his pale face, "Such a disgrace for a pureblood family as yours."

He was about to add something more but stopped, Yannick having stepped closer, his eyes blazing menacingly.

"What I do with my life and the relationships I have is my business and mine only," Yannick said in a low threatening voice, "You keep your slimy nose out of my life and stop bothering my friends or, Merlin help me, I'll be sure to make you regret it," he added, before to straighten up and move back towards Alex.

"That was a threat to a ministry employee, Silverleaf," Malfoy spat after he recovered, "It is punishable by law."

"It was not a threat, Malfoy," Yannick replied calmly, "It was a promise done to a 'ministry employee', as you put it, who was overstepping his boundaries."

As he said this, he took Alex's hand and started to head towards the Ministry's exit. Alex was glad that this had not escalated, but no sooner had she thought this, she heard the sound of a wand swishing in the air and Malfoy wording a hex. She reacted instantly, taking out her wand and casting a protective shield around Yannick and herself. Having turned around in the same time, she had time to see the spell hit the shield and dissolve on it. Yannick on the other hand had also reacted and had sent a disarming spell towards Malfoy. It hit him square in the chest and lifted him off his feet, sending him a few meters back and causing him to fall in the fountain as Yannick grabbed the wand that had come to him from the spell.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, SILVERLEAF!!" Malfoy roared, "Give me my wand back!" he added as he floundered in the fountain, trying to get a secure footing on is slippery bottom, his clothes now drenched from his dump in the water.

"Whatever, Malfoy," Yannick answered, "Let this early bath be a lesson and as for your wand, you are welcome to take it, if you can catch it," he added, lobbing the wand so it perched itself at the top of the fountain's wizard statue.

Then, without waiting for him to reply, he took Alex's hand again and tugged her towards the exit, soon coming out in the London air and beautiful March afternoon. It was only when they were there that they allowed themselves to burst out laughing.

"Oh this was rich!" Alex said, holding her ribs, "Did you see his face when he emerged from the water? I thought I was going to die from suppressing my laughter!"

"Yeah," Yannick said, "What I would have given to have a camera to record this on picture," he added.

"It should cool him down a bit I think," Alex said.

"I'm not sure," Yannick replied, sobering a bit, "Knowing Malfoy, he'll keep the grudge for a long time and will take any excuse he has to get back at me. Not that I can't handle him."

"We make quite a team though," Alex said, remembering the way they had both reacted, "How did you know I'd cast a protecting spell?"

His look turned serious all of a sudden and he took her into his arms. "I didn't," he replied, "I just put my trust in you that you would."

Alex felt herself melt at such trust coming from him and grabbed his collar to pull him into a kiss, which he gave back immediately.

"So," she said as they parted, "why did you ask me to meet you in the first place?" she asked, vying to have an answer to the question she had had for most of the day now.

"Well… let's see how I should put this," he replied, an arm scratching the back of his head, "I think only two words can explain it quite plainly," he added holding her at arm's length.

"Oh really?" she laughed, "and those two words are?"

"Happy birthday."

Those two words caused her to squeal in joy and launch herself in his arms again, pulling him into a furious kiss.

He had remembered! She had not been sure this morning when she woke up that he would remember it was her birthday today. He had not given her any inkling that he knew it, going about the normal routine of their life since they had been back together. She had not felt angry at that, far from it. It had been five years since they had been together and it would have been normal to forget a single date. But he had not. Five years and he had still remembered her birthday.

"You remembered," she said when they parted.

"Of course I did, love," he replied, his thumb wiping away the tear that was trickling down her cheek.

"I'm relieved," she said truthfully, "But I would not have been angry at you if you had."

"There is a slight problem though," he said.

"What?"

"Well, I don't have your present with me," he replied, "It is kind of hard to carry around you know."

"That's okay," she said smiling, "will I have to find it at the flat?"

"Well, not really," he said, "But we will have to apparate to a specific location for you to get it. That is if you are not too tired from your Quidditch training," he added

"I'm fine," Alex said, "is it in London?"

"I can't say, love," he replied mischievously, "It would spoil the surprise."

"Spoilsport," she said, feigning to be annoyed.

He laughed lightly and steered her to a small back street, where it would be safe to apparate without being seen by Muggles.

"Ready?" Yannick asked, after they had made sure no one would see them.

She nodded, he handed her a tiny slip of folded paper.

"Meet me on the lawn at this address," he said, and touched her face. "Trust me," He added before disapparating.

Alex unfolded the paper with curious fingers and read the address that he had written on it: 26 Old Crown Road, Camden.

Her hands trembled. Why… why did he want her to go to her house? He knew that she had only been there once since… their death. Now that she could try to forget all of it, she never wanted to see that place again. She wanted it gone. She should have sold it. She knew she should have sold it.

Trust me, he had just said.

She did. However, he was asking her to do something quite difficult and painful on a day that should have been pure joy, and she did not understand his motives. If it had been anyone but Yannick, Alex would not have gone. But she apparated into the driveway of her old house and gazed at the front steps where Yannick already sat, looking strangely at home.

There were so many flowers in bloom. The grass had all grown back, lush and shining green. It really had been a long time since she had been here… she did not even remember all the trees that lined the yard, and she wondered if her memory was playing tricks on her. Overall, the house was more beautiful now than it had ever been, at least from the outside. The paint had not so much as chipped. It was perfect the perfect creamy white of before, and the red shutters gleamed in the sunlight.

Yannick watched her walk up the drive, then stood and touched the door with his wand, making it swing open.

"Nick…" Alex said as she stood at the bottom of the steps, "Please. Not today."

"Don't worry Alex," he said, reaching out to her with his hand, "I promise it's all right."

She put her faith in him, her hand in his, and let him lead her into her childhood home, readying herself for ugly burns, rotten stench and the horrible, lingering shadow of the attacker, Andrelith.

But it smelled… clean. Last time she had been here, it had smelled like burnt plastic and smoke, and something evil. But that was gone, and the house was silent and cool, almost sweet, as they walked through it. There was not even any dust. The curtains had been drawn and everything was beautifully organized - even her mother's china cabinet sparkled as if it had just been cleaned. The china cabinet that had been smashed through during the attack.

Alex stopped walking and stared at it. She had a sudden, dim suspicion. "Nick…"

"Shh."

He pulled her towards the living room and Alex resisted a little, but followed behind him. She braced herself to see the worst of it. Here it had happened. Here there had been wreckage and burns, shelves destroyed, books in torn disarray, fingernail marks in the arms of her mother's chair… She peered in, her heart throbbing painfully. It was a horror room, it was a nightmare place.

But it had been rebuilt.

Alex stared for a moment at the bright, peaceful tidiness of the room where she had first become a reader. This… this was what it was supposed to look like. She walked in without Yannick, her hands over her mouth. There was not one scar, not one trace, of the thing that had happened here. Her father's shelves were straight and polished. The wood of her mother's chair was smooth and unmarred. The books were in lovely rows, the carpet was no longer scorched, the couch and the small tea table at the center of the room were looking new again, the whole place was right.

"Oh… oh, Nick…" she managed to say, the emotions blocking her throat.

"Go and see your room," he whispered in her ear.

Her heart beating like a bird's, Alex raced out of the wonderful living room where she had spent so many evenings with her parents, where she had learned to read, and hurtled up the steps to the little room where she had learned to dream.

"My letter," she managed in a tiny, shaky voice as she saw it on the wall.

Her Hogwarts letter was still on the wall where it had always been. Mudblood had been burnt across it, another trick to blame the attack on Death Eaters. It had been restored.

And everything else was in its place, just as she had left it when she had gone away to Hogwarts for her seventh year, before everything had gone so horribly, desperately wrong. It was normal. It was hers. It was serene and pristine. Alex walked around in a daze, touching things and gazing out the window, and trying to contain the unbearable love that was swelling in her heart.

She turned to find Yannick watching her from the doorway, tears standing in his eyes.

"You did this," she managed.

He nodded faintly.

"You… Nick. You paid for this."

He glanced down and nodded again.

"The trees outside and the china and the shelves and… my mother's… my letter… Nick,"

Alex could not stand up under the kind of love she felt. She found herself sitting in the middle of her carpet, reaching up her arms, and Yannick came to her at once, grabbing her hands and pulling her up into a powerful hug.

"It's all right?" he finally said, his voice scratchy, "I just thought if it were normal then it might heal up some wounds for you."

"But when did you start?" she whispered, holding him tight, "How long ago?"

"Shortly after I came back to England," he said, "After the Hogwarts reunion."

Alex's throat clenched. She pulled back and stared up at him.

"But you had no way of knowing I'd ever forgive you," she said.

His eyes were still swimming. He pulled back from the hug slightly, having led her to sit on the room's bed, but still close so that their knees touched. He pushed her hair behind her ears.

"I know… I told myself this several times during the time I was doing this… but there was one reason that kept me at it," he said, taking her chin in one hand, lifting it and looking at her, "You… I felt I had to do it. For you."

So much faith. Alex closed the small gap between them, twined her arms around him and buried her face in his shoulder. Yannick kept playing with her hair. And they were in her room, where she had never, never expected to feel at home again… but he had made it safe and whole and clean. Like only he could.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

It was not enough. But she was at a loss for words. She could not begin to say the things he deserved to hear, and she imagined he knew it all anyway. He rocked her just as he always had when she had needed comfort. So much happiness that it hurt.

"It's funny to think that I never wanted to see this place again," she finally said, "but now… you made it so clean again… I know it can help chase the ghosts away. Do you think… we could move in here?" She asked him, looking in his eyes hopefully, "Together?" she added.

Yannick was quiet, and then he nodded.

"Well, I thought you might want to do that, so I had my dad put this house on the Floo network." He said, smiling a little. "And at least we can always apparate, right?"

Alex stared at him. He was… he had thought of everything. She smoothed his hair away from his face, and dragged her fingertips down his cheeks.

"You're a wonderful man," she said softly, and loved how fully it made him blush. "Do you have any idea how much I love you, Yannick Silverleaf?"

He glanced rather nervously at her, and took an unsteady breath. "I love you too," he said, but his voice was jumpy. "I… want to…" He took another deep breath, looking suddenly pale and ill.

"Are you all right?" Alex asked, peering at him.

At once, he went bright pink again. "Look," he said, but then he pressed his mouth shut and shook his head.

"What?"

"Alex…" He licked his lips.

"What?"

"Well, give me a minute!" He blew out a breath, sat totally still for several seconds, then suddenly plunged a hand into his pocket and came up gripping something small and black.

It was a very little box.

Alex's stomach clenched when she saw it. She felt her mouth go dry.

"You drive me insane," Yannick said, and his voice cracked. "You have for… ever. And I know I'm not perfect."

She could not breathe. She could not even look at him. Her eyes were on the box, and she was terrified.

Exhilarated.

"But I'm useless without you, there's no point in…" Yannick shook his head and stood up from the bed suddenly and starting to pace back and force in front of her for a minute. He stopped fast, seem to take a decision and Alex sat startled as Yannick got onto his knees to stare up into her face. She met his eyes, barely; afraid she was going to burst. Was this… was he really… here and now? Without warning?

Yes.

"I want to be the one who looks after you," he said heatedly, "And I want you to look after me. There is no one else, Alex, you are it, and you always were. I want you for good."

He pushed the box into her shaking hands, and his were shaking too. He helped her to open the box and he yanked the ring out of the cushion. They fumbled uselessly together, both of them too unstrung to manage it, and then the silvery circle was on her ring finger and Yannick had gripped her hand.

"Alex…"

Her eyes were locked to his. She waited, listening, still too shocked to be sure.

"Will you marry me?" he rasped.

She tried to work her mouth, nodded, pulled her hands out of his and held his face in trembling fingers.

"Yes. Yes…" was all she managed to say before Yannick sealed his mouth over hers with a muffled cry of happiness and she pressed her hands to his face, feeling the ring between her finger and his skin. The promise that had always been there, the thing she had always known, was spoken now. Forever now. This was a man who cared so much about her that he would restore her parents' home. This was a man who had never hesitated to stand up and fight for what he believed in. This was a man who loved his family and his friends and this man would be her husband. Alex knew it made no sense to cry.

"I don't… deserve you," she said finally.

He kissed her hungrily. "You've got that backwards," he muttered, and hugged her so hard that she gasped and threw her arms around him in reply.

Over his shoulder, she saw the flash of her ring, and she held it up behind his back to stare uncomprehendingly at it as he kissed her neck. An engagement ring. She was… his fiancée. How strange. Alex gazed at the delicate band and the two little diamonds, though they were not that small; how had he managed… or were they diamonds? She brought her hand closer and squinted at them, surprised to see that they were really a figure eight of glass, built right into the band. An infinity symbol? But that was not it either…

"Yannick!" she exclaimed, when she realized what it was. "Where did you find this?"

He pulled back and looked dazedly at her. "Huh?" He ran a thumb along her cheekbone.

Alex held her hand flat between them, palm down, and stared at her ring, enchanted. Set into the silver band was a tiny, working hourglass, full of sparkling white sand. She tilted her hand from side to side and watched time slide back and forth.

"You like it?"

She looked up at him. She was not sure what to say. She never would have expected Yannick to get something like this so very right.

"There were nicer ones," he said, his face going red again, "With diamonds and stuff. I could've… if you'd rather, we can go back, but this seemed more like you."

"I've never seen anything so pretty," Alex managed. "It's perfect."

Yannick looked profoundly relieved. "Oh." He sighed. "Good." and kissed her. But the kiss quickly shifted from playful to real, and Alex didn't have long to worry about the ring as soon she was in her childhood bed with Yannick, who loved her, knew her and wanted to marry her.

--

Gran was in her study, going over the file of the investigation, which Remus had managed to relay to her. Having gone over it once already she was now reviewing it once more to see if she had missed any tidbits of information. Sean had done an excellent in building up his investigation and following relevant clues only, leaving the useless ones away. It was also clear where Forrester's team took over, their "investigation" only taking a few sheets of notes in comparison. It was clear that they had not done anything on this case apart from framing the poor man who was now dead and unable to defend himself.

The movement of paper made her look up. Aidan was standing over some notes of the file, using his power to shift through the pages. She smiled at that, even in death he would always be trying to help her. Like if he felt her looking, he looked up from what he was reading and his gaze crossed hers. She could still feel warmth in those ghostly eyes.

"Anything out of the ordinary?" Aidan asked.

"Not that I can see yet," Gran answered, settling back in her arm chair and softly massaging her temples, "Whoever is assisting Andrelith is doing a good job. I can definitely tie Forrester's attempts to ways to hinder Sean on his case but as for who is pulling the strings on him, I still am not sure. My best guess is Octavius, but I have yet to find any proof of that."

"He tried to bribe Yannick," Aidan pointed out.

"But that does not make him and enemy yet," Gran countered, "Even if he is clearly supporting Forrester, for all we know, he could be just looking for a way to better his position in the Ministry."

"Which would make sense for a Slytherin."

"Indeed," Gran agreed, but as she was about to add something, a howl was heard from the forest, sounding long and joyful. It was soon joined by another and the two kept on going, relaying each other when one was dying out.

"It would seem Altair and Nimloki are rejoicing," Aidan said, "Any clue of the reason?"

"Not really," Gran said, but as she said this she reached beneath her robe and took out her star pendant. It was shinning with a soft golden color. With a little smile she stood up and looked at her beloved. "I think I know what happened," she said, walking towards the door, Aidan quickly gliding to catch up with her.

She took the stairs to the floor where most of the rooms of the Silverleafs were located and went shortly down the corridor until she came in front of Yannick and Alex's room and what she saw confirmed her suspicion. Smiling at Aidan she pointed at the engraved sign on the door. It had changed. Where two interlinked hearts had stood in between the lover's names, now were two interlinked rings, the one by Alex's name supplemented by a small diamond at its top.

"I think it is safe to assume that Yannick has asked Alex to marry him," Gran said matter-of-factly.

"And she accepted," Aidan completed, coming next to her.

They stood there looking at the sign, the howl of the wolves continuing for several minutes until they finally died out.

"It is reassuring to see this type of things happening despite the threat that glides above us," Aidan said.

"This is the reason I never regretted our union, my love," Gran said, "To see our children and our children's children growing in life, finding love and bearing new life themselves. That is what makes life worth living."

"Aye, it does," Aidan agreed.

Gran took out her wand, and after sharing a sly look with her beloved, waved it at the plaque, causing it to return to its former state.

"When Yannick and Alex decide to let the family know about their engagement, then it will return to its proper state," Gran said, "But I fully intend to let them make the announcement and not let an enchanted piece of furniture ruin their surprise."

"A wise move Alathea, my love," Aidan said, passing a ghostly arm around her shoulder to hug her softly. A bell was heard downstairs, announcing the dinner. "Shall we?" he asked her.

She smiled and let her beloved lead her down the stairs to the Manor's dinning room.

--

i I know… it is a short chapter but frankly, after completing this scene, I did not feel like adding anything more. /i :)