Here you go, chapter seventeen! (: I hope you guys enjoy it.
Chapter Seventeen
Once again, Antonin and I were corresponding daily. I never forgot to remind him that I loved him, and neither of us mentioned our period of separation. I was pretty sure that was because neither of us wanted to remember it, but regardless, there was no point dwelling on the past.
Days dragged by. I was eager for the winter holidays, but it seemed that they would never arrive. There was a Hogsmeade weekend in the beginning of December, as well, but I was tempted to forgo it after what had happened last time I'd visited the village. He wouldn't hear of it, though- for some reason beyond my comprehension, he was extremely eager to see me.
Not that I didn't want to see him just as much if not more, mind you. I suppose I found my stupidity harder to forget than he did. Perhaps there's some truth in the saying "love is blind", after all.
I have something to show you tomorrow. Can't wait to see you. I love you, he had written the night before the visit. With that note lying on my pillow, I'd fallen asleep, and awoken with excitement that might have been fitting for a small child.
After practically skipping to the village, I found Antonin right where we'd agreed to meet up in front of the Three Broomsticks. Rather than greeting me with words, he swept me into a gentle kiss that made me warm in spite of the winter snow.
"You want to go get a drink?" he offered. "I mean, we can do whatever you want-"
"What do you want to do?" I queried, eying the crowd warily. I'd never been fond of large groups of people.
"Whatever you'd like. I know you hate shopping, so I was hoping you'd have something in mind."
That was unlike him, not planning ahead. Then again, maybe he was just trying to be extra careful to please me this time around. Feeling guilty, I shrugged. "Let's just walk."
He intertwined his gloved fingers with mine, and we strolled through Hogsmeade together, for once looking the part of a traditional couple. I noted smugly the jealous looks other girls were shooting at me and walked a little closer to him. Occasionally, he would pause and kiss my forehead or my cheek, and I wondered how I could have survived without him for so long.
It wasn't long before we'd reached the outskirts of town. He used his wand to rid a boulder of snow and then gestured for me to sit; I obliged even though the rock was cold through my jeans and leggings.
"Look at this," he grinned, seating himself beside me and reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small rectangle of paper, which I observed for a moment.
In the picture, there were two very small children. The little girl was smiling at the camera, but her smile would flicker every time the boy next to her would tug on one of the dark ringlets of hair falling over her shoulder, an action which he seemed to enjoy immensely, his eyes only wandering to the camera sporadically with a devilish sort of mischief.
"Antonin... it's us." That was probably back when I was still calling him Tin-Tin.
"I know, Alecto. I thought you'd like that."
"I didn't even realise that there were pictures of us from back then."
"Just this one. I only just found it during my last visit home. I'm not really sure who took it." As I tried to hand it back to him, he added, "I want you to keep it."
"Wow... thanks." It was hard to believe it had been so long since those days.
"You're welcome, Alecto."
Frowning slightly, I asked something that had been on my mind lately. "Why don't you call me Ally anymore?"
"Because you hate it. And you told me not to." For anyone else, those would have been good reasons, but I wasn't content with that.
"Antonin, you can call me whatever you please. I'm so used to it I don't mind so much anymore."
He grinned and kissed me briefly. "As you wish, Ally."
---
Later that afternoon, he took me back to his house-he'd kept it as to avoid living with his parents, and it didn't bother me at all anymore to have him living so close.
The interior was done in predictable Antonin design. Everything seemed to have a theme of expensive, clean, and stylish while being distinctly masculine all the same. In some ways, it didn't even feel like anyone lived there; I recalled his childhood home being much the same way. Unlike the Dolohov's mansion, though, this house was cozy enough that I didn't feel like I was drowning in it as we shrugged out of our coats.
"Welcome," he breathed into my ear from behind, and I shuddered. "Do you want anything?"
Suddenly, I couldn't help myself. I turned around as he shut the door, our nose-to-nose proximity only working in my favour. "Actually," I informed him in an uncharacteristically low murmur, running my hands up his arms to rest on his shoulders, "I do."
I felt him tense slightly, taken by surprise for once, before a casual half-smile worked its way across his face and his fingers traced a course down my back. "And what would that be?"
"You." I took a step back, drawing him after me, waiting for him to react. I wasn't accustomed to being in charge in these situations, or even these situations at all, so I hoped he would catch on and take the lead soon. I wasn't going to be able to remain seductive for much longer without his aid.
He caught my wrist, and moved to close the space between us once again. "I'm yours," he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. Once his lips had captured mine, my mind lost track of things; by the time he pulled back for air, we had somehow relocated to his sitting room couch, which he had me pinned against quite effectively.
Before his mouth had reclaimed mine, though, a knock came on the front door; he hesitated for a second, wanting to ignore it.
"You ought to go see who it is," I suggested reluctantly.
With a sigh, he nodded. "Alright, but know that I have full intentions of picking up where we left off later. Stay here, I should only be a minute."
One minute turned into two, and, growing impatient, I got up to follow him to the foyer, partially just because I was curious as to who had come to see him.
The girl- well, woman- standing in the doorway could only be described as beautiful, with a curtain of honey blonde hair and the sort of face that would probably turn heads wherever she went. There was a smile on her full lips, and she was chatting comfortably with Antonin, a half-step too close to him for my liking.
To make my presence known, I cleared my throat, and Antonin turned with an apologetic look on his face.
"'Oo is zis?" the blonde asked before I could, her accent obviously French. I hated her more every second.
"This is my Alecto," Antonin replied with a hint of pride.
"Ze one zat made you sick with 'eart break?"
Ignoring her question, he directed his attention to me. "Ally, this is Margot- she's an old family friend."
"You call me old... zat is... 'ow do you say... insulting," she giggled, obviously flirting. With my Antonin. Unacceptable.
He offered her a weak smile before taking a step toward me to wrap his arm around my waist, almost possessively. "Well, I need to be getting Alecto back to the school, Margot, so if you don't mind..."
"Not at all. I was seemply saying 'ello. I will come back when you are less... beezy, oui?"
"Alright," he agreed as she turned and walked out.
Before apparating, she waggled her fingers at him over her shoulder. "Adieu, Tony."
Once she'd disappeared, I fixed Antonin with A Look. "Who in the name of Salazar Slytherin was that?"
"Like I said, an old family friend. One of my family's most important international allies, in fact... the Leroux family holds a lot of power."
"She's... pretty." I was- not so subtly- trying to coax details out of him.
Pressing a kiss to my forehead, he answered, "She's nothing compared to you."
"Are you really taking me back to the school now?"
"It is getting late... but I'd rather not." He kissed my neck, and I knew I would rather not, either.
"I'll see you in a couple of weeks, though, won't I?"
He shrugged, still reluctant. It was really difficult to be responsible when he was being so loath to let me go. "Only if you want to see me."
"You know I do."
We didn't talk too much as we made our way to the castle gates, and even after we'd arrived I couldn't really think of what I wanted to say. He, ever perceptive of when I was uncomfortable, broke the silence first.
"Would you rather Floo home from my place than take the train for winter break? I can come get you."
"I'd like that," I answered, but then my mouth continued to speak without my permission, "And it will make it easier for you to come over and tell my parents our intentions for when I get out of school."
"Our...?" he pondered, and then his eyes widened. "Oh."
I smiled slightly, awkwardly, wondering if I'd brought that up at the wrong time.
"Ally, don't say that because you feel obliged or something. I'm fine with waiting a few years."
Shaking my head, I drew my hand away from his and lightly touched the side of his face. "Antonin, being... apart... made me realise that there is absolutely nothing in this world more important to me than you. I've never been more sure of anything."
I didn't even have time to think before he was kissing me and my mind went comfortably numb.
Yes. Alecto DID just agree to marrying him, for the record. What happens next, you wonder? You'll see. Oh, and by the way, I'd like nothing better than a review. Oh, and by the way, Amycus is going to become more important later, for people who are wondering where he is. Don't worry. (: