AN: Thanks again for my reviews! And feel free to write more!! There may be a revelation at the end of this chapter!

Chapter 20

They stood still and stared at each other for a few minutes before moving forwards with tiny steps, they both knew it was wrong but they both ignored that as with short rasping breaths they met in the middle of the room and stared into each others' faces. They had both decided out at the river that they couldn't do this again but now that they were inside the house and knew they were alone there was little that would stop them. Rose reached out first to take his hand in hers again, she was the least reluctant to do anything as she just wanted to make him happy even if it was only for a short time, her own feelings did not matter to her only his were important now. The reaction of their blood had shown her that they had been meant to be, that she was the person he should have been with even though it could not happen and all she wanted now was to make him happy whenever she could. She leaned up to kiss him knowing that he was hesitant but wanting to show him that it didn't matter and he allowed her to do it kissing her back with vigour and feeling again that warm loving sensation he got when he was with her the one which took over his willpower and enfolded her in his arms. They stood as they were wrapped up in each other for a few moments enjoying the frantic and forbidden kiss. Until then Salamander had been so adamant that this would not happen again which was why he had not sought her out but to stumble on each other by chance like this had thrown his resolve out of sync and though his head kept shouting at him to stop his heart remembered that beautiful spell and was begging for him to continue.

"Neville?" shouted a voice somewhere and a harsh rapping noise made the two lovebirds spring apart as if they had touched something forbidden. "Neville, Luna are you in?" the voice called again as the person hammered on the kitchen door once more. Rose and Salamander, both breathing raggedly, just stared at each other for a moment as they registered what had interrupted them then the latter lunged for the door leaving her to wonder aimlessly around the room and look as if she had just called in.

"Hey Uncle Ron," she heard Salamander say as he opened the back door. Salamander and Consuella had always called her father and Uncle Harry, uncle, even though they were not really related, Neville had been good friends with them in school and they had insisted that their children call them uncle and their wives aunts.

"Salamander," he said sounding surprised to see him there, "how are you? Is your Dad in?" he asked peering around the doorway. Upon realising that it was her father Rose had disappeared from sight knowing he would not approve of her being alone with him after what they had been through and if her mother found out then there would be hell to pay.

"No...there's...there's no one at home," he replied holding the door so he could not see too far into the kitchen, "I...I just called in but I'm off now, maybe you could try again later?"

"Yeah I'll do that," he said turning to go as Salamander placed his injured hand on the door to close it, "Merlin," he wailed turning back to look at it, "what the hell did you do there?"

Realising what he was talking about Sal quickly removed his hand from view but it was too late, "This," he said holding it up knowing that hiding it would make things more suspicious, "I caught it this morning in the front door on our way out to St Mungos, running late!" he chuckled trying to look convincing. "Why I called here actually, thought I'd get Mum to treat it, the wait at the hospital was ridiculous and it's not much really."

"It looks enough," Ron replied wincing a little, he had suffered a fair few scrapes when he was younger and had always tried to put on a brave face despite the pain, "though it looks as if she's already had a go, are you sure your Mum's not here?" he asked suspiciously.

"No, I mean yes I'm sure, she's not here, Gloria did a number on it after her exam," he explained quickly, "but she's not really one for healing which is why I came here but like I said I've had a wasted journey so..." he smiled at his 'uncle' who was beginning to annoy him a little now.

"Well Ginny's up at the Burrow with Lily if you wanted to pop up there, I'm sure she'd sort it out for you," he continued still eying him warily. Something didn't add up but there was little he could do about it, Salamander was an adult now and Ron could not push his weight on him anymore if he was doing something fishy.

"I...I might do that Uncle Ron, I'll just lock up the house."

"Fancy walking back?" he asked.

"No," he said quite forcefully and Ron glared suspiciously again, "I mean no it's alright I'll floo over in a bit, I wanted to gather a few bits from here to take back for Gloria...M...Mum's been out shopping for her and...and you know what she's like, it's all over the place!" he laughed a little uneasily.

"Right, I'll see you there then," Ron said, "I'll let Ginny know you're coming shall I?"

"Yes, thanks, I...I shouldn't be long."

"See you soon," he replied finally turning on the doorstep and walking away from the door.

Salamander breathed a sigh of relief and closed the door firmly locking it from inside to be sure that no one else could get in. At the sound of the door closing Rose walked back into the kitchen and smiled at him, "I'm sorry," Sal said to her, "he just wouldn't leave!"

"He's very good at interrupting...moments," she explained walking over to Sal and taking his hands in hers again, "now, where were we?" she went on leaning up to kiss him again, he leaned down slightly to return it but then stopped and moved his head back again.

"I'm sorry Rose, but I can't. Trust me when I say I want to do this again, so much, but I can't it's not right. I said I wouldn't turn you into a whore and I meant it. You need to go out there and live your life Rose and stay away from me, I'm ruining everything. I'm sorry," he added one more time as he pulled his hands from hers and looked at her slightly hurt but still smiling face. "I have to stop doing this to you."

She didn't reply but nodded her head in understanding then, fighting back tears, she slowly walked towards the living room, he watched as she jumped into the fireplace and he heard her whisper hoarsely, "Remember where I am if you ever need to talk," before adding "home," and disappearing in a swirling mass of green flames. He felt guilty again but he had done the right thing, sleeping with her would not take away his anger over what Gloria had done. He still had a month to get through before he would finally know the future he faced and even though he was furious about today's events he had also seen a tiny glimmer of hope that he may escape the dreadful life he was imagining for himself. Until then he would stay away from what he now knew for sure was his true love.

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"Sal, what on earth did you do?" Ginny asked as she treated his wounds tenderly twenty minutes later, "this looks sore."

"I trapped it in the door this morning," he explained without looking her in the eye.

"Hmmm," Ginny hummed sounding unconvinced, it looked more like he had hit something rough with his own hand but she did not push the matter, Salamander was dealing with a lot at the moment and as long as he wasn't hitting Gloria, which she knew he would never do, he could keep his private life private. "Well I think this should just about do," she said when she had finished and with a wave of her wand Salamander watched the red wounds completely reseal and heal until there were just a few red blotches on his knuckles. At the same time he felt relief from the soreness and smiled at his Aunt in gratitude. "Just be careful next time," she chided softly, "how did you manage to be so careless?"

"We were running late for Gloria's exam," he explained.

"Was it her eight month check?" she asked and he nodded his head, "Not long to go now then," she smiled, "everything ...alright?" she asked raising her eyebrows. They all knew the situation Salamander was in and the whole family felt for him as they watched what he was going through. Her son was never at his flat anymore and she knew that he was hoping the baby would not be Salamander's but Ginny did not make any judgements or decisions, a child was involved in this and she was proud of the remarkable way the noble man had stepped up to his possible responsibilities. She was of course heartbroken for her niece, Rose, who deserved to have some luck in her love life and felt for both of them as she remembered all too well the heartache of not being with the one you truly loved. Fortunately for her she had eventually found him again but the years she had been alone and unable to love anyone else the same way had been some of the hardest of her whole life.

"Yes, the baby is fine and Gloria's fine," he said assuming that she was as he had actually left before her examination had been carried out. He decided not to tell her about the paternity test, there was nothing that could be done now and reiterating the story to the whole family would not change matters. He knew he could rely on Rose to keep it quiet, even after the way he had treated her again today, and he had decided before he left his childhood home that he would just forget about it and get through the next month as he had the last six.

"Hello again Salamander," Ron said as he walked into the kitchen, "has Ginny managed to sort you out?"

"Yes, thanks," he said smiling up at his Aunt.

"Where's all the stuff you were gathering then?" Ron asked looking around the kitchen which was crammed to bursting as usually with over fifty years worth of Weasley stuff but no new looking baby objects waiting to be taken.

"What?" Sal asked in confusion.

"The baby stuff," Ron continued suspiciously, "that you were over at your Mum and Dad's for."

"Oh, oh that," Sal babbled, "yeah couldn't find it, she must have put it away I'll wait until she's home and call for it then. Anyway thanks again Aunt Ginny," he said gratefully, "but I'd better get back to Gloria, check that everything went...er...everything is okay. See you all later!" he finished jumping into the fireplace like he was escaping from something and swirling out of view.

"That was all very suspicious," Ron said sitting down at the kitchen table and putting the kettle on to boil with his wand.

"What?" his sister asked sitting down with him.

"Salamander, when I saw him down at Neville and Luna he was acting strange and wouldn't let me in, then he said he was looking for some things his Mum had bought for the baby. But just then he didn't know what I was talking about. It's all a bit fishy, I hope he didn't have my daughter in there," he added knitting his eyebrows, "I know he's going through a rough time but he's hurt her enough."

"I'm sure it was nothing," she said breezily hoping too that Rose had not been with Salamander, she knew it would only cause her more heartache if she had.

"Hmmm," Ron went on but the whistling kettle distracted his thoughts and he rose from his seat to search out something to nibble with his drink while his sister continued to hope that Salamander had just been distracted by his thoughts.

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"Where...where did you go?" Gloria asked quietly when Salamander stepped out of the fireplace at the flat.

"Nowhere," Salamander barked without even looking at her then he marched straight into James' bedroom and slammed the door behind him, he did not want to look at her or even acknowledge her at the moment and she could stew all she wanted in the other room.

Gloria relaxed a little, at least he had come home and if he was not in his own room he could not be packing his own things to leave, or her things to throw her out, she still had time. When he had stormed out of the examination room she had been worried but slightly relieved all at the same time, she hoped he had gone somewhere to calm down and think about the lie she had told him but had also become scared that he might actually walk out on her now. The healer had continued the exam in silence checking her cervix and announcing that everything was in order this month. She did not mention the paternity test at all, or question why she had lied to her partner about her knowledge of it, or even why she had shot her down when she had been about to say there was time for the test to be carried out before the birth. She had simply signed off the parchment sheet in her records and Gloria knew that without her presence or consent she would not be able to say anything else to Salamander. Once Gloria had dressed the healer had shown her to the door and said she would see her the following month for her eight month check up.