"This is Blaise Zabini, my boyfriend."

Dean looked over each of the six skeptical faces in front of him. Zara was playing out in the garden. The twins wouldn't make eye contact with him. Ava shook her head in disapproval. Kinsley surveyed Blaise from tip to toe and seemed to like what she found. Lou seemed rather excited. Bringing a man home to family shouldn't be so difficult. It was just like Seamus to be the one to cheat, to file for divorce, and somehow the family blamed Dean for it. Blaise had a firm grip on the cake pan, not doing well to hide his nerves. Dean added,

"He baked a cake for dessert, so be nice."

Dean didn't listen as his mum made the introductions. Ava couldn't have been more disinterested, and that concerned him. He was so much older than his siblings that their lives were always at very separate points. Ava was only nine when Dean left for uni, but he'd come back to Wanstead to do maths homework with her. He kept coming home on the weekends because he enjoyed watching her learn. Dean realized he wanted to be a maths teacher because of how much he enjoyed teaching Ava. All the time at home gave him time to bond with his other sisters in a way he wouldn't've if he'd spent all his time in central London. It all came back to Ava, the door to the rest of his family. He needed her to like Blaise. Needed it desperately.

Blaise went to the kitchen to put down the cake and Dean watched him try to calm down with a deep, slow breath. Of course calm was not something to be had in the Hale household. Blaise was immediately cornered by Lou, who grabbed him by the elbow and pulled him into the foyer. Good. Perhaps she would explain all the things Dean hadn't thought to mention.

The ring box in his trousers was digging into his thigh. It was an idiotic idea, he should've left it in the car. But then, who leaves a twenty-five-thousand-pound engagement ring lying about? He was ready. He was so desperate for this, to make a life with Blaise, that he had pushed everyone into this too quickly. Perhaps if he'd asked Blaise to marry him, eloped, and showed up with a husband this would have been easier.

Dean trudged over to the sofa and sat opposite the twins. He laced his fingers together and noted how much they'd grown since the divorce. They had always been so little, it was strange to see them begin to change in bigger ways. In true teenage twin fashion, Amelia had gotten her nose pierced so she could be the "rebellious" one while Olivia was the prototypical top-tier student who never so much as looked at trouble. They weren't much taller than they'd been when Shea left him, but their hair was thicker. Someone had taught them to tame their edges, most likely Kinsley. It was their posture, mostly, that stuck out to him. They were ramrod-straight, perched close to the edge of the sofa. It was the same way Dean sat in school during classes he hated.

"I want to say I am sorry for having kept you away from Shea the past few years."

Olivia said, "We hate it."

"I understand." Dean admitted, "It was hard, what he did to me. You loved him, and I loved him, too. When he asked me for a divorce, I was heartbroken. He was just as much family as the two of you are, and I suppose it's taken me a long while to realize you look at him the same way."

"You took away somebody who has always been here," said Amelia. "It's like he died, but he didn't die. He's just out there somewhere and we can't ask where."

Dean offered, "I apologize for keeping you distant from him. He took everything away from me, putting me out of our home." Dean couldn't speak for a moment, overwhelmed with emotion. It was all happening in his head again. Coming home to find his husband going down on another man. Receiving the divorce papers. Standing in the drive while Shea called a cab, because Dean no longer owned a car.

Olivia leaned forward and pulled Dean into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, devastated that three years on the emotions were still plain on his face. Dean patted her twice on the back to signal that he was ready to continue. He took a deep breath in through his nose and stared up at the ceiling until he was confident he could keep talking without breaking down into a pathetic, sobbing mess.

"He took everything away from me, so I took you away from him. And I'm sorry I did because it wasn't fair to the two of you. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt me, and that was wrong."

"Thanks for saying it." Amelia said, "It's not okay, but I'm happy you know it's wrong."

"The reason, um—" Dean's breath caught in his chest again. Goddamn, it was hard to think about Seamus at all. Even with Blaise Zabini of all people at his side, there was a sense of failure that never left him. "Sorry, I, uh … This never, um … It's hard to …"

"Hard to talk about," Amelia parsed, "we get it."

"Can I—" Dean's voice cracked. "I'm going to get some water."

Dean stood from the sofa and rushed over to grab Kinsley's glass. He snatched it from her hand then downed the remaining water. The rush of cold liquid against his teeth made Dean grimace. He let out an exasperated aaah when he finished. Blaise was nowhere to be seen, thank God. It would be awkward to explain how Dean's ex-husband had a better relationship with some of his family than Dean. He shook his head and braced himself against the edge of the island.

"I like him," said Kinsley. "Gorgeous and he cooks?"

"Yeah." Dean smiled wanly and confirmed, "He's amazing."

"Good shag, then?"

Dean half-laughed, half-coughed, and insisted, "I am not talking about that."

"Well when you look him up on Google, all the articles are things like, 'Blaise Zabini's secret to the perfect Instagram tease.' Or, 'In Bed With Blaise Zabini' which was an excuse for a photograph of him in bed with a load of aubergines and cucumbers."

"Send that to me," teased Dean, "I'll make it my lockscreen."

"He looked nervous when he came in." Kinsley wondered, "Why would he be nervous?"

"Blaise never really had to meet someone's family like this." Dean frowned, realizing he hadn't properly prepared Blaise at all. "He's only ever had one serious partner before, and Draco's mum is basically Blaise's mum whom he'd known for well over a decade by the time they were dating. So … I think I fucked up. Maybe he wasn't ready and I pushed him into it too quickly."

"You pushed him because—" Kinsley darted forward, stuffed her hand into the pocket of Dean's trousers, and pulled out the slim wooden box before he could stop her. Kinsley popped the box open to reveal the platinum signet-style ring with a one carat diamond sparkling in the centre. "—it looks like you think he's husband material."

Everything in the room stopped. Dean looked down at the ring, then back up into Kinsley's eyes. She must've spotted it the moment he walked in the room. The twins were staring at it from the sofa. Lou was lingering around the foyer, trying not to stare. Leilani looked over, shocked, and Ava … She leaned forward and looked at the ring with disgust.

"What the bloody hell is that?"

"Nothing." Dean snatched the box back and repeated, "It's none of your concern."

"You've known him ten weeks." Ava cautioned, "Don't you think you need more time?"

"No," Dean replied, "I don't. I know what I want; I know what the rest of my life looks like. It's sudden, but that doesn't make it wrong."

"What, were you planning to propose while we're eating cake?"

"No." Dean awkwardly cleared his throat and said, "I planned to drive him to my flat, put the last of my things in the boot, then ask if I could have my clothes in his closet for the rest of our lives."

"Oh." Leilani's voice was quite high when she squealed, "That's precious."

Dean gestured to her and said, "Thank you!"

"He's really nice," offered Lou. "I think he's a little lost in such a big family, is all."

Dean stuffed the ring box back into his pocket and huffed, "Let's pretend nobody saw anything. Where is Blaise?"

"With mum." Kinsley nodded toward the garden and said, "They're out on the thinking bench."

"Ah."

"Dean." Ava beckoned him over with a nod. "Talk for a moment?"

He nodded and made his way over. She stepped closer and whispered,

"Are you serious?"

"About what?"

"If you're using Zabini to make Seamus jealous now that he's engaged, I get it, but that doesn't mean you marry him."

Dean laughed and said, "I'm not with Blaise to make Seamus jealous."

Ava insisted, "I think you're stepping into a world that's not right for you. These people are wealthy and infamous, not the sort who marry schoolteachers."

"We've discussed his money, and if he was the sort of person you believe he is, Ginny would have told me to stay away. She practically pushed us together because she knew we are perfect for each other."

"You're both blind." Ava shook her head and raised her voice the slightest bit. "I'm scared you haven't seen his world for what it is. At least give it more time."

"No. I've spent the past three years convinced I would never be able to love anyone again. All the things I've hated about myself the past few years are things Blaise loves about me." Dean shrugged. "I don't want to wait. My last year with Seamus, I fought for our marriage so hard that I found myself a new career. But I couldn't keep him. I'm not spending any longer than absolutely necessary without Blaise. I love him, I want him, and I am good enough for him."

"But is he good enough for you?"

"Is he good enough for you?" asked Dean. "You know I value your opinion more than anyone else's. Ava," he scooted closer to her, "you've been here for me longer than anyone. I know you're holding back, so what is it?"

"He's in love with Malfoy. You can tell—"

"He's not." Dean shook his head and stepped away. "If that's your only concern, you're wrong."

Ava had completely misread Blaise's life. Then again, if Dean only believed what he read about Blaise, he'd believe just the same. A man obsessed with food and his body, offering them up for anyone to admire. Dean had been around Harry, Ginny, and Hermione long enough to know better than to trust the papers' perspective. Dean's mum had come in from the garden, but Blaise was still out on the bench. Dean intended to give Blaise space to find his place within the family.

He carefully catalogued Blaise's movements off the bench and through the back door. Blaise glanced around and lingered on Lou. She seemed to be Blaise's touchstone, the safest for him to talk to. Blaise sat next to Zara and went to work on the puzzle she had poured out of the box. Dean leaned against the wall and watched them. Zara wasn't much of a talker, having learned very early on that as the baby of the family she could get anything she wanted. Once she had it, what else was there to say?

"He's doing the best he can."

Dean jumped a bit, only to see his mum standing there at his side. His heart softened. He was happy to know she hadn't immediately cast Blaise aside as a fling. She understood the importance of this, of the commitment Dean intended to make. He asked,

"Where is your husband?"

"Out."

"Right, right," Dean grumbled, "can't be too near the queer."

"That was never the root of the problems between you."

"Of course, the root of the problems has always been that he is not my father. Tall, athletic fireman who died in the line of duty and then you settled for the wanker banker from Wanstead." Dean rolled his eyes. "Me being gay was the cherry atop that shit sundae."

"You never speak of anyone else with the disdain you reserve him. Your father wouldn't have minded," Dean's mum replied. "That you're gay. He'd have been surprised, of course, as we all were. He wasn't the sort to mind. Yes, your stepfather—"

"Your husband, not my stepfather."

"—is averse to your sexuality, but he is a good father to your sisters. He is a good husband to me. His pocketbook has also been very good to me. Something you've found for yourself twice now."

Dean bristled, "I am not with Blaise for his money. You know me better than that, mum."

"I Googled this young man you've brought home, Dean, and it seems he's one of the richest men in the world. Yet, he seems right at home here. Look at him," she nodded toward the kitchen, "He's spent ten minutes working on that puzzle with Zara and they haven't said a word."

Dean looked over to see Blaise and Zara huddled atop barstools, intently trying to fit puzzle pieces together. He'd been so worried about Blaise's ability to fit into a family that was only half-Dean's. Then again, Blaise had been a father to a son who wasn't his at all. Family had always been a malleable thing to each of them, and, for the first time, they had found something whole. Together.

"Why don't you tell me about Draco Malfoy? It seems your paths have crossed, and I've heard unfortunate things about that man. It seems that man and this man are quite close."

Dean nodded.

"They dated ten years ago, and I think Blaise is one of the great loves of Malfoy's life. He is the godfather to Malfoy's son, a responsibility he takes very seriously. I think, from what I know, Blaise has been that boy's father and Draco is scraping by after the death of his wife."

"How did she die?"

"Childbirth."

Dean's mum gasped and placed her hand over her heart.

"Oh, that must be so difficult for all of them. He mentioned to me the Malfoy boy was grieving, but I hadn't pieced it all together."

"No nannies, it was only Blaise trying to figure out how to keep Scorpius alive. Give him love, feed him, and the christening was a moment Blaise is particularly proud of." Dean added, "He was a devout Catholic."

"He mentioned that as well."

"It's been a point of difference between us. Arguably the biggest difference we have, really. If you ask him, Blaise will tell you that God himself set me on the path to his door. When, in my view, it was just Ginny."

Dean watched his mother laugh and shake her head.

"Yes, well, you two make quite a pair. He spoke of his mother in unfavourable terms, though. I expect you'd never speak of me that way."

"You're my mum and I love you. You've been a good mum to me without sacrificing what you've wanted out of life. I've always understood that. Blaise never had a mother or father who cared for him, nor siblings. When he saw Scorpius lose his mother and essentially lose his father, Blaise never wanted Scorpius to know what it was like to live a life without love."

"He is very odd." His mother observed, "The girls showed me their research on him and by the looks of it he's quite a vain person. With every right to be; I've never seen a man so beautiful. He is very confident in his looks, but he seems fragile to me. If you hit him at just the proper point, I think all that confidence would turn to dust."

That was true. Blaise had been quite direct about his feelings. Perhaps it was the Italian part of him, but he was very passionate in his declarations of love. At boys' night, all that shifted. Blaise shrank into himself when it was revealed Draco asked him to get married. Draco had come crawling back, looking for someone to care for a son he couldn't reach through the grief. Blaise was a last resort for yet another person he loved. That was the moment Dean realized how much Blaise Zabini had given up, waiting for the right man to come into his life. He believed Dean was that man, so Dean intended to be that man as best he could.

"Dean?"

"Hmm?" He glanced over to his mum to see an expectant look on her face. "Did you ask me something?"

"I asked whether you've talked about marriage."

Dean blushed and admitted, "We have. I, um, I suppose I should mention to you that I plan to ask him to marry me quite soon. Very soon."

"You wouldn't have asked me to get the girls together if it wasn't soon. After talking to him, Blaise seems to think he is the one doing the proposing later in the year."

"Yes, he plans that. I have a different plan."

"Does that plan involve the box you've got in your trouser pocket?"

Dean groaned, "How is Blaise the only person who didn't notice?"

"Baby, you showed up in proper trousers. If you're not wearing jeans, either the world is ending or you have something special planned."

"My life with him is settled, you know?" Dean tried to explain, "Being with Shea, I was with my best friend. The whole thing was nice, new, it felt good. I thought marriage was meant to feel good. But now, with him? I feel so right. I feel at home. Blaise believes that whatever I do with my life is the right choice for me, while Shea always thought that I could do better. He understands the way I see the world, and I understand how he interacts with it."

"How do you mean?"

"He doesn't talk much. Silence is a second language to him as much as English is. I got it immediately. When he's cooking, food is also a language. I understand what he's saying even when he's not saying it. We are so complementary and it was immediate. And Blaise will never ask me to go hiking."

Dean's mum laughed. She patted his arm and insisted,

"I believe you, because you wouldn't risk your heart again unless that man was worth it. And I am very much looking forward to his cake." She nodded to where Blaise was searching through the cabinet drawer for a knife. "He's got a good heart, I only hope it's strong enough."

"It is."

Dean rushed over to grab Leilani and whisper, "Do you have the things?"

Leilani nodded, and Dean pulled her toward the open end of the sofa. They plopped down, with Dean closest to the twins. He looked them both in the eyes and said,

"What I meant to say earlier was I know I was wrong. Keeping you away from Shea was meant to hurt him, and I should have cared about how much it would hurt you. I didn't. That makes me a shit brother and I can't change what I've done. But—" He turned to grab the papers from Leilani. "—I want to make up for it best I can."

Dean offered them each one of the invitations Leilani had made. They were quite beautiful; she had spared no effort. Yet another way to show how deeply his family cared for his ex-husband. He wondered whether Seamus had received his invitation in the post, or if Leilani had delivered it in person. Olivia and Amelia looked down at the papers in their hands, confused. Amelia asked,

"What is this?"

"I'm not—" Dean's voice caught in his throat again. Dammit, focus. Hermione talks to war criminals over scones, you can talk about your ex-husband for ninety seconds without having an anxiety attack. "Seamus and Blaise are on good terms."

"Your boyfriend is friends with your ex-husband?" asked Olivia.

"Yeah," Dean muttered, "yeah, it's a bit weird. Since Blaise has his own restaurant, I figured he could treat you to lunch. Two invitations for you …" He took a deep breath. "… and one for Shea."

The twins jumped forward and pulled him into a hug with a chorus of thank yous and you're not a shit brother. To which Leilani whispered,

"I mean, sometimes he is a bit shit, but he pays well."

Dean snuggled Amelia and Olivia a bit closer and smiled. The divorce was so messy, so spiteful, and he hated that his sisters had been a casualty. Once Blaise placed new light on Seamus's actions, Dean realized he was the person preventing everyone from healing. This moment felt like a wound knitting itself together. His voice was heavy, half-stuck in his throat when he admitted,

"I'm not ready to see him, but that shouldn't keep you from him."

Amelia said, "You didn't deserve what he did to you."

Olivia added, "We love you."

"I love you both so much and Blaise will love you, too. Amelia, he's a kind of weird you're really going to enjoy."

"Rich people are weird."

"He's Italian," said Olivia, "so he's weird but he can make pasta."

"Let's try some cake, then." Dean wiggled out from the hug and stood up to shout, "Blaise! Are you finished with the …" He looked at the kitchen area and saw Ava standing there, but no Blaise. "Cake?"

Everyone looked around to try and find him through the chaos, but Blaise was nowhere to be seen. Dean's mum asked,

"Ava, you spoke to him last. Did you see where he went?"

"He said he needed a moment in the garden."

Dean walked outside, expecting to see Blaise on the thinking bench. Blaise liked to talk in the dark; there was freedom for him when no one could see his face. Dean walked all the way to the back fence, then up the path to the back door, and nothing. He walked through the living area and into the foyer.

"Blaise?!"

Dean knocked on the door to the bathroom.

"Oi, chef, you in there?"

Dean opened the door to reveal an empty space. Something was wrong. Blaise would never leave Dean's line of sight, not when he was so desperate to please everyone. Dean rushed upstairs and flung open the doors to each of the bedrooms.

"Blaise?" Another. "Blaise?!" Another. "Chef, you in here?"

Nothing.

Dean's heart was racing. Where the bloody hell could Blaise have gone? He made his way downstairs and out front. Perhaps Blaise had gone for a moment in the car? Dean saw both seats in the car were empty. He rushed toward the boot and pressed the button on his keyring to open it, unsure why except that it was the only place he hadn't looked. It was also empty. Dean pulled out his phone and dialed Blaise.

Direct to voicemail.

Again.

Direct to voicemail.

Why would Blaise turn his phone off? He was religious about it, ensuring it was properly charged. Dean dialed Ginny, who picked up on the third ring. Before she could get a word in, Dean half-shouted,

"Has Blaise phoned you?"

"No, why? I thought you were doing the big to-do with your family—"

Dean hung up and raced inside. He closed the front door behind him and walked straight through the house, past his family, into the garden all the way back to the far fence. He turned around and looked at the house. No lights were on upstairs. Blaise wasn't inside, he wasn't outside the house … Dean looked at the pathway on the right, which led to the front drive. If Blaise had come to the garden, he could've left without returning to the house at all. Dean rushed back into the family room and pulled out his phone once more.

Whom could he call? Draco and Hermione were in their own tenuous moment; it'd be horrible to ask them for help finding Blaise right when they were figuring out how their lives would look together. Dean didn't have Bastien Queensbury's number, nor Theo Nott's. If Ginny hadn't heard from him, then that was the end of the line. He had no one to call. Dean's shoulders slumped as he realized,

"He's gone."

Dean's mum asked, "Why would he leave without you?"

"He didn't feel like he fit in." Dean looked up at the ceiling and cursed himself. He'd been so excited as to lean into the naivete. "Something happened to make him feel like he couldn't be part of my family." Dean looked at Ava since she was the last person seen with him. "What did you say?"

Ava shrugged and said, "Nothing much."

Dean lowered his voice and repeated, "What. Did. You. Say. To. Him."

"I said we're protective of you, and that you deserve someone to put you first."

"That's not all you said." Dean was conscious of everyone else watching them but couldn't be bothered to care. "That is not all you said, Ava. That man is the love of my life—"

"That's what you said about Seamus!" She screamed, "You loved a man who treated you like dirt in the end! Now you bring home a man who posts everything but his bits and bobs for the world to see? And tell us you want to marry him? You are blinded by his glamour. You are blind to the fact that man is still in love with his ex-boyfriend and you are a second-choice replacement!"

"The audacity of you …" Dean shook his head and glared at his sister. "Of you believing you know anything about him. Blaise is quiet, reserved; the longest conversation he'll have is with the oven when it won't cook something evenly. That man is constantly trying to prove to himself that he is worthy of my love. Not the other way 'round. He wanted so desperately for you to like him because he knows there is nothing more important to me than my family. That is why we came tonight, because I wanted to prove to him that he could fit in with the people I love before I ask him to be my husband."

Ava looked a bit contrite but pressed on.

"He's not right for you. He couldn't even tell me why he loves you."

"Why should he?" spat Dean. "What do you expect him to say? 'Dean's a good man. I love him because he wears silly jumpers.' No, Ava, he loves me because we hurt the same way. We both live with families that have only ever been half-ours."

"That's not fair."

"It is fair. Together we finally found something that felt complete. Blaise was so proud to introduce me to his godson, and it brought us closer together. I was just as proud to introduce Blaise to all of you, and you've managed to push us apart!"

Ava replied, "If a few words can break a relationship, then that relationship wasn't on steady ground in the first place. Zabini is in love with his ex—"

"He's not in love with Draco Malfoy!"

"He is!"

Dean shouted, "Draco asked Blaise to marry him, and Blaise said no!"

Ava stepped back, shocked by the intensity of his rage. It was the same look Seamus had when Dean caught him with another man. The realization Dean could be angry, that his kindness was well-practiced. The look on Ava's face was, I didn't know he could ever be so angry at me. She shook her head.

"No, that can't be right. I heard—"

"We talked about it! Draco asked Blaise to marry him three years ago because Blaise would be more than his son's godfather. Blaise would be his father. It's all he really wanted, to be recognized for his role in that boy's life, but Blaise said no. He said he knew someone better would come along, and better is me!" Dean walked backward toward the foyer. "I am better than Draco Malfoy, and I know it because Blaise said so in front of him!"

Her voice was soft when she said, "I didn't know."

"That man has every opportunity in the world! He can have any man he wants, and he chose me!" Dean's voice cracked as he repeated, "He chose me. And I will choose him every time!"

"Dean—"

"No." He shook his head and pulled his keys from his pocket. "No, because now I've got to go find him and undo the damage you've just done."

"Dean—"

"No!" He stopped walking just inside the doorframe. "I know the divorce was hard on all of you. I know that! If you didn't want to see me with a new man, then you shouldn't have come! Blaise has no problem being starkers in front of a million people, but he was so nervous to meet all of you that he did everything short of beg me to turn the car around. So when I told him, 'Ava is my closest sister. Ava is the one who has always tried to make sure I am part of the family.' What he heard was, 'You need to impress Ava more than anybody else in the room.' Then you go and do this to me? To him? I bring him into this house and you treat him with such disdain because of what—his dedication to his family? His very real, very deep feelings for the first man he ever loved? Those are the exact things you all see in me."

Ava grit her teeth together.

"I still think it's moving too fast."

"The second you told Blaise he wasn't good enough for me was the moment your opinion ceased to matter." Dean gathered himself enough to look at his mum and say, "Thank you for trying. I think it's best we reconsider what my place in this family really looks like."

"Dean!"

"Dean, wait!"

"Don't leave!"

A chorus of shouts followed him through the foyer and out the front door. Dean slammed it closed behind him, like a petulant child. How could Ava, of everyone, Ava have done this to him? He went to the car and jumped backward upon seeing Lou leaning against the driver door. She grinned and said,

"Nobody notices when I leave."

Dean said, "Get off my car." He quickly added, "Please."

Lou held up her hands and said, "Look, I'm here to help. He seemed lost and scared when I was talking to him. When I'm lost and scared, I want to go home. Maybe you'll find him at home."

Dean gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze and said, "You're right. Thank you."

"I like him, for what it's worth."

"It's worth very much to me."

"It's okay to be angry." Lou insisted, "Ava wasn't right saying the things she said to him. The reason Blaise listened was because those were already things he believed about himself. When you do find him, maybe tell him what's true so he can know what's real."

"You know you're brighter than everyone else, yeah?"

Lou laughed and said, "I know."

She moved away from the car and watched as Dean plopped into the driver's seat. He turned on the car, pulled out of the drive, and gave her a quick wave before speeding toward Holland Park. Dean spent the next forty-five minutes with a white-knuckle grip on the wheel. He pulled into Blaise's house, the house Dean hoped he would soon be able to refer to as our house. He parked, fumbled for his keys as he jumped up the front steps, and opened the door with trembling fingers. He shouted,

"BLAISE!"

The house was eerily quiet, exactly as they left it not three hours prior. Lou said he'd've gone home. Home was the kitchen. Dean dashed into the kitchen only to find it empty. He ran out back to the garden and shouted,

"BLAISE!"

Dean's heart was beginning to crack. Whatever Blaise felt, it was deep enough for him to avoid his own home. To avoid having to see Dean. He turned around to look back at the house. Think. Think. Where the bloody hell would he go? Well, he'd go home. Home. Dean grabbed his phone and redialed Ginny. She answered on the second ring and asked,

"Are you planning to hang up on me again?"

"Gin, I don't know where Blaise is. I think he might've left for Italy, so do you have his home address?" Dean mumbled, "If I get to the train station in time, perhaps I can catch him."

Ginny laughed so loud Dean had to pull the phone away from his ear.

"He's got more money than you even know, Dean. If you're right and he's gone home, Blaise is likely on a plane right now."

"Oh." Dean felt comically stupid for forgetting Blaise had that sort of money. "Right, yes, I'm behind. The address?"

.oOo.

Dean stared at the notebook in front of him on the train. He'd flipped through the first several pages, all notes for his next book, Potion Problems. Luna's initial version of concept art was haphazard sketches on paper napkins. Dean had stuffed them between the pages, though this would be her best work yet. That was part of the charm of being a children's book author, providing the canvas for Luna to showcase her talent. Otherwise she'd most likely be stuck in some graphic design office toiling away at logos for the latest plant-based London pop-up.

He flipped to the back of the notebook and began to write out what he wanted to say to Blaise when he found him.

Only assholes leave without saying goodbye.

Why didn't you come to talk to me?

Do you still love me?

You left and it felt like Seamus all over again.

Come home with me.

Come home with me. Be with me. Marry me.

Dean stuffed his hand down the pocket of his jeans to confirm the ring box was still there. The man in the seat across the aisle whisper-shouted at him,

"Oi, mate, you alright then?"

"Hmm?" Dean glanced over and nodded. "Yes. Took my partner to meet my family for the first time, and it went so poorly he's fled the country. I'm chasing after him. Romantic gesture, I hope."

"Ah, right, yeah … Been there. When my missus took me to meet her mum the first time, shittiest shit to ever shit, mate. I'd've boarded a rocket to the moon to get outta there."

"Well, I'm not letting this one go. Which means I'm going all the way to Italy."

"Business premier seat on this train, and another from Paris to wherever … You got deep pockets?"

Dean shook his head.

"Nah, my boyfriend's a billionaire and forgot he gave me the credit card."