A few night's away

"I'm happy to hear of successes," she said, meaning every word. They'd grown up together, went to Hogwarts and graduated in the same class, although she'd been a Hufflepuff to his Slytherin. She hadn't seen him for years and felt the same kinship she'd always felt with him around.
 
Tom brought out a rolling trolley from the back of the house. He set two large steaming bowls of fish stew down on the table, along with two frosted mugs of dark, thick Irish beer. "Good even' to you folks. Hope you enjoy your dinner. Our cooks make it just like my wife did, Lord rest her soul. Dig in." He wheeled the trolley away.
 
"Thank you Tom, it smells wonderful," Cecily smiled warmly at the older man before he walked away. She took a long draft of her beer before setting it down and took her time unrolling her napkin and setting it in her lap.
 
Edward nodded at the bar man. His silver eyes turned to Cecily. "You're stalling," he said, drinking some of his beer.
 
Cecily held out the loaf of soda bread to break with Edward. "Not stalling, really. Just...," she didn't know how to continue.
 
He reached out, took the bread and broke it in half, staring into her eyes as he passed half of it to her. "Collecting your thoughts? Spit it out, puss. It's like a band aid, less painful to just rip off."
 
The breaking of bread had always been a tradition in their families. One they'd shared many times at Hogwarts over the years they were there. The last time they'd broke bread had been a week before her wedding. She frowned, not liking to think of that last time.
 
Edward sopped up some of the thick soup with a chunk of bread and popped it into his mouth. He watched her squirm while he chewed and took a sip of his beer.
"Where's that ruddy husband of yours anyway? Don't think he'd take too kindly to you meeting me here." He knew more than he was letting on. He wanted Cecily to tell him of her own accord.
 
Cecily took a deep breath and pushed aside her bowl of soup, leaning forward with her elbows on the table. "We...we're separated, Edward." She let out a sigh. There, she'd gotten it out. "Bearse...he's changed. Reverted back to his...dark ways," she whispered, her green eyes clouded. "He left me a note, said he was going on a mission for the ministry and that he'd be gone for a while." She fiddled with her piece of bread, absently tearing it into small pieces.
 
Cecily covered his hand with her other one, holding on to him for support. He'd always been there for her. "I...I don't know if I want him to return. He was so...different when we remarried. He was like a different man. He laughed, he talked openly with me, we even talked about children," her voice cracked, her throat tightened. It hurt her heart to think of having her own child one day.
 
Edward was thankful she wasn't looking at him or his flinch would have given him away. He thought of the paperwork he had in his pocket with no more than a little guilt. He'd never approved of her marriage to that Death Eater.
"What happened, Cecily?"
 
"He started leaving for days on end. When we needed him at the castle, he was nowhere to be found. His duties were left unfinished...the students would try to interact with him and he tried, Edward, he really tried," she said, looking at him,"but then he started avoiding them. Avoiding me," her eyes slipped back down to stare at their hands.

"I truly thought that he loved me."
 
I love you. Edward would never say it aloud though. It was why he was here. Why he hadn't stood up at her wedding years ago and shouted down the rooftop in objection. It was Bearse she'd loved. He'd never stand in the way of what made her happy. Yet he felt a strangeness when he listened to her. He was older now and he knew that he'd never love another. He was resolved to see this through.

"Let's take a walk," he said abruptly, standing and pulling on his cloak. He held hers out for her.
 
"Oh...alright," she said softly, allowing him to help her stand and put her cloak around her shoulders. She fastened the front together tightly against the chill outside.
 
Edward held the door open for her and let it shut behind them. They stepped into the dark night where the moon was the only source of light out. He held out his arm to her and started a slow walk down the country lane.
 
Cecily took his arm and walked beside him. She stole glances at his face and felt her heart tug at the familiarity of it. He had new lines but it was the face she'd grown up with and when he laughed and smiled she saw the boy who'd stolen a kiss under the mistletoe one Yule Ball when they were thirteen.

She hated to break the peaceful silence but she had to ask him. It was why she'd asked him to meet her there. Liar, her heart called to her. She refused to admit to anything else.

"Edward...you've always known things that were going on at the Ministry," she began hesitantly. "And with the Auror office...have you heard anything, anything at all about Bearse's assignment?"
 
His jaw clenched. He didn't answer her for several moments. Instead, he drew her over to an old picnic table in the field to their right and sat down on the bench there, pulling on her arm gently until she sat also.

He began in his blunt way. "Yes, I have kept tabs on things. Especially with the recent murders at the Ministry. I may not work at the Ministry anymore but I'm kept well informed. Who would I tell...my horses?" he joked softly, nudging her side gently.

"Cecily...Bearse hasn't been with the Auror department for years. He isn't on a mission. He isn't an Auror, Cecily," he said harshly, gripping her hand.
 
Cecily sat beside him on the bench, smiling when he nudged her. Then she felt like someone had cast a freezing charm on her at his next words. "What...what do you mean? Where would he have gone all those times...if not on ministry business? He left me a note, Edward. How do you explain this?" She'd reached into her cloak pocket and withdrew a crumpled, folded piece of parchment. She thrust it at him, her face pale.
 
His harsh sigh cut through the night. "Cecily," he began when she gave him the note. He opened it then cut a look at her. "There's nothing on here." He turned it around and handed it back to her. "Are you sure that's the right note?"
 
"Of course I'm sure. See here," she said, casting lumos with her wand. The tip brightened and she read the note to him. It was blunt and to the point, Bearse telling her that he was sorry, he had received an urgent message and all of his time invested was paying off. He would be leaving to join a crew of Aurors to bring in a group of Death Eaters. He couldn't contact her and he wouldn't be back for some time.

"There! He explained everything, Edward."
 
"Cecily," his deep voice held a strained tone. He gripped her shoulders. "There's nothing on that note. It's a blank piece of parchment!" He grabbed it from her and cast a revealing spell. "Look!" He held it up to her again. "You know I wouldn't lie to you!"
 
"Why?"she whispered, touching the parchment with shaking fingers. She could see it clearly now. It was just a tattered paper. No words had ever graced its page. Her jaw clenched. "He did this, didn't he?" she said through clenched teeth.
 
Edward stood and paced angrily. If Bearse had been there at that moment, he would have cheerfully murdered the foul git. He could see it clearly now. Bearse had waited until she slept, cast a mental charm on her and left. What he'd done had been a trespass in every sense of the word.

"I'll get a room here tonight and escort you to your parents house tomorrow."
 
Cecily nodded. She felt so drained, her body felt heavy. She was done talking tonight.
 
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