So here I go chasing all my dreams...where does that leave us?

[Serena Vanderhol]

It was a crisp winter day in New Zealand and as beautiful outside as you could possibly hope for. Unfortunately today was not a day that Serena Vanderhol was looking forward to, in fact she'd been dreading it for the last week and a half. For a time that was supposed to hold so much delight and joy she'd felt nothing, but despair and turmoil. Of course she'd been ecstatic when the captain of her sisters team had offered her a position to play beater. One of their current beaters was out on maternity leave and so Lila had extended the offer to the blonde and she'd happily accepted. That was the only time that she'd been joyous over the situation. Since that day she'd been sick with dread. Accepting the offer meant that she'd have to leave New Zealand and move back to England. Her sister had already told her that she could stay in the spare room the flat that she and Chace shared so once again Serena graciously accepted. So just what exactly in this happy time was causing such pain to the newly graduated Gryffindor? The fact that she still hadn't shared the news with the one person that she'd grown to love more than anything over the last two years. Harrison. In fact she'd done nothing short of avoid him since she'd accepted, not knowing exactly what to say to him or how to address everything.

The blonde had talked this over with her sister and tried to get some advice on just exactly how to break the news to him. Of course Kat hadn't been much help seeing as how the love of her life had packed up everything and trotted right off to England with her when she'd moved. Chace hadn't really had anything tying him to New Zealand when he'd left, but her Harrison...well he had everything here. He had his friends and family here so any hopes of him even thinking to come with her were pretty much shattered.

Serena kissed her parents goodbye as they both left for work that morning and she had noticed that Kat and Chace had left for the day to go and catch up with old friends from school leaving her the house all to herself. "I guess now would be as good a time as any," she mumbled under her breath as she scrawled a note on a piece of parchment and attached it to her owl's leg.

Can you come to my house please? I have something important to tell you.

I love you.

Rena

"Harrison Landers," she told the owl and then watched as she the bird flew off until she could no longer see it. Serena grabbed her sweater and went and sat on the creaky old porch swing with her knees to her chest. After several minutes of thinking about what it was she was going to say exactly the girl who'd always been tough as nails did something very out of character for her...she began to cry.

 

[Harrison Landers]

Harrison Landers had done very little with his life since he graduated or at least in his estimation. The shop idea seemed to have been a good one at first but for three best friends their ideas on how to run it all differed greatly. Hours became confused sometimes with all of them showing up at once instead of varying times throughout the day. He had argued that a rota had been set but it was typical that none of them went by it. They had been too excited at first by the idea of being shop owners but had not truly given the full time, life changing situation any real thought. It had been their third month with no social life to speak of and still barely any money coming in that had made Fenton throw his towel in. Their initial reason for buying the store had been so that they could stay in New Zealand and see the girls when they wanted too but of course they had seen less and less of them as time went on and the dictates of now being in the cogs of commerce had taken its toll.

Harrison unlike the other two missed the store, he had put alot into it. Had put The Gables up as collateral in case anything had gone wrong never foreseeing that anything would. He had broken it to his grandmother when she had come to visit and luckily for him, all was taken care of. How he did not know and he certainly didn't want to question it either. With a stack of applications for various businesses around New Zealand before him to fill in, he almost took no notice of the owl that arrived. It was only the tap of beak against the window pane that caused him to eventually look up and with a smile he was bounding to the window. He recognised Rena's owl instantly and couldn't wait to read anything from her. However even he knew from the few words on parchment that something was not right and shouting up the stairs that he was heading out Harrison grabbed his wand to place in his back pocket and apparated once outside the confines and jinxes of The Gables.

He arrived in the second home he loved very much, loved only because of Rena. He still didn't get on famously with the father but figured that was a universal complaint. From where he reapparated, he had a perfect view of her on the porch. She sat huddled on to the old porch swing looking beautiful though it took him a moment to realise she was actually crying. In a few long strides he was kneeling before her, tilting her chin up to look at him.
"Hey you, what's going on? What happened?" he had never seen her like this and was amazed at how crushed he actually felt. He moved his position to sit beside her stretching an arm around her shoulders and squeezing her to him gently.
"It's okay now I'm here. Shhhh" he cooed over her curly hair as he rested his chin on top of her head, he couldn't even begin to fathom what was going on here.

 

[Serena Vanderhol]

Looking up with red puffy eyes, Serena quickly wiped her face dry. There were only a handful of people who'd ever seen her cry and she was pissed with herself that Harrison was now one of those people. She was not like her sister. Where Kat openly wore her heart on her sleeve and didn't care who she showed emotion to the blonde was always very private when it came to her feelings and such. She was just that much like her father. "Oh you know...just this winter air is all. Has my allergies all in a tizzy," she said half jokingly, but her eyes welled up again. When she looked at that face she loved so much how could she possibly tell him that she was leaving him. She knew better than anyone that the chances of a long distance relationship working were slim to none.

Serena snuggled herself closer into him, wishing that the two could stay close together like this forever. "I love you more than anything and always will," she said as she tilted her head up and pressed a light kiss to his neck before adding, "Please promise me that no matter what happens that there will always be some part of you that will always love me too." She needed to hear that much.

They sat there like that for several more minutes, not saying anything. She was trying to figure out how to say this without completely breaking down into tears again. Instead of giving it another moments thought she just blurted it out. "I'm leaving New Zealand in two weeks." Well that could have come out a little better she mentally berated herself wishing she had been better at phrasing that sentence.

 

[Harrison Landers]

He grinned as she tried to fob off her tears on some incidental like allergies but he knew his Rena and she wasn't fooling anyone, least of all him. Holding her tighter he waited knowing that what ever was on her mind she would divulge to him when she was good and ready. He would not rush her, he never did. They flowed together like a perfectly running stream, like the most harmonic melody played. He hated to see her like this, in fact try as he might he could not recall another time she had ever been in this state. Suddenly alarmed he tightened up slightly, expecting the worst and more so when she spoke.
"Of course I love you" it completely went without saying, she was ingrained into his heart and she was his very soul. His life would be incomplete without her and now as the silence stretched out between them he feared she was breaking up with him. The hammer fell at last and her words were not the crushing ones he had been bracing himself against.

A smile crossed his face as he turned to face her, loosening his hold and looking at her intensely.
"On vacation? Why are you leaving... for how long?"

 

[Serena Vanderhol]

It was odd how someone admitting that they love you could make your heart swell and break all at the time. So he loved her, but in reality she already knew that...though hearing it now made what she was about to tell him even harder to do so. "Not on vacation Harrison. I'm leaving...moving. Back to England. I got a quidditch offer to play on my sisters team and well...I took it," she said slowly, giving him time to process her words carefully. Serena wasn't sure what this was going to do to them, but she had prepared herself for the worst because she just knew that he was going to want to end things with her after hearing this. "I'm sorry. I know I should have talked about this with you before I accepted, but I was just so excited that I'd even gotten an offer that I just took it. It was selfish of me and I'm so sorry," she continued with tears falling freely from her eyes. Serena's heart was literally breaking and she found herself unable to even look him in the eyes. Standing she backed away from him towards the door, her brown eyes full of hurt. She didn't know what else to say to him. Flinging the door open she took off into the house, but didn't make it far as she stopped at the foot of the stairs and sunk into a heap there and cried.

 

[Harrison Landers]

He heard the words and waited, then waited some more in fact it was roughly about 30 seconds after she had finished speaking before Harrison almost leaped from the porch swing and pulled her to him. Effortlessly he lifted her into his arms and swung her about, the most dazzling of smiles on his face.
"Rena!" he chided her a moment before his tone changed to one of awe, "that is brilliant! You're going to be playing for the wasps? Why didn't you tell me sooner, wow think of all the free tickets I can score now."
He chuckled lightly lowering her back to her feet and tilting her chin up that small fraction so that they were at eye level.
"I love you that means everything about you and everything you do. It means I support you in everything you do! Got that? We're wizards Rena, not some muggles relying on expensive flights to get from one hemisphere to the other. I can port key to you, I can fly if I have too. We have owls that could do with the exercise. We're not over!" he looked at her even more intently, "we're not over?"

 

[Serena Vanderhol]

Tears stopped as she was lifted up in Harrison's arms. Her look of dread was replaced by one of shock as he was making to be very lighthearted about the whole thing. When he sat her back down and lifted her chin so that their eyes met her heart melted. One look was all it took from him to do that to her. If it were possible she loved him even more with the words he said to her. Serena believed him. If it had been any other person telling her this she would have thought that they were lying to her, but with Harrison being the one to say it she believed him. They could, no, would make this work. On tipped toes she leaned up and kissed him lightly. "We're not over. As long as you want me I'm all yours,"she whispered with her head rested against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him and said, "All yours." Serena pressed her lips to his once more, kissing him feverishly.

 

[Harrison Landers]

He smiled at her, shaking his head ever so slightly as she spoke, he allowed her kiss to assault him. The taste of her mouth on his was a paradise he never wanted to relinquish. He was hers now and always. His hands moved to cup her face, to hold her gently before her kisses consumed him completely. He felt the stirrings in his body reacting to her and knew he had to put the breaks on, for now at least.
"I'll always want you" he groaned tearing his mouth from hers, "damn girl, I want you now ... badly. Stop kissing me like that or I won't be able to control myself."
He chuckled gazing at her, though his blood felt as if it were boiling in his body he tried to appear calm. His palms however were sweating and desire for the most beautiful woman in his universe was already dilating his pupils.
"We have two weeks together, I want to spend every minute with you before you leave. I mean ..." he looked somewhat bashful, "I want to be with you, know all of you. Imprint myself so much on you that you won't be tempted by any one else. I'm yours Rena, there's never going to be anyone else. If I have to move to England to prove that to you, then I will."

 

[Serena Vanderhol]

Serena groaned when Harrison pulled away from her, but smirked at his words. It was nice to know that she still had that kind of effect on him especially seeing as he sure as hell had that kind of hold on her. Electricity pulsed through her entire body and she shuddered slightly at his touch. She loved him more than anything and she wanted to give him anything and everything he wanted to make him as happy as he made her.

Two weeks together. She could live with that...for now. It took her a second to realize what he was getting at, but once she did her heart began to race fiercely. Was she ready for this? Was this what she wanted? Of course it was. Serena wanted to be with Harrison and she loved him so what better way to show him just how much. When he said he'd move to England it took her by surprise a bit, but there were other things on her mind right at the moment and that particular subject could wait for a bit.

Her breathing became very shallow and her pulse raced furiously as she tip-toed up and kissed him lightly on the neck. Taking his hand in hers she turned and started up the stairs. Serena turned and looked at him with a smile and gave a gentle nod, letting him know that this was what she wanted...just to be with him. She tugged gently on Harrison's hand, signaling him to follow her.

 

[Harrison Landers]

The subtle change in her breathing was noticed by him, mainly as his own seemed to match hers identically. Her lips scorched a place on his neck as they did to his heart, branded for life there was no turning back from her. When her hand slipped into his and she moved them in the direction of the stairs he frowned for a moment before understanding dawned on him. The gentle tug from her to follow, her beautiful smile should all have been enough to have any man race up the stairs with her but he held back.

Harrison pulled her to him with one slight movement. His palm came up to brush her cheek as he looked into those truly amazing orbs.
"We don't have to do this now" no matter how much he wanted to, he would not pressurise her. They had waited this long after all what was another few days or so.
"I want this to be special for you, for us" he told her, then blushed a little uncomfortably, "I don't have ... any... protection with me. I didn't expect this to happen. I want it too but I won't take a risk with your future. If we do this now there's a massive chance you could end up pregnant. You're just after nailing your dream job, Rena I couldn't live with myself if I was the one to take that light from your eyes."

His mouth lowered to hers, gently with so much tortured tenderness his lips moved along her full mouth. Teasing and kissing her until they were both breathless. He lifted his head just enough to smile at her.
"We'll do this but we'll do it right. I want our first time to be special" he felt the tightening in his trousers again and wished he wasn't such a good guy all the damn time but was willing to say, 'to Salazar with it' and lift her in his arms and ravage her but he was one of the good ones and she was too amazing to be treaty any other way.

"Let me arrange everything, please" he winked at her before holding her close.

 

[Serena Vanderhol]

Serena squealed slightly when Harrison pulled her to him. Her brow furrowed when he told that they didn't have to do this now and she thought Sheesh get me all worked up real good and then pull the rug out from under me. She looked up at him and bit her lip. The blonde hadn't given much thought to the consequences if they weren't careful. Serena sighed heavily, finally conceding.

The way Harrison kissed her made her feel like she'd been hit by the Jelly Legs jinx. He made her go completely weak and she had to admit that she loved it. When he pulled back Serena's face was flushed and her breathing was labored. Nodding at his words she smiled and rested her forehead against his chest. "Okay. I'll let you take care of everything," she said.

"So now that we're both semi-calmed down...about what you said...Harrison everything you love and hold dear to you is here. Your friends and The Gables. You can't leave all of that here and move. Trust me I'd love to have you with me all the time, but what would Fenton and Aries think if you just picked up and moved just because I wanted you to," she said to her love. She wasn't selfish enough to ask him to pick up his life so she could chase her dream.

 

[Katalina Harker]

Kat realized that she'd forgotten the photo album that she'd put together to show Chace's family back at her house. She stepped outside of the front gate of his house and apparated back to her own. She was just inside the door when she stopped dead in her tracks as she saw Harrison and Serena standing a little too close for her personal liking, but her sister was a grown adult and could embrace who she chose to. Clearing her throat she squeezed past them and stopped on the second step saying, "So I guess he took the news well then? Just so you know if he picks up and moves with you he's sharing a room with Chace...you guys are so not sleeping in the same room." Without another word she headed upstairs thinking If I'm not getting any action then my little sister sure as hell isn't going to be either at least not under my roof if she's not married.

The brunette grabbed her album and headed back down the stairs with a cordial grin in the direction of the happy couple. She was glad that her sister was happy, but so very jealous of just how affectionate Harrison seemed to be towards Serena. She didn't have that most days and it seemed like when she did have it she had to seek it out. "See you two love birds later then I suppose," Kat said as she headed out of her own house and apparated back to the Harker's home.