"That would work nicely," Millie said. There was an ease with the two of them, one she noted, with how they communicated with barely even a look. She envied it.
"If I can find a place and if the Ministry doesn't give me too many problems," Millie replied. "Father has been telling me some nasty stories, but Mother and Aunt said things would be fine, so I decided to come home."
If you could consider it home. She had never fit in, not with her family and not with anyone else. Even with Pansy, with whom she'd gone to school with for seven years.
It didn't sound forcd, though on general terms she didn't know if it was sincere or not. "We do have much to catch up on," she agreed. "It really is wonderful to see you both again." And it was, despite her doubts. "Alas, for now, I should get going. I have an appointment in a bit, and I was just going to buy a book."
Real regret colored her voice. "Do owl, please," she said, reaching out to embrace Pansy in farewell. "I look forward to it."
She turned to Theo. "We will," he promised her, shifting Peter to one hip and hugging her with one arm. He still smelled like she remembered.
"Goodbye," Millie wished them both, but paused and reached out, laying a hand on Theo's wrist. "Teddy... your son really is beautiful," she said, very softly, an apology for everything she couldn't say. He smiled, replied Thank You, and his smile said he understood.
That said, she left, before she did anything stupider than she already had.