bill weasley (primus) wrote in reduxpitch, @ 2016-11-08 12:53:00 |
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Entry tags: | !thread, character: bill weasley, character: fleur delacour, location: godric's hollow |
who: bill weasley & fleur delacour
where: 32 rowena run, godric's hollow
when: 8 november, afternoon
what: bill's back from WHO KNOWS WHERE
status: completed in docs
Bill hadn't ever felt so disoriented. He'd known something was wrong, known he wasn't where he was supposed to be, but he hadn't been able to do something about it. He hadn't slept in… well, he'd only thought a couple days but it turned out he'd been gone a week. A whole week. All because he'd gone to get some coffee and come back to find a Death Eater in his workplace. There wasn't much he could remember once he's gotten back from the DMLE - a flash of light and then nothing made sense. Or there were bits that made sense, kind of, but were confusing. Bill was tired. He'd managed to grab a journal amidst it all to let his family know he was fine, or fine enough, but then so much of his day had been spent being interviewed by Aurors, his colleagues, anyone who had questions. Bill managed to leave eventually, and took the floo home. He'd never been so pleased to see his living room as he stepped out, and he had a feeling his couch was going to be good enough since his bed was upstairs and walking up the stairs, or apparating, didn't feel possible. -- Oh yes, Fleur had seen bill’s journal entry - she’d been checking hers obsessively for days - but when she saw his words come across the page and the assurance that he was alive and well enough, she hadn’t had the words to reply. Ink and paper didn’t have the versatility or the volume to appropriately put across the array of things she was feeling. She hadn’t been to work since cutting out early on Friday, having found the job no longer distracting enough, so she’d spent most of her time in Bill’s house, waiting for him to come back. Except, apparently, for when he actually returned. She’d gone back over to her place for a shower and a change of clothes, and when she walked the short distance back to Bill’s house, she found it occupied. She spent a good half minute staring at him, not entirely sure whether she was more angry or relieved. A healthy mix of both, for sure. “Where the hell have you been?” -- To his credit, Bill had been planning on going next door to see his girlfriend. Just after a nap and a shower, preferably. Not that he didn't want to see her as soon as possible, but he was aware of his state of mind and the fact that apparently he'd been gone a week. But there Fleur was, looking at least somewhat pissed, and Bill held his hands out in surrender. “I don't know,” he admitted, his brow furrowed as he tried to figure out how to explain. “I don't. It was like a dream but it wasn't, it was real, and I don't know how I got there or got back.” -- Fleur wanted real answers. She wanted Bill to tell her exactly what had happened and where he had gone and why he hadn’t been able to tell her where he was. She believed that he didn’t have these answers, but that didn’t do much to make her feel better. “I’ve never been so afraid in my life,” she said. “You were just gone.” She stepped forward, arms folded tightly, until she was near him. It took her a moment to bring her tear-filled eyes up to meet his. “Don’t do that again.” -- Bill wished nothing more than to be able to provide answers to anyone who asked. Hell, he wished he had the answers for himself. He needed something to make sense, and so far nothing did. At least Fleur didn't look like she was going to lash out at him, which he was grateful for because he wasn't sure he had the energy to deal with that. “I’m sorry,” he said quietly, reaching out once she was close and placing his hands on her arms, pulling her in the rest of the way so he could hold her. He pressed a kiss against her hair and let himself feel somewhat grounded in the familiar scent of her shampoo and the way she felt in his arms. “I'm so sorry.” -- Fleur didn’t have it in her to resist. Punishing Bill for something she believed he had no control over wouldn’t do either of them any good. Slowly, she unwound her arms and slid them around him, pulling herself tight against him and holding on as though she could keep him from ever going away again. “I know,” she said with a deep sigh of contentment and relief. He was warm, solid, and familiar and putting aside the mystery for a moment, she was just glad to be near him again. “Do you want to talk about it?” She didn’t expect he did, but she felt the need to give him the chance, just in case. -- Bill held her tight, arms curled around her, keeping her close. That sigh made him feel better, like she wasn't actually mad at him. He could very much understand still being mad at the situation. That was a feeling he wouldn't hold against anyone for having. “I can't right now,” he mumbled into her hair, giving a slight shake of his head and nuzzling against it. “All I’ve done today is talked about it and it isn't making any more sense, and I just want to… not have to try and explain for a bit.” -- “I thought you might say that,” Fleur replied softly as she pulled back enough to look up at him. “And that’s all right.” She raised a hand to brush it lightly through his hair, letting her thumb trail over his forehead. “Everything is all right now.” She really didn’t want to let him go for any amount of time lest he vanish into thin air again, but they couldn’t just stand around all day. “Come on,” she said, untangling herself from his grip and taking his hand so she could lead him to the couch. -- Bill was grateful that for the first time since he'd gotten back, an explanation wasn't being demanded from him. He was tired and even if he wasn't, he didn't know how to explain. Her hand in his hair and that light trace against his forehead made his eyes close, his head tilting into her touch. He went with her easily, moving over to the couch and managing to get his shoes off before sitting down on it, sinking back against the cushions automatically. -- Fleur let Bill get himself comfortable before climbing onto the couch with him. She wasted no time in settling against him, arm draped across his chest and head on his shoulder. This was warm and familiar and she would have been perfectly content to just stay put, but that wouldn’t be very good of her, would it? “Do you need anything?” She asked quietly. -- That felt right, being there in his house, on his couch, with Fleur right there pressed in against him. Bill knew it was right, probably for the first time since getting back. There had been questions about everything else, but being there, being with her, he had no doubt he was back in reality. His arms slipped around her to hold her close, head turning slightly to rest his cheek against her hair. “Just you,” he murmured, thumb rubbing against her side. “Was it really a week?” -- Fleur liked that answer very much because it meant she wouldn’t have to let him out of her sight, though had he needed anything at all, she would have been more than happy to provide it for him. She closed her eyes and let herself finally, fully relax. “The longest week of my life, I think,” she replied. She wanted very much to ask him how long it had felt to him, but that was dangerously close to asking him about the experience, and she’d committed herself to not asking until he was ready to talk about it, if that ever happened. -- Bill hated that. He hated that he'd had no control over what had happened and there were so many left behind not knowing where he was, or if he was alright. The fact that the ministry hadn't been stormed by Molly Weasley upon his return was remarkable, and he supposed that restraint had been caused by his dad keeping her from it. And then there were all his siblings - who all, hopefully, knew he wouldn't just up and disappear without telling at least one of them. “I'm sorry,” he said quietly, giving a shake of his head. -- Fleur sighed and sat up, propping her elbow on the back of the sofa and resting her head on her hand. “Please don’t apologize anymore,” she said with only a touch of weariness. “You are back now and that is what is important.” She leaned in to kiss him softly. “Let’s just focus on that.” |