2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\\𝒪ℛ𝒟ℰℛ 𝒪𝒥 𝒯ℋℰ 𝒫ℋ𝒪ℰ𝒩ℐ𝒳\\

When the meeting was adjourned, Eleanora stood up from the couch, tucking her hair behind one ear. Bill stood next to her and stretched. Eleanora noticed that his t-shirt came up a little as he extended his arms above his head and she forced herself to look away.

"Marks, a word?" Moody barked from the front of the room.

She caught Bill's eye and gave him a small smile before slipping past to talk to Moody. "What's up?"

"You know what's up," he said in a low voice.

Eleanora's face hardened and she nodded resolutely. "So it's time?"

"It's time." Eleanora bit down on her lower lip and shifted her gaze to the floor. Moody raised an eyebrow. "If you're going to back out-"

"I'm not backing out." Her voice was strong, but she felt a little like throwing up. "When do I leave?"

"Wednesday."

"That's in three days," she whispered, glancing back at the doorway where Bill was standing waiting for her. Her favorite part of the day was before dinner, when she and Bill got time to themselves.

"Like I said-"

"I'm not backing out, Moody. I've just got to pack."

"Pack light." Moody's eye swiveled in its socket to stare at where Eleanora had been looking. He raised his eyebrows at her. "You'll be traveling on foot."

Eleanora didn't say much as Bill followed her up the stairs. There wasn't much to say. She didn't know how to tell him she was leaving without revealing too much about the mission. She'd sworn to Moody she wouldn't talk to anyone besides the trusted few about it. She hated keeping it from the Weasleys, but she couldn't betray Moody's trust. She'd sworn to do what she could to help the Order.

"El- El, wait up." Bill grabbed Eleanora's wrist before she disappeared into her bedroom. She turned to face him. He took a step closer. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong."

"You've barely said a word all day."

"I'm tired."

He looked at her disbelievingly, worry creasing his face. "What's going on with you?"

Eleanora's face fell. "I can't... tell you," she said with some difficulty. "It's not that I don't want to-" she continued in a rush. "-I just really can't. Trust me, I- I would-"

"I know." Bill didn't seem surprised at the news. "I figured there was something."

Eleanora nodded and leaned against the wall, pushing her hair away from her face. It had gotten longer and was starting to bother her. She was thinking about having Molly cut it before she left for her mission. "There's always something," she said with a frown. She hated it. How the universe seemed to be doing everything in its power to force them apart. Bill took another step forward. There were just inches between them now.

"Yeah..." he said slowly. "Always something." Eleanora stood up straighter, her heart beating faster the closer Bill got. He looked at her with questioning eyes. Her mind blanked for a moment, just enough time. She stepped away from the wall, closing the gap between them, but still didn't kiss him.

"We shouldn't... be doing this," she breathed in his ear. "We said..." she trailed off as Bill put a hand on her waist.

"We don't have to," he said, starting to pull away.

Eleanora couldn't take it. She couldn't stay away from him anymore, no matter how many promises they'd made to wait. She didn't care about any of it anymore. She'd be leaving in three days anyways, and then who knew how long she'd have to wait for this.

"No- I want to." Eleanora closed the gap between them again, her hand reaching up and her fingers winding through his hair. She pulled him down and he gripped her waist, his lips finally meeting hers. The pounding in her chest stopped, replaced by and excited fluttering. It was everything she'd dreamed it would be. Everything else faded away and her knees weakened, her hand moving to trail down his face. His skin was so soft. She felt her back collide with the wall as the kiss deepened and she reached up to pull Bill even closer. Neither of them noticed the footsteps echoing on the stairs.

"Oh Merlin's- fucking- beard!" George said in a halting voice, turning to shield his eyes.

"Disgusting!" Fred cried. Bill and Eleanora sprang apart, Bill's hand jumping to the lip Eleanora had accidentally bit in surprise. "You two are-" Fred sputtered, a revolted expression on his face. George let out an unintelligible groan. To everyone's surprise, Eleanora burst out laughing.

"You're so dramatic," she said, stepping forward to push Fred's shoulder. "Honestly, you'd think you'd just witnessed something horrible."

"We did!" said George.

"Traumatic, really," said Fred.

"Oh, leave us alone," Eleanora laughed. She backed up to stand next to Bill. "I'll catch up with you later."

The twins left quickly, both muttering about "PDA in the middle of the damn hallway." Eleanora turned back to Bill with a lofty grin. "They won't tell."

Bill nodded, the smallest of smirks crossing his face. "I sure hope not," he murmured, reaching out to tuck a piece of her hair behind her ear. Their eyes met for a split second, and then Bill leaned down to kiss her again, catching her by surprise. She backed into her closed bedroom door, pulling him along with her, and her hand fumbled with the doorknob. In one motion, Bill reached over and twisted the knob and they fell through the doorway. Bill kicked the door shut behind him and Eleanora laughed as she pulled him over to the bed, practically tackling him down onto the mattress to press her lips against his.