Say You Won't Let Go || Bill Weasley

Eighty: Our Vows

"How are you feeling, Mrs. Weasley?"

After they woke up early to receive the letter from Percy telling them that her parents were home and safe, they weren't able to fall back asleep, so they stayed in bed in each other's arms for another few hours. Bill was absentmindedly running his fingers through her hair when he finally spoke with a smile.

"Physically or mentally?" Isabelle asked.

Bill shrugged. "Why not both?"

"Well, my boobs are actually killing me and I think this is also what heartburn feels like. At least I haven't had the overwhelming urge to lose all of my dinner yet," Isabelle said.

"You know I would go through it all for you if I could," Bill said, resting his hand on her belly.

"I feel like I'm going to end up with a permanent handprint with how much you're always doing that," Isabelle said with a soft giggle.

"I don't think it works like that, love," he said, still smiling, too. "I can stop if you want."

Isabelle shook her head and placed her hand on top of his. "Definitely not."

"What about mentally?" he asked.

Isabelle's smile faded a bit. "I don't know. So much happened last night. I can't help but feel guilty that we put our families and friends in danger."

"We didn't know, there's no reason for you to blame yourself," Bill said gently.

"I know. I just wish I had seen it," she said. "What if someone got hurt? What if something happens again that I don't see and we lose someone and-"

"Then it would be just like everyone else. We do what we can in that moment to protect the people that we love," Bill said. "You can't control it, it's not your fault if you don't see something. No one expects you to be able to save everyone."

Isabelle nodded as she began to cry a bit. While she was obviously no stranger to crying, she understood his words and didn't really know why.

Bill held her close again gently, rubbing small circles on her back with one hand and returning to running his fingers through her hair with another.

"Shh, it's okay," he said softly. "I'm sorry, that was a little harsh, I shouldn't have said it like that."

"It's not your fault," she said, wiping her tears away.

Bill kissed her forehead softly. "How would you feel about going home today?"

"Could we?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Absolutely," he smiled. "Charlie and I are going to put the warding up first and then we can go have some time to ourselves. How does that sound?"

"That sounds wonderful," she said, cuddling back into his chest.

Bill chuckled. "You have to let me go if you want to go home soon."

"A little bit longer," Isabelle mumbled. "I want to cuddle with my husband."

——————

It wasn't until much later in the afternoon that Bill and Charlie finally left the Burrow to put up the same enchantments around Shell Cottage as what had once been up at Grimmauld Place and the Burrow. Not only was it for their protection, but so their home could be opened up to others as a safehouse now that the Ministry has been taken over by Death Eaters, and Bill was the secret keeper.

While they were gone, Isabelle made sure their trunks were packed and Molly spent part of the day fussing over her, which was to be expected. Ginny, however, was not so pleased, as she was one of the last to know, and everyone else knew and kept it a secret from her the morning of the wedding. Isabelle apologized, but she understood how stubborn Ginny could be and that it would just take a little bit of time for her to come around.