Hidden Secrets {Bill Weasley}

146

Being back to work as a curse breaker was much easier and smooth-flowing that Harley initially thought. She believed it would have taken her a small while to get back into the swing of things but that simply wasn't the case. She was straight in and getting down and dirty with it. There was no holding her back and it was clear that Suzy was not best pleased with her return. Especially without Bill.

Under a canopy, Harley scrubbed at an artefact whilst Asa worked beside her. He was more than happy to have his best friend back, despite the unfortunate situation. "If you keep staring at me Asa I will spin your jaw."

Asa chuckled and placed down his own artefact. He turned to her and grasped her hands in his to stop her working frantically. Asa had spent four hours watching her as she attacked each artefact and didn't seem to slow down or stop. "Babe, you need to slow down otherwise you'll do the artefact damage." He told her and she simply shook her head. "Harley, trust me, slow down and take your time it's not a race."

"Stupid Suzy has done three in the past hour, I've done four. She's catching up. I can't have her beat me but then again her sort always do. I'll always be second best to her kind. Beautiful, all bubbly and sickly sweet woman. Women with tits and an arse. Women who wear makeup on the daily. Women who depend on men. Women who Bill will-"

"I know what you're doing, babe, and it's not going to work!" Asa cut her off and sat down on a chair dragging her onto his lap and cuddling her close. "Stop working yourself to the bone as a way to distract yourself from Bill. Suzy is nothing on you. Absolutely nothing and there is no way that Bill will look twice at her or someone like her. Harley you are his world and it's more than clear that he is yours. It's going to be hard but you need to take it slowly otherwise you'll drive yourself mad and go doolally. I can't have that."

"Asa? Is everything alright?" The pair looked up to see Roger approaching them. "Harley, dear, why don't you both head off? You've both been here since sunrise and you need a damn break. Go on, and I don't want either of you here in the morning. Have a day off."

Harley went to protest but Roger raised his hand and stopped her before she could. Begrudgingly, she stood up off of Asa's lap and let him put his arm around her shoulders. The pair clocked out and walked down the lane to Asa's house. So far Harley hadn't actually lived in her house yet. She was staying in Asa and Dylan's spare room for the time being because she couldn't face living in it just yet. Her belongings were all unpacked but she went in and took some fresh clothes each night.

"I'm going to stay in the house today." She told him once they arrived outside of the two houses which were side by side.

"Are you sure? You are more than welcome to stay for as long as you want. Dyls and I will adopt you, you just say the word and we'll get the papers."

Harley snickered but shook her head. "Thank you both for everything. But I can't stop beating around the bush and I need to face it. It's my house. It always has been. And that's what it will be. Forever more."  Asa hugged his best friend. The words he wished to say didn't seem appropriate and there was no nice way of putting it all. Instead, he held her close and kissed her head. "I love you Asa."

"I love you too, Harley."

* * *

"Where could she be?" Bill begged his mother as they stared down at countless pages of the newspaper.

It was the end of an Order meeting and his mother couldn't do anything but offer him support. She had done her yelling that day in the garden. She was angry at him for letting Harley go, for not listening to her, but she couldn't deny her understanding for what he had done. She could see how desperate Bill was to find Harley and make amends. The love between the two was so strong that she was surprised at how easily it snapped in two.

"Just a thought, dear, but where did Harley ever feel happy? Where was somewhere that she felt safe?"

"Clearly with her so-called brother who I didn't know about." He replied snorting and scrunched up the picture of the Minister for Magic and threw it at a wall.

"William..."

"Yes, mother?"

"Just think about it. She might not be with him. Not anymore. You know how Harley doesn't like to be dependent on other people, no doubt within the first two days she would have already felt as if she had overstayed her welcome." Said Molly recalling the many times she had to assure Harley that her company was far from annoying and that she was welcome anytime for however long she wanted.

Bill tugged his hair into a bun lazily and pressed his eyes to the ball of his palm. "What are you getting at, Mum?"

"Perhaps she is in Egypt? You know how much she loved it there and she did live there for many years and you know how much cursebreaking meant to her. You simply cannot deny that she was entirely happy without having that job."

A lightbulb seemed to light up within Bill and he stared at his mother with a beaming smile. "Oh, Mum!" He cried, "you're a genius! Why didn't I think of that?"

Molly held her son's hand, "perhaps it didn't seem possible for her to go back? Your life was so set out here, that it would never have swept through your thoughts."

Bill nodded solemnly. Their life was mapped out. Like a big blue print but with his mother's words it became apparent that Harley did give up so much for him. She gave up her home, her dream career to move to London to be with him and marry him. And how did he repay her? By letting her go like a kite in the wind. But would he be able to catch her once again?