2.| ✮𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮, 𝓑𝓲𝓵𝓵. ✮ {𝓑. 𝓦𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂}

\𝓉𝓌ℴ\

~

"And then... this- little triangle with a line- that's for Z," Eleanora said, leaning across Bill to carefully sketch the character in the notebook.

"Yeah, that's good." He shifted to put an arm around her and she leaned her head into his shoulder. "Think you'll be able to remember it without a key?"

"Oh yeah, I can do it." Eleanora reached out to run her fingers over the little code they'd drawn. Something only they could know. She only had a day left until she had to leave for her mission and she trying to get the most out of it as possible. Bill still didn't even know she was going. The code had been her idea, and of course Bill had been right on board. With everything going on, the war brewing and the constant disappearances, they both needed something just for themselves. In case they were separated. It broke Eleanora's heart to know that in less than twenty-four hours they would be.

"Alright, alright," Bill said, readjusting his arm. "Let's practice." He turned a page in the notebook and sat forward to carefully write out a sentence in the code. Eleanora tried to look over his shoulder but he pushed her head away playfully. She sat back on her heels and watched as Bill's hair fell over his face while he wrote.

"Oh, come on- let me see!" she knelt on the bed and wrapped her arms around Bill from behind. He finally let her peer over his shoulder at the paper. Eight characters. She only had to read the first few to know what the sentence said.

"You got it?" Bill said softly. One of his hands reached up to take hers.

"I love you," Eleanora whispered. "It says 'I love you."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"Are you saying it or reading it?"

Eleanora couldn't see the nervous smile on his face, but she noticed the fingers on his other hand tapping on the bed.

"Saying it," she murmured.

Bill let out a relieved chuckle. "I love you too then."

Eleanora buried her face in the crook of his neck. "I know," she muttered into his skin, and then let go to climb around Bill and on top of his legs, straddling his waist. Bill laughed and shut the notebook, throwing it to the side of the bed as Eleanora pushed him down onto the pillows. He reached up to cradle her face in his hand, pulling her down so her lips met his. Her fingers played at the hem of his t-shirt as he wrapped his fingers through her hair.

"Mmmm, we've got to talk about something," Eleanora mumbled into his lips.

"In a minute..." Bill wrapped a hand around her waist to pull her closer and Eleanora found it difficult to think coherently for a second. She lost herself in his lips again, feeling his chest rise and fall more deeply than before.

"No, no, no," Eleanora broke away reluctantly and sat up, still on top of Bill. "I have to tell you something."

"What's up?" Bill shifted and rested an arm over his head. He looked so relaxed and happy. This is going to be hard, Eleanora thought. She twisted a small section of his shirt in her fingers absentmindedly. "El?" Bill said, raising his eyebrows. "What's wrong?"

"I'm... leaving."

"What?" Bill's face fell at once.

"I'm not supposed to tell you, but I can't leave without... telling you..." she finished awkwardly.

"Wait, wait." Bill sat up, moving Eleanora off his lap. "What d'you mean- you're leaving?"

Eleanora couldn't read his expression. "You know the... thing? The thing we talked about the other day?" Bill nodded and pulled his legs up, crossing them, and looked at Eleanora expectantly. "It's for the Order. I have to go, and I'm not sure when I'll be back."

"Well... what- is it like, a mission or something?" Eleanora nodded slowly but didn't elaborate. "Okay... so a recruitment mission, or...?" Bill trailed off, looking more concerned than anything.

"I really can't tell you," Eleanora said in a quiet voice.

"It's nothing dangerous, right?"

"Bill, I swore I wouldn't tell."

"So it's dangerous."

Eleanora pulled her knees to her chest and didn't answer. She watched Bill's face intently. Her biggest fear with telling him was that he'd get angry, but he just seemed worried. "I'll write to you, okay?" she said softly.

"Yeah, I just- I don't want you to get hurt." Then, Bill's expression changed. "Wait- how long have you known you had to leave? What's... what's all of this then?" He gestured at the bed and at Eleanora, then stood up. Eleanora scrambled off of the bed too, eyeing Bill carefully.

"I've known about the mission since the third day after I got home from school," she said in an even voice. "But Moody didn't tell me when I was leaving until... two days ago."

Realization dawned on Bill's face. "Two days ago..." he said thoughtfully. "So that's why..."

"I didn't want to leave without... -well, I've wanted to do that for a long time." She was still staring up at him almost unblinkingly. He could tell she was on edge. She got this look on her face when she thought someone was mad at her. Like she wasn't sure what they were going to do. He took a step forward to wrap her in his arms, but she flinched away instinctively. Both of them froze.

"Eleanora," Bill said firmly. "You're- you're okay. It's okay." He held out his hand and took a slow step in her direction. "We'll get through it- the mission, I mean. It'll be alright." Eleanora's eyes had filled with tears and she moved into Bill's arms. He felt so familiar and warm, but at the same time so new. She wished they could be together under different circumstances. At a time when there was no war, and Cedric was alive, and the only thing that mattered was their time with each other. Eleanora wished she could stay in Bill's arms forever. "I love you, Eleanora," Bill said gently.

"I love you too."

~

That night, Eleanora woke up screaming from another nightmare. Bill opened the door as softly as possible this time, not wanting to startle her. When he sat next to her on the bed, it hit him that this was the last night he would be able to do this for... who knew how long? He didn't even know what the mission was for. "Same one?" he said, adjusting one of the pillows so she could be more comfortable. Eleanora nodded her head, wiping tears away.

"What if this happens while I'm... away?" It was the first time she'd expressed worry about the mission. When she talked to Moody and Lupin about it, things were strictly business. With Bill, she could be vulnerable.

"El, you don't need me to be here. You can do all of this yourself-"

"No I can't-"

"You can. And you can write to me anytime. Actually- please write to me."

"I will. I promise."