Say You Won't Let Go || Bill Weasley

Eighty Three: Unexpected Returns

A little over two weeks of October came and went, and while Isabelle usually enjoyed the autumn season and Halloween, her mood wasn't exactly joyful, especially one night when she was sitting up in bed, still waiting for her husband to come home from work long after he was meant to get off.

It's not like things suddenly changed between them overnight. In those last few weeks, he had been leaving earlier and earlier in the morning and coming home later and later. As the full moon approached in another week or so, he would also come home more moody and irritated than usual, and most nights he wanted to just go to bed if she had managed to stay awake to wait for him. In the times they did see each other during the week and were both awake, they would only really exchange a few words and maybe a quick kiss before he would leave for work or go to bed. She could tell something was up when some nights he wouldn't even hold her while they slept, let alone anything else. Weekends tended to be better, but she still could feel the tension between them.

A few days ago she had gone to visit Molly and Arthur at the Burrow, hating spending the days at Shell Cottage alone, and asked Molly about it, but she just assured her that he was at work, like the clock said, and he was probably just busier with even more panic going on.

Now she was still up and waiting, reading a book that she had already read a hundred times. She wasn't really paying attention to the words on the pages anyway. Her mind was too full of thoughts of what he could be doing and what she was going to say to him when he returned.

Hours later, Isabelle heard the crack of apparation outside and doors open and close downstairs, but she didn't look up until she saw the bedroom door open and Bill walk into the room with a look of surprise on his face.

"I didn't think you would still be up," Bill said, taking off his jacket with his back turned to her.

"Maybe I wanted to actually see my husband today. Would you rather I didn't?" Isabelle asked.

"You know what I meant, Isabelle," he said as he started to unbutton his shirt.

"I don't think I do. Clearly, you don't seem to care whether you see me or not," Isabelle said, standing up with her arms folded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bill said, his tone a little irritated as he stopped with the shirt buttons and turned toward her.

"I mean I wake up every morning and you're already gone, and I stay up as late as I can every night and you still aren't here. When you are home it's like I don't even exist anymore," Isabelle said.

"You're one to talk," Bill said. "Whenever I try, you just shove me away."

"You know I can't help-"

"No, no, you're not going to blame everything like this on the baby," he said.

When she didn't say anything for a moment, he went on.

"You think I want to be there at work doing nothing but stacks of paperwork all day or cleaning out vaults?" Bill said.

"No, which is why I don't understand what has you there so long. Don't try to tell me you have to because I know that's not true, you aren't the only one who works there," Isabelle said.

"God, Isabelle, will you just think for a second?" Bill said. "I picked up some extra hours to save up for stuff for the baby, especially because you aren't working and we don't know how much longer I will be."

"You shouldn't have to make those decisions by yourself. If you were worried about the money, we could have figured it out together instead of you working ridiculous hours and leaving me here worried if something happened or if you're ever coming back," she said.