Shadow - Sequel To Light

Chapter Ten: Never

Ever since I moved out of our room, Harry had continued to try to get me to come back. Every day leading up to the first challenge, I was sent a new gift. I had gotten flowers, new parchment, perfume, multiple letters begging me to come back and explaining what all had happened, and he even resorted to jewelry. I had taken each gift and left them in our room for him to see when he got back. The only things I had kept were the letters, the letters I so desperately wanted to reply to.

Despite everything he had attempted, I remained as cold as I could muster and the only time we spoke was when I dropped the babies off. Some might think it stupid of me to put Harry through all I was putting him through but some also wouldn't understand the hate I had inside me towards Ginny. Lily and James are the best things that I could have ever wished to have grace my life and she tried to rip that away from me. She pretended to be my friend, all the while trying to kill my children before I even had the chance to hold them. In my eyes, she was lower than dirt and I wanted her no where near my children or my home and Harry knew these things. Not only did he know, but he should have felt the same considering the twins are half his. The fact that he let her get that close and snuck behind my back...., it was nearly enough to make me lose the plot. I missed him everyday but I wasn't going to back down.

I didn't know what I was going to do but I couldn't afford to think about it. The first challenge was just hours away and I had to fix the problems that had occurred since our visitors had arrived. Last week most of our visitors had started to flock in and I'd been in charge of making sure they had rooms and so on and so forth. Every problem they had, I seemed to be a favorite to deal with it. So, not only was a marking papers, teaching classes, handling the students and the twins, but I was taking care of every little thing that happened with the guest. Having my marital problems on top of all that was happening was just the icing on top of the shit cake that was my life at the moment.

I was sitting in my office early the morning of the challenge, switching up some rooms because some people were complaining about their neighbors, when James began fussing and I had to sit down my quill and go check on him. Inside the crib, he bounced up and down on his bottom, tears coming out of his eyes.

"Aww, what's wrong, sweetie?" I cooed, lifting him up and bouncing him gently, trying to soothe him. I grabbed a small towel and draped it over my shoulder then leveled him so his head rested on my shoulder. "Shh, shh, sh, sh." I softly shushed again and again until his fussing died down and his breathing change, signaling he was sleep.

Luckily, somehow Lily had stayed asleep during his fussing and I could get back to work. All I needed was twenty minutes and I'd be done then I could get them dressed and ready to go to the daycare I had arranged for all the children who were coming who were too young to watch. I worked until my hand cramped, changing rooms here and there and assuring everybody's needs were met. I was glad I didn't run a hotel because meeting all the needs was exhausting. A knock came at my door just when I had put my quill down and I silently prayed it wasn't another tosh complaint.

"Come in." I called, too tired to even lift my wand. I leaned back in my chair, rubbing my tired eyes.

"Before you throw me out, just let me talk for a second." Harry started, raising his hands in surrender before I could even process that he was the one in my office.

"I'm not going to throw you out, Harry. I'm too knackered to throw anybody out. What do you need?"

"I just wanted to have a chin wag with you if you'd let me." He said, asking me silently with his eyes if he could continue. I gestured to the chair, letting him know to sit and continue. "I had a few people come to meet with me over accommodation. Why didn't you tell me people were coming to you with that kind of stuff?" He cocked his head to the side.