SPLITAPARTS: lessons in love ✔️

Home on the Range

Sirius put Cassie on the back of the bike and took her for a ride in the country. All week he'd been looking forward to the trip to see the house that he was looking to acquire. She was able to see that he was excited, but was unable to glean it from him. The doctor had been weaning her off of the medication for her anxiety and her dosage was barely even minimal. She was finally able to sleep and no longer had the bouts of depression that she had been experiencing.

"So where are we going?"

"You'll see," he said as he waiting for the traffic light to turn green.

Within an hour, they were flying down a country road and finally he slowed the bike down to pulled onto a gravel road that lead to a thick wood. She tapped his leg, which was a signal to stop the bike. She slid off the back and held out her arm and twisted her wrist as a sign to turn off the bike...she wanted to listen and smell the air. She closed her eyes and lifted the shield to her helmet.

Finally, she smiled. "I like this, it's nice," she said.

He nodded. She was unable to see his face behind the full-face helmet that he wore, but he was smiling. She returned to her spot behind him and he started the bike again and continued down the driveway. Finally, she saw a small house and an unfamiliar car parked front of it.

"Is that it," she asked.

"Yeah," he said.

The house was a small two-story stone and wooden cottage surrounded by the forest. She thought that it needed a little work done to it, in addition to a fresh coat of paint at the very least, but it would be easy work.

A man got out of the car. "Ah, Mister Black, you're right on time."

Sirius removed his helmet and smiled. He then removed his gloves and shook s the man's hand and finally, he turned around on the seat of the bike. "This is my fiancée, Cassie. This is all for her."

The man reached out to take her hand in his. "Good morning, Miss."

"Hello," she replied. "I really like the woods, it looks so beautiful in there."

"Wait till you see what's behind it," he said smiling.

She looked at Sirius over the man's shoulder. "You'll see. The house is a starter home, from what I'm told--a fixer upper," he said.

She nodded. "Okay."

He helped her off the bike and they walked into the house. Cassie liked the quaintness of it. The kitchen was large compared to the rest of the house and she found that it didn't matter. The living room boasted a large masonry fireplace, perfect for a floo and a cauldron. The upstairs had two large bedrooms, which shared a large bathroom that had recently been renovated.

"But I think what he wants you to see Miss, is behind the house."

She looked puzzled. "What's behind the house, Sirius?"

"You'll see, come on," he said grinning.

They walked out the back door onto a new deck with flower boxes and a wooden swing attached to an A-frame. She saw more woods ahead of her with a wide walkway through it. She thought it was wide enough for a truck to get through; she could see that there was a large building on the other side.

He took her hand and squeezed it gently as they continued on. Finally, they came to the clearing and she saw a large stable with open fields behind it. She stopped in her tracks and stared in awe. The barn was new construction and boasted a state of the art heating and ventilation system.

"Mister Black says that you have a horse, Miss. Of course, you'll have to get him over here, yes? Let's go in, shall we?"

She nodded, dumbfounded.