"We're going to have to take this really, really slowly."
"I know. Travis?"
"Bella?"
"I'm so glad I... crashed into you."
"Me too, Bella. Me too."

Bella smiled at the memory, lying in her bed and hugging a pillow. Since their chance meeting in the Leaky Cauldron five months ago she had seen him at least once week, always at a neutral location like a restaurant or Karen and Blaise's house for couples' dinners and they had found a comfortable rhythm together; they kissed on the cheek when they said hello, held hands under the table over dinner then, after a month or so, kissed each other goodnight and left each other for another week. The last time they had seen each other he had apparated to her front door with her, pressed her against her doorframe and kissed her like she hadn't been kissed in years. She had wanted desperately to ask him inside, but she still didn't know how she felt about introducing Travis to her children. That awkward morning after feeling was bad enough without two seven year old children demanding coco pops. Thinking about that kiss gave her a warm heat in the deep pit of her stomach and she closed her eyes as a pleasant shiver went through her body. She hadn't seen him for two weeks now (he'd been away for work) and the kiss still felt like unfinished business. She missed Travis so much, it was as though the eight years they'd spent apart had condensed into an insatiable longing that refused to go away. She felt like a teenager again, like they were back at the start of their relationship the first time. Thinking about him gave her a warm fluttering in the pit of her stomach and when Twisty arrived with the mail tray she pounced on the unsuspecting elf who gave a slightly indignant squeal as Bella ripped the letters from the elf. Twisty scuttled out of the room squawking something about coffee but Bella didn't care. On the top of the pile was a letter handwritten in shimmering sliver-green ink. She opened the letter hurriedly and grinned as she started to read it.

Dear Bella,

I'm still in Germany, hating my job for keeping us apart. I'll be back from Dusseldorf on Friday and I have to see you – I HAVE to see you. I was thinking I'd come straight to Delarceny Manor when I get back. I doubt your cooking has improved much since school, so I'll bring some food with me. What do you like? What do the boys like? I'll be back about 5 o'clock, so I guess I'm going to be meeting them. If that's ok with you, of course.

My darling... The time drags without you, and goes too fast when we're together. I'm counting down the hours, the minutes, the moments!

Friday can't come soon enough.

Always yours,

Travis.

Bella felt her heart sink. Meeting the boys? He couldn't. The boys had never met a boyfriend of hers. She'd never had a boyfriend to meet! She just shook her head. No. Not happening. But what was her alternative? Blowing Travis off and saying she was busy? Sending the boys off for the day and night? But where? She let out a loud, angry growl of frustration and flumped back in her bed. She looked at the clock on her wall. "Friday, 9.13am." Friday... It was Friday. "Just my luck," she thought to herself, "Stupid trans-European postal delay." She got out of bed and paced in front of the fireplace trying to clear her head. Maybe it was time for the boys to meet Travis properly. She knew that she wanted him to stay the night sometime soon, oh, Merlin, she needed that. She caught a look at herself in the mirror and almost laughed at her own expression. She addressed her reflection.

"Pull yourself together," she told herself sternly. "You were never going to be able keep your family and love life separate forever. You might as well let their paths collide; it was going to happen sooner or later."

"Whose paths?" said a small voice from her doorway. Bella jumped and turned around to see Kaspar standing there in his pyjamas, glaring at his mother. Bella sighed.

"Get your brother and come in here. We need to have a chat." Kaspar stood there for a moment, looking up at his mother through his thick lashes before doing as he was told. Bella tied her hair back and sat on her bed, waiting for her sons. How to tackle this...

...

"So Travis is your boyfriend?" Kaspar asked with a frown.

"Will he be our dad?" Sebastian asked excitedly.

"No, not really. Well, sort of... yes. I don't..." Bella closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Travis and I are friends. He's a boy, and he's my friend. And he's bringing dinner tonight, ok?" Sebastian nodded enthusiastically while Kaspar said nothing and just looked at his mother. Bella felt like his little eyes were piercing into her, saying, "Mum, we're seven, not stupid." She clapped her hands together.

"Right, boys, you need to get out of those pyjamas, and..." she looked out of the window and was relieved to see that it was sunny outside. "I think today is a good day for flying." Sebastian ran out of the room, excited at the prospect of being able to go out on his broom for the first time after months of rain and bad weather. Kaspar walked out slowly behind his brother, looking back at Bella before leaving the room and wordlessly closing the door. Bella looked at the shut door between her and her sons and sighed again, heavily. Almost 7 and a half, and already he'd learned to shut himself off, just like his father. She started to pity Travis; Sebastian would love him. Kaspar on the other hand would be a silently hostile nightmare. Twisty turned up with the coffee and Bella gulped it down quickly before taking a huge fluffy towel and stepping into the shower. If she couldn't actually make things perfect tonight she could try and look as damn near it as she could manage. Besides, she couldn't even remember the last time she shaved her legs...

...

The doorbell rang and Bella sprang up from the sofa. The boys were sat either side of her, Sebastian chattering away excitedly and Kaspar dead silent with his arms folded tightly across his chest. Bella's breath hitched in her throat as she heard Travis give Twisty his coat. She smoothed down the front of her dress and tried to calm down as he walked through the door into the drawing room and when their eyes met and her nerves just dissolved. "Travis," she said with a contented smile, "These... well, this is Sebastian and Kaspar." She looked at her sons who got up off the sofa. "Kas, Seb, this is Mr. Davis."

"Call me Travis, boys," he told them with a friendly smile, reaching into his bag and pulling out two brightly wrapped boxes and giving one to each twin. When they just held them and stared at them, Sebastian trembling with excitement and Kaspar just looking slightly suspiciously at Travis he laughed and said, "You can open them, if you like." Sebastian ripped happily into his package and crowed with delight when it revealed a box with a neon green pygmy puff inside. Kaspar looked at his brother's present and looked suitably unimpressed. While Sebastian might do fluffy stuff, Kaspar did not. Travis caught the look and gave Kaspar a wink. "Just because you're twins doesn't mean I've given you identical gifts," he said, conspiratorially. Kaspar's suspicious look intensified. He turned his attention to his own box and opened it. Bella was thrilled to see a rare smile grace her son's face and a light soft hissing came from the box.

"Cool," Kaspar said softly, reaching into the box and pulling out a little green snake.

"Now, Kas, you cannot, repeat, CANNOT feed Seb's present to your present, alright?" Bella told her son, sternly and Kaspar rolled his eyes.

"I know, mum."

"Now..." Travis said, pulling some paper bags out of his travel case, "Who likes Chinese?"

...

Bella settled Sebastian into his bed and brushed his hair off his forehead, planting a soft kiss there. "So... what do you think of Travis?" She asked him. Sebastian smiled sleepily at his mum.

"I like him," he said softly, "He can be your boyfriend, if you want." Bella felt a blush rise to her cheeks and a sudden rush of adoration for her little boy.

"Goodnight, sweetheart," she whispered. Sebastian nodded drowsily and Bella watched for a moment as the boy drifted off to sleep. She whispered an incantation to dim the lights to almost nothing and padded out of the room and next door to Kaspar's bedroom. Her headstrong son was reading in bed and she noted with a smile that he was reading a copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard.

"You know that was mummy's favourite book?" Bella told him from the doorway. "My mother gave me a copy for my 4th birthday. I have about 7 different editions."

"I know," Kaspar replied without looking up. "There's writing in the front of this one."

Bella frowned and sat down on the bed next to Kaspar and flipped through the pages to find the inscription in the front. She felt her heart drop into her feet as she recognised the handwriting.

Dear Bells,

Happy 17th. I know you already have it but maybe this one can be your everyday copy and you can keep the one from your mum as your Sunday best or something.

Love D

P.S I have another present for you that I can't give in writing. I'll see you tonight.

Bella snatched the book from her son and stood up, her hands shaking with a sudden onset of rage. "Don't just take my things, Kaspar!" she said, her voice shrill, "You shouldn't... Merlin, ask me before you just take my belongings. Go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning."

She stormed out of the room and slammed the door, leaning against it and trying to control herself. She shouldn't have snapped at Kaspar, she knew that, but the sight of Draco's handwriting had freaked her out. After trying to keep her sons so separate from their father having this happen so accidentally just caught her off guard. She opened the book again and ran her fingertips over the inscription before shutting the book with a sharp snap. She got her wand out and sent the book back to the library before composing herself and going back downstairs to Travis. He was sat on the sofa waiting for her. Without saying a word she walked to the sofa and lay down with her head in his lap.

"How did I do?" Travis asked her, playing with her hair. She smiled contentedly.

"You were flawless," she told him happily. "Seriously, you were absolutely brilliant. Sebastian absolutely loves you and Kaspar... you made him smile, which is no mean feat. He doesn't even smile for me." Travis looked down at her with an odd expression on his face.

"He has a lot of Malfoy in him, doesn't he." Bella nodded feeling tired. She sat up and faced Travis.

"Is that going to be an issue?" she asked cautiously. Travis caressed her face softly, looking at her mouth.

"Bella, I'm going to have to come to terms with your past if I want to be your future," he said softly, kissing her neck gently. "If that means putting the boys' parentage to one side in my mind then so be it." She felt herself melt and cupped his face in her hands.

"I love you," She whispered, resting her forehead against his. "I don't know if it's too soon to say it, but it's true." He looked into her eyes and smiled.

"I've been waiting nearly ten years for you to say that again. No, it's not too soon." He kissed her passionately, cradling her body in his arms and taking her into a reclining position, his body over hers and she lay on the sofa. Her breath quickened and she wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulling him close, desperate to show him how much she wanted him. It had been almost eight years since she'd felt a man's bodyweight this way and she was aching for him.

"Travis?" she whispered against his mouth and he just nodded.

"I know, I want you too." Her body arched against him and her fingers went to his shirt and started unbuttoning frantically. She realised that she'd lost that knack she used to have and just pulled it over his head. His body was a little thicker in the waist than it had been when he was 15 but his abs were perfect. She ran her hands over his chest as they kissed and Travis pulled her dress over her head. Her stomach tensed as she felt their torsos touch and she felt how hard he was between her legs. Her hands went down his body to the opening of his suit trousers. Just as she was about to unbutton them she heard a little cough. She broke the kiss and looked in the direction of the sound to see Kaspar standing in the doorway. In a mad panic she yelled "Oscuro!" and her son was hit with a blindfolding charm.

"Mummy?" asked the boy, trying to rip the blindfold off his eyes.

Bella and Travis pulled their clothes back on as quickly as possible, Bella's dress was on backwards and Travis's shirt half buttoned but that didn't matter. She took a deep breath, looked at Travis and murmured, "Obliviate," pointing the wand at the confused little boy. The spell knocked the boy out cold and she ran over to catch her son before he hit the ground. She clicked her fingers and Twisty appeared. Bella took the blindfold off Kasper and hander his prone little body to the elf. "Put him in his bed, please. Thank you." Bella and Travis both watched as the unconscious boy was carried up the stairs. She picked up Travis's bag and handed it to him. "You should leave."

"Why?"

"My son is passed out upstairs because you... I lost my head. I am a mother, and I'm a mother FIRST."

"I know Bella but..."

"No buts, Travis. Please, go. This... it won't work. Please, just go."

Travis shook his head, picked up his bag and left without another word. The tears that had been threatening started to fall when Bella heard the door slam shut. She slumped down on the floor, her face in her hands and wept. So close... so close to grabbing back a part of her life that was good and normal. Her heart ached and she felt a little more broken inside. That served her right, she supposed, for craving a life that she didn't fit and didn't deserve. She got up and climbed upstairs and walked into Kaspar's room. She lay down on his bed and cradled his body close and fell asleep there. Her children were her life now. The sooner she realised that the better.

Don't worry, it gets happier, I promise! I know there's been a MASSIVE gap between chapters; writer's block is a pain. Please stick with me, and review!