~ February 14, 2043 ~ Fitzwilliam's Hotel Room (morning afte

Will woke up to find his arm wrapped protectively around Lara's waist, her bare shoulder exposed in the sunlight. She was still sleeping soundly and Will thought he was still dreaming. How many nights did he wish to wake up to find her laying next to him?

He wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with her. But... he couldn't. Carefully so as not to wake her, he retracted his arm.

It was a beautiful sun set. Will and Sara sat side-by-side on the beach, just watching.

"I hope you don't think it's silly, but I've always liked you Will, even in Hogwarts." Sara said. "Especially at Hogwarts. I had the biggest crush on you."

Will, with the same care as taking his arm away, untangled his legs from the sheets, and rolled off the bed.

"What?" Will said surprised. "Why didn't you say anything then?"

Sara laughed. "And get shunned by my house? Not to mention, I knew how you were with girls who'd go out with."

Picking up the pants from yesterday, he put them on.

Will asked amused. "Really?"

"You had one major fault." Sara continued.

"Me a fault?" Will asked incredulous but quite amused. "What was it?"

Sara smiled. "You were the perfect boyfriend. A gentleman, terribly passionate, deadly good-looks, kisses wonderfully, loaded, that motorcycle of yours added that extra sex appeal but..."

"But...?" Will encouraged.

"But," Sara said looking at him carefully. "We all knew you were already in love with someone else."

"Really?" Will said grinning, wondering just how much she knew.

Sara nodded. "Lara Kaminski. You two were closer than anyone else in school. That's why I didn't want to get close to you because I knew you wouldn't see anyone else but her."

Will paled slightly at the mention of her name but he covered it up with a joke. "Well that didn't seem to stop the other girls." Will said smirking.

Sara chuckled. "Well they thought that they could get you to see them."

"And you thought different?" Will wondered why.

Sara nodded. "I knew you were in love, I could see it in your eyes. Nothing could have changed that."

Will turned away from her to stare at the sun set. "Yeah, I was."

"What happened between you two? We all thought that you'd - I don't know - purpose to her when you were both done with school." Sara said jokingly.

Will gave her a look.

She gasped. "You didn't!"

Will couldn't help but laugh at her reaction. "No, I didn't but only because she found the ring before I could."

"Oh my..." Sara said shocked. "You actually..."

"Yeah, but we got into a big row and we haven't seen each other since." Will said honestly.

"A row?" Sara asked. "What was it about?"

Will paused to figure out what he could tell her. "It was... about everything and nothing at the same time. I think we were just, I don't know, we just weren't meant to be..."

The sadness in Will's voice made Sara thoughtful. "So you really did love her didn't you?"

Will nodded. "Yeah..."

"If you saw her again and she wanted to get back together with you..." Sara posed her question almost stopping herself. She didn't think she wanted to know his answer. "Would you?"

"No," Will said confidently. He kissed her. "I'm with you now."

What the hell was he going to do? He hadn't been lying when he said that... he honestly felt... but last night... last night... Lara...

Today, either way, he was going to screw someone over.

Fate was a bitch.

In her sleep addled mind, caught between the world of dreams and reality: her dreams where once again she and Will were together, and all was beyond happy and great, and reality: where she had gained everything she had ever wanted, but fate was cruel enough to have it be that while she had all she had ever wished for, the only thing that mattered most, was taken and kept away from her. She could have everything: fame, glory, all that good stuff. But she could never be happy. Never be complete.

Was fate a bitch or what?

She had relationships, sure, but could they even be called that? Half the time, she couldn't even remember the guy's name... And even then, she always compared them to Will: how they weren't as funny as Will, how they weren't as good looking as Will... Even how their clothes were different from Will's.

"I'm never going to be good enough for you, am I, Lara?" Lance, the guy she had gone out with the longest since Will, a grand total of seven weeks, once asked.

"Nope." she responded with a neutral shrug.

He swore. "Well, what the hell do I have to do for you to even look at me?"

She kept quiet.

"Tell me Lara, who do I have to ****ing be?"

"... The one. You have to be the one." The one I want...

Feeling another prescence shift beside her, caused her slowly to open her eyes. She winced slightly as the sunlight in the room caused her semi-hung-over mind to begin to throb, but she fought against it. There was another sight in the room that commanded her total attention: Will.

"Holy ****ing Sh!t! What did we do?!?" her mind breathed out as it demanded answers, finding plenty of them as her mind was suddenly bombarded with images of what occured the previous night.

She stared at Will's retreating form, unsure of exactly what to say. What was going on? Didn't last night mean anything to him? It meant alot to her... Did he just let them go as far as he did just to have the ultimate bachelor party?

"Will... what are you doing?" she asked when she finally found her voice, sitting up on the bed, looking at the man who held all that was her with an expression a little more than hurt.

"Hey." Will just about to put a shirt on when he felt Lara stir. "I was just going for a walk." Will liked to have a little run in the morning. It was an old habit, a habit he had even when he'd been at Hogwarts and he enjoyed it immensely. It helped him keep fit not to mention, it helped him organize his thoughts for the day. He turned around to face her.

Oh Merlin. He thought. She looked so beautiful. Will wanted to join her on the bed and perhaps have a replay of what happened last night... sh!t.

"But since you're up already... I guess my walk would have to wait." He walked by the hotel table where a platter of an assortment of breakfast breads laid. He grabbed two blueberry muffins. Will sat down on the bed right by her feet. "Muffin?" He asked offering her one.

Lara breathed out a silent sigh of relief. He wasn't leaving her after all. At least... not yet. She nodded in reply with a soft smile, remembering that Will always liked going out for walks and runs early in the morning. Generally Lara wasn't much of a morning person and opted to sleep in for most of the morning, but on occassion she would join him.

The smile on her face grew as Will approached her, armed with a muffin for both of them. Her favorite blueberry muffins, to be exact. "You still remember my favorite muffins?" she asked softly with delight, brushing her hand against his, delighting at the feeling, as she took the muffin from him.

"Of course," Will said with a side grin. The grin grew when he felt her brush his hand to get the muffin. He let his hand there linger for a moment longer before he took a bite out of his own muffin. "How could I forget? If I remember correctly, at Hogwarts you used to send me down to the kitchens at unseemly hours of the night to get you one."

Hogwarts. How he missed those days. Perhaps not the classes, but sneaking around after hours with Lara, seeing whatever mischief they could get themselves into... well that just made him felt nostalgic. He took another bite.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "Will?" The voice was muffled.

"Will? Are you in there?" It was masculine, male. "Come on Fitz!"

There were only a total number of five people that called Will Fitz. There were four, but as of last night, it was five again: One was Darius; Two, his sister Eliza; Three, his other sister Ameila, Four his cousin Nicolas; and finally, there was Lara, being the fifth one.

Both of his sisters were eliminated, Lara was too for obvious reasons, Nicolas wouldn't be so ... well Nicolas wouldn't have bothered knocking, so that left...

Darius barged in a moment later.

"You are here!" He greeted. "I had an extra key. Oh look muffins!" Darius walked over to the table. "Where were you last night?" Darius picked one up, he bit it and faced Will. "We..."

The muffin in his mouth was left un-chewed, his words trailed off, he was caught in mid-motion unable to move as he went through a state of pure shock realising that Will wasn't alone.

At the sight of Will's familiar, side-grin smile, Lara felt her heart speed up several beats. Was there anything about this guy she didn't love?

Other than the fact that he was supposed to be getting hitched today, that is. That little aspect about Will was something Lara wouldn't mind being without.

She opened her mouth in mock-offense, though the twitching corners of her mouth gave her away. "I did not! Half the time, I went with you to the kitchens. And other places..." she added teasingly with a playful smirk, her mind drifting back to memories of their past; when every part of Will was her's.

She was just about to add a teasing comment when the knocking at the door made her freeze. Why did that voice seem so familiar...? Fitz?!? Only four other people other than herself called Will Fitz. Oh sh!t...

No. No way. Fate can't be that much of a bitch... right?

"You are here! I had an extra key. Oh look muffins! Where were you last night? We..."

... F*** you, fate.

Hastily, Lara grabbed the covers and tightened them around her slender frame, her pale skin tinging a light pink hue. "Erm... hey, Darius. How've you been, mate?" she asked, running one hand through her blonde and pink lockes a bit nervously.

In attempt to lighten the mood, she added with a tentative smile. "You've got a rad voice by the way, mate. Real...erm... commanding. People can't help but listen when you sing...."

What exactly did one say when one's ex-boyfriend's cousin caught them together on the day ex-boyfriend was supposed to marry some other chick?

It seemed that Darius was in a self induced body-binding curse and was unable to move.

"Hi, Darius," Will said nervously. He decided to feel around for his wand, just as a precaution. "You remember Lara Kaminski don't you?"

"You..." Darius managed to single out. He pointed at Will. "You..." He trailed off. "And you." He pointed at Lara. He started growing redder by the minute in realizating that Lara was barely clothed and he smacked his hand over his eyes.

He was still unable to articulate what he wanted to say, so he decided to answer Will's question.

"Yes, I remember her."

Will sighed in semi-relief that Darius didn't freak out. "Listen Darius, this..." Will struggled to find a word that would describe this... whatever this was. He glanced at Lara for help. What was this? He didn't even know himself. But time was ticking and he needed to tell Darius something. He avoided Lara's eyes as he said, "This isn't what it looks like."

"Mmmhmmm." Darius nodded, his hands still on his eyes.

Maybe if this had happened under different circumstances, preferably ones where Fitz wasn't supposed to be marrying another, Lara would have laughed at Darius' expression and the whole scenario. If one minused the whole Will cheating on his fiancee thing, it was kind of funny. However, it is as it is, causing Lara to blush lightly, rather flustered.

She nodded eagerly in reply to Will's statement. "Totally. It's, erm, well... it's complicated." she ended with an affirmative nod.

In all honesty, she didn't completely understand everything that had happened. How was she supposed to explain it to someone else?

"For real." Lara added as she took advantage of Darius covering his eyes to summon her dress from the previous evening and slip into it.

Darius decided that having his hand over his eyes wasn't enough and he turned around to face the far wall.

Will finished putting on his shirt and stood up. He looked to Lara to made sure she was all covered up. He gave her a guilty look then turned to Darius.

"All right, you can turn around now." Will said to him.

Darius turned back slowly. Then hesitantly put his hand down. He was as red as a tomato and he avoided looking at any of them in the eye.

Will was at a loss. He didn't know what to say to the kid.

Darius too was at a loss on what to say. "Errr.... N-nice to see you again Lara." He said lamely.

"Likewise." Lara uttered as she stood up as well, standing up next to Will. She honestly wasn't sure what to do. She wished she could catch a glimpse into Will's mind to see what he thought of everything that had happened between them. Or at least, maybe what would happen to them now. Would he still marry Sally, Sandy, or whatever the other chick's name was? It was definately something Lara wanted to know. While she loved Will with all that she was, she wasn't too keen on the idea of being Will's mistress...

Like every part of her life, Lara wanted all or nothing.

"Erm... so... what's up?" she asked with a tentative smile, feeling rather awkward just standing there in front of Darius with what they had done blindingly obvious.

Darius wondered if they were really going to ignore the large pink elephant in the room as he answered. "Nothing much, I was just going to go for some breakfast and wondered if Will wanted to come." But he wasn't going to bring it up. It was awkward enough catching them practically in bed together. He honestly didn't know what to think. Catching Will in bed with someone, well that was awkward in itself, catching Will in bed with someone else on his wedding day that was downright problematic, catching Will in bed with not just anyone else but his beloved ex-girlfriend who Darius knew for a fact that Will never got over, that was just... well Darius didn't even know what that was, problaby something in a telenovela that his great grandmother loved watching. He glanced at Will, keeping his face impassive.

Will was looking at Darius very carefully observing the younger man as he talked to Lara, obviously uncomfortable. Will knew that Darius had always looked up to him, and he taken particular pride in that fact and had made it a point to be a reasonably good role model whenever Darius was around. He loved the kid like a little brother and it was tearing Will apart wondering what Darius thought of him at that particular moment. In a worst case scenario list of all of the people that could have walked in at that very moment, Will would have ranked Darius right below Sara's parents. Will let himself muse what would have happened if it was Sara's parents that walked in and had to keep himself from chuckling. He mentally slapped himself. He needed to deal with this! What was he going to say to him? How could he explain this to him without sounding like a total jerk? Anyway he put it, he ended up as a jerk. Merlin, he was a jerk! What the hell had he done?! He'd just slept with Lara Kaminski on the night before his wedding to Sara Rider!

Darius grew impatient. Darius grew angry. Darius had regained the ability to think. He thought the world of Will and here he was getting caught in a compromising situation! How could he!? He was getting married this afternoon! Darius was immensely disappointed. Will was the last person he expected to do something like this. And here they were acting like nothing had happened. The three of them just standing around, granted it wasn't exactly pleasant but they were ignoring the pink elephant that was getting larger by the minute. Well Darius couldn't stand it a moment longer. He had to say something! It was wrong on so many levels. Will was getting married! To another woman! He was engaged! About to be bound to another! He'd seen Will and Sara and he was convinced that they did care for each there. So what was that? A lie? Perhaps Lara didn't know about Sara at all. Darius decided to assume that than the alternative, which he personally couldn't process at the moment.

"I'm sorry," and he genuinely meant it. He put his head down and shook it. "But, what the hell is going on here? I don't know what he told you, Lara, but he's getting married today."

Lara hesitated a brief moment before slowly nodding her head at Darius' statement. "Yeah, I knew he was getting hitched today." she admitted quietly, looking to Will. She didn't see the point in lying to Darius at this point, no matter what he might think of her and Will now. But he was mine first... she mentally added.

Right from the get-go, Lara had known Will was getting married. Hell, that was why she went off to the bar in the first place: to get hammered beyond any recollection whatsoever, and forget all about her heartache. She was convinced that running into Will, at all times and places had been a sign. Honestly, what were the odds that after eight long years, on the day before his wedding, right after she found out about it, they would meet up at the same bar? Granted, Lara failed arithmancy, but clearly the odds were incredibly slim.

She knew she should probably feel guilty. After all, Will himself seemed to really care about Sandy, Sally, Sammie, or whatever. And clearly the other woman cared about Will. And then here was Lara, doing what she does best, screwing up everyone's lives.

And yet... despite all that... honestly, she didn't regret it. All these years, she'd left so many words unspoken between her and Will. Now, if Will was willing, this could be the end to that. An end to all the years of loneliness, and longing.

Or, if his love for Sally was stronger, a lifetime for Lara of loneliness and longing.

Wanting an answer, Lara looked to Will. She had made her choice, and now her future was in Will's hands.

Darius' lips formed a small 'o' when he heard Lara's confession. She knew about it and yet... He then proceeded to turn red.

"Darius - " Will started, then he hesitated. What was he going to say? "It's not what you think." Wow Fitz, that was so profound. It completely explained everything. This was why Will was a Quidditch Player. In Quidditch, communication was through actions.

"Right." Darius said awkwardly. He looked at Will to avoid looking at Lara. He wasn't judging. As every second passed by, it became increasingly apparent that there seemed to be something here that he was missing. That was clear to him. It was also clear to him what he's next move was. "Right." He repeated. "Well... I'm going to go..." He make a gesture with his thumb. "I'm going to go out, eat breakfast, make sure that your room isn't bothered for the next couple of hours..." He walked towards the door. "And I'm going to pretend that I didn't see anything..."

"Darius," Will called out.

But Darius was already at the door. "I didn't see anything." He repeated. He looked at Lara, "It was nice seeing you again." He opened the door and left, closing it shut behind him.

Will looked at the door for several seconds in disbelief then back at Lara.

"I... I don't know what to say." He said honestly.

Lara bit her lip slightly nervously, out of habit as she watched Darius exit out the door, mumbling as he went. Considering her confession she doubted he thought all that highly of her now, if ever thought much of her to begin with. While she often made it seem like she didn't care what people thought of her, truth be told, what other people thought tended to matter quite a bit more. Especially when it came to people important to her loved ones. The last thing she ever wanted was to cause a rift between Fitz and his family.

Lara conveniently omitted the fact that Sara was technically, at this point, as good as a member of his family.

"There isn't all that much to say, Will. Just... a choice." she replied, deciding not to beat around the bush. "Who do you want to be with?" she asked softly.

"A choice." Will repeated blankly. He stared at Lara. "So that's it then, huh? Everything boils into this one moment. Just a choice."

He sat back down on the bed. For some reason, he had the biggest impulse to laugh. He was filled up with so much emotions, it was all on his chest, weighing him down. It needed some from of release. It found its release as Will started to chuckle.

He didn't think the situation was funny at all but he couldn't stop once he started. He started to get some sort of high on it. Everything was just going peachy for Will. Everything was going great. He just had a small problem. He just needed to decide, he just needed to choose the woman in his life.

Lara? Or Sara? Sara? Or Lara? Their names even rhymed! He didn't notice that before.

He though he had chosen already, with Sara. But then Lara comes along, and eight years worth of deeply buried emotions, deeply buried to the point of almost not being there at all, decide to resurface and his world is turned upside down. What was he talking about? It was terribly hilarious.

Lara nodded in reply. "I don't want to be second best, Will. I don't want to end up being your little side gig you see whenever she's out of town, or you're free at night, or whatever. I want all or nothing. It's either me or her."

She raised her eyebrows in incredulity as she watched and heard Will start to laugh. While Lara tended to find all the littlle, generally inconscpicuous things funny, this definately wasn't funny. Hell, it was nervewracking. Her future was literally going to be decided at this very moment. And yet Will couldn't stop laughing.

"What's with you?" she asked with a raised eyebrow, a little irked that in the moment of truth, Will seemed to be laughing his butt off.

As Will's laughter died down, he put his hands over his eyes and when he dragged them down, a look of absolute misery replaced his features.

"What's with me?" He echoed. He looked at her sadly. "I don't bloody know..." He broke her gaze. He felt so lost. He didn't know what to do. His elated laughter earlier left him left him feeling heavy, worst than before.

He stood up and approached her. "You're never second best, Lara. Never. I would never allow..." He reached out and touched her cheek gently. His features softened as he felt her warmth. "You were always the one for me, Lara. The only one. There was never anyone else..."

"You and I both knew that..." He retracted his hand from her and pulled away. He suddenly felt anger. He was unsure what was making him change emotions so quickly. It made him feel dizzy. She had been the one. Past tense, past tense, past tense. He would have done anything for her, anything. He would have given up his position with the Dragons for her. He would have renounced his family. He would have made Romeo looked like an effing tool next to him.

But she had turned him down! She had rejected him when he had jumped the big jump for her. All of those years. He was right there, right by her side until that time when he got a serious wake up call. A moment of clarity that said that Lara would never be only his, no matter how much he wanted her to be. He had accepted that. He had made peace with that. And now, now that he had Sara. Sweet, beautiful, Sara. Sara that loved him. Sara that had said yes when Lara had said no. Sara that had never hurt him, and he was sure, she never would. He was lucky to have her. He knew that. And he cared for her deeply too. The last thing he wanted to do was to hurt her in anyway. Now that he had Sara, fate intervenes and tells him what he always wanted can finally be his.

Well it was a downright outrage.

He swallowed his anger down. His voice was croaky and worn out when he whispered, "Why now Lara?"

"Why now?" His voice grew in volume, but it was still under a whisper. "I... You had me, all of those years. I was with you. I wanted you. I loved you."

His voice was shaking. He was shaking. "I had waited, I had hoped... for years, after everything, after everyone ... and when I had finally given up and I let my self fall for another... you come along and - and turn my life upside down!"

"So why now?" Will demanded, facing her. "Why now?

Lara gasped softly, closing her eyes and leaning towards Will's touch. She had definately missed this in the eight years she and Fitz had been apart. That and just about everything else. She blinked back tears starting to form from his words, though couldn't help but notice one thing: were, was... past tense. Not present tense happening now, not future tense, talking about what's to come. Past tense. What had happened in the past, and could very well be meant to merely stay back there.

She nodded slowly, willing herself not to cry. The last thing she wanted was Will to think she was just some pathetic brat who kicked and screamed til she got her way. "I know." she whispered in reply. "Just like how you and I both know that it was always you. You were always the one for me, always the one I wanted, always the one I needed. I've loved you since I was seven years old..." despite herself, she couldn't help the few tears that managed to escape. "So if we both know, then... what's stopping us?"

Forget what she had said earlier. She did feel guilty about crashing into Will's life so suddenly. Particularly at a time like this. Here he was happier as can be, with a whole new different life. A life that had no place, and didn't need Lara. He had a fiancee who he seemed to genuinely care and love for, and yet here Lara came, storming in anyway, like a little kid at the candy store, unhappy with the new lollypop she picked, wanting to trade it in, already licked, for her favorite lollipop she left behind for the new one. She didn't seem to realize that the lollypop was already sold out: to someone who would take much better care of it than Lara did.

"I-I'm sorry..." she breathed out as she rose from the bed. "I should probably go. Look, I'm really sorry. Last night was a mistake, we should probably just forget about it." she paused in her motions to look into Will's eyes, whispering as she struggled to hold it in together. "I wish you and Sandy all the best..."

Feeling a few tears cascade down, she hastily wiped them away, adding. "And don't worry, Will. No one will ever know. I-It'll just stay between us." she uttered with a sniff.

Too bad she didn't notice the magazine on the nearby table...

“Lara wait!” Will stood up in an attempt to… to what? What was he going to do? What was he suppose to do? He didn’t know for sure but he knew he wanted to stop her.

“Lara…” he started.

But what would he say? What could he say?

This was happening all so fast. How had this happened?

Will breathed out in frustration. “Listen, you can’t just…” He trailed off not knowing what to say. He looked up the ceiling for inspiration.

“You can’t just… fuuck!” When other words fail, nothing like a swear word to express your inner turmoil.

He tried again. “Listen Lara, you can’t just leave. Not now, not like this. Not after... Not after last night…” It struck a nerve. To hear her say that. Last night was a mistake. I will not marry you. I don’t love you. It was all the same. His favorite noun: rejection. His heart felt like - Merlin it felt like sh!t.

Why did she do this to him? How was she able to do this to him? Wasn’t he over her already? He was so fucking stupid.

For the past eight years, he felt like the biggest idiot in the world. And just when he was finally starting to get over, what was potentially the biggest burn of the century, it took only one night, one wonderful night, one horribly wonderful night to open the old wounds.

It was heart-fucking-breaking.

“Sh!t…” He stopped. He was getting nowhere with this. He looked at her. “You can’t expect me to decide immediately what I want. You can’t just come here and… and act like – make things seem like what it was before then leave because you assume that I am going to go through with my wedding.”

Wow that sounded almost as screwed up aloud as it was in his head. He didn’t know what to say, so he was saying his thoughts. Just pouring out his emotions. Just telling her how this was effing - tarded. “I’m not even… I’m not saying that I won’t. I’m just… this – last night, changed everything. Don’t you see that? But of course you do. That’s what you wanted right?” He ran his hands through his hair.

“You have this effect on me Lara.” He walked towards her. “This…” He made a gesture with his hands as if to explain in actions instead of words but his arms were awkward and didn’t know what to do. He dropped to them his sides failed him as well. “Well I can’t explain it – it’s like you have this… this power over me. I just can’t resist…”

He stopped. “And I think you know that. I think you are completely aware of it. I think that's why your here right now.”

“Listen, you can’t just… You can’t just… fuuck!”

Lara closed her eyes as Will swore and rambled, making his way towards her. "What, Will? What do you I mean I can't just 'fuuuck'? Isn't that kinda the whole problem?" she asked with a dry, hollow laugh at an attempt at a joke. There wasn't really anything funny in the comment or in the situation in general. If anything it just added salt to the wounds of ironic wrath, a fact evident as Lara hastily attempted to blink back tears.

“Listen Lara, you can’t just leave. Not now, not like this. Not after... Not after last night…”

"What else can I do?" she blurted out in frustration, the last of her resolve fading as tears began to cascade freely down her face. "I never meant for any of this to happen... Please, Will, just understand that much. I-It's not like I went down to the bar, looking for you to hook up a-and start this whole mess. Hell, I didn't even know you'd be there... Yet... there you were and it just... all came back, more intense and hurt like never before."

"I never stopped loving you, Will. Maybe I did a s***-a** job of showing it, but... I never stopped thinking of you, wanting to be with you. When I saw you last night,it was heaven and hell. Heaven because I was finally near you... and Hell because I-I could never have you..." she bit her lip as more tears fell. "A-All because I f***ed up royally..." Not really wanting to linger and extend this moment of heartache and rejection, Lara turned to walk out the door.

Lara had accomplished all she'd ever dreamed of. She had managed to pull away from the reputations of her parents, and family and established one of her own. After years of being known as "The Professor's Kid" it was one hell of an accomplishment, in her opinion. And yet... every accomplishment, every victory, every moment of happiness was degraded, and wasn't nearly as sweet, all because of the lack of absence of the wizard in front of her, by her side, where she had always believed, felt, and wished, he belonged.

“You can’t expect me to decide immediately what I want. You can’t just come here and… and act like – make things seem like what it was before then leave because you assume that I am going to go through with my wedding.”

She paused in her step, turning back to Will with eyes wide in shock, nevousness and slight panic. "Wh-What do you mean by that? Will... what else can we do? Where else can we go from here? In a few hours, you'll be married! Hell, by this time tomorrow, you'll probably be off on your honeymoon with Sally!" she sighed, not wanting to utter the next few words, but knowing she had to speak the truth.

"You love her, you even said it yourself. In a few hours, you're going to marry her a-and tomorrow.." she took a shaky breath, "T-Tomorrow, I-I'll be nothing more than a memory to you. A memory of an illusion."

“I’m not even… I’m not saying that I won’t. I’m just… this – last night, changed everything. Don’t you see that? But of course you do. That’s what you wanted right?”

A pain-filled heartbroken laugh escaped Lara as she shook her head at Will. "Totally, Will. I woke up yesterday and said to myself, 'Hey, let's screw around with Will today. After all, it's not like I screwed up his life enough yet, what with making him miss out on his once-in-a-lifetime career opportunity!" she hissed back, each word louder than last in this symphony of a broken heart.

Didn't he see that’s why she ended it all, and stood as one of the main reasons she had said no to his proposal? She was getting in his way... She loved him, yes, and wanted a future with him, but... the timing wasn't right. They both had endless opportunities ahead of them. After graduating Hogwarts, Lara wanted nothing more than to be with Will, at his side through all his highs and lows, and all his victories. She tried her best, really. But yet... it still wasn't enough. Lara wasn't enough. She'd gone from at his side to becoming an obstacle right in front of him, making him miss out on one of the best things that could ever happen. She learned from her mistake. She learned a hard lesson well, and wouldn't let it happen again. Even if it meant losing the man she loved more than anything, she would do it all for his happiness.

“You have this effect on me Lara. Well I can’t explain it – it’s like you have this… this power over me. I just can’t resist… And I think you know that. I think you are completely aware of it. I think that's why your here right now.”

Lara scoffed at the very idea of having a 'power' over Will, shaking her head in broken defeat. Had their time apart made Will form a grotesque, completely wrong idea of her? Did he start believing all those tabloid magazines and articles that criticized her as being no more than a fake, with no value other than being eye candy? Did he really think this was all just some sort of sick game she was getting a kick out of, screwing -figuratively and literally- with him?!?

It wasn't, in any way or form a game. After all, if it was, shouldn't there be a winner?

"Yes, Will. This is all just some totally fucked up game I decided to play." she replied dryly through her tears. "That's why I'm here, standing in front of you, being with me, and torturing myself with the knowledge you love someone else and I'm never going to be good enough for you. That's why I'm here, Will!"

She broke down a little more, more and more tears falling as she hastily tried to wipe them away, only to have three more take each tear's place. "Do you really think I'm like that? Just some ho trying to f*** up everyone's life?" she asked softly, with new pangs of pain coursing through her, consuming her inside and out.

Will stood there flabbergasted.

"Yes, Will. This is all just some totally fucked up game I decided to play. That's why I'm here, standing in front of you, being with me, and torturing myself with the knowledge you love someone else and I'm never going to be good enough for you. That's why I'm here, Will!"

She was crying. He had made her cry. Her tears were little bullets that shot right through his soul.

You are an idiot Fitzwilliam.

Never going to be good enough for you. Never going to be good enough for you. “Never going to be good enough…” He echoed with disbelief. He choked on the emotions that coursed through him. He shut his eyes, unconscious that several hot tears fell from them. Didn’t she understand?

"Do you really think I'm like that? Just some ho trying to f*** up everyone's life?"

Will felt like he’d just been slapped.

He felt anger. “Don’t you ever, ever call yourself that.” His voice was as stern ad he’d ever make it. He never listened to entertainment news or tabloids. Every word they said against Lara was a word said against him. How many fights had he started because of what someone had said about Lara that wasn’t exactly positive? He knew it shouldn’t have bothered him. People said things about him that weren’t exactly compliments either and those just bounced off. But when they say things about Lara… well he’s donated a lot gold to magazine stands for certain minor inflictions. “Don’t you call yourself anything remotely close to that. I won’t have it.”

Then his features softened.

“Don’t you understand?” He whispered coarsely, nearing her.

“Don’t you understand that you are the only one?” He gently cupped her cheek and with his thumb wiped her tears away.

“You are the only that could make me truly laugh, truly smile, truly …” He trailed of unable to continue.

“You’re right. You’re never going to be good enough for me.” He steadied her head so that she was unable to look away. He needed to make her see, to make her understand. “You’re never going to be good enough because, hell Lara, you’re fuckking it.”

“You’re the girl of my dreams. Always was, always will be. You’re the woman I measure everyone against. You’re absolutely perfect in every fuckking way. You’re Lara, you’re the only girl for me.”

There he said it. What was right there. He knew what he had to do. Everything was clear as crystal. The wedding, Sara… the chips were going to fall where they fuckkking may.

“I want you Lara. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. I'll call off the wedding. Let's go somewhere - to the Caribbeans! - let's go, just you and me.”

“Don’t you ever, ever call yourself that. Don’t you call yourself anything remotely close to that. I won’t have it.”

Lara sniffed, blinking her eyes in response to the tone of Will's voice. Was that... anger... entwined within his words? What he was he angry about? "Why not?" she asked softly. "It's true isn't it? That's what some of my fans think, that's what people out there think. Hell, its probably what you think of me..."

"Just say it, Will. Just be honest with yourself and us and admit that all I'm good for it fucking up people's lives. Go on, don't be shy, admit it." she prodded him, continuously pushing his buttons until he'd finally break and true emotions would be revealed, since with Lara's state of mind, she expected Will to hate her, expected him to want to break her just as much as she'd screwed up his life.

“Don’t you understand? Don’t you understand that you are the only one?”

She blinked once more in response to his words, sending a trail of hot tears cascading down her face. However, the heat of her heartbroken tears did nothing to even come close to the heat and sparks that flew when Will gently cupped her face and did what he did best: wipe away the tears that she cried. She leaned into the touch, savouring the feeling, for it seemed that what nourished her, in a way, also destroyed her.

"Bullsh!t." she whispered defeatedly in broken heartache, not believing his words. She desperately wanted to, but where her heart pleaded, her mind sternly reprimanded and forbade.

“You are the only that could make me truly laugh, truly smile, truly …”

"Bullsh!t. C'mon Will, you were about to marry another chick for Circe's sake. Are you telling me that every smile and laugh you've given her has been total fakes?" she asked with disbelief, afraid to believe she actually mattered at all to him still.

“You’re right. You’re never going to be good enough for me. You’re never going to be good enough because, hell Lara, you’re fuckking it.”

Lara was about to to respond with an 'I told you so' at the end of Will's first sentence but then decided to, for once, hold her tongue as he held her head steady, devoiding her of the ability to look away and avoid eye contact.

"What are you trying to say, Will?" she asked, her voice still in a whisper as tears continued to fall. However, unlike her previous ears, they, like her heart were felt with another emotion aside from agony: hope.

“You’re the girl of my dreams. Always was, always will be. You’re the woman I measure everyone against. You’re absolutely perfect in every fuckking way. You’re Lara, you’re the only girl for me.”

"Will..." she breathed out in happiness as tears, now of happiness, filling her as she leaned closer towards him and captured his lips with her's. Maybe it was a small, simple move, but to Lara, it was the ultimate way to show all the love and happiness she felt being with Will: her Prince Charming in every sense of the word and beyond.

“I want you Lara. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to be with you. I'll call off the wedding. Let's go somewhere - to the Caribbeans! - let's go, just you and me.”

Wanting to keep at least some form of contact with Will and not wanting to let him go in anyway after just winning him back, Lara wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against his and stared into his eyes. "But what about Sandra? What are you going to tell her?"

In all honesty, Lara could care less about the other chick. After all, in her mind, it was only that chick that was keeping her from Will. Despite all that however, she still tried to be a little nice and not be a total self-centered bitch.

"Why not?" she asked softly. "It's true isn't it? That's what some of my fans think, that's what people out there think. Hell, its probably what you think of me..."

“What people think doesn’t matter. You and I both know that.”

“And I do admit it,” his tone changed and a grin appeared. “You’re good at...” He let the words hang.

When she kissed him he knew he’d made the right choice. Lara. Lara. Lara. How did he live without her all of those years? Now that he had her, he never wanted to let her to go.

"But what about Sandra? What are you going to tell her?"

Fucck. Sara. Oh Sara I’m so sorry.

His eyes darkened. “The last thing I want to do is hurt her.” Will said honestly. After all, he cared about her too. “But I have to… I have to tell Sara the truth.”

He pulled away from Lara in order to think clearly. With her holding him like that, well he was so tempted to kiss her, to touch her, to… how the hell had he lived all of these years without her?

They could do that later, now however, they needed to deal with the problem at had. Well he had to deal with it. Deal with it. That sounded so horrible. It sounded like a minor problem. Something that could be brushed away, disregarded. But there were people’s hearts involved here, and when hearts are involved, minor problem is not something you would label it.

“I…” He faced the sun shining through the blinds. He squared his chest, inhaled and exhaled again. He chuckled slightly. The situation really was rather a lose-lose situation, as any choice he would make he would hurt someone he cared about, what else could one do but laugh?

“I’m going to be the biggest jerk in the world for what I am about to do.”

He turned to face Lara again.

How could it be a lose-lose situation where here on this side, he’d get her, Lara Kaminski?

“Could you do it? Hm? Be with the biggest jerk in the world?”

At Will's teasing tone, Lara couldn't help but smile, with a light blush. Playfully, she smacked him over the shoulder, giving him a light push. She wondered exacty just how it was she lived for so long without him by her side, without hearing his voice and laugh, seeing him smile. Not to mention a few other things that apparently she was good at...

“But I have to… I have to tell Sara the truth.”

She nodded in comprehension of Will's words, not taking offense at his pulling away from her, understanding his reasons for it. A smile part of her felt sorry for Sammie. After all, Lara of all people knew just how easy it was to fall for the half-Spanish wizard, and if her experiences proved anything, once Will had you, he had you. There was no getting over this guy. You would always be his.

“I’m going to be the biggest jerk in the world for what I am about to do.”

A sad smile illuminated her words at Will's words as she shook her head in eager disagreement. Seeing Will so upset was almost like piercing her own heart with a shard of glass. She hated seeing him liike this...

This was one of the many, practically infinite, reasons she loved Will. He always thought about other people. In no way could anyone ever call him selfish.

“Could you do it? Hm? Be with the biggest jerk in the world?”


"No, I couldn't." she replied with a dead serious tone and persona. "Last I looked, Justin Bieber and the Jonas Brothers were all taken by their obsessive fangirls."

The playful tone and smile returned as she wrapped her arms around his neck, giving Will a reassuring kiss. "[i]You/i] however, you kind, sweet, thoughtful, generous, not to mention hot as hell, wizard... I. Love. You." she replied, adding a kiss for each of the last three words.

"I love you, Will. I always have, and I always will. Nothing will ever change that. I've already been stupid and let you go once. I sure as hell am not going to let that happen again." she half-smiled, half smirked as she added. "You're mine, dude. Whether you like it or not."

At the mention of the rather… hem interesting tween idols Will just couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You however, you kind…”

He didn’t think he was very kind, especially at that moment. I mean come on, it was their wedding day. It would have been kind two weeks ago when she asked if he was completely sure about this.

“Sweet…”

Goodness, what sort of Slytherin would you consider as sweet? Well unless they’re covered in chocolate…

“Thoughtful…”

He should think more. He should really really think about asking a girl to marry him. He was starting to think he never should get married. Or even attempt to. Things always doesn’t seem to go the way they should whenever he gets a ring out.

“Generous…”

That wasn’t really an adjective he would describe himself. He was only generous to people he liked and cared about, everyone else could pretty much screw it.

“Not to mention hot as hell…”

Well… he could probably give her that.

“…wizard. I”

Kiss

“Love”

Kiss

“You.”

She was right. He couldn’t argue with her. He had learnt long ago it was futile endevour. Besides, he knew, just like the rest of the world, that he would always be hers, whether he liked it or not. Didn’t last night just prove it? Eight years of being over her just down the drain? Being engaged to someone seemingly perfect for him not even the slightest deterrent? He was hers all right. Hers forever.

He kissed her. Just to be sure that this was all real. He kissed her because he needed the strength to face the consequences of his actions. He kissed her because, hell he fuccking loved her.

“I’m going to talk to Sara.” He said straightening up. “I’ll be back.”