And If I Start Again...

From the outside, it looked like a completely unassuming red brick cottage not all that far from Palace Green.  Once inside, though, it was elegant and spacious, with a romantic courtyard in the back that was spectacular.  Marcus hadn't actually had a place of his own since he had legally separated from The Harpy.

His children, all but one, lived with his parents.  Ana, Marcus thought, was struggling to get Pavel out of her life. And then there was the whole issue of being a single working mom with two kids--both of which were in Hogwarts, but one of which was theirs--Marcus's and Ana's. It created a biological mishmash.  In politically correct terms, a blended family that was complicated by the fact that Marcus and Ana were both still married to other people--people that neither of them wanted anything to do with anymore. Other than that, it was simple.

But, Poppy had thrown Ana back into his life suddenly, and all the feelings he had worked so many years to bury had resurrected with all the power they'd ever had.  She was the woman he hadn't been able to get out of his mind, the one he hadn't wanted to let go of.  He wanted to renew the romance. He wanted her back.  But--his work demanded that he live, most of the time, with the Lupins.  It was not conducive for going out to dinner and then whatever extracurricular activities that might lead through til breakfast.  

He had considered simply, initially, dealing with a hotel suite on retainer, but that felt completely disrespectful towards her.  She had been uprooted in her life enough.  So had he.  He hadn't really thought about having a place of his own again because he didn't foresee him using it much.  He didn't consider himself having any one steady partner.  Ana hadn't ever asked him to give up the impulsive one night stands, but he wasn't entirely unaware that if they got serious again, he might have to adjust.

And then there as the fact that between then, they had six kids, none of them under Hogwarts age, but, Merlin forbid, they were still at the age where Marcus's random impulsivity might, at some point, encourage activities that lead to more. So--a romantic nest for two--that had bedrooms for six offspring at least.  How the hell did he do that?  

Well, he decided it led to a sophisticated family home. A place where they could be a romantic couple of if they chose, or be a family if they needed to. He wasn't planning on swing sets and slides in the backyard, so the sophisticated courtyard suited him well.  It was a five bedroom house. He had dedicated a room to his twin boys, a room for his youngest son and Ana's son to share, and a bedroom for Brooke and Poppy to share.  That left a guest room--which, he figured would most likely go, most of the time, to providing places to sleep for squabbling siblings.  He had decorated it as more of a den with a murphy bed, so that it could serve multiple purposes.

He'd made sure it had a decent kitchen with large commercial sized appliances. There was a family room with a large home theater, and a huge fully equipped gym with a lap pool.  There were several luxurious bathrooms, and a large staff bedroom with an ensuite bath at the other end of the house. That space was large enough to convert into an efficiency apartment if the 'staff' wanted to do so. He'd simply hired someone he considered to be competent decorator, listed his needs, approved the sketches and the swatches and awaited the big reveal. He had requested it be fully equipped and he'd had boxes of some of his things and his children's things sent there and moved in already. He'd found out Poppy's sizes and he'd bought things for her and had taken great joy in doing it.  He knew, unless Ana had changed much, what her sizes were.  He had had, years ago, occasion to read the tags in her clothing.  He remembered those details. And with three boys, he had a god idea what size Ana's boy was. He'd made sure they had all been remembered, and he had left plenty of space to bring in their own things.  Groceries bought.  Wine and the "important spirits" stocked in the wet bar in the family room.  All essentials provided.  Nothing left out.  

What he wanted, tonight, was Ana.  He didn't want to bring in the kids first until he and Ana had had at least one night of adult time in order to slow down and see where this would all lead. What he wanted, for certain, was to not lose her again.  Not ever.  

He had taken the weekend off and invited Ana for dinner Friday night, sent her roses with a romantic invitation, and a set of housekeys with the address.  Then, he had asked Khaat's personal chef, Angus, to prepare a gourmet dinner for them. Angus was an auror who worked also for the Lupins, and, as part of his own personal interests, had gone to culinary school and was responsible for the top notch cuisine that fed the platoon that lived at the massive estate.  Angus could more than take a cue. He was preparing a five star romantic dinner and then was going to disappear, literally.  

With a little luck, she might still be here on Monday morning.

Ana was starting to think that filing for divorce was even worse than sitting through a million meetings for the Marriage Law. And although she had never thought anything could ever be as annoying as fighting the people who wanted no part of the expectations of the law, Ana was ridiculously pleased that it had been repealed. It would be untrue to claim that she had done it for no reason; the research had started after the Green Itch issue, and she wouldn't ever allow someone to say that it wasn't useful. Because it proved that she was right about Purebloods all along.

It was lucky, though, that she had been around the house more. Spending time with Anton and Poppy was quite different than any of them seemed to have expected, really, and was almost downright pleasant so far. She had to admit, though, that she was surprised at first when Marcus's invitation had arrived. Yes, they were both in a bit of a mess with their respective spouses, but she had not expected him to go ahead and invite her over. Although, perhaps it was not so strange after all, given what they had been through in the past.

She felt rather guilty, though, about leaving the children with Pavel in order to stay with Poppy's father. So she had suggested they stay at their friends' homes, or to stay with Madeline, an old friend of hers. In the end, of course she went. What could she do, really, when she had been drawn back to him the moment they met again? There was nothing for it. She wanted to see him.

The roses had gone in a vase, set on the table in hopes that, while she knew the real meaning of them, her soon-to-be ex-husband would not come to understand where she had gotten them from. Or from whom. Ana was fully aware that the news would not go over well with him. But she had gotten dressed up, said her goodbyes to the kids, and apparated away before Pavel could become curious enough to ask any questions. The address did not come with the sort of place she expected; it was incredible, honestly, and she found herself smiling up at the house for a few moments before approaching the front entrance.

Ana's fingers toyed with the keys, wondering if she was supposed to just let herself in. Why else would they have been sent, right? She could just give them back once she got inside, if that was what Marcus had intended. So she slipped the keys into the tumblers and turned it, feeling and hearing the click as it unlocked. Drawing in a breath, she pushed the door open, practically staring as she looked around the house.

"Marcus?" she called, closing the door behind her. "This was pretty Humphrey Bogart of you, you know," she added, shifting her weight and stepping into the foyer proper.

She was perfectly on time. He had just finished making them each a cocktail--beautiful ruby colored cranberry bellinis. He picked up both glasses, and he went to the door.

"Bogart, huh?" he laughed, kissing her gently. "Hadn't planned it that way, but I suppose you're right. Here," he handed her one of the champagne flutes. "I think the last time I had a bellini was in Venice maybe a year or so ago. Thought it was time to revisit it. Cheers."

He took a sip from his glass. "I haven't had a place for about ten years," he said. He'd been storing his things at his parents' and living out of either leather duffel bags or out of hotel suites or out of rooms designated for him at his employers. To have a place of his own was different for him.

"I haven't had a reason to have one--until now," he continued. "Ana, I know things aren't easy right now at home with things the way they are with Pavel, and they might not get easier for awhile. You and the kids need someplace to get away to. I want to get to know my daughter. I want to be a proper father to her. I want to let Anton off the hook for feeling like he has to protect Poppy. And I don't want to let you go again.

"Now, so you don't get the wrong idea, I don't want this to be high pressure, but you have a safe place here away from all the madness. You and the kids--for whatever you want it for, for as long as you need it for. There's space here for you, and for them. There's space for my kids, and space for us--for you and me. Those keys are yours--for good.

"I think we've got a bit of time before dinner. Would you like to look around?"

A gentle smile curved Ana's lips as he approached, and even his kiss couldn't wipe it away. Instead, she just laughed as he pulled back, accepting the drink. She lifted the glass in thanks before taking a sip as Marcus did. "Special occasion, then?" she asked, only vaguely surprised that he would have picked out something so specific. True, he seemed like the type to do so anyway. But it did seem rather pointed. What was so important?

She had been looking around the front rooms of the house until he started to explain, making her eyebrows lift out of curiosity. It felt almost wrong for Marcus to say Pavel's name, but she pushed the weird feeling in her stomach away so that she could pay attention to what the man in front of her was saying.

Her fingers toyed with the keys as he mentioned them, color warming her cheeks at his words. "Marcus," she breathed, her gaze lifting to meet his. "I didn't expect this at all. It's brilliant," she added, stepping into the living room at his suggestion that they look around. "They love you, you know. Already. It doesn't take a lot for Anton to take to people - especially father figures. And I think he was tired of being at home with Pavel, you know? He seems to have played the role of Poppy's protector, which I should have... Which you could have, if I had said something.

"I really am sorry about that, by the way. I just... didn't trust that he would take it well. I wasn't careful enough at the time. But, obviously, I wouldn't take it back for anything," Ana promised, shaking her head and reaching for his arm with her free hand.

Her fingers curled around his bicep as she stepped closer, careful to keep her drink steady. "Marcus, you know that I didn't change things to hurt you, right? It was for protection. I didn't feel... like it would have gone well."

He ran his fingers slowly through her hair as she spoke. He'd missed this entirely too much. He leaned in and kissed her slowly this time, as if he could drink in all the years he'd missed with her. All the opportunities just for, well, this.

"I let you walk away last time," he said softly. "I'm not ready to do it again. We both were with the wrong people, and we weren't ready to make it right. Perhaps its time to rethink that.

"Ana, your kids need a good dad. And my kids need a good mom. Yeah, they've got great grandparents, but its not the same, and we both know it. Pavel and The Harpy just can't do the job. And, selfishly, I've never stopped wanting you."

He'd heard her mention her kids. It reminded him of his kids--his twin boys, Zane and Kai, his daughter Brooke and his youngest boy Ezra. They lived with his parents, but he spent every spare moment he could get with them. He'd made sure they had absolutely everything they needed. They'd somehow turned out to be well grounded kids, despite having a nutball for a mother.

"Anton's first two encounters with me might have tainted his viewpoint just a little," he grinned. "He got to see me looking like a rather dashing hero both times. It might be different when he sees the routine of daily life. Its far less heroic. On the other hand, he'd have two older brothers, another sister his own age, and another brother one year younger. It might all work out.

"I know why you did what you did," he said. "Doesn't matter now. What matters now is us having some much deserved grown up time, and bellinis, dinner..." He could smell it now. "And wherever that leads to."

He knew exactly where he wanted to lead to.

Ana's hand fell to Marcus's side as he moved in for another kiss, her fingers curling into the fabric above the waistline of his trousers. The corners of her lips lifted into an apologetic smile when he spoke again, and somehow his words seemed incredibly private. A part of her was embarrassed, as though someone might overhear them.

But a larger part was pleased, her cheeks warming as she realized there wasn't anything else she would have wanted him to say. And, in truth, there wasn't anywhere else that she wanted to be. Not anymore. Not after he had finally conceded that perhaps they would be able to make up for past failures.

A quiet laugh escaped at his teasing, but Ana couldn't help but think that he didn't really have to joke. Marcus had, indeed come off as something of a hero for those children, twice. The brunette just had to hope that they could possibly see her in the same light. The thought made her a bit downhearted, though, and what she wanted was to soak up the time she had been given with him for the night. So she pushed it away and tried to focus on what he was saying.

"Right," she agreed with a determined nod.

Walking beside him towards the kitchen, Ana had to duck her head when she remembered something: "You know, I wasn't ever truly angry with you those times that we argued. It's almost funny how badly I just wanted to kiss you to shut you up. But, of course, that would have looked a bit mad in front of the Minister or in front of Elijah."

Should she have told him about her... interactions with Eli? Ana didn't think that would make anything better, given her past of holding meetings with the man in question. So she kept that part to herself, not exactly interested in asking after who Marcus might have spent time with during their years apart. And it had been far too many years.

He listened to her talk of resisting what she wanted in order to maintain some propriety, some appropriateness. He understood that. He had done much the same. He had done it for different reasons, though, or at least that was what he had told himself. He had told himself, years ago, that what they did was for the good of the kids.

Then, when Ana had been in trouble, he had resisted tossing the door wide open again because, with Poppy in trouble, it felt to Marcus like he would have been taking full advantage of Ana to catch her when she was so desperate for the safety of her daughter. Their daughter.

"Next time you're tempted to kiss me, stop overthinking it," he gave her a grin. "Actually, I was thinking the same thing at the time--for different reasons, but, yeah. It was the same thing. But--so you know, Robert's mind is remarkably open about such things. He honestly wouldn't have given it a second thought. What I thought he was and who he turned out to be were entirely different things, much to my relief. As for Eli,..well, I just wouldn't worry about that."

He knew more about Eli than he probably should have. Eli was no saint, and Marcus didn't really care about the boy's opinion on much of anything. He didn't dislike Eli. Marcus just found him to be, oftentimes, a bit immature and impulsive, so he didn't take Eli seriously most of the time. Marcus's first marriage had been, briefly, to Eli's nanny, Stelladora. Marcus had maintained some amiable contact with Stelladora since--even if most of it was when Stelladora wanted him to do some sort of rescuing of somebody or another.

He walked into the kitchen and saw Angus had gone and had left a washing up spell in place to finish cleaning up every trace of the cooking mess. He frowned slightly and picked up the pitcher of bellinis on the counter. He motioned to Ana to continue to follow.

He went through to the dining room where the table was impeccably set for a candlelit dinner for two, with both plates covered with silver cloches to keep the food hot. It smelled divine. The centerpiece was just one single rose in vase. He saw that dessert was covered and waiting on the sideboard.

"Oh, a word. We'll no doubt be eating Tuscan. Angus is fully English but his family lives in Tuscany most of the time, and its how he cooks. I borrowed Khaat's chef because I wanted better than my average cooking. Not sure what he fixed us, but he's never disappointed. I hope you're hungry. Apparently Italians can also make plenty, or so I've learned."

He invited her to sit and lifted the cloches off the plates. Swordfish Involtini, with a roasted vegetable gratin, and lovely fresh salads with a light vinaigrette.