Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter 3-

Bianca jumped slightly startled by the popping noise that came from the foyer. Curiously, she went to investigate who it was, hoping against hope that it wasn't who she thought. But it was...

Harry.

"Dammit," she said in a harsh whisper to herself. She hoped he didn't hear her. "Harry, what are you doing here?" She brought up her hands to rest on her hips.

"I came to see you," he said obviously. "What's all this about you going back to Ireland?" Harry watched as Bianca looked away from him. She clutched the blouse she was holding even tighter, letting that hand fall from her hip.

"I can't tell you."

"Of course you can," he said softly. He walked up to her and slowly put his hands on her arms. She pulled away instantly. The expression her face made it look as if it were almost physically painful to be touched by him. Harry frowned, stepping away from her slightly. He didn't know what was causing his love's pain, but he was determined to fix it. "Bianca, what's the matter? Tell me, why are you leaving? Did I do something wrong? Was it because I proposed to you? Was it too soon?"

She couldn't take it anymore. She'd lied about everything for two years and it was about time that she told him the truth for once. Bianca shook her head, her eyes still looking away. It hurt just to think about how she was going to say this so much her eyes had begun to sting with tears.

"No, Harry. It's not that- Well actually it kind of is." A deep sigh. She finally looked him in the eye but found it very hard to keep contact with those sad green eyes. His heart twinged as he noticed how red her eyes had gotten. "Harry, I would have gladly married you if it weren't for..." She couldn't say it. She couldn't! 'Hermione was right though. I should have told him this earlier. Before we got in too deep.' Another sigh. "Harry, I love you. I really do-"

"So then what's the problem?" he asked, almost desperately pleading.

"I love someone else. I've loved him for so long. Longer than I've known you." There, she said it. And it took everything she had not to run away for her safety.

Harry took a step back. He didn't know whether to be shocked or hurt. He was feeling both at that moment. But was it possible to feel even worse than after what happened yesterday? From the looks of it, it was. Still, he had to know.

"Who is it?" he croaked, an incredibly large lump in his throat was making it difficult to speak. It was the last thing he wanted to know, but it was one question he really wanted the answer to: Who the hell stole her away from me?

Bianca didn't want to answer- But he deserved the whole truth now. She only had an hour before catching a portkey to Dublin.

"My husband. Greggory."

"Husband?" Whether his voice was actually working or not, he couldn't tell. But maybe it was since she appeared to have heard him.

"Yes, my husband. I'm sorry I never told you." She watched as Harry's mouth tried to form some words. "We've been married for eight years," she answered for him, then continued to explain everything with as little detail as possible. "I lied about getting a job at the Daily Prophet. I'm really an Auror." Bianca paused for a moment while Harry sat down on the arm of her couch. He had just lost control of his legs. This was probably a lot for him to take in, but she wanted to get it all out now or else her courage might ebb away.

"Two years ago I was assigned to a mission that required me to go undercover as a Daily Prophet reporter. The editor in chief was in very hot water with some surviving death eaters. It turned out he had refused to join You-Know-Who's army and had been made a target ever since." An uneasy silence filled the room as Bianca watched Harry's downcast eyes carefully study a small stain on her carpet.

"A month after I came here I met you," she softly said, her eyes studying the same spot as his. "I tried over and over on several occassions to tell you I'm married, but I never could. So then I thought it wouldn't hurt to have a younger fling on the side-" She saw Harry slightly flinch at those words but pressed on. "And then soon we just became... more. I don't know why I let us continue the way we did. I regret it now, I really do. Hermione was right. I should've told you everything at the beginning."

"Hermione knew you're...?" Harry couldn't bring himself to say those words. To say she's already married.

"She came over one day and saw a letter from Gregory on my kitchen counter. I told her not to say a word about it. And she told me to let you know. Either that or she'd say something. I thought she would. Hell, I hoped she'd do it. It would've saved me the embarrassment."

Harry was still sitting on the arm of the couch trying to grasp at what she'd just told him. To Bianca, he looked like an idiot with a blank expression on his face. He didn't care if he was gaping like a fish out of water, or if his eyes were ready to bulge out of his head. All that he cared about was trying to understand how the most beautiful woman that he'd ever loved could have betrayed him like this. How could this possibly get any worse?

"Harry," she pleaded dropping down to her knees before him. She carefully placed her hands on his lap to see if he'd reject her. He sat still, watching. She looked up at his pained face, her eyes stinging again. "Harry, I'm so sorry. You wouldn't believe how sorry I am. I love you, but I'm not in love with you-"

"Does he know?" Harry asked, his eyes wandering again around her half packed lounge. His face looked hardened as if torn between anger and sadness again. She eyed him confused.

"Of course not. You think I'd actually tell him?" she said as if it were the most obvious answer.

"No, of course you wouldn't," he replied lightly. "How stupid of me to believe you'd tell the truth to someone you supposedly love for once." Harry practically jumped up, knocking Bianca backwards on her bottom very surprised. She watched as he began to quickly pace back and forth on the spot. A grimace appeared on his face and his eyes had glossed over as he looked down at her on the floor. "What the hell were you thinking, Bianca?!"

"Harry, I said I'm sorry! I never knew it would go this far!"

"No!" he yelled. His breath was becoming heavy as he stopped pacing and glared down at her. "No- If you loved me like you say you do then you would have told me everything ages ago!" Bianca stayed quiet, averting his piercing gaze. "You thought it would be fun to have a fling?! You thought cheating on your husband with the Harry Potter was going to put that spark back in your love life?!"

"Harry-"

"No! Don't- Don't say anything. I'm beginning to realize that two of the best years I've ever had were nothing but a lie. I'm realizing now that the woman who I thought I was madly in love with only thinks of me as some cheap sex toy."

"Harry, I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

It was true what people said about the power Harry could emit with just one look. At this point Bianca was terrified of what he could do to her. Yes, she was an Auror, but no one's ever felt the wrath of the wizarding world's savior, save for one person: Lord Voldemort. And he's dead. Harry nor Bianca had moved all this time. She was too scared and ashamed. He was too furious.

"Saying you're sorry isn't going to fix what you've done to me."

"I know," she muttered softly. Bianca was still avoiding his eyes but she could hear him make his way to the door. She heard his footsteps stop, then heard his voice.

"I hope your husband loves you enough to forgive you." Bianca couldn't help but glance up at him, albeit for the last time. "Because I sure as hell can't." Her brow furrowed at what he'd just said. "Don't worry, Bianca. I won't be around to embarrass you anymore."

As soon as the door closed behind him, Bianca threw her now wrinkled blouse she had been clutching at the door.

------

Sorry I took so long posting this one up. As always, please review!!

Ch.4 coming soon- Attempted apologies, more fights, extreme pride and someone's getting jealous! Also, have we seen the last of Bianca or not??? Check back soon to find out!!