MERRY EARLY CHRISTMAS LOVES! I know I'm the worst for not updating in nearly a month. The past few weeks have been so busy. BUT, have no fear ... here's a rather short (if I must admit) chapter to tide you over until the New Year! (In all honesty, I've had half of this chapter saved as a draft since December 2nd lol .. But here it is, finally finished!) Let me know what you think via comments and your votes!

"The girls are asleep ... finally ," Ellison called, as she entered the kitchen. Tom, who was seated at the kitchen table, inclined his head to look at her. "Thank you for waiting."

"Of course," Tom nodded.

"Would you like some tea?"

"As long as it's not the same tea you've been giving Lestrange," Tom smirked. Rolling her eyes, Ellison turned towards the stove. Placing the kettle on the burner, she opened the cupboard, pulling out two teacups, placing a teabag in each of them.

"Still two sugars, no cream?" She asked, pouring water into each cup once it had boiled.

"How do you remember that?" Tom chuckled, cocking an eyebrow.

"Dunno," Ellison shrugged, sitting the cups down on the table before taking a seat in the chair across from Tom's. "It's funny ... The things you never seem to forget about a person." Tom's smirk widened as he took a sip from his cup. "Calla and Ella seem rather ... taken, with you," Ellison continued, raising her own cup to her lips.

"I don't think the excitement of meeting a new person has lost its effect on them yet," Tom replied, shrugging off her comment.

"Ella might be outgoing, Calla though..." she pressed on, "Calla's usually harder to win over."

"Well, I've always been more charming than most," Tom smirked.

"I suppose that's true,"Ellison chuckled, shaking her head.

"Mum," a voice called from behind. Ellison turned, her eyes falling on Calla, who stood at the doorway in her dressing gown, her eyes fixed on Tom.

"Calla, love," Ellison began, standing to her feet. "What are you doing out of bed?" Calla's eyes tore away from their original subject, falling back on Ellison.

"I was thirsty," Calla shrugged.

"I'll get you some water," Ellison smiled. Walking back to the cupboard, she opened it. Pulling out a glass, she filled it up at the sink. "Do you want me to come sit with you until you fall back asleep?" Ellison asked, handing Calla the glass.

"No, that's okay," Calla shook her head.

"Alright then," Ellison smiled, running a gentle hand over Calla's hair. Turning back towards the door, Calla retreated down the hall. "Sorry about that," Ellison said when she was sure Calla was back in her room.

"No problem," Tom shook his head. Glancing through the doorway, Ellison gazed down the hall, seemingly lost in thought.

"Would you like to go upstairs?" She asked, turning her eyes back to Tom. "The girls ... their room ... its only a few feet away," she pressed on when Tom gave her a look. "I just don't want our conversation waking them up."

"Lead the way," Tom replied, remnants of the mischievous smirk he had worn seconds before still visible as he stood from the table.

Retreating up the stairs, Ellison turned the knob of her bedroom door. Moving aside for Tom, she stepped inside, closing the door lightly behind her, turning the lock as she did. She watched as Tom glided through the room casually, his eyes trailing over his surroundings. Walking towards her dresser, he stopped, his eyes falling on something Ellison couldn't see.

"Was this taken at your wedding?" Tom asked, turning to face her, revealing the picture frame he held in his hands. Ellison nodded, swallowing hard. Glancing down at the moving picture within the frame, her eyes fell on Amos's smiling face. "You look happy," Tom said absently, holding the picture up to look at it properly.

"I was," Ellison replied softly.

"You know," he pressed on, placing the frame back on the dresser before taking a step towards her, "Ella said my eyes looked sad ... but there's sadness in yours too." Ellison looked away, fixing her gaze on a lopsided pillow seated on the armchair in the corner of the room. "They don't shine quite as bright as they used to."

"That tends to happen when a piece of you is ripped away," Ellison replied matter-of-factly, nearly whispering the words. Tom's eyes traced over her face as he considered her words.

"I suppose it does," he replied after a moment.

"What pieces have been ripped from you?" She asked, her gaze still fixed on the pillow, tracing each intricate stitch with her eyes.

"More than you could ever know," Tom replied casually, though Ellison guessed there was more weight to his words than he was letting on.

"You know sometimes I forget," Ellison began, her eyes falling back on Tom. "Forget we lived entirely different lives all those years you were gone ... Especially when it feels as though you-"

"Never left," he finished, a faint smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

"That scares me," she continued, maintaining her serious tone.

"What does?" Tom asked, his eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"That after fifteen years ... the feelings I had for you are the exact same," she began, glancing away under his intense gaze. "After falling in love with someone else ... having a life with him ... children..." she drew in a sharp breath, exhaling slowly. "All the while, these feelings were still there."

"And you feel guilty," Tom said matter-of-factly.

"Honestly, I don't know how I feel," Ellison replied, a bitter smile turning up the corners of her mouth.

"Do you still miss him?"

"Not as much as I should," she shook her head, her eyes locking with Tom's.

"You're not being fair to yourself," he said, stepping towards her. "You can't spend the rest of your life agonizing over whether its okay to move on ... I don't think he'd want you to live that way," he continued, nodding in the direction of the picture frame on the dresser. "And if he does, then he didn't deserve you in the first place."

"I'm not sure I know how to move on..." Ellison trailed off, looking away. Reaching up, she wiped a stray tear from her cheek. Tom, who had closed the remaining gap between them, grasped her arm, squeezing it lightly.

"Did I make you happy?" Tom asked, peering down at her. Looking up, her eyes met his.

"Of course you did," Ellison replied. Tom leaned in, pressing his forehead against hers, their noses nearly touching. Reaching up, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his warm touch lingering against her skin, sending a chill down her spine.

"Then let me make you happy again," he whispered, tracing his thumb over her cheek. She closed her eyes as his other hand touched the small of her back, pulling her closer. Tilting her head up, Ellison's lips found his. Tom pulled her tighter against him as they kissed, sliding his hand from her cheek, up into her hair. Letting go, she wrapped her arms around his neck, melting into the familiar feeling of his embrace...

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