#sammccloud

But Ella knew she wouldn’t be sticking around. There was just something about England that had unsettled her from the moment she’d arrived, maybe it was all the unanswered questions she still harbored inside herself about her mother and why the woman could choose a half and half chance of survival over her own offspring. Questions of if her mother had ever truly loved her or had only seen her conception and birth as just something else she could use in her favor with the Dark Lord, promising the child to his service from the moment she’d been born, Ella bearing the permanent reminder of that pledge for the rest of her life. But the main reason, one that she tried avoiding the thought of, was the fact that while here in England, while here in the castle that her mother had not only been a student in but had also lost her life in on Ella’s first birthday…Ella felt herself connected with the woman who she had never really known more than she had ever felt before. Here, she could sense her true potential—her true destiny.  

And that terrified her.

And that was why there was no way she would be sticking around much longer than her last day as a Hogwarts student. As soon as her year was up, she was hightailing it back home faster than a First Year encountering their first ghost. 

But yet….

Here she was.

Still in England. Still in England and in her first year at the newly established University within the castle walls. 

Clearly something had gone a bit awry.

A place of her own in Hogsmeade, a part time job at a shop not too far from home, a few dabblings that she knew would make her father proud being dabbled in, a puppy, a heavy course load at the university, a Kinsley spare room stealer and a sometimes cubby roommate—Ella didn’t quite mind the change of plans. It was so often that she would come home from work and find Kinsley lounging around on her couch eating whatever food Ella had only just restocked up on after Kins last visit that it wasn’t soon after Ella herself had gotten a key to the place that she’d had one made for her best friend (only to find out that Kins had swiped hers one night and made a duplicate of it already herself). Always a welcome guest, Kinsley probably slept in Ella’s guest room more than she did her own dorm room back at the castle, the girl now in her seventh year and due to that and it’s often occurrence, it left no spot for the even more welcome guest who would sometimes pop in from time to time much to Ella’s sheer joy. Sam and her had grown a bit closer over the summer, a few secrets being shed and a stronger bond being formed between the two. It wasn’t as strong as Ella had always wanted but she now had a sense that Sam’s presence in her life was never going to waver. That no matter what, he’d be in her life one way or another.

But then again…that could be for more than one reason.

A drunken night, a memory she now cherished while he had no recollection of and a secret that was growing day by day—there was forever going to be a part of Samuel Hamish Montague McCloud in her life. The slight rounding of her abdomen promised that.

Her condition was still a secret, not even Kinsley knew but Ella knew she’d have to sit her two best friends down and break the news to them but she wasn’t sure how she’d answer the question of who had been the one to knock her up and she knew Sam enough to know that he’d be greatly concerned about that answer and would most likely want to drag whoever it had been to the ends of the earth and throw them off. And she knew Kinsley enough to know that Kins…well…she would just know and if she knew who knew how long before Sam accidentally found out. But at the same time, Ella knew telling the truth was more than certainly out of the question as well. He’d want to instantly do right by both her and the baby and she couldn’t let that happen. She wouldn’t accept the right thing when it would be the wrong thing. She wanted him to fall in love with her for her and while she knew that she needed to all but give up on that at this point, she wasn’t going to have him force himself to care more about her than he truly did because of a mistake. A mishap. It was going to be rocky and tricky but she’d find a way. Sam just…he couldn’t know. 

Coming home from work, there was no sign of Kinsley yet today but Ella was certain she’d see her eventually and sure enough, she heard her door open not even an hour after her own arrival home but it wasn’t the energetic voice of the girl that greeted the bouncy puppy that met them at the door, it was the soft tone that always sent her heart fluttering in her chest—now for more than one reason. “Sam?” Ella called out from the kitchen where she’d been poking around to see what she’d be making for dinner, mentally now adding him to the list of eaters (already counting Kinsley from the get-go). There wasn’t an answer but a heartbeat later he appeared in the kitchen door frame and leaned his long body against it, the puppy in his arms licking all over his face. “Oh, so the dog gets to kiss you but I don’t?” She teased, an eyebrow arched, smiling when Sam only rolled his eyes at her, a comment about sassiness muttered under his breath. Bouncing over to him, she itched behind the pup’s ears as she peeked up at her curly haired cub. “Does sassy still get me a kiss?” Ella asked to which a look of surprise crossed her face when Sam nodded in answer. The look being replaced with a shriek as she danced away after he lifted the eager puppy up a bit higher and allowed him to lick all over Ella’s face. “I DON’T LIKE YOU!” She yelled out as she dodged him and scrambled out of his reach. Hands on her hips, she just watched as he laughed and set the pup down before opening his arms. Making a face, she only resisted for a few seconds before bouncing back over to him and burying herself against him, careful to suck in her blossoming baby bump as he wrapped his arms securely around her and held her tightly to him in return. Feeling his hand stroking her hair, Ella just let out a content sigh.

She’d never been so happy that her mind had somehow been swayed than in this moment. 

"HONEY, I’M HOME!"