Her words brought a rush to his chest. Ben hadn't been planning to ask her to, nor had he been hoping she would. After she'd mentioned the pain of living close to her family the last time they'd talked about it he'd considered the topic very much closed. Closed with no resentment, at least on his part — he couldn't fault her for not wanting to live close to people who actively chose to hurt her every time they saw each other. So this was unexpected, but not unwelcome. If he had family in Hogsmeade he could visit more often — maybe even spend nights at home on a daily basis, except for the occasional days where he had staff duties that stretched into the night. He hadn't been thinking he wanted to be a proper family only if he could spend more time together, but the notion did make looking forward to a future with more children even more enticing. It felt like finally they were pulling in the same direction, after years of being at odds even when they were trying their best. Finally, things were falling into place — moving towards how they were supposed to be.

But he still hesitated. He didn't want her to agree to something because she thought it was what he wanted, if it was going to be something to spark resentment later. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. He kept hold of her hand and moved his other gently along the edge of her arm.

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