𝑆𝐴𝑉𝐼𝑁𝐺 𝐷𝑅𝐴𝐶𝑂 𝑀𝐴𝐿𝐹𝑂𝑌

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟖 - 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 № 𝟒

I looked at the sweater, two red reindeers kissing in a white field, with green trees all around and white and blue snowflakes falling here and there. Truly lovely.

I locked my jaw until my teeth went numb because I didn't want to ruin the moment with a fail attempt to kiss her. She was the brightest thing in a hall of a thousand lights, but not while sad.

"I think it sucks," I said and raised my eyebrows.

She raised a gave to meet mine and by the crooked angle of her jawline, I knew she had gotten my message. My Ophelia didn't waste time fussing over whether I liked a sweater or not. My Ophelia didn't give a fuck.

"And I think you're a cunt," she said, with an accent so heavily out of London that it only came out when she swore.

We smiled. No. We smirked.

She sipped her eggnog and walked deeper into the market. We didn't need to ask each other to know that we had saved our appetites to eat breakfast together and we headed straight to the stand that served cinnamon rolls. We had spotted them yesterday and we would have bought some if it weren't for the pretzels we had just gobbled down.

I surprised Ophelia when I pulled out muggle money and paid for the cinnamon rolls myself, not being afraid of the cheerful man with the white double-pointed hat.

"Where did that come from?" she asked, sitting down on a bench nearby.

"Stepped by the Exchange Office in the Ministry just this morning. Everything's on me, birthday girl," I said and took a bite. "Did your parents give you a hard time yesterday?"

"Not too much. But they were right. I don't know where my mind was. I completely forgot myself. I worried them a lot."

I imagine the scene a similar event in my family would have caused if Dad had been

"And now you have to leave early?"

"Yep," she shrugged.

"That's bad..." I said. Too bad, is what I wanted to say.

We ate in silence and listened to the passerbys' noises. It was nice when we covered up lead-ups with everyday activities because up until then every awkward silence I'd had in my life had to be proven by extensive stares or purses of lips.

"Actually," she finally announced, "Mum had an idea. Maybe, if you'd like, you could come over and we could all put up that legendary Christmas tree."

"What?" I was lost.

"Well, yes. You said you wanted to meet them and they would be more comfortable knowing who I hang out with," she licked frosting off of her thumb mindlessly.

"Do they want to interview me or something?"

"I think they just want to make sure you're - you know - normal," she shrugged.

"They know who I am?" I was looking ahead.

"Yes." She was looking ahead, I knew.

"Why did you tell them?" I asked. There were traces of anger in me for some inexplicable reason.

"I didn't. They were there when Linus told me you were looking for me-"

"Fucking Linus!" I shouted, remembering my feud with him. Now I was fuming.

"Dray! Relax. Why would I not tell them who you are, in any case?"

I took a moment to breathe and thought deeply. I had forgotten who I was to her. I was so much freer, so much more with her that I had forgotten I was lying to her as well. I was lying to everyone. Both she and her parents had to be afraid of me and should have nothing to do with me. She was putting a Death Eater in her home, a future murderer and a scum.