𝐢. 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 ; harry j. potter ( UNEDITED )

113. "i wish you were more than an imaginary stranger"

Lucia nodded vigorously and pressed a simple kiss on Bao Bao's head. "Be good, okay? Don't make Astoria mad..." she said trailingly, before she gazed up to Draco questionably. "Why have you been so nice to me this year? I've never gotten a chance to ask you that..."

Draco swallowed hard as he diverted his eyes away from her, shifting uncomfortably where he stood.

"Let's just say that," he pursed his lips, "I want to repay you for last year... for trying to save me and even hear me out when... when... you know..."

Lucia's gaze softened.

"Thanks, Malfoy," she said. She had never thought she would say that in a million years.

"Go on, DiFIore," he said.

Lucia nodded graciously and looked down to Kreacher as she grasp the house-elf's hand, "Take it away, Kreacher,"

And everything went black.

It was a hard thing to comprehend, Lucia had thought. The last face she were to see before she fled was Draco Malfoy out of everyone she knew. Now that she thought about it, she knew her friends would certainly be reproached by the fact that he had been the one to help her in getting away, but Lucia was very much thankful.

But, really, this was not how someone would imagine their birthday would be like.

"Kreacher, thank you for getting me out of there," said Lucia earnestly, as she pushed herself up from the two-feet of snow she was laying on.

Kreacher bowed to her, "Master Harry would want Kreacher to help Mistress..." then a solemn look painted his face.

"Master...? Wait, are you trying to tell me that you finally accept Harry as...?" Lucia looked at Kreacher, eyes glimmering. "Kreacher, did you see Harry at all this year?"

"Kreacher... has served Master Harry for a few weeks before Master went on a mission..." Kreacher's eyes were brimmed with tears as he played with a green locket around his small neck, "But Master and his friends never returned..."

Lucia's eyes widened.

"You don't think that they're...?"

"Kreacher d-don't think so," said the old house-elf, shaking his head vigorously. "Kreacher still knows that Master Harry is Kreacher's master,"

"T-Then that's good still, you know? There are still chances that they're alive, and I doubt that Vo — You-Know-Who, would not boast about Harry being killed, Kreacher. So please, rest assure," said Lucia, crouching down to his height, resting her hand on top of the house-elf's head. "I'll make sure to be the one to confirm that for you."

"Kreacher believes in master and mistress," nodded Kreacher graciously.

"And we believe in you, Kreacher. Stay in Hogwarts, all right? That's the safest place for you now," said Lucia.

Kreacher nodded and with one last bow, he Disapparated with a crack, leaving Lucia on her own in the middle of the snow-filled forest as she stuffed the satchel Draco had given to her into her schoolbag, before she hugged herself, swallowing hard.

"Why did it had to be in winter," she whined, gripping her wand and Disapparating.

Maybe it was because she was just not that important enough to be in total trouble, but going into hiding wasn't all that bad if you had things such as food and money in your disposal. She had even went to a theatre in London just to catch up on the latest films for a short while before going out and about again. However, finding shelter and proper clothes to wear during such unpredictable weather was definitely proving to be the bane of Lucia's existence as she hid in one place and another.