𝐢. 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐂 ; harry j. potter ( UNEDITED )

114. "every moment becomes eternity, do you hear me"

"Bingo!" Lucia's eyes twinkled in delight, as she pulled out a lumpy mass of canvas, rope, and poles.

As she lit a small fire ("Incendio!") beside the unconscious figures of Hermione and Harry after gathering branches that she could find in such a short amount of time, Lucia began preparing the tent with the little knowledge she had from watching Ron putting it up for fun during the summer. Once done, she was quick to use up all her strength in dragging both of their bodies simultaneously into the tent.

Her eyes widened at how spacious it was in comparison to the tents that she had been in. It resembled a small flat, complete with bathroom and a tiny kitchen. Remarkably, it was also furnished to make it seem cosy, which bewildered Lucia in more ways than one. However, she focused on her two friends, shoving aside an old armchair with her leg before she lowered Hermione carefully onto one bed before carrying Harry onto the lower berth of a bunk bed. After she had settled them, Lucia transferred the fire from the outside to the lanterns on either side of Hermione and Harry's bedside.

"God, you both look awful..." said Lucia, as she sat on the edge of Hermione's bed, lowering her hand on the young woman's face. "Neither of you look as though you've ate..."

Lucia went to fetch her schoolbag that she had laid on one of three armchairs and searched through it, finding food they could eat when she stumbled in her fruit stash. She pursed her lips in contemplation, looking back and forth from the fruit back and her friends, before she sighed.

"I'll sacrifice some of you... I'm sorry..." she said sadly, going into the kitchen and began to cut it into cubes. She then went to find a kettle when she heard grunts and groans. She wheeled around and immediately made a beeline toward Hermione's bedside.

"L-Lucia...?" Hermione's hoarse voice filled the still and silent night. "I-Is that really you?"

"It is!" Lucia sat on her knees on the floor, could not contain her smile and ecstasy of seeing Hermione awake. Hermione tried to sit upright, but Lucia pushed the young woman back down. "Don't overexert yourself!"

"B-But Harry —"

"It's fine! Leave him to me, you rest!" said Lucia immediately, as she went back to the kitchen and came back with a plate of fruits in hand. She set it on the bushy-haired beside, "Look at you... you look so thin... Have you eaten?"

Hermione diverted her eyes guiltily. "I-I have," she said in her hoarse voice. "Only a little though,"

"Somehow I find it hard to believe that... At least eat as much as you can now, I don't need to eat," said Lucia earnestly, worried.

"But..."

"It's okay, I'm not kidding. I would say I've been eating well these past few days," said Lucia smilingly. Her cheeks hurt, she had never smiled this much before. "Oh! Shall I get you something to drink as well then?"

Hermione watched in an exhausting manner as Lucia went around the tent, already treating the place like home, as she poured a bottle of water into the kettle Hermione has deposited in her beaded bag. Observing the said young woman, Hermione could not help but smile, but guilt immediately overwhelmed as she did so.

She had left her on her own back then.

"Lucia,"

Lucia hummed in acknowledgement, moving around the kitchen effortlessly, playing with the cutleries she could find.

"H-How did you found us? How were you there in the first place?"

She stopped dead in motion as Hermione questioned her that. Lucia felt nervous all of the sudden, but she did not keep her friend in the dark as she smiled at Hermione before she made her way to the entrance of tent, peeking out only to see that it was still night.