MAROON

LXIX. The War: Love Hurts

Dear Kian,

I think I'm doing this right. I don't know why you wizards can't just use regular post.

Anyways, I found something you might want to see. My parents are out of town. Meet me at the beach house at 2 tomorrow?

Sincerely,
Maeve Barron

~~~

November 20, 1978

KIAN ANSEL CRESSWELL

Kian passed around the letter to his friends. He felt conflicted and he needed their thoughts. James was still grieving and was passed out in bed according to Regulus so he wasn't there but the rest of them were. Kian could also feel grief eating at him as he sat around the table because yesterday had been the one year anniversary of the Hogsmeade attack.

"You can't go. It's too dangerous. We are on the run from death eaters right now," Regulus instantly told him. He didn't sound sympathetic about it either.

Pandora gave Regulus a soft look. "Reg..."

"No, Dora. I'm not losing another friend. For fucks sake, Kian. Aidan and Hezekiah are both dead and now Marlene is too. I can't handle losing you too," Regulus stated with so much pain in his voice this time.

"But it's about him, Regulus. It's about Aidan. I have to go. You have to understand that," Kian pointed out desperately.

"I think you should go," Remus told him. Regulus gave him a look of disagreement. "Come on, Reg. Imagine you were him right now and this was James we were talking about. We can make an exception for this."

Regulus caved in at the thought. "Fine but please be careful."

So, Kian did go.

⭑ ⭑ ⭑

November 21, 1978

Kian knocked on the door to the beach house. Maeve opened it up minutes later. She greeted him with a weak smile before pulling him a quick hug. "Thank you for coming."

"I had to," Kian told her. "It's Ai."

Her smile turned sad. "He loved when you called him that."

"I know. It's why I called him it."

Maeve walked down the hallway of the beach house and Kian followed her. "Ariana visited the other day. She said you had a girlfriend. The red head from the funeral."

Kian could recognize the hurt in Maeve's voice. He knew what she thought. "Lils is my girlfriend and I love her but... I'll always love Aidan more than anything or anyone else. We were soulmates and Lily knows that and she is fine with it."

As they entered the living room he saw no other than Daniel Reyes lounging on the sofa. Kian instantly turned to Maeve and stuffed his wand in his pocket. "You didn't tell me he would be here."

"Why were you holding a wand?" Daniel asked him. They both ignored him.

"I know what you are thinking. I didn't invite him here to read the diary. The diary is for you and you only. It's what my brother would have wanted," Maeve reassured him and he felt more than relieved.