Find You There (Fanfic Version)

Twenty-Eight

"The Warlock's Hairy Heart," Harry says after pulling up the driveway.

I blink a few times, "I'm sorry, what was that?"

"The Warlock's Hairy Heart, page forty-three," he says and looks over to me.

I take out the gift-wrapped book, "May I?" I ask.

He nods and so I unwrap the book, putting red paper inside the plastic bag. Hardbound. . . I take my moment to run my fingers through the cover and smile.

I pass it to Harry, "Read it to me? Please?"

He sighs, "I don't read."

"But you obviously did read this one, you say you have the same perspective as the character," I say.

"Alright," he says. "Don't — Don't criticize how I read."

I roll my eyes. Seriously?! He's worried about that? "You're English, everything read by you is bound to sound good. I like your accent."

"My car or my actual accent?" He asks as a joke.

"Both."

He sighs, licking his lips, "I've never actually read to anyone so —"

I scoff with a smile.

"Right, you're right. Here we go," he mumbles and I laugh. I watch him patiently as he flips the pages and settles for a certain one.

"There was once a handsome, rich, and talented young warlock, who observed that his friends grew foolish when they fell in love, gamboling and preening, losing their appetites and their dignity. The young warlock resolved never to fall prey to such weakness, and employed Dark Arts to ensure his immunity."

Harry sighs and raises an eyebrow at me, "Have I ever fallen in love? I reckon that's the part of the book that explains why I haven't."

I stare at him, wide-eyed and a little bit more curious than before. Unpredictable as he always is, I've never expected this one coming along. The words from the book just says one thing no matter how metaphorical or dramatic it sounds, it leads to one thing, Harry doesn't want to fall in love.

"I'll leave it to you to read the rest and tell me what you think after," he says and unlocks my door. "I've had a fun day, stranger. I look forward to more afternoons such as this one. Bounanotte."

"Good night too, Harry," I say and step out of his car, holding the books he gave me. "Ciao." I wave with one hand and close the door.

He smiles, "Ci vediamo."

I make my way to my room, Ivan helped me with the books and then I told him to tell Robbie that I'm already home.

After a nice dinner with my mom, I was really itched to read that children's book Harry gave me. It also reminded me that I wasn't able to give him a gift but I'm not really the gift-giving type. None of us, actually. . . he's the only cat that has done that.

I head to my room and start reading, my nose twitching slightly in almost every paragraph as I can't help but imagine that Harry is the main character. . .

In the story, the warlock doesn't want to fall in love because he thinks the idea of it messes with a person's sanity. I'm thinking, he's right but that's not good enough of a reason for him to associate in Dark Arts and keep himself in isolation.

Many maidens tried to catch his fancy but none prevailed and he was determined to keep it that way. . . at least until he heard one of his servants say something insulting about how he can't even have a wife even if he has everything.