Hierarchy of Need [t.r]

Chapter Nineteen

Delilah bit her lip and read it over three more times. She hated it when the bad guy had a point. Though Grindelwald's way of trying to progress the wizarding world was questionable.

Someone kicked her leg and she looked up, Tom was standing above her looking even more tall due to her sitting. "The shop owner finds you sitting on the floor a tad disrespectful and has kindly asked you to either leave or buy something." His voice was flat as he offered her a hand, tugging her up with more force than necessary.

He always did that, simply to watch her fumble for her balance. It was amusing so he didn't see a point to stop.

Delilah huffed and put the book back, smiling as sweetly as she could at the grumbling shop owner as they left. They walked down the crowded cobbled streets back towards the inn, the late evening chill seeping through Delilah's coat. She kicked at a pebble and found his silence a bit deafening.

"What's your opinion on the statue of secrecy?" She blurted, regretting it almost instantly. This would undoubtedly lead to an argument. Tom spared her a glance before looking forward again, ignoring everyone around them as he continued to stride forward. People moved easily out of his way, and by default, they moved out of Delilah's way as well. She supposed there were some perks of being with him.

"Some aspects are questionable on severity, but overall it's needed." He finally said. Delilah blinked at him in surprise, did they actually agree on something? She was about to reply, but he kept talking.

"Muggles wouldn't be able to properly handle the concept of magic, they can barely deal with something such as science. And jealousy is never a safe fuel, they'd be envious to a violent degree probably." He mused and just then a light snow started to fall, the snowflakes catching on his dark hair. "Trying to get muggles to understand magic would be like putting a man on the moon; impossible."

Delilah felt her eyes spark up and a devilish smile reached her lips. Tom faltered slightly as he took in her expression. No, he didn't like that at all. "What are you smiling for?" She began to laugh, oh how badly she wanted to tell him man would actually go to the moon. It burned her chest with desire. Just to prove him wrong.

"I think it's possible, man going to the moon I mean." That was as much she could settle for. There was such certainty in her voice Tom nearly believed it himself, but he shook his head. "Well of course you would, you're a half-blood." The insult didn't affect her in the slightest. "Yeah well, so are you." That earned her an incredibly sharp glare.

They started up the crooked stairs of the inn, bickering back and forth as they went. "It's not physically possible, the moon is over two hundred thousand miles from the earth." Tom said rather pointedly, but Delilah's knowing flame was unwavered.

"Oh believe me, magic won't get us there. But muggle engineering will." Without either of them realizing it, Delilah followed him into his room.

"Don't make me laugh." Tom instinctively walked over to his already crowded desk, his eyes running over what he wrote in his diary. "You underestimate them so much." Delilah sighed as she sunk into the bed, staring up at the ceiling, imagining the moon above her with the American flag planted on it.

"It will be one small step for man, and one giant leap for mankind." She muttered, thinking back to those infamous words said by Neil Armstrong.

Tom scoffed and turned, diary in hand as he flipped through the pages, eyes scanning quickly. He raised his head due to the silence and he froze for a moment at the sight of Delilah splayed out across his bed.

Her arms are out at either side, her hair a golden nimbus around her head, her feet just barely hanging off the edge. The image looked oddly natural, like she was supposed to be there.