Harry and Melody were still in each other's arms. The common room started filling back up, so the two roamed the halls. Harry was upset with himself since he jumped to conclusions, so out of guilt, he did everything he could to comfort Melody.
"Melody, what are you going to do. You know you can't go on like this..." said Harry.
"I know. Which is probably why you're not going to like my suggestion."
"Probably not. But if it's going to help you, I can put aside my better judgment," he reasoned.
"Leo and Dahlia could help me control my magic. They've both proven to be trustworthy, and they've been through this."
Hesitantly, Harry says, "If that helps. But would Amos agree to that?"
"I'm sure he would. He doesn't have a say this time," she shrugged.
"How long will you be gone?"
"However long it takes. I'd probably be going every day straight after classes."
"Every day?" He said with furrowed eyebrows.
"I mean, yeah. I don't know when something could happen. What happened in the common room, for example, I don't know when that could happen again."
"So you're not gonna be here for the remainder of this year?"
"I'll be here, but only for classes. I'll stay at The Manor, makes things either. Won't have time for much else," she explained. "I'll be back fully by the fifth year."
-
Melody and Harry are now in the common room snuggled on the sofa. Harry had his arm around her shoulder, Melody's head rests on his chest.
"I'll miss you," Harry says, breaking the comfortable silence.
"I'm not dying," she joked. "And you'll still see me."
"Not like this."
"True. I'll miss this."
"Think of this as... a see you later," Melody said.
"Fuck. Why does life have to be so damn tough," he chuckled.
"That's the consequence of living."
"The benefit is better," Harry reasoned.
"Maybe for you."
"Meaning?"
"Nothing," Melody sighed and shook her head. That night, they fell asleep in each other's arms what they didn't know, that it would be the last time for a while.
-
It's been a month since Melody started learning from Leo and Dahlia. It was safe to say she had no time to spare. Dahlia wasn't only teaching Melody how to control her power; she was teaching her how to defend herself with and without magic. Meanwhile, Leo was busy remodelling The McLane Manor. With Melody training-morning's, after school, and weekends-she hadn't had time to see Harry.
As of right now, Melody and Dahlia were in the indestructible room training.
"In a fight, your opponent may be strong, but you have to be the stronger one by convincing yourself you are. You can't win by protecting the weak; you win by getting rid of them," Dahlia says. Dahlia swiftly turned around, and her wand aimed at Melody's chest. "You're distracted. We've been over what you're supposed to do in this scenario." She lowered her wand. "It's Harry, right?" Melody nodded. "Look, it's not that I don't want you to have your happy ending. I wish that for you," she paused. "You're using him as a weakness-use that to be stronger. Family is the one thing that's stronger than any Patronus charm you cast."
And Melody kept that in mind
-
Days later, it was Melody's birthday. She doubted her friends would acknowledge it because Rons' birthday was the same day. And unlike Melody, Ron was there to show that. She did get a gift from Quinn and her parents-all three of them.
"Since today is the day I went through hours of labour to deliver you-I grant you and I-the day off," Dahlia sighed and plopped down onto the sofa.
Little did Melody know, her friends and family were planning something.... Melody walked up to her room to finish some of the homework she was behind on when she heard a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Leo walked into the room with a warm smile. "You're not seriously doing homework on your birthday?"
"I'm behind."
Leo waved his hand, and all her homework was completed. "Not anymore. You should probably keep quiet to the professors about that," He whispered. "Why don't you wanna do anything crazy? Like bungee jumping or something?"
"Bungee jumping is one of my biggest fears," Melody laughed.
"The first rule of true living-do the thing your most afraid of," he provoked.
"And what if your biggest fear was dying?"
"Lucky for you, it's not," Leo boasted.
"So," Melody sighed, "What did you come in for?"
"Well, for one, today is your birthday. And also, I made a killer cake that I cannot eat alone."
"Count me in." Melody and Leo walked downstairs and into the kitchen. Dahlia was nowhere to be seen inside the house, which was weird to Melody, but she brushed it off. After only five minutes with the cake, Leo and Melody had finished it.
"Leo! Melody! The garden!" They heard Dahlia shout.
Leo and Melody gave each other a panicked look, and they quickly ran to the garden. Leo already knew what she was planning, but he put his incredible acting skills to use by pretending to be oblivious. The garden was filled with sweets, and Melody noticed Dahlia reopened the small house in the backyard. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny, and Haylee, were all there, holding blankets and gifts. Melody ran up to each one of them and hugged them.
"Welcome to Melody and Ron's fifteenth birthday sleepover!" Dahlia announced. "Leo remodelled the guest house so you all can sleep there. There are activities inside, or you can just eat sweets in the guest house all night. Either way, just have fun!" Leo and Dahlia walked back into the house, leaving the teens alone.
Everyone ran inside the guest house and was welcomed with different kinds of cakes and bunk beds. Everyone filled Melody in on what she missed.
"Seamus exploded himself Again?" Melody said in disbelief. "Speaking of him, where is he? And Dean?"
"They-they-you don't wanna know," Ron stammered. Melody made a face when the realization hit her.
"Oh, and Draco told me to give this to you." Haylee handed Melody a letter. The letter opened up and began talking.
"HOW DARE YOU KILL MY FATHER! MY FATHER WILL
HEAR-NEVER MIND. YOU SHOULD BE LUCKY I DON'T REPORT YOU TO THE MINISTRY! I ALSO HEARD FROM MY MOTHER THAT YOU KILLED THREE PEOPLE-JUST THAT NIGHT! THOUGH HE DESERVED IT, YOU COULD'VE AT LEAST LET ME TORTURE HIM A BIT AND THEN KILL HIM! SELFISH!" The letter said before self-destructing.
"Delightful," Harry said sarcastically.
"I heard Narcissa isn't even holding a funeral for him," Haylee said. "Narcissa said she only cremated his body so she can watch him burn."
"Damn, she must've really hated him," Ginny said.
"She and Draco have their reasons. I'm not at liberty to say." "Anyways," Haylee sighed.
"Anyone gonna help me eat this cake?" Harry shouted with frosting
on his face.
Everyone gave Melody a look, signaling she needed to talk to him. Melody got the hint and wandered to the corner of the room to Harry.
"I just ate a full cake with Leo, but I will happily eat a cake with you too," she laughed.
"Gah, I missed you," Harry sighed.
"You said you would," she replied cheekily. "I missed you too."
"You said you would," he replied in the same cheeky tone.
"Do you know how much you missed?"
"I know. They just filled me in."
"That's not even the half of it. I believe Ginny and Haylee want to tell you themselves," Harry said. "Also, I wanted to give you your gift in private.
Harry handed her a large box. The box was yellow with a black ribbon around it. Harry nodded eagerly for her to continue opening it. Melody pulled the string and opened the box. She pulled out a yellow and black quidditch jumper that read: DIGGORY 07.
"I had this in my closet, and I thought that-" Before Harry could continue, Melody engulfed him in a hug.
"Thank you." Those weren't the words she wanted to use; she wanted to use: I love you, but the more responsible inner voice told her differently, and that thank you was more sophisticated.