LXXXIV. SEI L'AMORE DELLA MIA VITA
31:07 ─❁────────── 31:80
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❝Oh, baby, I am a wreck when I'm without you
I need you here to stay❞
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LUCIA WOKE UP ON THE FLOOR that morning, along with Ginny and Erin, who also fell off their bed in the middle of the night. She groaned in pain, trying to get Erin and Ginny off her, as well as their arms and legs off her face. She looked around groggily and saw Fleur was gracefully asleep still on her cot, not even sounding a single snore. Lucky...
Running her hand through her messy hair, Lucia saw that the window was completely obscured by the snow and not far from the window laid Bao Bao and Arnold cuddling together on Ginny's bed, sharing warmth with one another. She pushed herself up and stretched her aching body, she did not appreciate being slept on by Erin and Ginny. She already knew that Ginny was a rather messy sleeper, but she had never thought that Erin would be messy too.
She looked around and saw four bulging stockings with the initials of F... E... L... and G... on it. She was quite thankful that she had sewn a stocking for Fleur and Erin just in case, for she knew Mrs. Weasley would have been reluctant to thanks to her indifferences toward the young women. Lucia took her stocking filled with presents and exited out of the room, not wanting to wake up the girls, however she didn't care if she woke up the boys.
When she made it to the attic where Harry and Ron were, she barged in without a knock and luckily, they were already awake. Ron was holding what looks to be a thick golden chain. Lucia tilted her her head, reading...
MY SWEETHEART
She snorted. No wonder when she came in Harry was toppling off of his cot from laughing too much.
"Blimey, Lavender..." she said weakly, gaining the attention of the two.
"Lucia!" Ron blushed and quickly hid the chain behind his back.
Harry wiped a way a tear, "What are you doing up here, Lucie?"
"Wanting to bother you two, and I regret my decision," grimaced Lucia, stepping through the threshold with her stocking. "Nice chain, Ron."
"Shut up," mumbled Ron, embarrassed.
"It's nice," Harry said. "Classy. You should definitely wear it in front of Fred and George."
"If you both tell them," said Ron, shoving the necklace out of sight under his pillow, "I — I — I'll —"
"Stutter at me?" said Harry, grinning. "Come on, would I?"
They both looked at Lucia, who whistled airily as she began unboxing some presents on the floor. She glanced at them mid-whistling. "What?"
"Luce," Harry gave her a knowing look.
Lucia scoffed. "Have a little faith in me, I'm no snitch!"
"You may not be a snitch, but sometimes your mouth would just have a mind on its own," Ron narrowed his eyes at her, "Remember when I accidentally blew up the chicken coop and it was all supposed to be a secret, and then during dinner that evening, you accidentally spoke about it?"
"It was an accident!" Lucia defended herself, being reminded of last summer. "Not my fault that I was thinking about that!"
"Everything was an accident that day!" Ron countered before mimicking, "'I hope the chickens are okay..'. Of course they are!"
"How was I supposed to know they were magical chicken?!"
"There's no magical chicken!"
"Than I had the right to be worry for the chickens!"
Lucia huffed in annoyance as she flicked a pink lighter that erupted pink flames, gifted by Astoria. "Also, why should you even care if Lavender gave you an embarrassing gift? I find it... endearing...?"
"Get out," Ron deadpanned.
"Chill," said Lucia in defence, while Harry said: "Ron,"
"Look, should I even explain myself when its this clear to see why?" Lucia shared a look with Harry and rolled her eyes. "How could she think I'd like something like that, though?" Ron demanded of thin air, looking rather shocked.
"Well, think back," said Harry. "Have you ever let it slip that you'd like to go out in public with the words 'My Sweetheart' round your neck?"
"Well... we don't really talk much," said Ron. "It's mainly..."
"Snogging," said Lucia and Harry together.
"Well, yeah," said Ron. "Don't you two usually snog?"
"That's not a question you should ask without feeling embarrassed, but yes. We do snog, but most of the time we talk," said Lucia.
"Yeah," said Harry, "We don't snog 24/7,"
"But you would love to?" Ron said, perplexed.
Harry grinned dreamily; "Oh, yeah, definitely,"
"Charming," said Lucia, rolling her eyes.
"— but I enjoy what we do already, like her polishing brooms with me... and me reading to her..."
"Nice save," snorted Ron, but Lucia couldn't help but smile at this.
While it does seem like he was just saving himself from her wrath, she could also tell that it was all genuine. Especially as he gazed at her as he spoke.
Lucia nodded slowly, "We both find each other very calming. While we love to snog, we also love the moments the moments that is just, well, peaceful."
"We would also sometimes talk about you and Hermione," said Harry.
"I... I don't even want to know what you have to say about us," said Ron. He hesitated a moment, then said, "Is Hermione really going out with McLaggen?"
"I dunno," said Harry. "They were at Slughorn's party together, but I don't think it went that well."
"Hermione spent most of the time trailing away from McLaggen... Not that I blame her though," said Lucia. "With someone like McLaggen, all you want to do is run away."
Ron looked slightly more cheerful as he delved deeper into his stocking.
Lucia's present consisted of a knitted navy-blue jumper that had a large mango worked onto the front, courtesy of Mrs. Weasley, a new peony mixed with citrus scented perfume and a wide range of lipsticks from the twins and Erin, a small red jumper with stars worked onto it for Bao Bao to wear, bought by Hermione, and a small box filled with fashion magazines and muggle sweets from Hugo, along with a letter coming with it.
Lucia,
Happy holidays and happy belated birthday, little sister.
Yes, you are still my little sister, and you deeming yourself as a disowned child of our family won't change that. Hope you are doing well, and things around here been a bit peaceful... but I think Mum's still traumatised from what happened during the summer since she kept on coming into your room... Oh well, right? It's not like it was any of our fault this ended up happening. In the end, it was all because of our parent's poor choices.
I have a feeling that things aren't look too well in your world. You know you could tell me anything bothers you, right? Anyway, take care.
Love,
Hugo
P.S. Don't forget to bring your boyfriend when you visit. I want to have a little talk with him.
Lucia let out a small and melancholic giggle as she folded the letter, sticking it into the pocket of her pajamas. She sighed, she really want to see them...
Trying to get rid the immense feeling of sadness in such a jubilant morning, Lucia immediately rummaged through her stocking until she found a hand lyre that she had saw during hers and Harry's date at the music shop in Hogsmeade; The hand lyre was a deep colour bronze, adorned by small carvings of peonies
"I remembered you saying that you would come back one day just to buy this, so I thought Why would you wait when you can get it by Christmas?" Harry said, diverting his eyes away from Lucia as a deep blush made its way to his cheeks. "Hope you like it..."
"Like it? I love it!" Lucia thrown herself on him, but Harry didn't waste a minute to reciprocate. "But I feel like you should waste your money on me,"
"You're just saying that because you assume your present for me can't top mine off," said Harry egotistically.
"Perhaps,"
"Well, whatever you give me wouldn't change anything about how I feel for you," said Harry, his eyes boring into hers.
Lucia went pink.
"Damn you and your charisma," she huffed before leaned in for a kiss, but their moment was soon rudely interrupted.
"Er, excuse me," They snapped their head at Ron, who looked at them boredly. "I'm still here you know?"
"Yeah, so?" Lucia cocked a brow.
"We've never complained whenever you and Lavender were eating each other, did we?" said Harry bluntly, arms still around Lucia's waist as she still had her arms weaved around his neck.
"Yeah, now let us kiss in peace," said Lucia.
"Oh, that's not fair!" Ron exclaimed.
"Bugger off then," they said together before connecting their lips together, causing Ron to let out a groan of disgust.
After a moment or two, Lucia finally unlatched herself from Harry and sat back on the floor, fidgeting with her ah-ma's peony necklace that sat on her collarbone so idly. She felt nervous all the sudden. It was possibly due to the thing that was in her purse currently, which led her to believe that maybe she wouldn't be able to give it to him...
Harry's presents included a sweater with a large Golden Snitch worked onto the front, hand-knitted by Mrs. Weasley, a large box of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes products from the twins, and a slightly damp, moldy-smelling package that came with a label reading TO MASTER, FROM KREACHER.
"Why is it damp and moldy?" Lucia scooched away and sat at the edge of Ron's bed instead.
Harry stared at it. "D'you reckon this is safe to open?" he asked.
"Can't be anything dangerous, all our mail's still being searched at the Ministry," replied Ron, though he was eyeing the parcel suspiciously
"I didn't think of giving Kreacher anything. Do people usually give their house-elves Christmas presents?" asked Harry, prodding the parcel cautiously.
"I would, and I'm pretty sure that Hermione would too," said Lucia.
"But let's wait and see what it is before you start feeling guilty." Ron said.
A moment later, Harry had given a loud yell and leapt out of his camp bed; the package contained many maggots.
"Nice," said Ron, roaring with laughter. "Very thoughtful."
"I'd rather have them than that necklace," said Harry, which sobered Ron up at once.
Lucia bit back a vomit. "I can arrange that for you if you want, Harry," she said, green in the face. "The necklace I mean,"
"I would appreciate if you don't," said Harry imploringly.
Everybody was wearing new sweaters when they all sat down for Christmas lunch, everyone except Fleur (on whom, it appeared, Mrs. Weasley had not wanted to waste one) and Mrs. Weasley herself, who was sporting a brand-new midnight blue witch's hat glittering with what looked like tiny starlike diamonds, and a spectacular golden necklace.
"Fred and George gave them to me! Aren't they beautiful?"
"Well, we find we appreciate you more and more, Mum, now we're washing our own socks," said George, waving an airy hand. "Parsnips, Remus?"
"Don't vomit, don't vomit," said Lucia to herself as she leaned forward to Harry, "There's a — blergh — maggot still — blergh — on your —" she picked it out of Harry's hair and quickly threw it out of the window, still near vomiting as she quickly went to wash her hand with double amount of soap.
"You love all animals but maggots and worms," Ginny deadpanned.
"They don't count! Those are creatures of evil!" said Lucia, sitting back down beside Ginny.
"And you're all right with trampling cockroaches,"
"Because they deserve being trampled on!"
"She has a point," Erin said, dabbing her napkin on her lips gracefully. "Cockroaches deserves nothing but pain."
"'Ow 'orrible," said Fleur, with an affected little shudder.
"Yes, isn't it?" said Ron. "Gravy, Fleur?"
In his eagerness to help her, he knocked the gravy boat flying; Bill waved his wand and the gravy soared up in the air and returned meekly to the boat.
"You are as bad as zat Tonks," said Fleur to Ron, when she had finished kissing Bill in thanks. "She is always knocking —"
"I invited dear Tonks to come along today," said Mrs. Weasley, setting down the carrots with unnecessary force and glaring at Fleur. "But she wouldn't come. Have you spoken to her lately, Remus?"
"No, I haven't been in contact with anybody very much," said Lupin. "But Tonks has got her own family to go to, hasn't she?"
"Hmmm," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maybe. I got the impression she was planning to spend Christmas alone, actually."
She gave Lupin an annoyed look, as though it was all his fault, she was getting Fleur for a daughter-in-law instead of Tonks, but Lucia, glancing across at Fleur, who was now feeding Bill bits of turkey off her own fork, thought that Mrs. Weasley was fighting a long-lost battle.
"Tonks's Patronus has changed its form," Harry suddenly said. "Snape said so anyway. I didn't know that could happen. Why would your Patronus change?"
Lupin took his time chewing his turkey and swallowing before saying slowly, "Sometimes... a great shock... an emotional upheaval..."
"It looked big, and it had four legs," said Harry, struck by a sudden thought and lowering his voice. "Hey... it couldn't be — ?"
"Arthur!" said Mrs. Weasley suddenly. She had risen from her chair; her hand was pressed over her heart and she was staring out of the kitchen window. "Arthur — it's Percy!"
"What?"
Mr. Weasley looked around. Everybody looked quickly at the window; Ginny stood up for a better look. There, sure enough, was Percy Weasley, striding across the snowy yard, his horn-rimmed glasses glinting in the sunlight. He was not, however, alone.
"Arthur, he's — he's with the Minister!"
"Why in the bloody is the Minister doing here?" Lucia whispered to Ginny.
"Looking for trouble..." she huffed.
"Or maybe he's looking for..." Lucia shared a gaze with Harry. No one in this house was as important as Harry to the Ministry as evidently, he, through the prophecy, was the only one that could defeat their greatest adversary.
Following along in Percy's wake, limping slightly, the Minister mane of graying hair and his black cloak flecked with snow. Before any of them could say anything, before Mr. and Mrs. Weasley could do more than exchange stunned looks, the back door opened and there stood Percy.
There was a moment's painful silence. Then Percy said rather stiffly, "Merry Christmas, Mother."
"Oh, Percy!" said Mrs. Weasley, and she threw herself into his arms.
Rufus Scrimgeour paused in the doorway, leaning on his walking stick, and smiling as he observed this affecting scene.
"You must forgive this intrusion," he said, when Mrs. Weasley looked around at him, beaming and wiping her eyes. "Percy and I were in the vicinity — working, you know — and he couldn't resist dropping in and seeing you all."
But Percy showed no sign of wanting to greet any of the rest of the family. He stood, poker-straight and awkward-looking, and stared over everybody else's heads. Mr. Weasley, Fred, and George were all observing him, stony-faced.
"Please, come in, sit down, Minister!" fluttered Mrs. Weasley, straightening her hat. "Have a little purkey, or some tooding... I mean —"
"No, no, my dear Molly," said Scrimgeour. Lucia took a moment to judge the Minister; he didn't look as aloof as Fudge was, but still... She guessed that he had checked her name with Percy before they entered the house. "I don't want to intrude, wouldn't be here at all if Percy hadn't wanted to see you all so badly.
"Oh, Perce!" said Mrs. Weasley tearfully, reaching up to kiss him.
"...We've only looked in for five minutes, so I'll have a stroll around the yard whilst you catch up with Percy. No, no, I assure you I don't want to butt in! Well, if anybody cared to show me your charming garden... Ah, that young man's finished, why doesn't he take a stroll with me?"
The atmosphere around the table changed perceptibly. Everybody looked from Scrimgeour to Harry. Nobody seemed to find Scrimgeour's pretense that he did not know Harry's name convincing or find it natural that he should be chosen to accompany the Minister around the garden when Lucia, Ginny, Fleur, and George had clean plates.
Lucia's gaze hardened immensely at the minister.
"Yeah, all right," said Harry into the silence.
He was not fooled; for all Scrimgeour's talk that they had just been in the area, that Percy wanted to look up his family, this must be the real reason that they had come, so that Scrimgeour could speak to Harry alone.
"It's fine," he said quietly, as he passed Lupin, who had half risen from his chair. "Fine," he added, as Mr. Weasley opened his mouth to speak.
"Wonderful!" said Scrimgeour, standing back to let Harry pass through the door ahead of him. "We'll just take a turn around the garden, and Percy and I'll be off. Carry on, everyone!"
They did not carry on with the dinner after the two stepped out. Instead, Lucia, Ginny, and Ron nosily made their way to the window to spy on them. However, none of the adults were scolding them, for they, too, were spying through their respected windows. When you're in a house filled with Gryffindors (plus Fleur and Erin,) It would naturally mean that everyone was incredibly nosy.
"He looks angry," said Ron when Scrimgeour's face twisted.
"Reckon Harry said something?" breathed Ginny beside Lucia.
Lucia breathed a sarcastic laugh. "This is Harry we're talking about... He's going to deliberately make Scrimgeour mad."
"Does anyone know how to read lips?" George asked, peeking through his, Fred's, and Erin's window.
"Zat is ridiculous," said Fleur over at hers and Bill's.
"I can... I think," said Erin, causing everyone to look at her weirdly.
She blinked and shrugged. "When you live in a dark manor with suspicious people all your life, you're bound to pick up some talents."
"Well, go on then," ushered Mrs. Weasley. "What are they saying?"
Erin screwed her face, concentrating. "Scrimgeour is talking about... about something that has to do with the Ministry," she said. "Erm... I think he's saying that it's Harry's duty to serve the Ministry...?"
"Bullshit," said Lucia, Ginny, and Ron simultaneously.
"You three best not repeat those words. Ever!" Mrs. Weasley chastised them, but they merely brushed it off.
"What's Harry saying?" Lupin asked from where he, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were.
"He's... he's saying — he's talking awfully a lot," said Erin, scratching her hair in distress. "Sorry — wait, Harry said something along the lines... You don't care whether I live or die —"
"He's playing with fire, he is," said Percy, the only one that wasn't looking out the window as he remained composed, leaning against the door.
Fred and George scowled.
"Shut up, Percy," the rest of the Weasley siblings said.
Suddenly, Harry raised his right fist. Lucia shuddered at the sight, subconsciously tracing her hand over the back of her right hand. There, shining white on the back of his cold hand, were the scars which Dolores Umbridge had forced him to carve into his own flesh: I must not tell lies
"'I don't remember you rushing to my defense when I was trying to tell everyone... uh... You-Know-Who was back. The Ministry wasn't so keen to be pals last year.'" Erin recited Harry's lips with her eyes squinting.
Then stood in silence as icy as the ground beneath their feet. The gnome had finally managed to extricate his worm and was now sucking on it happily, leaning against the bottommost branches of the rhododendron bush.
"Scrimgeour's asking what Dumbledore's been up to," Erin said, which caused the members of the Order to tense. "Harry said he's no idea and said that even if he knew, he would never tell Scrimgeour."
"As expected," Ron nodded, proud.
Finally, they stopped with their conversation and rounded toward the door. "Act natural!" Ginny yelled.
And they did as they were told; Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Lupin, Bill, Fleur, Ron, scrambled to return to the table, making it look as though they were talking about something random; Erin, Fred, and George began cleaning some already clean cutlery, and Lucia and Ginny jumped and sat on the kitchen counter and played with Bao Bao, who was dressed in his own jumper, and Arnold, the Pygmy Puff. Percy sighed out, running his finger through his hair as he made himself look as though he was reading a book — though upside-down.
When Harry and a very grumpy looking Scrimgeour entered through the doorway, they halted from their feign rambunctiousness, they turned airily toward the Minister and the Boy-Who-lived, who was also looking around at them, amused.
"Well, Minister, have a good Christmas," said Harry with a sarcastic smile.
Scrimgeour glared at him before turning to look at the Weasleys and guests, "Yes, have a god Christmas to you all. Come along, Percy,"
"Coming, Minister," and with that Percy left, not before saying a faint good-bye to his parents and siblings, not looking at any of them in the eye.
They watched as the two disappeared with a crack into the nothingness of winter.
"You guys are really bad at acting naturally," said Harry, leaning against the kitchen counter where Lucia and Ginny were sitting.
"I thought our performance was rather magnificent," said Fred.
"We even did the dishes twice!" said George.
"So, you guys heard it?" Harry cocked a brow.
"Trough Erin, yes," said Lucia from beside him, hopping off of the counter.
Harry looked at them with incredulity, in which Erin, who was passing him, halted. "I can read lips," she said nonchalantly before making her way to the other side of the table and plopping a carrot inside her mouth.
"She's pretty talented at that too," said Ginny.
After dinner, Lucia pulled Harry up the stairs as the the Weasleys and guests were all hanging around downstairs noisily, playing a game of Exploding Snap and Ron playing chess against his father, who inevitably lost again.
"What do you want to talk about?" Harry asked immediately when they made it to Ron's attic room, where he was also sleeping in.
He sat at the edge of his make-shift bed, tilting his in confusion as he stared at the silhouette of Lucia that was created as she stood in front of the window in which the moonlight shone through as the snow had fallen off the windowsill. Something about her demeanor made him nervous: Was she going to break up with him?
Voldemort could go running after him for all he care, but losing Lucia would be the end of the world to him. He had almost lost her twice, he didn't think he could last another.
"You're not breaking up with me, are you?" Harry asked at once, a croak noticeable in his voice. "Because if you are, you should do it fast so it could be lessen the pain — also, what did I do —"
Lucia's eyes widened.
"NO!" she said. "No, no, Harry," this time, her voice was softer as she sat herself beside him, grasping his hand in hers, tracing circles on the back of his scarred hand. "I just... I just wanted to give you something."
"Oh," Harry's lips parted in shock. "What is it?"
"I know that you noticed that I didn't give you anything yet..."
"You did,"
She furrowed her brows. "No I didn't...?"
"You did," Harry said, still holding onto his words prior. "You gave me the best gift —"
"I'll stop you there, Harry," she chuckled. "Just when I thought you couldn't get any cheesier..."
"Well, either way, you don't have to give anything to me," said Harry earnestly. "I like giving than receiving."
"I'm both, but I like receiving better — aside from that, this is for real, Harry, I'm giving you something and it's too late to back out now," said Lucia, demeanor changing with such seriousness.
"Okay..."
"Here," she thrusted her hand into the pocket of her dress and picked out a small box. She diverted her eyes from his bashfully, "I'm sorry if you think it's useless or inefficient or girly —"
"I don't care if it's girly. I don't think anything is girly," said Harry with a chuckle, "Just give it to me while I'm patient. I've always hated suspense."
"F-Fine," Lucia handed him the small velvet box and his heart almost stop, thinking that it may be a ring, then he stopped himself from thinking of that, for, again, they were too young to be engaged and was also still too early in their relationship — even though their one-year anniversary was nearing in a few month... But it could also be a promise ring... but he had thought of getting a promise ring first...
However, when he opened the box, he spotted two different things; laying on the small cushion was a heart-shaped locket, enlaced by bronze. When he cracked it open, he breathed out a small, yet endearing laugh; a moving picture of himself and Lucia was in one side, sporting her hair in an updo as she hid her face under the fabric of her scarlet and gold scarf. He stared with a soft smile as he watched the Lucia inside the picture moved to press a kiss on his cheeks, but he well knew that this was very much recently. At the other side was Hedwig and baby Bao Bao.
"I... I... uh..." Lucia picked on her fingers nervously, not looking at him. "I-It's just an afterthought gift okay! Donttmakefunofme!"
"I wasn't going to..." breathed Harry, still tongue-tied by his gift. But it seems that the little locket was not the only thing, for a prominent glint of gold reached his eyes.
A small golden compass was laid idly on the cushion so evidently to his, it felt as though he struck gold. It didn't look new, nor did it look worn out. It was then he saw something engraved on the golden frame, but he couldn't quite understand it. However, it was not hard to detect the language to be Italian:
NEI TUOI OCCHI C'È IL CIELO
"It's... It's not much..." said Lucia hesitantly, fiddling with her fingers nervously.
Harry shook his head, throwing the necklace around his neck and playing the pendant aimlessly, still could not get rid of the smile that only she could make him create. "It's more than enough, it's everything."
"I'm glad you like it," a fond smile made its way to her meek lips. "It's... I guess... a family heirloom," she let out a weak laugh.
"What does it mean? The words?," Harry asked, pointing at the words that were enrgaved on the frame .
"You'll understand it one day," she said softly. "Or maybe I will tell you one day."
Harry chuckled. "You know I can just try and find it in some Italian-to-English dictionary, right?"
"Yes," Lucia said slowly, pursing her lips, "But I also know you well enough to know that you're simply too lazy to do that."
"And that you're right," he said.
"I got it from my mum during my visit," Lucia told him, and Harry snapped his head to her, stunned. Then, he thought, was he even allowed to possess such prized possession.
"Wait, then..."
"No, no, it's fine!" she reassured him. She then teared her gaze to the compass, "she told me it was important to her because it was something that my dad custom-made for her — of course, he custom-made a lot of things for her, from dresses to anything she wanted! But she seldom asked for them, since she wasn't one to show off herself, but she loves receiving them from him. And this, it was one of their wedding gifts. She had it in her possession for more than a decade, until she decided that it was time for me to have it..."
"Oh, Luci —"
"Don't give it back to me," she halted his hand from giving the compass back to her. "I want you to have it."
"Why — ?" Harry looked at her, studying her face for any means of reasons for him to deserve such a thing. "Was this why you look like you haven't sleep for days when you arrived?"
"Of course I haven't actually slept for days since I was St. Mungo's, because I didn't want to waste anytime I have with her. Time is gold, you know? It can be ripped away from you at any given time, but it's also because it just reminded me just how the world failed them," Lucia fell back on the bed, looking up at the ceiling absentmindedly. "After so many... after everything... the world still had to make them suffer by pulling them away from each other in the end. Wouldn't it make it better if they both died?"
"Lucia..."
"No, hear me out. Wouldn't making them part ways from each other much more torturous? Why not just kill them at the same time, body, and mind, instead of killing one of them physically while the other mentally and making them remain in this cruel world?"
"They're separated between life and death, not because of family matters. It's bad that part of me really wished that my mum really did die that night... if she did, she would've been with her mum, her dad, and my dad. She would've been happier than being stuck in this world with me," Lucia closed her eyes briefly, imagining the world where they were all together. It was much happier.
"Yeah, but that would mean you would be here alone," said Harry, falling back on his back beside her, looking up at the ceiling. "I don't think your mum would want that for you,"
"Being alone in this world? It wouldn't be the first time for me, and I would rather be alone and making them reunite than to divide them between this wall that could only be break if you do the most unthinkable..."
"Kill,"
Lucia nodded.
"When I was with her, I forgot how painful it was... why it was so painful for me to go and visit her before..." her voice cracked, a lump slowly forming in her throat. Harry gazed at her attentively. She sucked in a breath, as if refraining herself. "She looked so... so different than what I remember. How a person could suck out the soul out of someone by just a mere spell... it's terrifying. Before, I remember she would always beam at the sight of me with warmth that's simply impeccable, but now... she still does have that warmth, only it was more blissfully ignorant. She knows what's going on in the world, but at the same time she's helpless. No one wants to be helpless..."
"I get what you mean," he said, sighing. "The world is really cruel to us, huh? They just don't know when to stop making you... me... us suffer. They're playing games with us,"
"Fate has always been like that, a funny concept really. But if there's one thing they haven't messed up, it's the moment you stepped foot into my compartment in the start of fourth year. Which leads me to say something I both dread and eager to say," Lucia turned to Harry, eyes crystalised by the tears that she had been holding onto, not letting them shed. However, she smiled. "I love you,"
It took him a moment to process her words before it began echoing in his mind. He laid frozen due to her confession and could merely gaze at her in stun silence as she continued with her words, not faltering from her gaze at him.
"We're young, we don't know what love properly is. I get that, but I also can't disregard what I feel for you as something other than love. I've always been one to never believe in fates and destinies and love, because all they've been proving to me was how damaging it is B-But," Lucia swallowed the lump in her shoulder, "then I became friends with you. It's like opening up a whole new world that I've always refrained myself from going into — the danger you brought with you, the adrenaline I always feel whenever we were to bend the rules to your bidding, it's exhilarating."
"Of course, there were many times where I told myself that this was all temporary, only a dream that I've created because I wanted it to be reality. Yet every time I told myself that, I keep hoping that wasn't the case. Every time we spent with each other, I thread carefully as if I was walking on eggshells, thinking any wrong move could lead to me losing you. Even when you were with Cho, I keep telling myself that your happiness was also my priority, because I value our friendship more."
Harry really couldn't believe his reddening ears, "H-Hold on. You're going a bit too fast, slow down..."
But she didn't. On contrary, she went even faster in her words.
"I told myself that we're friend, and there's no way we could ever be something more than that in the past... but did it stop me from feeling wonderstruck whenever I meet you? No, I just became more enchanted little-by-little. It got to the point where all I could hear was your name echoing in my thoughts, which was a bit alarming since it told me enough of how serious this was even though I tried to convince myself otherwise. I spent all year wondering if you knew, and I keep praying, "Please, don't be in love with someone else," which constantly make me think I'm going crazy or something. Then when we had that fight, I felt resentment coursing through my body, but I was also pleading for that time to not where the storyline ends for the both of us..." rambled Lucia, as she took a deep breath. "A-All I'm saying is that please don't make me regret falling in love with you,"
"Okay, first, breathe in and out, because clearly you weren't breathing through all of that," said Harry.
"Breathing wasn't supposed to be a priority when I'm trying to tell you that I love you!" she shrieked, panting.
"I get that, but..." Harry trailed in his word. He turned his gaze back to the ceiling as her confession began echoing in his mind. I love you. That's what she said. The word love and you in the same sentence coming out of her mouth for him. She said those words that he had been holding back since she was first reunited with him in the summer. His heart accelerated, euphoria flooding his body as rush of ecstasy gradually reached his face.
"H-Harry?" With her tear brimmed eyes, she looked at him pleadingly, tugging his hands anxiously for him to respond. "Harry — c'mon, don't just leave me hanging here —"
"I love you,"
Lucia's couldn't believer her ears, was she hearing right? She didn't trust herself much anymore, much less her ears that had always hear things that weren't actually there. She merely stared at him, frozen solid. "W-What?" she sat upright.
But the frozen walls melted instantly when she was met by the warm pool of green that had always reminded her of spring. Harry held a determined, yet loving look in his eyes, courage emitting from him.
"I love you too," said Harry, now much more earnestly. "I hope that's what you meant prior, because if not, then it would mean that I am currently making a fool out of myself —"
Feeling a pair of hand on the side of his face, he halted in his words as he leaned down and the warm and soft lips of Lucia was pressed against his. He clutched the compass and locket tightly in one hand, whilst the other held the side of her face in support, bringing her closer to him, their lips moving in sync, flooding one another with the love they had for each other.
When they parted, catching a breath, Harry's greens bore directly into the glazed nights of Lucia, who let a small tear escape her eyes to fall on him, a wide and tearful smile erupting on her lips. "Y-you've no idea how long I've been waiting to say that!" she breathed out a shakily.
Harry chuckled himself, cradling her head in his arms as he pulled her into his embrace without a second thought. "I'm glad it wasn't just me," he mumbled into her hair, before saying, "I love you — wow, I love you. I love you, I love you —"
"What are you doing?" she croaked, wiping away her tears.
"I don't know... I think I just love that word now," said Harry with a grin, still cupping her face in his hands.
"Damn it," she smacked his chest lightly, "How can you be all this playful while I'm here crying my eyes out?!"
"There's no shame in crying," he said. "But I think I would be too if it weren't for the adrenaline..."
Lucia sniffled. "God, why am I so in love with you?"
"I don't know, one day you'll have to tell me," Harry brushed some hair away and pressed a soft, yet fond kiss on her forehead, inevitably, on the scar from last year that would never be healed as a sign from fate themselves.
"I'll tell you one day," she repeated his words, quietly.
And for the rest of the night, they stayed in the same position, in each other's arms until they fell asleep on the make-shift bed of Harry's, hoping none of their roommates would go snitch off to Mrs. Weasley.