XCVI. STAY ALIVE
21:79 ─❁────────── 31:80
◁ Ⅱ ▷
❝At the end of this sleepless twilight
Feels like I strayed through this nightmare❞
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HARRY RAN BACK UP TO HIS bedroom, arriving at the window just in time to see the Dursley's car off up the road. Dedalus's top hat was visible between Aunt Petunia and Dudley in the backseat. The car turned right at the end of Privet Drive, its windows burned scarlet for a moment in the now setting sun, and then it was gone.
He picked up Hedwig's cage, his Firebolt, and his rucksack, gave his unnaturally tidy bedroom one last sweeping look, and then made his way back downstairs to the hall, where he deposited cage, broomstick, and bag near the foot of the stairs. The light was fading rapidly now, the hall full of shadows in the evening light. It felt most strange to stand here in the silence and know that he was about to leave the house for the last time.
Long ago, when he'd been left alone while the Dursleys went out to enjoy themselves, the hours of solitude were a rare treat: Pausing only to sneak something tasty from the fridge, he had rushed upstairs to play on Dudley's computer, or put on the television and flicked through the channels to his heart's content. It gave him an odd, empty feeling to remember those times; it was like remembering a younger brother whom he had lost.
Ding Dong.
Harry wheeled around cautiously over to the front door. He didn't know who or what was waiting for him, but due to his stupid Gryffindor traits that he possessed, he pursuit, taking a few steps toward the door. He gripped his wand anxiously and with a sharp intake of breath, he creaked the door open. Before he could do anything, his vision was filled with mane of ebony as he felt arms wrapping around his necks.
Usually, he would have pushed people away, but this embrace... he knew this embrace anywhere...
"Lucia?" But Harry was more relief than inquiring, taking in the aroma that could easily infatuate him; the peonies and citrus filled his mind intoxicatingly, but then he remembered that they were no longer together.
Harry pulled her away softly, taking in her very appearance; sure, she had always been beautiful in his eyes, but somehow, she had grown more radiant over course they were separated. He could still see the serenity of the night in her eyes that he'd been reposed in. She hadn't changed much, except for her hair that had grown in length, though it was plaited into a loose braid with her signature scarlet ribbon.
"Harry, look at you!" chirped Lucia, admiring him. He had grown so handsomely, and she knew at that moment that the lingering feeling of love she had for him never left.
She refrained a soft chuckle when she realised how much he had grown in height wise, he was definitely taller than her now by a few more inches...
"I should be the one to say that," said Harry softly. "How've you been?"
"Had a bit of a tearful goodbye, but I guess I'm all right," she shrugged. "How're things going here?"
"You being here makes things better for me and all, but why are you here exactly? I thought we were going to see each other at the Burrow?" he furrowed his brows, perplexed.
Lucia walked right pass him without invitation and made her way to Hedwig, who hooted happily at her presence from within her cage. She let Hedwig nibble her finger, she continued, "Well, to be frank, Moody said there's been a change of plans. I don't know the exact details, all I know is that I'm supposed to be here with you,"
Lies, she knew damn well what they were doing, but Moody told her to not tell Harry, for he would most definitely protest.
"Change... of plans?"
"Yup," Was all she said, looking around the place. The Beaumonts definitely had a better taste of interior design; Lucia had nothing against pink, she actually loves the colour, however this was just too much too bear. The colour of the walls... it wasn't even pink pink, but salmon pink. "Can I...?"
"Yeah, sure, look around if you want," mused Harry, "but I don't think you'll enjoy it."
"Oh, come on, how bad can it be?" said Lucia, walking toward the living room.
Harry snorted. "Don't say I didn't warn —"
"AH!" she screamed in horror; a hand clamped over her mouth as she stared at the empty interior of the living room. Even from the walls, she couldn't help but feel frightened.
"— you..." Harry sighed and shook his head, a ghost of a smile creeping its way to his lips. It was good to have her around him again...
The bare living room was decorated with the colours of beige, salmon pink, and peach pastel tones, and although in normal occasion she wouldn't mind it, but the colours were thrown around like there were no such things as rules to colouring. The artistic persona from within her was fainting from the sight of it, but she pushed herself from being too harsh. There was even an electric fireplace.
"I told you so," said Harry, leaning against the wall as he watched her with amusement.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she scoffed. "Where's the kitchen?"
"In there," he nodded to the archway at the end of the hall.
Lucia made her way to the kitchen, and surprisingly it wasn't all that bad as she had expected it to be the kitchen walls were, well, merely pink and white. It had a big space in the middle, which indicated that a table used to reside here.
This was Harry's horrible childhood home, and honestly Lucia was a bit surprised that Harry had not been the one to become the villain. From the stories she had heard from him constantly, she would have thought he had many valid reasons to think the world sucks and deserves to burn...
"Don't you want to take a last look at the place?" She heard Harry asked Hedwig, who was still sulking with her head under her wing. "We'll never be here again. Don't you want to remember all the good times? I mean, look at this doormat. What memories... Dudley puked on it after I saved him from the dementors... Turns out he was grateful after all; can you believe it?... And last summer, Dumbledore walked through that front door..."
"You're terrible at this," chuckled Lucia.
Ah, that sweet and harmonious chuckles. It still brought flutters into his stomach.
"I don't exactly have good memories around here," rebutted Harry.
Lucia gazed at him softly. "Fair,"
Harry then turned his gaze to a door underneath the stairs, where she assume was where a cupboard resided.
"Under here, Lucia, Hedwig" — Harry pulled open a door under the stairs — "is where I used to sleep! Neither of you knew me then — Blimey, it's small, I'd forgotten..."
Lucia registered his words before her eyes widened in bewilderment. No way, she thought. She snapped her head, hoping to see a large space fit for a one-person bedroom, but no. All she was greeted was a stack of shoes and umbrellas with some cobwebs on the corner, adorned with spiders.
"T-This can't be where you've lived all your years before Hogwarts, Harry..."
Harry turned to Lucia, not understanding much as to why she was so much in shock. Surely her adopted family had done the same to her?
"Er, yeah...?" said Harry as though it was the most obvious thing. "Haven't you once lived underneath the stairs?"
"No! Of course not!" Lucia said shrilly, taken aback. "T-Those... those — how dare they?!"
"Calm down, Luce," Harry rubbed her arms. "It's fine. After first year, I got Dudley's second room —"
"He had a second room?!"
"Crazy right?" he chuckled bitterly.
"Harry... what you've endured before this... it much more terrible than I've imagined," said Lucia, shoulder slumping, sadness flooding her heart. " Why did you never tell us about you living in a bloody cupboard under the stairs before?"
Harry shrugged, and at that moment, Lucia saw a flicker of innocence that had long been lost. "I knew that it was a problem... but I never knew it to be much of a relevant problem." Harry diverted his eyes, "It wasn't all that important, especially since I got a new room when I got back..."
"Harry —"
"Look, I didn't want to throw a pity party, and honestly I never remembered it being this small..." he trailed aimlessly.
"That's because you were smaller back then... Ugh, when I get my hands on the Dursleys —"
"Forget about it," said Harry, waving it off. "They're long gone, and I fancy not seeing Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon anymore. Specifically, not Uncle Vernon."
"I still can't believe they made you sleep under the stairs..." said Lucia, feeling shameful. "You look so happy — well, as happy as you can be — in Hogwarts, I never thought your home life to be... so..."
"Terrible? Bad? Depressing? Makes you want to fall —"
"Yes, all of the above!" she huffed.
Harry looked somewhat amuse.
"I've never noticed much," he told her. "I mean, back in Hogwarts, before all of this and all, I just kind of enjoyed the moment. I felt belonged with people that actually cared for me instead of trying to bully me even when I'm asleep. There, I could sleep so soundly, have fun, and sometimes get drunk if someone snuck in some butterbeers — or like last year, firewhiskey — without much worry,"
"But you almost got killed bajillion of times before," stated Lucia.
"Yeah, but I could ignore that looming danger over my shoulders time-to-time. I could actually feel like I'm at home... like I belonged, you know?" As Lucia stared at Harry, she couldn't help but nod along; she knew that feeling all too well. "I've got people that actually wanted me around them, people that don't see me as a waste of space like my relatives does. I was at home. The Gryffindor House... The Weasleys... Hedwig... Ron... Hermione..." He turned to her with a fond smile, "You..."
Lucia pursed her lips and turned away quickly before she couldn't refrain herself from kissing him. Damn it, there he goes again...
"I guess I've forgotten all about the Dursleys for the whole year because I've just been having too much fun," said Harry. "Hogwarts isnn't perfect, but it's still my home. And it will always be. "
She smiled, her eyes softening at his words. She couldn't agree more. Hogwarts has its flaws, but it was still home to her and many others. There, they found their own solace; they gazed longingly at one another, closing in. Perhaps it was the spur of the moment that felt so vulnerable, but somehow, they felt the need to be as close to one another as they could.
Their lips brushed against one another when there was a deafening roar that broke them out of their trance. They pulled away in an instant, blushing madly as if they were going through their crushing phase again.
It was simply ironic since in reality, they had gone further than just a simple kiss.
Harry straightened up with a jerk and smacked the top of his head on the low door frame. Pausing only to employ a few colourful words. "Fucking hell,"
Lucia's heart flutter when it should not. She blamed her hormones; it was just too uncontrollable now that Harry had became too... attractive for her to handle. She hid her reddened face in her hands, causing Harry to look at her, oblivious.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Yeah," she squeaked. "Perfectly fine!"
"Are you sure?"
"Hmhm," she hummed, recovering. She fanned herself, face still red, though much milder. "You heard that right?"
Harry wanted to question why she was so red, but he digressed, thinking that maybe she was hot or something. Admittedly, she was hot, but he was thinking in another way..
"C'mon," he grasped her hand and the two began to go back into the kitchen. Harry clutched his head and stared out of the window into the back garden.
The darkness seemed to be rippling, the air itself quivering. Then, one by one, figures began to pop into sight as their Disillusionment Charms lifted. Dominating the scene was Hagrid, wearing a helmet and goggles and sitting astride an enormous motorbike with a black sidecar attached. All around him other people were dismounting from brooms and, in two cases, skeletal, black winged horses.
While Harry wrenched the door quickly with excitement as he hurtled into the midst, Lucia leant against the doorway, watching fondly. There was a general cry of greeting as Hermione flung her arms around him, Ron clapped him on the back, and Hagrid said, "All righ', Harry? Ready fer the off?"
"Definitely," said Harry, beaming around at them all. "But I wasn't expecting this many of you!"
"How long have you been here with him?" Ron asked Lucia instantly after they hug. He wanted to know the details.
Lucia scoffed at Ron as she hugged Hermione. "Bugger off, prat,"
"Change of plan," growled Mad-Eye, who was holding two enormous, bulging sacks, and whose magical eye was spinning from darkening sky to house to garden with dizzying rapidity. "Let's get undercover before we talk you through it."
The pair led the newcomers into the kitchen where, laughing and chattering, they settled on chairs, sat themselves upon Mrs. Dursley's gleaming work surfaces, or leaned up against her spotless appliances: Ron, long and lanky; Hermione, her bushy hair tied back in a long plait; Fred and George, grinning identically; Erin, still the pale beauty, her hair tied up into a ponytail; Bill, badly scarred and long-haired; Mr. Weasley, kind-faced, balding, his spectacles a little awry; Mad-Eye, battle-worn, one-legged, his bright blue magical eye whizzing in its socket; Tonks, whose short hair was her favorite shade of bright pink; Lupin, grayer, more lined; Fleur, slender and beautiful, with her long silvery blonde hair; Kingsley, bald, black, broad-shouldered; Hagrid, with his wild hair and beard, standing hunchbacked to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling; and Mundungus Fletcher, small, dirty, and hangdog, with his droopy basset hound's eyes and matted hair.
It was a nice sight to see; Lucia found herself growing fond of all of them — Mundungus the least though, as she had never been a fan of his, well, lifestyle, nor the fact that he would smoke directly at her.
"Kingsley, I thought you were looking after the Muggle Prime Minister?" Harry called across the room."
"He can get along without me for one night," said Kingsley. "You're more important."
"How've you been, Erin?" Harry asked the young woman, who was dangling her legs as she gingerly sat on the countertop.
"Doing as well as a person who's fighting against her family could," said Erin weakly.
Lucia had heard about Erin being slightly gloomy once from Ron in one of his letters, and it was no secret that it was her conflict with her family, yet somehow, she still possessed the regal radiancy and beauty even with the dullness in her eyes.
"Is that a ring?" Lucia pointed at the ring on her finger.
Harry blinked and thought exactly what Lucia was thinking. "Are you — ?"
"Oh Merlin, no," said Erin, chuckling. The dullness subsided with a glitter in her grey eyes as she looked over to where Fred, who was laughing with George as they observed the appliances, was, "We're just engaged."
"Meaning you are borderline married?" teased Lucia.
"Kind of offended that we didn't know this," Harry joined in.
Erin scowled and tapped his nose. "You two are insufferably nosy,"
"Oh, we know," they grinned at one another.
"If you want to know who took a step forward in life, go to my cousin," said Erin in amusement, causing them exchange looks of confusion.
"Cousin?"
"Wotcher," Tonks appeared out of nowhere from behind them, startling the two before she went to perch herself up beside Erin, who smiled warmly at her.
"Cousin," nodded Erin.
"You both are..." gaped Lucia.
"Yup," Tonks nodded. "Turns out we're cousin through our mums. I don't blame Erin for not knowing though, since she didn't even know how my mum even looks like,"
"I lived a very sheltered life," said Erin, nodding. "But Tonks, tell them about it!"
"Ah, you mean this," She wiggled her left hand at them; a ring glittered there.
While Lucia was jumping up and down, clapping her hands excitedly for Tonks and Lupin, Harry yelped, "You got married?"
"I'm sorry you two couldn't be there, it was very quiet."
"It was also very lovely," said Erin.
"This is wonderful!" cheered Lucia, almost tempted to do a cartwheel.
Harry couldn't help but agree. "That's brilliant, congrat —"
"All right, all right, we'll have time for a cozy catch-up later!" roared Moody over the hubbub, and silence fell in the kitchen. Moody dropped his sacks at his feet and turned to Harry. "As Dedalus probably told you, we had to abandon Plan A. Pius Thicknesse has gone over, which gives us a big problem. He's made it an imprisonable offense to connect this house to the Floo Network, place a Portkey here, or Apparate in or out. All done in the name of your protection, to prevent You-Know-Who getting in at you. Absolutely pointless, seeing as your mother's charm does that already. What he's really done is to stop you getting out of here safely. Second problem: You're underage, which means you've still got the Trace on you."
"I don't —"
"The Trace, the Trace!" said Mad-Eye impatiently. "The charm that detects magical activity around under-seventeens, the way the Ministry finds out about underage magic! If you, or anyone around you, casts a spell to get you out of here, Thicknesse is going to know about it, and so will the Death Eaters.
"We can't wait for the Trace to break, because the moment you turn seventeen you'll lose all the protection your mother gave you. In short: Pius Thicknesse thinks he's got you cornered good and proper."
Harry could not help but agree with the unknown Thicknesse. "So, what are we going to do?"
"We're going to use the only means of transport left to us, the only ones the Trace can't detect, because we don't need to cast spells to use them: brooms, thestrals, and Hagrid's motorbike."
Lucia saw the confliction in Harry's eyes. It was evident that he thought of this plan to be very... flawed. Though, she admits that it is, there's nothing that could change that.
"Now, your mother's charm will only break under two conditions: when you come of age, or" — Moody gestured around the pristine kitchen — "you no longer call this place home. You and your aunt and uncle are going your separate ways tonight, in the full understanding that you're never going to live together again, correct?"
Harry nodded.
"So this time, when you leave, there'll be no going back, and the charm will break the moment you get outside its range. We're choosing to break it early, because the alternative is waiting for You-Know-Who to come and seize you the moment you turn seventeen."
"The one thing we've got on our side is that You-Know-Who doesn't know we're moving you tonight. We've leaked a fake trail to the Ministry: They think you're not leaving until the thirtieth. However, this is You-Know-Who we're dealing with, so we can't just rely on him getting the date wrong; he's bound to have a couple of Death Eaters patrolling the skies in this general area, just in case. So, we've given a dozen different houses every protection we can throw at them. They all look like they could be the place we're going to hide you, they've all got some connection with the Order: my house, Kingsley's place, Molly's Auntie Muriel's — you get the idea."
"Yeah," said Harry, not entirely truthfully, because he could still spot a gaping hole in the plan.
"You'll be going to Tonks's parents. Once you're within the boundaries of the protective enchantments we've put on their house, you'll be able to use a Portkey to the Burrow. Any questions?"
"Er — yes," said Harry. "Maybe they won't know which of the twelve secure houses I'm heading for at first, but won't it be sort of obvious once" — he performed a quick headcount — "Sixteen of us fly off toward Tonks's parents'?"
"Ah," said Moody, "I forgot to mention the key point. Sixteen of us won't be flying to Tonks's parents'. There will be eight Harry Potters moving through the skies tonight, each of them with a companion, each pair heading for a different safe house."
From inside his cloak Moody now withdrew a flask of what looked like mud. There was no need for him to say another word; Harry understood the rest of the plan immediately.
"No!" he said loudly, his voice ringing through the kitchen. "No way!"
"General reaction," noted Lucia. "At least he isn't going around and yelling, 'Bloody hell I will!' Like I would've imagined,"
"Honestly, I was thinking that he would be snapping left and right at us," said Hermione with a hint of complacency.
"Huh," chuckled Lucia, high-fiving Hermione, "you and I both,"
"You knew about this?" Harry turned to Lucia in disbelief.
"'Course I knew, but I also knew that if I were to tell you, you would've flipped before they even arrive!" said Lucia in defence, "Just like what you are doing right now,"
"Well for good reason!" Harry's heart began to beat rapidly, "If you think I'm going to let seven people risk their lives — !"
"— because it's the first time for all of us," said Ron sarcastically.
"Well, none of us really fancy it, Harry," said Fred earnestly. "Imagine if something went wrong and we were stuck as specky, scrawny gits forever."
Harry did not smile.
"You can't do it if I don't cooperate, you need me to give you some hair."
"He's not serious, is he?" said Erin, scoffing an amused laugh.
Harry glared at them all.
"Oh, he is," said Bill.
"Well, that's that plan scuppered," said George. "Obviously there's no chance at all of us getting a bit of your hair unless you cooperate."
"Yeah, fifteen of us against one bloke who's not allowed to use magic; we've got no chance," said Fred.
"Funny," said Harry, "really amusing."
"If it has to come to force, then it will," growled Moody, his magical eye now quivering a little in its socket as he glared at Harry. "Everyone here's overage, Potter, and they're all prepared to take the risk.'
Mundungus shrugged and grimaced; the magical eye swerved sideways to glare at him out of the side of Moody's head.
"Let's have no more arguments. Time's wearing on. I want a few of your hairs, boy, now."
"But this is mad, there's no need —"
"No need!" snarled Moody. "With You-Know-Who out there and half the Ministry on his side? Potter, if we're lucky he'll have swallowed the fake bait and he'll be planning to ambush you on the thirtieth, but he'd be mad not to have a Death Eater or two keeping an eye out, it's what I'd do. They might not be able to get at you or this house while your mother's charm holds, but it's about to break and they know the rough position of the place. Our only chance is to use decoys. Even You-Know-Who can't split himself into eight."
Harry caught Hermione's eye and looked away at once.
"C'mon Potter, we don't have time,"
Harry glanced at Ron, who grimaced at him in a just-do-it sort of way.
"So, Potter — some of your hair, if you please."
Harry caught Lucia, who were looking at him expectantly, eyes. He immediately looked away. If they needed eight of him, then it would mean that she would have to participate as well — that was the opposite of what he wanted when they broke up. He wanted her to be not in much danger, but then right now...
"Now!" barked Moody.
With all of their eyes upon him, Harry reached up to the top of his head, grabbed a hank of hair, and pulled.
"Good," said Moody, limping forward as he pulled the stopper out of the flask of potion. "Straight in here, if you please."
Harry dropped the hair into the mudlike liquid. The moment it contacted its surface, the potion began to froth and smoke, then, all at once, it turned a clear, bright gold.
"How come does yours looks pretty?" said Lucia enviously. "Mine looked like blood,"
"Ooh, you look much tastier than Crabbe and Goyle, Harry," said Hermione, before catching sight of Lucia and Ron's raised eyebrows, blushing slightly, and saying, "Oh, you know what I mean — Goyle's potion looked like bogies."
"Right then, fake Potters line up over here, please," said Moody.
Ron, Hermione, Lucia, Fred, George, and Fleur lined up in front of Aunt Petunia's gleaming sink.
"Hope you're not stuck like that forever," joked Erin, looking at her fiance and his twin brother. "Wouldn't want me to exchange vows with someone who looks like my friend's boyfriend."
"Ex," reminded Lucia, and Harry frowned a bit, though it was the truth. He was now her ex, the status of someone who's no better than those that yearn to date her. Possibly worse.
"Whatever," Erin brushed off.
"Can I at least get one kiss before we do this?" pouted Fred.
"Geez, Freddie, you're so needy," said George and going for a kiss, but Fred pushed him playfully away.
"Not you, git. I mean Eridani!"
"Should've made it more specific," said George and Erin amusingly.
Fred scoffed, but the frown faded into a beaming smile as he and Erin kissed.
Lucia and Harry could not help but look, feeling their heartstrings being tugged by a yearning sensation. They longed to be able to do that at one another again, especially with their situation right now, but they guessed it was karma for even breaking in the first place. Noble... bullshit, they thought simultaneously, subconsciously stealing glances at one another. But as soon as they caught each other's serene eyes, they immediately looked away.
"We're one short," said Lupin, noticing the odd number.
"Here," said Hagrid gruffly, and he lifted Mundungus by the scruff of the neck and dropped him down beside Fleur, who wrinkled her nose pointedly and moved along to stand between Fred and George instead.
"I've toldjer, I'd sooner be a protector," said Mundungus.
"Shut it," growled Moody. "As I've already told you, you spineless worm, any Death Eaters we run into will be aiming to capture Potter, not kill him. Dumbledore always said You-Know-Who would want to finish Potter in person. It'll be the protectors who have got the most to worry about, the Death Eaters'll want to kill them."
Mundungus did not look particularly reassured, but Moody was already pulling half a dozen eggcup-sized glasses from inside his cloak, which he handed out, before pouring a little Polyjuice Potion into each one.
"Altogether, then..."
Ron, Hermione, Lucia, Fred, George, Fleur, and Mundungus drank. All of them gasped and grimaced as the potion hit their throats: At once, their features began to bubble and distort like hot wax. Hermione and Mundungus were shooting upward; Ron, Fred, and George were shrinking; their hair was darkening, Lucia's, Hermione's, and Fleur's appearing to shoot backward into their skulls.
Moody, quite unconcerned, was now loosening the ties of the large sacks he had brought with him. When he straightened up again, there were seven Harry Potters gasping and panting in front of him.
Fred and George turned to each other and said together, "Wow — we're identical!"
"I dunno, though, I think I'm still better-looking," said Fred, examining his reflection in the kettle. "Right, Eri?" he asked Erin, who smile grimacingly.
"No comment,"
Harry refraining from rolling his eyes. That was an indirect insult to him.
"Bah," said Fleur, checking herself in the microwave door, "Bill, don't look at me — I'm 'ideous."
"Those whose clothes are a bit roomy; I've got smaller here," said Moody, indicating the first sack, "and vice versa. Don't forget the glasses, there's seven pairs in the side pocket. And when you're dressed, there's luggage in the other sack."
The real Harry thought that this might just be the most bizarre thing he'd ever seen, and he had seen some extremely odd things. He watched as his seven doppelgangers rummaged in the sacks, pulling out sets of clothes, putting on glasses, stuffing their own things away.
"Hold on, are you all actually going to change in here?!" Harry yelped.
"Uh, duh?" said Ron, unbuttoning his jeans. "Isn't that crystal clear to see?"
"Woah, never seen you in that shade of colour, Lucia,"
Harry snapped his head to the other side of the room and saw he had never seen Lucia's— or, well, his face, being painted with such shade of red. She was closing her eyes, and he swore he could see steam setting off from how hot she was feeling. Fred and George were teasing her, yet Harry felt a sudden jerk of his heart.
"C-Can't we like, change individually?" squeaked Lucia.
"Dunno... We're going to see Harry naked anyway," said George. "Don't see the point,"
At that, Harry looked at them all weakly. "Now hold on..."
"Potters, strip!"
"That is not something I would ever want to hear from anyone. Ever!" said Harry glumly. He felt like asking them to show a little more respect for his privacy as they all began stripping off with impunity, clearly much more at ease with displaying his body than they would have been with their own.
Lucia, whom he could tell immediately as she fidgeted her pendant, walked up to him with her eyes closed, still fully dressed. "I really am sorry, Harry. You must feel violated,"
"Yeah, a bit," said Harry, "Why aren't you... er... stripping?"
"I need your consent first if I were to see your body, you know? Consent is important," said Lucia. "I mean, seeing dozens of naked Harrys would be cool, but..."
Frankly it did throw him off a bit to see the girl he loves talking to him like that with his appearance, but his heart swelled, nonetheless. Just reminding him of how much he was in love with her.
"Here," she grasped his hands and put it over her eyes, "Now I won't see,"
"Merlin, I love you," he sighed.
"I love you too," beamed Lucia. At that flicker of a moment, it felt as if they were never broken up, but still together. The warmth settling into their atmosphere around each other —
"Hurry up, DiFiore!" roared Moody.
"Right, sorry!"
While having his hands covering her eyes, Harry looked away from her, giving her as much privacy as he could as they stood in the corner, away from other's eyes. He knew how much discomfort he would feel, even if her body was not in her appearance, but it was still hers, nonetheless. He shielded her from the eyes of others as she changed her clothes into his. He truly did not like this plan one bit, but she insisted it and there was no way of arguing.
He glanced over his shoulder to the others and saw Ron looking down his bare chest. "You lied about that tattoo!"
"I just can't fathom of the the thought that you actually believed it, Ginger snap," said Lucia, trying her best to put on Harry's jeans without seeing what's going on. It felt comforting to know that no one was watching, for she was in the corner, and Harry was shielding her.
"Harry, your eyesight really is awful," said Hermione, as she put on glasses.
"You can let go now," Lucia tapped his arm.
"Oh," Harry retracted his hand back to his side, slightly disappointed. They walked out from the corner to the others, and the fake Harrys took rucksacks and owl cages, each containing a stuffed snowy owl, from the second sack.
"Something's feels weird," said Lucia, waving her wand and shrinking her purse, depositing it into her pocket.
"What, what is it?" Harry asked, panicking.
"I..."
"Let it out, Lucia," said Harry — well, Hermione.
Lucia suddenly placed her hands upon her chest. "I have no boobies,"
There was a moment of silence before everyone in the room either laughed, choked in shock, or had heaved out a series of coughs, hearing her blunt words. Needless to say, Harry was the only one that did not react as the others, for he was too busy blushing madly at Lucia's confession that he had thought would be something of seriousness. However, it did cause Hermione and Fleur, who were Harry, to realised that Lucia was indeed right, and began to touch their chest.
"I've just noticed..." gasped Hermione.
"Right?" beamed Lucia. "It feels really lighter around this whole area."
"I 'ave forgotten 'ow free it feels," said Fleur, agreeing.
"Chest aside,"
"Never thought I would hear someone say that in such serious tone," snorted Tonks to Erin, who giggled.
"Nymphadora," warned Moody.
"Don't call me Nymphadora!" Tonks' hair gradually turned into a bright shade of orange.
"Now that the everyone is dressed and identical," said Moody gruffly, ignoring Tonks as he stared at the line of Harrys, who were dressed, bespectacled, and luggage-laden. "The pairs will be as follows: Mundungus will be traveling with me, by broom —"
"Why'm I with you?" grunted the Harry nearest the back door.
"Because you're the one that needs watching," growled Moody, and sure enough, his magical eye did not waver from Mundungus as he continued, "Arthur and Fred —"
"I'm George," said the twin at whom Moody was pointing. "Can't you even tell us apart when we're Harry?"
"Sorry, George —"
"I'm only yanking your wand, I'm Fred really —"
"Enough messing around!" snarled Moody. "The other one — George or Fred or whoever you are — you're with Remus. Miss Delacour —"
"I'm taking Fleur on a thestral," said Bill. "She's not that fond of brooms."
Fleur walked over to stand beside him, giving him a soppy, slavish look that Lucia could not help but pursed her lips from laughing. Harry glared at her, grimacing at the same time; he hoped with all his heart that it would never appear on his face again.
"Miss Granger with Kingsley, again by thestral —"
Hermione looked reassured as she answered Kingsley's smile; Lucia knew that Hermione too lacked confidence on a broomstick.
"You're with me, Ron!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a mug tree as she waved at him.
Ron did not look quite as pleased as Hermione.
"Lucia, you're with Erin," said Moody, nodding at Erin, who beamed at Lucia confidently. "— by broom."
"You know how to ride a broom?" she asked, surprised of the fact that someone such as Erin to even touch a broom.
"More ways than one," said Fred jokingly, and Erin pinched him. Hard.
"But yes, I do know how to ride a broom," she said, a reminiscent look made its way to her beautifully pale face. "Back when I was with... my family, I spent most of the summer accompanying Draco whenever he's lonely, and he would often want to play Quidditch, so I made to learn how to at least ride a broom. I don't enjoy Quidditch much though," Erin added with a shrug.
Lucia nodded in understanding and sent Erin an assuring smile, trusting the young woman.
"An' you're with me, Harry. That all righ'?" said Hagrid, looking a little anxious. "We'll be on the bike, brooms an' thestrals can't take me weight, see. Not a lot o' room on the seat with me on it, though, so you'll be in the sidecar."
"That's great," said Harry, not altogether truthfully.
"We think the Death Eaters will expect you to be on a broom," said Moody, who seemed to guess how Harry was feeling. "Snape's had plenty of time to tell them everything about you he's never mentioned before, so if we do run into any Death Eaters, we're betting they'll choose one of the Potters who look at home on a broomstick. All right then," he went on, tying up the sack with the fake Potters' clothes in it and leading the way back to the door, "I make it three minutes until we're supposed to leave. No point locking the back door, it won't keep the Death Eaters out when they come looking... Come on..."
Whilst Harry went to get his stuff, Lucia and the others went out to the back garden. By the time Harry came with his stuff, on every side broomsticks were leaping into hands; Hermione had already been helped up onto a great black thestral by Kingsley, Fleur onto the other by Bill. Hagrid was standing ready beside the motorbike, goggles on.
"Is this it? Is this Sirius's bike?" Harry asked, approaching slowly.
"The very same," said Hagrid, beaming down at Harry. "An' the last time yeh was on it, Harry, I could fit yeh in one hand!"
Before Harry placed himself into the bumper car, Lucia pulled him away.
"What's wrong?" Harry asked, concern.
"Just... just want to say good luck out there," said Lucia. "I'll see you back at the Burrow in one piece. Promise?"
Harry smiled softly and interlaced their pinkies together. "Promise,"
It was weird, to say the least, having to do a pinky promise with your own self, but it was quite easy for him to picture Lucia as herself than as him at the moment, for she had been the only one in his mind for the whole summer. However, he was indeed glad that she didn't kiss him, because that would be weirder than he would have to ever imagine.
With one last smile to one another, Lucia turned her heel toward Erin, whilst Harry turned back to the motorbike, and he instantly felt humiliated as he got into the sidecar. It placed him several feet below everybody else: Lucia and Ron exchanged smirks at the sight of him sitting there like a child in a bumper car. Harry stuffed his rucksack and broomstick down by his feet and rammed Hedwig's cage between his knees. It was extremely uncomfortable
"Arthur's done a bit o' tinkerin'," said Hagrid, quite oblivious to Harry's discomfort. He settled himself astride the motorcycle, which creaked slightly and sank inches into the ground. "It's got a few tricks up its handlebars now. Tha' one was my idea."
He pointed a thick finger at a purple button near the speedometer.
"Please be careful, Hagrid," said Mr. Weasley, who was standing beside them, holding his broomstick. "I'm still not sure that was advisable and it's certainly only to be used in emergencies."
"All right then," said Moody. "Everyone ready, please; I want us all to leave at exactly the same time or the whole point of the diversion's lost."
Everybody mounted their brooms.
"Hold me tightly all right? I'm a very speedy rider," said Erin, concentration written in her eyes after glancing over to the Harry that was behind Mr. Weasley, which she remembered was Fred. Lucia held Erin's waist tightly and nodded, but her wand was at a ready and hidden in plain sight.
"Hold tight now, Ron," said Tonks, and Lucia saw Ron throw a furtive, guilty look at Lupin before placing his hands on either side of her waist.
She heard the sound of motor vibrating, and she took that as an indication that Hagrid had kicked the motorbike into life: It roared like a dragon, and the sidecar began to vibrate.
"Good luck, everyone," shouted Moody. "See you all in about an hour at the Burrow. On the count of three. One... two... THREE."
There was a great roar from below her and Erin, and before Lucia could register it, there was great lurch and before she knew it, they were rising through the air fast. Faster than she had ever before whenever she was riding a broom. Her eyes watered slightly at she felt her hair whipped back off her face. She clutched Erin's waist tightly, her dangling legs were threatening to fall over as they climbed higher and higher to the sky peacefully —
And then, out of nowhere, out of nothing, they were surrounded. At least thirty hooded figures, suspended in midair, formed a vast circle during which the Order members had risen, oblivious —
"Erin!" she shrieked when she saw a jet of green light blazing toward their way. Erin did a great swerve, and Lucia heard yelling and screaming as they flew away at top speed, trying to outfly the hooded figures that were right on their tail.
"Ugh, determine bastards," hissed Erin, leaning forward, speeding up their broom's pace.
Lucia wheeled around and was about shoot a spell at them, but Erin stopped her.
"Don't!" she said, alarmed. "Lu — Harry, you're still underage!"
Lucia bit her lip and was about to rebut when they narrowly missed a Cruciatus Curse that were sent their way by diving down and began flying inconsistently, the Death Eaters following them determinedly.
"Avada —"
"Leave us ALONE!" Erin shot a Dissarming Charm over her shoulder. One of the Death Eaters were hit, their wand out of their grips and falling from the sky.
"You blonde bimbo —"
Erin, with her eyes still at front, flicked her wand and the Death Eater that had gained on them began to be lit on fire. Lucia eyes widened; she had never seen Erin with such cold gaze before. It didn't look as though she felt any remorse at all when she had set the — Lucia assumed — man on fire.
"That was wicked, remind me to never cross you," complimented Lucia breathlessly, her heart accelerating.
Erin smirked a smirk that Lucia had became familiar from a certain someone for years. "Thanks,"
"Where's our portkey?" Lucia asked when she was sure that they were safe from any Death Eater attacks.
"At this park that Draco and I used to got to when we were little,"
"That's where it is?! Wouldn't that mean that...?"
"Not exactly. My parents never been there, only Draco and I did. They were repulsed by it since it was near the muggle part of the town, but they let us play there if it's safe. I visited it just a few days back to make sure it's still intact and thank Merlin it is." Erin said as the wind blew sharply, and her hair began flying all around her face. "The portkey will be this baton I used to play with, and the moment we enter the premises, we'll be safe."
"Convenient," chirped Lucia.
"Right?" chuckled Erin softly. "Fred and I thought of maybe buying the land and maybe start something there, like maybe build a house or start a family..."
"I'm guessing you'll turn it to be much homier?"
"Oh, yes. We were thinking of planting a few flowe —" But her words were cut off as Lucia heaved out a small scream of pain. An arrow had been unknowingly casted by a Death Eater, striking her.
Erin snapped her head around, eyes widening in panic when she saw the blood soaking through the clothes that Lucia was wearing. The arrow had impaled into her right abdomen.
"That's not what I expected at all," winced Lucia as shakily reached for the arrow, feeling as if this was all a dream than reality. "Ah," she croaked in pain, "It's actually there..."
"Hold on," mumbled Erin in reassurance after she had struck a series of curses at the group of Death Eaters that were tailing them. Lucia leaned her head against Erin's back, squinting her eyes, indicating her pain. "T-Try to get it out,"
"Are you crazy? That'll only worsen it!"
"All right, all right! Then don't!"
"What are we" — Lucia hissed through her teeth — "to do with them?"
"Nothing — what are you doing?!"cried Erin when she felt Lucia lifting her head from the Malfoy's back.
"Revenge," Was all she said before Lucia, with all the strength she had, aimed her wand over her shoulder and casted, "Confringo!"
One Death Eater exploded to death, but that didn't set into Lucia consciousness, for she was too much in agony to even care about their life. However, she could here distantly, a voice yelling, "That's not Potter!"
"Kill them!"
"Bloody hell," cursed Erin. "We're almost there, hang on!"
Lucia did not think twice as she locked her feet around the broom and focused on attacking the Death Eaters now that their disguise had been exposed, whilst minding the arrow that was still stuck into her abdomen that was bleeding profusely. Slowly but surely, she began to feel weak and feeble, but Lucia didn't think any of it as she cried, "Expulso!"
"Avada Ked —"
"Aquamenti!" Lucia sent a strong jet off water at one of them, causing them to fall off their broom. She turned to the other one; Lucia felt conflicted, but this was war. She gripped her wand as tightly as she could and casted, "Sectumsempra!" remembering the damage it had done to Draco Malfoy when Harry casted it.
"ERIDANI!" Erin and Lucia snapped their head to their right and saw some more Death Eaters in coming their way, at the lead was a masked man with the same pale blonde hair as Erin.
"Bugger off, Father!" Erin sped past them. "Let me live my life!"
"I am your father, you must —"
"Guess what? You've disowned me, prat!"
"Was that the blood-traitor?" Bellatrix Lestrange could be heard before the two could hear a deafening cackle. "Disgrace to the family!"
"Erin — !" yelped Lucia.
"Great, now my crazy aunt is coming into the fun!" said Erin sardonically, Lucia was appalled how playful Erin was being when they were literally flying away from her family members that were trying to kill them. She guessed that what happens when you live with Fred and George for far too long.
A smirk crept its way to Erin's lips. "Good thing we're here — warning: Brooms can't get into the barrier!"
Lucia gaped. "WHAT — ?"
"Just trust me!" Erin said before throwing, "Expulso!" to Bellatrix Lestrange, who were gaining in on them as she threw a Killing Curse at them.
And she did it. She trusted Erin, and that was the story how she fell off the broom unwillingly for the first time in all her years of riding a broom. The last thing she heard was a deafening shriek of, "Avada kedavra!" and a green jet blazing toward her before everything went black.