THE FOLLOWING WEEKS PASSED in a state of calm, and though the Golden Quartet knew it would not last, they couldn't help but relish every second of the quiet peace that dawned on Shell Cottage — every moment together in which one of them wasn't in danger. Outside, the war continued to rage; inside, the search for Horcruxes continued as they plotted with Griphook to break into Bellatrix's vault in Gringotts.
"It's got to be in there," Hermione had said in a whisper as they huddled around the living room fire one night. "You saw the way Bellatrix reacted when she thought we had been inside." To this, Harry's grip on Edelyn's hand had instinctively tightened. "It's got to be in there."
On the eve of their planned departure, a storm bellowed through London, and the mingled sound of whistling wind and crashing waves floated into the cottage. Edelyn stood at the kitchen counter, humming her favourite melody by the Weird Sisters as she chopped carrots for that evening's supper. The tune came to an abrupt stop before the chorus, however, as a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist and soft lips brushed her cheek.
"I could have cut myself, you know," she stated, lying the knife down onto the cutting board and pressing her back against his chest.
"Nothing a band-aid couldn't fix," he said, then added as a second thought, "Or a quick healing spell."
"That's not the point. You can't just sneak up on people like that." But any conviction was lost when her voice wavered as he kissed her neck.
"You don't seem to be complaining."
"I am complaining."
"Then why are you smiling?"
"I'm not — I—" She blushed. "Oh, sod off, Harry."
He chuckled and Edelyn rolled her eyes as she spun around to face him, arms reaching up to rest around his neck. "You're a real prick sometimes, you know that?"
"Prick?" He scrunched his brow. "I thought I was a quote: bloody dimwitted, stubborn, nutty, dunderhead."
The corners of her mouth twitched. "Well, that too."
He leaned down and rested his forehead against hers, a smile forming on his lips as he stared into her gunmetal blue eyes. "I really wish we had done this sooner," he whispered, then flittered his eyes away as if he hadn't meant to say it aloud.
She tilted her head questioningly. "Done what sooner?"
His cheeks reddened and the apple of his throat bobbed. "You know..." His shoulders rose and dropped, gaze glued to their feet. "I wish we had been together sooner." When she didn't respond, he added, "It just sucks that our relationship is really only getting started in the middle of a war, you know? I mean, it doesn't exactly scream romance."
"Oh, I don't know. I find looking for pieces of Voldy's soul together quite romantic." Harry looked up to see that she was grinning at him. "Sentimental, saccharine, absolutely gooey. A story to tell the—"
She cut herself short, and this time, it was her turn to blush and look away.
"Tell the what?"
She pretended she didn't hear him.
"Lyn," he said.
"Hmm?"
"Go on, tell the what?"
"Huh?"
"A story to tell the..."
"The...um..." Her fingers fidgeted behind Harry's neck. "The...you know..."
"The what?"
"Harry—"
"Lyn—"
"You know what I meant."
"No, I don't."
"Yes, you do."
"Okay, alright, I do, but I want to hear you say it."
She sent him a disgruntled look. "Prick," she muttered.
"You already called me that," he teased. "Now, go on. A story to tell the..."
She rolled her eyes. "Alright, alright. A story to tell the kids," she finally blurted. "I meant to say: a story to tell the kids."
He smiled at her. "See, was that so hard?"
"Oh, fuck off," she grumbled.
"I think you mean—"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't you even dare."
Harry chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You really are something, Lyn."
Her features softened into a smile. "Your something, Harry."
And then he was leaning down and capturing her in a kiss — a kiss which quickly heated with passion and lust.
Edelyn's skin tingled and her knees threatened to buckle as his tongue wrapped around hers. Her insides stirred and her head spun as his fingers slipped under her jumper and grazed her skin. Her back hurt from being pressed into the counter, but she didn't care, and felt the sudden urge to—
"Lyn, I — Oh."
They jumped apart and spun around to see Mrs Diggory standing in the doorway; their eyes widened and their faces fell into expressions of children who had just been caught stealing cookies from the cookie jar.
Mrs Diggory's eyes flickered to Harry, then to Edelyn, then narrowed ever so slightly as they returned to Harry. "I'm sorry," she said stiffly. "I didn't mean to intrude. I'll come—"
"No, it's alright, Juliette," Edelyn hastily said, running a hand through her hair; her stomach lurched as she realized just how messy it had become. "Harry was just — um — leaving to help Ron with the — er — cleaning, you know?" She internally cringed; it was a terrible lie.
"R-right," Harry stammered, then giving Mrs Diggory the most innocent smile he could muster, slid past her and out the kitchen.
Edelyn gulped and tugged at the sleeves of her jumper, which was still hiked up at the back.
"So, you and Harry are...?" Mrs Diggory asked, walking over and taking a seat at the kitchen table, gesturing for Edelyn to join her.
An awkward tension radiated off Edelyn's skin as she sat down beside the elder witch. "We're — um — together, I guess?" she replied in a small voice.
Mrs Diggory nodded, lips tightly sealed as she gave a soft hum, then reached into her purse and pulled out a slender twig of ash. "Bill told me you're still missing a wand, so I brought you this," she explained and made to pass it over, but Edelyn viciously shook her head.
"Julie, I can't."
Mrs Diggory frowned. "Why not?"
"That's — that's — I just can't."
"He'd want you to have it, Lyn." Mrs Diggory reached over and rested a palm on Edelyn's right thigh, steadying the twitch in her leg. "Sweetie, it's been three years, and as much as it is about letting him go, it's also about holding on." Her eyes glistened. "Holding on in the right ways. Now, you need a wand, and this one's just sitting at home doing nothing. But you can use it. You can use it to help end this war."
"But Julie, it's not mine to — not mine to take."
"Yes, it is." She rested the wand into Edelyn's palms and folded her fingers around it. "I know my son, and if there's anyone he would have trusted it with, it'd be you."
Edelyn stared nervously down at the twig of ash that was now enfolded in her hands. For a moment, she wanted to protest, but then sipping a shaky breath, she smiled up at Mrs Diggory and nodded.
• • •
THE KITCHEN WAS FILLED WITH LIGHTHEARTED CHATTER that evening over supper, and Edelyn felt a warm glow emanate inside her as she sat beside Harry, hand held in his as they listened to Dean share stories of his family. Meanwhile, across the table, Ron was holding back sniggers as Luna explained Crumble-Horned Snorkacks to a Hermione who was suppressing an eye-roll, and Bill had his arm wrapped around his wife, thumb lovingly caressing her shoulder.
But the pleasant hum was suddenly broken by a loud BANG on the back door.
They all jumped, and Bill lept to his feet, drawing his wand as he called, "Who is it?"
"It is I, Remus John Lupin!" a voice called over the howling wind, and Edelyn felt Harry unstiffen from beside her. "I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, Godfather to Edelyn Black, and also known as Moony."
Lowering his wand, Bill strode to the door and wrenched it open, stepping aside to allow Remus entrance.
Edelyn smiled at him; he looked younger and happier than ever before, and before she could give him greeting, he suddenly cried, "It's a boy!" There was a collective gasp. "We've named him Ted, after Dora's father!"
Hermione made an odd, shrieking sound, and Edelyn lept to her feet. "Tonks — Tonks has had the baby?" she asked.
"Yes, yes, she's had the baby!"
There were cries of delight all around the table, and Hermione and Fleur squealed with excitement.
"Congratulations," Luna spoke in a dazed voice.
"Blimey, a baby!" Ron exclaimed as if he had never heard of such a thing before.
"Good on you, Professor!" Dean beamed.
Edelyn and Harry both rushed over to Remus and hugged him.
"You'll be godfather?" Remus asked as he released Harry.
"M-me?"
"You, yes, of course — Dora quite agrees, no one better." He clapped him on the shoulder. "What do you say?"
Harry blinked at him, astonished and overwhelmed. "I — I—" He felt Edelyn's fingers entwine with his and turned his head to see her giving him an encouraging smile, then turned back to face Remus. "Yeah," he finally said, rather breathlessly. "Blimey...Yes, Remus, I'd love to."
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❛ One-sixty. ❜
PUBLISHED, 07. 20. 2018
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hugs, aelizia☽