Harry stared up at the gray sky before continuing across the cemetary.
It was Christmas Eve, and he was coming to visit his parent's grave like he always did.
At least, that was what he told Ginny.
Of course he still came to his parent's grave, no doubt about it. But there was one other grave he visited, one other grave that piled immense guilt on his shoulders, or so he felt.
Saria Isabelle Taylor
December 25, 1980-May 1998
Beloved friend, student, daughter
He sadly laid the bouquet of black and white roses on her gravestone, and thought about their past, the past that would haunt him for the rest of his life, the past that brought about her death...
"Saria Taylor!"
She walked up nervously to the hat, eyeing it warily. Her parents had told her about the wonders of Hogwarts, the amazing hat that could see into your very soul.
"Hmmm, very intelligent, extremely courageous and brave, confidence, but caring... Ah, you're a tricky one... You would be an excellent Slytherin, despite your half-blood... But you're very courageous and brave and determined, you've had cancer twice since you were two..."
She flushed with anger and embarrasment at that. These strangers didn't need to know her history!
"Ah... I see. Ravenclaw!"
Saria smiled and headed for the table. She was a Ravenclaw, she knew she would be, just like her mother and father.
Harry and Ron stared after her. "Blimey, there's something about her, that's just..."
Ron shrugged. "It's probably nothing."
Harry smiled as he thought about their third year.
"Oh!" She looked up before bending down to gather all her stuff. "Sorry," she mumbled, blushing like crazy.
Harry smiled and helped. "It's okay, It's not your fault."
She stood up. "Um, thanks," she smiled, still blushing.
He was looking at a paper that had fallen out of one of the books. "Did you draw this?"
Saria blushed even more and nodded. "I just randomly drew that," she said as she folded the drawing of a rose into her pocket.
Harry smiled. "It's really good."
"Thanks."
"So I'll... See you?"
She nodded and blushed even more. "See you."
Time flashed before his eyes as he thought of how her incredible eyes lit up when she saw him, how she tried so hard to hide it, because she knew she couldn't get close to anyone.
She was a Taylor.
Destined to die young.
But she still fell for him, and he fell for her, her smile, her laugh, and the way she looked so far away but so close when she was drawing, creating life at her fingertips.
Her simple, sweet kisses, the secret nights in the Forbidden Forest, where some things weren't forbidden after all...
And he thought of the horrible night where everything was ripped away from hhm, where he had seen so many die, and his heart lay in pieces on the floor.
"Harry!"
He turned around. Voldemort was gone, it was over. Hermione rushed up to him, tears pouring out of her eyes. "Harry, its Saria..."
He ran to where she lay on the floor, her beautiful face covered in blood.
"Cursed sectumsempra..." the lady kneeling beside her muttered. "Her new specialty..." She looked up. "I can't do anything, these wounds are cursed. She's bleeding to death, they will heal, but only after..." And just like that, she moved onto the next dying person.
Harry fell to his knees. He knew he should have taken her with them, Hogwarts hadn't been safe after all, yet another person was dying because of him.
Saria opened her eyes, and almost screamed. She was lying in a pool of her own blood, pain was going through her in waves, she could barely breathe.
"Saria?"
Harry's voice echoed through her conciousness. He was here, she could see him, the pain on her face.
She was finally acheiving her fate as a Taylor.
Always dying young.
"Harry?"
Harry smiled sadly. "Saria, I love you."
Saria smiled. "I'll always love you Harry."
The pain crashed through her broken body one more time.
One final scream ripped from her mouth.
And with that, Saria Isabelle Taylor closed her beautiful grey and blue eyes.
And breathed one last time.
As a tear, a tear of blood, washed down her face.
And she died, as Taylors before her had.
After they found the love of their life.
Harry sighed and looked up at the grey sky, the sky that reminded him of her unique eyes. Grey with a ring of blue around the center.
He smiled as snow began to fall.
And turned and walked away.
