For Aluryss, thanks for reviewing Match.
Zacharias doesn't understand why he's in Hufflepuff.
He's sneaky, sly, self-preserving, lacks morals and has never felt loyalty to anything other than himself and his mother.
Surely he would fit better in Slytherin?
Hannah holds his hand after the war and comforts him.
He doesn't understand that either.
Wasn't he one of the first to run away?
So what if he had stayed and fought; that had only been because he had seen –
– No don't think about that.
Padma sees him watching and makes an excuse to leave Lavender.
"Aren't you going to come and see her?"
"What, so I can be called a necrophiliac? No thank you dear."
He bends his head and pulls her into a searing kiss, rough and painful and ohso right. But despite the passion their embrace is cold, missing something.
A most important something.
The kiss breaks and Zach fumbles in his pocket for a moment then pulls out three rings.
"Marry me?" His voice is hoarse, scratchy and raw. Filled with pain and guilt and need and a hundred other simmering emotions.
She nods wordlessly and takes one ring to slip onto his finger, he does the same for her and they collapse into each other; touching as much of the other as they can.
They return the third ring later. Slipping it onto the dead girl's finger and murmuring words of love.
It is the last time Zacharias ever sees his one-time lover.
He doesn't even go to the funeral.
Loyal. Ha.
This deviated from what it was going to be (character introspection) but I think I'm happier with this than I would have been with that.
Does anyone know any other fics with these three?
A dedication for the first to review.