For the beautiful things
July 29, 2017
From the first moment they met, they fought.
Arguments between the two of them were intense to say the least. They had a difference of opinion about almost everything.
She knew her best friends godfather loved him. But life had tainted him. It had been ripped from him. Long years of confinement kept him from evolving into what he needed to be for his godson. Her, Ron and Harry had come to far, lost too much to get caught up in his miss-guided advice fueled by his arrogance. She had to fight for him. She cared for her friend too much to let him walk into a deadly situation if she could help it.
In the quiet times, when they didn't fight about potentially dangerous decisions that had to be made, she would watch him make Harry the happiest she'd ever seen him. Her best friend deserved those moments. Those times when they smiled and laughed together. He hadn't done enough of that in his life. With so much riding on him, she knew he was going to need those memories to get through it all.
Time and war waged on as it always does. The scars they bore from it were both physical and mental.
When the dreams began to keep her awake, she would go down to make a cup of tea and think. The first time she walked in the kitchen to see him setting at the table she almost walked back out. As she turned to leave he simply asked if she'd like a cup. He never said anything else. Just made the tea and left her to her own thoughts. It became a silent ritual between the two. She would set at the table sipping the tea he made her, trying to make her mind stop and he would leave her to it. Then she noticed that every night as she walked passed the library to go back to bed, he would be there with his back to her sitting, watching the fire or reading. No pretense. No arrogance. He was just there. She didn't remember when she started doing it but after a while she found herself walking in and placing a hand on his shoulder in thanks before returning to her bed.
When it started to change, she didn't notice it happening. Consumed by memories of the past and worry over the future, she'd overlooked the fact that they had stopped fighting. Somehow in those silent nights they had called a truce.
Then it became more. A comforting wordless friendship.
A simple touch on her arm as he passed her in the hall. Looking up to see him smile at her. A whispered thank you, as she watched him with Harry only to see him look up at her and nod. A hand held out to help her down off a step. A lingering touch as he handed her, her nightly cup of tea. Her leaving her hand a little longer on his shoulder before walking away. The soft touch of his thumb as he wiped a stray tear away before leaving her to her tea and thoughts on a particularly bad night. Him sighing and leaning his head onto the hand resting on his shoulder that same night.
Then they became something more than wordless friends.
The night that she had come down for her tea and he placed a soft warm kiss on her lips before leaving, she wasn't surprised. Neither was he, when a few nights later she walked into the library to crawl up in his lap, so that he could hold her as she cried.
The first time that they made love it was with slow sweet kisses and soft touches; never taking their eyes off each other. That night they stayed awake in each other's arms until dawn broke.
The love they made let all the terrors of their life slowly fade to the background, if only for that little while. Time and time again they took comfort in each other's arms. Holding off reality till the next dawn broke.
The magical world warred within itself. Her and her two best friends in the center of it. There were times that she felt like she'd been fighting her entire life. She felt tired of it all. Her world had become jaded and she'd question the reason for it all.
It was those moments they shared, when he reminded her that there were beautiful things still left in the world. So, she kept fighting. For the beautiful things in life. Love, friendship and family. They were what she would remind herself with first thing in the morning and the last thing she thought about at night. He was what she reminded herself with.
One moment in time changed it all, they were no more.
He was gone. He'd fallen into the veil. Her whole world felt ready to collapse around her. The only thing she could hear was the screaming. At first, she thought it was coming from her. Looking up, she saw her best friend cry out trying to follow him into the veil. The sight of Harry as he was being held back brought her back to herself. So, she let her emotions rule her because she had no other choice at that point. Anger made her get up, love made her move and fear made her wrap her arms around him. She couldn't lose him too. Harry was the first beautiful thing in life that they shared.