She was sitting on the window sill with a mug of hot tea. That was one of countless things he loved about her. Her small rituals. How she set her watch to be 10 minutes ahead, how she always ate with her favourite fork, how she must have her morning hot chocolate and of course her evening tea. He found himself personally addicted to those perks and felt his world more in order whenever he realized her rituals were unchanged. She was the only stable point in his chaotic life and he genuinely loved her for it.

Now he was standing in the dark corner of his living room staring at her silhouette against the moonlit night. He was thanking almighty Merlin for her obliviousness and tried to memorize every curve of her face and body. She was curled up looking out of the window. She sighed. He twitched and a wooden floor creaked. She shot out of her reverie and looked straight at him.

„Harry?"

Harry silently cursed himself for ruining such a perfect moment. „Hi."He whispered.

„How long have you been here?" she asked suspiciously. She knew him through and through.

„A while" he admitted involuntarily. „What are you doing here?"

She didn't answer and just gestured for him to join her. As he approached Harry realized that she was wearing just her very thin night gown. He gulped.

„What are you doing here that late? Apart from hiding in the dark?" She asked her mouth twitching with amusement.

„I couldn't sleep." He admitted and then added unable to stop himself. „Is something bothering you? You looked so unhappy."

„Did I?" she laughed and warm waves shot through Harry's body as it always did whenever she smiled. He sat next to her. Her knee brushed against his tight and he realized with a jolt that her undoubtedly soft warm body was just a gown apart from his. His hands began to sweat.

„What were you thinking about?" He croaked just to break the silence and he regretted it instantly.

Her smile disappeared. „I was just thinking about Tristran. It's full moon today." She gestured to the huge silver orb in the sky.

Yeah, it was full moon indeed and her precious Tristran will run around biting innocent people.

„Oh" was all he could manage, he felt the very familiar pain in his chest. He thought that it will ease with time but it was getting worse. It was there whenever she talked about him, whenever she was with him instead of Harry, whenever she had that distant look in her eyes. It was there as painfully searing as the first time.

She examined him for a while. He quickly avoided her gaze. Harry knew that if he looked into her eyes she would know everything. Just like that. He was unable to hide anything from her. She has that effect on him.

„Well, I should leave you to your thoughts then." He stood up stiffly unable to exclude a hurt tone from his voice.

„Good night, Harry." She said softly and looked at him sadly.

And suddenly it happened. Maybe it was caused by the moonlight and the way it was reflected in her mesmerizing eyes or maybe just Harry's frustration got to its final peak. All of a sudden the images of one bloody Tristran O'Ryan came popping up in Harry's head with all ugly details. His arrogant smile, how he was unable to keep his word, his constant lies, how he always mocked everybody but used his "I'm poor werewolf" face whenever he needed to lure things out of them... but most importantly the way he treated her, his falsely weepy eyes whenever he begged her to take him back after so many of his betrayals.

Something inside Harry snapped as he heard himself say: „What do you see in him anyway?" It came out more loudly than he intended but he couldn't care less. All the feelings that he was trying to suppress for years came rushing to the surface and he could no longer control them. He felt disgusted by himself for his helplessness, he felt frustrated by her obliviousness but mostly he felt pure rage towards Tristran. The unreliable snake Tristran.

He was breathing heavily, his whole body on fire.

She just stared at him in awe. „What?"

„You heard me. Why are you with him?" Deep down he knew he was being very rude and she will make him pay for it but he didn't care.

She stood up and scowled at him apparently got past the shock. „Why are you suddenly so interested?" She said in a dangerous voice and pierced Harry with one of her infamous killing looks. Harry shuddered inwardly but stood his ground. „I asked you first." He retorted somewhat childishly.

Her eyes blazed angrily as she retorted. „Because I love him!"

She could just as well stab Harry with a dagger. He felt his mind freeze, along with his whole body. He couldn't breathe. Because I love him! Resonated in his skull. As if in slow motion he heard himself ask : „Why?" His voice was unnaturally high and weak. He sounded like a wounded animal.

The hard look on her face melted instantly and after a long look into his eyes she hang her head as if in defeat.

„I ...well, I believe it's because..."She faltered and took a deep shaky breath."...because I don't want to be alone." She finally admitted.

Harry blinked. His mind seemed painfully slow to process what he just heard. „You love him because...because you don't want to be alone?" He asked stupidly trying to make clear that he understood well.

She remained silent with her face turned away from him. He couldn't believe it. This was the stupidest thing he'd ever heard.

„This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard!" He voiced out his thoughts. „You can have any bloke you want! And you are staying with that prat because you...that's just mental!"

She laughed bitterly. „Yeah, sure. I can have anyone!" She stated sarcastically.

„Of course you can!" He stared at her incredulously. Was she really that ignorant? Everybody adored her. If she wasn't going out with that tit she would already have several proposals for marriage (including his own).

„No, I certainly can't." She said weakly. „I can't have you." She whispered more to herself apparently unaware that she voiced out her thoughts.

For a wild moment Harry though that he imagined it but the look she gave him assured him that he didn't. She liked him and he suddenly felt as if he drank a gallon of Felix Felicis.

He carefully took her hand. „That's where you're wrong." He said softly.

„Actually, if I knew for sure it wouldn't hurt you I would have killed Tristran a long ago."

She looked up at him with strange look in her eyes, unsure whether he wasn't just joking. „But...but I though I'm just a friend to you." She finally choked out.

He smiled at her. „I've been in love with you since I first met you." He admitted and it surprised him that it was much easier than he'd imagined. „Standing at the bus station in the pouring rain without umbrella. Trying to hide under a paper bag. You were adorable."

She blushed and Harry felt sudden painful longing to lift her off her feet and kiss her senseless. And so he did.