Chapter Six: Until Next Time
After sitting and conversing throughout breakfast in the Great Hall, Harry and Luce decided to take a stroll around the grounds of Hogwarts, not having any other plans for the weekend.
"Harry?"
It had been silent between the two at first, but Luce couldn't help but to ask the question that had been on the forefront of her mind since they'd eaten.
"Yeah?" he looked at her curiously, having previously been eying the lake.
"How did you get those scars?" she desired to know, inwardly wondering if they shared the same problem.
Harry looked at his hand for a moment, reflecting back to the morbid memory.
Noticing the grim expression that had fallen upon his face, she back tracked, "You don't have to answer that. I shouldn't have asked," Luce apologized. The question was clearly too personal.
"No, its fine," he reassured her. It had been his choice. Not placing any glamour charms to hide them would inevitably lead to questions at some point. "Detention with Umbridge," Harry stated a bit too simply, not wishing to reminisce too much.
"Oh, the blood-quill," Luce blurted before thinking. She was often relentlessly blunt and honest whenever she wasn't trying to hide something.
Harry stopped walking and faced her, "Did you have detentions with her last year?" he inquired, thinking that to be the only logical explanation.
"Not exactly," she began, also standing still now. "My father works at the Ministry," Luce explained before he asked for her to. "He read up on her files after what took place last year, wanting to be sure that I would be safe in her presence," she smiled at that, thinking of her way too overprotective father. "He almost pulled me out of school after reading so many articles about her in the Prophet. He didn't like how controlling and fake she seemed."
He understood how she knew now and began walking again. "A lot of people had a hard time coming back last year," Harry spoke with a guilt-ridden tone.
Luce kept up beside him, "I heard," she nodded, remembering how Parvati and Padma barely convinced their parents to let them return that year. She also read the Prophet, despite her own personal preference not to. Her father thought it best to stay informed, even if the articles were completely over-dramatized and not always entirely true. "That's not the reason my father was leery, though."
"He didn't believe what they were writing?" Harry scrunched his brows in slight confusion. No one took his side other than a select few. Even Mrs. Weasley had her doubts at one point.
"Yes and no," she replied, trying to figure out how she could best explain this.
Harry remained quiet while she thought, feeling that she would go on eventually.
"You see," Luce started carefully, "as an auror, he can't defy the Ministry. Not entirely," she was searching the sky as if reading her sentences from it, when in reality, she didn't want to meet Harry's gaze just yet. "He has a certain reputation to uphold in order to maintain his job. So, while it may seem like he agreed with Fudge at work," she spoke of the old Minister's name with distaste, "at home, he was just as much of a believer in you as I was," Luce finished, chancing a glance at him now.
Harry found that he was beginning to like this girl more and more as time went on. She was full of surprises and had, so far, been completely unlike anyone else he'd ever come across. "He sounds like another auror I know," he smiled.
"Which one?" she asked, "There are quite a few like my father. You'd be surprised," Luce smiled back, holding back a laugh at the bewildered look Harry was now wearing.
"I was thinking about Tonks," he told her honestly. Moody defied whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted, so he couldn't count; and he hardly knew much about Kingsley to speak on the man's behalf.
"Oh, Nymphadora?" she shook her head, "That auror has given my dad quite a bit of grief."
"How?" he was still curious about her last statement, but made a mental note to get back to it later.
Luce directed her silver orbs at Harry's emerald ones for a moment before replying, "She's young and new," she explained, "the youngest the academy has had, as far as I know," Luce added. "Working with her, according to my father, has proved somewhat of a challenge not only for that reason, but because she's apparently clumsy as well. From what I've been told, she always manages to find something to knock or fall over."
Harry chuckled at that, thinking back to the time she'd tripped over the umbrella stand in Grimmauld Place. "It's true," he confirmed, "but I don't think it's intentional."
"You know her?" Luce wondered aloud.
"We've met," Harry sheepishly elaborated, not sure if he should go into much detail about that.
While she'd been able to forget whenever she was with him, Luce reminded herself now of Harry's status in this world and put the pieces together. Of course he'd have special acquaintances such as Tonks. It was for his safety.
"Well, my dad never seems genuinely upset with her. I think she simply frustrates him sometimes," Luce didn't want him to think that her father had a grudge against a person who had been nothing short of helpful in his life.
"That's understandable," Harry nodded, the smile returning to his face.
"Back to what I was saying earlier, Luce continued, aware that he still wanted to know, "Kingsley is the other auror I had in mind."
He'd guessed, but couldn't quite assume as much due to not really knowing the man. "Your dad knows him?" Harry was sincerely curious.
"Oh, yeah," Luce's smile grew considerably. "They were great friends back in school. Unfortunately, they don't see much of each other at work because of their different positions as aurors, but Mr. Shacklebolt stops by the house whenever he gets the chance," she informed him, using the name she used to call Kingsley when she was just a child.
"I would never have guessed," Harry spoke truthfully, somewhat in awe of everything he was learning about Luce today.
"Well, it's not exactly a matter I go around bragging about," Luce carried on sarcastically.
"Why not?" he joined in, finding her mood addictive, "you'd be famous if the others knew," Harry grinned cheekily.
"I don't know," her eyes sparkled in amusement, "I guess I'm just not as into fame as you are," she smirked at him playfully.
"Are you sure?" Harry countered, "I mean, why else would you be seen spending so much time around me?" he joked with her.
"You confronted me, remember?" Luce laughed, having won this little tit for tat.
He sighed, having been enjoying himself. "I'll let you have this one," Harry told her as if he had that choice.
"Let me?" she shook her head, "I beat you fair and square, Potter."
"Fine," he relented, his tone light hearted, "Until next time."
Luce nodded, feeling genuinely good for the first time this year, "Until next time."
Reviewer Responses:
ALPHAQ69: I try not to focus on Harry's POV too much because it's all pretty much explained in J.K Rowling's Half Blood Prince. I thought it'd be nice to have a different perspective on it, however, I'll put more of his POV in the story from now on. Thank you for reviewing! I'm really glad that you like the story.
Colors of the World: This is by far the best review I've ever recieved on any story. Honestly, you've made my month. The fact that you can put yourself into the shoes of a character I created is the best feeling. I feel like I've accomplished something great, so thank you for telling me. I posted this chapter sooner than I thought I'd be able to with you in mind. I really hope you're still enjoyinig it! Oh, and I'll try to have some Harry POV moments in the future. Thanks again for reviewing!
