Disclaimer: I do not own HP, J.K Rowling is the wonderful author.
Chapter 11: 6-Feet Deep
Victoria woke up the following morning, the cold autumn breeze rolling in with goosebumps lining the surface of her skin. She pressed her palms to her eyes as she lifted herself up, looking over at Harry who was completely cover-less. She must have taken all the covers during the night.
He looked so peaceful; his glasses falling off his face, his hair pointing up in different directions, the slow rise and fall of his chest. She was starting to fancy every bit of Harry Potter.
Victoria swung the covers over, covering Harry's body and giving him a light kiss on the cheek before getting up and walking towards her bathroom. She ran the hot water and undressed herself, slipping between the curtains and washing herself off. Victoria was having one of those moments where she'd prefer to stay in the shower for a long period of time, and just think. She rehearsed ways on how to mention her father to Elise…
"Who is he?", "What does he look like?", "Where is he from?"
…
They were questions she'd never not asked before… Elise would never tell her. She figured telling Victoria her father was a murderer, was enough to satisfying any further questioning… because why would she want anything to do with someone who was the reason for her mum's death? It may have worked when she was younger, but as she got older… her curiosity unleashed inside her. Though she has to remember, Marlene was Elise's sister… so maybe she had a right to be angry, and nonresponsive. Victoria groaned at the thought, as she finished washing her hair and turning off the water.
She stepped out, wrapping a towel around her body, drying herself off; then bending down to dry all of her hair. Upon straightening back up to get dressed, the door swung open and Harry immediately walked in, looking groggily down towards his feet.
"UHM!" Victoria said, taken back as she quickly grabbed the towel to cover her body.
Harry looked up, frozen like a deer in headlights as she lifted the towel from the ground and held it in front of her.
"Hello? Are you there?" Victoria said, her face turning a bright colour of red from embarrassment.
"Oh, shit I'm so sorry. I didn't know… I thought you were downstairs." Harry said, covering his eyes with his hands.
Victoria stood there, clutching onto the towel at her chest. "Harry, you're still standing there." She noted casually.
"Fuck, right. Sorry- sorry. I'm going." Harry said, still covering his eyes with his hands as he reached behind him for the door, closing it upon exiting.
Victoria tied her hair in a messy bun, throwing on a white robe she had hanging on the back of her door and exited the bathroom to see Harry sitting on her bed, his face covered in his hands.
"Hey." She said, closing the door behind her. "You can look now, I'm decent."
Harry looked up at her, he looked equally as embarrassed which made her smile. "I'm so sorry, I had no idea you were in there." He said, running his fingers through his hair nervously. "I thought you had gone down for breakfast like everybody else."
Victoria laughed, walking over to her dresser. "It's fine Harry. Honestly you just caught me by surprise, that's all."
"You're not mad?" He said, getting off the bed to walk towards her.
"No, just a bit embarrassed. Though, I am sure it's nothing you haven't imagined before." She said smirking at him from over her shoulder.
"Ah… I won't admit that." Harry began rubbing the back of his neck.
"You don't have to." She said, placing her hands on either side of his shoulder and kissing him lightly on the cheek. "You can get ready now though."
"I'll be a few minutes… just to tell you in case I walk out as you're getting dressed or something."
"Ah, aren't you a gentleman?" Victoria said, turning back around to her dresser.
"I just… rather you decide when I should see you that way, instead of it being unexpectedly out of your control." He said walking to the bathroom.
Victoria hid a smile as she rummaged for clothes in her drawers, listening to the shower run because he had left the door opened slightly. It was weird to think she was listening to Harry Potter shower in her room… when in the beginning of the year they were too nervous to stay in the same compartment together for ten minutes.
She slipped on a black skirt, tucking in one of her favourite black t-shirts of a band from the 70's and slipped on her white sneakers. About ten minutes later, Harry slipped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with a towel, shirtless with sweatpants hanging just over his hips. Victoria's gaze became attached to the muscles that defined his fit, lean frame as he threw the towel to the ground and searched for a shirt. She caught herself biting her lip, as he looked over at her. She quickly turned her neck, playing around with the hem of the skirt as a distraction.
"Ready for breakfast?" Harry said, opening the door for her.
Victoria looked back at him bashfully, noticing well he had a shirt on now- and exiting the bedroom with him.
XX
"Morning, V." Luna said smiling up from her plate.
"Morning, Luna. How was your night?"
"It was fine, actually. I hope you don't mind I borrowed Belle to send my dad a letter."
"No worries. My owl, your owl." Victoria said smiling as she took a seat at the table.
Everybody was already seated and eating; there were piles of pancakes in the middle of the table, along with eggs, bacon and bread. Though it all looked good, Victoria only grabbed a few pieces of bread and orange juice to start her day- she wasn't feeling that hungry.
"Ugh, I don't know if I can eat anymore. I'm feeling kind of sick…" Ernest said, holding his stomach as he leaned back in his chair.
Lavender rolled her eyes, "That's what you get for eating a dozen bloody cookies, all day yesterday."
"I'm starting to regret my choices…" Ernest held his mouth, his cheeks flushing. Quickly he jumped out of his chair and ran for the bathroom.
"Ah geez, poor Elise…"
"Speaking of, where is she?" Victoria asked, picking apart her bread.
"I think she's in her study."
"Her study? What for?"
Lavender shrugged, "She said she had something important to write? Not quite sure… sorry Vicki."
Victoria looked up at Harry; he was conversing with Ron while eating his breakfast. She had hoped he had a thought to this matter, but he wasn't paying attention.
"We should do something today." Lavender said to the group.
"…'ike woht?" Ron said with a mouth full of pancakes.
"Hm… we can walk around town?"
"I suppose that wouldn't be so bad." Hermione said. "It's a beautiful town too."
"Let me get my jacket!" Lavender said, rising from her seat.
Once they finished breakfast and got their jackets, everybody grouped up by the front door ready to leave. Victoria opened the front door, then eventually the front gates of the manor, where everybody began walking down the road towards the small village town not too far from the house.
"I wonder if Mrs. Catherine's Chocolate's is still there." Ernest said, walking with his hands shoved into his pockets beside Hermione.
"It still is." Victoria said walking beside Lavender who was, like normally, hanging off Ron's arm.
"Here it is!" Lavender said, pointing up at the freshly painted sign that read, 'Vecchio Village'.
"Erm, is this a wizard-free environment?" Harry asked, looking around at the people walking down the sidewalks.
"Yes, actually. So nobody use… you-know-what." Victoria whispered once they passed an older lady with a younger boy.
The village was quite small, though many people occupied the streets. There were shops that lined the road with gray shudders, tall windows, and advertisements painted on small blackboards outside the doors. Kids were pressing their faces to shop glasses with interesting toys, women were trying on jewelry from venders, and men were smoking, leaned against the small alleyways of the shops.
"Want to check out the candy store, Ron? I know you like sweets." Lavender said, quickly kissing him underneath the chin.
"That sounds great. Where is that at?" Lavender trailed Ron to a shop across the street; a small candy shop Victoria remember well. She and Luna used to raid the place as kids, taking as much as they could buy with the muggle money they found on the side of the road.
"Hey, there's your shop Vic." Ernest said, pointing to a shop downhill. Her face turned red, as he smirked at her.
"Why's it your shop?" Harry asked. "Because you like music?"
Victoria narrowed her eyes towards Ernest, making it clear she would throw him down if it wasn't in a street full of muggles. She looked back at the shop; it was a rather small shop, with a guitar silhouette in red lights on the window, and a sign in cursive that read "Mike's Music Shop."
"Well… yes… but then there was 'him'." Ernest said laughing.
"Ernest, the fuck?" Victoria said, pressing her eyebrows together.
"Him? Whose him?" Harry looked between the two; noticing their exchange in dirty and playfully looks. "Is it Mike?"
Ernest snorted, holding his chest. "Oh god no. Mike is the owner and he's dead. He was like 80. No, him was Elijah White."
"Wow, Ernest. You really like starting trouble, don't you?" Hermione pointed out, giving him an annoyed look. "C'mon Luna, let's go look at the Jewelry over here, and let them settle whatever Ernest started." Hermione rolled her eyes at him and shifted Luna off towards a Jewelry vendor.
"So…" Harry said, nudging Victoria. "Whose Elijah?"
Victoria looked down at the music shop as they got closer to it. She never thought she'd have to explain something so stupid to someone, like whose Elijah. Did it matter? She hadn't even thought about the boy till Ernest brought him up.
"Well, you know how I taught myself guitar and all, and my taste of music… so I used to go there and play and listen to records." Victoria said, grinning at the thought of it. She used to sit on a stool just outside the shop and play on her guitar for passerby's for free.
"She had a record buddy." Ernest said, running his fingers through his blonde hair. "That would be Elijah."
"Record buddy?" Harry raised his eyebrows.
"Well, one day I met this guy-"
"Elijah."
"Yes, Ernie shut up. I met Elijah, and he was playing some records of a band I'd never heard before; but I was into it and we just became friends."
"Off The Quarrymen's music." Ernest said.
Victoria remembered Elijah to be a tall boy, quite skinny… she took a look at Harry and compared the two; Harry was more fit. He had roughed up light brown hair and smelled horribly of smoke… he probably started her habit.
"Anyways… we sort of got into a thing but it would never have worked." Victoria said rolling her eyes just to brush off the subject.
"Why's that?" Harry asked.
"Because he was a muggle." Ernest said.
Harry looked at them confused, "Are you against being with a muggle or something?"
"No!" Victoria said waving her hands. "It was just… never going to work. It was when Cedric died I realized our worlds were just too different. All he had to worry about were feeding his fish, his black lungs, and his music career that wouldn't ever kick start. Sirius Black was on the loose, Cedric died, and you claimed Voldemort was back…" She said whispering the last bit so no one passing by could hear.
"Sad love story." Ernest said as the three stopped right in front of the music shop.
"Oh shut up, I wasn't in love." Harry looked at her; she could feel his eyes looking at the side of her face as she kept her gaze on the store.
"Let's go in." Harry said, walking up to the door and opening it- triggering a light ring of the bell.
"After you." Ernest said, reaching out an arm.
Victoria stepped into the room, analyzing the store for what she remembered, looked exactly the same. The walls were a velvet red colour, the floors were white tile. Guitars lined the back walls behind the counter, and records lined the walls of the shop. Only three people were in the shop for what she could tell, browsing records and pianos.
"Well, I've been here once before." Ernest said, looking the shop up and down.
"I've never been to a shop like this." Harry said, checking out a light blue guitar by the entrance. "So this is a bit of your childhood?"
"A bit, yea." Victoria said, suddenly beaming upon noticing that old record player sitting lonely in the back corner. She hurried over to it, running her fingers along the brown wooden base, lifting the tinted plastic casing to reveal the music piece.
"Ah, Petunia has one of these." Harry said, looking over her shoulder. "She used to yell at me not to touch it… said it was very valuable." He laughed.
"Yea, they're old! Worth loads I reckon that much." Victoria shifted her eyes to the records perched on the table beside the player, fumbling through each record. "Here it is!"
"This is the song you met him from?" Harry asked, looking at the record cover as she slipped the disk out and placed it on the player. "These are all muggles?"
Victoria laughed, smiling ear to ear. "Yes!" She shifted the needle carefully onto the record till the sound played.
The sounds of the acoustic guitar played along with the singing men, and Victoria's face lit up like a firework. She began swaying with the music, Harry watching her interestingly, and Ernest looking at guitars.
Victoria spun about, smiling at Harry and taking his hand softly; pulling him closer to her.
'In spite of all the danger, in spite of all that may be.
I'll do anything for you, anything you want me to.
If you'll be true to me.'
Harry raised his arm as she spun underneath him, her long black hair and skirt spiraling behind her, till she landed back on her feet. Harry watched her amused, her face bright pink. She couldn't help but gaze at him through her affectionate eyes. It felt like the first time they'd been free, not worrying about anything else and just dancing. It seemed as though every time they were together, someone got in the way- or something… and someone ended up getting hurt or angry… but not this time. Harry spun her around once more, wrapping his arms around her as she rested against his chest; his lips softly kissing the side of her face. If it were her choice, she'd have Harry spin her around a hundred more times before they had to go back to Hogwarts…
Harry released her abruptly, turning her to face him. "I'll be right back okay? Pick another song?" Harry said, fixing his spectacles and kissing her lightly on the lips.
"Oh… okay." Victoria said, watching him exit the shop.
Victoria flipped the record, searching through the box to see the other albums when she heard someone in the back of the shop.
"I've told you before man, we don't do that anymore." A guttural voice said from the back of the room.
"Man, please. I need this…" A younger man's voice said desperately.
"I've told you before, we haven't had people play for the shop in a while. Sorry, but you'll have to find somewhere else."
Victoria looked back, her eyes wide opened as she held a record in her hand stiffly. Suddenly someone emerged from the back room, walking backwards so she could only see the back of the man. He had on a leather jacket, jeans and messy brown hair; her heart stopped for a moment. He took a pack out of his jacket pocket, placing a cigarette between his lips before muffling, "Fine. I'll do just that." He flicked his lighter and puffed his smoke.
Victoria couldn't take her eyes off him… he turned around, looking directly into Victoria's eyes, his guitar hanging off his shoulder. She released her breath as she realized it wasn't who she thought it was… and he left. Victoria put the record back, following the man outside the shop to look for Harry. The wind was rolling hard now, for she kept her hands placed over her skirt so it didn't spiral up. She looked down the street, but Harry was nowhere to be found.
Suddenly she heard Harrys voice. "Harry?" Victoria called out, walking down the hill away from the shop. "Harry?" Victoria walked a bit down then stopped upon hearing Harry conversing with someone. "Where are you…" She turned the alleyway between two shops and noticed Harry looking down at a dog.
"Harry? What are you doing?" Victoria said, crossing her arms over her chest, shivering.
Harry looked up at her… and oddly to her, so did the dog. "Victoria? What are you…"
"No… what are YOU doing here?" Victoria tilted her head confused.
"I uhm… my dog…" Harry said, gesturing towards the dog. Victoria looked down, it was the same black shaggy dog she had seen running after the train in the beginning of the year.
"How the fuck did your dog end up in Buckinghamshire?"
"He uhm… follows me… like how your owl follows you." Harry said, running his fingers through his hair.
"Is that even a thing?"
"Hermione's cat follows her."
Victoria narrowed her eyes, "So… your dog followed you here… and you brought it to an alleyway to… talk to it?"
"Err… no. I saw my dog…" Harry nodded at the dog, "Snuffles… and ugh I went to get him but he made me chase him down here. I was just scolding him now. Bad boy Snuffles. Bad boy." He said, throwing a firm finger. The black shaggy dog sat back and tilted its head at Harry.
"Well Merlin Harry keep him on a leash." The dog whined at the sound of that. "Smart one is he?" Victoria walked up to the dog, reaching her hand towards his face. "May I?"
Harry laughed, raising an eyebrow. "By all means…"
Victoria scratched the top of the dog's head, running her hand down the base of his back. "He's so obedient, I'm surprised he ran from you." She said as the dog laid on the ground as she continued to rub the side of the dog.
Harry just looked at the two a bit embarrassed and concerned. "Just don't pet his stomach." Harry pointed out. "He's got ugh stomach problems and such, just keep your hand there on his back."
"Aw, do you have a tummy ache?" Victoria said in a baby voice to the dog. "What's he feeding you, Snuffles huh. Good boy."
"I think we should join back with the rest of the group." Harry suggested.
"You're right. We'll bring the dog back." Victoria said, standing beside the dog.
"What? No. It's okay, the dog can go back to Surrey."
"You expect this poor dog to travel from Buckinghamshire to Surrey on foot? Are you mad? Look at him, he looks malnourished." Victoria pointed out, getting a stern look by the dog and a laugh from Harry, which she thought was odd.
"Alright, alright. C'mon Si- Snuffles."
XX
"How on earth did Snuffles get out!" Hermione said, throwing her arms in the air.
Victoria listened to Hermione yell at Harry from the other room as she looked at the dog who tilted his head and stared at her.
"Do you hear this a lot, Snuffles?" Victoria asked, tilted her head to match the dog's.
"I'm sure Dumbledore can take him off your hands, Harry." Ron said loudly.
"SH! Ron, Dumbledore isn't the caretaker of the dog, Harry is! And lower your voice!"
"Says you."
"What!"
Victoria laughed, petting the dog behind the ear. "You've got lovely eyes." She said looking into the dark gray iris of the shaggy black dog. "So… beautiful actually." She moved closer towards the eyes of the dog, till she could see her reflection. "How… peculiar?"
Hermione walked into the room, startling Victoria as she retracted from her position. "Sorry, I'm going to take the dog for a walk. He hasn't gone to the bathroom since we got back so…"
"Right…" Victoria said, handing over the leash Hermione put on him when they got home from the village earlier.
"Where's Harry?"
"He's uhm… using the bathroom as well. They always have the same bathroom schedule."
Victoria looked blankly at Hermione who looked ashamed of herself. "Uhm… right. Be right back." Hermione said before leaving through the back door.
She stood up, walking out of the kitchen and towards the library. The door was slightly opened, so her curious self forced her to peak through the small crack. Harry was kneeling by the fire, which illuminated a green light. He was mumbling something in a whisper, running his fingers through his hair anxiously. She heard voices as she dipped in farther to see what was going on with the fire. Suddenly her hand slipped and the door opened wide, as she fell face first on the hardwood floor.
She looked up at Harry who looked back at her in surprise; the fire now a deep red-orange colour.
"Victoria?" Harry said, hurrying to help her off the ground. "Are you okay?"
"Ah, yeah… I'm fine."
"You're bleeding. Hold on." Harry said, turning her face at an angle so he could look at her. "Your lip… must've hit it when you fell." He pulled up his sleeve and cleared the blood that was dripping down her chin, as Ron searched for a tissue.
"Here." Ron said, handing her a box.
"Thanks…" Victoria held the tissue to her throbbing lip.
"What were you doing?" Harry asked, pulling her hair behind her ears.
"Er, I heard voices so I… I didn't know who was in here." She said, trying to avoid eye contact.
"Oh… I erm… was talking with Ron."
"Why was the fire green? Were you using floo powder?"
"Floo powder? Oh, right. Ron needed to talk to his mum. She's been worried about him…"
"Hey!" Ron said muffled, eating left over bread from breakfast.
"Ah, Ron you should talk to your mum more often." Victoria said, getting up from the floor.
"Alright Harry- Oh, Victoria." Hermione walked in, confused as to why Victoria was bleeding. "I took him for a walk… so Snuffles heard everything I told him… about the bathroom of course. Er… Bad boy, Bathroom is outside." She said smiling oddly at Victoria.
"Hey guys!" Lavender ran up from behind Hermione, all dressed in sleepwear with her blonde curly hair completely down. "We've started a fire in the back, want to join?"
"Sure, Lav. Give us a moment." Victoria said, checking if she was still bleeding.
Harry stood up, rubbing her mid-back as she looked between Hermione and Ron. "Let's do that then… Let's get you washed up too." Harry said, peeling her hand from her lip to examine the damage.
After getting washed up and dressed into pajamas, Victoria and Harry walked out the back of the house where the pit carried a roaring fire that sat in the middle of the group. Chairs were pulled up, and benches, while Ernie was the only one on the ground. Snuffles was sitting obediently by the fire; Harry sitting in the vacant chair next to him.
"You should play us something, Vicki!" Lavender smiled excitedly.
"Ah… I left my guitar at Hogwarts…" She said upset at herself; she normally always brought her dads guitar with her between Hogwarts and Elise's house… but she left so abruptly this time that she forgotten… especially with the thought of bringing 6 extra people along.
"That's alright, we'll just talk." Harry said smiling, reaching up for her hand to pull her down.
Victoria pulled down her shorts a bit before sitting down on Harry's leg, wrapping her arms around his neck, and gaining a few glances. He unzipped his sweater and laid it over her legs, making sure she was warm enough in the fall weather.
Ernest started to poke the fire with a stick, "What to talk about…"
"Have you gotten a girlfriend yet, Ern?" Lavender said, raising her eyebrows.
He scrunched up his face, giving Lavender an annoyed look. "Why do you think I'm looking for a girlfriend?"
"I don't know… seeing as Victoria and Harry are shagging now."
"Lav!" Victoria snapped, giving her a quick once-over look with narrowed eyes. She saw Ernie gnawing on the bottom of his lip as he continued to poke the fire awkwardly.
"What? We all know it by now, besides maybe his dog. Well he does now, don't you Snuffles?" Lavender said laughing.
Snuffles ears perked up looking at Harry who was flushing red.
"Luna… how's the Quibbler going?" Victoria said trying to changing the subject.
"Going well! Dad's been a bit stuck lately though on what to write… his bit on Sirius Black wasn't too popular." Victoria couldn't imagine why…
"Sirius Black huh? I wonder where that bloke is now?" Ernest said, throwing the stick in the fire.
"Probably far from here…" Ron said clearing his throat.
"I hope they catch him. Men like him deserve Azkaban."
"Excuse me?" Harry scowled abruptly.
Victoria looked over at him, his jaw set as he kept his eyes on Ernest.
"…Harry." Hermione said, tapping him on the arm.
"What?" Ernest continued. "He murdered a dozen people and some wizard, the man deserves death if you ask me. Just have the dementors finish him off."
Snuffles released a guttural growl while Hermione tugged on his collar.
Victoria winced with sudden pain that trickled up her leg. She tailed her hand underneath the sweatshirt to her thigh, holding onto the top of Harry's hand that was grabbing onto her roughly. Upon feeling her touch, he instantly released his hand. "Relax, Harry."
"Oi, what's got your wand in a knot?"
Harry shifted in his seat, forcing Victoria to stand up as he drew out his wand. Ernest stood up, drawing his out too.
"Guys! What the fuck!" Lavender yelled.
"Are you defending Sirius Black as a murderer?" Ernest said, pointing his wand up at Harry.
"I didn't say that."
"Then what the fuck are you doing?"
"Harry… please." Victoria placed a hand on his chest, trying to push him back.
Hermione tapped on Harry's arm, "He's here." She whispered, high enough for Victoria to hear.
Harry lowered his wand, hurrying back inside with Hermione and Snuffles. Victoria gave Ernest an apologetic look before trailing off with the two.
Hermione opened the front door, and who was standing at the entrance of her house, shocked Victoria quite a bit.
"Professor Lupin?..." Victoria said, moving Harry out of the way so she could get a better look. "Excuse me being rude here, but what on earth are you doing here?"
Lupin smiled so the scars on his face wrinkled upwards, "I'm very sorry Ms. McKinnon, for I am the one who is being rude. I have interrupted your activities just so I can retrieve this trouble maker of a dog Harry owns." Hermione handed Lupin the leash.
"Wait… what? Why are you taking Harry's dog?"
"He uhm…" Harry's eyes began darting towards everyone now; Lupin standing there waiting for Harry's response. "He…" Harry sighed, "Was a friend of my fathers."
"Oh? You went to school with Mrs. and Mr. Potter?" Victoria asked politely.
"Yes, indeed I did."
"Wait… is he on the map?" Victoria said in a hushed voice.
"Map?" Lupin said, raising his eyebrows.
"Ugh…." Harry parted his lips but nothing seemed to want to come out… not in English anyways. Finally, he cleared his throat, "Right. He helped my father… create the Marauders Map."
"Holy shit. Excuse my language, Professor… but you are more brilliant than I already thought you were!" Victoria was most excited about this bit of information; it was like unlocking more interesting news about a teacher she already had high respects for.
"Thank you Victoria, but I in fact cannot take all the credit for James and I weren't the only ones to create the map."
Harry cleared his throat, while Hermione just looked uncomfortable about the situation and its entirety.
"Right, well I must let you all get to bed… I'm sure Snuffles is tired as well." Lupin said, backing out of the door. "Goodnight, Harry… Hermione… Ms. McKinnon…Tell your mother I said hello."
Victoria smiled, waving back at him till what he said hit her, "Wait… what?"
But he had already disapparated, and Hermione shut the door.
Maybe she heard him wrong.
"Good god…" Hermione said, resting her hand on her forehead.
"Who?" Victoria asked.
"No one… let's get back to it… and you, Harry." Hermione continued, hitting Harry on the arm. "Need to apologize to MacMillan. Boys." She ended under her breath, walking off towards the backdoor.
Victoria cupped Harry's face, kissing him on the lips. "I'm going to talk to Elise… since it seems like…" Victoria looked up at the second floor balcony where the hallway light was now on. "She's awake."
"Alright…"
"Do as Hermione says, and apologize to the boy." Victoria said, giving him a tap on the shoulder before heading up the spiral staircase.
Victoria slowly walked down the lit hallway, softly turning the knob to Elise's study and peaking in to see if she was inside. "Elise?" She creaked the door open more, slowly emerging till she found Elise sitting at her desk. Victoria was facing her back, of which was hunched over while she was writing something.
"Elise…" Victoria closed the door behind her, catching Elise's attention.
"Oh… Victoria dear, come have a seat." Elise said, gesturing towards a chair beside her.
She shuffled over, sitting down on the leather chair, looking over at her aunt. Elise took off her round spectacles, throwing them down on the table as she rubbed her face… her drooping, pale face.
"I need to talk to you." Victoria said calmly.
"I need to talk to you as well…" Elise looked up at Victoria, a guilty smile playing on her face. "Didn't you read my letter?"
"Oh… you're right… sorry."
"No, no. You talk to me first." Elise sat back in her chair, her hands crossed on her lap, fully attentive.
Victoria could feel a lump in her throat. She didn't replay how she was going to bring up her father in a situation… only the questions he'd ask. She couldn't find the words to say it…
"Harry Potter, huh?"
Victoria looked up surprised. "Sorry?"
"You and Harry is that correct?"
"What about Harry and I?"
"Oh come on, any teenager would love to decipher this in the way I clearly mean."
"Right… Yea… Harry and I…" Victoria nodded uncomfortably.
"What about Ernest?"
"Elise!"
Elise's forehead creased, "What! I always thought you two would end up together. He liked you even when you were a little girl you know…"
"Ah… stop." Victoria said scrunching her face at the thought.
"I knew you thought boys were gross at the time but I figured you'd grow out of it… at least after you finally gave up on that muggle boy down the street."
"Elise! I'm not going to sit here and listen to this!" She said, feeling insulted.
"Alright, dear. Relax." Elise took a brief moment to look at Victoria in the eyes. "Do you love him?"
"Ugh… Elise, please."
"It's just a question!"
"Why do you care? In case I don't and you'll continue thinking there is a chance between Ernie and I?" Victoria said getting off the chair and walking towards the window in the room.
"Maybe! What I hope you do are things you never end up doing anyways."
"Oh, thanks Elise… what happened to 'she'd be proud of you'?" Victoria yelled, throwing her arms out.
"I'm sure she would be! You have her personality quite on the spot if you ask me." Elise said, shaking her head. "Always… running off… getting into trouble. Living some carefree life, yet getting mixed up with boys who endanger you."
"Endanger me?" Victoria laughed mockingly, the anger in her body rising. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Elise, Harry protects me."
"Yea… he protects you, till he asks you to join some activist group against Voldemort, then later- you're the one target that is easiest to obtain." Elise said sternly, with high disgust in her tone.
"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?" Victoria cried out frustrated.
"That, that Potter boy is exactly like your filthy, good for nothing father." She spat.
Victoria could feel her heart racing enough to stop her pulse. She was doing everything she could to resist pulling out her wand on her own aunt. Her nails were digging into the windowsill, dragging the white paint from the surface.
"What do you know about my father?" She asked through clenched teeth.
"That he kept secrets from your mother… just how I bet Potter does to you."
"You don't know what Harry does to me, because if you did you wouldn't approve of it." Victoria said suggestively, raising her chin and pursing her lips. She didn't care if this was a lie, it got Elise's blood boiling and that's all she cared about.
"How dare you do that, and with him?" Elise got up from her seat, pressing her eyebrows together unapprovingly.
"You're not my mum, Elise. I can do what I want, with who I want. Oh, and yea… maybe I do love him." Victoria said walking away from the window.
"You're going down the wrong road here, Victoria. You're going to fall down the same 6-foot hole your mother did."
Victoria pressed her jaw tightly, taking her wand out and blowing off all the papers on the table. "Tell me about him. Tell me now, Elise. I want to know the truth… I want to know a fucking name for Merlin's sake."
"No. I am protecting you, even if you hate me for it."
"Protecting me from what, Elise! You told me he is dead; why can't I get the name of my dead fucking father?"
"Because somehow, Victoria… he will hurt you; just how he hurt Marlene."
"For fuck sakes." Victoria rolled her eyes, she wasn't having any of it anymore. She stomped off towards the door, throwing a book to the floor with all her strength before she swung the door wide open. "What was it you wanted to fucking tell me?"
Elise's soft sobs, were undeniably choking her in the back of her throat. She held her chest, as she ran her fingers in her short blonde hair. "I'm sick, Victoria."
Victoria blinked up at her, "What?" She said, screwing up her face to try and understand.
"It's already started. I am ill, and I… I don't know if my chances are well off." Elise cleared her tears, clutching onto the table.
"Like… no. Do you have… cancer?" Victoria looked up at her blankly, waiting for a response Elise never gave. "For fuck sakes… are you… when?"
"A while after I dropped you off. It's why I left France so early. Mrs. Brown knows."
"Why didn't you tell me?" Victoria cried out, nearly out of breath.
"I didn't want to worry you if it wasn't serious."
"But now it fucking is!" Victoria clutched onto her hair, a thought kept running through her mind over and over that none of this was real… but it was. She gave one last look to Elise, who was on the verge of completely breaking out in tears. She slammed the door shut, cross the hallway to her room where she equally slammed the door and kicked her bag across the room. It seemed like fifty emotions were taking over and seeping out through her eyes as she bawled into her hands. What the fuck was happening right now?
Her door creaked open, welcoming Harry to her room. Victoria looked up, her eyes red and puffy, tears drowning her pale face… Harry's jaw unhinged; he hurried to her bed, wrapping his arms around her as he held her head to his chest, rocking her back and forth. "Relax…" Harry said, as tears ran hastily down her reddened eyes. "It's okay… what happened?"
"We fought…" Victoria said, trying to hold back more tears. "She… hates us… she hates my father… I fucking… I yelled at her, Harry. I yelled at her and she's fucking dying. She can't be dying… She can't… I can't lose her too."
Harry took a deep breath, clearing away the tears on her face, holding her tightly. "I am so sorry, Victoria. It will get better… I promise you, it always gets better."
"I'll have no family left…"
"You have me."
Victoria looked up at him, clearing the rest of what was left on her cheeks. "Do you mean that?"
Harry nodded, "I do. I really do."
Her dark gray eyes glistened as she studied his emerald green one's. The breath in her lungs became heavy and she couldn't ignore it any further. She jumped onto Harry, holding the sides of his face as her lips connected to his like a magnet that couldn't resist. He held her at the waist, throwing her back softly on the bed, pushing down on her as their lips touched. It was like some force that brought them together, and they just couldn't pull apart; neither of them wanted to anyways. Victoria hastily threw off her top off, as he carefully pulled her bottoms off from around her ankles. He leaned down, his lips relaxing on the surface of her neck as she unzipped his jeans. He looked up at her, his forehead resting on hers. She slipped off his round spectacles, placing them on the table beside her bed. The corners of her lips turned up, till he pressed his lips against hers, pushing into her. She could feel that knowing smile form as his lips moved; her fingers lost in his unruly dark hair. She never wanted to forget how this felt, to be this intertwined with Harry. After the two reached their release, Harry rolled over beside her; the two taking deep breaths as they relaxed.
Victoria turned her neck, looking over at Harry who replaced his round spectacles back on his face. Without a word she wrapped her arms around his waist, nudging her head on his bare chest- reliving all her favourite scents about him. Their legs entwined together as Harry lifted the covers over them, just blissfully falling into a night's sleep, in each other grace.
A/N: Sorry it took a bit to upload, i had exams. :) Hope you enjoy, let me know!