A pure warmth was the most welcoming trait of Molly Weasley's ambient dining area, as a giant mesh of family and friends began smashing together with excited embraces. Hermione and Ron snuck through the crowd and let any bit of bitterness buried deep inside them sink through the floorboards once they saw Harry's pale face for the first time in months. Parcels thudded against the floor as Hermione nearly knocked Harry off of his feet; Harry hadn't even seen her coming with two armfuls of elegantly wrapped gifts.
The Weasley tribe gladly helped shovel the massive amounts of gifts that the couple had brought with them underneath Molly's ornate tree in the living room. Once the crowd had settled, Ron and Harry were nowhere to be found, but the light scent of smoke had Lia and Hermione convinced they were outside puffing cigars with Arthur, Fred and George. Molly could be heard humming off in the distance as she banged her metal spoon against the pots of hot chocolate she was steaming up before the night was completely over.
A thunderous gasp coming from the kitchen area interrupted Lia and Hermione's game of cards, where they quickly responded. Molly had both arms wrapped around Ginny, as well as planting as many forceful kisses on her forehead as one breath would allow for. Once Molly moved it was clear that Ginny had aged, and looked different than from the last time any of them had seen her. Tucked almost behind the front door was a brown-skinned woman with long silky black hair, wearing a lovely ornamented teal dress. Hermione stopped herself from charging Ginny into a long hug and only lightly embraced her, to where Lia followed her and didn't care about formalities. Ginny's body was much more muscular now; her long red hair disappeared and was now a short version of a messy styled fauxhawk.
"Hey guys, this is Neel. She's my girlfriend." Ginny said, stepping out of the way allowing for the woman to shake hands with the other three women.
After Ginny settled in and set her bags along with Hermione's and Lia's in her old room, the five women sat together around the warm fireplace.
"It was the beginning of March, and we had just a little match in Pune and Neel knocked into me so hard the tip of my broom snapped off. After the match, a few of my mates and I went to go have it out with her, but once I saw her…. She was so beautiful that I couldn't even get my lips moving to say 'hi.' Ginny explained with a glimmering inside of her blue eyes.
"I wouldn't have knocked into you if you were paying attention to the game instead of my butt." Neel joked, with a decently thick accent.
"Mum, I saw Ron, Dad and the twins on my way in, and I know Charlie wont be here till Friday, but where's Bill? He sent me a letter about the split and said he'd be here."
"Oh, Bill's caught quite the nasty bug, I'm afraid. I saw him this morning getting himself a little spot of tea, but other than his sneezing, I haven't heard a peep." Molly explained while sipping on her tiny little chipped cup.
The family silently reflected for a moment, noticing that not all Weasleys would be gather for Christmas. It would be their first Christmas without Percy, even though Ginny could clearly see a shimmering package with a ginormous "P" labeled on the front of it.
"Those damned boys are going to be at the pub all night, I just know it!" Molly cursed through the steam escaping her cup as she glared out the front bay window.
"They're going to the pub? Lovely. We wont be seeing them until breakfast." Hermione sneered as she sipped on her dainty cup of red wine.
"Molly, if you don't mind I am going to take Bill up a cup of chocolate. I've been meaning to ask him about how he's doing with Professor life." Lia excused herself from the floor.
"Oh of course, dear! You might want to whip yourself up a nice potion while you're at it, because that poor angel is lethal!" She giggled while rocking violently in her chair.
The small cup burned the tips of Lia's fingers as she scaled the many floors of the Burrow, all the way to the third floor where Bill's door was slightly propped open. A light knock forced the door to slowly drift completely open, where Bill was lying awake listening to a brassy tune playing from an antique radio.
"Lia- I-" Bill scrambled, and pulled his blanket up to his neck.
"Bill, you poor man. You look terrible." Lia commented as she scooted up a small wire chair to the edge of his bed.
"I feel dreadful." Bill nasally retorted.
Lia used the back of her hand to feel his forehead, and the other hand to jam the cup of hot liquid into his palm while she reached for her bag.
"Here, try sipping on this. Maybe it'll help your cold. I brewed a few different batches in the beginning of the year and this one knocked Harry's hangover out like nobody's business."
"Hangover, cold… It's all the same, yeah?" Bill slightly cracked a grin while cautiously sipped on the rose colored bottle.
"Both make you feel terrible, but this has quite the kick to knock either out. Just make sure you wash it down with the chocolate. A bit of an irony taste that I wasn't able to mask with the mint this time."
Bill graciously accepted mouthfuls of hot chocolate into his cheeks, while clearly becoming drowsier as the warm liquid sat idly in his stomach.
"You get some rest. The potion will make you a bit sleepy, but you'll be feeling human again tomorrow." Lia assured as she tucked the edge of his bed sheet into the mattress.
A panorama of stale, gray faces lined the outer living area as Molly finished whipping up a batch of biscuits for Christmas breakfast.
"Pub got the best of you, yeah?" Ginny laughed across the room, with her short red hair in a tousled mess.
"Shut it, Gin" Ron snarled back, with his finger wrapped around a warm mug of black coffee.
The table needed an enhancement charm with the addition of bodies surrounding it, causing Lia's knees to jam into the underside of it as she took her seat in the corner. Colors rushed back into the late night drinkers faces as Molly floated the spread of morning breakfast down to the center of the table. Harry still resonated a somber aura about him as he picked at the crispy biscuits on his floral patterned plate. Lia attempted to rub the top of his leg underneath the table, but the tips of her fingers almost felt chilled before she could reach the tops of his knuckles. To avoid a scene, she gently placed her left hand back into her lap and continued to sip on her tea pretending as if it never happened. Harry excused himself shortly after and disappeared through the kitchen for the rest of the morning.
A couple knocks on the wooden stairs came from behind the table, and the entire party turned to watch a chipper Bill descend from the staircase dressed in casual holiday clothes with a smile on his face. Bill chose one of two open spots at the table, the one being across from Lia and immediately began scooping food onto his empty plate.
"Mornin' everyone." Bill softly greeted the table.
"Oh Bill, you look alive again! Just in time for Christmas too." Molly shrieked from the far end of the table.
"Yeah, I've barely got a sniffle now. I feel great." Bill grinned toward his mother and father.
He mouthed the words "Thank you" to Lia and passed her a tiny empty phial across the table.
"Where's Harry?" Bill innocently asked.
"I think he's taking a walk." Molly quickly interjected, "More tea, Lia?"
Bill quickly caught onto Molly's attempt to avoid Harry as a subject of discussion and turned to Ginny.
"So this is Neel?" He smiled in the brown-eyed girl's direction.
"Yeah, this is the girl I've been writing you about. I told you she was a knockout." Ginny beamed at her girlfriend.
Lia shifted in her chair and accidentally flung her foot into Bill's kneecap, causing a loud bang against the rickety table.
"Bill! I am so sorry, I am such a –"
"It's fine! I'm fine."
"What else would you expect putting those two across from each other? Two tallest people here…" Ron bitterly joked.
"RON!" Molly smacked the top of his bicep lightly, "Lia dear, there's nothing wrong with being tall, it's quite endearing on you." Molly smiled sweetly at Lia and then glowered at Ron.
Lia chuckled watching Ron sink into his wobbly wooden chair, but also nearly fell out of her own by Hermione jumping to her feet and pointing out the window with edges frosted in white.
"Remus! It's Remus! And he has Teddy!" Hermione grinned, where she then dashed from the table, knocking over her empty glass in the excitement.
Before Remus made it into the house, Hermione had scooped up Teddy and was eagerly bringing him to the large Christmas tree away from all of the adults. Lia instantly became tense seeing his face; she could tell he was monitoring her.
Most of the table dissipated to swarm Remus and ask him how holiday was going, where Lia stayed behind, angrily clearing away dishes from the table. Her hand reached out and grabbed one of the large silver chalices-
"Lia- I was-"
Lia had stomped off into the kitchen, leaving Bill without his glass of milk and only one fork to finish his breakfast. Coming back she noticed Bill still eating and had a laugh watching him try and scrape up his last bites with the tiny fork she left behind.
"Bill! I'm so sorry! I really just kind of went at it and started cleaning without thinking." She nervously giggled.
"Fine, its fine. But are you…?" He lowered his stare and pushed her.
"Yes…" She forced a smile.
"No…" She then quietly let out before plopping down in the seat across from him.
"Can I help with anything?" Bill asked.
"Maybe prevent the birth of Lord Voldemort…" Lia mumbled under her breath, crossing her fingers that Bill hadn't heard her from the commotion of Remus striding toward her.
"Bill." Remus nodded in his direction.
"Miss Lia, I do believe we have some business to discuss and from the looks of it, it is urgent." He gestured his hand out to her, lifting her gently from the chair and leading her out into the mudroom.
"Do you think I didn't notice the icy look from across the breakfast nook?" Remus laughed while inhaling on a rolled cigarette.
"I figured you wouldn't need to have a conversation about why the look originated in the first place." Lia bitterly replied.
"Lia, you can't hate me for this. You cant blame-"
"I can blame you for whatever I please. Remus, Harry has been through enough, he has seen enough. He could have a life away from that. What you two are doing… Do you not feel guilt, watching him decay through the mountainside while you two are out witch hunting?"
"These are Harry's choices, Ophelia. He is an adult. Things are happening. The air is changing."
"What are you talking about?" She demanded.
"I cannot speak for Harry."
"Remus, what in the hell are you talking about?"
"There will come the time, Lia…..when this will all make sense."
"Cut the cryptic bullshit, Remus. If you don't want to tell me what you two are doing, fine. If you don't want to take responsibility in being involved in the death of who Harry was, fine. But don't patronize me. Don't tell me that the shell of a man walking around wearing crooked glasses is Harry."
"Lia, I do not want to lose a friend. You are my dear friend. I care deeply for you, but I need you to understand. I need you to open your eyes to the bigger picture."
"Oh you mean like Albus wanted us to all do? When we all knew how FUCKED that plan was…"
There was a long break of silence.
"Keep him safe, Remus. Keep him surfaced. Do not let the darkness take him."
She exited the small compact room, and made her way toward the living area to only be intercepted by Harry putting his shoes on.
"Harry.. where-"
"Remus is waiting for me." Harry stonily replied.
"It's Christmas, Harry. That's why he's here? To dump Teddy off and take you… No."
Harry continued tying up his laces without skipping a beat.
"No, Harry. Please don't go." Lia pleaded with him.
"It's only a few days. The ministry is down my throat about this case. I tried to push it until after the holidays but they're demanding we go today. It's why he came."
"Harry…" Lia reached out to him.
"I'll be back by New Year's. We can celebrate then." Harry assured, leaving Lia in the hall with nothing more than a peck to her forehead before he disappeared into the early afternoon mist.
The rest of the day Lia felt as if she was in a haze. Going between faking holiday cheer, dodging any questions of where Harry was at and keeping her eyes from welling; she was ready for this Christmas to be over.
Hermione fell happily over the lap of Ron with a bright blue tinsel blow horn hanging from her mouth while jazzy brass music hummed in the background. The two sloppily danced, more than buzzed from cocktails the twins had concocted out of a fragrant juice and two or three glass bottles of alcohol. George was barely able to stand up straight and used the wall to keep his balance while he sipped on a tumbler glass of orange beverage.
"OI! You spill that and next year we're celebrating at your flat and drinking some of my uncle's mountain moonshine. See how much you like cleaning that out of your rugs!" Lia screamed from the living area while her and Harry shared a few glasses of a pale pink wine together.
"Next year, hopefully, we will have a mansion! And the joke shop will be making billions! Then you can spill whatever you please on whatever you want to!" George slurred while Fred hastily grabbed his brother's tipping glass from his fingers.
"By the way you're drinking next year you'll be tossed in jail for indecency. Straight into Azkaban." Fred giggled while setting his droopy-eyed brother on one of the kitchen chairs.
"Hey Ron, why didn't Bill come? He seemed pretty excited when I invited him over Christmas weekend?" Lia asked while adjusting her party dress.
"I – er-uh-" Ron was barely able to stuttered before Hermione covertly jammed him with her elbow.
"He and Gin decided to stay with mum. Said summin' about Gin asking him to stay and help Neel with something. I dunno." Ron explained terribly.
Both of them blankly stared off into the blackness of the window, avoiding eye contact with Lia.
"Mione, can you help me put out the cheese and crackers?" Lia urged, yanking her friend off of Ron's lap, pulling her far from the party and away from any nosy earshot.
"Why is Ron being so weird?" Lia whispered while pulling three red boxes of buttered crackers down from the cabinet.
"He's not being… weird.." Hermione trailed off.
"Yes he is! And so are you? What the hell is going on with you two? I mention Bill and the two of you act like I brought up Bellatrix or something."
"Bill is a sore subject right now…." Hermione squeaked out.
"Why, what happened?" Lia asked while looking over her shoulder.
"There's only twenty minutes until its midnight Lia, we have to get-"
"We're not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on." Lia demanded with a terrifyingly serious look in her eyes.
"Well, alright, if you have to know. Molly was beside herself when you left the day after Christmas. You know how she is when her plans go rubbish…. At lunch Gin brought up how bad Harry looked and it sort of threw Molly into a fit and she started crying. Then Bill started…. It was a scene. Nobody had ever heard Bill raise his voice before, so it was a bit of a shock to the table when he got so angry." Hermione admitted.
"Bill refused to come here as long as Harry is around… that's right isn't it?"
"Everyone's been a bit brassed off with him, Lia. It's hard to excuse everything he's doing just because he's having a hard time coping." Hermione let her champagne talk more than she had intended on saying.
"I know, Mione. I know." tipping glass from him.
The two finished cutting the small blocks of orange and yellow cheeses and then served them to four men who all were sitting in silence. To be fair, George was already in a drunken sleep drooped over the edge of his chair, but the three remaining had no excuse for the silence.
"Ah cheese, yes my favorite." Fred exclaimed while shoving at least 3 pieces of sliced cheddar into the side of his cheek.
The New Year rang in, and not soon after the lot had decided to tuck in for the night, most of them more intoxicated than intended. Lia and Harry crawled into her overly puffy comforter with all of the lights off, nothing but the sound of the tiny town they bordered celebrating. Harry reached out for the warmth of her body and pulled her into close to him, which Lia was not expecting, nor had she remembered what cuddling was like with Harry. A slight breeze of his neck lingered to Lia's nose, with light soothing notes of a velvety moss and verbena. It was refreshing not smelling the typical whiskey on his breath, and enjoying a motion of affection from him instead of silence.
"My eyes are getting heavy, Harry." Lia's voice cracked from exhaustion.
"I'll hold on tight until you fall asleep." Harry whispered against her back.
"Promise me that you'll kiss me before you leave." Lia retorted, rendering Harry speechless.
"How did you-"
"I saw that bag you packed, Harry. You packed the only three pair of jeans you own." She turned around to face him, now pushing whips of hair from his forehead.
"I'm sorry, Li-"
"Don't apologize yet. Not just yet." She interjected.
In the darkness Harry felt a jolt of soft clothes fly and smack him in the face.
"Come on, get dressed." Lia insisted, now fully clothed and suited in her winter jacket and scarf.
Harry was properly clothed only a few minutes after, where he then accepted his rucksack from Lia as she dangled it out in front of him.
"I packed your toothbrush in that front pocket there, right next to a few novels just incase Remus' voice gets a little monotone." She grinned at him.
The two escaped out the back sliding patio door and pushed through the chilly evening until their feet dug into the chunky frozen sand of the beach. The sand looked like snow from being so white in the darkness. There was a clear separation of land and sea, since the water was angrily crashing with midnight foamy waves. The sky looked like someone had blown a handful of glitter into it, as well as a full dandelion colored moon reflecting against the bitter sea. Lia started a tiny fire with a spell in a useless pile of brush, where the two sat huddled on the west side of the fire, arms intertwined with Lia's mess of silver hair bunched on Harry's shoulder.
"I don't know if I am coming back, Lia."
"I know. This time seemed different. You never had a problem telling me you were leaving in the past, but sneaking out after I fell asleep, now that is new."
"I didn't know if I could handle saying goodbye to you. I don't want to leave, I have to."
"My best friend hates me, and can't understand what I am going through. Hermione tries her hardest to not put herself in the middle, but I don't blame her, I would choose Ron too. You can barely look at the blackness in my eyes…."
"There's more to it than that, Harry. You know we love you, that's not why you're leaving." She pressed her icy eyes at his face.
"That's why I fell in love with you. Really the smartest women in the entire fucking galaxy."
"It burned for the first time since in October." Harry said while tensing his body.
"Your scar?" Lia curiously asked.
"Yes, my scar. It burned again three times after, and then again yesterday."
"Do you think it's him?"
"No, it's a different burn. That burn was almost blinding, this is more of almost a tingle. But nevertheless, we know what that means."
"When I left the Burrow on Christmas, Remus and I were investigating a case in Yeavering. Ministry got word of a group of magic folk hiding out, acting strange and casting spells, speaking Voldemorts name freely. We only spent a few hours there, but my scar burned the entire time. Something is happening again. It's why I've got to go, no more pretending like this is the life I am supposed to be living." He shook his head, staring back at the faint light of the cottage glowing on the edge.
"So this is it?" Lia squeezed his arm.
"Damnit, I don't want it to be. But Lia-"
"Shhhhh. Here, take the ring back, you could probably sell it for a good price, maybe set you and Remus up in a nice Inn for a few nights."
"No. Never. You keep that. I want you to keep it."
"Why?"
"I don't want hope to be lost for us…..forever."
"You wont be like this forver."
"But I might be. And in that case, I can't do that to you. You deserve a great life. You deserve to have kids, and your career and everything without fucked up Harry in the picture.'
"We can still have that, Harry. You just need to find what you're looking for. You need to be set free from your chains."
"They may never let go, Lia. I love you enough to let you go on and live your life. That means without me, without us for now."
"I'm not going to wait, Harry. I am not going to play the sad widow story, staring out my window longing for you to eventually comeback. I don't need you to complete me."
"I know. I expect that as soon as I'm out, there will be so many people who have seen inside of your soul and know how amazing you are. Love someone, Lia. Love someone and let them love you. Be happier than you ever could be with me and if I am lucky, if this sickness ever goes away, maybe one day I'll come back and you'll have thrown some tosser out of your life and you might let me take you on a date."
"Time will tell." She replied.
Harry stood, letting out a chilled hand and lifted Lia from the frozen ground, helping her wipe white sand from her pants. The two stood staring into each other's eyes, not saying a word, but knowing this was the moment of unknown. Harry couldn't help but gravitate toward her awesome force and kiss her warm lips just one more time. He needed something to hold onto, something to retreat to when the darkness took over; just one more little bit of happiness to clutch to.
"I love you, Lia. I always will."
And with a deep breath of cold air into her lungs, Lia then felt nothing. Harry had vanished from the beach, leaving her to let her silver curls blow gently as she faced the force of the sea, seeing nothing but a lit night sky for miles.