Black [Ron Weasley]

( hands entwined )

Chapter 31

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ɴᴇᴠᴀᴇʜ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ

I couldn't blame him. I pushed him away for too long, I didn't have the right to expect him to wait for me. He deserved to be happy and I had no one to blame but myself.

My legs were pushed close to my chest, my arms wrapped around them tightly.

"Can I sit with you?"

I looked over my shoulder. His bright green eyes looked down at me with kindness.

I had never understood Harry Potter, how could he be as strong after all he had been through in his life. He had watched many people dear to him die yet still managed to put a smile on his face and keep going. I was barely hanging on after watching both my parents being murdered.

I moved to the side, making place for Harry. He sat next to me and smiled. I smiled back but for some reason it had never felt harder to lift the corners of my mouth.

"You think the dead ever truly leave us?"

Harry looked at me surprised, like he could barely believe I had a voice left inside me. It was quiet for a few seconds until Harry spoke up "I think they continue living, inside of us."

It wasn't until Harry wiped the tears away from underneath my eyes that I realized I was crying. The first time I cried in a very long time and it lifted tons of weight off my shoulder.

Harry wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer. I let go of a breath I had been holding in for such a long time. For the first time in a long time I didn't feel as alone, maybe that wasn't such a terrifying thing after all.

Harry and I both nearly jumped when we heard someone giggling. I looked up and quickly wiped all the tears off my cheeks.

Ron and Lavender stood in front of us, hand in hand. Ron was looking into my eyes and I was looking into his.

"Oops, looks like this room is taken."

"It's ok actually, we were just leaving." I said, standing up. I reached my hand out for Harry, helping him stand up.

Ron looked shocked, confused and another emotion I couldn't read clearly. I wanted to beg him to let go of Lavender's hand but I knew it was unfair of me to ask him something like that. So I simply exited the room with Harry and left them alone.

"Ron still cares about you, it's just—"

"Harry, you don't have to say anything. I completely understand, he's free to be with anyone he wants to be with."

"I'm relieved you're speaking to me again, I was worried we'd never speak again." Harry admitted.

"I'm sorry, Harry. I can't explain— I'm— it scares me, Harry."

"You don't have to explain, Nev. Nobody blames you and I can imagine what you're going through."

I smiled through my watery eyes. I tugged my arm into Harry's as we walked back to the Gryffindor common room.