In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter CI: The Beautiful Ghost

If you listen just right, you can almost hear it
The symphony of secrecy, life, and fear

Like a moth to the flame we become helpless
To the beautiful ghost that true love sheds

"Ghosts"
Sleeping At Last

LUCY:

I'll never forget the way Harry looked in the melancholy moonlight. I searched him for any sign of anger or fear or resentment. Any sign that I had made a grave mistake in telling him. But I saw nothing of the sort. Sorrow. Understanding. Relief.

Love.

Nothing romantic. But love. The kind of love that can only come from vulnerability, the kind of love that can only come when someone dares to show the truth for the first time.

"You're really glad you know?" I asked, still not quite believing just how... perfect he was.

He nodded. "Of course I am, Lu. You don't have to look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"You look as if you think you've done something wrong. It's like you're hiding." Harry pushed a lock of hair back from my face. "You don't have to hide anymore, not from me."

I glanced down, face heating a bit. "I guess I have been hiding. I didn't even realize it for what it was, really." I spied a hair tie on my wrist. I pulled my hair up, twisting it into a high ponytail. I had forgotten just how freeing it was to have my hair out of my face. I drew a deep breath and released it with a smile. "Better?"

Harry grinned right back at me, then reached forward and tipped my chin up. "There. Now it's better. You're looking more like yourself already."

"Yeah." I shrugged, with a quiet laugh. "This is who I am. You now know more about me than anyone else. You still must have so many questions, though, so... ask me anything, and I'll answer it."

He scratched the back of his neck. "Merlin. Er. Well, when's the next full moon?"

"Next Saturday."

"Oh, so that must have been wolfsbane at breakfast this morning... wait, does Neville know?"

I bit my lip. "You've already landed on a difficult question. It wasn't wolfsbane, and no, Neville doesn't know."

"Who does know? I reckon I must be among the last to know," he added, blushing a bit.

That made me smile. "No, you're not. Hermione figured it out back in first year, and the twins figured it out last December. You're the first person I've ever told willingly, everyone else has had to confront me about it. But they're the only three who know, aside from Professor Lupin and Professor McGonagall and a couple other adults." My smile faded. "No, the potion this morning was to help with the shaking. Apparently one of the lingering effects of the Cruciatus Curse is shaking, which is why Neville recognized the potion. I'm sure his parents have taken it before."

"Does 'ask me anything' apply to... you know...? It's okay if it doesn't-"

"It does," I said softly. "I don't want to hide from you anymore. I-I can talk to you." I glanced out at the Pitch. "You're the only person who knows about my family, aside from Professor Lupin and a couple of other Order members. I want you to know about this summer, too."

"Why didn't the diaries work?"

"Mum's protective enchantments. Nothing got in, nothing got out."