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𝟒𝟎. 𝐖𝐡𝐨'𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐊𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐳 𝐍𝐨𝐰?

This chapter is dedicated to sunflowerstyles15 for her awesome comments and love. Hello, hello, hello. Wow, last chapter. It's definitely bittersweet. Thank you for all the support and amazing comments throughout this story. I love you all so much! Enjoy!

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"So Sirius is dead?" Luke gaped incredulously with his mouth wide open in shock.

He could hardly believe it; Padfoot, the man's nickname based on, of course, his shaggy dog animagus, had been one of his favorite characters. Besides, Harry was just starting to find his "family" in the presence of his brave, fun-spirited godfather; another loved one snatched from him yet again.

Confused as to why he wasn't getting an immediate response, the 6'4 man realized that the girl beside him was shaking with suppressed sobs. Placing his arm around her shoulders to pull her against his side, Luke asked cautiously, "Oh, uh, you good, Lina?"

Swallowing thickly, Alina nodded as she sniffed, "Yeah, just give me a minute." Sirius's death always made her weep every single time, even though she'd seen the series tons and tons of times ever since she was a little kid.

Of course, this time was no different. She knew she'd cry at this scene but that didn't stop her from wanting to binge the whole series with Luke. Eight movies sounded like a whole lot in one day, and it was, but the two had broken up the viewing with small breaks.

They'd watched the first two straight through and then went outside for a stroll in the park before watching the third and fourth movie. Lunch was the break before the fifth movie, which they just finished.

Planning on eating some pizza for dinner before watching the seventh and eighth movies, Luke rose from the couch to grab some more snacks for them as Alina pulled up the sixth movie, Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince.

Wiping the tears that were beginning to dry on her cheeks, the 5'3 girl hugged her knees to her chest before resting her head on the fuzzy blue blanket that covered them. Her mind traveled back to Diana's advice. Maybe this is a good time to have this chat. Why not? We're both chilling and having a good time together. Don't overthink it. Just talk... Alina scolded herself as her mind naturally drifted down the wrong path.

Sucking in her breath sharply before exhaling as she grabbed the disk ejected from the DVD player, she inquired with a casual laugh, "I feel a bit stupid for asking, but why aren't we dating?" Alina cursed under her breath as the question came out so strangely. Perfect.

Shit, this is what we've been talking about, Luke, communication. The man figured now that he maybe went about things the wrong way, or possibly out of order. He wasn't sure; all he knew was that he had been basking in the calm, secure feel of their relationship without desiring to put a name on the said relationship out of fear that things would change, for the worse. It was silly but it seemed that his past experiences still had an effect on him, whether he liked to admit it or not. Partly joking, the broad-shouldered man replied, "Who said we aren't? I thought we are."

Alina shook her head, placing the new disk in the empty slot. She looked over her shoulder to watch him stroll back to the couch. "Luke, sometimes I think you think I can read your mind," she rose an eyebrow at his response but was pleased with it nevertheless. At least he believed we were dating. Wasn't aware of that but aight.

Huddling under the blanket as she made her way back from the TV, Luke chuckled and lifted the fabric up so that she could sit next to him, "You can't? Wow, I just assumed that you could because you're so, so smart. Right?" He loved to flip her sassiness back on her, to tease her as much as she teased him.