Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Silence surrounded Hope and Harry for a while until the latter finally decided to speak. "I think I saw you in Dumbledore's office." He spoke, noticing Hope's worried posture,"Yesterday."
"Er. . . I don't remember being there." Hope defended herself, trying her best to look confident.
"You're lying aren't you?" Harry gave a sly smile.
"I don't know what you're talking about. And anyway, I need to go." Hope rolled her eyes, hoping that he would get the signal that she was annoyed at that point.
"Why did you address me as Harry?"
The question made Hope stop in her tracks and close her eyes momentarily to shallow her rugged breathing. Only if he knew, Hope thought.
"I usually address people by their first name so there's nothing new." She answered and turned around to face him.
Harry smiled slyly again,"Stop lying."
Hope took a deep breath and crossed her arms across her chest, staring intently at Harry and sighed,"Stop annoying me."
"I'm not annoying you. I just wanna know the truth!" Harry exclaimed, looking desperate to get an answer to all his questions,"I heard you and Dumbledore. You said something about gaining Malfoy's trust? What are you, a spy?"
"Why does it bother you?" Hope exhaled sharply, looking him dead in the eye,"It's none of your business."
"You're a slytherin ─"
"Is that a problem?" She raised one of her eyebrows, looking pissed as ever.
"No." Harry contradicted, lightly shaking his head,"I don't understand this. . . Why did Dumbledore chose you out of everyone?"
"Why don't you ask him yourself?" Hope asked earning a sigh from Harry. He looked at her, trying to interpret the secrets behind those hazel eyes which at times reminded him of someone familiar. Hope waited for him to say something but when he kept quiet, she took it as a cue to leave.
"Hope!" Theodore waved at her as soon as she stepped inside the party, partly worried and relived.
"Hey, sorry I took so long. I came across McGonagall and had to explain why I wasn't at the party." Hope lied earning a nod of acknowledgement from him.
The party went on for few more hours and Hope felt herself relax for a while while interacting with everyone else even the gryffindors without any bitterness. Once back in her dorm, Hope found Pansy and Tracey already asleep in their bed which made her wonder when was the last time she got a profound sleep.
She sighed and got changed in her night suit before laying down on the bed and let her arms relax. Staring at the ceiling and playing the interaction with Harry in her head, she didn't realize when she fell asleep.
A pair of hazel, brown eyes stared at Hope as she sat by the black lake, enjoying the crisp morning air and the soft rustle of wind which made her pull her scarf closer to herself. Hearing some footsteps behind herself, she turned her head around to find Harry heading towards her. Without any word, he sat down next to her and stared at his reflection in the water.
"Why didn't you tell me ever?" He started, bringing his knees closer to his chest and rested his head on the top.
"About what?" Hope questioned back, still in awe that he was actually talking to her.
Harry chuckled lightly and shook his head,"That you're my sister."
Hope's eyes widened in shock as she felt her throat going dry and her feet numb. She broke the eye contact and lowered her eyes down, thinking of a way to lie smoothly and escape the conversation. "You don't have to lie anymore Hope." He continued, taking her silence as an answer that it wasn't her choice to hide the fact.
"I'm sorry." She gulped the lump and cleared her throat to get her voice clearer,"Dumbledore told me it was best for the both of us. We were safe if we were apart. He told me I was a danger to you and I didn't want anything to happen to you. After all you've been through a lot."
Hope glanced once at the gryffindor to find him lost in his own thoughts which made her feel anxious.
"Are you mad at me?" Hope asked softly.
"No." Harry replied immediately, facing her,"I was just wondering how better my life would have been If you were with me."
Hope felt her eyes watering and she blinked rapidly to avoid crying. "Hey, I'm sorry if I offended you." Harry apologized immediately, afraid that he hurt her with his words.
"I just felt alone all this time." Hope admitted, smiling slightly at her,"I had people around me but you know, it was like someone was missing. And it was you Harry. I've seen everyone living a happy life with their family while I was forced to stay alone for our safety. It did hurt me."
Harry smiled affectionately and pulled her in a hug which made Hope let down the walls around her as she broke in a misfit of sobs.
