Breath-Drarry COMPLETE

Chapter 69

—Harry POV—

After our fourth night in Fiji, I had everyone pack their things and brought us to a suite at the Three Arches hotel in Jerusalem. Now, waking up to the warmth of the sun filtering softly through the window, Draco's arms around me, and the view of a luxurious garden, I realized how beautiful life could be in its quiet stillness.

The morning was a calm affair, everyone was quickly falling into the rhythm of not needing to wake up or go to bed at a specific time, of being able to spend a while pretending that everything was okay. Perhaps, the longer we thought of things that way, the more likely they were to be true. 

We spent our first day doing the Ramat Gan Safari, riding through the Middle East's largest zoo. Hermione, Draco, and Scorpius were most interested in that, asking questions and taking in knowledge. Ron enjoyed the tour guide's jokes, and Teddy and I spoke a lot about the animals we saw. Teddy stuck next to me for almost that whole day, actually, and eventually, I found a moment for us to speak. I felt it important, especially since I woke up just a little bit less rested each day. I'd just hate myself if something were to happen and I never got to speak with Teddy.

"So, Ted... What's up with you and Luca?" 

Teddy's face promptly went bright red and I watched as he worked to stop his hair from changing color outright. A smirk played across my lips, not only at the satisfaction that he's advanced so much, but at the fact that he was ao absolutely embarrassed by the question. 

"We... Uhm, I mean, he's doing great, and I am, we're... Why?"

"The two of you just seemed a bit... comfortable. The other day. Is there anything you want to tell me?" 

Teddy could not stop the streaks of bright orange that blossomed on his head that time, and he almost looked as though he wasn't breathing. Several seconds passed before he blurted out, unceremoniously, 

"Luca and I like each other." 

The statement was punctuated by a thick silence, Teddy stared me straight in the eyes. 

"Luca likes me. And I like him. A lot. We... We like each other and we kissed, once, right before the battle and- well..." He turned to his surroundings briefly, biting his lower lip. "Yeah." 

I nodded, smiling. "Okay. Good for you." There was a sort of unresolved silence, then. just before Teddy opened his mouth to speak, I did. 

"Be safe." Teddy's face went a deep red that time. I put my hand on his shoulder. "I mean it, Ted... I won't always be around. So know that I love you, and I support you. And be safe."

I was hoping the message hit where it needed to. Teddy and I were looking at each other. He seemed to be having his own discussion behind his eyes. After a while, he took a deep breath and spoke.

"Okay..." 

I didn't respond to him right away, getting the sense that he may have had more to say. He seemed to open his mouth a few more times before closing it again. Finally, he wrenched is eyes shut, opening them again to look at me. 

"Uncle Harry, what's... what exactly is going on with you- I mean, you and your sickness?" 

My jaw tightened slightly and I hesitated in answering that, but a small voice in the back of my head came forward. 

You'll regret it if something happens and you never got to speak with him.

I licked my lips and sighed. 

"I've not been doing too well," I confessed. "It's a curse. That I was hit with... During that battle. It's messed with the way my body works. I can't even really do magic anymore."