The Sight Of Eternity With You

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Harper synched her breathing with the mechanical arm, exhaling when the hat settled atop the head of her brother in law-his grin was more obnoxious than usual today. Her body trembled slightly as she begged her heart to stop hammering away, her feet fidgeted beneath her.

Everything is fine.

"H? We have to go in eventually..." Angelina spoke up from her left, clearing her throat.

"I need a minute," Harper said as loudly as she could in the swarming crowd of Diagon alley.

"You've had like five..." Angelina pressed gently.

Harper rolled her eyes, the eagerly waving rabbit atop Fred's head did nothing but make her anxieties surge. "I need another five."

Angelina made a noise but remained quiet, Harper resumed her musings. The busy last minute school shopping rush moving around them like two rocks in a stream without a second glance. Harper could see Percy and Lee walking around the shop front through the large bay windows, her shoulders slowly relaxing.

They're in the back.

"It looks a bit crowded in there...maybe we shouldn't risk it," Harper tapped her temple with an exaggerated sigh.

"You haven't had those problems in years," Angelina scoffed, shaking her head. "Come on, our crisps are getting cold."

Harper pursed her lips together, glaring between Angelina and the shop, "I won't leave your side, Harper."

"Ange, seriously. Go in without me," Harper mumbled.

"Why not apparate into the flat then? Avoid them all together until you're ready to talk to him," Angelina offered.

Harper's hand absentmindedly grazed her torso, the contents of her stomach churning uncomfortably, "can't remember if we even discussed that..." She gripped the pamphlet tighter, trying not to look at the smiling family that waved at her from the cover.

"Look, H. We have to go in, we look like a couple of loons!" Angelina leaned close, lowering her voice, "if we were doing this three years ago, people would be staring right now."

"But they're not," Harper snapped, shooting a glare at her sister-in-law, "you can go inside, but I'm not ready, alright?!"

Angelina's eyes widened but she said nothing, sighing slightly without another word.

"H, I promise that he'll be thrill-"

"Please stop," Harper whispered, her voice cracking, tears began to blur her vision. If she allowed Angelina to continue talking, she was going to lose her mind. The twins were in debate over trying to open a second location in Hogsmeade, Zonkos having left the wizarding village offered a golden opportunity to the boys that they were highly considering after years of operation. Would two locations even be feasible? The business was doing well, but was it worth two shops? They'd have to move out of the flat now—a concept that sent her reeling. Harper didn't want to add more woes to George's plate. Not to mention that on top of the shop worries, what was going to happen now? What if they were like Harper? What if...

Stop. Stop. Stop.

"What's going on?" Angelina asked, gently squeezing Harper's arm, "you can tell me."

Harper bit her lip, looking at her friend with wide eyes. She was beyond terrified, beyond panicked, and worse off just sick to her stomach.

"I don't want to move away or add anymore stress onto their plates," her voice wobbled at the end. And I don't want them to have the same burdens as me.