The Dragon Heirs | House of the Dragon x Harry Potter

Chapter 12

The greenhouse was alive with the scents of damp earth and blooming flowers, the air thick with humidity. Sunlight streamed through the glass panes, casting a warm glow over the rows of vibrant plants. It was a refuge from the chaos of Hogwarts, a place where the outside world faded away. Rhaenyra stepped inside, the wooden door creaking softly behind her. She scanned the room, her gaze landing on Lorenzo, who sat on a weathered wooden bench, his head bowed and fingers tracing the edge of a nearby pot.

"I didn't see you at lunch," Rhaenyra said, her voice gentle as she approached. "I thought I might find you here."

Lorenzo looked up, his green eyes clouded with unshed tears. "Yeah, I just needed some time alone," he replied, his voice thick with emotion. "It's all just... a lot."

Rhaenyra took a seat beside him, the bench creaking slightly under their weight. "I get it. But you don't have to go through this alone," she said, her tone firm yet soft.

"I thought I could handle it," he admitted, a crack in his usual bravado. "But every time I think about Elijah..." His voice faltered, and he clenched his fists, a surge of frustration rising within him. "It doesn't feel real. I keep expecting him to come back, to be there, laughing like nothing happened."

The weight of his words crushed Rhaenyra's chest, her heart aching for him. She had been the one to end Elijah's life, and now Lorenzo was left in this pit of grief and confusion. "Lorenzo, grieving doesn't have a timeline."

Lorenzo sighed, his shoulders slumping. "It's just that... I wanted to be there for him. I should have done something." He looked away, shame creeping into his features.

Rhaenyra turned to him, struggling to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. She squeezed his knee gently, trying to ground him while fighting her own tumultuous emotions.

He turned to her, vulnerability etched in every line of his face. "I don't want to seem weak in front of you or anyone else. I thought I could put on a brave face."

"Lorenzo," Rhaenyra said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her, "It's okay. Let yourself feel the pain. It's part of being human."

Tears welled in her eyes as she fought to keep her secret buried deep. She couldn't let him know what she had done. She couldn't shatter the fragile trust they had built. The weight of his grief settled heavily on her heart, and for a moment, she felt herself drowning in it.

"I just keep remembering the last time we were together," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Rhaenyra's heart twisted painfully at the thought.

A single tear slipped down Lorenzo's cheek, and he quickly wiped it away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to break down like this."

"Don't apologize," Rhaenyra said softly. "You're allowed to feel. You're allowed to be sad." She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I'm here for you, no matter what."

As they sat in the greenhouse, the warmth of the sun battling the coolness of their emotions, Rhaenyra felt a flicker of hope mingled with despair. With Lorenzo by her side, she wanted to believe that they could navigate this darkness together. But as she looked at him, grieving for a friend he could never see again, the guilt gnawing at her insides like a hungry beast.

Lorenzo met her gaze, finding solace in her unwavering support, unaware of the storm brewing beneath Rhaenyra's calm exterior. "Thank you, Rhaenyra. I really needed this. I've been trying to be strong, but it's exhausting."

As they sat together, surrounded by the gentle rustling of leaves and the sweet scent of blooming flowers, Rhaenyra felt the precarious balance of their connection. In this moment of vulnerability, she desperately wished to protect Lorenzo from the truth—that she had been the cause of the very grief that now consumed him.