Guarded Hearts, Fiery Souls (Charlie Weasley)

Chapter 3: The Fire Within

The cold autumn air whipped through the corridors of Hogwarts as Lilah made her way to the Gryffindor common room. Her cloak billowed behind her, but it wasn’t the chill that had her senses sharp. It was the weight of the letter she'd received earlier in the day—a letter from home, or rather, the lack of it.

Her parents' absence had never felt so profound. Even after everything, even after the years of silence, something about the letter—or rather, the absence of a letter—stirred a familiar ache deep within her chest. She clenched her fists, letting the fire of her anger burn bright, something to hold onto. She had never needed their approval, not really. But she was never going to stop longing for it, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself otherwise.

"Hey, Lilah, wait up!" Percy’s voice broke through her thoughts, and she turned to see him jogging to catch up. His freckled face was set in its usual, determined expression, but there was a glimmer of concern in his eyes.

"Percy," she greeted him, the corner of her mouth twitching upward. She didn't let her emotions show around him—at least, not fully. Percy was one of the few people she trusted with her guarded heart, and yet, she couldn't let him in completely. Not yet.

"You okay?" he asked, falling into step beside her. "You seem... off today."

Lilah sighed, glancing at him from the corner of her eye. "Just the usual," she said. "Home stuff. You know how it is."

Percy frowned, and for a moment, the stern Prefect was gone, replaced by the friend she had grown to rely on. He understood what it was like to carry burdens no one else could see. "You don’t have to carry that alone, Lilah. Whatever it is, I’ve got your back."

Her heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t used to hearing such words—words that didn’t come with expectations. "I know," she said quietly. "But not everything’s meant to be shared, is it?"

They reached the common room, and Percy paused at the entrance, his eyes searching hers. "No, maybe not. But you’re not alone in this."

Before she could respond, a loud meow echoed through the room. Munchkin, her grumpy little ball of fur, was perched on the couch, giving them a look of pure disdain. Lilah couldn't help but smile as she walked over to him, her hand resting on his soft fur.

"Looks like he missed me," she murmured, her voice softening as the cat snuggled closer.

Percy chuckled. "He’s got a soft spot for you, doesn’t he?"

Lilah met his gaze for a moment, the smile fading as the weight of her own thoughts caught up with her. "Yeah," she said quietly. "I think he's the only one who does."

Percy didn’t reply right away. Instead, he took a step closer, a rare gentleness in his voice. "You’re more than just your past, Lilah. You know that, right?"

She felt a flutter in her chest, a spark of something unspoken. She wanted to believe him. But trust was a hard thing to come by. Especially with someone who could never truly understand the walls she'd built.

"I know," she replied, her voice steady but her eyes betraying a flicker of uncertainty. "But some things aren’t easy to let go of. Some things never leave."

Munchkin curled his tail around her wrist, as if sensing the depth of her words, and Lilah let out a soft breath. For once, the silence between her and Percy was comfortable. No need to fill the void with empty words. He understood that, at least.

But just as she thought the moment was passing, the common room door opened with a loud bang.

"Oi, you two! What are you doing sitting here like it's the middle of the night? We’ve got a match to prepare for!"

It was George Weasley, bursting in with his usual mischievous grin, followed closely by Fred. The twins had a way of lightening the mood with their boisterous energy. Even Lilah couldn’t help but roll her eyes at their antics.

"Right, right," Percy muttered, his usual Prefect demeanor returning. "We’ll be down in a minute."

Lilah rose from the couch, Munchkin reluctantly jumping off her lap. "Well," she said, turning back to Percy with a faint smile. "Looks like we’ve got work to do."

As they headed out of the common room, Lilah couldn't shake the feeling that things were starting to shift. Something was changing—both within herself and around her. And no matter how hard she tried to deny it, she could feel it.

Her fiery soul had always been one to keep its guard up. But maybe—just maybe—there were things worth fighting for. And Percy, though he might not realize it, was one of them.