I laid in our dorm room, Pansy, Mione and Cassie sat dispersed around the room. A soft knock came on the door. Pansy looked to me. I shrugged. She hopped up and answered.
"What?" She asked whoever it was sharply.
"Can I talk to her, Pans?" I heard Enzo ask. I perked up. She turned to me, I nodded. She turned to the rest of the girls with a nod to the door, they all hopped up and filed out. Pansy stopped, her hand on Enzo's chest, stopping him from walking in the room fully.
"I will be sitting right there," She pointed over his shoulder. "and I will not hesitate to kill you." He nodded.
"I know, Pans." She closed the door behind her as he walked in. I offered a smile.
"I don't need her to protect me." I told him. He smiled.
"I know that, bug." I smiled wider as he chuckled. "You don't need any of us. You know how I know that?" I shook my head, words weren't coming to me anymore.
"You were ten. You skinned your knee while you and Rose were trying to follow me and Draco up that tree in your nans yard. You stopped climbing, stood there for a second, looked down at your bleeding knee and grabbed a bottle of water Dray had set there earlier. I mean, that water had to have been a million degrees bug. It'd been outside all day, and you just poured it down your leg to wash the blood off. But that wasn't even the best part. Any normal kid would have ran back to their parents and asked for them to fix it, you took off that little bandana Sirius was always tying in your hair and wrapped it around your knee to stop the bleeding, like a fuckin soldier. So yeah, I know you've never needed me Nora. You've never needed anyone, but I'm glad you let me be here."
"You guys were assholes for hiding in the tree." Was all I managed to say. He smiled lazily at me.
"Yes we were. In our defense though, you had cooties." I laughed abruptly, leaning into him. He wrapped an arm around my shoulders, holding me there. He rested his chin on my head.
"I like you bug, you know that. I think you've always known that. But if you like him, or you're confused, or whatever is going on up there," He tapped my head. "don't feel like you owe me anything for being here. I'll be fine. You're my best friend. I'd do it all again if it meant getting to see you smile."
I leaned back and pressed my forehead to his. He smiled. I pecked his nose.
"You are my favorite person Lorenzo Berkshire."
"But?"
"No but. I just think I don't tell you that enough." A beat of silence passed between us. "I think I have always known on some level. I think I've also known that it would always be you."
"Is that so?" I nodded. He wrapped one arm around my waist, pulling me into his lap, before softly pressing his lips to mine.
"Good, cause I'm a liar. It would have hurt like hell if you chose him." I giggled. The door opened and Pansy stuck her head in.
"Sorry to break up the moment, but I live here and our friends left and no one else is around so I have nowhere to go."
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"Mumma?" I asked as I walked into her class after our last classes of the day. Her head shot up.
"Hi baby." She greeted. I sat at her chair behind her desk as she went about collecting papers.
"I'm in a predicament." I told her. She leaned against the nearest table.
"Go on." She urged with a raised eyebrow.
"I told Enzo I like him." She stared at me as if she expected more.
"And the predicament is?"
"I smelled Theo in amortentia." Her jaw dropped. I held up a hand. "But I smelled Enzo too."
"And he knows?"
"They both do." She hummed and she pulled up a chair to her desk.
"Did you know when I was your age one of your uncles, maybe an aunt but it feels like something your uncles would do, brewed the love potion and we all took turns smelling it in your nan and granddads attic?" I shook my head.
"Were you dating dad?" She nodded.
"And it smelled violently like your father, his disgusting quidditch jersey and the eucalyptus cologne he wears, but it also smelled like nan's baking and grandads enchanted pictures. It reeked of Uncle Sirius' vinyls and Uncle James' favorite sweets peppered with old books Uncle Moony used to pass off on me and hints Peter's blueberry muffins."
"So?" She sighed and grabbed my hand.
"So, my dear, Theodore was your first friend, your first..." She trailed off, waving her hand about. It was like she knew I'd cringe if she said what we were both thinking. "whatever he was. I think they don't tell us one key thing about that potion, sure you'll smell your true love or whatever but I also think you smell what reminds you of home. Theo spent nearly every day in our house as a boy. He took care of you when the other boys left you behind. He was the first one to bring you anything you needed when you were sick. He gave you your first true taste of freedom in Italy this summer. You two confided in one another for as long as I can remember. So, maybe you're not in love with Theodore, but I think you are in love with those memories. He was your home for so long, we never forget our first home."
"Who was yours?" I blurted. She smiled sadly.
"Peter. He was the first person who saw me for me. Not your uncle's twin sister. I was a person. My own person." I nodded. "He wasn't always evil, my love, but people are hardly ever who you think they are." She tapped the desk.
"Especially when you love them." She said before walking to the back part of her classroom, into her office.
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happy holidays my lovelies. i hope you have the best time celebrating with your loved ones <3
