Aurelia [h.s.]

twenty-one

"Are you actually going to tan with me tomorrow, or are you just saying that to shut me up?"

Aurelia laughs, the wind gently blowing her hair around and the sun heightening her already good mood. "I actually did plan on tanning with you for a little bit so, no, I didn't just say it to shut you up. Although, it did work quite well."

Harry nudges her shoulder with his as they walk, "Don't act like you don't like listening to me talk."

Aurelia beams at the thought. She absolutely loves listening to him talk, it's one of her favorite things. "Oh I do. I adore listening to you talk. But not when you're being arrogant, that's a bit of a turnoff."

Harry kisses her cheek in apology, "Sorry sweetheart, I was just messing around."

Aurelia smiles because he's literally the cutest person she knows and he's like that twenty-four-seven. "I know, so was I. If you see anything interesting to do, please, let's go do it."

Harry immediately wears a cocky smirk, his thoughts drifting to a very naughty place. "Well..."

Aurelia laughs and smacks his shoulder because she already knows where his mind's at. "Don't even finish that sentence! Seriously though, anything interesting other than me."

Harry laughs with her, "No harm in trying. Oh! There's a nice little shop up and around the corner that does portraits! Let's go do that!"

Aurelia pouts, she doesn't really know how that's going to be fun because she can't see a thing and portraits are made to be looked at. "But I can't see!"

Harry shrugs, he knows that she can't see, but it's still fun to pose and he thinks that it will be a nice thing to have when she's gone because then he can look at her whenever he wants, no internet or cellphone required. "I know, but I can and, I dunno, it's a nice thing to have..."

Aurelia stops walking and pulls him to a halt, only so she can stand on her toes and kiss his cheek, "Okay, let's go get one then."

She admires how adamant he is about having keepsakes to remember her by and she's not willing to tell him no because he does so much for her and it's a nice thing to have. In her mind, she doesn't think that she's really anything special: she's just the average girl with one friend and a tumor that made her blind when she was sixteen.

Aurelia knows that she's not ugly, but she certainly doesn't think that she's anything spectacular to look at either. But at this point, Harry thinks so much differently and she's starting to believe him.

He talks about her like she's the most precious jewel to ever be discovered and she'll bet her life that he looks at her like she's the very universe itself. It's very evident to her just how deeply she's anchored in his heart and how much damage that she's going to cause him when she leaves, the rut would probably leave him hurting for months, maybe even years.

She often lies awake at night and thinks about when the moment will come and she randomly asks him every day if he's sure that this is what he wants, that she is what he wants. And Harry always responds with, "I've never been more sure of anything in my entire life."

Aurelia wants to be with him more than anything, but she feels terrible for dragging him down a road that is only going to lead to a dead end.

"Aurelia, sweetheart, is everything okay?" Harry's hand caresses the apple of her cheek and pulls her out of the trance that she's accidentally put herself in.

"Yes, sorry I was just thinking. Can you repeat whatever it was that you were saying before?"

Harry lips meet hers softly. She can taste the mint from the chewing gum that he always seems to have and it has her smiling.