TRUST, harry potter¹

ch. 14 - his greatest fear

'No, if they tried to take her from him

He'd rip the world apart

With his bare hands.

And for some reason,

That didn't terrify him.'

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"What's your greatest fear?" She asks.

Only half of her innocent face was visible—the portion nearest to the attic window, to which was actively casting a watery light illuminating her weary but serene features, legs outstretched, but knees bent with little effort, arms loosely looped around her upper-shins. Adeline's back leaned against one of the large, wooden posts bordering the floor-to-ceiling, towering window.

"To be forgotten." Harry admits, eyebrows furrowing—taken aback that he'd essentially admitted something he'd never realised himself. His voice expressed further without his consent. "But... not just that. To be forgotten by someone I could never forget."

The points of her toes covered in shoe leaned against the ends of his own shoes—in an act to keep her feet from slipping across the grubby floorboards of 12 Grimmauld Place. They were in the same positions, though opposite from one another. Eager moonlight reflected the lenses of his glasses, fighting to keep his eyes open as drowsiness was sinking in through every passing second.

"Someone like who?" Her head cocked, dark locks draping like a curtain in the act. One who didn't know Addie would think her to be prying, which she technically was, but curiosity merely gets the better of her sometimes, causing her to unintentionally ask too many questions. He changed his line of sight from the midnight street to her.

"Someone like you."

The smile she beamed was the largest from the time of the transformation that left the dormitory in ruins. Addie had been secluding herself since—Ginny had already forgiven her as soon as she woke up, knowing it was not her fault, though guilt still knotted Ad's stomach with any chance it had. Hermione was still at Hogwarts, and had, without a doubt, also forgiven the girl, but Adeline didn't know this, and it didn't make her feel any better.

Adeline had woken hours after being transported to the House of Black. Harry had a painfully real dream, or, vision, that ended up actually being reality rather than fantasy. It was of Arthur Weasley being attacked by a large, bloodthirsty snake in the Department of Mysteries. Luckily, he was healing a lot better now from the bites, currently residing in the St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries for treatment and rest.

The Weasley's, Harry and Sirius were rather worried when she wasn't waking, even if Dumbledore had assured them that she would be alright. The long transformation had both physically and mentally exhausted her; they were lucky she wasn't unresponsive for days—a possibility the Headmaster had warned.

Harry's heart dropped the most out of all in Professor Dumbledore's office as soon as he had arrived back from a sudden apparition, carrying a limp Adeline in his arms, a pale Ginny trailing behind. The poor boy had refused to leave the side of her once at the House of Black, even as all else went to their allocated beds, forcing his eyes to remain open no matter how late it was in the night and how early in the morning, vowing to be right beside her as soon as she were to wake.

It was smart of him to do this, as she woke with a loud fright, mind muddled with how she got to this strange place, until her eyes rested on Harry and the room became familiar once more. She had never been hugged by anyone that tight before.