Extinguished 🩵 Harry Potter [2]

ii ⟶ Cold And Other Afflictions

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ii. Cold And Other Afflictions
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A PERMANENT CHILL clings to her skin these days, and the night is worsening it as it sinks in. She tries to warm herself by the fireplace in the living-room, but it's as helpful as Harry's sweater, as in it doesn't help at all and she's still shivering violently.

"Thea."

She turns around to see Harry on his own, his face set.

She knows that face. He's determined to break her resolution not to tell him what happened at Malfoy Manor.

"Happy birthday." She says shortly before she turns back around, feeling him take a seat next to her on the floor.

"Thank you."

She looks at him and says, "I got you something."

Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out the small, heavy box from her pocket, that's wrapped in perfectly cut golden paper and tied with a glittering red ribbon. He takes it and pulls the gold and red off, sending a little stab through her as she remembers the hours she spent – or wasted, by the looks of it – getting the wrapping right, because usually, she's terrible at it.

He takes out the bottle of cologne, and smiles at her a little before putting it on.

"I'm sorry it's not very imaginative. I had no idea what –"

"I love it, actually."

They're enveloped in wave of warm spice, that's nothing but comfort and bliss for Thea – she smiles back at him, before reaching out to squeeze his hand, but before she can retract it, he grips it tightly and frowns.

He doesn't speak for a moment, just looks at her, before he talks quietly.

"You're freezing."

Meeting his gaze, she links their fingers together. In a strange way, she misses her chest igniting at this; nothing happens anymore, she's just reminded of the thick sheet of ice that seems to have settled within her. It's like she's being punished for losing her flames because this is so much worse. Lyra's probably laughing in hell at her right now.

She pulls their hands in to her body and grips his tighter.

"I know."

Her vision blurs as her eyes fill with tears, and she tries to ignore the stabbing ache in her head.

"I miss you." she says lowly, moving her thumb over his hand in hers.

"Thea, you're the one who's been avoiding me."

For once, she finds that she can't pick up the emotion in Harry's voice, so she stays quiet until he meets her gaze.

Definitely sad. But he's patient, and she knows he'd sit here with her for weeks if that's what she needed.

She shuffles closer to him, where he's leaning against the bottom of the couch. He puts his arm over her shoulders and she tucks into his chest, which is comforting and familiar and the closest thing she gets to warm these days. She breathes in and it's shaky, but in Harry's arms the air she inhales is light and sweet, not heavy as though it were full of dirt.

"I know. I'm sorry, I just...I'm finding it hard without my curse. I'm too cold now."

"You don't need to go through all of this alone. Please tell me what they did to you..."

His voice is strained, like he's hurt, but it just fills her with an anger that she's struggling to stop bubbling to the surface.

"Harry, no. How many times? You don't need to know."