Lily Potter (Harry Potter's Twin)

Chapter 97

The cold waves whispered to me the promise of relief as the spray refreshed my face. I sat on the sand, wondering how far I would have to swim to find that relief. I dug my toes in the cold wet sand, grounding myself to the here and now. What was I going to say to them? How much did they know?

The clouds swirled above me, blocking the sun's warmth. I was cold but didn't want to return inside. Being outside, being with the open air, feeling free, that need was greater than the warmth of indoors.

I remembered back to when I told Fred my secrets. He should be here soon. He would help me. Fred...

I didn't know how to tell him. There is a grief that cannot be spoken. I didn't want to tell the others about it... about our loss. Luna knew, of course, but the others needed their minds to be on other things. They are burdened enough without the thought of another's suffering.

I closed my eyes and listened to the soothing sounds of the waves, emptying my mind of my worries and sadness to make room for the joy that would soon arrive.

I had stared at myself long in the mirror when I went to wash up earlier. I didn't feel like me once again, the same feeling I had when I had awoken from the curse of the necklace a year ago. My body was where I was, but it didn't feel like mine. She had rough skin, plagued with scars and markings from being tortured for months. It was now March. I went missing in August. August, September, October, November, December, January, February, and now March. I was there for more than half of the year. Her worst scar was the one resting on her abdomen, for the hurt it represents.

I felt my hand absent-mindedly reach for that raised line. A tear fell from my closed eyes. Suddenly, I felt someone's presence intruding on my moment behind me. In a swift moment, I pulled my wand from my lap and stood, ready to attack my intruder.

Fred raised his hands in surrender, yet his hand still held his wand.

"It's me," he whispered. He stood about fifteen feet from me. I narrowed my eyes. His red hair was longer, curling upwards around the ends. The lower half of his face was obstructed by a small, modest amount of facial hair.

"Say something only you would know," I said, not lowering my wand. This was war, and no matter how much I wanted to run into his arms and hold him, precautions were still in place.

"I am Fred Weasley, son of Arthur and Molly Weasley. Your Patronus is a Hippogriff, which mine has come to resemble recently, although you wouldn't know that yet. I'm your fiancé. You asked me to marry you many months ago—"

I lowered my wand. Tears were brimming in his eyes. The salty spray of the ocean blew his overgrown hair back from his face, blowing mine into my face. I quickly pushed mine away.

"Your turn," He said, his arms no longer raised but his wand still in his hand, slightly pointed at my direction.

I turned from him and cast a Patronus, a mighty Hippogriff galloped from my wand and out onto the ocean until is dissipated under a wave. I turned to see that Fred was next to me, I took the step forward, closing the distance between us. We embraced. I felt gentle tears from his eyes make their way onto me.

"Don't cry, my love," I whispered to him, hugging him tighter.

He let out a gentle sob.

"I'm so sorry, Lily Elizabeth."

Hearing my name from his lips coaxed tears from my eyes. We cried into each other's arms for a while. After a while, I pulled away.

"Fred," I whispered. "You don't need to apologize."