the moon [h.s.] - EDITING

sixty-three.

Harry heads downstairs in brown trousers and in a black hoodie. He finally feels fresh and clean after a warm shower. He was excited for the day.

"Hi, mum!" He says when he finds her in the kitchen. He immediately scans the place for Luna. "Where's my girlfriend?"

His mother smiles at him. She steps closer to give him a kiss on his cheek as a greeting. "Gemma took her to the market with her," she tells him as she wipes the kiss from his cheek with her thumb. "Hi, my dear."

Harry smiles from her affection. "Oh," he says and pouts a little since he misses Luna already. He walks over to the stove to boil some water in the tea kettle. "Well, I guess this is the perfect opportunity to ask you... What do you think of her? Do you like her?"

She stops cleaning her countertops with disinfectant wipes and looks at her son. "I think she's lovely," Anne answers him. She throws away the waste then proceeds to wash her hands in the sink.

"But?" Harry asks. From the tone in her voice, he figures his mother had a but to mention. He's suddenly nervous as to what she's about to say.

"There are no buts! I think she's a lovely girl, Harry..."

"Then do you like her?" Harry asks and he waits. He waits for his mum to say something.

"Dear, I just don't know much about her yet. You've been hurt before so I'm just being a little cautious," she tells him.

He sighs. "I know... but what does that have to do with anything? She's not Kristen. If you don't like her just tell me," he says. He's getting a little worked up for some reason even though he knows where his mum is coming from.

"Harry... it's not that I don't like her. As I said, she's lovely. I mean it. I just don't know her. I'm just looking out for you, is all. I don't want anyone to ever hurt you again."

The kettle began to whistle as the water had begun to boil inside. Harry reaches to turn off the stove. He sighs again. "I admit I jumped the gun with Kristen. Looking back at our relationship now, I should've known she wasn't in it like I was. I let her walk all over me. I let her change me. With Luna, it's different. She gets me, mum. She's a bit of me and she loves me just the way I am. And, I love her. I love her so much it hurts. Shit, I'd walk through fire for her if I had to. I'm telling you... it's the real deal this time. I just hope you get to know her the way I do before we leave because I'm going to make her my wife someday." He's smiling by the end of his speech. He's pouring the hot water into a mug to prepare some tea.

His mother is watching him with arms crossed against her chest. She ends up smiling over her son's words. "Please don't walk through actual fire, my pumpkin... I only hope and pray it's the real deal. I promise I will get to know her. I was never opposed to it in the first place," Anne assures. She steps closer to put a hand on his back. "Your wife? Oh honey, slow down. That sounds like jumping the gun again to me. It's amazing to see you in love, but you're going to give your mum a heart attack!"

Harry laughs while dipping his teabag into his mug. "I said someday! Not now obviously... I was engaged this time last year," he says and scrunches his nose at the wasteful thought. "But I said what I said."

"How in the heck did you grow up so quickly before my eyes?"

He shrugs. He takes a sip from his hot tea and he hums. "All I know is that I was raised by such an incredible woman who needed no man." He laughs and leans over to give his mum a kiss on her head. He's always admired how she was able to raise Gemma and him on her own. His parents divorced as a kid, but he doesn't remember much about it. His father still keeps in touch with him, but hardly ever. It was okay though... Harry had a wonderful childhood anyway and he thinks he ended up alright.