The One That Loved {Book Three in 'The One' Series}

Chapter Five ~ Never Saw That One Coming

Chapter Five

Never Saw That One Coming

       Syrie had always been scared of dreams. Her father and mother had both been plagued with terrible dreams as children and adults, and she often heard both of them at night sometimes, their spouses comforting them with soothing words. She’d asked Harry about it once, said ‘Dad…do you dream of…that night?’ They’d been alone that day, gone to the movies together and then out to lunch; Harry had gone very still, watching the water from the bench they sat on.

‘It’s been fifteen years, Syrie, and I still go to sleep afraid.’ He’d said this in a low, rough voice that Syrie had never heard before-his arm around her tightened and his eyes seemed to go very green ‘Do you have dreams, love?’

Syrie had hesitated, but told him that she often did-dreams of Hogwarts aflame and Harry himself running through the blaze but never coming out. She dreamt of Adalyn and George and everyone she loved, trapped as a faceless man in a black cloak towered over them, shrieking ‘crucio’ and laughing like a madman.

Harry had told her dreams only got to you if you let them, and Syrie had taken his words to heart-until now.

She knew she was dreaming, because there was no way Victoire had cloned herself. The Gryffindor common room was crowded with her bets friend; tossing blonde hair and tinkling laughter, blue eyes and flirty smiles. Standing in the middle of the crowed, Syrie wanted to run away, but she was frozen.

Then the sea of Victoire’s parted, and Teddy was gently making his way through. His smile was tender, eyes the colour of the sky just after it rained; the hands that had held Syrie’s as children and caught her when she fell reached out to brush her hair, which was out and tumbling out over her shoulders and down her back. And then he was leaning down.

He was so close, lips just inches from hers.

All Syrie could feel was how he held her face like a treasured artefact that could break at any moment.

So, so close.

And then his lips were on hers, ever so gently he lead her in a dance she somehow knew the steps to; his other hand was on her waist, pulling her close. They parted briefly, words tumbling from Teddy’s lips every time they did so-and suddenly it didn’t matter that the room was full of the girl Teddy was supposed to be in love with, and that truly was the most beautiful girl in school.

“So beautiful,” he whispered “Why didn’t I see before?”

“Teddy-”

“I love you, shortie.” He whispered, and the dream dissolved into darkness.

~*~*~*~

            The candles had burned down when Syrie woke, the sun just coming up over the forest. Slipping out of bed, Syrie knew the only way she could clear her head was to fly.

Leaving a note on the kitchen table, Syrie took her broom from the cupboard and kicked off the frozen ground-the air was cold, stinging her cheeks as she sped higher and higher, then over the forest. The sun was rising over the woods, streaking the sky with violet and pink through the grey clouds that gently snowed; Syrie let her mind ramble from thought to thought.

She shouldn’t be angry with Teddy and Victoire, not really-they’d only lied to protect her, not hurt her. They knew she would be heartbroken, and neither had ever done anything to cause her pain ever in their lives; and it wasn’t their fault they fell for each other. It just happened.

Then why did her stomach clench every time she saw them together? The desire to throw something and cry and scream all at once were overpowering, and Syrie could barely control herself. The hurt in her heart was weighing her down like a disease; slowly eating up every bit of happiness left in her-it was like a slow, agonizing Dementors kiss.