The Many Musings of Albus Potter

xviii. werewolves

xviii. werewolves

Valentine's Day should be banned, Albus decides.

If the Ministry is so hell-bent on changing the Wizarding world, they might as well do away with this awful tradition. It wouldn't even be an anti-Muggle move, seeing as Valentine's Day was accidentally kickstarted by a witch and a Muggle who had eloped with the help of Saint Valentine. Or so the myths go.

It's been a Hogwarts tradition to make Valentine's Day as obvious as possible, which wasn't an issue for Albus before. But with no silver-haired boyfriend around, it's a miserable affair. Even Rose seems preoccupied by one of the boys from her Arithmancy class so he can't even bask in the contentment of having somebody else share his disgruntlement.

It's his sister that he decides to spend this tiresome day with. They head down to the Black Lake an hour before sunset, gifts for Aoife in tow. The day is brilliantly sunny for February and the usual chill that nips at them isn't quite so biting when they reach the pier. The world seems to be in a perpetual state of love. It is terribly irritating.

"That definitely doesn't belong to you," Albus points out to Lily when she brandishes a sickeningly pink heart chocolate to give to her favourite selkie. Aoife screeches excitedly at the sight of the goodies in Lily's arms.

"Of course not." Lily tosses the heart chocolate towards the selkie, who performs a backflip once she's caught the reward in her mouth. "This horrid boy from Slytherin spelled these to me. It's got one of those pesky love charms that can stick to you for hours. It's only worn off now."

"I thought we'd gotten over the house prejudices," Albus says, slightly offended, but more bemused at the idea that a boy fancies his sister.

"Jonathan Peebles could make anybody hate Slytherin," Lily sniffs. "Don't worry though. I've finally figured out mum's precise wand-waving technique for the Bat-Bogey hex."

Albus grins. A Slytherin through and through, though Lily would never admit that.

"I am not," Lily snaps, undoubtedly having read his mind. Which reminds him...

"Lily," he murmurs, turning to face the water that stretches before them, "I was wondering...if you..."

Lily turns to look at him sadly, understanding what he's about to ask.

"I do have some of Scorpius' memories saved," she says, biting her lip unsurely. "I'm not sure you'd want to see them, though. Some of them are really sad. I tried to spell them out of myself, just to forget."

"How does it feel?" Albus asks. "To have so many memories that aren't yours? It must feel...crowded."

"Sometimes," Lily agrees. "I don't want Legilimency, you know? I've never wanted to know what other people think. It feels like I'm just a vessel, like I don't have any thoughts of my own. Most people spend their entire lives wondering what other people are thinking. I've spent mine wondering what it would feel like to hear myself think."

They both go quiet, listening only to the sounds of Aoife splashing around playfully in the water and the distant murmurs of loved-up couples trekking back up the winding path leading to Hogwarts castle. Albus knows his own powers have a draining effect on him, like the fire is sucking at his very soul. He stills.

"Have you ever thought..." He trails off, trying to find the right words. He doesn't want Lily to know about himself, not yet. But there must be a connection there, between her gift and his curse. "Has your Legilimency ever felt like it doesn't belong to you? Like, it almost controls you?"

Lily gives him a sharp glance.

"That's exactly it," she says. "I've never been able to properly control it. It seems to sort of...I don't know, engulf me, I guess? Kind of scary. I never told mum and dad though. I didn't want them to know it could make me feel crazy."