DOORWAYS || MARAUDERS ERA

ϟ81: LETTING GOϟ

"Merlin, Rhea. I don't think I've ever wanted to kick you and hug you at the same time like this."

Rhea frowned a little, and opened her eyes slowly. Somehow every movement of hers felt sluggish, as though she was underwater. Blinking, she let her eyes adjust to her surroundings, the bright light disorientating her.

She had to clap her hand over her mouth to stifle a yell as her eyes fell on the very person she yearned to see with all her heart.

He was grinning at her—a wild, carefree grin that almost reached his eyes. His hair was as shabby as ever, his jet black locks falling softly on his forehead so that Rhea could make out the lightning scar he so loathed. He was wearing the same clothes he'd worn on the day Rhea and Luna had walked through the Doorway, but he looked much, much happier. His emerald eyes pierced into hers intently, and his gaze was as striking as Rhea remembered it.

"Harry?" Rhea breathed, her heart almost stopping for a second. She didn't know what was real anymore—was Harry real? He looked real. Extremely real. As though he was standing right in front of her.

"Hey, stranger." Harry gave her a lopsided grin, his hands in his pocket. "Long time, no see."

Rhea's lips quivered, on the verge of laughing and crying at the same time. Sure, she'd dreamed of seeing him and her other friends again, but she never got to talk to them in those dreams. They always drifted in and out, their lips sealed, their expressions disappointed. But this...

She wasn't sure if this was a dream. Maybe a hallucination? She wouldn't put it past her—she was quite sure she wasn't exactly sane at the moment.

"Stop thinking so loudly." Harry laughed, his green eyes glinting. "Are you going to stare at me all day? Or are you going to say something?"

That broke Rhea out of her reverie. "Your nose is much longer than I remember it."

Harry looked at her incredulously. "THAT'S the first thing you say to me after two and a half years?"

She looked at him indignantly. "Harry James Potter," she said severely, her expression solemn. "Even after two and a half years, you're still a git."

"Glad to know I'm still young and whole." Harry gave her a mock bow.

Rhea aimed a glare at him. He still had his cheeky attitude on, as though nothing had changed.

As though they were still Harry and Rhea.

Before she knew it, she'd launched herself on him, her arms going around his shoulders so that he almost stumbled from the weight of her body. Laughing, he wrapped his arms around Rhea, and said, "Good to know you're still a hugger."

"I missed you." Rhea mumbled, tightening her hold around him. "So much."

"Feeling's not mutual." Harry replied, but jerked away when Rhea smacked his arm. "Ow! I was kidding, Re, of course I bloody missed you. What are best friends who make life threatening promises for?"

Rhea choked out a laugh, wiping her eyes as she did so. Pulling away from him, she studied his face carefully. "You look younger."

"And you look tired." Harry pointed out gently. "It's not been easy, has it?"

"Far from it." Rhea admitted, pushing his hair from his eyes. "How are you?"

"Me?" Harry chuckled. "I'm splendid! But we're not here to talk about me. We're here to talk about you."