We belong together || Harry Potter x Reader

Chapter 19

The dementor event seemed like years ago as everyone seemed to be in their own world, the torment of the mind somehow easier to live with than the freezing winter. The horcrux was dangling on Harry's neck, his shirt unbuttoned just above a scar on his chest. He picked on it, tossing the flakes of deep red skin off his fingers to the white snow surrounding him.

Ron, who was inside the tent, was listening intensely to the radio, his ginger-stubbled chin resting on the fold up table. His worry started to escalate as he listened to Dean's voice ramble about the injustices in the Ministry. Whenever Dean would linger on words that started with "w", or would mention anything happening at Hogwarts, Ron would raise his head, like a lonely puppy waiting for its owner to come home, and your heart broke every time he did that.

You uncrossed your legs, your head throbbing against the tree you were resting on. Hermione was fixated on reading the book Dumbledore has left her, her eyes never leaving the book, not even to glance at the gloomy sky that never changed its color. She was stern on trying to decipher the meaning while you did not give the locket he gave you much mind anymore. You played with the twig that was being alternated by each of your fingers, bitten blue from the cold as time went on.

"Hermione," Harry started, shifting the chain of the locket closer down his neck. "We need to do more progress." He tried covering his newly opened scar but failed because Hermione glanced at it, her eyes squinting to observe it quickly.

Hermione let out a frustrated sigh and answered, "I'm doing the best I can."

"It's not enough!" He yelled.

You stared at Harry. "Harry, stop, don't talk to Hermione like that."

Harry stayed silent, his gaze fixated, yet again, at the snow around him.

Hermione shook her head, getting up from the white ground. "I am sick of you all expecting me to figure out everything. Try doing something without my help first!" She snatched the tent and entered, her strides steady as she sat next to Ron. Ron, who was hanging on Dean's voice like it was his lifeline, did not notice Hermione who's teary eyes shined under the candle light.

Harry clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, the snow most definitely freezing his hands. Moments of silence followed that abrupt yelling, yet the forest was as still like it was frozen in time. He let his eyes roam to you, blood rising to his face as he realized that he yelled at one of his best friends unfairly. "Y/n, I am sorry," he said, letting the cold air circulate through his lungs.

"Apologize to Hermione," you answered, your eyelids heavy as you looked at him. Lately, you have been trying to distance yourself from not just Harry, but all of them. As the radio keeps on stating the horrors Voldemort is causing to everyone, you do not want any of those situations to happen to either Harry, Ron or Hermione because you know it would kill you if it did. So, to help protect your heart, you are distancing yourself pretending that if you keep it up, they will forget about you.

There has been moments when you wished you did not agree to be in this journey with them, and sadly, when you put on the horcrux, you sometimes expressed it. Once you took it off though, deep and immense regret filled your entire being and apologized profusely to all of them. You were hoping that if they slowly don't register your presence, you won't hurt them as much anymore. But, like always, Harry has noticed and sympathized every single time, never giving you the cold shoulder.

"No. I need to apologize to you too and we need to talk about it."

Your heart quickened as his intense eyes looked at yours. Before you knew it, you leaned towards him, finding comfort in knowing he slid closer to you. There goes trying to distance yourself.