Chapter 121: 6-2

"—Maria!"

Seeing the messy black hair I had finally reunited with, a wave of emotion welled up inside me. This is—love.

I hate 'myself'—and I love you this much.

"Maria—I—I—"

The arms that would normally embrace me regardless of who was watching were clenched into fists, holding back. He was biting his lip, and behind his glasses, his eyes sparkled with strong resolve. It was a different brilliance from Draco's. —I love him.

"What is it, Harry?"

"I—hate you, Maria."

The two best friends standing by Harry gasped.

"I hate the Maria who won't rely on me. I hate the Maria who stays silent. I hate the Maria who always makes me worry. I hate the selfish Maria. I hate the Maria who distances herself from me—I hate you."

I—smiled.

"I hate the indecisive Harry. I hate the Harry who always takes things out on others. I hate the Harry who looks like he's the only one suffering. I hate the Harry who says he is all alone. A Harry who would abandon Maria—I hate him."

"But,"

"But,"

We took a step forward. Without any signal, we moved at the exact same time; even our second step was simultaneous. In the blink of an eye, the distance between me and my beloved other half was gone.

""—I love you.""

Teardrops spilled out from those green eyes. Surely, they were spilling from hazel ones, too.

"I don't understand the burdens you're carrying, Maria. Because you won't tell me. But, that's okay. That's fine. Because you're Maria—no matter who you are or what you are, you'll always be my sibling, Maria. So—look at me. Really look at me."

"—!"

Those words were—

"—Yeah. Yeah. You are Harry."

"You are Maria."

"You are not me, and"

"I am not you."

""......Ahaha.""

I embraced my brother. I love him. I really love Harry. Because you are—not 'me'! I'm allowed to love you—isn't that right, Maria?

Even a body this small—is enough to embrace a sibling.

"—Don't you think those two are completely out of hand once they have a falling out, exactly because they usually don't fight? Draco. They should just bicker over trivial things regularly like Ron does. The way they let off steam is so exaggerated."

"Absolutely. Both of them are so obstinate that they neglect actual communication—Granger?"

Draco looked at the talented witch beside him, as if he had just heard something bizarre. Hermione's expression remained endlessly composed.

"What is it, Draco?"

"Huh. So you make that kind of face too. I just saw something interesting."

"......What kind of joke is this? Granger, Weasley."

""What do you mean, Draco?""

Harry Potter's best friends smiled broadly. Toward Draco Malfoy, who could never connect with Harry Potter—whose extended hand had never been taken by Draco Malfoy—treating him as an equal. Treating him as if—he were a comrade.

"...No, it's nothing. Ron. Hermione."

As Draco looked away, Ron and Hermione's smiles deepened. The tips of his ears, peeking through his blonde hair, gave everything away.

That I actually used to envy the three of you—I will never admit that again.

The one who welcomed us back in the Common Room after we reconciled was Ginny. Looking at Harry, she playfully threatened, "It seems you managed to have a proper fight, didn't you?" That Ginny did. Her demeanor was exactly like the strong-willed Ginny who was 'my' wife.

"What do you mean?"

"...It means my little sister is a demon."

I tilted my head at Ron's muttering as he stared off somewhat into the distance. Actually— The one who started explaining in embarrassment was Harry.

We go back in time. It was right after Maria had left the Common Room. Having lost herself completely, Maria hadn't noticed that she had passed by Ginny on her way out.

"Hey, I just passed Maria... she looked awful. What on earth happened—Harry?"

Ginny was bewildered. Even though there were only three people in the Common Room, it was in a state of pure chaos.

"I—I, what have I done—to Maria—what have I—"

"Calm down! Harry!"

"I didn't mean to say those things. I was out of my mind! I have to apologize—Maria is—"

"Oh honestly, maybe I should just Stun him!"

Hermione raised her wand at the thrashing Harry—before she could.

Smack.

The three of them froze as if time had stopped. —Except for Ginny, who had just delivered a slapping open hand.

"—Well? Harry Potter. Have you come to your senses?"

Raising a hand to his slapped cheek, Harry blinked his innocent eyes at Ginny. Reason, which had been snatched away by the Horcrux, had returned to those eyes.

"I figured this would be the quickest way. Can anyone explain the situation to me? Does this mean Harry and Maria had a fight? And so—Maria is all by herself?"

Hermione gasped and covered her mouth. She let go of Harry and stood up.

"That's right—this is bad—Maria is all alone! In that condition!"

Pushing Ron and Ginny toward Harry, the caring young girl dashed toward the exit.

"I'll leave Harry to you two. I—I have to go."

"Eh—Hermione!? Hey... She's gone..."

Left behind by the talented witch's split-second decision, Ron looked at his dumbfounded best friend and his sister who hadn't quite grasped the situation yet, and felt an urge to abandon everything. —Because.

"I—I have to go see Maria, too."

It was Ginny who grabbed the arm of the standing Harry. Ginny's eyes were terrifyingly cold and fixed. Ron had learned from their past sibling quarrels. —You must never defy Ginny when she is in this state.

"What are you going to do, meeting her with that face? What are you going to say?"

"I'm going to apologize."

"Apologize for what?"

"I said terrible things. I hurt Maria."

"What did you say?"

"—I told her that I didn't need Maria."

Still in Ginny's grasp, Harry mulled over his own words and crumbled to the ground. Maria's eyes had been serious. She had the eyes of someone who was truly—going to abandon Harry. Those hazel eyes that always seemed spirited like a cat's, yet melted sweeter than anyone else's when looking at Harry, had drained of all warmth.

—To think that those eyes would ever be directed at him.

"That was the one thing. The one thing I shouldn't have said. I need Maria—without Maria, I can't do anything."

"...I see."

Ginny knelt down in front of Harry. And then.

"In that case—there is absolutely no way I'm letting you face Maria."

"Eh—"

She lifted Harry's downward-facing face, glaring at him fiercely.

"If someone apologized to me looking like that, I'd tell them to try again later. ...Maria will probably forgive you, though. Because Maria is soft on you."

She spat out the words. The girl was furious.

"So soft—that she's going to ruin you."

Facing her beloved green eyes, and overlapping them with the girl she adored like an older sister—she was violently angry at both of them.

"Harry Potter. Just how much are you planning to make Maria shoulder? Can't you even stand on your own? Can't you walk unless Maria supports you? —How long are you going to act so spoiled?"

"────"

"Maria probably says that's fine with her. That's so like Maria. I absolutely hate—that part of her. Maria doesn't realize that she is the one ruining you. Because she's Maria! —That's why I am going to say it."

To the boy lamenting that he couldn't do anything, the girl who believed in him would not allow any escape route.

"Stop clinging to what is easy forever, Harry Potter. Maria is a source of comfort for you. But she is also an existence that strips you of your self-confidence. And I—I cannot forgive a Harry Potter like that."

Because Ginny Weasley.

"Because the Harry Potter I fell in love with—is a much cooler man than this!"

Because she loves Harry Potter!

"If Maria forgives you, I won't. If Maria doesn't get angry, I will. If Maria throws you away, I'll pick you up. The hand Maria can't hold, I will hold. —Because I am the one who has been watching you up close, as a woman in love with you!"

She pressed on relentlessly. He was an obstinate, dense boy. Even now, look, overwhelmed by the younger girl's sheer force, he couldn't even shake off her hand. —She loved that kind of Harry Potter.

"I surely couldn't have gotten this close without Maria. Because Maria doted on me—because she called me her little sister, I was able to be by your side. Even now—my heart is pounding so fast. I have always—been watching you."

He is a kind man. But, a childish man. A brave person. But, a coward. —She loved that kind of Harry Potter.

"That is exactly why—I cannot accept such a pathetic Harry Potter."

Ginny's words were terribly selfish, yet overflowing with hope.

"I'm not taking Maria's side, you know. Because Maria is being awful. Even though you are perfectly capable—even though you can overcome this properly, Maria simply lets you off the hook. She validates you when you whine about how hard things are. That means—she doesn't truly believe in your strength."

"But, without someone like that, a person would just break. So, even though Maria is awful—she is a precious person. I love her. She is someone both you and I need. —But, Maria alone is not enough."

Ginny stood up. Harry stood up as well. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he looked at the girl with straightforward eyes.

"I will make up for the parts where Maria falls short. As the woman in love with you—that is the one thing I won't yield on. I will believe in the strength that Maria doesn't believe in. I will give you the confidence that Maria stripped away. I, too—will support my 'Hero'."

Ginny shouted. She yelled. So that she wouldn't stop. So that she wouldn't tremble. The pride of Ginny Weasley shook Harry Potter to his core.

"If you can't believe in yourself, then believe in me. Believe in the me who believes in Harry Potter! Trust my judgment. The man Ginny Weasley fell in love with—is not this pathetic! Take pride in being loved by me and turn it into your confidence!"

Silence fell over the Common Room. Ron stared at his sister in stunned disbelief. Ginny was exhaling, her shoulders trembling. Harry was—smiling. He was smiling peacefully, as if a possessing spirit had just been lifted from him.

"You know—that is incredibly arrogant."

"...That's right. In order to be worthy of you, I decided to become an arrogant and strong woman. A woman who can't even have confidence in herself could never stand by your side. You are worth that much."

"Every time you feel insecure, I'll slap your cheek and make you look at me. And then you can look at me and tell yourself very carefully: 'I, who am loved by Ginny Weasley, am the coolest man in the world.'"

Contrary to her bold words, Ginny's eyes were glistening with tears. Her ears were flushed as red as her hair. The hands gripping Harry's arms were trembling.

"...Hey, Ginny. Your face is bright red."

The moment Harry placed a hand on her cheek, the drops she had been holding back spilled over, streaming down her red cheeks.

"O-O-Of course it is! It's so, so embarrassing! I-I'm saying some absolutely outrageous things right now! —What is it? If you're going to laugh, just laugh properly!"

"Eh!? I haven't said anything, have I!?"

"Your face was saying it!"

Watching the girl lash out at her brother to hide her embarrassment, Harry couldn't help but hold his stomach and laugh. —Ah, to think such a cute girl likes me!

"Thank you, Ginny. ...I'm going now."

Wiping away tears of laughter, he gently enveloped her trembling hands with his.

"—Make sure you have a proper fight."

"Yeah! —Because I'm the Harry Potter that you believe in."

The immature hero's heart was breathed back to life by the young girl's 'anger'.

—So, that's what happened.

As Harry concluded his story looking slightly bashful, I threw my arms around Ginny with all my might.

"Oh, Ginny! You're—the best!"

"Honestly, Maria... that reaction is weird. I was badmouthing you, you know?"

"That was all completely justified, wasn't it? ...As expected, Ginny is Ginny."

"As you know very well."

I giggled. Ginny smiled back at me. There was no jealousy. Surely, it was because she was able to look at Harry as Harry. —They are my beloved people.

"...So, does this mean the fight is officially over?"

At Hermione's words, I nodded along with Harry. Right now, I felt like I could laugh from the bottom of my stomach even if Umbridge were standing in front of me.

The gears that had been grinding and turning awkwardly for fifteen years had now, finally, meshed together perfectly.

It was a beautiful moon. Two shadows looked up at it. Whether this tranquility was the calm before the storm or the calm after the storm—Draco couldn't tell.

"Did you know it was me?"

"I knew because the handwriting was different. —Good evening, Harry."

The boy with hair like moonlight and the boy with hair the color of darkness faced each other, enveloped by the night air. In Draco's hand was the 'communication parchment' with the summons written on it. —It was a nostalgic handwriting.

"Draco, you know Maria... don't you."

Harry whispered. It was a decisive voice that permitted no idle chatter. The night seemed to side with him, making even his quiet voice resonate.

"Yeah."

Draco nodded. He wasn't a child anymore—not one who could be deflected with pointless lies.

"I'm not asking you to tell me. Because I want to hear it from Maria's own mouth. ...Even though she might never tell me for the rest of our lives. But—there's just one thing I want to ask."

Draco had no choice but to etch into his mind—that those green eyes were beautiful.

"What is Maria so afraid of?"

Harry Potter pleaded. For the sake of his beloved sibling, he wanted to share her pain. Even if—she wouldn't allow it.

For you to always be the only one crying over my pain—that's just not fair.

"...This isn't Maria Potter's story. So, whether you believe it or not is up to you. After all, I'm a Slytherin, and I'll easily lie for my own sake. But, if I were to say it anyway—she is the one who was left behind."

Harry fell silent.

"She was left with people's feelings. She was left with their lives. She was left with their hopes. —She has carried them all without discarding a single one. Even all the way here."

How ironic. To stand before him—and speak of 'him'.

"She only knows how to be protected by death. So she has no choice but to repeat it. Even fully understanding how agonizing it is—because she knows no other way. She had friends to fight alongside her—but no adults to run away with her."

No matter what, using whatever means necessary—no matter how steeped in evil they had to become, an adult who would survive to be with the ones they love. There was no such adult. Around the 'Hero'.

Gryffindor courage is beautiful, and cruel.

"...I see."

Harry nodded quietly.

"I won't tell you not to blame her. You don't need to accommodate her every whim. Just—try to understand her. That alone will be her salvation."

They were the one absolute family they had obtained. Just as Maria is Harry's only family—Harry is Maria's only family too.

As if the final thread he was holding onto had snapped, Harry slumped down powerlessly. He curled up, holding back his sobs. Draco watched this Harry with a look of wonder.

It was not affection. Nor was it pity. It was different from adoration or hatred—it was a jewel-like gaze with its heart locked away.

"You are weak, Harry. ...Much more than the one I 'knew'."

He stroked his hair. It was the texture he had longed to touch. Soft and pleasant. However—it no longer made his heart leap as it once did. Because he knew the feel of different hair now.

"That weakness is endearing. Your fragility—your exposed weakness itself, is the proof of the effort 'he' put in."

Hatred, sorrow, pain, and anger—because they are all things that piled up on the 'him' who was left behind.

"Where will Maria—end up?"

Draco Malfoy committed a sin.

"She can't go anywhere. She just wants to save—one single person."

In the place he was left behind—he committed a sin.

I failed.

Clutching the earring tightly, I looked up at that person.

I failed.

A cold face. There was no hatred there. —Like a doll.

I failed.

I was completely surrounded. There was absolutely no way to break through.

I failed.

There was no other way to survive—except to grab that hand.

"You will come with us. —Maria Potter."

I────misjudged the value of 'Maria'.