Chapter Text
“You want to what?”
“Tell Leo and Caelum.”
Archie continues to stare at her, astounded. His lips are parted, his eyes wide, his shoulders loose; shock exhibited in every possible way. Then, all at once, he deflates, flopping out across the chair with limbs that may well as be noodles.
“I thought that’s what you said,” he moans, scrubbing one hand across his sad puppy eyes before he turns that weaponised gaze on her.
It’s no problem, Harry’s well used to dealing with this particular look after a lifetime of mischief and mayhem together. On this, she won’t budge. Archie has told Hermione. Not the true extent of it, he hasn’t exposed to dark underbelly of it all, hasn’t showcased the lies and schemes, the plots and plans and the narrow escapes. But, the girl knows enough to have them thrown in Azkaban, should she ever share such knowledge. Well, had she not taken a vow to keep their secrets, that is.
“I mean, Leo I can understand. But Lestrange?” Archie stresses Caelum’s name, grimace still potent on his face but he’s given up on the puppy dog eyes, clearly recognising they’re not going to influence her at all.
“I can’t tell Leo without telling Caelum,” Harry states, though she doesn’t expand. Doesn’t explain how they are of equal importance in her life, doesn’t explain how she cannot tell one without the other because it would be like choosing one and-
And she’s greedy. She’s starting to think it’s one of her defining traits in truth. Greedy for an education she’s not supposed to have, greedy for friends she’s not supposed to keep, greedy for lovers she’s supposed to decline.
They’ll hardly be the first trio history, nor the last. But general consensus is that trios aren’t the ideal state to be in, what with the messy lines of inheritance that can come of it.
Not that Harry cares. She’s not even sure she wants children anyway. Before it had been a hard no but... she’d thought that about lovers as well.
Regardless, a child is a lifelong commitment and she’s not about to bumble into that as she has done her current relationship, not when a child is something you can’t undo. That is one step she will only take if she is utterly sure she wants one. Which she’s near certain she won’t want within the next ten years at least.
“Right, okay. So, how are we doing this then?” Archie asks. It’s heartwarming really. Just a check to ensure she’s certain about her current choices, then the assumption he’s going to be involved, that he’s going to help. Because Archie looks at her and sees his cousin, a partner in crime and someone to always depend upon.
It’s exactly what Harry sees when she looks at him. Addy is her sister, but Archie is her brother in all but name.
“I have a vow that prevents them from sharing what they learn in a set room; it’s almost like a ward really. Ensuring the safety of the ruse isn’t the issue here, it’s...” it’s how they’ll both react.
Certainly, both Leo and Caelum will be upset. Just, for different reasons. Leo knows she’s up to something illegal, knows to keep his head down and not ask her too many questions on that topic. He’s never met Rigel Black, not as he believes anyway, so Leo’s problem will be the ridiculous amount of danger she’s been putting herself in for the sake of the ruse.
Caelum, well, Caelum is a whole different herd of hippogriffs. Caelum has met Rigel Black and to say his opinion of Rigel is low is to state water is wet. Blatantly obvious and, quite frankly, an understatement of epic proportions. His reaction... well, it’ll either be explosive or arctic.
And yet, despite knowing that the fallout for this is going to be biblical, despite knowing its only going to hurt and there’s a very strong chance what she has is going to fall apart... Harry knows she has to do it anyway. Because she cannot go on like this, holding Leo and Caelum close with the humongous secret of the ruse trapped in the depth of her chest. She can’t want to know anything and everything about them but keep such a significant part of herself hidden. So-
“Their reactions will probably be bad, but I need to do this anyway.” Archie’s grimace pretty much sums it up but, Harry’s has to do plenty of things in her life now, of picking between a rock and a hard place.
She’ll continue on as she always does and, if needed, she’ll come up with some way of working her way into Leo and Caelum’s good books.
She’ll have to.