HEAL ME | JAMES POTTER

THIRTY

- CHAPTER 30 -

❝I'll be waiting for your letter.❞

Hogwarts, Seventh year.

TIME WAS PASSING BY incredibly slow for the girl, and even slower for James. They had both been waiting for Christmas break, each in their own ways.

Grace Valdez had kept the content of the letter a secret, afraid that if she were to tell her friends about it, they'd want to stay back during the break and give her company through it all.

The girl had wanted to do it alone, and face her family by herself. The people who had made her life miserable, and her brother who had made it even worse.

"Alright, are you all packed for the break?"

"Oh— erm, i'm not going."

"What, why?"

James Potter was one of the few people who had loved Christmas with an undying passion. It was a holiday that had brought him joy, and made all his worries fade away.

To spend it without the girl that he had loved, he would rather be born a Slytherin than go through that.

"Our exams are coming up James, i want to take this time to study for them."

"Okay, i'll stay back too then."

"James!"

The boy had been rather upset, but stubborn about staying at Hogwarts and spending time with the girl. James had been with his parents for almost seventeen years now, he was sure that they wouldn't mind.

However, the girl had insisted, again and again. That he should go back home, he deserved to spend the holidays with his family. Grace had wanted to face everything on her own, but the boy would not budge.

"Go back home James, for me at least."

"But Grace, I—"

"James, please."

The boy could see how persistent Grace had been, and there was no way that she was doing it all for her studies. There was more it than what meets the eye, and James had to find out what it actually was.

"Okay G, tell me what's wrong," said the boy with his arms crossed.

Grace had known that at some point, she would have to tell him about the truth, the reality. Both of them had promised to keep all secrets unkept in their relationship, and it was now time for her to keep that promise.

"My family, they're coming to meet me during the break. And i want to do it alone James, i-i want to prove it to them that i'm strong."

James had expected everything, but this. To say that he had felt proud of her, it was an understatement. For the past few days, the girl had started to be extremely courageous.

It was something that had made James feel lucky, the luckiest man alive.

"You should've just told me G, it's not like i would've said no."

The boy could notice how downcast the girl had really looked, making him feel guilty for being so oblivious throughout it all.

James pulled the girl closer to his chest, and pressed a soft kiss on her forehead. He was still upset that they wouldn't be able to spend the holidays together. But if Grace was able to be at peace after standing up to her family, who was he to stop it from happening?

"I'll be waiting for your letter. And i'll be back early, i don't think i could survive so long without you."

And when she was all alone, with no one but the books to keep her company, Grace Valdez had realised how lonely she had actually been.

If anything were to happen to James, where would she go? The girl had no home to go back to, no family to look out for. Grace Valdez was alone in this world, with no one but James by her side.

"Grace? Your family is here to see you."

Grace could feel her hands clam up with sweat, her heart beating faster by each passing second. She was nervous, that was for sure. More than she had been during the sorting ceremony, all the way back during first year.

And even then, the girl had a bit of comfort. The feeling that if anything were to go wrong, she would at least have her older brother Theo, waiting for her back at home.

"Avery."

"Mr.Nott, Mrs.Nott."

Theodore couldn't help but scoff. The girl that he had raised with so much love and care, is this how she was to pay him back?

"We are giving you one last chance to come back Avery, don't make us regret it."

"I am not going back Mr.Nott, no matter how many times you would ask me to."

Even though Grace had been nervous at first, just thinking about her future was enough to make her feel better. The house which had held so many horrible memories for her, was a place that she would not go back to, no matter what.

Now, her home was wherever James would be, because he had proved to her that you don't need to be related by blood, in order to be a family. And it wasn't just him who had made her realise it. It was Remus, Sirius, Peter, Lily, and even Professor Mcgonagall.

It was all of Hogwarts.

"Avery, once the Dark Lord rises to power, you will regret staying with those pathetic wizards," said Theodore Nott with distaste.

"I'd rather be with those pathetic wizards, than be with you Theodore," she replied back with anger.

Theodore Nott was taken aback, this was not the Grace that he had known. Even though it was small, there was a bit of pride blooming up in his chest. To see her stand up for herself, it was a moment that he had been waiting for since the very beginning.

"Avery, this is your last chance."

"Do not call me that. I am Grace, Grace Valdez."

A / N : do you guys like happy endings, or sad ones? Just curious</33
(well not that it would change anything LMAO)