Harry stared at the tree that began losing it's leafs about a month ago. It was almost bare now, and close to the crown, there was an odd branch sticking out
He wondered why it looked so familiar to him, like he'd seen it somewhere before, that odd forking of that particular branch.
Standing in the middle of the pavement, Harry didn't notice the people moving past him, giving him angry looks before moving on. So lost he was in his contemplation of why the branch mocked him with its mysterious...form.
"I love you."
Jumping at the sudden declaration coming from the voice next to him, Harry jerked a step away from it. Letting his gaze zero in on the origin of the voice's sudden appearance, the uncomfortable tenseness made way for relief when he recognised the face belonging to that voice. The silver hair and the deep blue eyes that looked at him with knowing mirth, were a welcome sight
"I love you too," he replied. He couldn't quite tell why she suddenly had felt the urge to remind him, and so publicly.
Shaking her head at him, she pointed at the tree.
"I meant that," she corrected.
Looking back at the tree, his brows scrunched in confusion.
"You love the tree?" He was truly confused.
"Non," she shook her head while rolling her eyes. "The thing you were staring at," she said while pointing at the top of the tree, the branch he'd been studying, "I believe what you were trying to find in that head of yours was 'I love you'."
Raising her hand to her face, she gestured in the same way the branch did
"I love you," she repeated while holding the gesture.
His eyes widened at the dawn of realisation. He'd seen Emilia do this with her tiny, adorable hands. Trying and failing to convey something to him
"She said-" he tried.
"I love you," Fleur provided, her mouth giving him a smile, tender smile.
His heart thumped in his chest as goosebumps travelled up his spine. Turning in a swift motion toward the large window across the street, on the second floor of the apartment building where they had their flat, he spied the small frail form of his daughter with Eva, the babysitter they had booked to look after their munchkin.
"Can I-" Harry began suddenly.
"Go," Fleur interrupted again, nodding toward their home.
Without another word he rushed off. Rushed off to their little one. Their smart, genius, little one who learned to say ' I love you'.