The Prince's Tale

[12] I will never lose my love - Jane and Edward

[A prince will eventually raise the sword in his hand to guard the love in his heart, to guard the whole world he loves. 】

Since that conversation with Mrs. Longbottom by the lake, I have finally begun to reflect on the past few years.I think of my sensitivity and anxiety, and my timidity as always.People always grow in constant setbacks and reflections.From that day on, I began to try to understand Edward's world, and was surprised to find that he and most people in his world did not reject me as I imagined.

When we were young, we were all willing to explore new worlds and longed for a bigger stage.Because of the prejudices of the world, we will gradually become sensitive, restless, content with the status quo, and stop moving forward.But that doesn't mean we don't have the courage to step out of the hard shell we've built.

At the age of 33, I finally got out of that closed hard shell, and looked at the outside world with a novel vision that did not belong to my age.

Time flies by, and the calendar seems to suddenly turn to July [-].Speaking of [-], dear readers, you have probably guessed what happened.The lies that the Ministry of Magic had elaborated for a year finally failed, and the war once again descended on the wizarding world with a disdain for all sentient beings.

During the last war, I spent all my time under the mask of numbness and caution.The Death Eaters never came to me directly - it's all William's fault now that I think about it.At that time, I hid behind him like a frightened and timid child, allowing him to die for me.I think that at this time, I am brave and strong enough to protect myself with my own strength, and I don't need other people to stand in front of me to protect me.

I thought I was brave and strong enough, but I was wrong again.The world as I know it finally changed drastically on July [-], [-].

It was a cold day.It was raining lightly outside the window, and the sound of the pattering rain was entangled with the news broadcast on the radio. Our family of three sat at the dining table and had breakfast.It was an ordinary morning.

Edward sat behind the oak table, quickly browsing the "Daily Prophet" of the day; I read the "Transfiguration Today" that had just been delivered a few minutes ago, while paying attention to the broadcast on the radio; Already 11 years old, Ellen ate eating a bacon sandwich, which he doesn't like very much, but with unabashed joy on his face.

For 11-year-old Alan William Jones, this day was an extraordinary one.Because on this day, he will go to Ollivander in Diagon Alley to buy his first wand in his life.Edward had expressed regret a week ago that he could not go with him.Although this day was his day off in the Ministry of Magic, the Order of the Phoenix sent an urgent mission on this day.

I've stopped throwing a fit over his absence from family functions.Years have polished off my wayward edges. At the age of 40, I understand that he cannot go, and express my greatest support for his urgent mission.

At that time, I still stubbornly believed that I did not have lover-like love for Edward.From 19 to 40, from my 21 years to 20 years old, in [-] years, we got close because of loneliness, kept a distance carefully because of the difference in identity, and got married because we got used to each other's existence. Make a contract, because tolerance and responsibility have been going until now.I think I have a clear mind and can analyze the relationship we have maintained for more than [-] years.

"You guys have to be careful when you go to Diagon Alley today," Edward threw aside the newspaper he had read, "I heard that a few days ago—"

"Understood," I stopped his words and blinked in Alan's direction, "You too."

I always made a conscious effort to keep Ellen from hearing these things.He is still young, he is only 11 years old.It wouldn't do him any good to hear the news.Edward didn't quite agree with this, but he didn't disapprove either.

"I still have something to do today." Edward got up in a hurry, grabbed the robe on the hanger, "I wish you a good mood today."

Allen and I looked up and said goodbye.Such farewells are all too common.It is performed every day, and it has been repeated for more than ten years for me.Sometimes I look at the papers in the journals and see them fascinated, and I don't even realize that Edward has left.

I'm thankful that there wasn't anything on Transfiguration Today that I was particularly interested in that day.I raised my head from the magazine, watched Edward put on the black robe, cast an invulnerability spell on himself, stuffed the wand back into his pocket, and pushed open the door to enter the slightly chilly drizzle.

He never looked back.Because in his opinion, this is also a short farewell that has been repeated for more than ten years.

The moment the wooden door was pushed open, there was a cool breeze blowing in from outside.The wind is mixed with the damp smell unique to rainy days, the fresh smell of leaves and the very faint fragrance of flowers.I don't have any likes or dislikes about this taste, but after this day, I almost remember this taste for a lifetime.

Two hours later, Allen and I walked to the door of Ollivander's wand shop in Diagon Alley.The store is small and shabby, in stark contrast to the fame of Ollivander's Wand.A wand stood alone on a faded purple cushion in the window.The gold lettering on the door has peeled off, and it reads: "Ollivander, fine wand maker since 380 BC".

"Go in, Ellen," I said softly.

It's no different from the Ollivander's wand shop in my impression.The dim light, the empty shop, the long narrow wand boxes stacked to the ceiling, and the light-eyed wandmaker.

"Good morning." A soft voice said.Mr. Ollivander appeared in front of us unexpectedly.Allen was a little nervous, and I stroked his shoulder lightly.

"Jane Prince—Jane Jones now. Black walnut, eleven inches, with a core of snake nerves. Isn't it?" muttered the old wandmaker. "Very beautiful. Wands of that material like A wizard with great insight...all in all a good wand for magic."

When I heard him talk about "insight", my heart moved uneasily, as if I had really detected something.

"This is my son, Alan Jones," I introduced Alan in front of him to Ollivander, "he is old enough to go to Hogwarts."

"Ah..." Mr. Ollivander shifted his pale eyes to Alan, "Alan Jones. I remember your father coming to my shop. Nine inches, made of cypress, phoenix feathers. Cypress, this material... I am very honored." He said meaningfully.

I did not ask Mr. Ollivander why he was so honored.This is probably related to my professional characteristics.I also don't like the endless questioning of patients as I hand them vials—many of which involve secret formulas.

With great interest, I watched Mr. Ollivander measure Alan's various sizes, watched Alan take the wands one by one in a daze, and privately wondered if I was in the same panic back then.

Suddenly, a firelight illuminated the dimly lit shop.A roll of parchment fell to the ground with a clatter, accompanied by a golden phoenix tail feather.The uneasiness in my heart gradually expanded.This unease was finally confirmed the moment I unfolded the parchment.

"Edward is badly wounded. At St. Mungo's now. Come on. Kingsley."

The heart-piercing pain of facing the loss of a loved one hit me again after so many years.I want to cry, I want to yell, I want to hide in a corner by myself...

But I did nothing.I just stuffed the roll of parchment and the golden feather into the back of my pocket, then put my arm around Ellen, gave Ollivander an apologetic smile, and asked if he could use the fireplace in the shop.

That's how I stepped into St. Mungo's with a confused Alan.An unfamiliar member of the Order of the Phoenix was standing in front of the fireplace, but he recognized Alan and me at a glance.He led us through noisy crowds, up long stairs, and down long silent corridors.

We came to a ward on the fifth floor.There were already some people gathered there, but I didn't bother to greet them, so I left Alan outside the door and rushed into the ward.

I saw Edward lying on the bed at a glance, and he also saw me at a glance, like some kind of strange telepathy.Very good, his consciousness is still clear, I'm glad... I seem to have suddenly returned to many years ago, back to the days when Edward was injured and ran to my attic.It was okay so many times before... so it must be okay this time... I quickly calmed down.

"What's the situation?" I asked with a professional and calm voice.Except for Edward, everyone else looked at each other in blank dismay.

"A Stunning Curse and a Cruciatus Curse hit my left shoulder at the same time." Edward cooperated with me in a weak voice, "At the same time, an unknown spell hit my left arm."

"The first two are not fatal, what matters is the last one," I analyzed proficiently, "I need a little of your blood to analyze the spell. First, we need to determine the effect and scope of the third spell—"

"Mrs. Jones—"

"—Secondly, determine whether it will have additional effects with the first two spells," I waved my wand, and conjured up a silver dagger and a crystal bottle, cut his finger, squeezed out a few drops of blood, and poured it into the crystal bottle "I'm going to use Scapin's Revelation Charm to figure out what's inside—"

"Ma'am, we've had the blood analyzed—" said what appeared to be a therapist, as if I were questioning his expertise.But I ignored him.I cast spells on the crystal bottle continuously, and focused on observing the changes in the blood in the crystal bottle.

"It has an erosive effect. It is similar to the effect of the Stunning Spell—it cannot be ruled out that it is the interference of the Stunning Spell. It acts on the nerves, causing the patient to hallucinate, accompanied by the failure of various organs—"

"It's no use, Mrs. Jones, we've already—"

"—I know I can!" I cried, seeing that their eyes had changed from initial doubt to sympathy, "I could get him back—I could always get him back." Saved!"

"There's nothing we can do. We've cast a Vitality Charm to ensure your final farewell," said the small healer in dark green robes, with the familiar apologetic look on his face.How I hate that look.

I turned sharply to Edward and saw that sorry look on his face too.I closed my eyes, and the hand holding the wand dropped slumped.

"Please stay away, thank you," my voice trembled, "By the way, please bring our son Alan in. I think he needs to come together—"

The word "farewell" stuck in my throat like a fishbone that couldn't be spit out.But no one is critical.They filed out, some sobbing softly, some patting me on the shoulder as they passed me and saying comforting words.

I didn't conjure another chair, and sat directly beside Edward's bed, holding his hand tightly, as if I could snatch his fading life away from the god of death.

"You shouldn't have let them cast that spell," I couldn't help scolding, "You know how painful it is." My soft gaze fell on his cheek, and instead of my hand, I scanned every inch of my familiar face. skin.

"So we shouldn't waste the last time on irrelevant words, should we?" Edward looked at me with a smile.It was hard to imagine that he could still pull a smile under such a difficult situation.

Allen was sent to the ward by a purple-haired witch.I held his hand, forced a consoling smile and said, "Alan, Edward is leaving... Let's say goodbye to him, shall we?" My voice trembled violently, and the tears in my eyes were uncontrollable to shed.

Allen threw himself on the bed and sobbed softly.I wiped my tears with a handkerchief and pulled Alan into my arms.

"This will be the last time our family will be together," I wiped Ellen's little face with the other side of the handkerchief. "Don't cry... none of us are allowed to cry. Let's have a good talk, shall we?" I coaxed.

My eyes meet Edward's in the air.The tacit understanding over the years tells me that he approves of my approach.Allen's crying subsided, and I held him tightly in my arms.

"I remember the first time I saw you," Edward said to me, his longing eyes fell on my face, "You must not have imagined that the first time I saw you was in Potions class."

Seeing my shocked expression, he smiled softly. "That was in the fifth grade. I went to a potions class a little earlier, and you still haven't finished the class. I saw Professor Slughorn praising the shrinking potion you made. Then, then you told him Said," his eyes became warm and affectionate, "you said you wanted to be a pharmacist."

I listened to him relate a trivial incident that I no longer remember, and which seemed to have been buried in his heart like a treasure for many years.

"I remembered you right away. It wasn't until seventh grade...we met again. I still remember the tricks you played on me," he said, and I suddenly felt a little embarrassed. "But I can swear, I Never judged you because of your house or last name, I just, just—"

"——you were just messed up by my pranks." I finished the sentence for him very unkindly, and looked at him with a little surprise in both sadness and satisfaction.

"Of course, you can understand that," Edward smiled weakly, "so, I am even more impressed with you. When I was at the post office, I recognized you almost immediately."

"I know you always thought I was approaching you for another purpose, but I knew within a few days after that that you weren't a Death Eater. I go to you every day because I really want to see you—"

Edward said a lot in his feeble, staccato voice, many of which I hadn't even thought about before.His words are like gorgeous, bright, dazzling, and final fireworks, leaving an extremely deep imprint on my lonely and peaceful heart like the night, and then fade away at the brightest moment.

"Dad, we will always love you, don't go—" Allen was sobbing.

"I'll always, always love you too." Edward couldn't make any sound, and I could barely make out his mouth shape.

"Me too," I said, with an electric shock of sudden realization, "I love you. I've always loved you!" I gripped his hand tightly and looked at him beggingly.

At this moment, I suddenly realized in a trance that I love him and have always loved him.Great joy and regret swept over me.Those things that I think I analyze in detail, the loneliness, responsibility, and tolerance I think, the mutual warmth and support that I think—in fact, it has always been love.It may not be as hot as that between lovers, but it flows like a stream in the mountains.Never in decades has I realized how much I love someone so clearly.

There was a faint smile on Edward's pale face, and for a moment his dim eyes became dazzling again, almost making me think he was out of danger.But then, those bright eyes slowly closed with a final smile.The person I love was cruelly taken away by the god of death, and passed away quietly.

Allen burst into tears, and I was powerless to comfort him.Because at this moment, I am also vulnerable like a child who needs comfort.But the person who gave me warmth and encouragement, silently supported me, and trusted me unconditionally in the past so many years is no longer in this world.

The funeral was scheduled for three days later.Edward had just taken over as head of the Scrimgeour Auror Office before his death.I had booked a fancy restaurant in Diagon Alley to congratulate him, but that's gone now.I almost fell into a state of numbness and calmness, as if I was in an extremely realistic dream. After waking up from the dream, everything would return to normal, and the three of us would still sit together and eat breakfast every morning.Edward would also browse the Daily Prophet, absentmindedly eat an omelette, and then hastily put on his coat and hurry to work at the Ministry.

Many people attended Edward's funeral.Some of them are old and some are young, some are well-dressed and some are shabby, some I know and some I don't.But they all had the same sad expression on their faces.They came in a hurry to say my last goodbyes to my husband.

After the funeral, people left one after another, and finally only our mother and son were left standing in front of the tombstone to accompany Edward.It was raining lightly again in the gray and gloomy sky. I raised my magic wand like a transparent umbrella to block the cold raindrops.

Allen was in my arms, still sobbing.I took an old wand from my pocket and thrust it into his hand.

"This is your father's wand," my cold voice sounded with the sound of rain, "he chose this wand when he was 11 years old, and this wand chose him at that time. They have been with each other for 33 years. In these 33 years, he was bold, decisive, and fearless of life and death. He was always striving for a better cause. I am very sorry for his departure, but I have never regretted choosing him as my life partner. And never regretted not being able to stop him from putting himself in danger."

"I love you, so I always respect every decision you make. I do my best to care for you, tolerate you, and support you. I know that you are always living for what you believe in. I didn't Understood. But you made me understand that there are many things worth dying for."

"I will raise our son instead of you. I will teach him the principles of life, and let him have the ability to judge right from wrong and distinguish right from wrong. I will watch him grow up day by day on your behalf, and watch him grow into a An excellent wizard, watch him find his own person and live a happy life."

"I will take good care of our son and myself. I will not make you worry about it anymore. In the past, I always hid behind others cowardly, but now I have completely abandoned my weakness. I will Like you, like William, protect all I love and those who love me."

"I know that you want to create a better world, to make all people live happier. In the past, that was your belief. From now on, it will be my belief—our common belief. I will Stand with the Order of the Phoenix against You-Know-Who - for a better future for our children and all children."

The cold rain in London was getting heavier, but it could not quench the fire in my heart.

"This is my promise to you, to Alan," I sniffed lightly, and said to Alan in front of me, "Now, your father is gone. But I hope you are like him , be a brave Gryffindor, don't be like me. I've never been very brave." I said with some shame.

"No, Mom," Allen looked up at me with those pure blue eyes, "You are also very brave. You are as brave as Dad." He said to me seriously with tears on his face.

I looked at Alan's extremely serious little face, and once again suddenly realized.It turns out that it is not our abilities but our choices that determine who we become from beginning to end.In the past, I thought I was cowardly and cowardly, but it was just that I chose to be that cowardly and cowardly Jane—not because of my pure-blood status, let alone because I was a Slytherin.

That hasty sorting didn't tell the whole story.My brother, my husband—they went on and on.And now I have finally chosen to be brave and strong.A prince will eventually raise the sword in his hand to guard the love in his heart, to guard the whole world he loves.

I spent half my life struggling and wandering, and finally made the final and most correct choice at the age of 40.