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Avada Kedavra! Piper turned to face a green bolt of light hurtling straight for her. She instinctively raised an arm to block it, though a rational part of her mind told her that wouldn’t be of much help.
“Move your ass!” she heard someone yell, but it felt like they were worlds away, their shout a distant vibration.
Piper’s vision of the projectile was suddenly blocked. She squinted to make out what she realised was another body. Merula . Too late, it clicked to her what was happening, and she yelled, “No!”
Her control over her legs suddenly returning, she ran to Merula, who was sprawled limply on the ground. “No,” she repeated, softly this time. Piper cradled Merula’s face in her hands; Merula gasped as her gaze locked onto Piper’s.
“Wells,” she smiled softly, though it faintly resembled a grimace. “I wasn’t selfish for once.”
Tears spilled over Piper’s cheeks. “Not like this, Merula. Not like this.”
“The mighty Piper Wells, breaking down over her archnemesis dying? So you did have feelings for me.” Even in her last moments, Merula was mocking her.
“Merula, I always had feelings for you. Maybe not when you were bullying me, but after you changed? I was madly in love with you―am madly in love with you.”
Merula chuckled weakly. “I’m madly in love with you, too, Piper.”
“You finally said my name . . .” Piper broke into a new sob.
“Don’t cry over me,” said Merula, trying to prop herself onto her elbow but failing. “I’m not worth it, you know. I was a terrible person, but now I can die a slightly less terrible person.”
“You’re a brilliant person, Merula. The Most Powerful Witch at Hogwarts,” Piper managed to say, sniffling. She tried to force a smile but her face wouldn’t cooperate.
“Thank you for never giving up on me, Piper. It was admirable.” Merula was now gasping out breaths, but she wanted to get her last words right. “You’d better not forget me, alright? I did save you, you know.”
Piper draped herself over Merula, holding her tight as if that was the only thing keeping her alive right now. Merula looked up at the trees covering the sky and smiled. She was finally at peace, her favourite person beside her. Everything was perfect.
Piper pulled away to see Merula’s unseeing eyes staring upwards, a faint smile still on her face. “At least you died content,” she said, pushing a strand of Merula’s hair behind her ear.
“I’ll miss you.”