Take These Broken Wings and Learn to Fly

I walked up to Gringotts, slightly shuddering at the cold looking building. It was spring, 1994. The March air was creating goose bumps on my skin, causing the little hairs on my arm so stand upright. I realized that that wasn’t the only reason my heart leapt as I crossed the cobblestone street. Bill Weasley was exiting the Gringotts building, pulling on his jacket as he went along. His eyes were on the steps, watching his every descent until his head whipped up and his eyes met mine.

He froze in his place for a moment, just staring at me until a smile broke out upon his face. “Well, would you look what the cat dragged in, my lovely bird,” he muttered. I grinned.
“Bird? That’s a new one,” I commented before walking into his arms. Bill laughed as he wrapped me in his embrace, squeezing me until I couldn’t breathe. “Alright, Bill. Don’t kill me now!”

“Sorry, but I just thought my best friend would be as thrilled to see me as I am her!” I punched his shoulder with a smug grin.

“I’m surprised to find I’m still your best friend,” I joked. He rolled his eyes.

“Well you sure as hell don’t look like her!” he said, looking me up and down.

“Are you saying I got ugly, William Weasley?” I asked, faking a shocked expression. He grinned.

“I wish, or else I wouldn’t have dirty thoughts running through my mind right now. And don’t ever call me William.” I narrowed my eyes at him before laughing as well. We both had changed over the course of the year and a half apart. His hair was a bit neater, and the scruff he once had on his face was gone. My hair was considerably longer, and my skin was tan from being on the Mediterranean every day. Bill looked stronger, like he gained muscle, which made him seem ridiculously irresistible. We sent letters back and forth to keep in touch, but never saw each other. Somehow, we were always working, and for the holidays I stayed with my site workers and partied. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“On break, actually. My term ended in Italy, so I’m going into Gringotts right now to find out my relocation. And yourself?” I asked.

“Taking a small vacation. I was actually just about to go buy your birthday present. I WAS going to surprise you in Italy tomorrow…but it looks like that plan has failed.” he stated, matter-of-factly. I groaned.

“I don’t want to get older. I don’t ever want to grow up,” I replied glumly. He smiled, placing a hand on my cheek.

“Alright, Peter Pan! Perhaps you don’t, but the time has done you well, Ms. Naughton. I can’t get over how sexy and beautiful you’ve gotten. I’m still mad at you, though. You didn’t show up last Christmas, or birthday, when I could’ve seen your luscious self,” he winked. I rolled my eyes as I placed a hand on his cheek, returning the gesture.

“Perhaps, but you’ve only gotten better at sweet talking with time. It would’ve been disastrous if I’d shown up these past sixteen months,” I replied. He frowned.

“And why is that?”

“Because I simply can’t resist you,” I smirked.

---

Gringotts relocated me back to Egypt. I was going to be working with Bill again, which tore my heart in two different directions. Bill waited for me outside Gringotts as I went inside for my assignment, and absolutely professed his excitement to every person on the street once I told him I’d be going back to work with him. It almost made me excited, as well. I started to believe that Bill would fall for me again. I tried to push the thoughts away, to the deepest, darkest corner of my mind. But I couldn’t. Every time Bill smiled, every time he laughed his hearty chuckle, I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.

The next day was my birthday, and Bill and I spent it together. He took me out for a nice dinner and we ended up back at his apartment to hang out. Bill bought me a beautiful necklace for my birthday, which he presented back at his place.

“Bill, I love it! But why is there a bird on it?” I asked. He held out the small jewelry box to me and I stared at the necklace in awe. On a silver chain hung a simple, yet strikingly unique charm of a blackbird. He rolled his eyes as he motioned for me to turn around.

“Because. The day I met you, you were humming Blackbird in the tombs. Every time I hear that song, or think of it, or if I see a blackbird, it reminds me of you.”

“Don’t you think blackbirds are kind of…depressing?” I asked with a laugh.

“Liana! Blackbirds are beautiful. I’m sure a lot of people find them depressing, because they’re dark. But I think that’s what makes them beautiful. You’re kind of like a blackbird,” he said as he lowered the necklace over my head.

“How on earth am I possibly like a blackbird?” I asked. I heard him chuckle behind me, his breath hitting the back of my neck in uneven spurts. It gave me goose bumps.

“Blackbirds are beautiful creatures, don’t you think? They’re always flying around, kind of like you. You’ve got a sense of adventure, which I adore. And blackbirds sometimes have color in them, right? I think you’re different. You aren’t afraid of a lot of things…or if you are, you hide it pretty well. Blackbirds are kind of empowering. Everyone loves to hear a blackbird sing.”

“Bill, blackbirds are a sign of bad luck,” I laughed as he clasped the necklace over my heart.

“Fuck, I can’t be your friend then!” he said sarcastically. I giggled a bit as my hand touched the charm now resting on my chest. “Blackbirds are edgy looking. I think they’re misunderstood. Probably keep secrets, right? And I mean, I still don’t know everything about you, my blackbird,” he joked as I turned to face him. He tapped his index finger on my nose as he said I was secretive. I scrunched up my face and he mocked, making the same face back at me.

“Nice try, but I’m not giving you any secrets tonight,” I said, backing away from him to sit on the couch.

“Oh really?” he inquired, raising an eyebrow and slowly walking towards me. I saw the look on his face and moved to the other side of the couch.

“Bill…I know that look. Don’t even think about it!” I exclaimed as he got closer.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he defended, before adorning a lopsided grin on his face and tickling my sides. I covered my face with my hands and laughed until no sound came out of my mouth. Tears were streaming down my face before Bill finally stopped his tickle raid.

“Do you surrender?” he asked as he sat next to me. I tried to catch my breath as I shook my head.

“No, never, you will see no white flag!” I shouted back at him. He sighed and wrapped an arm around my shoulder just holding me close until I caught my breath and we fell asleep.

Bill and I returned to work a few days later, acting as though we were never apart. We were back to being best friends, joking around all summer and occasionally taking weekend trips to new places. I agreed to not transfer jobs until Bill and I could transfer together. It was one of my favorite summers. We’d grown closer than ever, spending our weekends at concerts and festivals, spending the weekdays cooking for each other and working the summer heat away. It was almost as if we could have been dating…but we weren’t.