If I Recover, Will You Be My Comfort? (break up one shot)

[Deleted]

*current day reflections on recent past*

The inn was quite slow today as Alice sat behind the front counter, awaiting anyone who would walk in looking for a room. Since her father had fallen ill, Alice spent many of her off days tending to the inn since her mother currently couldn't as much. Luckily they had splendid help so that Alice could still focus on her magizoology internship, but she felt a strong sense of duty to the inn now that she was graduated - like she had to help her mother. Not that Hannah had asked, of course. Neville and Hannah never forced anything on their kids, but Alice felt so awful after everything her parents had had to endure from the attacks, to Jayden being hurt, and now this. They needed a break. And while Neville was ill in St. Mungo's, Hannah had enough to worry about without having to tend to the inn.

Alice's internship was going smoothly. She spent a lot of time at the Ministry reporting back to her superiors with her studies and findings, and they would often supply the more dangerous creatures for her to study but she would soon have to be thinking about studying under an actual magizoologist to build her portfolio. Luckily, she had Aunt Luna and Uncle Rolf to look up to. She knew she could probably count on them to let her come along on some of their adventures like she had in the past, so she wasn't terribly worried. If anything, she was more worried about the never ending drama in her life.

With everything that had happened last year, it was a miracle that Alice had not just simultaneously combusted. She had to be there when James was having a hard time dealing with the aftermath of witnessing the first attack. It had been extremely hard on her friend, and it had really hurt her to see him in so much pain. Her father had been promoted from Herbology professor to Headmaster of Hogwarts. Then Jayden had been attacked, and she had never been more scared in her life. Naturally, Jayden pulled through in good old Jayden fashion. James, the boy she thought was the love of her life, started dating Natalia Lestrange who then was adopted into her own family. Then there were the Hogwarts attacks in which Alice was targeted to be kidnapped with her fellow classmates that were taken from the school until Carcer saved her.

Carcer Hagrid. Out of everything that happened last year that was bad, he was the one good thing that stayed constant all year. Last year, in a year so bad Alice thought it would never end... Alice fell in love.

Carcer had walked in on Alice spending time with his Abraxans at the beginning of the school year. Alice thought maybe he would have not liked that, but it had seemed as though he couldn't have been happier that someone was spending time with them when he couldn't. He had gone on to give her permission to visit them any time and then Carcer had invited Alice on a ride through the mountains (which she was still certain would have got them in trouble if someone had found out.) Alice found herself opening up to someone who wasn't in her immediate friend group for the first time ever and she actually liked it. She had spent Halloween with Carcer in the library goofing off instead of going to the silly Halloween ball, she had joined an actual club, she was smiling more, she went to the Christmas party with him in a dress, he had been there for her waiting after Jayden had been attacked, he had given her Quinn - the most fiery little Pygmy Puff she had ever met, and most of all, he had helped saved her from Death Eaters. By the end of her seventh year, Alice had realized she was in love with Carcer Hagrid. And he had officially asked her out.

For their first date, Alice and Carcer had gone to a muggle zoo. It had been quite the experience because Carcer was her height after a mishap on a Cursebreaking job. It was something she had teased him for, but it had made the snogging far more easier than usual. Alice had never expected to fall for someone so easily like she did Carcer. He had the same love for all living creatures just like Alice did, and he was unconditionally kind. Unless you threatened those he loved. And that was something Alice admired so deeply about Carcer. She also didn't mind his usual ability to be able to pick her up at any given moment and surprise her with a kiss. Though it made a lot of other things hard. So, while Carcer was her height one night after a date, Alice and he had taken things "to the next step." It was a night Alice could never forget, and one she had never expected to happen either.

But then her father got sick. No one on this earth was more important or closer to Alice than her father, and when she had got the news she had been with Carcer and had been absolutely broken. She had thought that the worst of the worst had ended, but it seemed as though it were just beginning. Carcer, ever the gentleman, let Alice grieve in her own way while still trying to be there for her on the sidelines but the news of her father's illness really took a toll on her. Carcer had helped Alice break out of her shell, to smile more than she ever thought possible but her father's illness brought back the Alice that was solemn almost regularly, not smiling as much as she used to. And she even started to shut Carcer out.

Carcer was so patient with her. Alice couldn't sleep. She worried for her father, her mother, and her brothers. She worried for the inn, and she worried for the students of Hogwarts. She worried how her deteriorating outlook on the world would affect her job. She began snapping at Carcer for every little thing he did, no matter how kind or patient. Then over the holidays, Alice realized that Carcer deserved better. Alice couldn't be good enough for him, in her eyes. She knew she had to focus more on herself if she wanted to be better, if she wanted to be with him or anyone for that matter. So with a heavy heart, Alice ended things with Carcer. Alice will never forget the look of sadness and understanding that Carcer wore as Alice broke off their relationship. He had been so good to her, but he didn't deserve to go through the emotional turmoil that Alice was. She wouldn't wish that on anyone. She needed to figure things out on her own.

Alice sat at the counter of the inn, staring blankly at her portfolio entry for Abraxans. She thought fondly of her rides with Carcer and his Abraxans, and then she thought of how she hadn't seen or spoken to him since January. She was sad for many reasons, but Alice needed to learn to love herself again. She needed to learn to be happy again. She needed to care for her family. She needed to repair her friendship with James. There were a lot of things Alice needed to do. And for the first time in a while, as she stared down at the entry about Abraxans... tears fell onto the page.

She'd get through this. Eventually.