A/N: This is a continuation of my One-Shot, 'Many Times I've Looked at You', but it's not necessary to read it to understand what's going on in this.
I do not own the Harry Potter World or any of it's characters.
Chapter 1 – A Fresh Start, An Unfamiliar City, A New Me
Darkness surrounded me.
Well, almost. The thin skin of my eyelids betrayed me and filtered in dim light, so I should correct myself.
A red haze surrounded me. I concentrated on the smells and sounds of the small corner park. A baby crying, dogs yipping and barking, sneakers pounding concrete, the laughter and light clinking of silverware against china, rustling newspapers, squawking birds fighting over crumbs, the sticky sweet smell of candy floss, I breathed in as a light breeze ruffled my hair and sent goosebumps along my arms. The past few days had been particularly rainy, and I woke up this morning to sunshine.
I felt the old bench I was on shift under me. I cracked open an eye, and a cheery smile waited for me. "Are you ready?"
"Ready as I'll ever be," I sighed.
"My boss gave me an extended lunch so I'm yours until 3:30. That means we've got…" she glanced down at her watch, "3 hours! Let's do this!" and with a mighty pull, I was heaved to my feet, and out of the relative peace of the park.
She pulled me along behind her through the crowded tourist-infested streets and I couldn't help but feel proud of myself.
I had done it. I was here. I had gotten out of dreary Kittersbury and found myself situated on a busy street in London.
To say that I was overwhelmed was an understatement. It was like a sensory overload; cars honking, lights flashing, crowds pushing against me. My hand was held firmly and I was drug along until I found myself in front of a trendy little boutique. My companion turned to look at me with a cheeky grin.
"Time for a new look, don't you think?" She toyed with my frayed overcoat with a grimace and swung her silky black hair over her shoulder. "Come along Emily!" she called as she led the way into the store.
I remained frozen on the sidewalk. People shouldered past me in a hurry, but I couldn't bring myself to move. "Cho wait!"
She paused, one foot in the door and one still on the sidewalk. "Emily we're letting in the cold air," She said.
"Wait," I persisted meekly, "I haven't got much money with me, librarians don't make too much." I looked up at the store front uneasily. There was no way I'd be able to afford even one sock with the pocket money that I'd brought along with me.
"Nonsense!" Cho said with a laugh, "This is my treat. Tom and I's treat! Now come along," and without warning, I was unceremoniously yanked into the store.
I wasn't entirely sure how I had ended up here. Well, actually, that was a lie. I knew exactly what I had done to end up in my current situation. It had been entirely my decision, yet I felt no regret, surprisingly. I always felt regret. I spent my life swimming in regret, and I currently felt no regrets about leaving my life behind. That's pretty indicative of my life before the big move. I didn't have any sort of ties to anyone in Kittersbury. I was living alone, working alone, being alone. I did nothing. I was nothing. And then I had had a shock of sorts, a wakeup call if you will. I realized that I was done being idle and decided to move my life in a more promising direction, so when my brother had asked me to visit him in London, I made the choice to move there permanently. No more waiting for my mother, no more wasted days in an empty library, no more pining over someone that I no longer needed to remember.
So here I was, out of my comfort zone and being handed armfuls of clothes.
After hours, literal hours, of dresses and blouses and scarves, Cho decided that my wardrobe was updated to her satisfaction.
"Now you actually look like a 21-year-old," she said with a pleased smile. I smiled back at her uneasily. I was grateful, don't get me wrong, I just wasn't sure that retail therapy was my thing. I think Cho was only spending time with me because my brother asked her to help me get my bearings in the city. That was quite like him, to worry about my well-being. Growing up it had been me and him against the world. Our mother was there yet absent at the same time, day – dreaming about a life she could have had without us, perhaps, and my father died before I was born, so my brother and I took up the roles of care-taker to each other. Until Tom left for Uni and left me to fend for myself.
I wasn't angry with him for moving on with his life, in fact I was quite proud of him, I just… it was hard to adjust to life alone. The moment I turned 18, my mother packed a bag of clothes and left to travel Europe. It's not hard to imagine that she was off drinking wine in some Italian vineyard.
And not to mention this past year. The reason this whole move even happened. But I didn't want to think about that or him. I was moving on. I was.
Cho looked at me with a small smile. "Thanks for accompanying me, I know that this whole move is hard for you, but I think that getting out of that town will be good for you." She coughed, and then brightened a little. "How does lunch sound? And then you can tell me about your job search! I'm sure I can help you out if you need it! I've got plenty of connections, or we could see if any local libraries are looking for more help?"
I felt a sudden rush of affection for my brother's fiancée. She was trying to help me, she truly was. I nodded, "That sounds lovely, thank you so much for everything. Both you and Tom have been so welcoming."
She blushed slightly and murmured, "It was nothing,"
"No, it really has meant so much to me." We took seats at a small café.
Cho smiled again and grasped my hands, "Ok, so how is the job search anyway? Or have you had any luck finding a flat?"
"I think I've found a flat actually, it's not too far from you and Tom," I took a sip of coffee, "and I think I can lease it until I get a job, it's in my price range. Its small, but I quite like it."
"And the job search?" prompted Cho, looking at me expectantly.
I grimaced, "less promising."
"Well, what have you got in mind? Librarian again?"
I shook my head, "No… I think I ought to do something different, don't you?"
Cho hummed and looked a bit lost in thought. A waiter approached with our sandwiches, and I took a bite while I waited for Cho.
"I think I know of a few places that might take you on. You haven't got a uni degree so it'll be a bit difficult, but I think we can manage this." She pulled out a small notebook and scribbled out a few names and addresses. "I know a small publishing firm looking for a secretary, you've got some experience with book keeping and with books so that might be good. Oh! And I know of a bookshop near Abbott Road looking to take someone on – and the pay is quite good, might I add – called Louis Lotter and Co."
She handed me the slip of paper, "The publishing firm is your best bet, though. I think you could really make a career there. You wanted to get away from library work, but with your experience it really could be something."
I smiled gratefully at her, "Honestly this is better than anything I've found. I almost applied at this seedy pub yesterday. Thank you, Cho."
"It's nothing,"
With my new prospects in hand, I felt hopeful for what tomorrow might bring, and that finally, I would get to start on this new chapter in my life
**.
A/N: It's been a while! But here I am, with a new story. I'm feeling particularly inspired and I really missed fan-fiction. It's been a bit since I've written anything but that's ok! Next chapter coming soon!