First of all, I would like to thank ALL the flamers who ever so willingly attempted to sound nice by hiding and concealing their flames as, what was it again? Erm, CONCRIT! Rrriiiighttt… (: WELL! If you have any queries or any flames you wanna post as a review, er, well, just go ahead (:
And erm, that word… ahh yes. CONCRIT! Is very much welcome (:
OKAY SO HERE IT GOES. THE VERY MUCH AWAITED FIC(yeah right), SEQUEL TO ALL ABOUT LOVE AND HATE. Btw, bubblegumm is editing and other crap stuff. And please, read the prequel (is it used like that?) to this fic, ALL ABOUT LOVE AND HATE, before reading this one or you will find it very hard to catch up. thank you :D
A REKINDLED LOVE, A BURNING HATE
Chapter 1:
Christine Lin. Working at Beaufort's Little Wizards and Witches Montessori. She was the same tall, strong minded woman who graduated from Hogwarts Acedemy for Witchcraft and Wizardry. Her father found her working at a pre-school/kindergarten "An entire waste of Magical Talent!" You see, like many other wizards or witches working for the ministry, he wanted his child to work for the ministry too.
Cedric Diggory on the other hand was everything he was when he left Hogwarts. The perfect guy. Tall, handsome, smart, kind, gentlemanly, loving, kind, warm, charming, oh don't get me started on his demeanour. Everything was complete except for that empty space in his heart, that space every single girl at the ministry vies for…
They once dated when they were back in school. Too bad things didn't turn out the way they were supposed to. They each made no effort to contact each other throughout the four years apart, each making efforts to forget the other party...
The only time they EVER met after he graduated was when Christine was 17. They didn't even know or realize they met each other. Well, here is how it went:
During the holidays right after her NEWTS, Christine went to the Montessori to get a headstart on her work experience.
"Christine," her matronly aunt said, "Some ministry officials from the Department of Education are coming over to check on the Montessori, so do make sure everything is presentable,"she said, smiling at Christine.
Hours later...
"They're here they're here!" her aunt said excitedly as she bustled around the table to greet them at the entrance gate.
"Oh gooody..." Hannah (Christine's cousin who worked there too as a teacher) remarked.
Hannah went out to greet them along with her mother.
"Christine...! Oh Christine...!" her aunt sang, bidding her to come out of the staffroom.
"Hang on a moment !" she sung back as she scribbled the last of words on a parchment.
Christine came stumbling out on her dark coloured robes. A very bad start to a supposedly good visit.
"...and this is my niece who works here too as a teacher, Christine,"
"Hello, nice to meet you," she said, extending her hand to the wise looking old man.
"Yes, you too,"
"And oh dear... where is the other one now," her aunt said distractedly.
"Oi!" hehalf-shoutedhoarsely to the large hole in the ceiling, "What's his name again... Oh I keep forgetting..."
Christine was bewildered at who the old man was talking to.
Her doubts were then cleared when she saw a young man jumping down from the hole in the ceiling...
"Sorry Mr Hearsby," he said, "There is a nest of Doxies in the ceiling, someone has got to clear them up,"
Christine felt an overwhelming sense of familiarity over her. Where she had seen this man before, she could not put her finger on it...
He also looked at her with the same expression on his face...
"Do I... Do I know you?"she asked uncertainly.
"Boy, this is no time for chatting. Come with me so we can inspect this Montessori together. You need more experience than " the old man said, taking Cedric by the arm and walking him away with Christine's aunt leading the way...
BOARDER.BOARDER.BOARDER.
Three years later when Christine was 20 and Cedric 22...
"Hurry up Christine!" Hannah, Christine's cousin, who also worked at the Montessori, said.
"Oh come on, it's Christmas, give me a break Hanny," Christine said, massaging her neck.
"That's the whole point of it. It's Christmas. So just dump your paper work here till the holidays are over," she said.
Christine gave a very big and fake gasp, "Oh NO! Your mom will kill me," she said, referring to Hannah's mother, aka, her aunt, who ran the Montessori, "Besides, this should have been filed AGES ago,"
"Yeah well, just leave it there,"
"Oh fine," Christine said, getting up.
They started to pull on their winter wear. Large jackets, beanies, layers of sweaters and parkers.
"How are you celebrating your Christmas?" Hannah asked as she draped a scarf over her neck.
"Hmm, as usual. My dad is getting a colleague over. Name's Amos. Sounds terribly familiar. Oh yes, Amos and his son are coming over and stuff for the Christmas dinner. Wife's away at her sister's or something, recuperating from some dragon pox thing,"
"Ouch."
"You?"
"Oh the usual… Mom's cooking up a Turkey, getting Grandma over for the usual dinner and stuff. My nieces and nephews are coming though," she said rather excitedly.
"Well I'm cooking up baby carrots," Christine said, grinning.
"What!" Hannah gasped, "You never cook!"
"That's the whole point, isn't it? To demonstrate my hidden cooking wonders,"
"Yeah, and cause everybody around the table to die," Hannah joked as Christine slapped her hard on the back.
"Anyway, my dad wants me to be on my best-"
"Behavior?" Hannah mused.
"No you idiot, my dad says this guy may be my boss next time IF I decide to work for the ministry,"
"That's in about a few months yes?"
"Don't know…"
"Come on, we still have to lock up and stuff," Hannah said, grabbing a bunch of enchanted keys.
"Rightt, which takes about what, five seconds?" Christine said as she tapped the keys which sprung to life, locking up every classroom and entrance door, except for the one they will be walking out though.
"I love winter," Christine said, breathing the cold, crisp, wintry air.
"What, the early nights and the horrible cold weather?" Hannah said, "No! Look at the sky. Its only five and its so dark. The cold weather is so…"
"Cold…? Well, that's the whole point, isn't it?"
"Yes, well, I like summer,"
"Summer is too hot,"
"Yeah well, if we don't go now, we will miss Christmas dinner," Hannah retorted.
"Right… Well, see you after Christmas!"
"See you!"
They both apparated back to their houses after walking a certain distance distance in the wood. They always did that everyday after work. To them, the smell of the lush trees were heavenly.
BOARDER.BOARDER.BOARDER.
It was seven in the evening. Christine had her baby carrots already cooking in her specially made (but unsafe) gravy in a pot. She was upstairs changing when the doorbell rang. It rang again. And again. No one answered.
"CHRISTINE LIN!GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE NOW!" her father shouted from below.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THAT? I COOKED THE CARROTS OKAY?"
"OPEN THE DOOR NOW!" her dad shouted.
"I CANT I'M IN THE TOILET!"
Muttering under her breath, (still wearingthe flowery apron) she went to open the door.
"Christine this… Christine that…" She muttered as she half ran down the stairs trying the fasten her earrings, "Damn this stupid house for being so big. Sorry grandpa." she muttered as she ran past a portrait of her granddad who once, owned this house.
"Coming...!" she sang.
She put on her biggest, half most fakest(i know this isnt grammatically right. i just wanted more emphasis)smile as she half-ran down the stairs, still trying to adjust her earring right.
"Mr Amos!" she said loudly, grinning a bit too ridiculously away, "Merry Christmas," she said, still walking down the stairs as fast she could still trying to fasten her earring clasp with one hand, the other one outstreched.
"It's Mr Diggory sweetheart," her dad muttered.
"Wh-?"
"You must be the Christine I heard so much about at work!" He said, very enthusiastically shaking her hand,"Merry Christmas child! Merry Christmas. Ahh, I suppose you know my son, Cedric? I do remember, you used to be in the same school as he did..."
Cedric Diggory, the boy she had taken so much effort to forget, took a step from behind his father, greeting her with the same, familiar grey eyes that once held her heart…
okay... i hope this is a good start to this sequel... the next chapter will be a really, really alarming one. just to warn you guys...