We Move Lightly
Chapter one
Her hair danced softly in the autumn breeze. Her smile was as warm as the sun on the brightest day of the year. The pale pink summer dress grazed her skin just below the knee and she felt the long grass tickle her skin as she walked through the open field. Her breaths were long and slow, enjoying the freedom of outdoors. She stared off into the distance along the beautiful landscape of green mountains and blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. She felt the soft ground beneath her feet as she strolled through to a place she had always loved as a child as she dropped her eyes to watch her every step and feel the rhythm she had maintained. She looked up and found the place she was so happy yet saddened at the same time to find. This place was a large oak tree that held not only leaves and branches but so many memories that shaped her into who she was as a little girl and the young woman she was now becoming. She smiled at the sight of the beautiful long branches spread out wide providing a safe place for birds to rest their tired wings, to build their homes, to raise their families, to let their children go out alone into the world to make their own lives and choices.
She reached the tree and ran her hand along one of the branches just above her head and smiled. Memories flooding her mind like a tap had just been turned on full with the water gushing all into the sink as fast as the tap could manage. She walked around to the particular branch that was her favourite. The one she always sat on for as long as she can remember. One of her earliest memories here was with her grandmother, she was the one who introduced her to this beautiful place. It was just behind her grandparent's back garden, through the gate, along the path and out into the open fields. Her grandmother brought her here when she was younger for teddy bear's picnics and afternoon teas. How she loved making a fuss of her stuffed toys and her grandmother, passing plastic cups and saucers round the blanket. Those memories felt like a different lifetime. They feel so far away and distant that she can almost convince herself that she is not the little girl playing and the older lady was not her grandmother watching over her happily. Those memories will always be with her, they are something she will never forget.
She placed herself on the low thick branch that was able to cope with her light frame. She ran her fingers along the bark exterior, feeling all the scores and grooves in the wood. She looked to the middle of the tree where the branch was connected to the tree trunk. Standing tall holding all the branches closely together. She took a deep breath in and wished that she could be like the tree. She would love to be able to hold everything together like the tree held it's own branches. She longed to hold the branches of her life as well as the tree could. She wanted to support each branch the best she could and all she felt was emotionally and physically drained from the strain of supporting each of her branches. She saw him, with his back against the trunk swinging his legs on either side of the branch. His smile beaming out at her from ear to ear. It was the first time she had seen him smile and he looked happy, really happy. Not one of those half smiles to please the outside world. A smile that came from much deeper than just his lips. A smile that made his eyes twinkle with sparkle. A smile that instantly made her smile beam back.
She felt a single tear streak down her face. The memories of him in this place came flooding back to her. How he ran free as soon as they came to the entrance of the field. How he fell and she ran to him, thinking he had hurt himself when he was rolling in the grass laughing. That feeling she felt when she thought he was going to lean up towards her and kiss her, right then in that very moment. How she walked by his side and told him her own memories of her grandmother and their picnics with Mister Owl and Dolly Hannah. How he tried to climb the oak tree to make it to the top. How he failed miserably without the use of magic and descended in defeat. How they talked for hours on that very branch about school, their plans after school, their whole lives. How she fell in love with him right in that very moment when he turned his head to look at her and they just looked into each others eyes. When not a word was spoken between them, just staring. Staring into more than each other eyes. Staring into each others souls. Then he commented on how her face had looked earlier when she thought he had hurt himself and he laughed, a deep hearty laugh that made her snap out of it. She had never felt her heart race so fast than in that moment. She managed to get him to leave when it started to get a little darker and chillier. She had walked on as if to pretend to leave him there, thinking he would soon follow like a puppy. She heard no footsteps behind her but she continued walking, pretending it was a game. The next thing she felt was something crash into her back and she felt arms wrap tightly round her back and lift her into the air. At first she screamed with shock and then delight when she realised it was him. He placed her on the ground and span her round as if they were dancing in a ballroom to violins and pianos. She giggled as he dipped her back low to the ground and brought her back slowly to face him, her lips inches away from his. Her eyes glanced down at his lips briefly and back to his eyes. He then turned her round, her hands above her head and pulled her close to him and dipped her lower to the ground again. This time leaning into her himself causing him to lose balance and they both end up in a heap in the tall grass. She laughed until she turned her face right to face him and realised that his face was directly facing hers, their lips barely touching. She pulled away, looking down at her hands and feeling embarrassed. Until she felt a warm hand under her chin as he guided her back to face him and stare into his eyes again. He placed his hand on the side of her cheek, his fingers resting on her neck and he pulled her close to him. Their lips touched softly at first and filled with fire and longing. The touch of his skin against hers felt like silk, it was so soft and warm. That moment was the happiest she had ever been in her entire life. This moment will be one of the memories that will stay engrained in her thoughts forever.
She ran her hand along her chin to wipe the tears that had fallen and she closed her eyes and started to remember the very first time she had ever set eyes on him. It was her first day at Hogwarts. She was dressed in new school robes, had a trunk on the train full of books she had been reading ever since she had bought them in Diagon Alley. Books that filled her with knowledge of spells, animals, wands, potions and so many more things she never knew exsisted until she had read about them. She had expected to been going to her local grammar school in September not a school of Witchcraft and Wizardry. She said goodbye to her parents who waved her onto the Hogwarts Express with tears in their eyes and love in their hearts as their only child got on to the train to start a new term, a new school and a whole new life in a place that they knew nothing about.
She squeezed her way down the filled corridor and found a compartment that seemed to be completely empty. She pulled open the door with a bang and confidently walked in, not seeing the small boy sitting in the left hand side facing out at the window waving to his parents.
The small boy jumped at the noise of the door as it slammed back into position. She just stared at him for a moment and tried to string a sentence together in her head.
"Hello.. I'm..." The words had just left her lips but the boy had interrupted her.
"Don't you have any manners? Did you grow up in a cave with giants?" The boy spat angrily at her.
"I do apologise for giving you such a fright, the door had slipped out of my grasp..." She tried to speak but again he had interrupted her.
"I don't care if the door has been magically opened by Dumbledore himself, don't you know who I am?" The boy looked at her expecting her to know who he was, like he was as famous as the Queen.
"I'm afraid I don't, I'm..." She started again and was a third time interrupted.
"Your muggle born and I am leaving" The boy said gathering a few of his things he had in the compartment with him. He reached for the door and opened it and turned to face her again, his face not too far away from hers.
"I'm Draco Malfoy and you won't last two minutes" With that he slammed the door shut with an even louder bang and stomped his way through the crowd up the corridor.
She giggled to herself as she could still remember the look his face. He was terrified. She moved herself on the branch so that her back was rest up against the trunk of the tree just like his and she started to remember. Remember her. Remember him. Remember everything.