It had been quite some time since Cordelia has been to diagon alley. The hustle and bustle of the first years entering in to the world of magic was overwhelming for most, but for Cordelia she found it was the one place left that did not seem to be corrupted by the rest of the troubles of the world. Seated peacefully outside of a cafe right around the corner from Weasley's Wizarding Weazes as she sipped on a Lavender infused latte.
"Cori darling what are you doing sitting by yourself?"
"Hello Aunt T." Cordelia greeted lifting her rust colored irises up to meet the eyes of her mischievous Aunt Tonks.
Nymphadora Tonks was not related to Cordelia by blood, but she was married to her father's best friend. Thus the nickname Aunt T stuck rather easily.
"I'm hardly by myself with all of this commotion going on around me." Cordelia sassed back taking another sip of her drink.
"You know what I meant." She replied with a pointed look, "You should go and introduce yourself to him." she encouraged.
"No." Was Cordelia's clipped response.
"You can not hide from him forever. He is a wonderful boy and he would love you!" Tonks exclaimed taking the seat across from Cori.
" I am in no rush to step on Harry's toes. He has not had the greatest of upbringings. I want him to be able to heal with the people that care most about him. The last thing Harry needs right now is Sirius Black's daughter to console him. I may have lost my father, but now Harry has lost both his parents and his god father." Cordelia explained.
"Is that why you've moved out of the house and have been away from the meetings? You're worried about Harry feeling like his grieving out weighs your own?" Tonks inquired, "Darling your father loved you and Harry equally. You've just gotten him back. Sirius has been missing from both of your lives for such a long time. Don't think that our time with him is any less valuable than your time with us. Not for one second. Harry may be grieving, but you need to grieve too. With people who care about you." She reprimanded resting a gentle hand on Cordelia's cheek.
"Thank you Aunt T. Perhaps I will stop by for a visit, but for now I am enjoying my independability." Cordelia explained picking up her bag and beginning to head out onto the busy street.
"Just don't stay away too long, or I will have to drag you back kickin' and screamin'." Tonks warned before apparating off to who knows where.
Cordelia smiled fondly at the antics of her Aunt. One of the people in this world that she truly did cherish. The mere thought of how she can be so loving and devoted to Uncle Remus was an attribute Cordelia envied. To find someone and see them for their faults without the desire to change them; rather be the type of person who compliments their weaknesses with their own individual strengths.
The clouds grew dark as the sky began to weep. Feeling the slight chill of the freshly falling rain on her skin Cordelia pulled her wand out of her black peacoat and wordlessly casting The Umbrella Charm. A faint barrier emerged from the tip of her wand and fanned out and over her head as she made her way out of Diagon Alley.
Cordelia had made her way past Knocturn Alley when she spotted a figure out of the corner of her eye. Pausing in her stride she turned her head to fully assess the scene before her. A flight of steps and a few feet away stood a young man, most likely the same age if not only a couple years older than Cordelia herself, he was a few inches taller and wore all black. His tanned skin held a slight sheen from the freshly falling rain that continued to pour down on him undeterred as he had no umbrella or umbrella charm for that matter.
Cordelia knew all too well the type of wizard and witch that associated themselves with the establishments and inhabitants on Knockturn Alley. Her intrigue only moved her close enough to just be breaching the border of the opening to the Dark Arts Alley. The miniscule movement was just enough to snap the young wizard out of the trance he was in an turn his attention on to Cordelia. Dark eyes met brown as Cordelia held his intense gaze.
Such sorrow. Cordelia thought not backing down from his stare.
Looking at him head on she had to appreciate his appearance. Regal yet so raw and open. His brown eyes were so dark one would think they were entirely black, and his hair, which dark shade resembles those penetrating eyes, was well groomed short and sophisticated. As Cordelia was taking in his attributes he took one step off the curb in her direction and then stopped abruptly as if he realised what he was doing as he was doing it.
Cordelia was not sure what possessed her to move further into the alley; in fact she was not sure all together how she covered as much ground as she did in such little time without apparating, but regardless she was soon less than two feet away from him.
Upon closer inspection she could see the tie around his neck laced in the colors silver and emerald.
Slytherin. Cordelia noted in her head.
Not that this information surprised her given the location they were in. For a moment all they did was gaze upon one another. To Cordelia's surprise the young man did not sneer or give that cocky smirk she was so accustomed to see on a majority of Slytherin's faces. He merely took in her appearance with indifference.
Reaching out her arm ever so slightly she was able to take her umbrella charm and cover the boy from the on coming rain. This in turn allowed her own brown curls to become dampened by the rain.
"Zabini! What on earth are you doing out here?" Came the shout of another young wizard that Cordelia recognized from reputation alone.
"I just needed some air Draco." The Slytherin, Zabini, responded sounding bored and annoyed by Draco even asking.
"In the pouring rain?" Draco questioned almost rhetorically.
It wasn't until he fully came to stand next to his fellow classmate did he recognize the young witch before them.
"And who might you be?" Draco sneered looking down his nose at Cordelia.
Cordelia knew better than to answer to the likes of a Malfoy, but in the presence of a Slytherin that she had no previous knowledge on she thought of something quick witted to say instead of being outwardly abrasive.
"Who I am is neither here nor there. I am merely another pretty face just passing through." Cordelia responded pulling her umbrella back as Malfoy's own umbrella covered both him and his associate.
Turning on her heel she made a swift exit from the alley and quick return to her flat without so much as looking back.
B.Z.
I was slowly wandering around Knockturn Alley as my mother was engaging in her 'social' interactions with Narcissa Malfoy. All that intaled was the gossip of mother's increasing fortune and her very dead husbands. Not finding anything of particular interest inside of Bourgen and Berks I stepped outside.
Dark clouds on the horizon. A storm perhaps? I questioned turning my gaze from the sky to the cobble stoned street. It was rather easy to lose myself in my thoughts as my eyes began to trace nonsensical patterns in the brick. Everything appeared dull and pointless since our fifth year starting at Hogwarts. Perhaps Draco was right; what use was there in going to school for the future Death Eaters.
What happened next might be the most interesting encounter I could say I have had in a long while. Usually I find most situations, or subjects for that matter, pointless and boring until my eyes turned up and caught the sight of a young woman standing near the entrance to Knockturn Alley.
She had light brown curls that spiraled around her face and down to her shoulder blades. Wild, but not unkempt. Her brown eyes light in shade much like her hair gazed upon my figure almost questioningly. As if she did not quite understand what she was seeing. Surely I was not that strange a sight to see. My body almost moving of its own accord stepped off the curb in her direction.
Is she lost? I wondered only to catch myself and freeze in place on the curb I had previously stepped off of.
Why does it matter if she is lost or not? She is none of my concern. Supplied my brain.
The thought came and went in a matter of seconds, and yet in that amount of time it did not catch my attention that she had broke the distance between us until she was holding her umbrella charm over my head.
Was it raining? I hadn't even noticed. Now thinking of it I almost shivered at the chill the rain had left me in. Almost.
Taking her in up close I noticed the freckles that painted over her cheeks and the bridge of her nose. Her once bouncy curls now a slight shade darker and more wavy from the weight of the water in her hair.
"Zabini! What on earth are you doing out here?" called out my mate, Draco Malfoy. Who had up until this point been going over the vanishing cabinants with his father.
"I just needed some air Draco." I supplied plainly not taking my gaze away from the young woman before me.
"In the pouring rain?" he replied in the only way Draco Malfoy could, sarcastically.
It astonished me that it took him this long to notice the stranger in his glorious presence not that my face revealed any indication that I was surprised.
"And who might you be?" He sneered his black umbrella fanning out far enough to cover the both of us.
"Who I am is neither here nor there. I am merely another pretty face just passing through." Her voice cut across clear and confidently. If she knew who Draco was, or the reputation that his family held, she did well to conceal that fact. Drawing her arm back to place her charm above her own person once more she retreated out of the Alley and back to where she came from.
"What an annoying little pest," Draco sneered, "Come on Zabini let's head back inside."
Making my way back into Bourgen and Berks I took a seat at the bay window as my mother approached me.
"Blaise! Sweetie why are you sopping wet?" My mother crooned placing her harpy like hands on my cheeks to attempt to get a better look at me.
"What do you have there?" she asked reaching out to my hand, but I quickly snatch it away.
"None of your business." I snapped pulling my hand closer to my chest.
"I just want to see it." My mother put her hand up in mock surrender.
Uncurling my fist from my chest I put the ring in her sight.
"Where did you get that?" She asked curiously.
"Does it matter?" I retorted.
"Yes, it matters. It matters because it is a family ring. Not just any family mind you, but this ring holds the Black Family Crest." She noted.
Pureblood family. Was my initial thought as I turned the ring over in my hand.
"I didn't know you had a girlfriend. Especially one of such status." My mother shrieked giddly.
"She is not my girlfriend, and even if she was that is none of your business." I explained to my mother as I removed myself from the bay window to walk amongst the rows of knick knacks.
I wonder if she has a firey temper? Was my thought as I turned the ring over in my hand. I always did have a light touch. I smirked feeling quite proud of my little stunt.
How long will it take you to figure out it's missing. Even better how long until you find me?