The good-byes were painful, her eyes straining to stay focused after she had finally left George's flat above the shop she loves so much. She wasn't sure who was worse to part ways with: her mother, or George. Each trip separate, each not wanting to let her leave 'just quite yet', and each of them telling her the same thing: Get a move on with Charlie. She had expected it from George, who had always said she would be more desirable as she got older—Fred always agreeing—but her mother was a whole other story. She had never really met Charlie, yet she was so keen on her daughter to make some sort of move to let him know she was interested.
Adelyn shook her head, looking at her new surroundings. Trees were everywhere, hanging tall and dark above her as a slight fog moved around the morning air. Breathing in, she took her first steps into the reserve waiting for someone to accompany her after she had to travel from the portkey alone, with nothing to go off of other than a piece of paper. Understandably, it was early, but she was also told to be here at a certain time so she could be shown to her living quarters and where she would be working in a timely manner. Sort of like orientation, but with a lot more stress on the line.
"Ah, Ms. Blackwood?" Adelyn noticed a taller, scraggly man walking toward her with what looked like fresh cuts on his forearms. Still, he made his way toward her with a smile. "So terribly sorry I'm late. New dragon came in and we had to wrestle it into its pen." He explained, motioning beyond the trees like she could see something clear.
"No, it's alright. Lovely walk on the way though." The air was brisk as she breathed in, something similar to being at the Burrow. It was comforting to know the world could still smell fresh, living in Diagon Alley with George being close to toxic compared to this. "Adelyn."
"Samuel Densmore, it's a pleasure. I've heard ya want to be our healer, eh?" It brought her back to a time when she had to choose classes for the potential career she wanted to try for. With how many times she had to patch the boys up, she wanted to know how to do it at an expert level. That's what swayed her to follow down the medical path in the first place.
"Much so, I can't wait." Her smile gave herself away on how badly she wanted to start her new position. It was perfect, and since the battle, it would give her the edge she felt like she needed.
"First stop then is your new home." His pace was set as he directed her off to the left of the reserve, her eyes noticing all of the different little buildings. The way everything was set up made her think of a little village with a few other, and fairly larger, buildings more towards the middle. She assumed one was where you ate or trained, but then again, she'd need the rest of the tour to figure it out. "This is it." Samuel stopped, placing his hand on his hips with a straight smile. He seemed like a cheery fellow.
"Wow, that's a bit larger than I had anticipated." Her reply was a breathy one as she eyed the building. It was indeed larger, but not so much larger that it looked like someone could train or eat there. It was just a little bigger than the other surrounding huts.
"That's because this is where you'll be working, too." He patted her on the back, motioning for her to walk in and take a look around. She walked up the couple steps the to the porch-like area before pushing the door open to an open space with a cozy-looking sofa against the wall and a table sitting in front of it. A fireplace was on the wall opposite of the couch, making it a perfect reading section. The kitchen was connected to it just straight ahead, another table and a couple chairs sitting around in the middle of it. Her bedroom was off to the left, the healing area off to the right.
"Blimey." She had whispered to herself, setting her bag down and taking it all in. No, she wasn't with her mother anymore. No, George wasn't anywhere to be found. It was just her, and a small part of her was scared of that feeling of aloneness. There had always been someone, and now there wasn't anyone around.
"I'll let you get settled, but feel free to wander around." Samuel waved as he exited her home—her new home—as she marveled at the space. It was cozy, she decided. It wasn't as big as she had thought it to be once she was inside. The average hut size was there, just added on with her healer's quarters. She took in a lengthy breath and then exhaled as she was coming to. This was the change she needed.
She went to work on opening her bag, slowly placing her items out in a line and enlarging them in its proper space. Her bookshelf near the sofa, whatever toiletries needed in the bathroom, an assortment of plates George had insisted she take upon leaving, and a photo of her father when he was in his Hogwarts days, along with the picture of her and the twins when they had made it onto the Gryffindor Quidditch team. At the very bottom of the bag, there was a small preserved wildflower she had received years ago, the purple still being just as vibrant as when she obtained it.
She was sitting outside by the lake on one of the nicer days, somehow without the boys by her side. She held her knees up to her chest as she stared at the water thinking. It got her in trouble, even when it wasn't for herself. Namely when it was for Fred and George, but this time it was about the same thought she had had since she was sorted. Her father kept telling her it was perfectly fine that she wasn't in Ravenclaw, Gryffindor being just as perfect. She shook her head again, scrambling her thoughts away. She sighed, knowing she had her friends with her constantly, and if she were in Ravenclaw, sneaking out into the kitchens wouldn't be as easy. Especially when she came up with the plans.
"I'm shocked the twins aren't around." Charlie had snuck up behind her and was leaning against the tree, his arms crossed over his chest as his eyes laid out on the water.
"When I left them, they were getting in trouble with Filtch." She replied, not looking behind her. He was just visible enough in her peripheral vision, looking cool the way he was standing. Her cheeks grew hot even though it was a little cold out.
"I do believe I saw part of that." He nodded gently, a smirk playing between his cheeks. "What did you scheme this time?" He knew. He knew she was the one with the master plans, but didn't ride them out with the two of them.
"Levitating Mrs. Norris through the great hall in a dress." Adelyn shrugged, thinking how easy it had been to get the cat alone and away from Filtch. It was harmless enough, though.
"Ah yes, the perfect plan. Everyone hates that cat." She smiled at his playful tone, no longer feeling as alone as she had felt when she sat down. Thank Merlin for Charlie Weasley, she had thought. "So why aren't you inside? Bit cold, isn't it?"
"A little, but it's helping me think." She replied simply, trying not to give too much away. Who was she kidding, she couldn't very well not tell him with what he had said earlier on in the year. 'If there's anything you ever need, let me know.' He had been true to that, too. Somehow he always knew if she needed a little saving.
"Is it about the housing situation? I mean, we could just march into Dumbledore's office and demand a re-sort." She laughed at his words, knowing she was in deep with him.
"Yes, but I'm well off in Gryffindor, I think." She had finally turned to look at him, but wasn't met with his gaze. He was still looking at the water, completely unphased by what she had declared. She had thought he'd be ecstatic she was finally accepting her house.
"Addy, I've known that since I met you." His response was cool and calm, not wavering for a second. No wonder every girl wanted to be in his sights. He just had a certain charm about him she couldn't quite place. "Though you've a great mind, like the hat said, you have more quality to be in Gryffindor than you think."
"Really, like what?" She snorted lightly, entertained by his explanation.
"You are part of the pranks my little brother's do, but you're the brain. Very Ravenclaw-esque, I must admit. You've certainly got the marks for both houses, also. But the fact that you've bucked up the courage to keep going with whatever it is your mind sets you to, that's the number one quality. Nothing for your father, nothing for the twins, just you. That makes all the difference."
She played his words in her head over and over, knowing what he meant till she didn't anymore. It was like a riddle, and she was trying to figure out the answer. As she was about to speak, she saw the way a warm smile was plastered to his face as he finally looked to her. His hand was outstretched with a little, purple wildflower he had undoubtedly picked somewhere near the tree when she wasn't looking. She accepted it, holding it between her fingers as though it were a fragile piece of glass that could break if she dropped it.
"Besides, I think the scarlet colour matches your eyes more than that blue ever would." She watched him walk away, his hands in his robes and his scarf blending in with his hair the farther he got. She was blushing, and she knew she was. She didn't try to hide it as a smile crept up to her face permanently.
She gazed at the flower again, finally resting it near the picture of her father on her bedside. Thinking back, it was that moment she had finally accepted the reasoning for being sorted into Gryffindor, and it was that moment on she didn't question it any longer. All because of him, that is.
Adelyn had been right about the other 'fairly larger' buildings. One was for training, as the other was like a dormitory of sorts. Depending on status or wages, you could live in a hut for yourself, or share a space with three to four others. A small thought popped up about how she wished she was only here to be a keeper so she could have been given the option of living with others. Then she mentally slapped the ridiculous thought away because she knew she needed the space as a person who has only ever lived with others.
Walking around, she noticed a couple groups of people pointing to her, probably because she was the new healer of the reserve. Or, because most of them were male, it was because she was the new woman. Either way, she kept exploring finally through the village and at the edge of the forest where Samuel had gestured toward earlier when he was talking about the new dragon. She continued walking, her hands in the pocket of her hoodie as she heard loud rawrs upon entering the threshold of the forest. There must have been a spell to keep the forest quiet so the village wasn't disturbed with noise. The wall of fog she walked through, however, left her feeling slightly dazed before she moved past it and into a small clearing.
"Mate, the Opaleye is in need of some attention!" She heard a voice yell from a random direction, only to find more and more people wandering around as she continued walking. She was internally freaking out, in a manner of speaking. Her reality was starting to hit her that she could potentially be the next person to give attention to the Opaleye. She had only ever read about them, just like every other dragon out there. Obviously you wouldn't pet it like you would a cat or an owl.
"Oi! You can't be here!" Someone yelled to her, coming up short as she stopped. "No civilians. Please return to the reserve if you have any further questions—"
"Adelyn, good to see you've made your rounds!" She heard Samuel from somewhere in the distance, the fog a little thicker in the trees than in the village. "Don't worry, mate. She's the new healer." He wacked the guy on the back of his back as he laughed, the man making a small 'o' with his mouth as he apologized. So she was allowed to be there. Good to know.
"Yea, got curious is all." Shrugging, she followed him down a path she hadn't noticed before, more and more people coming into view. There was a sort of clearing hidden in the trees, a dragon of what she assumed was the Opaleye in the middle with about five people around it. It was beautiful, she thought. "Um, Samuel. How in the bloody blazes did you get an Opaleye? They're more from New Zealand, aren't they?"
"Ah, got a knack for dragons, do we? Yes, miss. We picked her up just last week because of a brutal habitat she was enclosed in. Abusive, more or less. Still trying to get her to trust us." She was smaller than what she expected she should be, her pearly scales shining through the fog and overcast weather. Adelyn couldn't take her eyes off of her.
"That's absolutely appalling." Her voice held concern, though she wouldn't near her without training. That just gave her more motivation to become a keeper sooner.
"When one of our own got the call, he was quick to pick it up in the same afternoon. She's small for her breed, though. Just a young thing." Samuel explained as he ran his hand through his hair absentmindedly. "Ah, there he is now. Oi, Charlie!" Adelyn stiffened as she heard her lifetime crush's name. She wasn't exactly prepared to see him right now, with it being almost a couple years and all.
"Bit busy, mate!" He yelled back, being one of the men dealing with the dragon. She could see his red hair from where she stood, not needing to know which man he had been. She could spot him or any other Weasley from a mile away.
"I should go finish unpacking anyway. I only took a stroll as a quick break." Adelyn said in a slightly hurried tone, walking backwards before turning and walking away completely. Yea, she wasn't ready to see him yet. What would he say when he saw her? Would he even recognize her? As she was on her way back to her hut, Charlie trotted up to Samuel where she had left him.
"You called?" Charlie was breathing deeply and sweating a little, wiping his face on the back of his arm.
"It's nothing, now. Was gonna introduce you to the new healer, but she's left to go back to her hut." Shrugging, Samuel walked toward the dragon leaving Charlie to look out in the distance to see the blonde figure walking away. He couldn't place it, and wasn't entirely sure, but he could have sworn he had recognized her hair anywhere. It's possible it could have grown since the last time he saw her, but it couldn't be her, could it?
Adelyn reached her hut, panting because of her anxiety. It was random, and as a healer she couldn't quite fix herself the way she wanted. It kept reminding her that she was human, and that it was nice to feel like she was from time to time. During the battle, she was only ever worried for what would happen to her mother if Death Eaters found her, and her father for being a traitor. She herself would have done anything to protect the two people she loved most in her life; another quality for being in Gryffindor, she had mentally added.
But somehow, she was afraid of seeing Charlie. Going through what she had, this was the moment she was afraid of. Over the past couple years, she had changed. Like most other's she was a little more reserved because of her losses, and she was to believe she had dulled out after a while. Charlie still looked lively and just the same as he always had been. She just wished she could say the same.
There was a knock at her door, her eyes twitching up from her floor to where the knock appeared. Then the person knocked again, an audible sigh being heard just on the other side. She should get used to things like this, because she was to be on twenty-four hour call now, unlike her last position when there were certain shifts. She got up, straightening out her clothes before opening the door to find the red-haired man she was just thinking about, a glint in his eyes when they realized she was, in fact, the woman he thought she was.
She was motionless, her breathing going ragged as he smiled that same warm smile she was fond of growing up. His hair was longer, but not quite as long as Bill's. He had a little more scars than she had last seen him with, one in particular bleeding out a little right now. It wasn't bad, he could have easily cleaned it himself. It was just his excuse to see if she was their new healer or not, purposely getting hit just enough by the Opaleye.
"Addy." He almost whispered with a sigh of relief, his smile still in place as he kept staring into the eyes he loved so much. He held his arm to his chest with a piece of cloth wrapped around his forearm, knowing it wasn't enough to leave a scar. Her hair, as he had noticed earlier, was longer. It was just past her chest, just dangling off her breasts gently. Then he blinked away from her chest, hoping she didn't notice and get the wrong impression of him. He swore he was only checking out her hair and its length, nothing else. "It's great to see you, love."
