Dear Parvati,
I've been working at the charmers for several months now, and I've started to get to know the people who work with me. There're nice people, and I want to be friends with them. It's different from the bookshop. At the bookshop, we all kept to ourselves. When business was slow we would just grab book and plop down somewhere to read. Here, when were not busy, we talk and joke. They've even started to teach me a game involving shooting rings of smoke from our wands through each other. It's ridiculously complicated, but I'm starting to get the rules straight.
I know that you'll never meet these people, so I thought that I would describe them to you. There people who I think that you would have liked to be friends with too. I really like these people Parvati. The people at the bookshop were nice, but I wasn't ready to have friends so soon after losing you. I was too afraid that they were somehow going to die.
That's part of the reason why I broke up with Mark, I was afraid that he would just drop out of my life like you did. Eventually, he did, because I was too afraid. I'm still scared, but this time, I know that I'm ready to face what challenges friends will bring. Well, there's always the D.A., but that's different. I'm ready to face the challenges new friends will bring.
At some point when I started writing this letter, I said I was going to introduce you. I might have gotten a little side tracked, but here they are now.
Erin loves to laugh. Whenever someone's laughing, it's her. She's incredibly carefree, not a worry in the world. She's never lost anyone, and it shows. She's not naïve though; she's just too happy to worry. Even if someone she knew died, she still would manage to be happy.
Rick is the sarcastic one. He doesn't talk a whole lot, and laughs less, but when he does talk, it's often very snide. It's all good natured though, you can tell he doesn't mean it. He doesn't crack a smile very often, but when he does it's always when someone has gotten the better of him.
Grace is awfully sarcastic as well. Conversations are often dominated by her and Rick trying be more sarcastic then each other. It's always fun to hear it, and you can tell that it's always friendly, and they are just messing with each other.
Liam is the cheerful, hardworking one. Whenever it's time to work, he always steps up to do the hardest one with a smile on his face. He's honest, but never in a blunt way. But when there's no work, he's always the first one to start up a game.
Alex is the odd guy. He's strange, a little like a puppy, if a puppy was huge and tried to get attention by talking in a different language and dancing. He's strange, but he's so earnest, it's doesn't come across as weird until you think about it.
That's the group I work with. There are more in the shop of course, but I don't spend too much time with them. Mostly I just work with this one group, and have fun when I can. Sometimes we even go out to eat together. Crazy, huh?
And I still keep in touch with some of the Ravenclaws from my year too. Just last week I bumped into Mandy, and we talked over lunch about how we were doing. It's not the same as having you to talk to, but it's something.
It's amazing how much difference two years makes. This time two years ago I was still reeling from the war. Now I have friends again. I go out, and I can laugh freely. I can think of you and the pain doesn't kill me. I guess time can heal wounds, though I doubt the wound you've left me with will ever fully heal.
I better get to sleep before it gets too late. Sorry for these letters always being sad. I'll try and make the next one happier.
With love,
Padma