Amour by FLH
Chapter 20
Hermione found that she needed to go to Diagon Alley. She had to find a job, though she didn't know what she could do, she had to earn herself a living. It was a thing on her list, and she wanted to have it done first. It was the usual Sunday, a new weekend for kids and their parents to enjoy. As children and parents got a Christmas holiday simultaneously, many of them came out to buy some special holiday things like gifts, together as a family. She saw a family, a typical one—two parent and child, buying a hat. The girl chose a green one, didn't match with the holiday, but both of her parents didn't advice for another choice. Her father, who had got blue eyes, smiled to her smoothly, warmly. Her mother, also chose a green one, saying that she chose right, it fitted her perfectly.
Slowly, tears filled up her eyes.
She went through the alley quickly, like she was holding something back. She walked too fast, some teens her age watched her, astonished. She didn't feel like to see these things that let her think of her parents.
The first time they went into this Diagon Alley. She was 11, and not as tall as now. She stood on her toes, hands touching the window, acting like all these things was a dream. It was too much for her to understand. She couldn't believe things could be done only by swaying a wand(a small piece of wood), all things were different from the things she had gotten used to. Her parents were happy to see her had a good time but it was obviously that they were worrying about what should she do when she get to school? Could she get used to this? She wasn't born and grown up in the magical world. She was too confident, too young to accepting that there was something she was worse than the others, and she couldn't change.
She had that worry as her parents. But what did she think about it later? Oh, yes, she hadn't mind this, she thought that it could get better through her hard work. If she learns harder, none can beat her.
None.
Slowly, she found some confidence in herself through her younger self.
The weather wasn't good. Clouds filled up the sky, like a black painting hanging in the wrong place. Passer-by gave her strange looks, but she didn't mind it. She didn't have that time, she hadn't had that experience before (she was aware of it), but somehow she managed to ignore it. Her cloak covered her whole body, protecting her from the others recognising and inquires.
She was disappointed to discover that Diagon Alley didn't have any store wanting someone like her. Then she came to the last choice—Knockturn alley.
She really have a hatred towards it. It seemed that it linked to something bad, to something bloody disgusting. It always had an atmosphere of death. At some point, death is non-sensible, doesn't have any phenomenon. But she sensed it long before now, on her first trip to Diagon Alley. She glanced it, scared at it, and hurried to the other direction.
She had no choice of turning back and running away from it this time. It was time for her to be the one she needed to be.