2:52 PM

Yes, I did it. I sold my flat as a goodbye, but more as a reason to not have anybody worry about taking care of the technicalities after I died. I didn't want the burden on them because they didn't deserve it. The idea was sudden and I had just popped into my head, making me take the few things I needed, dressing up for the dinner with Draco, and heading out without a look back at my home.

Now here I was, on Remiem Street, strolling the sidewalk with a bag consisting of the bare necessities clutched in my right hand. The heat was getting to me because I began to sweat horribly, and I could see my skin turn crisp golden brown from the sun's ultraviolet rays. Maybe people were outside today, roaming the streets. There were couples holding hands or single parents trying to tame their kids as they ruptured with fun and recklessness. Kids…I wanted one of mine one day, a little darling that I could love and take care of. I loved babies. They were so innocent and carefree and had the cutest little faces. As I kept walking, a saw an incredibly cute face wrapped up in a little yellow sunflower dress with laces and ribbons. She was in a tiny red stroller, and when looked up at the mother, I was surprised. It was my best friend from Hogwarts. Was this a school reunion day or what?

"Lina! What are you doing here? Oh my god!"

"Pansy!" She raised an outburst just like me and we both embraced, "How are you darling?"

"Oh, I'm holding up. I didn't know you had such a cute baby!"

Truly, she was absolutely adorable, with large hazel eyes just like her mother's. I picked her up and held her on my arm, making cute faces and noises at her. She laughed and jiggled her body around me. I smiled at her, and then at Lina. She appeared much fatter and her skin was saggy, but she was as beautiful as ever. She had short bopping blond hair that I had always been jealous of, and a perfect prominent nose that fit her face with delicacy. She had been my friend since second year in Hogwarts, but then we drifted apart in fifth or sixth year when is started acting like more of a bitch than usual.

"And how are you, miss? Who's the father?" I asked jubilantly.

"Blaise."

"Blaise? Blaise Zabini? Really?"

"Yep. The one and only."

"Aww, that's wonderful!" I chimed, making Lina laugh.

"So, what have you been doing these days?"

"Oh nothing much." I said, "Just work and things like that. How about you?"

I put the little baby back on the stroller and we both began to walk again. Gosh, that baby was so quiet when it was supposed to be.

"I've been home, mostly because of Selina here, but it's not so bad to take a break from work, I guess."

"Oh, I know what you mean." I said.

"Really. So, where are you going?"

"I…don't really know. Anywhere."

She frowned, "You've always been a weirdo. Come with me. I'm taking Selina to this Muggle arcade, you know, just get her active."

"Lina, she doesn't even look a year old."

"So? There's tons of activities for infants there, isn't there, little Sellie?" She poked her baby, making her giggle, with saliva coming out of the corner of her lip.

There it was again, that excruciating pain in my heart and in my ribs. I tried my hardest to hold it in, not letting it show on my face, and it worked. I twitched slightly but that was it. I looked at Lina to see if she had noticed and, to my relief, she hadn't. She constantly kept an eye on Selina as they crossed Remiem Street and dived into Maple Boulevard. After ten to fifteen minutes, they reached a small store intertwined between two larger ones of all shades of blue and a big title in the middle that said LONDONG PREMIUM ARCADE. As soon as we went inside, a smile appeared on my face. There were tons of rectangular machines with colorful pictures on the square screens settled to my left, and on the right were stations. One consisted of a round rubber mat that flung kids into the air as they jumped on it. Another was a ball and bat toss, but the one that attracted me the most was a spongy red cage filled with colorful balls and fenced by matching nets. While Lina took Selina to the ball and bat station, I found myself extra curious about the cage and approached it slowly. Inside, there were twin girls with blond hair that were striking each other with the balls, laughing and plunging underneath the cage and then jumping right back out.

The girls saw me staring, and one of them, the girl who had been on the surface all the time, curved her finger towards me and called me over there. In no time, I was standing right at the steps. Despite my age, it seemed so much fun to play in those. I had never seen anything like this in my life, especially not when I was trapped inside my parent's house.

"Do you want to play?" She asked me. Her voice was squeaky but at the same time cute. I shook my head, imagining the humiliation when Lina would see me playing ball with a couple of five year olds.

"Come on, lady! There's no shame in playing with kids!"

The other girl started to gaze at me and piped in, "You look sad! Maybe we'll change day around for you."

It was amazing how they could sense my sadness, being the age they were, and help me get out of it. After they urged me some more, I took the steps and plunged into the cage and went under all the soft and colorful balls. When I squeezed them, they felt spongy. I admit it was fun, to feel youth around the girls. We played their game called ball toss, where one person went under and threw the balls in the air randomly without seeing. Whoever got touched first was out. Unfortunately, I was the victim many times, not being an expert at it, and I went under the balls many times.

Between our game, I heard Lina's voice calling out to me. I came to the surface and demanded a time out. As soon as she saw me, she laughed, "Oh my god, Pansy, what are you doing?"

"It's fun! Come in here!" I persisted.

"I don't think so. We're not all crazy here."

"Well, at least send Selina."

"No way! She could suffocate!"

"Lina, look at the balls. They're the size of bludgers."

"Alright." She moved closer to the cage and I went to the rim of it to pull Selina in. As Lina picker her baby up and handed her to me, I gave the baby to the girl next to me and instantly pulled Lina in. We all hooted with laughter as Lina tried to reach the top. Let me tell you, she was not happy to be included in our big mess, but got over it within a minute. I can proudly say that I beat the crap out of her. She would try many times to use her baby as a shield, but I just snuck up behind her and hit her on the head.

I didn't want the day to be over.