For the Writing Club [Book Club] on the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Forum.
When Zacharias appeared at the Leaky Cauldron, he was met with frosty glares and deep frowns. His old school friends were all seated together and at a long table, but it was clear that he was not welcome. Even Parvati, whose eyes used to light up when he entered the room, greeted him with a roll of her eyes.
"Parvati..."
"Sorry Zacharias," she said, her eyes trained firmly on the half-finished drink in front of her. "We don't have any spare seats."
Ignoring the stares and protests of those around them, he pushed his way towards her, elbowing those beside her until he was standing right next to her.
"Parvati, I just came to talk."
Padma raised an eyebrow. "She doesn't want to talk to you. You should leave."
"I'm not going to leave."
"But you're so good at it," Padma responded sharply. "Shame not use a talent like that."
"It's fine." Parvati laid a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder. "If he's not going to leave, I will."
And before Padma could talk her out of it, she had thrown some coins on the table and pushed her chair out. She stood sharply, hurriedly making her towards the exit. As the large wooden door swung shut behind her, she pulled her coat tight across her chest and began to make her way down the cobbled stones of Diagon Alley.
In the distance, she could hear the frantic footsteps of Zacharias Smith following her.
"It wasn't so long ago that we were friends!"
Parvati paused mid-step, turning on her heel to face him. "You abandoned us. How could we possibly be friends now?"
"Please. Tell me how to make it up to you. To everyone. No one will speak to—"
"You can't." Her eyes were narrowed with anger. "Because you left, Zacharias. And people died. How could you possibly fix that?"
"I was scared!"
"We were all scared."
He stepped closer to her. "So, you understand. I knew you would."
"You're the one who doesn't understand," she snapped. "I stayed. I fought. I watched our friends die. And you ran."
"I asked you to come with me."
"And there it is. That's how I know you don't understand," she said, exasperated. "Do you really think that makes it better? That you asked me to run away with you?"
"Doesn't it?"
Parvati stared at him in disbelief. "No. It really doesn't."
This time when she walked away from him, he did not follow. Hardly surprising. But if she was being honest, there was still a part of her that was disappointed. She sighed. Some disappointments, it seemed, she would have to learn to live with.
