16. No-MAJ

21 August 1992

NEW YORK CITY, USA

Like always, I was working on my project, Yeah really sometimes I get bored but what can I do for getting marks I'll have to, it's just last year of college, I've been always asked in my life that they don't know why I'm so into history, myths and literature and I've always replied with "those subjects help me understand everything," because I don't know why but I feel like there is something which is hidden, that feeling something is lurking in shadows not showing itself is with me since my parents died, no one knows how they died according to police, someone murdered them but they were never able to find out who?, I was ten when that happened and my only family left was my uncle Joe, now I live with him and he has always helped me. right now my project is almost done, it's about myths of witchcraft in Britain, it's quite interesting,

SHIT.

"Oh, god" I shouted "Joe, I forgot the book," while opening my door and running downstairs,

"What??" shouted a man, in his forties, eating vanilla ice cream, "here I thought you never forget"

"will you give me your keys to car, I'll get the book myself" I replied, my uncle threw keychain in my direction, which I caught.

"drive safe but fast, it's almost time they close library" his uncle said, then continued eating ice cream, I grinned before running upstairs to my room. I grabbed my wallet from table and looked into the mirror. My hair was as always messed up so I tried to flat them, which didn't worked, MY STUPID-FUCKED-UP RED HAIR.

I'm in my twenties and I'm fucked up single, Yeah my uncle is in his forties and still fucked up single but he is by his choice and I'm by girl's but Joe always supports me in everything and when I say everything means everything and he always takes me to bars sometimes even strip clubs (which I don't like) once he even thought I'm gay so started acting all worked up and started asking girls out on my behalf one day we almost got arrested because he asked one 17-year-old out for me, I was 18, she thought he was asking her out for himself, I had to intervene that day but because he thought I'm gay, he started telling me that he doesn't mind if I make a boyfriend someday and when I denied I don't have interest in guys, he thought I was just not opening up so invited some guy he met in a pub to our place. Since that day he is still apologising to that guy.

I was in library and thanking god it was still open, then I tried to remember where I could've left my book, so I started searching it as I was thinking while walking, I foolishly bumped into someone,

"I'm sorry" I apologised instantly without even looking up, but I saw it was stupid of me because I was looking at her breast I instantly looked up, I saw in her eyes anger flashing at me by the way her bright blue eyes were beautiful but she didn't say anything she just shook her head and moved ahead when she passed me, she smelt like strawberries and roses and her blonde hair was flowing into the air, I just shook my hand and went to the table I was sitting earlier today morning, there it was "the blood ritual myth by Konawaski" - BOOM

I instantly grabbed my book and turned around the blonde girl was running towards me before I can say anything or ask anything about the sound she grabbed me and pulled me down under the table "stay here" she told me with an intense gaze and stood up, I saw her pulling out a stick from her sleeve, then she did something unexplainable, from her stick a bright light came and the very same moment the books from bookshelves started coming out and hundreds of books were in the air, then out of the corner to men came running, both the men were wearing some weird kind of black robes, both of them have a stick too same as the blonde girl, but as they came near us the books one by one started attacking them, but both of them were swishing their sticks in the air and the books were bursting into pieces, "those books are fucking important you dimwits," I thought to myself, but as I saw this all happening in front of my eyes, I was not able to believe but soon I know what it was, for my entire life I've been reading this shite, definitely those sticks were wands, they were doing magic, with them, but soon all the books were gone, the blonde girl in front of me was panting but still she had this intense gaze but then it started "the dueling"

One of the men in robes threw a curse at her, but the girl deflected with a swish of her wand then the other man did, she again deflected it, soon all I was able to see was lightening, both men were throwing curses at her, the girl was deflecting them with her wand, she looked horribly tired but she was fighting well then one spell caught her and I saw her flying into the air, but what happened even I don't know because, only thing which I had in my mind was catching her, when I got out of the table, when I jumped or even when I caught her but all I knew was that she was in my arms, she looked like any minute she was going to faint, I looked up and saw the men in robes standing feet away from us, wands positioned against us, there was malice in their eyes,

"What do you want" I shouted at them

"what we want is to kill that girl" shouted one of the men,

"And then you, Filthy no-maj" spitted the another one

"Okay, you want to kill both of us, I get it but still you must be after something maybe I can help you, then both of you can let us go" I tried to convince them, but they laughed.

"you- they started but was cut off by sudden sounds of loud cracks and at the sound of those cracks both the men looked disgusted and disappeared in a blink, with faint pops, I looked down at the blonde girl she looked so tired almost unconscious but suddenly I was surrounded by people in clocks and Blue robes similar to those two men but they looked like they were here to help, one of them came near me and took out one vial from her small bag, then she made the blonde girl drink it, I wanted to question her but the blonde girl's eyes opened, she looked like she got her energy back as in an instant she stood up, I looked at her she was looking gorgeous..

"Care to explain, Auror??" asked one of the men in blue robes coming towards her,

"Sir, I almost caught them but I was outnumbered, but they didn't get their hands on what they were searching for" explained the blonde girl,

"it's good you called for backup on time- I snorted, the men looked at me with an intense angry gaze, "I'm sorry but we almost died" I said

"who is he?" Asked the men in blue robe to the girl,

"He is a no-maj, I'll handle it sir," the girl replied,

"You better do" said the men and left with two men in his tow they disappeared

"Are you alright, Gwen?" Asked the girl, who helped her, "Okay it's Gwen" I thought to myself

"Yeah, Thanks Linda, can you give me a minute I'll join you," asked Gwen to Linda, Linda nodded and disappeared with a faint pop.

"I'm Stuart" I said the moment she came near me looking at me directly, she sighed but smiled "I'm Gwen"

"I heard, nice name" I said and shook her hand, she was looking at me like she was apologising to me, her fingers were tightly around her wand, I don't know how or why but I knew what she was going to do "Please, Don't" I said

"Don't what" she asked me nervously

"Don't do whatever you are planning to do" I explained,

"that- I'm not going to hurt you" she said looking into my eyes, "I know you won't" I thought to myself

"Then what is it you are going to do" I asked her, she sighed and put her wand, under her sleeve.

"it's whatever you saw, you were not meant to, so I'll have to erase that part of your memory, you won't remember anything, anymore and you won't be in any danger" she explained nervously "you won't even remember we had this conversation,"

"WHAT!" I exclaimed "you-you are going-to ju-just erase my memory" I stuttered, she nodded, I looked at her, she was telling the truth it was in her eyes,

"I'm really sorry but I've to" she replied, then again retrieved her wand from her sleeve,

"Okay, you want to do it fine but don't you think it's just horrible, I mean erasing someone's memory," I asked her, I saw guilt in her eyes, she was still apologising to me with her eyes, I knew there was no chance I can convince her otherwise, she was going to do this and I won't even remember her so I did what my impulse told me, I grabbed her and kissed her, the moment my lips touched her soft beautiful lips, I felt like I was on fire but in a good way, I knew my back was sweating but I've never felt like this before, I never wanted to let her go, I knew it was just a few seconds it lasted but it felt like a lifetime, I looked at her, she was shocked and angry,

"I'm sorry but I just wanted to prove something" I said, she looked at me confusingly, anger fading from her eyes, her beautiful blue eyes.

"What do you mean" she asked

"It's just how will you feel if I now erase your memory about this kiss, I mean you won't remember someone has kissed you or touched you without your permission, someone has done something wrong to you and you won't even remember, so you can understand how will I feel about it" I explained

"You won't remember anything- she started but stopped, I looked at her, then she spoke again "it's just no one can know we exist, magic exist"

"ok, but I won't tell anyone" I said but she snorted "believe me, I won't I mean no one is going to believe me if I try or do you really think I say magic exist and they will believe me" she looked at me for a moment, still not sure about anything, so I added "what if those men come again, for me you just saw they wanted to kill me too now, really imagine, They come to me and I don't know what they are capable of and i laugh at their sticks," now maybe I can save myself, from her charm or curse or hex or whatever because she looked like she was considering it.

"Okay but you have to promise me, you won't tell a soul" she asked me, I nodded.

"I am not going to tell anybody about what happened tonight" I promised her, she smiled then vanished with a faint pop.

Request:

any beta reader available who can help me write this story.. I'm not that good with words but I've ideas, plots and everything just it's not easy for me to even write thousand words; vocab is quite restricted. if interested please message me.