Notes:
I was thinking that since this is in both Abigail and Draco's POV(ish) that Crabb and Goyal would be called by their first names. So that's why they are referred to as Vincent and Gregory. I always find it odd because I'm use to just Crabb and Goyal in the books but I'm slowly training myself out of it.
Fred is alive in this fic and is married to Rose which is why her name is Rose Weasley. Rose is the main character in my fic Surprise. Check it out!
This chapter is for theselfproclaimedgreatest7 because she is my first review!
Everything is blue
His pills, his hands, his jeans
And now I'm covered in the colors
Pulled apart at the seams
And it's blue
-Halsey, Colors
"Is that THE Draco Malfoy?"
Draco looked up to see Anastasia standing in the doorway of the old witches home that he was exploring. After the war Draco had taken to collecting old dark objects which he would keep in a large room at him manor. He wasn't sure yet what his plan was to do with all of them. Sometimes you just need to distraction from the realities of life.
Today he was hunting down a music box that when opened would put a person to sleep or a coma depending on how long it was played. The house had been in a muggle neighborhood right where some uppity realtor was having an estate sale trying to sell off the "old woman's" things. She had eyed the tall blonde man as he had came in but after his cold treatment had not come back for more. He had hoped to get there before anyone from the Misuse of Muggle artifacts showed up.
While Anastasia wasn't from the ministry (as far as he knew) she also wasn't someone he had planned on talking too.
"Anastasia Fairchild" he nodded as the pretty blonde walked toward him.
"So what brings you here? To a muggle neighborhood of all places.."
"I knew the witch who died." He lied smoothly.
She nodded taking a look around the dusty room, "I live near here, use to visit her from time to time" Draco froze, confused. She lived here, in this muggle neighborhood. From what he remembered she was from a very prominent wizard family.
"What?"
"I gave up that whole life after… after everything."
"Life? Being a wizard."
"I don't expect you to understand."
But in many ways he did. Give it all up and start fresh sounded glorious somedays. She seemed happy, not that he had really known her much other than that she was Abigail's cousin. Abigail had once mentioned that Tasha (as she and the loud ginger girl called her) didn't get along very well with her family. Draco hadn't really cared that much during school years so left the information at that.
"I'm studying at a university near here. A muggle school. I'm not sure what I'm going to do after but I'm happy now."
He nodded and they fell into a silence. Anastasia checked the price tag on a chair looking over the structure of the piece.
"She's happy you know."
She didn't have to say who it was. He knew.
Draco frowned as searched an old dresser for the item he was looking for. Hoping she couldn't see his face. "She's happy because she can't remember me"
"She's happy because she can't remember witnessing Josh's death. She's lonely because she can't remember you."
Draco's head shot up, taken aback, "What?" His eyes finally meeting hers. She gave him a small smile.
"She's lonely, she's missing something important. She will sometimes ask me about you, not you directly, just the memories of you. It's hard to explain."
"Why haven't you told her anything?"
"They're not my memories to tell."
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
The Triwizard tournament had started in the flurry of excitement. The world seemed to rush by Draco as the events unfolded. The announcement, the schools invading his space, Harry -annoyingly- getting selected. It wasn't until a few weeks into the semester when he first saw Abigail again. He had heard she was back Vincent Crabbe had mentioned talking with her and Gregory had laughed mentioning that she had gotten better looking. That last comment had made Vincent fumble with his books which made Gregory laugh louder and earn a scowl from Draco.
She had been standing one of the many hall ways chatting with Anastasia and Alfie, another boy from Slytherin. Draco hadn't really liked Alfie at first because he got a lot of attention, mostly from the girls, in their house. However, Alfie had a very easy going personality so it was hard not to like the boy. By now Draco was indifferent to him however, seeing him with Abigail brought up old annoyances.
As Draco came closer he noticed that Abigail had her right hand bandaged and in a sling. She was telling Anastasia something who was shaking her head rolling her eyes. When the blonde approached Alfie nodded toward Draco before bidding goodbye to the girls. "See ya in the Slytherin common room Draco" He said waving good bye. Draco scowled and the boy quickly said goodbye leaving a slightly confused Abigail.
Anastasia , in turn, nodded toward Draco before walking off. "See you tonight" She shot back as she quickly ran off to her class. Abigail turned to Draco a smile on her face.
"Draco, how are you?"
He shrugged looking down at her. She looked smaller than he remembered. Besides her lack of growth, Gregory had been right, she had gotten prettier. Slender, a lot of her baby weight was gone and her face was slightly thinner. More prominent.
"What happened to your arm?" He asked nodding toward the sling. Her smile seemed to grow at his question making him feeling slightly uncomfortable. He forgot how her reactions to things annoyed him. They were always the opposite of what he expected. Make fun of her and she made it into a private joke. Act like you were just making small talk and she would smile as if you told her you wanted to know everything about her.
"I tried to ride my cousins broomstick right before school started and fell off."
He snickered, typical Abigail. Not only did she fall off a broomstick but he was sure it was in some outlandish way.
"I swerved too fast and ended up skidding into a tree. I grabbed a branch instead of the boom. The branch broke and I basically hit every other branch on the way down."
He let out a low laugh at her explanation. "That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Only you could do that."
"Yep!" She laughed with him shrugging "It does makes classes harder, but I'm getting by."
They stood in silence for a moment, Draco ran his fingers through his hair trying to think of something to say. Then again why did it matter? He could just walk away. It's not like he said he was going to be her friend anyway.
"Sorry about Quittage being canceled."
"It's I can't believe Potter was chosen to be in the Triwizard Tournament."
"Yeah, poor guy, he seems to have the worst luck."
"More like the he just wants the attention."
"You really think that?"
He looked down at her, she wasn't asking as if to berate him but more as if she truly wanted to know. Did he really think Potter had wanted to join the Tournament? Honestly, he if really thought about it, he wasn't sure. But what did it matter?
"I miss studying with you."
Her comment caught him off guard. "uhhh. really?" She nodded,
"I can't really do much without my arm though." She said looking down at her sling
"I could help you" He wasn't sure why he said it. Maybe just grateful he didn't have to reflect on the root of his personal rivalry with Potter. Yeah, that was probably it.
She looked up, surprised. "Really?"
It was out there now, he couldn't take it back and she looked so… excited, about it. Letting out a soft sigh of annoyance -the annoyance directed more at himself letting his thoughts slip- he nodded which earned him a small squeal of excitement from her.
"I would love that!" She said smiling. Her eyes seemed to glow as they looked up at him. "Does this mean we're friends?"
"Don't push it, I just need someone who can do my homework for me."
"I can do that! Well tell you stuff, you'll have to write it down" she added motioning to her arm.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
She hadn't been doing much, just cleaning the store, using the organizational tips Rose had given her. It had been a slow day. Hogwarts had started about a month ago so most of the wizard shops had slowed. She was singing to herself making silly voices and going off key making herself laugh.
Suddenly she heard a laugh behind her. Turning she saw Harry standing a few feet away, a wicked smirk on his face. Standing up from where she had been loading empty bottles into a drawer she giggled her smile widening.
"Mor'n here for something?"
"Just enjoying the spectacle"
"Rude, I have a great voice"
"That what your mom tells you?"
"My mom has a great ear thank you very much" she said pushing her thick curls behind her ear as she looked up at him, "Which is why she begs me to stop singing."
Harry studied her for a moment, his eyes seeming to search for something, something he couldn't find. There was that look again. The one she couldn't place. Over the few weeks he had started to visit she had begun to read his expressions and ticks that made Harry, Harry. Yet when he gave her that look… the look of… searching? Sadness? Joy? She couldn't place it.
"What?" She finally asked, slightly uncomfortable under his gaze.
"Are you ever unhappy?"
She laughed at his, who asks that? Harry apparently.
"Of course, everyone is unhappy sometimes. I just try not to dwell on the sad stuff… it's… not fun."
He shifted the small package that was under his arm his eyes never leaving her's. He was trying to read her. Read what, she wasn't sure.
"Are you ever unhappy?" It came out before she could stop it. She mentally kicked herself. Stop being awkward Abigale!
"Everyone is unhappy sometimes"
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
Draco sat his nose buried so deeply in his Quittage magazine any passerby would have thought he was enthralled with it. That it was the most interesting thing he had ever read. In reality he was trying to ignore the three laughing idiots next to him. Vincent, Gregory and Abigail sat sprawled out in the grass reading old Wailing Wizards magazines that Abigail had bought. Last year the brunette use to bring them over and read them with Vincent who would sometimes get the jokes but sometimes would just be laughing because Abigail was. After a while Gregory joined them and now this year they made it a habit to all sit in one of the courtyards reading over the latest issues together.
This was how they were now. Sitting in the bright sunshine laughing at the strips of comics that would sometimes blow confetti or make loud noises at them as they flipped through the pages.
Draco would join them during their weekly sessions but would never partake in their enjoyment. Instead opting to ignore the fun by reading his own book, do homework or make fun of a first year. Anything but join in the fun. However, today their joy just couldn't be ignored. Watching from the corner of his eye, annoyed by their disturbance, he gave a sigh.
"Fine!"
Abigail look up from the Magazine to see Draco standing over them, his Quittage mag folded up under his arm as he scowled down at them. The two boys join her, mimicking her looked of confusion as they all looked up at their leader.
"Fine you can be my friend." he said sitting down next to Gregory who snickered at him. This earned him a quick slap across the back of the head. Abigail beamed over at him from behind the large boy.
"Did you want to look at these comics with us?" She asked
"I mine as well, since you are all making such a loud ruckus" he mumbled leaning forward.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
"Hey Abbz! Fred wanted me to drop these buy!" Rose sang as she skipped into the shop. She was holding a few rolls of parchment that had large WWW's on them a large paper bag was also hanging from her arm.
One fateful summer the bright haired Weasley boy had spend at least two days a week in this very shop "helping" Rose with her summer job. During this time Abigail had found one of his notebooks and started adding suggestions thinking it had been Rose's. That summer was one of Abigail's fondest memories, it may be because it was one of the few she could remember like it was yesterday. Chrisp , happy and clear.
The lanky blonde sighed taking a moment to rest as she looked around the shop, her fingers agcentminddly over her slightly swollen stomach.
"How is she doing?" Abigail asked looking down at Rose's stomach.
"She?"
"I just have a feeling."
Rose laughed lightly, "Don't tell Fred, he wants a boy , preferably twins"
"Wouldn't you know by now?"
"Yeah but that doesn't stop him. By the way, I bought some ham for you. Molly is teaching me how to cook and we had a ton left over." She handed the paper bag to her cousin who looked inside at the carefully packaged meals inside. Enough food to feed her for a week at least.
"Please take it, I am so sick of ham I feel like I can taste it in my dreams."
They spent another few moments chatting about family gossip when Rose's eyes flickered toward the door as the small gold bell gave a jingle
"Draco?" Rose said
Abigail looked up from the bottles she was organizing confused, "What?"
"Harry," Harry said quickly walking up, his hand extended out to Rose, "Nice to meet you."
Rose took it warily, "Rose Weasley"
"Good afternoon Harry, how are you doing today?" Abigail asked.
"Well, I was wondering if you had figured out the locket I gave you?" She was about to answer when Rose gave a small cough.
"Well, I better head out, it was nice to meet you Harry."
Harry nodded toward Rose as she walked out of the store giving the boy one last wary look as if she didn't trust him. Abigail watched her go, confused. Rose was the kind of person who loved people and would never distrust someone right away. In fact it look a long time for Rose to decide she didn't like someone. Yet her reaction to Harry, while not unfriendly, wasn't her normal outgoing self.
Shrugging it off the brunette smiled up at Harry still holding the bag of food she had been given.
"Would you like to share my lunch?" She asked holding it up so he could look inside. He did so like a curious child who was checking out his friend's discovery. The image made her giggle, "I hate eating alone."
"Do you eat with someone else normally?"
"Well a book, but a human could be fun too."
"Ok."
She beamed up at him excited for the chance to show him her favorite lunch spot. Somedays when she felt especially tired or needed to get away from the shop she would leave Diagon Alley and go to a small park a few blocks away. There was a large tree that she just loved. Something about the way the branches shaded the spot. She wasn't sure why but it felt so… happy. Like it was filled with good memories from a previous life. Maybe someone before her had filled that place with good karma.
As they walked they talked about the locket Harry had left her. It was cursed but Harry wasn't quite sure how. He had mentioned it to Rose a few days ago and she had been so interested that he had brought it in the next day. She had yet to crack the code but was having fun trying to figure it out.
As they discussed the possible curses Abigail couldn't help but feel a little distracted. That name; Draco, it was haunting her. Tugging at some strange memories that she wasn't sure was her own. It ran around in her head like a melody that didn't fit any song she knew. Maybe she had made up the name herself. Or maybe it was a childhood friend she had met when she hadn't quite formed strong bonds yet.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
"Are you guy's 5?" Lizzy asked as Abigail retold her tale during lunch in the great hall. "He said he'll be your friend? I thought that was something you did on the playground."
Abigail frowned playing with a green bean on her plate, "I don't understand, how else should you ask someone to be your friend?"
Lizzy shrugged, "you don't, you just hang out with them and then you become friends."
"That's not what you did, you told me you needed a smart person to help you understand this crazy."
"Well we're not friends then are we..."
Abigail gave Lizzy such a look of hurt that the red haired girl couldn't help but burst out laughing. "So where's the uptight one?" Lizzy asked once her giggles had subsided quickly shoveling in a few bites of her pie. She had a long day of classes ahead of her, one being Care of Magical Creatures which took a lot of energy.
"Family stuff" Abigail said glancing at the door. Anastasia had gotten a letter from home earlier that day and hadn't shown up for lunch yet.
"She has a lot of that doesn't she?"
"Yeah"
Anastasia's father was a known Death Eater who had gotten away with his crimes by pleading with the ministry to keep him on house arrest instead of sending him to Azkaban. Because his wife was pregnant with Anastasia's older brother they had let him go. Her mother wasn't as close to the rest of the family causing it to be awkward for Anastasia when she came to Hogwarts. During their first year at Hogwarts Abigail had always made a point to hang out with Anastasia because she felt bad. Their friendship had grown and even with the addition of Lizzy "Tasha" as "the red one" had dubbed her, was much happier now than she had been.
Yet, on days like today, Abigail worried that her cousin would never break away from her overbearing family.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
Their lunch conversation had turned to family. Harry was an only child of parents who had gotten married a few years after graduating Hogwarts. All Slytherins.
"I was an only child too, well… from my parents. I have an adopted brother Josh. He was my cousin but his parents were killed during the first war so my mom took him in."
"Oh?"
"Yeah" Abigail nodded taking another bite of her ham. "He died right before the second one. The second war"
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered. She nodded in thanks looking out at the grassy park. A group of mothers walking their small children where following the brick path that winded around the park. "I miss him. I was 3 when his parents died so all my memories growing up are filled with him. He was the best brother I could have ever asked for. Protective, smart, and so funny." She giggled at an old memory from her childhood. She missed Josh almost everyday but she rarely talked about it with anyone. After the second war so many people had lost someone or something she didn't feel like she had the right to burden others with her sorrow. So she had kept all his memories close, the older ones much fresher than the ones leading up to his death. Her mind wandered down that path for a moment, Josh's constant goofy nature, he could make a room laugh without even trying.
Harry sat next to her watching her intently waiting for her to come back from the world her mind had wandered into. It was something he noticed now and so many times before. How she would cock her head to one side as she travel to a world he wasn't apart of. She had taken him there once, that world inside her head, but that was a lifetime ago. A life time only he knew.
"Sorry" she mumbled looking away embarrassingly feeling her cheeks flushing, "I… I tend to zone out sometimes."
"So I've noticed"
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
"ABBZ!"
Abigail had been walking with Draco and his two cronies down the halls chatting about their herbology class when she head turned so sharply her head could have snapped off. A dark skinned boy dressed in Gryffindor robes and the messiest black hair imaginable came running down the hallway, his hands outstretched.
"JOSHY!" She squealed almost dropping all the books and dashing toward him flinging herself into his arms. He laughed hugging her back just as fiercely, "I missed you little one" he said pulling her away so he could look at her as if taking her in after a long absence. Giggling madly Abigail hugged him again.
"Josh I saw you at breakfast."
"What? I can't miss my favorite sister?"
"I'm your only sister."
"Even more of a reason for you to be my favorite" he glanced behind him at the boys who stood awkwardly watching.
"Who are these guys?"
"This is Draco, Vincent, and Gregory, remember I was telling you about them a few days ago."
"Oh yeah, your new friends. Nice to meet you guys, I'm Josh." He held his hand out toward Draco who eyed it as if it was covered in mud.
"I didn't know Abigail had a brother."
"I told you about him…" Abigail giggled, "You probably just weren't listening."
"I don't know why he wouldn't, you are the smartest girl I know" Josh said shoving his hands into his pockets. "Only an idiot wouldn't listen to you."
"I'm right here."
"That you are." Josh said eyeing him up and down, a dark eyebrow raised as if taking him in fully for the first time. "Anyway Abbz I'm off to class, can't be late again or McGonagall will have my hide this time" He ruffled her dark curls before sprinting off shouting hellos to other students who were standing in the hall. Abigail watched him a large smile on her face.
"Abbz?" Draco sneered
"Sounds like a muscle" Vincent added.
"It's one of the nicknames the family gave me." Abigail said the large smile still on her face.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
She was on the ladder a few feet above him looking through the shelves. They had come back from lunch with a few ideas for the locket. Abigail was now looking for the right ingredients when her foot slipped. The ladder, which she had propped against the wall instead of opening it properly, shook violently causing three bottles to fall. One of them hit another shelf on the way down shattering glass. A large piece fell slicing Harry's outstretched arm.
"AH MY ARM!" He yelled pulled it back, Abigail scrambled down the ladder and pulled his arm to look at it.
"Oh I'm sorry! I'll...:"
"STOP! You're making it worse!" He hissed pulling it away, blood was dripping from the arm. Maybe it was the the adrenaline pulsing through her body from the almost fall. Or an explosion from the small pulsing headache she had all day. Whatever it was, his motions triggered something in her. Her eyes went wide, pupils dilating. Harry froze the blood draining from his face.
"Uh…" flashes of something:
A room filled with floating light.
Her in a beautiful dress
The feeling of a cold stone wall against her back and a warm flutter in her stomach.
Her laughing as she lay in a grassy field him looking back down bandages on his arm.
Who's arm? Who was that?
She couldn't piece it together. It was like puzzle pieces scattered across the floor. Did they even fit? She groaned as she felt a sharp prick on her forehead felt like a million hot needles were stabbing her.
"Abigail?" suddenly his hands here on either side of her head, cut arm forgotten. "Look at me, are you ok? Sit down!" Gently he had her sit his hands still on her forehead.
"I... remember…"
"What?" His gaze searched her face desperately as if she would crumble into dust around him. Why was he so worried? She looked up into his wide fearful eyes her focus slowly coming back. Blinking she shook her head, she couldn't let them go, not yet. She needed to know what she had forgotten. They were part of her, they were important…
They were…
Gone.
As fast as they appeared they melted away leaving nothing left. Even the pain in her head was gone and all she could focus on was the world around her. The way the way the store smelled from the sea salt candle she would burn. The way the setting sun hit the windows and crystals she had hanging from the front sending cascades of rainbows across the many shelves and tables. The way Harry's gray eyes were studying her with so much concern it made her heart flutter.
"I'm fine, just a headache" She said quickly. His face fell.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
Draco, Vincent, and Gregory had just walked into the library to pick up a few books for homework then head out to the Slytherin common room. They hadn't planned on staying or getting distracted. However, distraction in the form of a curly brunette deep in a pile of books a few tables away from the door sat. Her brown curls were pulled back with a blue ribbon that bounced as she wrote quickly in her small notebook.
Abigail sighed running her fingers through her ponytail, her transfiguration paper just wasn't going the way she had wanted. It had started out strong yet had somehow gotten away from her. She wanted this one to be good since her last two hadn't gone quiet way she had wanted them to. No matter how she tried she just couldn't seem to pull it back into its place as her words seemed to flow in all directions with no purpose. Looking up for a moment, hoping for some inspiration, she noticed the boys walking into the library. Flashing them a wide smile she waved excitedly. They reminded Abigail of the three headed dog that Lizzy had shown her a picture of in her Care of Magical Creatures book. Gregory even growled at a small first year that was walking by. The little boy had let out a yelp and quickly scurried away. The image made her giggle a little.
"Now's your chance," Gregory whispered, Draco turned to him confused.
"Do what?" He asked thinking Gregory was talking to him, but the burly boy's eyes were on their chubby friend Vincent had taken a step forward before taking two back twiddling his thumbs.
"Should I?"
"Yeah, you saw her. She's bound to say yes."
Vincent nodded determinedly. Draco watched completely confused and frustrated his own friends hadn't let him in on their discussion.
"WHAT!?"
But Vincent was already walking toward Abigail's table. Gregory laughed watching the scene unfold, "he's going to ask the Ravenclaw girl to the dance."
"Really?" Draco laughed, "She's going to say no." the bigger Slytherin boy looked at him blankly.
"You think?"
Draco nodded a smug smile on his lips as if he wasn't more positive about anything else. Yet he watched his friend with interested as he fumbled next to the young girl.
Abigail smiled up at him, still waving, as the porky boy walked over. When he started to talk her smile slightly faded and she cocked her head to one side blinking, unsure of what he was saying. Then she realized what he was asking her. A smile, wider than any Draco had ever seen, broke onto her face again and she threw her hands into the air almost knocking over some of her books.
Vincent then walked back to his friends, face red. "She… she said yes." He mumbled sitting down. Gregory laughed patting his friend on the back.
"That's great! I knew she would. Draco didn't think so but I knew it!"
Vincent turned to his friend slightly shocked and hurt. Draco shrugged,
"I just thought someone else had asked her."
"Well her brother did, but she said he would understand, said something about never been asked to a school dance before."
"Idiot, none of us have, this is the first dance" Draco mumbled shooting Abigail a glare. She, unaware of his comment, just waved back her large smile still on her face.
"Well at least one of us has a date," Gregory said patting his friend on the back. Draco scowled grabbing the books he needed before he left the library leaving his two friends to quickly follow. There was no way Vincent was going to have a date and he wasn't.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
He had made her sit in a chair and gotten her a glass of water. Once she was settled comfortably he had tended to his own injury. First he had cleaning it out, following Abigail's instructions as she sat in her chair. Now he was struggling to quickly wrap it with a clean bandage.
She watched him as she sipped her water. He had told her not to move so she had to shout instructions to him from her prison of a chair. She had tried to explain that she felt totally find but he wasn't having it. However, after seeing him struggling to get the bandage around his arm she couldn't just sit and do nothing so she started to stand.
"SIT" He ordered.
She sat looking at him with wide eyes, "Well then you are going to need to come here so I can help you."
Annoyed, Harry stalked toward her thrusting her hand out to her to fix. She gladly took it gently unwrapping and rewrapping the bandage. A small smile playing on her lips as if she had won some argument and they never had. Harry watched her as she worked, her gentle touch felt like ice on his skin and he couldn't help but shiver. Coughing he tried to compose himself.
"Does this normally happen?" Harry asked looking around the storage room. It was large, perhaps even larger than the store. Tons of boxes and bins filled with items that weren't out yet on the floor.
"Me falling off stuff? Yes"
"No, the other thing"
She paused, her eyes so focused on the bandage that she would have set it on fire. People didn't normally ask her about her memory problems. Then again, she didn't have as many as she did with this strange boy. What should she say? How could she put into words something she didn't even really understand?
"Sometimes, it's a side effect of me losing my memories. It happened a lot the first few months but it slowed as time passed. Now I normally only get them when something new is introduced into my life."
"Did it happen with me?"
She looked up at him, she didn't want to answer but she also didn't want to lie. She knew that Harry acted like he didn't care, acted tough. Yet, at moments like these when he would pry so intently into her life she knew he truly cared about her. So she couldn't lie to him.
"I kept having the same dream a week or so after we… hung out that night." He knew which one. That night she had hunted him down in Diagon Alley and they had drinks. He would never forget that night. The way she laughed, the way her eyes light up when he told a story. The moment he remembered how much he had missed her.
"What was it about?" His voice was soft; taking on a tone she couldn't remember ever hearing yet sounded so familiar. A slight twinge hit the back of her head, a dull throbbing.
"I…" She winched and she saw him flinch, "I can't remember, it's more like a feeling. Like every morning when I wake up I know so clearly what it was but when I try to think about it there is nothing there. Some days I feel like everything is like that. All feelings and no thoughts"
She had never really talked about it with anyone before, preferring not to worry them. After the war, especially, everyone was in so much grief and loss a few memories were nothing to feel sad about. "The memories are nothing, I mean I didn't lost anything big. Just a few conversations and school events, nothing important."
She looked up at him trying to reassure him and was greeted with that look. The look he use to give her every day when she had first met him. The one that puzzled her so much. The one she couldn't place.
Yet today she recognized it.
It was the look Rose gave her husband Fred after the battle when he was learning how to walk and talk again. After he had been attacked by the killing curse and Rose had somehow been able to bring him back. It had taken him almost a year to recover fully and during that time Rose never left his side.
It was the look Alfie would give his sister, and her cousin, Clara when she was learning how to wheel herself around in her new wheelchair that she had gotten after the loss of her legs. Clara the girl who wanted to explore the world, now bound to a chair that made it impossible to even go to school again.
It was the look Lizzy gave Anastasia when she had told them she was going to a muggle university after the death of her brother. Her brother who had been a Death Eater and was killed during the war.
It was the look so many people gave their loved ones after they had suffered from the attacks at Hogwarts.
But why was he giving it to her?
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
"Vincent!" The three Slytherin boys turned to see a very pretty brunette running toward them. She was dressed in a dark red dressed her hair pulled up and out of her face. Large brown eyes and a wide smile. The boy in question just looked at her, unsure why this girl was talking to him.
"Who are you?" He asked in disbelief.
The girl giggled shaking her head her hand playing with a small glowing crystal around her neck, "Silly, it's Abigail."
"Oh… yeah..." Vincent stammered stupidly. Abigail held out her hand, her smile so wide from the excitement about the night that lay before them.
"Are you going to lead me in?" Chubby boy merely nodded gingerly taking her hand as if it was going to bite him. She slipped her arm around his giggling.
The room was like stepping into a fairytale. There was really no other way to describe it. Floating candles that flickered like fireflies across the room. Flowers in large bowls of water at each table, Abigail even noticed a few small fish swimming among the stems. While sometimes it was easy to lose that sense of "magic" that surrounded Hogwarts tonight reminded her what a wondrous place she was in. As she walked through the crowd of beautifully dressed students she felt like a princess in a sea of royalty.
She giggled squeezing Vincent's arm looking up at him. He looked down at her, red faced and flustered. From the corner of her eye she noticed Draco scowling at her. She turned to him and his date Pansy.
"It's so pretty!" She said, Pansy nodded a thin smile on her smug face. Abigail had never really talked with Pansy, the dark haired girl had always seemed shy or alof. However, Abigail hoped maybe after the dance the two of them could become friends too. After all anything could happen after this magical night.
They all took a seat at one of the large tables. Abigail excitedly taking in all the beauty around her trying to figure out how everything worked while Vincent just nodding dumbly at her. Pansy sat closely next to Draco quietly made fun of a few of the other girl's dresses. Draco only half listening to her his eyes still on Abigail. Gregory was content to eat and just sit in silence suddenly glad he didn't have a date. It looked exhausting.
The music started to play and couples started to walk to the dance floor. Abigail watched them with longing from their table. Her feet swung excitedly in her chair as she turning to Vincent smiling, he smiled back unsure of what she wanted.
"Are you going to ask me to dance?"
As if on que the Slytherin boys started to laugh, Abigail looked at them confused, "you guys don't dance?"
"Of course not!" Draco sniffed.
"I'm with her" Pansy grumbled glancing at Draco who shrugged. She could complain all she wanted, he didn't care. The was no way he was taking her on the dance floor to make a fool of himself. He knew Vincent wouldn't dance as well, the chubby boy was worse on his feet than a fish on land. The thought of him smashing Abigail's feet caused a smile to flicker across his face as he studied the girl. She looked at him, sending him back a confused smile of her own. This just earned her another scowl. She had been getting a lot of those today, or this week for that matter.
Next to her Vincent scratched his head casting a nervous look at his date worried she wasn't having fun. Abigail, feeling his intense gaze on her, turned and flashed him a smile, this caused Vincent to look away. Face flushed. Draco watched, something inside him writhing. He wasn't sure why he was so upset. Maybe it was because he hated to share. While technically Abigail wasn't his property, she had been like a servant or pet to him for a year.
After all, she has asked HIM to be her friend, not Vincent. While he knew she was friends with the two other boys he sometimes felt like she was his special person. Maybe not special person... But person. It was a hard thing to explain but since she had entered his life in such a strange way most of their relationship was just strange.
Which brought him to why it bothered him so much that she decided to go with Vincent. He was about to inquire upon this fact and also maybe get to the root of how she had transformed so quickly over the course of a day when Josh and a pretty Ravenclaw 7th year ran by. Josh paused at Abigail's table waving to his sister.
"Abigail! Grab Lobster and get on the dancefloor stat! We're having a dance off! Crystal and I are going to kick your butt!"
The brunette in question jumped up. Draco was surprised how light on her feet she was considering the heels she wore and her accident prone escapades. "You wish!" Abigail said taking Vincent's hand pulling him onto the dance floor. There was no going back now, Vincent was going to have to dance.
They joined the rest of Abigail's family and Lizzy. The redhead had jumped up on the table with Clara, Alfie's younger sister, was laughing so hard she almost fell off. Much to the concerned looks from teachers.
"Dance off!" Alfie yelled helping Lizzy down before Clara jumped onto his back. He swung her around for a moment causing his younger sister to squeal with laughter.
Vincent moved awkwardly next to Josh trying to copy the boy's fancy footwork. The poor boy didn't have a chance. However, with Abigail's wide smile and encouraging words he slowly fell into step. "See, you're an amazing dancer!" she cried throwing her hands up in excitement. Vincent looked away blushing.
Draco had ended up pulling a willing Pansy onto the dance floor, his face red with frustration as he tried to get a better look.
"I think they are cute together," Pansy commented nodding toward Abigail and Vincent. "Don't you think?"
Draco glanced over at them. Abigail was laughing so hard she could barely stand and Vincent looked like a beached whale the way his mouth gaped open at her. He was going to comment about this fact when he noticed the slightly annoyed look on Pansy's face. Better keep his thoughts to himself.
"Whatever."
Turning he got one last glimpse of Abigail shaking her head at something Alfie said before she was swallowed up in a sea of other dancers.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
"I really don't understand why this is so hard for you to understand!" A older witch snapped at Abigail as Harry entered the store. The witch was shaking a pair of what looked like wilted purple roses in Abigail's face. The brunette stood, wide eyed arms folded as she nodded listening to the woman's rant. Harry had seen this face before. It was Abigail's "I'm trying to make sure you understand you have my full attention" face. She normally only wore it when someone was mad or trying to explain something hard to her. Sometimes, these went hand and hand.
"I understand what you are saying, but this bottle is from Smitter's Gardens and Grows we're Everyday Everyway Potions. You can't return it here."
"Well I went to Smitter's Gardens and Grows down the street and got this bottle and then came here and YOU told me it was a fertilizer"
"Yes, I did but I also told you, the potion shouldn't be used on muggle flowers. It's meant for magical plants."
"You said it was a fertilizer."
"For plants with magical properties."
"My whole garden, 6 years of work! It gone! How stupid are you! It says right here!"
"I can help you find something that will help you garden…"
Abigail turned pulling out a small mason jar of what looked like red dirt. The woman, angry that Abigail couldn't fix her garden on the spot swatted at the bottom of the jar. This caused Abigail to fumble with the jar trying to right herself.
"I want you to return my item and give me something to fix the problem you caused!"
"It seems to me that you are the one who understand that this kind woman is trying to help you" Harry said stepping in. The old witch turned, her dark eyes fierce yet when she met his cold icy Slytherin stair she wilted.
"Well… this… this is none of your business!" She snapped.
"When you cause a disruption around me it is"
The woman spluttered some more and Harry couldn't help but smirk.
"You should learn some manners and maybe once you do come back and see if this woman can help you."
It was enough, she grabbed her wilted plants and empty vial and left in a huff.
Once she left Harry turned to Abigail. To his surprise his smug smile was met with one of annoyance by the short brunette.
"You shouldn't have been so mean to her."
"How could you say that? She was so annoying. She wanted you to return something that wasn't even from your store."
"She was just upset, I could have helped her work out the problem once she calmed down" Abigail said shrugging, "Her poor garden…"
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
Draco had been moody ever since the dance. Everytime Abigail had tried to talk to him and he would brush her off giving her one word answers until she would give up and leave. This attitude turned into two weeks worth of short interactions.
Finally she had had enough of his sulking and decided to get to the bottom of it.
After all, that's what friends did, Help each other when something is bothering them.
"What is wrong with you?"
"Nothing what is wrong with you?"
"You just seemed really moody."
"Well I'm not."
That went well. Giving a small, slightly frustrated sigh, Abigail looked around the large library. Normally this was a place of comfort for her but today… today it just seemed empty and filled with awkward silence. Kicking her feet she accidentally knocked over Draco's bag. A few pins fell out. Getting down she quickly reached out picking them up. As she held them she realized what they said.
Potter Stinks
He snatched them out of her hand shoving them back into his bag.
"Wait, you made those?" She asked mouth slightly open in shock. She had seen the pins everywhere and had always found them rather… rude. It's one thing to support one of the two Hogwarts champions but that didn't mean you had to be against the other. After all, they were both students, both representing the school.
Plus it just wasn't nice.
"Yeah so?"
"So, that's so mean! Why would you do that?"
His face flushed red. He didn't need this from her! She was probably the stupidest Ravenclaw ever. She couldn't even get a potion right and the only boy in the whole school who would ask to her a dance was Vincent Crabbe. Maybe they deserved each other, they were both really stupid.
"I don't see why you care, you aren't particularly close to Potter are you?"
Her cheeks flushed slightly from frustration matching his face. Why was he being so mean to her? She had been trying to be nice and be there for him because he was upset. What was wrong with him anyway? He sneered at her, misunderstanding her coloring.
"Oh I see you're in love with Potter to, everyone loves the GREAT HARRY POTTER"
His voice reached a high pitch and several other students turned to see what was going on. This caused Abigail to become even more upset making her face flush harder. Draco could sometimes be a little mean when he was in one of this "moods" as she called them but today… today he was almost unbarable.
"I'm not… what is wrong with you?" She said standing up. Her eyes brimming with tears.
"Are you going to cry? Why don't you run back to Vincent, see if he'll hang out with you. Maybe this time he won't stomp all over your feet."
She looked down at him from where she was standing a few tears falling from her face. She wasn't sure if his words hurt her or if she was just so angry she couldn't think straight.
"You need to become a nicer person Draco Malfoy or no one is ever going to want to be around you!" With that she stormed off.
He watched her go, red faced and furious. How dare she tell him how to act! He didn't need anyone and he was fine on his own.
ooOoOoOoOoOoo
It had been a long day, ever since the war He and his family hadn't quite seen eye to eye. Especially him and his father. While most times they spoke civilly for the sake of his mother today a few off handed comments went too far and tempers flared. He had ended up shouting some things he hadn't meant and his father shouted them back.
In the end he had stormed out and vanished into the night trying to blow off steam and clear his head.
He didn't realize where he was going until he was there. The lights on the street slowly fading as stores closed down for the night. The potion shop's own lights were dim and Abigail stood at the door locking up.
"Harry?" She asked looking up at him.
"I uh, was .. Needed more varnish."
Abigail was going to point out that he got two bottle only a few days ago but he look on his face told her not to argue with him.
"We can get some now or, are you hungry?"
"Huh?"
"My flat isn't far, I still have at least two more meals worth of leftover that Rose made for me..." Why was she stumbling over her words? She had never been awkward with him before. Then again, she was with everyone else so she knew it would catch up to her adventually. The awkwardness that is.
He nodded "Ok"
They walked in silence for a while, her glancing at him every few moments unsure of what to say. What do you say to a person anyway? How does one start a conversation again?
"Business good today?"
She looked over at him nodding, "Yes I had a big order for some pickled roots that you need for a foot fungus or any type of thing like that. Some people use it for their gardens too. This one woman I help she has a large garden that has been taken over by a marsh stuff so I helped her come up with a spray for it."
"Is that the same woman from yesterday?"
"Yeah…"
"You're too nice to her."
"It's fine, she's just lonely."
He left it at that, not in the mood to point out that she let people take advantage of her kindness. It had been a long day and Harry just wanted to enjoy walking with her. Being her in calming presence.
It was a beautiful night. Winter was right on the cusp of rolling in so the air was brisk and you could see your breath in the air. Abigail loved this time of year. When you pulled out your thick coats and gloves with matching fluffy scarves.
"Do you like this? Working in the shop."
She nodded, "I like helping people and I'm good at it. Potions, not really helping people."
"From what I've seen you're good at that too."
She shook her head, "Not really. I'm kind of awkward incase you hadn't noticed."
This earned her a chuckle from him, a smile from a memory long forgotten.
"I had."
So I am recovering from a cold and coming off of two days with 12 hour shifts. If there are issues (especially with the last half of this chapter) I'm sorry! This was supposed to be up like… last week.
So I kept calling Harry Draco in the flash forwards so if I messed up I'm sorry. (spoilers: Harry is Draco)
Also wouldn't it be funny if it really was Harry and he dyed his hair blonde? I don't know why but this idea popped into my head while editing this and it won't leave. I have been laughing so hard over it. (It's really not that funny)
Ok LIZ OUT!