The difference between friendship and love is how much you can hurt each other. –
Ashleigh Brilliant
At first, forcing herself to come here had been like picking at a scab. It's painful and you know it's wrong, but you can't stop yourself. And every time you take away the scab, it bleeds again. The recovery is longer than it should, but it still heals, though it leaves a scar that, even faded, will never go away.
She smiled at the Leaky Cauldron's bartender and when she smiled back, it felt like all those years ago, before everything happened, but her eyes looked down and the fantasy slipped away. Still, she went forward and exchange small talk with the person behind the counter. Falling back into old habits, though it wasn't the same and never would be. There were things even the strongest friendship could not recover from. Susan Bones remembered the pain, the tears at the end. The memories were so strong they seem to hide the laughter and sun of others as if they tarnished them with their gloom. Some memories were stronger than others. Her love had left and maybe it had been for the best. At least, Hannah had found someone worthy to love her even if it wasn't Susan. Susan would continue to live and yes, she could smile at her ex-lover and of course she would be there at the wedding and yes she would be the godmother of Hannah and Neville's child. And maybe one day she could actually mean it.