This chapter is longer than the others so I hope everyone enjoys the length! Please let me know what you think. I love reading everyone's feedback and seeing those who follow and favorite. It's the best! So let me know! Enjoy(:
Lova awoke the next morning feeling refreshed, and for once, without having any headache inducing dreams. Sitting up in her bed, she looked around her room, noticing the mess that it was in having not unpacked from tour. Sighing, Lova threw the thick comforter off of her body and walked to the middle of her room.
Making a face of indifference, Lova began to unpack her suitcase and put away the clothes the she took. Only having a few things in that one, Lova looked at all the bags of clothes that Leila had insisted they buy and she groaned. Putting all those away were what she dreaded. Yes, Lova had to admit that the clothes were gorgeous and she was glad Leila dragged her along to get some, but there was just so much!
Turning away from all the bags of clothes, Lova walked over to her dresser and opened the bottom drawer. Digging in the back, she felt the familiar fabric of what she was looking for. Falling back onto the floor, Lova clutched the sweater that she was wearing the day Jayce and Leila found her. Until now, it was the only thing she had left of her old life. After two years in the drawer, it looked a little bit faded but it was still Lova's favorite piece of clothing.
She had tried to go back to her parents' house after Jayce and Leila thought she had her strength back but she couldn't remember exactly where she lived. They went and looked around the neighborhood Lova said she lived in, but none of the houses looked familiar to her. Once they got back home, Lova vowed that she wouldn't try and look again. The disappointment she felt after not being able to find her home was overwhelming and she didn't want to feel that again.
As Lova began to stand from her spot to finish what she initially started, a tap on her window distracted her. Looking closely, she saw an owl perched on the ledge waiting for her to open the glass. Hesitantly, Lova slowly reached her hand out and let the owl in, not sure what to do. The owl jumped in and stood next to Lova, spitting a letter out of his beak that she failed to notice previously. Examining the letter, Lova kept looking between it and the owl, trying to decide if it was okay or not. As of reading her thoughts, the owl nuzzled her hand that the letter was in as if encouraging her to open it.
Carefully, Lova tore open the seal and pulled out a piece of parchment with handwriting on it that looked familiar. Scanning the letter, her eyes found the signature at the end indicating it was Hermione who had written her. Smiling, she began to thoroughly read what was on the parchment.
Lova,
I hope that you don't just toss this out not knowing what it is. I just wanted to let you know where I live in case you ever want to come by and chat. I've missed you so much; we were best friends after all, even if you don't remember. I would stop by your flat but I don't want to intrude on your band stuff and your new life. I'll be here all day today and tomorrow. I'll return to work at the Ministry the day after that though. Harry should be there, as well as Ron, if you want to see them or if you were worried about running into them. Send a reply back with Pigwidgeon, or Pig, and let me know. I hope I hear from you soon, Lova.
Sincerely,
Hermione
Lova smiled after she finished reading the letter and looked around franticly for something to write her reply on. Spotting her journal that she writes her songs in; Lova grabbed it and ripped a piece of paper out of it. Hurriedly, she scribbled her reply on the piece of paper before folding it and handing it to Pig to take. Without any hesitation, Pig took the piece of paper from between Lova's fingers and flew out the window.
Throwing one more look at all the bags that were scattered around the floor, Lova shook her head before darting into the bathroom to get ready. Checking on Leila, Lova stuck her head out of the adjoining door to see that Leila was still deeply asleep on her bed. Closing the door quietly, Lova turned on the shower and hopped in.
Showering quicker than she ever remembered showering, Lova pulled a towel around her body as she went back into her room to get dressed. Drying off as fast and efficiently as possible, Lova grabbed for her undergarments before moving to her closet. Looking through all the clothes she just put up, Lova picked out a light red pullover and a pair of dark blue denim shorts before she moved over to her bed to pull on her converse. Going back to the bathroom, Lova contemplated blow-drying her hair before she pulled the appliance out of the plug and snuck back into her room. Finding an empty plug on the wall, Lova began drying her hair, trying to make sure that none of her hair was left wet.
After feeling satisfied, Lova took the hair dryer back into the bathroom and put on a light layer of make-up before checking on Leila again. Seeing that she was passed out, Lova padded her way out of her bedroom and into the living room to see if Jayce was awake. As soon as she exited the doorway, she knew that he was still asleep as well. Usually, Jayce is the first one up and would brew a pot of coffee immediately. Sniffing the air a little harder, Lova couldn't smell any coffee as she made her way into the middle of the kitchen.
Glancing around, she saw all the pictures were still strung out along the bar just like they left them the other night. Turning to rest her lower back on the bar, she faced the coffee maker and saw that it was completely empty and clean indicating that she was right in assuming that Jayce wasn't awake. Sighing, Lova began to make a pot of coffee for the two whenever they woke up. As the coffee was brewing, Lova found a scrap of paper to write a note telling the two that she would be back later and not to worry, even though she knew they would.
Feeling satisfied with herself, Lova darted back in her room to grab her keys, wallet, and Hermione's letter to make sure she wouldn't get lost looking for where she lived. After locking the door, Lova made her way to the busy London streets to navigate her way to Hermione's. Once she was outside, she realized why Jayce and Leila were still sleeping. According to the sun in the sky, it was still pretty early in the morning. Walking down the streets, she guessed that it was about ten or ten thirty in the morning by the way the sun was sitting in the sky. Lova reached for her cell only to realize that she had forgotten it back in her room. Deciding it was too late now; she proceeded down the street and hoped that forgetting it wouldn't be as bad as she thought.
After about fifteen minutes of walking, Lova reached the address that Hermione had given her. Looking at the apartment building, Lova thought it was a nice building. Not as nice as the one she lived in but she had to remind herself that she was a successful singer and not everyone would be living in the more expensive buildings. As she entered the building, she scanned for the floor that Hermione was living on and continued to the elevator. When the doors dinged and opened, signaling that Lova was on the correct floor, she stepped off and started looking for Hermione's door. As she made her way down the hall, she spotted the numbers at the very end, hidden away from all the other rooms.
Becoming nervous all of the sudden, Lova slowed her pace, as the door became closer and closer. Now standing in front of the door, Lova was taking deep breaths through her nose to try and calm her nerves. After a few moments of this, Lova finally got the courage to lift her fist to knock on the door.
"Coming!" Lova heard Hermione's voice call from within.
Looking down at her hands, Lova started to pick at the skin next to her thumb nail, a nervous habit that she couldn't break. In a few seconds, Lova heard Hermione's footsteps approach the door as she pulled it open.
"Lova!" Hermione announced. "I'm so glad you came!"
Lova smiled as Hermione pulled her into a hug, and surprisingly enough, Lova didn't pull away or think it was odd. It felt nice and comforting, and she knew that her and Hermione were best friends. She couldn't explain how she knew; she just felt it inside of her heart.
"Well come on in. No use standing in the hallway." Hermione opened up her door, allowing Lova to enter into her home.
"Wow." Lova breathed out, taking in the flat. She couldn't believe how big it was on the inside. "It's huge!"
Hermione laughed as she came and stood next to Lova. "I had the inside charmed to be bigger than normal. It's not much bigger but it's just enough for what I need."
Lova looked around the living room they were standing in. Hermione had lovely mahogany colored wood floors that looked to be in every room. The walls were a light tan color that complimented the floors well. A few feet from Lova was an off-white couch that had a matching armchair angled at it. There was an end table separating the chair and the couch with a lamp and a photo displayed on it. Upon further inspection, Lova saw the photo included Hermione, Ron, Harry and herself. They all looked happy, laughing and smiling together. Carefully, Lova picked up the photo and studied it.
"That was the Christmas during our sixth year." Hermione said, watching Lova stare at the picture. "With the war going on, Hogwarts was determined to try and keep everyone's spirits up. One of the students was instructed to go around and take photos of the happier times."
Lova, still holding the photo, turned a looked at Hermione. "Why didn't we go home for the holidays? Any of us?"
"We did. Well, Harry, and Ron went to the Burrow for Christmas while you and I went home. Since we weren't going to be together on Christmas itself, we decided to make our own little celebration between us." Hermione explained, remembering how only a few days after that, she and Ron had a huge fight about something she couldn't even remember now.
Setting the photo back down, Lova stared at Hermione. "What's the Burrow?"
"Oh, right." Hermione shook her head, scolding herself. "It's the magical home that Ron grew up in. His mum and dad and all his siblings lived there and as soon as him and Harry became friends, Harry started going there almost every holiday and summer. Every once in a while, we would go for the holidays or meet up with them during the last few weeks of summer."
Lova pursed her lips and nodded, sitting down in the armchair that was directly behind her. She tried not to force herself to remember any of this. She didn't want to have any headaches or fainting spells today. If she just absorbed the information without thinking about it too much, maybe it would be easier. Maybe, then, she could piece together her life without her head feeling like it was going to burst. Suddenly, a thought struck her.
"Hermione?" Lova began, noticing that Hermione had taken up a spot on her couch. "Why didn't Harry go home to his family?"
Hermione's face fell and she became very silent for a moment. Lova had no idea what she had expected but it certainly wanted this. Quietly, she waited for Hermione to speak so she could learn more about the boy who she was in love with.
"Harry's life is complicated. It always has been. His parents were killed when he was a baby and he was sent to stay with his aunt and uncle. They treated him horribly and they honestly didn't care where Harry went as long as it wasn't an inconvenience to them." Hermione began. "So after he and Ron became friends, Ron's mother immediately took a liking to Harry and insisted that he come and spend as much time with their family as he could. The Burrow was like a second home to Harry, his first being Hogwarts."
Lova's hands were clasped over her mouth, shocked about what she was hearing. Her eyes watered as she thought about terribly Harry was treated. He seemed like such a caring and loving person, she couldn't understand why anyone would treat him in such a way.
"Lova?" Hermione questioned, reaching a hand out to rest on her knee. "Are you alright?"
Lova nodded and wiped her eyes. "I'm sorry. When you said that, my heart ached for Harry and the thought of someone treating him so terribly. He seems like such a caring and loving person. I just don't see how his family could have been that horrible to him."
Hermione smiled when she heard this. "Even though you don't remember, your heart still does."
Lova laughed and had to agree, thinking about how Harry had always been there in her dreams. "Is it okay if I ask you some questions?"
Hermione nodded her head enthusiastically. "Of course, Lov! Ask me anything you want. Just let me know if it gets to be too much and we'll stop, okay?"
"So, Ron's parents, they were magical as well?" Hermione nodded. "Were mine?"
Hermione nodded again. "They were. They were Aurors, which is our type of law enforcement. An Auror is trained to investigate crimes related to the Dark Arts, and apprehend or detain Dark witches and wizards. From what I heard, they were some of the best. They were also part of the Order of the Phoenix, which was a group that was designed to help the Ministry defeat Lord Voldemort and his followers."
Lova stared at Hermione with wide eyes, trying to process this, however she could only understand bits and pieces of what Hermione was telling her. Deciding that this was enough right now, Lova shook her head.
"Okay." Lova breathed out. "I think that's all about that. This is only bringing up more questions instead of giving answers. Maybe later I can hear more but for now, I think that's enough."
"I'm sorry." Hermione bowed her head down. "I wish I could tell you everything but there's just so much! It's hard to believe that you don't remember any of this."
Lova chuckled at this statement. "Oh I know. I'm shocked that I can't remember any of these wonderful things. Magic, witches, wizards, a magical school! I can't believe that all that is gone."
"Kingsley did say there is a chance that you can get your memory back since there are holes. He said that maybe it can be repaired since it's still slightly in tact. It's just a matter of not overwhelming you. Even though this is a magical problem, your mind could still reject the repairing of your memory and could be gone forever or…" Hermione trailed off, forgetting that Kingsley had told her to keep this a secret until Lova was fully assessed.
"What is it, Hermione?" Lova pressed, needing to know what would happen.
"Kingsley is worried about how every time you try and force yourself to remember you get an intense pain in your head and pass out. He's concerned that if your mind rejects the repair, that it could cause too much pain and kill you." Hermione admitted, avoiding Lova's eyes the entire time.
"It could kill me?" Lova whispered, not sure what to think of this. "Could it really kill me?"
Hermione shook her head furiously. "I don't think that it would. I believe that since you still remember little things that your mind is trying to repair memories but it just needs help."
Lova looked over at the photo of the four of them laughing and smiling again. She thought about how for the last two years she had felt empty and like a part of her was missing. As she watched herself in the photo, she felt a little less empty inside. She knew that what was missing was her. In that moment, she decided that she didn't care if it killed her she wanted her memories back. She wanted to know who she was.
