The four years between 1914 to 1918 would forever be marked in Roxanne's memory. She had barely reached her late 20s when the First World War happened.
Positioned at St. Mungo's as a healer at the beginning of the war, an undercover Roxanne would soon face death in the eyes of many patients she would have to save.
While Wizards and Witches were not allowed to participate in the Muggle war, at the beginning; they eventually did join. For the casualties were growing and the enemy started to have more magical beings joining them with each passing day.
The casualties and the attacks requested many healers to come to the front lines or move across Britain and even the world to help wounded wizards and witches.
Roxanne volunteered herself and along with a few others; joined the war. She saw casualties of both muggles and wizards alike, sometimes treating both with spells or potions. She was the only Healer to do that, not caring about secrecy as much as she cared for the lives of the soldiers.
What first started as a solo act, soon inspired other healers to do the same as more and more wizards started to take initiatives for the greater good of both kinds. The risk of being exposed was big but the difference they made to the war was even bigger.
And when the war finally ended in 1918, the world seemed to finally calm down. The world moved on but Roxanne found it hard to.
The things she saw made her question her occupation and slowly her motivation started to disappear. She remained a head healer at the hospital of St. Mungo's for a few more years but eventually retired.
Her participation and risks, though, were not in vain. For the British Ministry of Magic awarded her for saving hundreds of lives, wizards and muggles included. Her efforts hadn't gone noticed during the war either and a few articles had been written about the mysterious healer or the miracle-scaled saves that took place.
She became famous for a while but soon Albus would take the spotlight with his 12 different uses of Dragon Blood. After almost 20 years, the article about him and his research was the first piece of information she got for her childhood friend ever since Arianna's death.
However, she did not make any move to approach or write to him. Instead, she continued on with her life and moved forward, not expecting to meet him from close after so long and in the most unexpected way possible.
It was mid-summer of 1925 and the Hogwarts castle was empty of people. The students had left for summer, as did the teachers. Only one had chosen to remain back, the ever-loved Transfiguration Teacher; Albus Dumbledore.
He didn't exactly have a place to go, the relationship with his brother was still broken. Small steps had been made but the two of them rarely talked, Aberforth having taken the death of Arianna much heavier than anyone else.
So, he chose to reside in the castle where he had so many memories as he grew up and what had become his latest sanctuary over the years as a teacher.
The kids loved him and he was natural at teaching, finding ways to keep lessons interactive and interesting. What few knew, was the fact that an interactive lesson was never his idea.
Rather he took inspiration from a smile Hufflepuff he knew, who helped him and his dear friend with potions in a similar way; always knowing how to catch their interest in the topic they were studying.
During that summer, Albus was roaming the halls of Hogwarts. He had been informed by the Dean that somewhere in mid-summer, a delivery would arrive.
Hogwarts had a secret provider, who made sure they always had all the ingredients they needed to make potions or healing ointments. Yet, no one has truly seen that provider. At least, no one from the teachers and only the Dean seemed to know their identity.
So, with nothing else to do, Albus decided to try and meet this mysterious provider. He had made an elaborate plan and often patrolled the hallways in hopes of catching them.
A part of him made him wish that he could have some sort of enchanted map to show him exactly, who was present at the castle. Too bad that nothing like that ever existed but he was tempted to invent it if he failed to find this provider.
He tried every day and had memorised the selves, so he would know if the provider came when he was not present. For two weeks he tried and for two weeks he failed, making him question his plan and his approach.
One random day, he was casually walking the hallways of the lowest floor of the castle. tually heading for the Dungeons when he happened to pass in front of the Potions Classroom.
The usual locked door was half open and a figure could be seen inside, working on the shelves.
Albus pushed the door open, the old rusty hinges making a small creaking noise that drew the attention of the person inside the room. The person under the black cloak froze for a moment before they turned, exposing to be the Potions Teacher.
"Magnus" Albus said with a small fake smile, making his way towards the potions Teacher. "I didn't expect to see you back before the start of the school year"
Magnus was a middle-aged man with Grey receding hair and a small belly and he was rather short for a man of that era. His dark eyes were hooded and his eyebrows so thin, one would think he didn't have any.
"Albus" he greeted not back, yet. I came for a quick visit to get some ingredients I need"
Albus stood a few feet away from the shorter man, an over-friendly smile on his face that would make anyone uneasy. "Of course. Perhaps I can help you find them" he offered.
Magnus cleared his throat faintly. "That is a very generous offer from you, Albus. However, there is no need. I can handle it"
Albus nodded his head. "Of course. Let me leave you to it" he said and turned his back before casually walking away. However, he came to a halt in front of the door. "How is Romania, by the way?"
"Quite lovely this time of the year. You should think of visiting it one day" Magnus said, after a small moment of hesitation.
The younger wizard smirked as he slowly turned to face him. "Odd, for I was certain you were from Hungary" There was a sudden silence between the two of them, no word being exchanged. In seconds, Albus had his wand out and pointed it at 'Magnus'. "Revelio" he said but nothing happened.
His confused expression seemed to amuse 'Magnus'. "You should know that Metamorphmagi are immune to that spell," he said, the voice changed to a more feminine one.
Before the young wizard could say more, 'Magnus' started to change. His body grew taller and thinner, prominent female characteristics appearing all over. The face became thinner and the hair became longer. T
heir shade changed to a deep black but it was the eyes. For there was only one person, he had ever met, to have this shade of amber.
"Roxie" he breathed out her name, his lips parted.
In all those years, not once did he stop thinking about her. He constantly dreamt of their time together and often tried to find her or send her an owl but she had gone under the radar for good.
He never expected to see her, let alone so soon. Despite all his efforts being in vain, he never stopped searching and trying to find more about her but he always came empty-handed.
Now, however, she was standing right in front of him.
She had matured nicely, her face having been formed and her faint cheekbones showing under specific light. Her straight black hair was at shoulder length and she had aged, but she still looked far younger than she should be.
With the cloak, he could not truly see the full extent of her body but he could see that she had taken good care of herself. She looked composed and mature.
Even her smile was not as innocent or radiant as it used to be, instead had a hint of sadness. And her eyes...
Those beautiful almost golden irises seemed to have darkened, being slightly duller than he remembered. Yet, they still stood out against her fair complexion, now being a little closer to a dark orange-brown in shade.
No matter what, in his eyes, she looked as beautiful as she always did. For a moment, he stared at her just as he had stared at her the night of the Yule Ball.
"I see you have yet to work that stare of yours" she joked, making him clear his throat and compose himself.
"I...yes...I am sorry...I just didn't expect you to be"
"Hogwarts secret supplier for Potion ingredients?" She asked as she took a few steps closer. "That was the point of being a secret. Although, I will admit...your little hunt for me was a fresh air" she said as she stood in front of him, being merely half a head lower than him.
She stared into his blue eyes, seeing all that suffering and pain he held all those years. Faint wrinkles had formed at the edges of his eyes, the years of mental torture getting the best of him.
"I looked for yreally had you lost until I saw that article about this war healer" he explained, a small smile on his lips. "Wasn't that surprised to find it was you...but when I tried to find you later, there was no clue as if you-
She cut him short by placing her hand against his cheek, feeling the tickling sensation of the faint coarse haid he had started to grow. Her smile became softer and her eyes sweeter as he leaned slightly against her palm.
"I am sorry, Albus. I left the hospital soon after. I had to lay low once again, because of that article"
Albus understood without her needing to say anything more. Gellert was still out there, looking for the Hallows and most specifically the Elder Wand.
While he might not approach Albus directly to continue their old plans, that did not mean he would not try to approach Roxanne instead.
It was unknown to both of them what would happen if he ever found her, for even she didn't know what answer she would give her. All those years in hiding didn't truly help her understand and sort her emotions for him or even Albus.
After the death of Arianna, she wished for a new start where she could save herself from making the same mistakes.
He respected that and did not blame her. He left for France in hopes of finding some solace and even after all those years, he had never truly gotten over what happened the night of the duel.
He placed his hand on top of hers, having missed such intimate contact. After she and Gellert, Albus could never look at anyone else the same way. He didn't let anyone try and come closer, let alone be more physical with him.
He simply couldn't.
"Stay for a little bit. Let's have a cup of tea and catch up, for old time's sake" he said, almost pleading as he looked deep into her eyes with the inner need of a child.
"Some tea wouldn't hurt," she said with a smile, making him smile in return and just that little sparkle of life seemed to return in their eyes after all those years of darkness.