all too well - Theodore Nott

chapter 1

Annie is a Hufflepuff muggle-born who one day last year was walking back to her common room when she got petrified by the Basilisk. Selene and Cas had been devastated. Selene hardly left the Hospital Wing, hoping that she would eventually wake up. She had skipped classes, falling behind in her schoolwork just to sit there and stare at her best friend's still body, face frozen in fear.

Selene stared at the book in the cage, her mouth hanging slightly open. She turned to the distressed clerk behind the counter who was nervously wringing his hands while his hair stood up on end and glasses sat lopsided on his nose.

"That's the book?"

"Do you need one?" He asked, begging with his eyes that she said no.

She gave him a sympathetic smile, "Yeah."

"Better make that two," came a soft voice behind Selene. She spun around to see Annie. Her blonde hair was a mess, bangs were pushed to the sides of her beaming face. Selene was the one to lunge this time, pulling her best friend close. She hugged her so tight that she wasn't sure how Annie could still breathe.

"Why are you always so late?" Selene joked, finally letting go and staring at her friend's face which was so full of life now that it was hard to imagine there was a time it was not.

Annie took a step back and ran a hand through her hair, smiling. Annie had a slight gap in her teeth on the right side barely noticeable because It was almost always hidden unless she smiled wide enough. This was one of those times.

"My mom wanted to take a lot of pictures plus I slept in so it kind of delayed the whole process," She shrugged, her smile still huge.

"My dad took photos too before I left," Selene groaned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Ah yes, how were the America's?"

"It was okay," Selene said, smiling at the thought of the hot days when she and her mother would spend the entire day at the beach, lounging in the sun, splashing water on each other.

"How come you always come back sounding even more American?" Annie smiled teasingly.

"I know right?" Cas said, rounding a bookshelf, carrying a stack of books precariously, "I'm afraid we may have lost her."

"Please," Selene said, paying for the snapping book that was belted on the counter, slightly shaking. She glanced at the Clerk who looked even more disheveled after his most recent encounter with the book, "I still have a British accent."

"No," Cas said while Annie shook her head in mock sadness, "It is a mix of American and British. Some words you say sound normal and others sound American. But don't worry, it's charming."

Selene smiled and shook her head at her friends who were horrible liars, "I have to pick up my mother's broom from the repair shop. You two go get us seats at the Leaky Cauldron."

"I'm here to pick up a broom, it is under my mother's name, Leila Parkinson."

The worker behind the counter was old, with a large head of curly white hair and big wired-rim glasses. He slowly blinked at her before flipping papers and muttering her mother's name over and over.

"Ah." He said, finding her mother's name and tapping it with his finger "I'll go get it, ma'am."

"Thank you," Selene said, pulling out her drawstring bag made out of a rough fabric that held her money. She began counting the coins out on the counter, the clink of the coins hitting the counter creating a steady rhythm.

"Ms. Parkinson, what a lovely surprise."

Selene's hand froze. She knew that voice. She hated that voice. Trying to keep her face neutral, she slowly turned around to meet the cold blue eyes of Elias Nott. A shiver went through Selene's body but she forced a smile onto her lips. Her eyes flickered down to Theodore Nott but he was not looking at her, choosing instead to intently stare at the different brooms hanging on the wall.

"Are you trying out for Quidditch?" Mr. Nott asked, drawing her eyes away from Theodore and back to him.

"Oh no. It is my mom's broom," Selene said, looking around for the old man who was nowhere in sight.

"Theodore is," Mr. Nott continued not caring about her answer, "He is trying out for Beater"

"Oh really?" Selene said fighting back a smile "I'm sure he has a lot of practice beating."

Theodore's eyes snapped down to meet hers, then narrowed. He opened his mouth to say something but the old man was back like a savior from heaven, carrying her carefully wrapped broom.

"Thank you," She smiled, sliding the money across the counter.

She turned and walked out the door nodding goodbye at the Notts. Once outside the door, she shivered again. Not because of the air but because of the man in that shop. Mr. Nott was one of those people who seemed polite to you in a mocking way. In a way that made you feel lesser than him because he was nice. It was all fake though. Every smile he flashed, every 'nice to meet you' and 'have a good day' he said. Selene knew what he was capable of.

She rubbed the left side of her stomach with her hand, feeling the scars beneath her shirt as she pushed into the Leaky Cauldron and saw a sea of red hair. The Weasleys sat around a table along with HermioneGranger and Harry Potter. Looking away from their table, she scanned the room for her friends.

An arm looped through Selenes and she looked over to see Cas, "Come on El, the table is over here. Annie saw a group of friends from her summer Herbology program so she left with them but she will be back later."

"Okay," Selene said as Cas dragged her to their table that was loaded with shopping bags. Sliding into a chair at the table and letting her supply bags and broom fall to the floor with a thud, she heaved a sigh of relief, "Are we all sharing a room here tonight and going to the station together tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it sounds good to me," Cas said sliding a plate of food over to Selene.

They sat for a few minutes eating in silence but not awkward silence. Happy silence that feels natural. There was a loud shout from the Weasley table and Selene glanced over at them.

"Oh my gosh!" Selene said, mouth full and her words mushing together as a thought suddenly pushed into her head.

"Don't talk with your mouth full dear," Cas said, taking a sip of Butterbeer.

Once there was no more food in her mouth, Selene gave Cas a disbelieving look, "All summer, all of our letters included one topic and one topic only and now you haven't mentioned it once. I forgot about it because we had so many other things to tell each other but don't think you're getting away with it this easily."

Cas groaned, wiping her mouth, "I thought you forgot."

"Forgot?" Selene asked incredulously, "Forgot? How could I forget?"

"Lower your voice, woman," She said looking around to make sure no one heard.

Selene rolled her eyes but lowered her voice anyway, "How are things with you and Cho?"

Cas took a sip of water taking time to respond, "It did not end great."

"Aw, Cas why? What happened?" She reached across the table and took Cas's hand.

"She just said she did not want to hang out anymore," Her voice was steady but when you have known a friend as long as Selene has known Cas you can tell when they are hurt.

"She does not deserve you," Selene said, throwing her hands up in the air, "I have always said it."

"No, you have not," Cas laughed, some of the hurt draining from her eyes, "I have letter proof of you saying how perfect we would be together."

"Was not me," Selene shrugged, taking a sip of water, "Someone stole my letters."

Something on the wall by their table caught her eye. It was a Wanted poster with Sirius Black's face on it. He was glaring at them through the photo, silently screaming.

Cas followed her eyes and sighed, "I hope they find him. I wanted to have a normal year this year."

"We go to school with Harry fucking Potter. I don't think we will ever have a normal year."