Surviving in Harmony

Chapter Nine | London, December 1998

Chapter Nine

London, December 1998

 

                   The little apartment was in a tizzy as Amara ran around trying to make everything perfect. Watching from the other side of the island separating the kitchen and living room, Andrew had to chuckle as he set out the glasses for the evening.

“Mara, it’ll be fine.”

“But what if it isn’t?” she asked, swirling around so the fabric of her dress fawned out in a splash of moss green.

Going up to her, Andrew put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them lightly “It will be.”

The apartment had been emptied almost completely of furniture (not that they had much to begin with) spare a few chairs set up in corners and along the island. Along the walls they had hung Amara’s prints and paintings, none much bigger than legal paper.

Amara loved her art, and was doing a few courses on it on the side of her history degree. She had a twelve year plan, and she was sticking to it; four years to get her history degree, two for a teaching degree, then six years of teaching. Andrew tried to get used to this twelve year plan, fill it up with some of his own ideas for what he could do. But all he could think of was working for the Ministry, visiting Sonia and Max, looking after Teddy. That was all right, he supposed.

As Amara opened her mouth to argue again, the doorbell rang, cuing her to rush over and throw it open, exclaiming in delight at the Muggle students standing outside.

Andrew just shook his head with amusement and went back to the kitchen, calling greetings from there whenever someone came in. He was pouring wine into glasses when he saw Harry and Ginny across the room and waved.

“Andrew!” said Harry happily, and they hugged before Andrew embraced Ginny. “How’s it going?”

He shrugged “Oh, you know. It’s going…good. How’s school Ginny?”

Ginny rolled her eyes “Dull mostly without the old lot around, but Hermione is there so that’s good fun. I only got home today.”

“Well thanks for coming, Mara was really nervous no one would show up.”

“Oh no way!” exclaimed Ginny “This stuff is great, I love her wax paper and oil paint ones.”

“She keeps on telling me what that paper is actually called, but it never sticks.” They laughed and Andrew poured them drinks, directing them over to his favourite ones. It was then that he saw Sonia.

She looked beautiful, less tired and worn out than she had since Max was born. Her bird like body was less skeletal that had been all their lives, most likely from the baby, but it suited her better; she looked healthy, happy. Dark hair in a high ponytail and wearing a long cream dress, she almost looked like Hazel as her eyes drifted over the artwork.

Charlie leaned over to whisper in her ear, and she nodded, sighing. She did look a little tense. Heading towards the bathroom, she left Charlie standing alone in the crowd – it was then that he noticed Andrew.