Squib Who Scrubbed | ON HOLD

Chapter Forty-Nine

Tania's day wasn't nearly close enough to being over as she wanted it to be, and it was only mid afternoon. She felt like the beginning of the day had started a week ago and the end of it was a week away.

"Today has been such a rollercoaster. I'm not sure anything else could surprise me. Merlin himself could walk through the door and I honestly wouldn't care." Tania said, watching Joshua chop the onions into tiny pieces. "How are you not cutting your fingers?"

"Practice, Ani. Lots of practice. What's made the day so long?"

"It's two thirty and I've already had serious discussions with both Draco and Luke."

Joshua accidently cut himself in surprise and swore violently. At the news or the cut, Tania wasn't sure. "Did Draco recognize you?"

"No, but he's always been oblivious."

"So he's always been an insolent twat?"

"I wish I could disagree."

Joshua laughed. "A product of his upbringing, no doubt. What did Luke want to talk about? Come to beg forgiveness and be in a relationship with you again, probably."

"Kind of. He did want forgiveness...something about lack of communication being our downfall. He didn't want to be in a relationship again though. Just friends, as he put it." Tania explained as Joshua tossed the onions into a bowl and started working on peppers.

"Just friends, my butt. He wanted for you to ask him out again. For you to begin the relationship so it looked less pathetic on his part. What did you say?"

"Told him I'd think on it. What are you making?"

"I'm giving Fitch a surprise cake. He thought he could hide something from me, and I have found out. So I'm going to hide something from him and let him find out. See how he likes it." Joshua said, and smiled deviously. "He isn't going to have a clue what hit him."

Tania couldn't help the laughter spilling out from her. "Please make sure I'm there. Tell him I want a piece or something. That's going to priceless. I can't wait to see his face." She hopped down from the counter and walked towards the door. "I'm going to have to make it look like I'm doing something now. Bye.

"Have fun."

The hours dragged by, and finally as she neared the end of her last shift, the last person she expected to walk in to the Leaky Cauldron entered.

It was like seeing a ghost, of who she could have been. For a second, she had thought Andromeda - for who else could this be - was her mother. Shock rippled through Tania, as she drunk in the image of a woman who she wished to have known.

Andromeda appeared hesitant to do anything, looking cautiously around the Leaky Cauldron, before sitting at one of the far tables. Tania tried to not panic for the third time today, slinking behind the bartop into the kitchen, wondering what she was supposed to do.

Andromeda obviously wasn't a regular, and coming by herself meant this wasn't a social call for anyone else. Maybe this was it, and she was finally going to meet her aunt.

Yet despite her anticipation, Tania felt anger as well. It had been over a month, nearly two months, since she had first sent the letter, and only now had Andromeda shown up to reply. She hadn't even sent a letter to acknowledge that she had received it - merely ignored her until now.

So when Sophie came into the kitchen, glowing with excitement at Andromeda wanting to see Tania, she was less than enthusiastic. Nevertheless, at Sophie and Fitch's encouragement, she went to meet her aunt for the first time.