Harry Potter One Shots (Vol. I)

Won't You Stay? (Adrian Pucey)

It wasn't.

"Mrs - Mrs Pucey," I started slowly; she was the very last person I'd ever expected to see. "I - Can I help you?"

"I was hoping we could talk," the older witch started, walking into the room and shutting the door behind her. She stood in front of the door, clutching at her purse as if it would save her when really I was the one who would need saving.

"I have a busy schedule," I tried to reason, hoping for a way out.

"The receptionist agreed to push your appointments back." Defiantly, the pureblooded witch met my eyes and I was forced to remember the last time she had looked at me like that. It was when she'd cornered me with her husband, demanding that I end the relationship I shared with her son. The last time I'd consented to her wishes, knowing it would make Adrian's life easier and would get rid of her, but this time she would not be so easily dismissed.

Averting my eyes, I turned my back to the rack and stashed the bridal robes away once more. I took more time than needed, smoothing down the bag it was stored in and easing an imaginary crease all whilst I gathered the nerve to turn and address the mother of the last real boyfriend I'd had. When I finally did look back at her, as if plucked straight from my nightmare, Mr Pucey had materialised beside his wife. This was the last thing I wanted.

Rolling my lips together, I breathed out shakily as unwanted memories floated into my head. Walking back to the safety of my table, I clutched at the back of my chair and realised that I'd left them standing for a long time. I didn't need them to criticise my manners - my blood status was enough.

"Please," clearing my throat thickly, I didn't meet their eyes and gestured to the chairs lining the wall where mothers and guests who joined the fitting usually sat. "Please, take a seat."

"I'd prefer to stand," Mr Pucey cut in, his harsh voice grating in the gentle quiet of the room. Mrs Pucey, catching the way I jumped slightly, elbowed her husband but they remained standing.

"Thank you, for taking the time to see us," Mrs Pucey started as if the relationship we shared facilitated this kind of polite conversation.

"I would ... appreciate if we could skip the pleasantries and get to the point of this conversation." Uncaring of how rude I might have appeared or even that I was giving them a worse opinion of myself, I wanted to cut this short. If possible, I wanted to spend as little time as possible around them.

"We would like for you to see Adrian," Mrs Pucey said straightforward and although I was grateful that she listened to me, I couldn't help but back away into the wall, needing to put space between us. I shook my head, the negative response on my lips because it would be too painful. To open myself up to Adrian again and to let myself love him again only for them to drive another gap between us, I couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry -"

Mr Pucey always frank - and always the one with the poison tongue, cut in, "My son returned from an Auror mission last year on a stretcher -"

Clutching at the back of the chair and using it to keep my knees straight, I tried to speak over the faint ringing in my ears. "Wait, wait -"

He cared little for my reaction, bulldozering ahead. "He has been unconscious for almost a year now. The Healers say his brain is working and alive but he won't wake up. We think you might be able to help us."

And then there was silence, with none of us saying a word. I couldn't look at them, not when my mind was scrambling and trying to grapple with the idea that Adrian was -

We'd only ended this over a year ago and -

A knock on the door followed by the receptionist calling out for us to hurry up gave me something to cling to. For now, at least, I could focus on work, just until I got home.