Emily Potter - Book 5 - Order of the Phoenix

Chapter 1 - Oxfordshire

"I'll be fine." I replied, smiling meekly. Aunt Minerva nodded, instructing me to go to the supermarket to pick up the groceries later. She left.

Nicholas Wood has been owling me often, saying that he was sorry for not saying his condolences and farewells before departing for home last year. We've become good friends actually. Ray has been owling me as well, I recently sent an anniversary card for her and her girlfriend since they have reached their one year anniversary.

Draco and I never had an anniversary. Not that I mind but when you think about it, we had a relationship that spanned from the late-1992 until late-1993. And yet we never celebrated anything. Then again, I was worried about an escaped prisoner in my 3rd year and was competing in a life or death Wizarding game so maybe it wasn't a proper time for such celebration.

Speaking of which, Aunt Narcissa dropped off a letter by her Eagle. It was short, thank Merlin. She says that she apologizes for her son's rude behaviour towards me and my brother, and that I am still welcome in her household, regardless of the circumstances, and that she hopes that I someday will visit her for tea.

She's such a nice lady, what an odd turn for Draco, that no good worm.

I have been receiving letters from him, but I refused to open them at all, I only chucked them in my junk drawer, and hoped for the best. I'm not even sure how to deal with him in the upcoming term; it'll be hard for sure since we both are in the same house. Even harder when I see him, don't get me wrong, boyfriends/girlfriends come and go just like that but friends are hard to let go, and Draco was my best friend.

But he betrayed me, he spoke and bore ill-will to my brother and therefore me...That's it, I don't care if he sends an entire parliament of owls, our friendship has bit the dust ever since he opened his fowl mouth to that Skeeter woman.

I erased everything that reminded me of him, I hid old photos of us together in the attic along with other junk like his letters, trinkets, and my ring. I've worn that ring for four years, and now I just flung it into a box in the attic. I had to cast a fire protection charm on it, just in case he was calling me through it and it combusted into flames.

I decided to go ahead to the supermarket since it was only a block away. I haven't been outside much during the summer, I only stayed either my room or in the yard where I practiced baseball. Baseball is the closest Muggle sport I can think of that's near to batting a Bludger, it's been good help for me since I'm not allowed to use magic seeing that I live in a place consisting mostly of Muggles.

"Nice bike,"

I turned and saw Dan looking over the hedge separating his house from mine, "Thanks." Dan and I haven't spoken to each other much since I moved here, primarily because I don't go out of the house quite often. When I rode my bike down the street, I noticed him riding his as well behind me. Much later, when I was a few inches away from approaching the supermarket, Dan was already chaining his bike to the pole and then ran in. I shrugged off the feeling that he was following me, and went inside as well.

I approached the cashier (who is also a witch, I may add) and asked for Aunt Minerva's grocery order for pick-up; handing her the payment for it. I noticed that Dan was also talking to another cashier, requesting for his mother's grocery order as well.

"Here you are, Miss Potter." The nice lady cashier/witch said, handing me a brown paper bag which contained the groceries, "Say hello to Professor for me." She said with a bright smile before returning to her station. It baffles me that witches/wizards here in Oxfordshire still look at me the same compared to those magical beings who live in London, who think that I and Harry are lunatics for thinking that Voldemort's back.