When the black spots in front of her eyes disappeared, she stared up to three sets of eyes on her, Mr. Ollivander, Minerva and Fred. They all looked down at her worried.
"Are you alright, miss?" The wandmaker asked. Fred held out his hand to help her up, she looked from his hand to his face before she accepted it, still shivering as they touched. Mr. Ollivander didn't even blink at the invisible force that pulled her up.
"What happened?" Minerva asked. Leah tore her gaze away from Fred and looked at the headmistress.
"Mr. Ollivander told me to look around, to see if I could find, sense the right wand for me. Then I found this one." She twirled the silver stick easily between her fingers. "When I touched it, a warm feeling ran through my body and then I saw ghosts, a lot of them. My grandfather, Nan... Addie. They said my name and disappeared right as I fell to the floor."
"Let's sit down, you still look a bit shaken." Minerva gestured to the armchairs at the window. They sat down and Mr. Ollivander conjured another one for him. Fred crouched down next to her seat, his eyes didn't waver from her. "Here." Minerva offered her a smile and a piece of chocolate. "How do you feel?"
"Better now. It was just shock, I think, seeing them all."
"Did you recognize them all?"
"No." Leah's eyebrows gathered. "But I think I must have some kind of connection to them, otherwise I would see every deceased person in the world." She let out a hollow chuckle.
"How does that stick feel in your hand?" Fred grinned, and for the first time in days she smiled back at him, making his heart jump once again.
"Like it always belonged there, but I still think I look stupid."
"Nothing stupid about you, love." He placed his hand over hers as they stared at each other, forgetting for a moment they weren't the only one in the room.
Leah cleared her throat and looked back to the others, Fred dropped her hand reluctantly. "We better get going, Minerva. Still have to pack up my things and send the letter."
"Yes." Minerva said as she saw Fred's colour change. "I made us an appointment at Gringotts in two hours, we can go to your flat first."
"Gringotts?"
"Yes, you'll need your own account here in the wizarding world. We can transfer some of your funds to Gringotts."
"Oh, alright." She said as she rose from her seat. She looked back at Fred, who was still crouched down next to her seat. "I - uhm- see you later."
And the two witches walked out the shop. Mr. Ollivander stood up slowly and looked in Fred's direction. "Well, whoever you are, you are free to wonder about. But don't mess up my system."
"There's a system?" Fred chuckled in surprised as the older wizard walked to the back of the store.
Leah was twirling her wand between her fingers, looking at the engravings as they walked through Diagon Alley. Minerva was watching her from the corner of her eye. When they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, Leah tucked the wand in her back pocket as she started going for the door to the muggle world.
"Leah, maybe we should apparate. I don't think we'll have enough time otherwise."
"A-apparate? I've only used the floo."
"Just hold onto me." She held out her arm and Leah looped hers. "Close your eyes, it will help."
Leah did as she was told and closed her eyes and she gripped Minerva's arm tight, but the headmistress didn't say anything. It felt like her stomach had done a few backflips as they apparated, she kept her eyes closed, feeling nauseous.
"Deep breaths." Minerva said as she placed her hands on her shoulders. "We're at your flat. But only open your eyes until the nausea is gone."
Leah stood there in presumably her flat, with her eyes closed taking deep breaths, calming down her stomach. With one deep last breath she opened her eyes. She looked around her flat, everything laid just the same from the day she left. "I'll just go pack some things. You can sit down or look around if you want." She said before she headed to her bedroom. She grabbed the suitcase from under her bed and started throwing her clothes inside, not taking the time to properly fold them. After all her clothes were packed, she dragged her suitcase to the living room. Where Minerva was looking out the window, lost in thought.
"Minerva? I don't know how it works at Hogwarts, but can I take my computer with me?"
The former Professor turned away from the window and looked at her surprised. "Magic and electricity don't work well together but we can try to isolate your room but that means you can't practice magic there."
"I think Hogwarts is big enough for me to practice somewhere else." She smiled.
"What do you want to bring?"
"Uhm." She said looking around. "My computer and if possible, my TV and PS?"
"PS?" Her voice curious.
"You remember my work? I make games to play on a PlayStation. I can show you if you want?"
"No, no." She chuckled waving her hand.
"Hm, I'll convince you." She grinned. "How are we going to take everything with us?" She asked as she packed books and movies in her suitcase.
"I'll shrink everything so it can all fit in a box." She said looking around and found an empty box next to a stack of cassettes. "Here." She waved her wand across the room and the TV, computer and the PS started to shrink. Twenty minutes and a lot of packing and shrinking later they were ready to go. Leah looked at her flat for one last time, feeling like she's leaving her old life behind, before she picked up the box and Minerva loosely grabbed her shoulder before poof.
When they arrived back at Diagon Alley, Leah quickly stepped out the tavern to the muggle side to post her letter. When she came back in, they still had an hour to kill before they were expected at Gringotts.
"What now?"
"If you don't mind, I would like to visit WWW, I've been wondering about their shop for years."
"Really?" Leah asked surprised as she grinned at her. "I think George might faint when you'll enter the shop, afraid you'll confiscate everything." They walked out the tavern and turned to the joke shop's direction.
A smile formed on Minerva's lips at the thought. "Can I ask what happened between you and Mr. Weasley?"
"George? Nothing."
"Not George."
"Oh." Damn! She thought. "Like you probably already figured out, I'm a straightforward, honest person. I thought- we were growing close, you know. And I told him how I felt but he just played me so I would help him get back to his family. I would have done it either way, but I don't like being played like that. I'll still bring him back but after..."
Minerva watched the young woman as she had pulled her wand back out when she was talking. She was playing with it, sparks already flying out of its tip as her feelings ran through her body.
"Leah, I don't know what happened but maybe you should talk to him."
"I already talked to him; asked him." She said shaking her head. "No, this is for the best."
"Hm." Minerva hummed but didn't press and soon they stood in front of the loud and colourful shop of the Weasley twins. "Well, this screams Weasley twins, doesn't it?"
Leah started to laugh as even Minerva let a chuckle slip. "You ready, Headmistress McGonagall?"
"Lead the way."
Leah pushed open the door and let Minerva walked in before her. She watched as Minerva's eyes went comically large as she glanced around the shop. Then she recognized the curly brown hair behind the register.
"Oh, Minerva. Hermione is here. How are we going to explain this?" She whispered just loud enough for Minerva to hear and that her voice would carry over the noise in the shop.
"We can just say you'll be helping out our new muggle studies professor with some of your gaming stuff."
"Stuff?" Leah chuckled. "Alright, is there really someone new starting?"
"Yes, he came over from New York. I've been teaching the class, but I don't have the time or enough knowledge to teach it."
"I can imagine. Headmistress and teaching Transfiguration and muggle studies? Phew!" She said as Minerva smiled at one of the fake wands she picked up. "What's his name? Because you know Hermione, she asks a lot of questions."
"Derek Hill."
"Do my eyes deceive me or is the headmistress of Hogwarts School for witchcraft and wizardry, browsing in my shop?" George's loud voice came suddenly from behind them.
Minerva and Leah turned as they both held a box of dungbombs in their hands. The smile on George's face was so wide, Leah was afraid it would get stuck.
"Hi, George." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Do you mind if I put my things in the back? We have an appointment at Gringotts in forty minutes."
"Yeah, sure. You know the way." Leah smiled and walked to the curtain and heard George call out. "I'll give Minnie the grand tour."
Hermione was busy ringing up costumers, she didn't see Leah walk past and slip behind the curtain. She nearly dropped her box as she thought the backroom was empty. But there was Fred sitting on a desk watching a good-looking guy with long dreadlocks stirring in a cauldron.
"Hi." She said as she steps in further. The two heads snapped up in her direction. She avoided looking at Fred's piercing blue and confused eyes and looked to the still unfamiliar guy. "George said I could put my things here; I have meeting at Gringotts later. I'm Leah." She said friendly and held out her hand to the still stunned boy. He shook his head and plastered on his winning smile.
"I'm Lee, enchanté." The boy named Lee bowed deep and kissed her hand. Fred was sending daggers at his friend but of course he didn't see or even know that he was there.
"Ah, yes Lee. I heard a lot about you."
"Really? All good things I hope?" He grinned. "Although if it came from George probably not." Lee had the same twinkle in his eyes the twins had.
"A mixture of the two." She teased.
"I'll take that. George told me somethings about you too, you want to invest in the muggle line?"
"I have some idea's yes. I grew up in the muggle world."
"Just like our little bookworm in front, have you met her?"
"Hermione? Yes, I've met her." She chuckled.
"Uhm, Leah?" Lee said suddenly, his teasing voice gone. "I'm sorry about Fred. George told me you two were a thing?"
"Yeah... but the war happened before it got serious. I'm sorry too. I know you practically grew up with him." Leah said softly and saw Lee shudder as he thought of his lost best friend. Fred still sat on the desk as he watched his best friend, crumble in front of the girl he loved.
Leah saw his shoulders shake as he started to cry. She closed the distance quickly and pulled him into a hug as he cried on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry." She whispered as she looked over his shoulder to Fred, locking eyes. "Everything will be alright, I promise."
She held him for a few minutes in the silent backroom. "Do you want me to get George?"
"No." Lee pulled away. "No, he's finally doing better. I don't want him to see me like this." He wiped away his tears. "I'm sorry, I didn't-"
"No, it's fine, really. Everyone deserves a little break down every once in a while, I had one not too long ago."
"Thanks." Lee chuckled. "What a great first impression I make, he."
"Your first impression was already made by the twins, so no worries." Lee let out a laugh as he went back to stand behind the cauldron. "I better get back out there before Minerva really starts to confiscate George's things.
"McGonagall is here?" The two boys yelled, and Fred jumped of the desk as Lee ran out the room. "I NEED to see that."
Leah turned back grinning and found Fred watching her, her smile faltered. She went to turn around, but Fred grabbed her hand gently. She turned back, looking at the ground. "I need to go safe Minerva from those two."
"Minnie can handle herself." Fred whispered quietly as his other hand grazed his cheek. "I still can't believe I can touch you."
"By next week, you'll be able to touch everyone."
"Next week?" Fred asked in a nervous voice. She looked up at him, seeing panic in his eyes.
"Yes, we can do it this Sunday. I'll be fully rested; the shop is closed. We can do it then. You can go back to your family, your friends."
"What - what about you?"
She casts her eyes back down. "I'll be at Hogwarts, learning how to be witch, how to control my sight."
"And us?"
Her eyes shot back up, angry. "Us? There is no us, you've made that clear, Fred!" She practically shouted and pulled her hand away as she turned to the curtain.
"Leah!"
"You know what's crazy?" She asked as she stopped right before the curtain and glanced over her shoulder to Fred. "What you did, playing me like that. It hurt more than when I broke up with Nate." And with that she walked past the curtain, letting it fall shut behind her.