Granger Danger ⇗ Fred Weasley

Ch. 35: I'm Sorry [Part Two]

dedicated to AmberWeasley936 for a cute jewelry store dream that I'm stealing - credits to her ;)

Ch. 35: I'm Sorry [Part Two]

Song For This Chapter: Lay Me Down - Sam Smith [listen to this bruh]
             dramatic, grab some twizzlers and popcorn [sorry Ron, but twizzlers FTW]

 

     "Elle, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Hermione asked me, for what felt like the millionth time now as we strolled down the bitter, snow frosted, streets of Diagon Alley. There were less people around than usual. It was a day before Christmas Eve, but the shops were almost all boarded up, thanks to Death Eater attacks. 

     My heart churned apprehensively in my chest. No, "Yeah, why do you ask?" 

          "You just seem really down. Is it because of what the Healer said?"

     Chuckling, I shook my head, feeling fake as I forced my eyes to crinkle in feigned happiness. "No, don't even worry about it, 'Mione. I'm fine, really. Let's get some ice cream."

     Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour was one of the remaining shops that still received regular business, and as we walked in, it still had it's charming warmth to it. I remembered the first time I had visited this place. I was with Hermione; she and I were just starting to get to know each other and she had been telling me about her friends, Harry Potter to be exact. 

     Those days seemed to have passed within the blink of an eye. It was a wonder how I'd adjusted so well. 'Well,' I reminded myself, feeling low once more as we stepped up to the ice cream bar to order our sweets, 'Almost well adjusted.'

     Hermione decided on orange tart and pumpkin juice while I ordered Lavender and Earl Grey, the most logical combination I could think of at the moment. As we sat down at a small booth, I groaned a sigh of relief, shedding my over coat. It felt nice to be out of the cold, and as I pulled my coat into my lap, I fluffed out my frizzed hair, shaking the clumps of snow flakes from it. 

     "So, what are we doing today?" I asked her, spooning some tea flavored cream into my mouth while Hermione swirled her ice cream with her spoon, seeming as if to be in a far away place.

     Hermione dropped her spoon and offered me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I was just thinking." She pulled her hand up from underneath the table and rested her chin on it, turning her focus onto me. "Barely anyone is here today."

     "Well," I mused, eyes passing towards the wide window my sister and I were seated at, watching the snow lightly drift to the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. "It is during a snow fall. Plus, with everything going on, I don't imagine that this place would be exactly 'hopping'." 

     Hermione sighed watched the few, rushing shoppers race past the window, heads shielded from the bitter wind and sleet. The snow was quickly melting towards more slippery consistency, and I shivered at the thought of going back out there. 

     "You're right," Hermione nodded, scooping up some brightly dyed ice cream. I nodded in response and ate some more of my tea flavored one.

          Time continued on this way: small talk and devouring ice cream. 

     "You want to go window shopping?" Hermione asked, scraping the bottom of her cup. "We haven't really got much to do today," she suggested, tucking her hanging end of her scarf under her coat, not wanting it to drape over her empty dessert cup. 

     "Okay," I nodded, slowly sliding out of our booth and tossing my empty cup in the bin while Hermione scrambled up to follow me, a happy smile on her lips. "But, it's cold so where do you wanna go that is close?" I smirked at her, sliding my arms into the heavy over coat, feeling as chilly as the weather outside.