Time Astral | Sirius Black

1||Woman in Black

It had been too long since she'd taken a break, Zoya realised with a yawn.

What time was it - better, what year was it? How long had she been dozing off at the counter?

That was how it went in muggle shops she mused inwardly, no one seemed to care about anything but themselves in Diagon Alley where she'd last worked. Nearly six months ago. Here, people went out of their ways to greet each other, muggles nodding and smiling at every passing stranger.

Hell, she'd seen women compliment one another's outfit - something, that certainly did not happen in wizarding areas.

But then it was justified. With looming threats over those who dwelled magic within themselves, it was only fair they were in rush to get home safe. Even though it had been ten years since the darkest wizard yet had been vanquished.

By a baby, one which was going to attend his third year at Hogwarts this year if the Daily Prophet was right. Which she thought, of course was. Especially if the article was written by Rita Skeeters. The witch was known for her exaggeration, but the drop of truth always remained in her articles.

Zoya braced her arms on the glass counter, and took a breath. Once. Twice. Then got up and forced her arse to not buckle up with exhaustion - or perhaps lack of activity for she sat it on the chair behind the glass the entire day.

It was nearing five P.M, Zoya's break before she came back at five forty-five and shut the shop of antiquities at seven.

The dreamcatcher swiveled in the wind as the woman in her sixties shut the door to her shop and locked it twice, making sure it was safe and secured before heaving a sigh as she stepped on the little stairway leading down to the pavement.

As old as Zoya was, she looked no more than twenty five. Old magic, one she would never admit to another soul.

The blocks on this road mostly contained an old liquor shop, a departmental store, an automobile repair shop and her own. The other side of the road had a playground which was mostly empty during this time. She had no idea why the kids never came to play here, but she and the other shopkeepers would perhaps blame it on the moody old woman who lived right beside the playground, her balcony overlooking the place.

Zoya had often heard her yelling at the kids, watching their movements like a hawk. She'd once seen a teenage girl cry when she'd been caught making out with her boyfriend after what she supposed was a sappy and cute moment on the swings, apparently, she'd been given a tough one from the woman about something she didn't deign worthy of remembering.

That had been five months ago. In the early weeks she'd come here.

Zoya waved and grinned at the old man who smoked outside the departmental store, the male waving back with an amused chuckle as she hopped on the footpath, her denim carpenter stretching as she bent down to pick up a funny looking rock.

Zoya smiled and started walking, rotating the smoothly carved rock in her hands when she heard it. A faint buzz - more like a crack. If she hadn't known better, hadn't been a witch, she would've assumed it was nothing more than another muggle doing something with their weird devices.

But she knew precisely what that kind of crack was, and she knew well enough that no wizard or witch ever visited any place even near the one Zoya resided in. That was enough to keep her from sprinting. She would only attract attention to herself.

But apparently, that was the right thing to do when the person had indeed come for you. Zoya realised a tad bit later that a witch in all black was grinning and speeding towards her. Needless to say, she ran.