It's OK To Not Be Ok...Right?

4.Start Of Something New

Sloane stopped in the foyer of the Ministry. She couldn't exactly leave. She was supposed to be waiting on her uncle. But she wasn't going to stay there and have to deal with that bloody woman. She was still angry. Seething.

Nothing a cup of coffee and a lemon tart couldn't fix.

She ordered from the little café in the lobby of the Ministry, and she sat at a table next to the fountain. She watched as the water tricked down into the little pool below. Something was soothing about the sound of water like this. Probably because it reminded her of her home in America, which had a pool in the garden and a water feature.

She longed to be back there, challenging her brother to cannonball championships or studying for her OWLs on a floatie in the middle of the pool. It was her favourite way to study. She smiled at the memory. She hadn't even noticed that a raven-haired boy with green eyes and glasses and a girl with brown bushy hair had approached her.

"Uh...Sloane?"

"Hmm...what... sorry?" She said, coming back to reality. "Sorry, I was miles away."

"I asked if we could sit?" Harry asked. She nodded and moved her backpack, gesturing for the two of them to join her. "Thanks," Harry smiled with his cup in his hands.

"We just wanted to see how you were. After that trial, talking about your family and after the whole Skeeter incident." Hermione said.

"Which was bloody brilliant, by the way," Harry chuckled, his shoulders relaxing a little for the first time in a long, long time. "You may be my new hero!"

"Well, I am happy to entertain. I just can't believe that woman is...still reporting. She is a psycho. She should be in a mental asylum."

"How do you know so much about muggle things?" Hermione asked.

"We lived in a primarily muggle town. I mean, we were in a wizarding village, but the town surrounding it was 90% muggles. I grew up with them. I know enough to pass for a Muggle-born, Half-blood or PureBlood." It was always something Sloane prided herself in.

"Wow," Hermione thought aloud. If only more of the community had the same beliefs and values.

"So what do you plan to do now?" Harry asked.

"You mean besides drinking my coffee and eating my dessert? I -"

"Excuse us," came a voice behind her. It was very hoarse still, but she could almost guess who it was. So she tipped her head back to look. Upside down, obviously, but she could still make them out.

Blaise and Draco.

"Well, hello there," she smiled. Draco tilted his head to look at her. His expression was unreadable. Sloane felt a need to make him smile.

And she had no idea he had the same feeling. And thought he was fucking crazy for it.

"Uh...hello," Blaise said balancing on the heels of his shoes.

Hermione and Harry exchanged looks before looking at the Slytherins. This didn't go unnoticed by Blaise.

"We-"

"Come in peace?" Sloane offered smirking.

Blaise looked at her as if worried for her mental health. "Something like that." He shrugged.

"Pull up a chair," Sloane said flicking her wand and conjuring two more chairs at the table. She probably should have warned Harry and Hermione before moving them closer together and closer to her to make room.

"Umm...is that OK?" Blaise asked, looking to Hermione and Harry, who looked at each other, exchanged a glance before Hermione shrugged.

"Of course," Harry answered.