Apparating outside of Hogsmeade had to be done quickly, since so many witches and wizards had the same idea. I willed myself to appear next to the infamous covered bridge with a thump before hurrying through to the noisy hustle and bustle.
I made my way up the cobblestone street, taking in the typical shopping scene. Young children ran by, playing a game of tag. An older couple held hands, walking gingerly to the Three Broomsticks. I smiled knowing that if my parents ever had the chance to visit Hogsmeade, that's exactly what they'd be doing. Their love was timeless, endless. It was everything I wanted in my own partner, though I haven't been able to find it yet. Well, I did find it but—
"Gianna...Eversley!?" a woman's voice called out from behind a rickety cart. "I haven't seen you in years!" The brown haired witch put down the potted Dittany plant and stopped me in the middle of the street.
It took a second before I realized the woman was my old Ravenclaw friend from Hogwarts, Samantha Dale.
"Hi Samantha!" I said before she threw her arms around me.
"It's so good to see you!" She said wiping dirt off of her hands as she pulled back. "What have you been up to?"
How does one summarize ten years of their life in a few sentences? We'd be here all day catching up if I went though everything.
"Oh, I was working at Ministry for a while but my dad needed help at home when my mum passed away." I ran my hand through my hair awkwardly, knowing the mention of my mum always made people uncomfortable. Sometimes it was easier to cut the conversation off that way.
"I'm so sorry to hear that." Samantha said sympathetically. "I hope you're alright."
I nodded and changed the subject asking about the Herbology cart.
"You may not remember but one of my dreams was to open a store in Hogsmeade and sell plants! Most places just sell seeds and not everyone wants to take the time to grow their own supplies." She beamed and went on about how the cart was her first step before getting into a brick and mortar store. "Well, it was so good to see you Gianna! By the way, what are you doing in Hogsmeade?"
"Just taking a walk and buying a few things for myself." I didn't want to tell her about the interview for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position this afternoon.
I continued on and approached Honeyduke's, remembering the time Garreth Weasley asked me to steal some Billywig Stings for his potion. I had snuck through the One Eyed Witch passageway into the basement of the sweet shop in our fifth year. Now that I think about it, Garreth never actually shared his brew with me. He was another person I hadn't seen in years despite his countless owls reaching out to check in on me or running into him in random places. I was just too busy at the Ministry to make time for him, especially knowing he never truly got over the schoolboy crush he had on me.
Years after we graduated, we ran into each other at the Three Broomsticks. Against my better judgement, I stopped after work just before closing time. Garreth couldn't help but confess his love for me in his drunken stupor. I still remember his glassy eyes boring into mine, words laced with lust, outside the pub before he turned and threw up in a bush. He backed off after that.
I headed inside Honeydukes, the sweet smell of candy and dessert wafting through my nose. The store was bustling with children tugging at their parent's robes, begging for a treat. Walking right over to the chocolate frogs, I grabbed a few, bringing them to the cash register.
"Ah the good ole chocolate frog," the cashier said, punching numbers into the brass keys. "We just got some new cards in, should be fun to see who they are!"

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Passionate Professors || Sebastian Sallow
FanfictionTwelve years after the defeat of Ranrok and ten years after graduation, ex-Auror Gianna Eversley, finds herself back at Hogwarts, this time as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Going back to the castle for the first time in so long fo...