Winnie - D.M

Chapter 2 : Five Years Later

The early morning light peeked through the thin curtains as I woke up to a small, golden-haired girl curled against my chest. I slowly ran my fingers through her delicate curls, each touch as gentle as I could manage, savoring the moment. She mumbled softly, "Mama," looking up at me with sleepy eyes, then crawled onto my chest to snuggle deeper.

"Winnie, it's time to wake up," I whispered, kissing her forehead. She barely stirred, making it clear she wasn't ready to face the day just yet. Still, I picked her up in my arms, carrying her to her yellow and pink bedroom, where I tucked her under the covers and gave her a final kiss before heading to the kitchen.

In the familiar comfort of my kitchen, I began my morning routine, preparing coffee as the world outside slowly started to wake. A notification chimed on my phone, interrupting the calm. I glanced down to see an Instagram message.

h.granger sent you a post from Slytherin

With a sigh, I opened it. The photo hit me with an unexpected pang, making old memories surge back.

serena.woodsen: That's nice?

h.granger: I thought maybe you'd want to go and talk to him about Winnie?

serena.woodsen: I doubt I'd be able to talk to him in that crowd, even if I wanted to. If he wanted to know about her, he'd reach out to me. I'm not playing his games.

h.granger: Sorry, it was just a thought.

I chuckled softly, shaking my head. Hermione meant well, but she didn't understand. If he wanted to know about Winnie, he had every means to reach out. Besides, I had long since decided that Winnie and I would be enough for each other.

"Mama, what are you doing?" Winnie's small voice broke through my thoughts. She stood in the doorway, holding her blanket, her big eyes watching me.

"Just talking to Auntie Hermione, love," I said, walking over to pick her up. I kissed her cheek, making her giggle as I spun her around. "How does fruit and yogurt sound for breakfast?"

She nodded enthusiastically, her curls bouncing. As we shared breakfast, I watched her, still in awe at the perfect little person she was. She was, after all, the one good thing that had come from my past. She was my everything.

Once we finished, I cleaned up and started getting her ready for kindergarten. She tugged at her pink shirt as I pulled it over her head, wriggling and twisting.

"Mama, I want to come with you to the cafe!" she protested, her little voice firm.

"Baby, you have to go learn and be very smart," I replied with a grin. "Just like Auntie Mione."

Winnie giggled and sat patiently as I brushed her hair. After putting on her backpack, we finally headed out the door. I dropped her off at school, trying to ignore the ache in my chest as she waved goodbye, her tiny hand disappearing behind the classroom door.

As I walked back to my car, my phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number. I hesitated, then answered.

"Hello, this is Serena. How may I help you?"

"Hi, this is Marcel White. I'm the manager of Slytherin, and we're visiting local businesses for our hometown shows. We wanted to see if one of the band members could visit your cafe to see if we might feature it during our tour."

My breath hitched at the mention of the band. "Of course, that would be wonderful. May I ask who you're planning to send and when?"

"We'd like to send Pansy. She'll be a good fit for this type of thing," Marcel explained. "And if today works, she could stop by later."

"Today? Yes, that's no problem. Just tell her to ask for me, Serena, when she arrives."

Hanging up, I took a deep breath. Pansy. It would be strange seeing her again after all these years. But the cafe needed the business, and if this visit could bring in customers, I would put my personal history aside.

When I arrived at the cafe, I quickly got to work, the morning slipping into a steady rhythm of serving customers and working with my employees. My manager Maya called my name after the lunch rush. "Serena, there's a woman here to see you."

My heart skipped a beat. Right—Pansy. I stepped out to the front and plastered on a smile. "Hello, I'm Serena. Thank you for coming by. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"A black coffee, please, and maybe a biscuit?" Pansy replied, her eyes lingering on me as if trying to place where she'd seen me before. I handed her coffee and a biscuit, then sat down across from her to discuss the cafe.

"I know you from somewhere, don't I?" she asked suddenly, her gaze intense.

My stomach dropped, but I tried to remain composed. "I'm not sure," I replied. "So, what would you like to know about the cafe?"

Pansy nodded, seeming to let it go as we discussed the cafe's atmosphere and potential event ideas. But just as I thought I was in the clear, she gasped, her eyes widening with recognition. "Wait—Serena Woodsen? You're that Serena. You were with Draco."

My heart pounded, memories rushing back. "Yes, but I didn't want that to affect your decision."

She shook her head, grinning. "If anything, it affects it in a good way. This place is amazing, and seeing you again is just... surreal. We'll absolutely feature your cafe." She took a sip of her coffee, smiling. "Besides, this Americano is amazing."

A wave of relief and gratitude washed over me. "Thank you, Pansy. I appreciate it."

As she left, she hugged me tightly. I watched her walk out the door, knowing that this was just the beginning.

Once back in my office, I sat down, pressing my hands to my face. Draco would be here, back in town. He would be at the event, probably everywhere for the next few days. And as much as I'd prepared myself to move on, a part of me knew that seeing him would stir up feelings I'd tried to bury.

Winnie was my world now, and I wasn't ready to share her with him or to open that door from the past. I would have to figure out how to keep our lives separate, for both her sake and mine. And for now, I would just have to focus on getting through the next few days without letting my past unravel everything I had worked so hard to build.