Wildflowers

By a hand that's touched me...

Kat apparated into a narrow alley in London, the air damp and chilly as the day wore on. She pulled her jacket tighter around her, the emotions from her argument with Severus still raw and heavy in her chest. She made her way out of the alley and onto the bustling street, needing to lose herself in the anonymity of the city.

After wandering for a while, she found a small, quaint bookshop with a café tucked inside. The smell of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the scent of old paper, offering a small sense of comfort. Needing a distraction, she began to browse through the shelves, her fingers running over the spines of the books. 

She stopped when one title caught her eye—A Traveler's Journey: A Life Unbound. It was a reflective, philosophical look at life through the eyes of someone who had wandered the world, something that resonated deeply with her current turmoil.

On the surface, she appeared calm—her expression neutral as she flipped through the pages. But inside, she was breaking, her heart heavy as she questioned everything. The fight with Severus echoed in her mind, the bitterness of his words still stinging, as if they were meant to wound. She wondered if they could keep moving forward, or if their relationship was unraveling beyond repair.

Kat purchased the book and found a cozy spot by the window, ordering a coffee to go with it. She sat down and opened the book, letting the words pull her away from her reality, even if only for a little while. But even the distraction of reading couldn't fully numb the ache she felt inside.

As she sat there, lost in thought, a man approached her table. He was handsome, with salt-and-pepper hair and striking blue eyes that immediately drew attention. He offered her a polite smile. "Mind if I sit down?" he asked, his voice warm and inviting.

Kat barely looked up from her book. "You can do whatever you want," she said, her voice flat, not fully engaged with the moment.

The man raised an eyebrow, sensing her mood. "Am I bothering you?" he asked, his tone gentle.

Kat sighed, closing her book and looking at him for the first time. "No," she said, shaking her head. "It isn't you. It's just... men. They aren't worth the breath sometimes."

The man chuckled softly, pulling out the chair and sitting down. "Sounds like a rough day," he remarked, watching her closely but not pushing too hard.

Kat's eyes lingered on her coffee as she replied, "Yeah, you could say that."

The man, still watching her closely, nodded with a soft chuckle. "I haven't seen you here before," he said, leaning back slightly in his chair. "My name's Hal. And you are?"

Without missing a beat, Kat looked up, her expression unreadable as she lied. "Jessica."

Hal raised an eyebrow, smirking a little. "You're lying."

Kat shrugged, the corner of her mouth lifting slightly in a playful smirk. "Does it matter? I'll never see you again after today."

Hal's smile deepened, intrigued by her response. "How can you be so sure of that?"

Kat leaned forward slightly, the playful tone in her voice unmistakable. "My fiancé will make sure of it," she said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Hal laughed softly, clearly enjoying the banter. "Ah, the mysterious fiancé. Well, I guess I'll have to tread carefully, then."

Kat smiled at Hal's playful comment, but she shifted in her chair, glancing at her coffee cup. "Honestly, I should probably get going," she said casually, though her eyes hinted at something deeper. "I've got some errands to run."

Hal, ever quick with the charm, leaned forward slightly, his voice low and teasing. "Or, you could forget all that and come back to my apartment. It's not far from here."