After the War (HP Fanfiction)

I Went to London

In her third year at Hogwarts, Julia Morrow fell hard for Ronald Weasley. As a Ravenclaw, she had limited interactions with the youngest Weasley male. That didn't stop her for harbouring a crush on him.

She counted the number of times they spoke on one hand. He greeted her when she spoke to Hermione after History of Magic on a Tuesday in October. He apologised for bowling her over to get to the Great Hall on Fried Chicken Friday. He asked to borrow a quill before a Charms exam on a sunny April afternoon. He even shared a table with her in the library before he realized Harry Potter and Hermione Granger had already allocated one.

It was not the makings of great love by any means. But she enjoyed searching for him every single morning in the Great Hall even though she knew nothing would come of it. Ron only had eyes for Hermione, even if he was too much of a nincompoop to admit it.

During the Triwizard Tournament, she entertained hopes of attending the Yule Ball with Ron. Instead, she went with her friend Peter Gardner, a stoic sort who loathed any enjoyment. They found a table near Ron and Harry and their dates and Julia listened with annoyance to Ron's blatant jealousy. Peter raised a single black eyebrow at that moment and then rolled his eyes with a dramatic flair.

"He is an oaf, Julia. A handsome one, but still an oaf."

She knew he was right. At that moment, she decided to hide her fancy and continue with her studies. Boys had no place in her life. At least until school was over.

Of course, the moment she thrust Ron from her mind, he appeared in her life more.

In their fifth year, she joined Dumbledore's Army. It was partially due to Luna's insistence and her unyielding desire to see Ron outside of class. She learned they shared a love of spicy chicken and Wizard's Chess. On snowy Saturdays, he invited her to play in the Great Hall. They even made plans to attend Hogsmeade together.

But, that was just when the wizarding world began spiraling out of control.

Julia's parents withdrew her from Hogwarts before her sixth year, sending her to live with her father's family in Ethiopia. She attended Uagadou her final two years of schooling while her classmates fought for their lives against Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

She owled Ron on occasion. She learned of the Battle of Hogwarts, of his brother's death, of all the deaths, of his new position as an Auror, of his relationship with Hermione.

With the distance, she was able to send best wishes to Ron in his life though she still held a candle for him. Their letters continued though Ron stopped sharing information about his personal life. She looked forward to his letters. His descriptions of food made her long for her home.

Five years after the defeat of the Dark Lord, she returned to England. She found a flat in London with Peter and a job at the Museum of Muggle Curiosities in Carkitt Market.

A week after her arrival, Peter declared with a dryness particular to him, "We are going on a tour of Diagon Alley."

"Must we?" She asked. "I still need to unpack."

"Yes, we must. There is a shop I think may interest you."

"Is it a chicken shop?"

Peter shut his eyes, a long suffering sigh escaping his lips. "No."

Julia pulled the scrunchie from her mahogany curls, arranging the tight coils with care. She dressed in a new set of robes in a dark rose shade and presented herself at the front door. "Shall we walk? Apparate? Floo Powder?"

"Floo powder," he replied, positioned by the fireplace.

"I do hate travel by Floo," muttered Julia.