Gregory goyles choice

Still the same

Chapter 10: Still the same

Goyle.

Apparating outside the Leaky Cauldron Goyle spent a moment looking longingly at the pub and promised himself a FIre Whisky after concluding his business.
Raising his wand he tapped the wall bricks in the correct order before standing back to allow them room to move aside and then stepping through into Diagon Alley. It was just as he remembered- the smells, the sounds and the colours! A feast for the senses!

He'd never admitted to his parents or fellow Slytherins but he had always preferred Diagon Alley to their favoured Knockturn Alley; in fact he'd felt more at home on its cobbled street than his real home. He paused a minute to immerse himself in the scene- sweet and spicy aromas dancing in the air, witches and wizards of all ages rushing around chatting excitedly and different types of music and sounds being played by the shop keepers to entice customers inside.

Drawn by a colourful display in the window Goyle stopped at one particular shop. sugarplums sweet shop and its sister branch Honeydukes had always been favourites of his, a place of childish innocence and wonder where he could forget his life, just for a little while.

"Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas
Cast a Christmas spell......"
Hearing the music properly for the first time since he'd arrived he looked around and was surprised to see he hadn't noticed all the extra decoration for Christmas. The shop displays were even more lavish and magnificent than usual and the people passing him had armfuls of brightly wrapped packages.

Never having been a fan of Christmas he couldn't help wondering how Liv felt about the season. Though he had only known her a short time he would bet galleons that she adored it.

With one last long deep breath in Goyle continued down the street- head down- not wanting the fuss of being recognised and gossiped about, he just wanted to get to the Owl Post and return to the cabin; surprisingly anxious to check on the girls.

The Owl Post was one of the last buildings in Diagon Alley- a huge gold and cream circular building with six tall turrets. These were for the Owls to live and rest in, each couloir coded for different delivery types; long haul, howlers, secret correspondence etc.
When Goyle was younger the building had reminded him of the Hogwarts Quidditch pitch he'd played on when he was a beater for the Slytherin team. He shuddered at the memory of being sent out on his broomstick, bat in hand to the whole school screaming and cheering-it had been Malfoys idea and money that had landed him on the team and he had never enjoyed it. He liked to think of himself as strong and brave but a few games into the year he knew he was no Asgard Pettersson and had to admit it had been too much pressure for him.
He hadn't wanted to be in the limelight then and even less so now.

Entering the magnificent building Goyle turned right towards the royal blue section for secret correspondence, behind the desk was a young lady "how many?" She asked, not even looking up from whatever paperwork she was completing.
Uncaring Goyle answered " four" placing his letter on the counter. Something about his voice had made her look up at him " oh my......um....of course". Goyle started to feel slightly embarrassed as she gave him the widest grin, playing with the ends of her hair and fluttering her eyelashes.
He knew he had changed in Azkaban- in fact had gone out of his way to improve physically- but he found himself uncomfortable from her attention and honestly a little a irritated by it.
He pushed his letters further towards her hoping she would take the hint and realise he was in a hurry.
" what...what level of secrecy would you like on these?" Geez, did she have to sound so breathless! And again with the eyelashes!
" The highest" he withdrew the correct amount of galleons, sickles and knuts passing them to her and when his hand met hers she actually giggled! " I need to get out of here" Goyle thought, a bad mood rising.

Liv.

Liv knew she was having a vision.

Unlike her sister Kiera who had a first person point of view- always being a participant yet unable to change anything- Liv was always a witness on the edge of the scene.
Watching births- that was her curse.

When she was small and had had the first few visions she just thought they were beautiful dreams, she could feel the happiness and love for the new baby.

She was only 8 when she had her first sad - and that age; scary- birth to deal with and began to realise they had to be more than dreams. A young girl had given birth to a baby boy, she was covered in dirt and blood, laying on a wet stone pathway and the baby next to her on what looked like a soggy piece of cardboard, crying and screaming at the top of his little lungs.
She remembered walking around them, desperately trying to reach for the baby as the shockingly young mother had started to cry with her hands over her ears " shut up, shut up!"
But of course she was as always a spectator, like there's an invisible barrier between herself and the vision.
There was no love, no family, no joy in this birth. Along with witnessing the births Liv often got flashbacks of the persons memories. The poor girl had been viciously attacked by a trusted family friend and thrown out of the house by her parents for being pregnant and ended up living in the streets.
Liv had woken from that vision on the floor and rushed to tell the adults they were living with at the time. Yelling them all the details she could remember she had begged them to do anything to help the poor girl and baby.
She didn't know if it was the past, present or future but was sure it was real.
The adults had sneered down at her and ordered her to go calm down and wipe away her tears- a sign of weakness.

From that moment on she knew her visions were real and good or bad she tried to remember all the details- faces, smells, names, memories- Hoping maybe one day she could help people.

Thankfully the vision Liv was currently having was one of the good ones.
A bright white room with a beautiful lady laying on top of a pink blanketed bed, a tall handsome man next to her ,both of them looking adoringly at the new precious bundle in her arms.
She could see their memories- happy dates together, a lovely fairytale wedding and the joy of discovering they were expecting.
Even after all these years Liv felt a little strange witnessing such an intimate moment, but none the less let their happiness and love wash over her before she felt herself being pulled back to her body.