New Beginnings

Thanksgiving

Draco lay beneath the willow tree during his break. The other employees chatted quietly, enjoying the last vestiges of good weather.

'Sup Drake?' Cody, another prepper, threw himself on the ground next to Draco. 'Looking forward to thanksgiving in a few weeks?'

'I guess? I don't know much about it, really. Do you guys celebrate it, or just no-majs?'

'Oh yeah, we love thanksgiving! Get the family together, eat ourselves sick, then watch the college Quodpot final on TV - it's great!'

'Quodpot is on TV?'

'For sure! That's pretty new. When I was a kid you'd have to listen on the radio if you couldn't get tickets to the game. You absolutely have to go see the no-maj parade in Manhattan though, that's a no-brainer!'

Spartacus clopped over to them, a bag of candies in his hand. He offered some to the two men.

'Do you guys celebrate thanksgiving?'

Spartacus nodded, gesturing an apology for his mouth being full.

'Spartacus hosts the ultimate thanksgiving get-together,' Cody explained, 'his parties are the stuff of legend!'

'You're welcome to come,' Spartacus said. 'We have a projector set up in the forest to watch the parade and the big game. It's a pot-luck feast, so not quite the traditional experience. I'll send you an invite, if you like?'

'Sounds great, thanks!'

'You should bring your roommate,' Cody gushed. 'You live with Hermione Granger, right? Do you think she'd give me an autograph? I've never met a celebrity!'

'Um...I have no idea?'

'What's she like? Is she as pretty as her photos in the paper?'

Spartacus rolled his eyes and Draco tried not to laugh.

'She's a pain in the ass,' Draco shrugged. 'Especially when she's sick. She's full of the flu right now. I had to cast a silencing charm on my room last night. She was coughing and sneezing so much! I'm hoping it's because she's exhausted after being such a workaholic, and not because she caught it from travelling by bloody muggle transport.'

'Well, I happen to know a really great potion company that might be able to help,' Spartacus laughed.

'Do you think they have anything to keep me from catching it?'

'So unsympathetic,' Cody huffed, shaking his head at their callousness. 'You'd think-'

The ground started shaking.

'What the-'

Explosions and screaming tore through the air.

Everyone leapt to their feet. Wands drawn, they huddled together.

Workers rushed out of the building. Windows were thrown open. People leaned out, yelling and pointing.

Krystel ran through the gate, a pastry clutched in her hand. Her face was white.

'There's been an attack! On the buses!'

Draco dived aside as a stampede of centaurs, dwarves as goblins raced for the tunnel to get home. Witches, wizards and house-elves disapparated. The many cracks sounded like machine-gun fire.

*****

'Hermione?!' Draco burst through the apartment door.

Hermione jumped off the sofa, her mug shattering on the floor. She thudded into Draco, throwing her arms around him.

'Thank Merlin you're ok,' Draco whispered, clutching her. His heart pounded in his chest, his throat tight.

Scenes of devastation were on the TV, being shown over and over. People were sobbing while others searched the twisted metal and rubble. The reporter looked horrified. Five different buses had been hit.

'I could have been on that bus.' Hermione sobbed, her face ashen. 'I felt really ill...so I apparated home instead. I should have been there...I could have helped!'

'Helped?! Fucking hell, you could have been killed!'

A sudden flash blinded them both. A silent explosion rocked the room. Their ears were ringing when everything went black.