Winds of Abomination

Begin Again

*WARNING:* This chapter contains mature content.

Since the five years Arabella Nymphadora Malfoy has been alive, Diagon Alley has started to come to life again. As the family of three stroll down the brick alleyway among the lit up stores to the Italian Restaurant, Enzo's, the five year old's eyes light up like a child in a candy store as they pass them all. There are shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments the young child had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon, and everything that was there before the war that the five-year-old never had the privilege of seeing before. Arabella's personal favorite is Eeylop's Owl Emporium where owls of every shape and color reside, some hooting at them as they pass.

Thinking about when she made the rock levitate in the air she exclaims in realization that she is going to the school her mum and dad went to. "I can't wait to go to Hogwarts! Then I can truly come shop here and buy from each store!" Her parents smile at her, still impressed that she has discovered her personal magic at the tender age of five.

Out of a nearby store, Flourish and Blotts, a red-headed witch and a small boy about Arabella's size come walking toward them. Arabella lets go of her mum's hand's grasp and runs to James Potter, giving him a hug. "James! You will never guess what I did today!"

"Hi Ara! What did you do?" James asks with his adorable boyish face while his father, Harry Potter, also walks out of the bookstore, carrying a new book that was just published about Aurors.

"I levitated a rock, on my own!" The young girl exclaims in awe, jumping up and down excitedly. She looks up at Ginny and Harry to watch their responses. The couple looks at Draco and Hermione in surprise and then Harry walks up and picks her up.

"Now that is impressive young little Malfoy!" Harry exclaims, taking her tiny nose in between his index and middle finger, making her giggle intensely. Ara then jumps from his arms and runs back to her mum's side as they are nearing the restaurant.

James looks at his mom with a pout on his small face as they approach. "Why haven't I done magic yet, mum?"

"James, it comes to you in personal timing. As long as you keep practicing, it will come to you in no time." Ginny assures her son with a smile, folding back his messy brown curls with her hand and twirling a hair strand of his with her skinny fingers.

Harry jumps ahead of the crowd to open the front door. A teenage witch bats her eyelashes at the two handsome wizards as they enter the restaurant. "Mr. Potter, erm Mr. Malfoy, and their wives are here," the girl announces to her manager who walks up behind her. The middle aged man looks them over and smiles. "It's on the house," he says. This is not an uncommon thing for local business owners to say when the Harry Potter comes to use their place of business.

"Okay! I will show you to your seats!" The girl tells the party of six and picks up menus while she starts to walk toward a long booth. As they sit down she blushes as she comes face to face with Draco. "L-let me know if you need anything!" She then walks away with a bounce in her step and starts whispering to another teenage witch near the front of the restaurant who seems to be her co-worker.

"It's like we are still bloody teenagers. Well, we are just in our twenties, close enough!" chuckles Draco as he shakes his head. Hermione and Ginny giggle and they all go silent as they read the menus in front of them.

"I want pizza!" Exclaims Ara. "Me too," agrees James.

The restaurant door opens as everyone chats away and Hermione turns just in time to see Lavender Brown and Ronald Weasley walk through hand in hand. Hermione and Ron meet eyes and she looks quickly away, her face reddening at seeing the girl Ron had got pregnant. Why is she being so immature? They broke up five years ago & Hermione should be happy for him. She turns back to the table to see her husband glaring at her with narrowed gray eyes. Obviously he won't say anything in front of Harry and Ginny but Hermione knows she will hear it later.