Belladonna

Life Was Good

Belladonna 31

Life Was Good

18 August 1994

"Are you sure about this, Ana? It can't be undone," Sadie warned.

"Just do it, Sae. I'm tired of him controlling every aspect of my life," Ana replied. Then she braced herself for what was next.

Ana spent the lazy days of summer with Sadie and her doting father, who allowed them to do just about whatever they wanted. They lounged on the sunny beaches by day and enjoyed the taste of the enchanted nightlife by night. Ana honed her flirting skills on the unsuspecting tourist who didn't stand a chance against her charms.

In late July, a snowy owl arrived and Ana sent it off with a letter and a Quidditch playbook.

Life was good.

21 August 1994

"Are you sure this is the right way, Georgie?"

"I think I know how to get back to the campsite, Freddie."

"Really? Because I'm pretty sure we were supposed to take a left at the fork back there."

"Nah, we..." George stopped suddenly and looked around. "We...Bugger! I hate it when you're right."

Fred smirked. "Beauty and Brains, some of us have it all."

"Speaking of beauty, look at that bird."

Fred looked in the direction his brother indicated and saw what was possibly the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She was facing away from them, so Fred had a good view of just how well her jeans hugged the length of her long legs. Her dark hair stopped above her shoulders giving him full access to gaze at her pleasantly round backside. And her gray jumper hung loosely on her shoulder, exposing just the slightest bit of sun-kissed skin.

Fred's mouth ran dry.

"What do you think? Durmstrang?"

"No. No, with a body like that she must be Beauxbatons. One thing's for certain, though—"

"—they don't make 'em like that at Hogwarts."

Fred gave a devilish sort of grin. "But why should that stop us?"

"No harm with a little international fraternization."

"Exactly, Georgie. Now, stand back and let a master show you how it's done."

"Master?"

"Beauty and brains, remember?"

Fred put on his best swagger as he made his approach. He combed out his hair with his fingers, and double even triple checked his breath. Perhaps he shouldn't have had that third flaming dragon pie, but there wasn't anything he could do about it now. The girl had moved away from him a little, so he had to weave in and out of the crowd. Fred had always been more of a leg guy than bum a guy, but he wasn't altogether unappreciative of the view as he followed her. He was narrowing down his choice of chat-up line when he heard something that made his heart stop.

A laugh.

It was a simple laugh, a pleasant laugh. There was nothing ostentatious about it, and he could tell it was genuine, albeit polite. But it was a laugh he knew well. It was a laugh he was trying to forget. And it was a laugh that had come from the girl in front of him.