Forgotten One: Love

Chapter 9: Coffee.

The second the door to the cafe opened, I felt magic hit me like a tidal wave as it poured out the door. It was an odd but refreshing feeling- to feel that magic washing over me. I had missed the feeling, yet it felt strange and unfamiliar. I hadn't felt so much magic in a while. Even at work, it was less than this. The magic felt like a soft, gentle breeze and a gulp of fresh air. I had missed this feeling. I didn't realize how much not using magic had affected me.

I sighed, and my body relaxed. I felt Draco grin at me. I smiled and took off my helmet, looking around. Trays of drinks floated to the tables as if held by invisible waiters. The drinks were colourful and bright instead of the usual brown to black of normal coffee and tea. I could only assume they had potions and the like in them. Everything smelled heavenly. It was like stepping into Hogwarts again. Tables were scattered about with various decorations and colourful tablecloths. It felt homey and comfortable.

I felt my smile grow as I turned to look at Draco. He was grinning at me, watching my reactions. I blushed a bit but kept smiling. "Thank you for bringing me here." I smiled up at him. He just smiled in response and took my hand, pulling me to a table.

I looked around in curiosity once we sat down, just observing everything around us. Everything was colourful and lively, almost like a cartoon or like Alice in Wonderland or like Oz. It was magical on another level, unlike anything I'd ever seen before.

Draco watched me carefully, smiling. "Luna showed me this place a few years ago. It's where her and her now-husband had their first date." He said softly.

I looked at him a bit confused. "Luna Lovegood?... Er- it's Scamander now, isn't it?" Draco nodded and I looked at him curiously. "I didn't know the two of you were friends."

Draco smiled lightly. "Yeah. It wasn't really my choice. She decided we were friends after the war. I had no choice in the matter, really. But I'm glad she did that. She may be odd, but she's really nice. We still talk occasionally but she's been busy with her twins recently. They're two years old now. Little devils but they're too adorable to hate."

I frowned a bit to myself. "I've missed so much since I left..." I could hear the pain in my own voice, and I knew Draco could too. He reached across the table and gently laid his hand down halfway across, palm up. I looked at it then slowly put my palm in his.

He gently wrapped his fingers around mine then looked at me. "It's okay. You're here now and we're going to get you up-to-date on everything. We're all just glad to have you back here with us. We were worried when you went to the States without much warning. I was worried about you. And no one told me anything. I missed you." He squeezed my hand.

I sighed and looked at our hands. Draco's attempt at consolation only made me feel worse. The memories of why I left flooded back to me. My mind was suddenly full of images of my friends, dead. Cedric's dead body in the infirmary after the final task. Sirius's panicked eyes as he fell through the veil. Dobby's blood-covered frame in Harry's arms. Fred's corpse frozen mid-laugh. Remus and Tonks holding hands, even in death. Teddy's innocent eyes looking up at Harry and me, not even realizing his parents were dead. And my own child that had died before ever seeing the light of day. I couldn't help it. I sobbed. The tears cascaded down my cheeks and dripped off of my chin as Draco's voice tried to console me. But nothing worked. The images were too strong, too painful.

After several minutes, I felt someone raise a cup to my lips and I instinctively took a sip of the warm contents. Almost immediately, my body relaxed and the images started fading around the edges. A few sips later, the visions were gone and my body felt calm, aside from my slightly trembling hands.

When my eyes refocused on my surroundings, I saw Draco set down a mug and take my hands in his. Worry was etched on his face. "I'm sorry," I said softly. "I've sufficiently ruined our date, I suppose." I laughed once, humourlessly.

Draco reached across the table and gently wiped tears from my cheek. I hadn't even realized I was crying still. I closed my eyes to try to keep more tears from spilling. "You haven't ruined anything, Vivian." His voice was soft and calm. "I promise you, I understand. It's okay. You can't help the memories."

I cried silently, caving in on myself and wrapping my arms around my center. "Here, have some more to drink. It's a raspberry mocha with a hint of a Calming Draught. This café specializes in custom drinks, often with potions mixed in. They helped me a lot when I was having flashbacks."

I took the mug in both hands and sipped a bit, my body instantly relaxing at both the warm liquid and the Calming Draught. "Thank you." I breathed, letting a small smile cross my face.

Never before had someone told me I was justified in the trauma from my memories. Hearing Draco say it was okay to have flashbacks - and that he'd had them himself, I felt a huge weight leave me. For the first time in nearly 20 years, I felt at peace with my past.