Chapter Text
-September 1996-
"Stop! Please, please stop!" Hermione screamed. Florence pushed past her and the gathering crowd to see the boys wrestling on the floor.
"God, stop! Draco stop!" She watched as Draco's hand swiped across Harry's jaw. Florence felt her stomach fall as Draco landed another on Harry's cheek, her ears burning with all the hormone-fuelled cheers from the surrounding boys.
"For fuck's sake." Florence started pushing her way past the over-excited teens.
"Flo no don't!" Hermione screamed, but she didn't look back. She suddenly found herself in the middle of the circle as Draco kept Harry pinned down, his arms swinging down as blood began to splatter on the floor.
"Draco fucking stop!" Florence screamed, throwing her arms down over him, grabbing his flailing arms. She was not a courageous girl, but rather one that didn't often think of consequence. Draco pushed back against her before roughly freeing his arms from her grasp. She nearly fell, but kept her balance and saw only red. She jumped on his back, desperately trying to stop her friend from being beaten to a pulp. Draco struggled and was about to launch her into the crowd when she felt hands grab her by the waist, pulling her backwards off Draco. She didn't say a word but her arms continued to reach for the blonde boy fearing he return his attentions to Harry. The hands set her down on her feet before grabbing the back of Draco's neck.
"That's enough now, don't you think?" His voice was deep and menacing, but almost playful. "Don't want to kill the poor boy." Draco seethed, like a manic horse being pulled by a harsh bit, but he stopped. Florence looked up to see Mattheo standing over her, his hand extended. She considered it for a moment, terrified that he was even looking at her. He rolled his eyes as he leaned down to grab her hand forcefully, lifting her up. She looked up at him for a moment, their feet nearly touching. It was the first time she'd ever interacted with him.
"Thank you." She whispered quietly, but without waiting for him to respond turned her attention to Draco.
"You are an absolute psychopath." She spat, leaning down to join Ron and Hermione at Harry's side.
"At least I'm not a filthy little mudblood." Draco spat. Hermione ignored it, her attention completely on fixing Harry's broken nose. However, Florence couldn't help but turn to look at him, both hurt and anger searing through her stare.
"You have something to say mudblood?" Draco sneered before leaning down towards her. "The only way you'd be a real witch is if you had some real wizard inside of you." Draco laughed, grabbing his crotch in front of her face. The blood fell from Florence's cheeks, but before she could retort she heard that same dark voice again.
"That's enough, Draco." Both Florence and Draco turned to him. He looked down at her, her eyes wide and full of confusion. "No pureblood should even joke about such things." Draco nodded, like a scolded child. As they exited the surrounding circle Florence kept her eye on the dark-haired boy, furious that she'd thanked him moments before. He turned to look to her before he left, his eyes lingering on her for a moment with a strange expression, one she felt was mocking.
"I'll kill him." Florence muttered, turning back to Hermione and Ron as they picked Harry up.
"Shh." Ron hissed. "Don't let them hear you say stuff like that." Florence rolled her eyes at Hermione as she grabbed Harry's legs.
"I will though. Both of them. I swear I will."
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-June 2003-
Florence entered the ministry, her fingers twitching in her pockets. She entered the lift, surrounded by older men in suits whose eyes she felt peering into the top of her head. She'd always hated small spaces, ever after the incident she'd feel the breath trap in her lungs and find her limbs shivering. She felt one man behind press up against her while another exhaled slightly trying to withhold a laugh. Her head spun to the side, looking up to the laughing man, her eyes burning. His smile dropped. She shook her head as the lift doors opened and she sidled past to escape.
"Classic." She muttered to herself. Men always think they're hilarious until a woman shows them they're not. She walked up to the desk where a young woman showed her to the waiting area. She sat down, tucking her shaking hands under her thighs to hide her nerves.
"Florence?" She recognised the voice immediately.
"Hermione." She whispered, staring up into her big brown eyes. She slowly stood up so they could awkwardly embrace.
"It's been a long time. You look... you look great." Hermione said as genuinely as she could despite looking over Florence's baggy clothes and long straggly hair. Out from behind her popped Ron, giving her an even more nervous hug.
"It's nice to see you, it's been a while." He muttered. Florence found it increasingly hard to look her former friends in the eyes. They both looked exactly as she'd imagined. Ron had grown a scruffy beard, and Hermione was wearing a perfectly pressed suit clearly coming straight from work.
"Yeah, sorry I've been a bit... it's nice to see you both." Florence tried to smile.
"This must be weird for you, I mean coming to speak about all of this considering-" Hermione elbowed Ron in the stomach making him splutter slightly.
"What Ron means was last we heard you were living... off the grid." Hermione covered for him. "So it must be strange coming back to London, you didn't grow up too far away from here right?" They all sat down next to each other, and deep down Florence was relieved for the company as it meant she didn't have to think about the reason they were all there.
"Close-ish, but it was a bit east from here." Florence nodded. "How about you guys..." She stared at them, completely lost for words.
"Hermione Weasley." The woman called Hermione into the office.
"Please don't run off afterwards. We should all go for a drink and catch up." Hermione leaned down and hugged Florence again, squeezing her more lovingly this time. Florence noticed Ron squeeze her hand as she left them.
"You guys got married?" Florence asked Ron in shock.
"Yeah, this past Summer. Flo we so wanted you to be there, 'Mione was absolutely gutted, but we just had no idea how to contact you. No one had heard from you in years-"
"Ron, Ron it's ok." Florence stopped him. "Honestly, it's my fault I just had to-"
"No Flo we all know why you went off, we all understand... we just missed you." Florence took his hands into hers.
"I'm so happy for you guys." She smiled, her eyes threatening to cry for the first time in so long. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there, but I'm just so happy for you both."
"Florence Lake." The woman called again, ushering to a different office. Even from their distance she could read the name on the door. She turned back to Ron, a worried look growing on her face.
"He's ok Flo, he's doing much better now he just... this whole ordeal has been his entire life." Florence nodded before making her feet move towards the door. She'd had no idea he'd been put in charge of this operation, and when they'd finally found her and asked her to come in her heart had sunk at the image of him still fighting this fight. The woman opened the door and she apprehensively entered.
"Florence." He stood up, a half smile growing on his lips. He looked different, as if it had been more than five years since she last saw him. Since the day he killed Voldemort. His hair was neat and his shoulders had broadened.
"Hi Harry."