The Missing Marauder: A Harry Potter FanFiction

Chapter 16

Rowan wandered down the streets of London, a bounce in her step, on the last day of July. She felt happy and light as the sun sank below the townhomes she used to see every single day, the skirt of her short sundress flowing with every movement as she practically skipped down the roads.  

She had a date!  

A few days before, she and a few Muggle friends had gone to a coffee shop in the center of town, where she'd seen another old friend, who was two years older, and had been sent away to military school around the same time she'd gone to Hogwarts. They hadn't seen each other in so long, she didn't even recognize him at first.  

His name was Kyle.  

With a full head of messy, brown hair, pale blue eyes, and a 250-killowatt smile, he was the center of attention for all the girls.  

All the girls except for Rowan.  

She was spending her time rolling her eyes at her friends' flirtatious moves and generally laughing at their failures. But she couldn't help but notice how Kyle wouldn't stop looking at her, even if it was just a small glimpse out of the corner of his eye.  

It was partially flattering, partially creepy.  

Out of her entire group, she lasted the longest. Some gave up, some got bored, some had curfews, but in the end it was just Rowan and Kyle sitting alone in the coffee shop, talking and laughing.  

Strangely, she'd actually been having a pretty good time.  

When a waiter told them the shop was closing, they'd had to go their separate ways, but Kyle wasn't through yet.  

"We should hang out again," he'd said, "Sometime soon."  

"How soon?" she'd asked.  

"I don't know," he'd replied, "There's this dance in St. James's Park. They're setting up a stage and a dance floor and everything."  

"What's the occasion?"  

"No occasion," he replied with a sly smile, "Just a celebration of summer."  

"In that case," she'd said, "I'd be delighted to join you to this...dance."  

"Very good," he said, "In that case, meet me at St. James's Park, the entrance closest to St. James's Palace, at, say, six o'clock?"  

"Six o'clock," she repeated, "Got it."  

"All right, then," he said, "At six o'clock on Saturday. See you there, Rowan."  

As he turned away, she muttered, "See you there, Ky."  

And so, that Saturday, she skipped down the roads in the direction of St. James's Palace. The sun was slowly making its way lower in the big London sky as the park came closer and closer into view.  

A few minutes before six, she saw Kyle standing in front of a bench outside the palace, looking around. She picked up the pace and rushed over to him. When he saw her, he smiled and waved.  

Upon reaching him, she'd only wanted to give him a quick greeting sort of hug, but was shocked to feel her feet leave the ground. Before she knew it, he had swung her around once and placed her back on her feet.  

She stared up at him, knowing that she was blushing uncontrollably. "What...?"  

"Sorry," he apologized, "I'm sort of a hopeless romantic."  

She laughed.  

He smiled.  

"Shall we?" he asked, holding out his arm to her.