All I Wanted

All I Wanted

by Keelie

Chapter One.

Spring dawned with quiet elegance in Diagon Alley. April was just starting, with buttercup sunshine and breezy skies. At noon on a Sunday, everyone was simply going about their business. It was relatively peaceful and quiet, with no sign of any dilemmas or obstacles.

Java Du Jour was just the way Hermione liked it. A handful of people were scattered amongst the stacks and a handful more were sipping coffee in the bar. Sunshine streamed through the front wall of the shop, which was floor-to-ceiling glass. Damon and Brad were busy but not overworked at the mahogany-wood front counter. Chantall was cheerfully whipping up speciality drinks and desserts for the customers who requested them.

Hermione herself was shelving a new box of books that had arrived the day before. Floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves ran around the shop, creating cozy little nooks and corners where red velvet armchairs or settees were tucked for private reading. The coffee bar filled one back corner, with a scattering of red velvet chairs and mahogany tables nearby. The sunlight made patterns on the polished, mahogany hardwood floor.

Hermione finished shelving a collection of Muggle fairy tales and folded the cardboard box up. She carried it up to the front counter to give to Damon when a pleasant tinkling of chimes announced a customer had arrived.

She looked up, a professional smile pasted on her face. It widened into a real one when she saw whom her "customer" was.

"Harry!" She flung herself at him for a hug. "I haven't seen you in ages! How was the cup? Congratulations!" Harry had been in France with Puddlemere United for the European League Cup. Puddlemere had won the finals-- no surprise there-- yesterday but Hermione hadn't expected Harry back so soon.

"It was great, thanks," Harry replied cheerfully, hugging her back. He had grown to almost six feet during his last year at Hogwarts but didn't rival six-foot-four Ron. He was still lean, his hair was still short and messy, and his emerald eyes still twinkled behind his glasses. All these familiarities comforted Hermione whenever she looked at him. "And we're celebrating."

"We are?" she asked curiously, disentangling herself from him and tossing the cardboard box at Damon. He caught it, tucked it under the counter, and went on ringing up a copy of Pride and Prejudice for a middle-aged witch wearing lime green robes.

He grinned. "I made reservations at Le Chateau. Me, you, Ron, Dean, Seamus, Padma, Ginny, Parvati, Lavender, the rest of the team, Colin and the twins if they can make it. . . . basically everyone we've ever been friends with. I was feeling kinda separated from them all."

He didn't have to tell her twice. And I was just thinking about the "old crowd." "What time?"

He checked an imaginary watch. "Right now, Mione. Most everyone's already there, I think. Can Damon and Brad handle the shop if Chantall wants to come?"

"Sure, I can ask Brad to man the coffee bar. Let me get my purse," Hermione responded. She talked for a moment with Brad and Damon and grabbed her black leather bag. After conferring for a moment with Chantall, who snatched up her sushi-print handbag, the two women walked to the front of the shop.

"Ready?" Harry asked. His green eyes gleamed with excitement. It's like he's still a kid, Hermione thought fondly. When he's happy, he's not afraid to show you.

Hermione looped her arm through Harry's as the trio exited Java Du Jour and made their way down the sunny cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley. Le Chateau was a pleasant five-minute walk. The bistro had a small garden in front, with a larger garden in the back, that one holding wrought-iron tables and chairs for dining. Inside was bright and cheerful, and the chef Chelsea St. Clare cooked excellently-- and was known to give friends of the Creevey family a discount, as her younger sister Christabelle was dating Dennis Creevey.

Once they reached the bistro, Hermione's eyes shot to a group of people sitting in the benches in the front garden. Ron, Ginny-- Virginia, Dean, and Padma Patil were sitting together, talking.

"He-ey, Harry!" called Dean. "Congratulations, man!" He stood up to slap hands with Harry. Ron did the same. Ginny and Padma each greeted him with a kiss on the cheek. Hermione and Chantall shared quick hugs with everyone.

"Where's everyone?" questioned Chantall, tugging on a strand of long, highlighted, brown-sugar hair. Chantall was a self-proclaimed shopaholic with a passion for Muggle clothes and the color black, even in spring and summer. She wore black capri pants, a black halter top, a silver necklace set with an ebony stone, and strappy black platforms.

"Dennis, Chrissa, and Colin are inside talking to Chelsea," answered Ginny-- Hermione still couldn't use her professional name. That's a given. Dennis, to everyone's shock, had grown up to be a tall, muscled, very attractive Gladrags model, which meant he worked closely with Ginny, and his girlfriend Christabelle, who was also a Gladrags model.

Colin, to no one's astonishment, was a photographer for the Daily Prophet, which had a much better reputation now that Cornelius Fudge had resigned from Minster of Magic after Harry's defeat of Voldemort. His successor, Percy Weasley, may have been a bit pompous-- well, actually a lot pompous-- but was an excellent Minister. Colin had married a year earlier to an Australian witch named Alekz Avers, despite their young age, and they had adopted Alekz's two-year-old nephew Brennan after his parents died a few months back.

"Parvati said she was sorry, but just wanted to steal a few minutes with Keenan before he has to head back to Romania," added Padma. Parvati, the host of Bewitching Fashion, a WWN talk show, was dating Keenan Truefleet, who was a dragon handler like Charlie Weasley. Well, Charlie's not anymore. After Charlie had married Emily McDermott, who was a high-ranking Ministry official, he'd become a stay-at-home Dad to their two daughters, eight-year-old Jade and three-year-old Joy, and their two sons, six-year-old Jason and four-year-old Jordan.

Dean sniggered as he continued, "Seamus will be late, I guarantee it. He had a date with this hot blonde last night, which shouldn't have ended until this morning."

"Where's Kristi?" Hermione inquired.

"Didn't I tell you? She's gone to Korea for a few weeks," Dean replied. "Her brother's wife just had a baby."

"Well, we should head inside anyway," Harry decided. "I haven't seen Chrissa and the Creeveys in a while."

The group headed into Le Chateau. Sure enough, Dennis, Christabelle, and Colin were leaning against the elegant bar, talking to the bartender. If Hermione remembered correctly, his name was Zak, and he was a cousin of Christabelle and Chelsea.

More hugs and kisses were exchanged as everyone saw everyone for the first time in what felt like ages. Not for the first time, Hermione felt a bit nostalgic for the days of Hogwarts, where everybody was forced to be together all the time. Although I don't mind being away from gits like Malfoy and his Slytherin goons. Even though after Lucius Malfoy was killed by an Auror in her fifth year, and his son and wife Narcissa had been found innocent of any Dark Arts-- which Hermione did believe; everyone knew oppressive and abusive Lucius had excluded his family from his little powwows with Voldemort-- and Malfoy had ended up helping defeat Voldemort, that didn't mean she had to like the guy.

As they took their seats at the bar and several tables near it, Chelsea St. Clare came bustling out of the kitchen. Chelsea, like her younger sister, had long, soft waves of pale blonde hair and indigo eyes. They looked a little like Fleur Weasley-Delacour had before she married Ron's older brother Bill.

Now Fleur wore her hair in ponytails and tromped around after three kids-- seven-year-old Cooper, five-year-old Hailee, and three-year-old Shane-- so she wasn't as concerned with her looks. In fact, the part-veela was a devoted mother who wore denim capri pants, T-shirts, and sneakers as a daily uniform.

It's so funny how life turns out, sometimes, Hermione mused as she watched other old friends, most of which she hadn't seen for a few months, make their way into the restaurant. She waved at Lee Jordan, who was the at-home Quidditch commentator for Puddlemere United, and Angelina Johnson, who showed up sans fiancee (Fred Weasley) but with her two best friends Alicia Spinnet (who was dating Fred's twin) and Katie Bell (who was dating Oliver Wood). It's like that Muggle movie Forrest Gump. Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get.