Dedicated to my three close friends; Laila, Maura and Stef

Created; Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop

The hilltop was not particularly high but high enough that anyone who stood on it would feel the heavy breeze blowing towards it. It rustled the high grass in different directions wildly and rustled the leaves of the only tree on the hill. The wind gathered speed forcing a few weak leaves to give up on survival and get tumbled to the ground, spinning in circles. The wind died down finally after a few minutes letting the remaining leaves fall limp against their stems.

A young girl stood alone, her hand lying lightly on the bark of the tree. She watched on over the hill at the rising sun. It peeped over the horizon, casting a soft golden glow on the countryside around her, and the valley of houses that stood about a mile below her. As the sun grew higher, the girl lifted her limp arm and shielded her eyes from the blazing sun. The breeze still blew over the hill but not as bad as before, her soft red hair that laid to just below her mid back blew slightly and the wind whispered across her pale cheek. She wore simple muggle clothing, a white dress that hugged her waist but fell loosely around her knees.

Anyone looking on would wonder why an eleven - going on twelve - year old stood alone, but no one did. She was simply alone. Moving, finally, the young girl bent to pick up the small dark bag that laid at her feet and slung it over her shoulder.

She began to walk slowly down the hill towards the valley, now that the sunrise had been and gone she needed to move on. Birds chirped all around her welcoming the new day, a new beginning. It didn't take her long to descend the remaining hill and breach, the boundary of the sleeping village. People on the left and the right were walking up, some faster than others. One such man clearly coming close to the end of his long life sat in a creaking rocking chair, he held a large book in his lap but made no attempt to read it. Instead his beady eyes roamed round the somewhat sleepy village doing what he did best. Nose around.

He didn't see her, no one did. They couldn't, she was dead to the world yet still alive. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she pressed on passing the not yet opened stalls and stores. She reached the middle of the market place within a few minutes and stepped up towards the water fountain that sat there. She dropped her small black bag when she reached it, leaning over she cupped her hands under the water and brought it to her lips. The ice cold water stung the inside of her mouth for a moment before it slide down her throat refreshing her. She cupped her hand under the water once more and repeated the action.

She went to reach the water a third time when she felt it, the cold stare she knew, learned to like but not love. The young girl looked up and there he was, he wasn't how she remembered him. He was older, his hair longer but still the same color. He stared at her looking scared, unsure on what he was seeing. His face stretched into a smile as she took a step forward but he stepped back.

She stopped, pain ran through her to the core. Her friend, her dear sweet friend that she loved with all her heart. She loved him. Always. He-he was scared of her. She didn't understand why, the tears prickled the corners of her eyes. She couldn't stay, she had to go. The young girl fell back a few paces before turning on her heels and running from the village.

She didn't look back.