Rekindling the Fire

[Harold Garrison]

It was ironic, Harold thought, that after so many years of leaving things behind, he was picking everything up again. Old faces were appearing suddenly as if his thoughts had invoked them; forgotten memories surfaced; emotions were rekindled as strongly as a roaring flame. Hogwarts was practically a distant memory for him now, no more than a lost part of his happier past, but pieces of it were beginning to come back to him, drawing him again as easily as it had when he was a child. It wasn't Hogwarts that he was standing in front of, however. The former Ravenclaw's feet had taken him into Takarokaro Park, down a worn little path through a picturesque patch of greenery. The park reminded him a little of Italy, strangely, even though Italy was often the last thing he wanted to think about. The horrors, the pain, the scars from those years could never be erased from him, both mentally and physically, but in between those times, the country was beautiful. He missed the crash of waves that he could hear from his window. And he missed the constant laughter, the cheer, and the carefree joy of the Italian people. He missed... well, he missed his wife, but he will never see her again at all. He missed his son, too, but he was lost to him now. Harold habitually brushed his fingers across the scar on his neck as he turned to walk back own the path for what felt like the twelfth time.

This particular scar had not yet healed, although it had been - what, four...five? - years since he had received it when a piece of burning plaster struck his face in the burning car. It had taken him too long to realize that the plaster was burning not from a regular fire, but some kind of cursed fire, and as he had yelled and screamed, it had branded a thick red line down his neck, curving over his back, marking him with something that he couldn't get rid of, no matter how hard he tried. He couldn't afford to be recognized. In a perfect world, no one would know him. In a perfect world, he would just exist until he became tired of it, and then he would simply die. He shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket and turned again, without warning, only to nearly bash his head into another person. "Sorry",he muttered, attempting to appear anonymous, but there was something that compelled him to look up and freeze.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

The wind blew Anita's chocolate brown hair from the corner of her shoulders put into the wind, making her hair look like it was catching something. What was she really doing walking around? Trying to think, why on earth this petite little fragile woman was so angered. There was no doubt it was her ex boyfriend, the pain was still deep down. He had left her abandoned, left to die out on the street before someone else had helped her. Anita had a terrible seizure a few years back, it happened occasionally, but she found put that her ex boyfriend had put in substances to make her have a reaction, but one day he went too far, and put too much in, almost causing her death. She was trying to put that behind her because she was the stronger person.

She sighed, taking in a breath of the fresh air that was surrounding her. The brown eyed girl decided to take a walk through the really nice park that was before her. Walking in, she accidentally bumped into someone. " Oh, I'm so sorry." She gave him a smile, he was really good looking.

 

[Harold Garrison]

"Oh.. Sorry again" he mouthed, eyes wide. Harold was making a lot more sudden decisions now that he was back in New Zealand. Until that day he had stepped off the plane, every move he had made had still been calculated and correct, had still been done with a purpose. Since he had decided to stay in New Zealand once more, he had been running on more impulse than calculation...and this, like his lack of information about the happenings of the Wizarding world, put off Harold. The lady was small and fragile, he then remembered the love of her life Elaine. There wasn't a day that he didn't remembered her as she meant the world to him.

Still Harold needed a fresh new start, as his parents hoped to see their son back and alive. Some of his relatives even suggest that he should remarry again and enjoy his second life. But Harold was left ignoring their ideas but still tried to move on. In front of her was a lady who seems to be fairly attractive. Smiling at her, he decided to start a friendly conversation with the lady. "Excuse me Madam, but I was wondering if you're alright?" it was the only thing he could think of for now to say to the lady.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

Anita had a flashback of when Sean took her to the park, the day before she almost died. The brunette had to start forgetting her past life, she needed to move on and forget about Sean. He didn't care about her, and she didn't really care about him. She was faced with a decsion, one that was literally infront of her. Would she flirt with the guy or brush him off? No, she was going to move on with her life, hopefully he had some interest in flirting as well.

" I'm quite alright Sir, are you alright? So we don't have to address eachother anymore, I'm Anita." She gave him a wide grin and small laugh. His eyes were just captivating and really drew her into him.

 

[Harold Garrison]

The heartache was so much worse. God, he missed her. The smell of her hair, the way she could make everything right... It all was gone into the wind, and it was all his fault. There was nothing he could do about it now. Nothing that would ever make her want him back. The former Ravenclaw could definitely not turn to Sky any longer.Harold wasn't the flirt type at all, even some sees him as a ladies man he always assured that he wasn't always thinking about girls. Just last week when Harold decided to remove his wedding ring, he made it as a necklace instead. As it was hanging around his neck for safety. He didn't wanted to move girls away from him, after all he needed a fresh new start. The lady seems to be nice so Harold decided to remove the tension from the two.

"Yes, Nice meeting you Anita. I'm Harold." he said to her as he was offering his hand for a handshake. At times Harold was too formal, that he often forgets that he needs to relax for second. Sometimes he would wonder what if he pursued his army dream, but it wasn't actually his dream it was his father. Who secretly wanted him to join the army, but when he knew that he'll stay and be a teacher. His father seems to be delighted by his choice, though Harold didn't became a Professor like him, he still loved his son.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

Anita looked over at the trees and everything, wondering how she was still here today. The brunette was going to move on, she needed to get away from all of that negative energy her mind kept on remembering. Her big brown eyes placed themselves upon the dreamy man infront of her. " Nice to meet you." She gave him a wide smile and shook his hand. " Do you love around here?" Anita looked around the park at the trees and bushes. " You seen like somethings bothering you, are you alright?" Why would she say that? " I'm sorry, I work with children, I'm always asking that." Anita shook her head embarrassed. But she was the one with something on her mind too.

 

[Harold Garrison]

The girl was obviously friendly, too bad Harold was in the mood for some despair. Still he tried to quite lighten up, after all she seems to be quite pretty. Harold nodded and smiled at Anita. "Yeah, it's pretty great." he told her as he started to stretch his arms upwards. He also noticed she loves to talk, still he liked that. "Oh no, Everything great.. I mean I'm fine." he laughed still trying to lighten up. He began to be interested when he heard that the lady deals with children. Harold loves children, as he was a former teacher and the fact that he dearly miss his own children. Still he can't help to recall his son Connor, how he hope to see his smile once more.

"Ohh, me too... I mean before and all." he told him flashing her a smile. It's been sometime that he'd been unemployed, still everything seems to be complicated.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

Anita could tell something was bothering him, but would she go for it. " I didn't want to come off to strong and look all weird. You see, I'm a day care teacher so I have to ask all day, so it felt natural for me to ask." And now she was blabbering, she was surprised that he didn't walk away with her weirdness. Before? She could totally relate to a before and after absoloutley. " I'm sorry if I'm being weird and blabbering, I just haven't talked to anyone in a while really." Anita shrugged her shoulders. He was so good-looking and she was making a fool out of herself, it would be a miracle if he stayed, everyone else would've left by now. Anita leaned back on her foot and nearly fell back, " Klumsy me." She gave a laugh, why was she acting like a idiot? " Before? I don't know what you mean?" Her chocolate brown eyes looking at him.

 

[Harold Garrison]

Harold tried to shake things off and start to freshen up his mood. "Oh no worries, I think that's nice.. I mean working with children as a work." he told her with a smile. Harold didn't expected to find or rather met someone who seems to be that talkative, it's not that he doesn't like loud people he wasn't just a fan of them. Still he sees nothing wrong with Anita. "Obviously" he replied faking a cough "What I mean is well I can see that." he said as he tried to push away his sarcastic moments aside. Harold was surprised when Anita nearly fell back, he tried to catch her if ever the thing occurred. Luckily it did not, "Are you alright?" he asked her as he was covering his laughter about the incident. "Oh I was a teacher before and Ive handled kids but more of a teens." he answered back.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

Anita nodded, working with children was the best thing that she's ever done, or thought about in her life. " I'm alright, just that I get really klumsy and nervous sometimes, it's not who I really am though, it just takes over the best of me." She shrugged her shoulders. " Hmm, I've never worked with teens, how did you find that?" She asked, she was quite interested. " I'm really sorry for acting like that, it's just something that came over me, let's start again? Hopefully you can forget my idiotisim?" Sanja gave him a wide smile, showing her pearly white teeth.

 

[Harold Garrison]

Obviously the girl loved to talk, too much actually. Still Harold tried to flash her a smile, event hough she was a bit creepy. "Obviously." he repeated. "Challenging at the same time F-U-N" he told her. Working with children was the best thing for Harold other than sports of course, it was like being with your school friends. It reminds him of his days the only difference is that the students are muggles compared to the wizard. Muggles are easy to taught for they don't put their wands and point it at your face. Still it was truly a joy working with teens. "Oh sure." he assured her.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

Anita was making a fool of herself, but that's how she was now. She didn't really trust anyone anymore. The brunette didn't want to tell a stranger that but on the other hand he would still be thinking she was crazy if she didn't tell him. " I never thought that I'd work with kids though. A few years back I was actually thinking of being a doctor." She shrugged her shoulders. " I should've compromised and have been a pediatrician." Anita gave a small laugh. " Atleast you get full sentences, I get one word answers if I'm lucky, but I can't complain, they're all sweet and adorable." Anita smiled, she did love her job though.

 

[Harold Garrison]

Harold needed a distraction and luckily the girl was there to distract him. He nodded at each word while smiling at her, as he was assuring her that he was listening to her. "Everything has a reason behind it." he told him. "You have no idea, they don't even speak at all." he joked. It was somehow true though , his students never saw him as their teacher but rather than a playmate. A person that can talk to ,he was very much contented with his life until the whole accident happened. It changed his life, and now it was the only thing he have.. his memory. "Yeah." he said flatly as he started to stroke his hair, it's been a couple of months since Harold got a haircut.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

Anita nodded, agreeing with him. There was a reason that she became a daycare teacher. " Maybe that's better, I have some that don't talk either." She laughed, having a smile on her face. " I love it though, I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's the thing that calms me down and brings me up y'know." She shrugged her shoulders. The brunette was getting a bit more comfortable with him. " They can all be terrors though, but cute little terrors." Anita laughed, hanging onto her bag chain.

 

[Harold Garrison]

Harold agreed as a sign of agreement with Anita's statement."Yeah, that's true." he said to her smiling. "How long have you been teaching?" he asked her as he started to get comfortable with the lady. she asked her. Though he also wanted to change the topic, Harold didn't know what to ask her. He was though getting a bit bored and wanted to have a lunch. He had more days to wander around and hopefully to find a job.

 

[Anita Petrovic]

Anita had to remember when she first started to teach, " I first started to teach about a year and a half ago. Before that I was going to sign a huge contract deal with a soccer team, but I chose not to." She sighed, then turned her frown into a smile. " Did you teach for long?" She asked him curiously. The brunette felt the warm wind, it was so nice outside, she could just sit out for hours.