Knock. Knock. Knock.
“Harry, they’re here!” Pansy Potter shouted to her husband, who appeared at the top of the stairs. She rushed to the door and, in her excitement, threw it open so hard that it hit the wall behind it.
“I’m so glad you could make it!” she squealed, ushering Draco and Hermione Malfoy over the threshold. Their tall, blonde son, Triton, followed. Triton hadn’t visited the Potters since he was young, but he knew what inevitably was to come. Sure enough, Pansy pinched his cheek hard enough to make his eyes water and hugged him tightly. “I haven’t seen you in ages! Look how you’ve grown! You’ll be a handsome man just like your father.”
“Pansy, let him breathe,” Harry joked, clapping Triton on the shoulder. “Estelle’s out in the garden,” he said, referring to his and Pansy’s daughter. He and the other three adults disappeared through a doorway beside the stairs, into what Triton knew to be the living room.
Triton entered the small kitchen on the opposite side of the hallway. A bulky, round table took up most of the limited space. The bright sunlight streaming through the open window gleamed off of a vase of daisies that served as a centerpiece. Triton had to squint, but he made his way around the table to the French doors behind it. His hand enclosed the smooth knob, but did not turn it. He suddenly felt anxious.
Why am I so nervous? he wondered. Why can’t I bring myself to open the door?
After a moment, he composed himself and stepped outside on to a stone walkway. He was in a pristinely-trimmed garden. It took up the whole backyard, while the pathway winded through it in a sort of circle. The garden was very beautiful, but slightly overwhelming. Daffodils, tulips, daisies, pansies, roses, violets, and many more flowers that Triton couldn’t identify were planted everywhere. There was only one tree, a vast, towering oak with lush, green leaves, in the center of the yard.
Triton followed the path slowly, gazing out over the sea of colors. He rounded the corner and could now see around the massive tree. In front of it sat an intricately carved stone bench. Instead of legs, little angels with strikingly vivid detail held up the slab of stone that was the seat. Three innocent-looking angels were also carved into the back.
The beautiful bench was not what made Triton stop in his tracks, however.
A pretty girl was lounging on it, intently reading a yellow paperback book. The bright summer sun shone on her long black ponytail. She was wearing denim shorts and a light pink T-shirt, but no shoes or socks.
Triton cleared his throat, and she looked up. “Hi, Estelle,” he greeted, moving toward the bench.
“Hi,” Estelle returned, placing a leaf between the pages of her book to mark her spot.
They waited in awkward silence for a few minutes, Triton leaning against the tree and Estelle still sitting on the bench.
Although their families had been friends for years, Triton and Estelle hadn’t been close since before Hogwarts. As young children, they had been best friends. That changed as they grew up and grew apart, and now they seldom had the chance to speak to each other. It seemed as though the only thing they had in common was being sorted into Slytherin.
“So…what were you reading?” Triton asked, hoping to break the silence.
“Oh,” she giggled, “don’t laugh, but it was Black Beauty. It’s always been one of my favorites.”
“There’s nothing wrong with that,” Triton, a book lover himself, assured her seriously.
They fell silent once again, but it wasn’t embarrassing or awkward this time. A light breeze blew through the garden, rustling the leaves on the tree and making the flowers sway gently. It was very peaceful and serene, just enjoying each other’s company.
“You can come and sit down,” Estelle offered suddenly, patting the bench beside her.
Triton obliged and moved from his spot against the tree to the bench in front of it. As he sat there, he couldn’t believe he was enjoying the beauty of the garden with Estelle Potter, one of the most popular girls at Hogwarts. And one of the prettiest, he thought, glancing sideways at her. The daffodils and tulips behind her made the perfect backdrop.
Something was different between them. There was no need for conversation. The old comradely from their childhood was back again.
“Estelle, what changed?” Triton asked.
“What do you mean?”
“We used to be best friends, and then we just…weren’t. What happened?”
“I don’t know,” she replied slowly. “You went to Hogwarts that year, and I didn’t. I guess I felt like you left me behind.”
“But you were coming the next year,” he said reasonably.
“I know, but it wasn’t the same. We didn’t see each other all that year before, and you had already made other friends.”
“Yeah, I suppose you’re right. It was different,” Triton said, running a hand through his short, blonde hair.
“It doesn’t have to be different anymore, though, does it?” It was more of a statement than a question. Estelle’s bright green eyes lit up at the thought.
“No, it doesn’t,” he agreed. After a long pause, he added, “Well, maybe it’ll be a little bit different.”
“Why?”
“I…er, I don’t want to mess up our friendship again, but…would you ever consider going out with me?” he inquired hesitantly.
“Are you serious?” Estelle asked, turning her whole body around on the angelic bench to face him.
“Well, yeah. I mean, I can understand if you don’t want to, and we can just forget this ever happened, but I think I sort of…have a little bit of a crush on you, and…” he babbled, before Estelle cut him off.
“Triton,” she laughed, “I’ve never seen you like this. Yes, I would go out with you. If I can make you that nervous, it might be worth it just to see you so embarrassed,” she teased. Then, she said seriously, “To tell you the truth, I’ve liked you for a while, too. I’ve missed you a lot.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Well, not that you’ve been missing me, but that, you know…”
This time, his rambling was cut off when Estelle kissed him soundly on the lips.
Triton Malfoy and Estelle Potter spent the rest of the day walking hand in hand through the extraordinary garden, catching up on the years they’d spent apart. As time went on, the flowers would wilt and their beauty would fade, but the love between two friends was one thing that would never die.