occurremus iterum

Zinnia worked her hardest at her makeup and hair for tonight, it was important to her to look her best so that she could feel her best. Trying to get ready in an apartment with unreliable electricity and a mirror that was hung way too high above the sink made it challenging. 

“What the bloody hell are you doing up there?” George asked as he walked into the bathroom to find his girlfriend sat atop the vanity, her makeup bag in the bathroom sink.

Zinnia looked at him and pointed to the mirror. “It is too high up. I needed to be closer to see.” 

He laughed and stood behind her looking at her face in the mirror. 

“I guess I did hang this so I could see my face, most of the mirrors in bathrooms I can’t even see the top of my head.” He moved her hair off of the side of her neck and placed a soft kiss there, his hands wrapping around her waist. 

“George, don’t start. I am not finished getting ready and I don’t want to be late. This outlet keeps sparking everytime I try to plug in my flat iron. It’s taking ages to heat up.”

“Just leave your hair natural, it’s beautiful this way.” He told her, still kissing her neck. 

“I will make it work, now get out of here. I need to focus.”

He left her to her craft. 

Zinnia finished her dark smokey eye with a touch of glitter in the inner corners. She lost patience trying to straighten out her wavy tangled hair and decided on a tight high ponytail that showed off one of George’s favorite parts of her body, her neck. She slipped on her new dress that she purchased just the occasion, a black short shift dress with long bell sleeves. The fabric was loose and the thread was metallic so it looked like it was covered in glitter without the mess. The hem and the sleeves were decorated with a black feather boa trim. She sat on the bed to put on her black pleather thigh high boots as George was entering the bedroom. 

“Hello, gorgeous” He was beaming at her, standing in the doorway. 

“Hi handsome.” She smiled back and looked back at the zipper on her boot as she struggled to pull it up. 

He stepped toward her and placed his hand over hers. “I’ll get that.” He said as he easily glided the zipper shut, his hand lingering on her inner thigh. 

“Thank you, will you get dressed now? I am finally ready before you for once.”

“Yes, that is impressive.” He looked back down at his hand on her leg and started to kneel down to devour her. 

“George! Come on, get dressed. I know what you are trying to do. I am going out with or without you.” She stood up from the bed and pulled him to his closet. 

“Fine, I tried my best. You look incredible.” He kissed her cheek and pressed his hand on her ass.

“Thank you, thank you. Now can you please put a shirt on so we can go?” 

He pulled a black button down from his suitcase in the closet and a pair of black dress pants. 

“Ready!”

She rolled her eyes, “boys,” she scuffed and couldn’t help but grin at him. He looked so effortlessly cool though she would never admit it to him.

They left the flat and Zinnia instituted that they stop in a liquor store on the way so she could gift his friends a bottle of champagne. 

She ended up buying a case and George carried it for her with ease as they walked two more blocks to the townhouse. She followed George up the front steps and pulled her leather trench coat tighter around her. Before they could knock the door swung open for them and his sister Ginny was pulling them inside out of the cold.

“Come in, come in! Zinnia, how are you? It’s lovely to see you again.” Ginny pulled her in for a tight hug. She was wearing a gold sequin blazer dress that complemented her fiery red hair. Her hair was more vibrant than George’s, it almost glowed in the candle light.

“Hi Ginny, thank you for having me. Happy New Year! Hope it’s ok I brought some more spirits!” 

“We have plenty of spirits,” She looked at George who was removing his coat with a wink, “But the more the merrier! Thank you Zin.” 

“Happy New Year, Gin.” George said as he walked past her to the party, the case of booze in his arms. 

 The hallway was dark and the energy in the air was magical. Zinnia followed Ginny’s lead down into the kitchen. The long dining table was full of drinks, bottles, finger foods and desserts. George was talking with his brother Ron and a short girl with long crazy platinum hair, wearing a silver sequin dress and 2004 glasses on top of her head. They started to unbox the champagne that Zinnia had brought and Ginny continued to walk towards Hermione who was mixing and crafting cocktails. Zinnia continued to follow behind Ginny. 

“Hey! Hi, I didn’t know you guys would be here so early! Sorry, I am almost done making this pot- concoction, cocktail? I want you to try!” Hermione was stumbling over her words. She seemed frazzled or drunk. Her hair was wild and frizzy, and she turned back to the big black pot that was on the stovetop. 

“Um oh, ok thanks Hermione. It’s good to see you! I’m gonna grab a glass of bubbly until your recipe is ready. I can’t wait to try.” Zinnia looked over into the pot and saw a dark purple liquid, gold shimmer swirling around. It smelled like black licorice. 

A loud pop of a champagne cork came from the other end of the kitchen as George was cheering with his brothers and she was about to head towards them to get a glass. 

“Wait, here Mione we can help!” Ginny grabbed Zinnia by the arm, “Zin can you get the orange slices from the oven, careful it’s hot.”

No shit, Zinnia wanted to say, annoyed she was being put to work. “Of course! I am happy to help.” She lied. 

Ginny gave Hermione a look of surprise that Zinnia caught in her peripheral vision. She pulled a baking sheet full of dehydrated citrus slices. 

“They’re grapefruits actually.” A snide male voice said as Zinnia closed the oven door, looking up to see a platinum blond man walking into the kitchen holding a small vile in one hand. 

“Thank you Draco, for bringing this. Yes Ginny, he’s right the grapefruit is used in this,” Hermione started with a glance at Zinnia then back at Draco, “for cleansing the aura which helps to release confusion and mental chatter.”

“Very good Ms. Granger,” Draco said with a smirk and a gentle pat on Hermione’s bum. She had on a black pleated mini skirt and silky white button down top that was unbuttoned so low her cleavage was shown. 

“Alright, enough you two. Grapefruits then whatever. Does it matter?” Ginny said, rolling her eyes as she took the baking sheet from in front of Zinnia. 

“It does actually. Oranges are for abundance and energy. Used in sun spellwork. Did you get hit in the head with a bludger at practice this week?” Draco joked back at Ginny. 

“Oye, that’s enough from you Malfoy. Hermione said this has to be just the girls.” Harry had joined them in the kitchen and kissed Ginny on the cheek. “Hi Zinnia, good to see you.” He squeezed Zinnia’s shoulder and Draco followed him out of the kitchen. 

Zinnia thought maybe she could use a grapefruit, she was very confused about the entire exchange. Bludger? Spellwork? She shook her head and looked for George, he and his brother had left the kitchen, leaving just the girls. 

“Where are Pansy and Lyla? We need them tonight.” Hermione looked at the door chewing on her lip. Zinnia watched as Ginny mixed in the vile that Draco brought into the pot. “Three more counterclockwise.” She added to Ginny and she stirred the ladle accordingly. 

A loud screaming and giggling came from the front door. “There they are.” Ginny sat the spoon down to greet the new guests. Hermione looked at Zinnia with her big cinnamon eyes, full of worry. 

“Hey, how are you feeling? George told me and Ginny about your headaches. I hope you are feeling more like yourself soon.”

“What? Oh, don’t let him worry you guys, he is just overreacting. I am fine thank you. I’m excited to get to know you guys and his old friends more.” Zinnia said back to her. This seemed to make her aura and eyes fill with more concern, Zinnia couldn’t fully understand it. 

“Zinnia!” A girl similar in age to Zinnia was in the doorway and ran into her embracing her in a big hug. Her dark long pin straight hair was at Zinnia’s face, filling her nose with the most familiar scent. Coffee, cloves and vanilla. She could feel her mind starting to slip and her head pounding. Her vision was black, and her breath was shorting. 

*

Zinnia blinked to find she was gone from the London townhouse and sitting on a twin four poster bed. Emerald green walls and black bedding. A girl, the girl who had just embraced her a moment ago was sitting next to her brushing out that pin straight onyx black hair, the smell rushing to Zinnia’s face again. 

“Plus, it’s not like Theo is able to help me study. He’s not even through basic charms. He got held back again.” The girl was saying. “Z?” She spun her head to look at Zinnia. “Ugh are you even listening? Daydreaming about Fred and George tag teaming you?”

“What?! No what the fuck.” She didn’t know where she was or who this girl was exactly, but she knew Fred and George and she definitely knew that even if Fred was alive in this vision that she would NOT want that.

“Omg chill, Z, I’m joking. Are you serious? Hey woah are you ok, you look like you’re going to be sick.”  

Zinnia ran to the bathroom, even though she swore she had never been here before she knew exactly where it was, and stuck her head in the toilet. She felt sick but did not need to puke. She just needed to gather herself. The girl was behind her placing a hand on her back.

“Hey are you ok?”

*

She blinked and looked up to the girl’s face. But it was different, she was back in the townhouse, back at the NYE party. 

“Are you ok?” She asked again. George was pushing her aside and crouched down to his girlfriend. 

“Lyla! I told you to take it slow! She is having flashbacks and close contact is triggering her.” He had Zinnia’s face held in a tight hold to his chest, his right arm wrapped tightly around her shoulder. She didn’t fight him off and stayed seated on the kitchen floor, face burning with embarrassment. She was a mess in front of his friends and she hated herself for it. 

“George, she is my best friend. You don’t get to dictate her life and keep her away from us!”

“I’m not keeping her away from anyone! I only got her back a few months ago, don’t act like we all haven’t been trying. You could ruin it all.” His voice was rough and vibrating in his chest. 

“You fucking!” Lyla started but a male voice cut her off. 

“Lyla, stop. We are all a little excited here.” 

“Excited? You think this is fun?” Another voice added until a full argument had broken out between the group and Zinnia couldn’t follow the conversations.

“BOYS! Out of the kitchen except George. Lyla, Pansy, Luna, get a glass and get to the rooftop. We do not have time for egos and pride.” Ginny shouted and the chatter stopped and footsteps shuffled out of the room. 

George’s hold on Zinnia softened and he placed a kiss on her head. “You’re ok, I’m here. We’re going to fix this I promise.”

She pulled back from his chest to look up at him. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect to have a vision. I’m sorry I’m so embarrassed.”

“George, get her up to the rooftop, we have to time this correctly. She is fine, this is important.” Ginny ordered and George picked up Zinnia effortlessly following her up a steep staircase. 

“What is happening, is this real?” She whispered in George’s ear. 

“Just please Zinny, please understand. Everyone is here to help and you have to just let go and trust me ok?” He whispered back but would not look into her eyes. 

“Ok, I trust you.” She did fully. She only knew him for 6 short months but she felt that she had known him a lifetime. She felt like she knew all these party guests for a lifetime. They had a familiarity but she couldn’t place her finger on it. “I can walk.” 

“We’re here.” He said and placed her to her feet. She turned around and all the girls from the party were standing with a glass in their hands. Candles were placed in a circle. She turned to George but he was gone, the door back down stairs was locked. 

“Zinnia, it’s ok. Come on, just us girls, we wanted to have a drink and get to know you more.” Hermione’s hand was gentle on her shoulder guiding her to sit in the circle on the ground with the other girls. She handed her a glass as well. It was the dark purple cocktail she was working on and garnished with the dehydrated grapefruit. 

“Sorry, I know your head has been hurting. I didn’t mean to trigger your migraines. I was just excited to see you.” Lyla said to her once she had sat down. Her eyes were red and glassy.

“Oh, no that’s ok. That is really not your fault! Omg I am so sorry I caused a commotion, sorry George shouted at you.”

“That’s ok, let’s all just focus on the task at hand ladies.” Ginny said to the group. Zinnia went to sip her cocktail, desperate to loosen up and break this awkward scene. “WAIT! Zin, sorry just wait a moment before you drink.” 

Zinnia looked around at the group, the girls all had the same cocktail in hand and she trusted their auras. 

“Sorry, we have a tradition every new year. We just get away from the guys before midnight and set intentions. Then we toast with the drinks.”

“Oh, ok that sounds nice.” Zinnia agreed, she was happy to be out in the moonlight and fresh air after her episode in front of the entire party. She looked around the circle again, releasing that she was sitting in the dead center of it. Ginny in front of her, around the circle was Hermione, then Lyla, a younger girl who looked so similar to Lyla but her black straight hair was in a blunt bob, and the girl who was in the kitchen earlier with Ron. 

Zinnia noticed chalk markings on the floor, symbols that she recognized but couldn’t remember what they stood for. Before she could piece together they all stood, holding their glasses up to toast. 

“Ok, we are going to recite a, erm, a poem. Here, Zin, if you can follow along.” Hermione handed her a slip of paper and noticed the girls all had one as well. 

She looked at the paper and joined in the chant with them. 

Underneath the midnight sky so deep,

Champagne bubbles rise and leap.

With each glass raised, our wishes swell,

In this spell of love, we each can tell.

Midnight kisses, moonlit night,

As we share this spirit, our hearts take flight.

In your arms, visions I’m dreaming of,

A soul that's pure and full of love.

So let us cherish this New Year's grace,

With champagne's sparkle and our embrace.

In this moment, I thank the stars above,

For these midnight kisses and boundless love.

The girls were closer to Zinnia now, and each clinked their glasses and drunk their cocktails together, she followed in suit. 

The bubbly liquid went straight to her head and she felt immediately drunk. The girls were all giggling and hugging each other. She held Ginny in a tight hug, she suddenly felt so protective of the younger girl. The ladies stayed on the rooftop for another hour or so, laughing and drinking more, dancing to music and telling stories from the good old days. 

“How do you feel? Are you ready to join the boys downstairs?” Ginny asked her. 

“Sure, this is beautiful up here Ginny. Thank you for including me.” Ginny looked in her eyes, her aura was bursting with hope. 

“We missed you so much. George missed you so much. I am so happy you came.” 

She followed the girls back down to the party that had moved into the living room. It was moody and cozy and some of the guys were playing cards and the others were sitting on the large overstuffed couch, drinks in hand. George’s eye found hers immediately and he sat up from the card table to meet her. 

“How are you? Are you ok? What did you guys do? I'm sorry I shouldn’t have left you up there. You want to get out of here?” His eyes were flooded with concern like he regretted taking her up to the rooftop. 

“George, I am fine. Really, it was nice. We just had some girl talk and had some drinks. It was really nice I promise.” 

“You sure? I should have just taken you back to mine. I told Ginny it was a bad idea but she insisted that the fresh air was best.”

“She was right, it was exactly what I needed.” She pulled his neck down to kiss him. He tasted a lot like the first time they kissed in his parent’s kitchen in the summer. Firewhiskey and peppermint. 

“Alright you two, save it for midnight.” Ginny yelled over to the couple and Zinnia pulled back from his face. 

“Ginny, when did you become such a prude? Don’t act like we haven’t walked in on you and Potter shagging on this very couch.” Draco added with a laugh. He was sitting at the card table with Hermione on his lap. 

“Wait so is the blonde girl with Ron?” Zinnia whispered in George’s ear as the group continued in their own conversations. 

He nodded to the kitchen. She looked over down the hall where she saw Ron and the blonde short girl feeding each other cupcakes at the dining table. “yes, Luna has been actually really helpful taking care of the joke shop.”

“Oh, nice. She seems really nice.” 

“Yeah she’s a bit odd, but very nice. She and Ron have fun together. They make each other happy.”

“Good. That is good. And ok who is that girl who hugged me Lyla?”

“She is from school. She’s with Theo. He was in Ron’s year.” She looked over and Theo, she presumed, was at the card table. He had dark brown hair and tan skin, he was watching his girlfriend with love in his eyes as she sat on the couch with her sister Pansy. “That’s her sister Pansy, she is dating Neville.” She looked over and everyone’s role and background made sense. She remembered all their names and faces after one introduction. It felt like she had known them all forever. 

“You want to go back to your game?” She asked George, looking over at his empty chair at the card table. 

“I’m tired of taking their money. Let’s get a drink.” 

George led her into the kitchen so they could make another drink. 

“Wasn’t that lovely Zinnia? I love spells under the waning moon. Perfect for releasing the old, removing negativity, and revising circumstances. Not that we were really trying to banish anything, really trying to summon. But really I think having the potion should assist in that it really is ingenious George. You did a great job with it.” Luna was rambling this all to Zinnia and George. 

George leaned back against the kitchen counter, sipping his whisky tumbler and gave Zinnia a side glance. She smiled back at him like this must be a normal conversation for Luna. 

“It was lovely, Looney. LUNA! Oh my goodness sorry, Luna.” Zinnia said, her face flushing. Maybe she had one too many glasses of bubbly. 

“That’s ok, that’s what you used to always call me. Coined the nickname at Hogwarts really. Seems like things are taking effect.”

Zinnia smiled at Luna, not wanting to argue back or ask questions. She thought this girl was just drunk as she was. 

“Alright babe, let’s join them in the living room.” Ron stood up and took Luna’s hand. 

“Make sure you guys share a kiss at midnight!” Luna said as she followed Ron out. 

“Well, you were right about her being a bit odd.” Zinnia laughed to George. “I bet it’s nice to see all your friends tonight.”

“Not all of them. A lot of them are gone, or moved away. Some of them have gone and started families. A lot has changed. It’s been about three years but it feels like a lifetime.” He stared into his glass, swishing the ice around the glass. 

“Your friends are very welcoming. I feel like I’ve known them or met them before. Is that a dumb thing to say?” 

“No, it’s not dumb. How are you feeling, is your head ok?” He pulled her into him for a one armed hug, his other hand still holding his drink. She was tired of feeling like he was pitying her. 

“Yes, G I am good. Really, come on, let's get back to the party.” She dragged him into the living room. 

More guests had arrived, George introduced her to them all and she still felt the familiarity in each new face. The music was loud and George and her were dancing in the living room, she had lost count of how many drinks they had.

“5 minutes till midnight!” Harry yelled out to the group.

“We’re going upstairs to watch fireworks if anyone wants to join!” Ginny added and jumped on Harry’s back as he ran her up the stairs. 

Most of the party ran up behind them. 

“We’re going back to the manor. Weasley, kiss, under waning moon at 12 center of the pentacle is ideal. Another drink would also help. Here.” Draco said all this to George and placed a bottle in his hands. He was hand-in-hand with Hermione in front of the fireplace. 

“Thank you Malfoy, Hermione. Thank you both. You sure you don’t want to join us to watch the fireworks?” 

“Granger and I have our own ritual for tonight, if you know what I mean.” Draco winked. Hermione pulled his arm towards the fireplace. 

“That’s enough Draco, let’s go.” She said then looked at Zinnia. “Zinnia. We are so happy you are back. Everything is going to work out. Get up stairs now. Happy New Years. Love you both.”

Zinnia was being whisked away with George taking two steps at a time, she glanced behind her and a green flash came from the living room. Before she could ask George what was happening they were on the rooftop with the rest of the party. Most people were already coupled up with their partners. Ginny and Harry were pacing out flutes of champagne to their guests. Zinnia took hers and the whirlwind of the night was hitting her. She had overheard so many bizarre conversations tonight, especially the last one. George led her to the center of the chalk symbol, elbowing Neville and Pansy out of the way. 

The countdown from the group began and they were joined in by other Londoners out on the street and on other rooftops nearby. 

“Five! Four! Three!” George looked at Zinnia, “I love you.”

“Happy New Year!”

George’s lips were on hers and the fireworks filled the sky. Cheers and laughter, singing filling the air. Glitter and confetti falling into Zinnia’s ponytail, she stayed lip locked with George, his hand on her waist and she popped her foot. He was the first to pull back, toasting her champagne clinking her glass. She didn’t break eye contact from him as she drank the entire glass down. It tasted like the cocktail from earlier in the night and the bubbles again hit her head quickly. George’s face lit up by the fireworks was the last thing she saw until she blacked out.