if I could maybe I'd give you my world, how can I when you won't take it from me

November was usually a good time for Illyana to catch up with old friends. Her students were usually busy cramming for last minute tests and finishing essays, leaving Illyana with a week of silence before the storm of examinations and tests truly began. The week was usually spent in London, as was her custom for the past few years, and the woman usually stayed at the Leaky Cauldron for most of the weekend. She caught up with an old friend of hers, Brianne Greenwood, a lovely housemate from their Hufflepuff days. Brianne was probably one of the only friends Illyana had had throughout their days at Hogwarts, and they still kept in touch. Brianne was a plump, short woman, with a beautiful face. She had the kind of face that models dreamed of, heart shaped, huge, green eyes and a pouty lip. If it hadn’t been for the fact that she was considered plus size she would’ve probably become a model, because she loved fashion. She was now working as a journalist and had left her teenage dramas behind. It was always good to see Brianne again and the two women had sat the entire evening chatting and laughing, reminiscing about old times and fond memories.

As dusk settled over London the two women departed from their little bar and walked down the new Bond street. They laughed at a joke and giggled at odd people passing them by. Brianne commented often, and loudly, on Illyan’s bodily transformation. It had been an extreme one, she agreed, but she had never been more comfortable in her own body than what she was now, and she was healthy, which essentially was what it was all about. Brianne snorted at this, but they laughed all the same in their slightly tipsy mood. Illyana had only had two drinks, but her cheeks were attractively rosy from the alcohol. As the darkness settled the two women hugged each other warmly and went their separate ways. Illyana apparated to The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley, and stepped inside from the chilly November air.

A little bell chimed as Illyana walked through the door. A few people looked up, but Illyana did not pay them any attention. It was a little early for bed so the woman walked past the bar and found herself a little table with a candle. She seated herself and removed her warm coat from her shoulders, revealing a slick, black dress going down to her knees with a little split up her thigh. It was a little formal for this bar, but she had a good customer relationship with the owner, and he didn’t mind when Illyana came to town to up the class a little. A few looks were thrown Illyana’s way but she ignored them all and ordered a small glass of cognac. The woman was completely oblivious to the fact that a colleague of hers was just sitting a few meters away from her on a barstool. Illyana sipped the drink and let her thoughts wander as she sat there silently, pensive.

if I could maybe I'd give you my world, how can I when you won't take it from me

Meeting old friends always left Illyana in a pensive mood, and she was never quite sure if this was a good or a bad thing. She tilted her head slightly, her thoughts a breezy fluid of memories and new impressions. It had been good to see Brianne again. Brianne had perhaps been Illyana’s only true friend during her time at Hogwarts, and although perhaps a little sad fact, a fact that Illyana was truly thankful for. She felt blessed to have been given such a friend as Brianne. A loyal, heart warming and caring friend that despite having issues of her own never failed to encourage and support Illyana. The Greek woman smiled fondly to herself, remembering all the times the two girls had snuck into the kitchens for a late night snack, giggling and whispering in the dark. Those were fond days in-between the harder days. It had never been easy for Illyana to be accepted by her peers as a young teenager. All they had seen when they had looked at her was her plump body.

Illyana’s thoughts wandered to that dark place in her past where her peers had made fun of her, and she pondered over it and her transformation since then. It was true; Illyana had made a undergone a remarkable transformation to her body, having gone from being overweight to normal sized, even slim in most people’s eyes. Illyana now possessed the body that most people found desirable, and the beauty that she had always had now lay plain on her face. Most people had never seen the beauty of her eyes, or her cheekbones or the attractive curl of her lips when she smiled, because all they had seen was her body. Illyana could not deny that she had been heavily influenced by her childhood nightmares to do something about her appearance, denying it would be a lie. Of course what people had whispered about her had made an impression on her! She was only human, after all. And so, mostly for herself, she had taken drastic measures to change her appearance, and also, change herself.

The woman snapped out of her thoughts as a familiar voice echoed through her ponderous haze. She blinked and focused on the man who had joined her. She smiled before she completed recognized him. “Oh! Bradly! No, not at all,” she said surprised, motioning for him to sit down and join her. She smiled fondly, quite relieved to be freed from her strange, pensive thoughts. She took another sip of her drink. It burned in her throat, a welcomed burn. “Oh, I was just here to meet an old friend of mine,” she said, thinking of her funny, warm friend. “We were Hufflepuffs together,” she admitted with a sheepish smile, although being Head of Hufflepuff usually meant that the person had attended that house before.