After The Magic Has Faded

Joey rested his forehead against the back of her head and sighed,"Why can't you?"

Astoria felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest with how close they were. "Because.." Flickers of memories flashed through her. "I.. Don't.. I'm scared. Of Muggles."

"You don't think I'm scared? Astoria..."Joey paused and sighed gently, closing his eyes,"You terrify me. But we are so much more than Muggles and witches, we are people, too."

Astoria closed her eyes and felt her body shaking. "Joey.." She whispered, shaking her head. "I'm going to tell you something." She sat up and turned so that she was facing him. The only light was from the few candles. "About a year before the war started, I was with my little sister outside. We were playing. It was fun. But I kicked a ball too hard and she used magic to stop it from hitting her face. Little did I know that Muggles were spying on us. That night, I heard a noise. I woke up and someone gagged me and took my wand away. Then they hit me and I passed out. I woke up in a room with my little sister. But.. She was on a table. They were running tests on her. I was tied to a chair. I could still hear her screams. I was desperate. My emotions must have had an effect on my magic because before I knew it, the ropes were burned off. When I realized this, I ran towards my sister. But.. This man was holding something. A silver thing. A.. Gun, you call it? He shot me right here." She lifted her shirt and revealed a scar on her side. "Then.. He turned around and shot my sister right in the head." She was trembling now, tears streaming down her face. "Magic couldn't save her. She was too young. She was 10. Her magic wasn't developed. I got angry. I screamed. The next thing I knew, I was in the hospital. My father told me that I somehow blew up the building, killing all of the experimenters. She was murdered in cold blood." She broke off. She couldn't continue.

Joey grasped her cheeks and wiped her years with his thumbs,"That is terrible, Astoria, and those were bad people. People. Not all Muggles are bad... We're not the men that killed your sister."

Astoria closed her eyes and she couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She put her face in her hands sobbed, her feelings pouring out all it once. She couldn't stop it. A part of her didn't want to stop it.

Joey wrapped his arms around around her tightly and held her close, rubbing her back. He knew what she was feeling, and he knew she needed to get it out.

Astoria finally let herself give in and she wrapped her arms around him in return, crying into his chest. She didn't know how long she cried, but eventually, the tears stopped. She slowly pulled away and wiped her cheeks, looking down.

Joey rubbed the small of her back in soft, slow circles. He didn't say anything, just watched her, waiting for her to be ready for whatever she needed next.

Astoria took a deep breath, calming breaths, until she got a hold of her emotions. She slowly turned to him and rested her hand on his cheek. "I want you to stay." She whispered, watching his eyes.

Joey smiled and nodded, her fingertips causing tingles to race through his body,"air would love to stay."

Astoria smiled weakly and pressed a kiss to his cheek before hugging him tightly, her face resting in the crook of his neck.

Joey hugged her back, stroking her hair slowly and smiling. The next few days were easy. They slept, ate, and got to know one another. Joey was becoming enchanted on his own accord, and was happy... He stood at the opening of the tent, watching the snow craze upon the earth. The cold wind was raging and so he shut the opening and sealed it.

Astoria watched him from her cot, her blanket wrapped around her tightly. It was freezing. "Come here." She said, her voice shaking from the cold. She grabbed a jar and lit a fire in it with her wand.

"That always get me,"Joey said as he sat next to her, staring at the jar and chuckling,"We could stay here forever and be fine." He looked over at her and noticed her shaking,"Come here." He grabbed his own blanket and placed it around her

Astoria smiled and scooted closer to him, their jar in between them. She was more open towards him now. Every once in a while her sarcasm showed, but she actually smiled and laughed with him. It was a nice feeling.

Joey leaned back on his hands, still so accustomed to the cold that he didn't need a blanket or anything, the jar was enough. He was beginning to learn how to play off of Astoria's personality.

Astoria looked down at her hands, playing with her fingernails. After a long few minutes of listening to the roaring wind, she looked up. "Tell me about you." She said. "I want to know everything."

Joey was caught off guard and stared at her for a moment,"Well... I grew up here, in this forest, in that town. I lived here. Well, kind of. I was a foster kid, so I was tossed around. When the war started I was actually living with a wizard family and I ran away. That's why I took care of the kids, I knew what it was like to be on your own. I've lost a lot of people, I've seen a lot of bad things, I like long walks on the beach, or at least I think I could if I had ever been to the beach..."

Astoria watched his face as he spoke, and when he finished talking, she smiled. "You'll get there someday. Beaches are nice." She said softly. She looked down at the flames in the jar, sighing as she thought about the war and if or when it will ever end.

"We'll see. I will need to survive,"Joey said with a nod,"I worry about the kids who used to bc one through my stop. There is no where for them to go now..."

Astoria took her gloves off and slipped her hand in his, squeezing softly. "It's cruel. Anything can happen anytime. But maybe it'll be alright. You're not alone." She said gently.

Joey nodded with a weak smile,"Yeah, I guess. We will see." He sighed softly and sat back. It was easy for her, her race was winning, they were surviving. Muggles were dying, they were an endangered species. He shook the thoughts out of his head and stood up,"Dance with me?"

Astoria looked up, surprised. What a random thing to say. She slowly stood up and looked up at him awkwardly. "But we don't have any music."

"Of coarse there is! Take it from someone who lived on the street, there is music everywhere. Listen to the wind,"he placed a hand on her waist and took her hand in the other,"And the fire... the leaves blowing outside,"he slowly began to move,"your heartbeat,"and then they were waltzing slightly.

Astoria smiled and closed her eyes as she listened. She listened hard. She could feel the rythym in their steps. She slowly opened her eyes and looked up into his. "Aren't you a poetic one." She said softly

"I try,"Joey said with smile, looking down at her as they danced. It was nice to have some fun.

Astoria smiled back. His smile is pretty contagious. It felt so natural, dancing with him like this. She felt like a young girl again with no problems in the world once more.

Joey rested his forehead against hers as their waltzing became swaying and her placed her hand around his neck, placing his on the other side of her waist. With all the wartime and discontent he never got to fall in love.

Astoria looked into his warm eyes as they swayed, her heart pounding in her chest. He was super gentle, something she's never been used to. She didn't even feel cold anymore. She felt warm all over, just from the closeness.

Their breath was visible, and it mixed every time they exhaled. It was intoxicating . His hands slid around her waist, connecting behind her as he held her closer, his heart pounding in his ears.

She hooked her arms around his neck and looked up into his eyes, butterflies erupting in her stomach. They were so come that it kind of hurt to look up at him, so she settled for looking at his chin and neck, then her eyes finally closed as she heard his quick heartbeat faintly.

Joey rested his head against yours, kissing the side of her head and closing his eyes, his nose against her temple.

The warmth of his lips sent tingles all over her body, which she didn't mind. She gently caressed the back of his neck, hoping that she could ease his worries and pain, if only just for a little while.

Her cold fingertips on her neck hand his hands instinctively tighten and his breath intake. He smiled, smirking gently as he straightened up. He has become so comfortable that the cold startled him.

Astoria jerked back, looking up at him, her eyes apologetic. "I'm sorry! I didn't know that my hands were cold." She said sheepishly, a blush tinting her cheeks.

Joey laughed and took her hands in his own, cupping them against his lips and breathing warmly onto them,"You were so soothing I just got scared."

Astoria watched him, his breath feeling good against her cool fingers. "Scared?" She smiled, a little shyly.

"I was student's was all a dream, and I was waking up,"Joey whispered softly, smiling as he rubbed the back of her palm with his thumb.

Astoria looked down at their hands, another smile tugging at her lips. "Well.. You're not dreaming, I assure you. Though... It might be better if you were.."