Great. Why did he have to be such an idiot? So desperate to make things right between Pxyis and him again. He knew things could never go back to how they used to be. He was trying to rush something that was never going to happen. He blurted out about going some place to eat, with money he didn't have, to some place he'd only barely heard of before. He came up with a solution to scrape up some money, which was to sell some of his extra potion ingredients. To get the most amount of money he could though, he had to go to certain places at certain times of day. And this late afternoon, he now found himself at the apothecary at Knockturn Alley, a place he'd seen many patients from in various states of injury and psychosis. He'd already sold a couple of things already, and just wanted to get this part of his day over with. Then he might check up his apartment before going back to the castle.

He had his hood pulled up over his head, and his bag held close to him in the same way he did in the neighborhoods he lived in throughout his life. There was always a chance of being pick pocketed, and even in the better streets and neighborhoods he was still just as paranoid, the behavior so long ingrained.

He walked into the apothecary, looking around the dingy place, the air heavy with dust. He walked up to the counter, placing his bag on the counter with a clatter, waiting for the man in the back to finish with his firecall. He listened to him talk to whoever was on the other side, low murmuring that sounded anything but legal or friendly or good. There was another old man in there, standing in the corner, his back severely hunched as he was looking over delicate looking vials of liquid. He glanced to the other side to some of the supplies and tools on the other wall. He attention snapped back and he straightened up when he heard another person walk in.

Anne walked into the apothecary. She was going to see if they had another potion. The one she had bought last week didn't work. Not that it surprised her. She had been trying for all of her hogwarts years to find a cure. She really missed Damien. He was with a nanny. He had just started to walk. He was the only good thing that came out of her seven years of being Hugo's prisoner. She smiled she loved her son. She prayed he was nothing like his father. Anne closed her eyes. He couldn't hurt her anymore.

Anne walked up to the counter and saw someone that looked familial. She thought about it for a moment. Once it hit her she dropped the vile of failed potion. It was Parker. She knew he had disappeared too. To see him back in England Shocked her. She hadn't seen him since he graduated. Memories came back to her. One above the rest. Him meeting Hugo. She reached her hand and touched her face. She could feel the scar there even though the makeup hid it.

"Parker?" She asked her eyes wide.

Parker kept his eyes forward as someone walked up to the counter, knowing looking over at the wrong sort of person could get him into a fight. He flinched and turned, stepping away from where the glass had shattered. He cursed under his breath, his hand near his pocket in instinct. He looked back over the counter where the owner's head shot up and he yelled something that was garbled in his accent about whoever paying for whatever broke. Cutting off his firecall the man started to hobble over to the counter.

Parker's hand was grasped tightly onto his bag, holding it close. He looked up seeing a woman that had dropped the vial. While physically she didn't resemble the sort of person to frequent places like this, there was a darkness behind her eyes that made him not internally question her reasons for being here. All to often in his training had he seen seemingly normal people, far to gone mentally to be helped. Though he was just staring at her with a professional eye and a blank expression, the moment she said his name, his expression took on that of panic. All to many times had he nearly come across old friends in the streets or at the hospital, but they had never recognized him.

He hadn't quite recognized her yet. Although not much had seemed to change about her, it had just been so long. Maybe if he just turned away and talked to the man behind the counter to get his business over with, she'd just assume she'd mistaken a stranger for him. So he looked down, and turned to the counter as the owner stepped up demanding to know what broke.

Anne closed her eyes. She had to be sure. She felt the people around her. Yes this was Parker. His Aura was the same. She smiled but it vanished when the owner came and accused him. She turned to him sharply.

"Don't accuse him. It was me. I dropped that pathetic potion you gave me last week." She snapped at him. She was no longer the child she had been when she last saw Parker. She had changed. She vaguely heard him say 'sorry miss Jones.' but she ignored him. She turned to the man beside her.

Knowing him she did the only thing that she could think of to get him to recognize her. She rolled up her sleeve and touched his arm showing him clearly her scar. He knew about it. Most people thought she was dead.

"Parker, there is no point lying to me." She said to him. She knew it was him. She was glad he was still alive as far as she knew everyone she had once known could be dead.

Parker took in a deep breath. Great. If a problem were to be caused now, he'd not get his price, and if he came another time and was recognized he'd again probably not get the price he wanted. He rose his eyebrows slightly at the way the woman snapped at the owner, and he almost smiled. Probably a very dangerous and illegal firecall he just had and then he cowers to this woman. She must frequent often enough. Though when he thought he heard him mumble out 'Jones,' his chest felt like it sank and something in his throat caught. Bloody hell, this had to be some sort of sick joke. First Pyxis, and now...now Anne??

When she had touched his arm, he glanced down and he turned his head back away, closing his eyes briefly. She was right. H pretty much looked exactly the same since school, so it was stupid to even think he could try to brush it off. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and opened his eyes again. "Give me a moment..." he said seriously, trying to calm himself down as turning a bit away for her. He needed to sell first, get it over with then he could deal with this. Quickly he put his bag on the table, telling the man what he's selling as he took out the ingredients. The man then takes the more common ingredients right away, handing the money too him.

Parker lowered his head as the owner took a closer look at the few rarer ingredients he had. Hoping Anne could be patient for just a few moments. He felt like he was at wits end.

Anne nodded and waited for Parker to finish selling. She wondered how he was. She hadn't seen anyone in so long. She waited till he was done then started to talk. She really missed having people to talk to.

"How are you. I really missed you in my sixth and seventh year." She said. She knew that he had left. Some thought struck her he didn't know that she had vanished. Most people thought her dead. She closed her eyes briefly. She had trusted the boy she knew. She trusted the boy who had once saved her life.

"Parker please, don't shut me out. I'm not mad at you for leaving. It's been nine years. I'm over it." She said. She had gotten over it a long time ago. The thoughts of her friends were what kept her sane all those years.

With the owner finishing up his inspection of the rarer ingredients, he handed Parker the money. Parker quickly glanced at his hand, a slightly relief coming over him as he saw he had a bit more than expected. He pocketed the money and slung his bag over his shoulder again, just as Anne began to talk.

As she talked he turned and started walking to the door. Assuming her to just follow him anyway. He opened the door walking out before her, hardly keeping the door open longer for her to get through after. Well at least he wasn't being strangled. Yet...

He felt a jab, when she said she had missed him. He felt upset and ashamed of himself for being to terrible to his friends his last years. And every waking moment was becoming a reminder of it. They way he had been dealing with and trying to get over those years, was by shutting it all out. For a short time, he'd even thought to obliviate himself of it, even with the risks involved.

His eyes were lowered to the ground. "I'm not mad at you for leaving. It's been nine years. I'm over it." He was so glad to hear that she had been able to move past him, just like he hoped everyone would have, but something about what she said he also found to just bother him and he blurt out. "Well, I'm not!" he hadn't meant to say it, but it was true. He'd never be able to get over it, and he'd always be angry at himself.

Anne followed Parker out of the shop. He seemed to be processing what she had said. When he blurted out "I'm not." she frowned. She didn't want to tell him but it seemed she had to.

"I got over six years ago. Others might not have, but I have. In fact I'm glad you left when you did. If you didn't you would have been there when I vanished." She said her voice edging on angry.

She stopped and started at Parker. She knew full well what it was like to hate yourself. She despised herself for what she did. She hated herself for killing him.

"I will not let you feel bad for what you did. I've had to do things ten times worse." She snapped.

Anne took a deep breath to calm herself. "I'm sorry, It's been awhile since I've talked to an adult who's company I enjoy" she said.

"Good, you should have gotten over it. Not worth it to get all hung of over my leaving." he grated out between clenched teeth. He couldn't deal with the way she was snapping at him. he'd much rather be physically attacked like what Pyxis had done then this. He shook his head slightly hearing she'd also disappeared. He had just found out about Haley having left Pyxis, and then Anne had left for whatever reasons as well. Then shouldn't she have understood? Even if he'd been a complete prick to her his last year.

When she stopped, so did he. He turned around to look at her and she seemed to be nearly fuming. His brows were furrowed and he looked plenty upset, but for the most part he was trying very hard to keep calm, covering up what he was feeling with healer professionalism, where emotions can't get in the way of work.

He stared back at her, sadness just behind his irritation which was more directed at himself than anything else. He shook his head "You've no say over what I feel, just the same as I don't have over yours. But I won't stand here if you just plan to continue talking to me like this. You want to talk? Then we'll talk."

He looked down when she apologized. "Well, I've changed. You probably wouldn't like me anymore." He said weakly and then glanced over his shoulder, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable standing in this street. "I'm busy. I have to go..." he murmured as he turned around to start walking again. As he turned away he felt that controlled wall of emotions, start to fall. This was all becoming too much again. The difference was he was now an adult, and really should have his act together by now.

Anne sighed. He was walking away. He was still the same. Walking away from his problems. She ran and grabbed his arm. She turned him around to face her.

"I spent 7 years in my own personal hell, everyone who knew me thinks I'm dead. I'm not going to let you walk away." She said softly. She could see that it was hurting him. His choice. She knew he would take it back if he could.

"I've changed too. I'm not the little girl that always saw the good. I'm not the person you knew. I can't be. I have to take care of my family." She said. Everyone had changed. She had spent 7 years with Hugo. A prisoner. Parker had left by his own free will. She had been taken.

"I don't care why you left, all I care about is that you're safe." She said. She would never forget the threats. If she didn't cooperate. He would find the people she cared about.

He sighed, his eyes still drawn down when she stopped him, grabbing his arm. He didn't look her in the eyes when she turned him around. His expression softened with her next words and he closed his eyes briefly. He opened his mouth, to say something. He wasn't sure, maybe sorry, but nothing came out. He opened his eyes and tired to pull his arm away from her grasp.

He stood there facing her, his head lowered still. "Can we talk somewhere else? A..after you finish whatever business you have at that place?" It had sounded to him as if she'd been taken, rather than had left. And a family? He couldn't help but wonder. It's all he ever did whenever he tried to go sleep each night, wonder how his friend's lives ha turned out. Happy, with families, well off, everything he didn't have.

He glanced back over to the apothecary. "Do you need something there?"

Anne shook her head. "No let's go get a drink. I only have my nanny till 6." She said. She didn't need to get the potion today. It wasn't like it would work.

Anne led Parker back through the streets. She finally reached the leaking cauldron and walked to the counter. She ordered a butter beer. She had a son to take care of. She looked at Parker and ordered another beer. She took them both and sat in a booth. She handed him the drink and looked at him. She wondered how he was. what he had done through the years.

"So what have you been up to these pas nine years?" She asked. She was always blunt. She planed on telling him what she had done after he told her.

"where did you go when you left?" She asked.

He didn't say anything when she said that they should go get drinks, what was he going to say? No, I have hardly gone out to any place in the past few years and I don't feel comfortable? He just nodded, furrowing his eyebrows slightly, curious about her family.

He relaxed a little more as they got out of Knockturn Alley, though he still held his bag just as close. He followed close after her though the streets, looking around as he followed her into the Leaky Cauldron. He had been in there only once before and only very recently. He stood behind her as she ordered her drink. He hadn't any extra money if he wanted to go out later. he raised his head a bit as she ordered a second. He opened his mouth to protest but she'd already started to walk to a booth at the far corner.

He sat across from her, just looking at the drink. "I haven't any extra money to pay for that." he said carefully. Not to mention the fact he hardly even remembered if he liked butterbeer. When she asked what he had been up to, he was silent for a long while, thinking of what to say. "I've been busy...I didn't go all that far away..." The thing that had changed now though, was before he had no time. It was either his apartment or the hospital, absolutely no where else. And while he was at the hospital he was always busy, he made sure to stay busy. But now, having taken the job at Hogwarts to finish his training, he had nothing to fill his time with.

Anne sighed. She hadn't had a proper conversation in 8 years. Hugo didn't talk to her. Not that she wanted to talk to him. Damien was still a baby. He couldn't have a conversation.

"When did you came back?" she asked. she didn't know where anyone was. She knew nothing about what had happened to everyone.

"Oh" She said remembering that no one knew about her baby. "You don't even know what I'm talking about when I say my family." she said to her self. She smiled. she loved her son no matter who his father was. Anne reached into her purse and pulled out her wallet. She shuffle through it till she found what she was looking for. A small picture of a one year old boy with strawberry blond hair and green eyes. She smiled at the picture and handed it to Parker. "My son, Damien." she said. smiling. She really hoped that no one asked who the father was. She didn't want to seem like a scarlet woman. Parker knew the last person she would have a child with was Hugo. There was no way he could know the truth.

Anne sighed and stated with a slight air of sadness. "I really missed England"

He continued to stare at the drink set before him, feeling bad that he was wasting money if he didn't drink it.

When she asked when he came back. He glanced up from the glass at her for a moment. "I hadn't exactly left. But...I'm finishing my Healer training, I took up the position at Hogwarts." he said nearly monotonously, so used to saying it. "I've a lot more time to actually go out now." he added. It wasn't particularly a good thing though. He liked to keep his mind off of things. Having so much free time made him feel like he was going mad sometimes.

He looked at Anne curiously when she remembered and said something about her family again. He watched silently as she dug through her purse to pull out a picture of a baby boy. He took the picture carefully. Damien, so he was named after that guy that was a Slytherin a year below him. He could hardly recall what he even looked like.

He smiled a little bit, handing the picture back to him. "He's lovely." He said, though he hadn't really known exactly what to say.

"Where were you, then? If you weren't here in England..." he asked curiously. He wanted to know the reasons behind her leaving.

Anne smiled fondly at the picture. She could tell that Parker wasn't much for kids. She smiled when he said he had a job at Hogwarts.

"I just got a job there too Divination teacher." she said smiling. she remembered that was how she had meet Parker. She had read his Palm in the room of requirements. "I don't have much free time myself, Being a single mum takes it away from you." She sighed she didn't really want free time. Damien was her life. She loved that child. Would she still if he turned out like his father. Don't think that she scolded herself.

"I... um... I was in Germany." She said. Parker knew how she felt about that place. She hated it there. Everything reminded her of Hugo. She sighed and decided to be blunt. "Hugo took me." she said her tone indifferent. She didn't know how to feel. She felt bad for killing him, but he had tortured her and raped her. she was allowed to hate him.

Parker leaned forward, shifting in his seat uncomfortably when she said she would be working there. He lowered his head a bit, and nodded slightly. And here he thought he was just passing her on the street. Their meeting would have been inevitable, and it seemed that he really wasn't going to be able to leave anything behind. All the pain and confusion and ultimate overwhelming. He really needed to just get a grip of himself. he was being pathetic.

He cleared his throat, taking a breath before raising his head again, looking at the glass before him, still undrunk. When she said she was a single mother he spoke quietly. "I'm sorry." He remembered in his later years how just his mother had raised him. It had been unbelievably difficult for her. And it took such strength not to give up, like his mother often did, sleeping days away out of pure exhaustion.

When she said she had been in Germany, Parker's mouth had opened a little, his eyes staring blankly down at the table. A small sound came out as if he was about to start talking until she mentioned Hugo. He finally looked at her right in the eyes, his expression dropped and his eyes were pleading her to tell him that she was lying to grab his attention or something like that, just not the truth.

Anne looked at his pleading expression. He was begging her to be lying. She wished she was. She wish that she could tell him that she fooled him. She closed her eyes and looked down. She was so ashamed. She hated Hugo with all her heart. It was because of him that she was sitting here now. Hugo had broken her. He had hunted her since she was a child he had taken everything from her.

Anne felt tears in her eyes. She wanted more than anything for this never to have happened. She wished that she never had her gift. she wished she wasn't a witch.

She remebered what he had said about being sorry that she was a single mother she scowled. she would much rather raise her son by herself than have his father involved.

"I'd rather be a single mother than have, Damien's father raise him." She stated. "I really wish I was lying Parker, that I left of my own free will but I didn't." She sighed.

When Anne closed her eyes and lowered her head, he leaned back against the back of the seat, looking away. It was the truth, a terrible nightmarish truth that he desperately wished wasn't true. Parker looked down at his hands on his lap. Why couldn't she just have anything good happen to her, why was that Hugo guy always after her??

He glanced up, seeing her scowl and wondered what it was. When she tense said she would rather raise little Damien herself, Parker simply nodded. He couldn't challenge that. He remembered that while his own mother had struggled, if he had ever mentioned his father after the divorce she would get upset, yelling how she didn't need him, and then would refuse to speak to Parker until she was no longer upset. It sometimes made him wish they'd been just the two of them for a lot longer. It felt sometime that it would have been easier for his father to have just gone when Parker was still too young to care and his mother strong enough to be independent.

His voice was quiet as he asked, "And...and you couldn't fight back?" He had of coursed threatened her, with her friends or something like that. Why could he not have just let her be. "...How long was that?"

Anne felt more tears form in her eyes. She didn't bother wiping them, there was no point. She had tried so hard to fight. every day she fought to survive. To fight Hugo would have made it so much harder.

"I did fight Parker everyday. I fought to survive. He was stronger than me. He had a wand when I didn't. There was no way I could have gotten away. He threatened me with my friends. I was alone for seven years." she sobbed. She had never let this get to her she had to be strong for her baby.

Anne took a deep breath. "The only thing that gave me enough strength to escape was my child my baby. I couldn't let him hurt my child like he hurt me. I hate myself for what I had to do, but I wouldn't let my son be born in that hell hole." She said calmly. Her unborn child had pushed her to make her escape.

"I know Damien needs a dad but," She sighed. "I'm not letting my son near that monster." She said

Parker sighed and sat forward again as tears started to steam down Anne's face. He reached his hand over the table, switching into his comforting healer mindset. "I know...I know, you always fought. You've always been so strong. This really proves it." he reached for her hand, holding onto it tight as she sobbed, ignoring the few people that looked over.

"You're not alone anymore. You've got Hogwarts back, and all the people inside of it. Hogwarts has always been your home, and your not going to be alone." An 'I promise' nearly slipped his lips, but the professional side of him, often blocked those words from coming out.

He listened to her continue, his eyebrows furrowed, when she said the last part though, he opened his mouth, that professional air slipping as easily as it went up "No..." he nearly whispered. "Hugo...?"

Anne nodded to what he said. She knew she was strong. She knew that surviving seven years in hell proved it. she knew she wasn't alone not any more. She had her friends back she had her home back. She had little Damien. she was safe Hugo could never hurt her again.

Anne realized what she had said and puller her hand out of his. She hid her face in her hands. She couldn't believe it. She felt ashamed. What would he think. She couldn't speak. Would he think it was of her own free will. what would anyone think. She was ashamed and embarrassed. She felt stupid. She should have kept her mouth shut.

Anne chanced a glance at Parker. She wanted to know what he thought. She finally managed to find her voice and said one word "Yes." then hid her face again. She hated herself.

When Anne had pulled away from him, putting her face in her hands crying, Parker cursed under his breath. He stood up and moved to sit next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, brushing her hair back. "Anne please-" he sighed, he had no clue how to comfort her. So, he just started to talk, feeling sick to his stomach and trying to remember what one of his fellow trainees had to say to a patient that was a victim of a similar thing.

"That sicko was trying to take every bit of dignity away from you he could, huh? Well, joke's on him, it gave you the best thing in your life. You know that, I know you do." He placed his hand on her back. His opened his mouth again and then closed it again, not wanting to say the wrong thing. "You're smart and you know it wasn't your fault. And I know that too. Alright?"

Anne couldn't speak she just nodded to everything that Parker said to her. She was still ashamed. She hated herself for what he had done to her and what she had done. She hated the fact that she had killed him. He was by no means innocent. Her life was on the line. If she hadn't done what she had, when she had. She wouldn't be sitting here, Damien wouldn't be alive.

"You don't understand. He took everything from me. He took my family, my friends, my life, my virginity, my beauty, my dignity, and my freedom. He took everything I had." she said quietly.

She looked at him he didn't understand what it was like to be tortured everyday. To scream and fight to stay sane. He didn't know what it was like to have that curse on him. She had been to hell he hadn't.

Parker felt his spirits sink. He just need her to calm down. he "No, I don't. I don't understand. There are probably only a handful of people that could." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "But you are so much better than and worth so much more than just what he did to do. You're what you've over some and fought and challenged." he sounded like he was pleading with her to understand.

He closed his eyes and took a breath. "You are so much more then anything he would ever be or ever did to anyone...You love your son. You-you love. And you know what? If I learned anything from school. And anything about the past. Love is the most powerful thing there is."