Disclaimer: The characters belong to the wonderful JK Rowling and when writing I was inspired by Lisa Appignanesi.

A/N: I posted this on the ADMM boards a little while back and whilst I still have access to this computer I thought y'all might like me to post it here. I don't know where it sprang from or why, and I certainly don't know if it works, but I would appreciate it if you would let me know.

Ne M'oubliez Pas

At the tender age of twelve I was a girl and Hogwarts was my world. Gryffindor. Ravenclaw. Hufflepuff. Slytherin. Transfiguration.

I was all of thirteen when he walked into my life. A disruption. The new professor with a whimsical air. A disturbance.

I was all of fourteen when he made me smile. A nuisance. Robes every colour of the rainbow. Appalling taste. Tartan matched his knobbly knees. Mouth twitched. Reluctance.

I was all of fifteen when he made me laugh. There once was a veela, a hag and a banshee…Merriment echoed through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts. Disgruntled tapestries. Decorum.

I was all of sixteen when he first stirred the butterflies. Hair the colour of new kindled fire. Candlelight. A bother. A delightful bother but a bother nonetheless.

I was all of seventeen when he opened my eyes. Gellert Grindelwald. Purebloods. Halfbloods. Muggles. The war had arrived. Bravery. Valour. Death. A terrifying recognition.

And I was all of eighteen when he said goodbye. Eyes the colour of forget-me-nots. I had my mark to set. The world beckoned. I did not fail to remember. I could not forget.

The seasons passed.

Welcome. I came back. Hogwarts. Heart. Home.

He may have found more wrinkles, but despite those hairs of grey, his eyes still held their disarming twinkle. What once was annoying I now found charming. Hope. Remembrance. I dared to look beneath those eyes and through to the soul. Butterflies.

He may have been more than thrice my age but I loved him.

I loved the effortlessness with which he roamed through the world. My world. I loved the thoroughness of consideration he fixed upon me, as if I were a match for all his accomplishments. I loved the way he made me seem interesting.

A witch whose veins pulsed with unbridled passion. Vulnerability.

I loved his intelligence and he soon realised.

I loved his devotion, the enticement of his quest for me. I even loved the flutter of his beard on his breath. Fuzz face.

A kiss, and all was said. On lovers' lips

He met the girl. Worked with the witch. Fell in love with the woman.

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Happy New Year!