Hello and welcome back. Please read the author's note after this chapter. It is important that you do. Thank you, and enjoy.

Without further adieu, I present to you...

D E C A D E 

In three points of views

AMELIE ZABINI - OLIVER MALFOY - XENOPHILIIUS BERKSHIRE

Amelie Zabini

May 19th, 2027

The crowd was bustling—the usual type of crowd trying to get somewhere at a certain time. The clock never stops ticking. Time doesn't stop. It never did. It never could. No magic in the world could ever make the world stop spinning. You could recruit all the Death Eaters in the world to gather all the dark magic. 

And time wouldn't stop even if they tried. 

I clutch my bag closer to my body as I make my way through all the people in the train station. I look up at the large clock I inch closer to and realize that I'll be running 12 minutes late to the restaurant. 

"Fucking hell," I mutter to myself. I walk a bit faster, eager to ride the train. I usually don't travel by public transportation, but Zenith took the car. Drove up to the country with his 5th fling this year. 

I board the train with 5 other people tailing behind me. God, how I hope they don't brush themselves against me. Not during this time, at least. I flatten out my topcoat and take a seat by a young blonde woman with an infant on her lap. 

Oh, how she looks like a mess. I guess that's the consequence of having a child at such a young age.

We exchange subtle smiles before we mind our businesses. I scan my surroundings before closing my eyes and 'enjoying' the ride. Public transportation is intimidating. You never really know who's watching you, or what could happen to you. 

I really should've taken a Xanax before boarding. 

Self-prescribe myself and all.

Opening my eyes, I take note that the train ride wasn't all that long. I've already arrived at the station I was waiting patiently for. I let the woman with the infant sit up first, then I follow. Stepping onto the platform, the train hisses while the people pour out of the carts in large crowds. 

Manchester is a fast city.

A few people bumped into me, but gladly it wasn't intentional. Clutching my bag closer, I start walking towards the exit of this station. A quick glance at the nearest clock and I notice that it's 6:00 PM. 

It takes 12 minutes to get to Hispi. 

I found myself walking faster than I usually do, disregarding that I'd regret it later on given that the shoes on my feet aren't ideal for the speed that I'm going at. 

Lengthy Christian Louboutins from last season. Couldn't help myself. They're stunning. 

It wasn't all that hot, nor was it cold. The breeze was just right, as well as the right temperature for me to be wearing this lavish top coat. Working hard pays off. You get what you want and when you want it.

This weather was always my favorite. Warm and windy in the early morning, chilly and still near the evening. The wind had its way of things. Like dreams, it blew wherever it wanted. Is it strange how I feel a strange connection to the wind? Ah, whatever. It's all bullocks. 

Upon arrival at the restaurant, the large windows gave me the opportunity to glance inside. Plan accordingly. Where do I enter? Is she already there? What kind of outfit is she wearing? Is she bringing other people?

I should just be glad she's willing to do this. 

Entering the restaurant was just as overwhelming as I expected. Loud crowds, thickening atmosphere, scents of foods, and liquor overlapping one another. It was all too much.

I couldn't remember the last time I went out to eat. I'm always too busy taking care of Oshun. Too busy mourning Benjamin. 

Benjamin.

"Dine-in or take-out?" A brash young lady held menus up to her chest with a bright smile. She looked at me with a twinkle. How could I still feel old despite being 27? I look in the mirror and I can no longer see the same twinkle that this lady has in my eyes. 

Maybe she's in love.

"Dine-in— actually, I'm here to see someone. Danica Deshmukh? Table for 2?" I responded.

"Of course," she smiles, "Come and follow me right this way."

Not giving me any time to process my thoughts, she's already making her way towards Danica. Stumbling before I walk, I follow right behind her. We go through people standing in the bloody way, and avoiding the sticky-faced children was just as difficult. God, people really need to keep their spawns in control. 

Like I assumed, Danica was stunning. Long brown hair, dark olive complexion, and she was wearing this year's Alexander Wang apparel. 

She knew style. 

Danica rose from her chair and stuck her hand out. With a flashing smile. 

"Amelie," she said calmly, "So nice to finally meet you."

I smile back and take my hand out to reach for hers. We shake hands—she had quite the grip like she practiced or something— and pull away from one another. I sit across from her and notice that there are two glasses of water right in front of us. Lemon wedge sitting at the rim. 

"It's nice to finally meet you as well," I replied, "In-person is much better than emailing each other back and forth for months."

Subtle laughter emits from both of us until it stops. 

"Since we've already covered the length of the book, and the foreword, as well as the dedication page, all we need left is..." Danica pulled out her leather notebook and calligraphy pen (how exquisite) and flipped through blank pages, "...the story of it all. Life after. Where we are—or, no. Where you are in all this. By any chance, have you informed the two other people I may be speaking to?"

"I've heard from one of them, yes," I responded, "Oliver Malfoy will be talking to you."

"How about the other one?" she queried. "Zen—Xenop—Zeen—"

"Xenophilius," I corrected her passively. "He goes by Zeno."

"Right," Danica flatly said, "Am I hearing from him?"

"He hasn't responded to me. I'm sure he'll respond to you. We like to keep our conversations short, him and I."

"Will I get to know why?"

I softly chuckle. "You have to. It's all very important information."

"I have a feeling that we'll be here for a while. I say we order now, talk later?"

Picking up my menu, already deciding what to eat, I smile. "Sounds like a brilliant idea, Ms. Deshmukh."

{~}

I had a rib-eye steak drizzled in a balsamic glaze, with a side of Brussel sprouts fried in a pan of truffle butter. Danica had some sort of vegan sandwich with a putrid-smelling loaf of bread. Only Merlin knows what the bloody hell was between the folds of that loaf. Odd enough, she ate the whole thing. 

We both washed it down with fine white wine and water. Feeling a little warm, we went right into speaking. Her pen in her hand, and my back comfortable against the chair, it felt like a therapy session.

For once in my life, I was no longer the therapist. 

"We left off on life after the war. Her life, specifically. How do Oliver and Zeno play a role in this?" Danica took a sip from her large wine glass.

"It's not them specifically," I replied, "It's more like... their families. Is—is this part of the writing going to be a large piece? I wouldn't want the after-fall to be the main point in the—"

"It won't be, I can assure you," Danica scribbled into her notebook, "You and I just need to explain why there's a chunk—no, a decade of history missing. The point-of-views help further explains it. I'm sure you can't explain their sides for them."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," I nip my bottom lip while I pour myself a glass of wine. "Where would you like to start?"

"Start by telling me where you all split." Danica took her fork and stabbed a few leaves from her sandwich just to eat them up. "So, what happened?"

"Everything just went—" I sighed, pressing the cold glass against my cheek, "—it all went downhill the moment Lola Berkshire came back home. And that was nearly 10 years ago."

Danica started writing. She nodded, insisting that I go on.

"Miles, her boyfriend at the time, was ordered to never go near her again. It was an order, really. Lorenzo, her father, was really strict on it. He despised him. He despised Miles. I'm not sure what happened between Miles and Lola, though I'm certain that Zeno does. Zeno is her older brother. My ex."

"You dated Zeno?"

"For a while, yes."

"What happened?"

My throat tightened. Memories came flooding back, it almost felt too unrealistic. 

"He... He was going through a lot. And I mean a lot. He had a lot of problems in his family after Lola came back—"

"Where was Lola coming from?"

"From Colorado—"

"And why was she there?"

"This part of the story is unnecessary, so we don't really need to expand on it."

Danica bit the bottom of her lip, speculating my expression. "If you insist," she huffed. "Go on, Amelie."

"Very well," I said. "As I was saying, Zeno felt very bad. I mean very bad. He blamed himself for Lola's short disappearance, for Miles and Eleanor—"

"Eleanor?"

"His ex. She was insane. Very insane. He never forgave himself for that, either. She and him had a past. A messy past, which benefitted to the split of the Malfoys and Berkshires."

"A split?"

"Zeno's father and Oliver's father are cousins. They betrayed one another equally, which resulted in chaos. Their family split. Our generation still speaks to each other, but our parents? Not so much. Though my family is mediators if I say so myself. We don't have a problem with the Malfoys or the Berkshires. Both families know we don't have a problem with them."

"So, this split. Could you expand on that?"

"Lorenzo kept a very large secret from Lucille and Draco. Lucille is Draco's wife. Oliver's mum. I really don't blame them for moving away somewhere far. You see, we all lived a mile away from each other. Practically neighbors. We had Floo Networks running in our homes to get to one another. That's how close we were."

"What secret is this?"

"Erm," I stammered. I sipped my wine, though I ended up finishing the whole glass. "It's not all-important right now, but Draco and Lucille had another son who was presumably dead. Jack Willaby. I'm sure Oliver will likely expand on this, so it isn't my story to tell."

"Alright," Danica smiled. "Your mother. Is she still talking to the two families?"

"My mum is still best friends with Lucille. There's no way they could split. You couldn't split them two even if you tried. As for my father? He and Draco are inseparable as well. We see the Malfoys on Holidays and birthdays. Oliver's got, like, 5 kids I believe? I think Charlotte's on her sixth. No clue. But we go to his home for birthday parties. His children and my Oshun are very tightly-bonded. Like how I was bonded with their family when I was younger.

"Oshun," Danica repeated, "Beautiful name. Why did you choose that name?"

"She's the Goddess of Femininity, Divinity, Beauty, and Love. My little lovebug," I smiled to myself, thinking of her soft skin and warm cuddles. "It fits her well. My independent Oshun."

"Did your husband want a girl?"

I softly giggled. "Well, he didn't really have a choice."

"Right," Danica laughed. Our laughter simmered down, while silence eventually lingered. "I'm sorry for your loss, by the way. Being widowed is one of the hardest things to go through."

Benjamin Miller and I got married 8 months after Oshun was born. I was lucky enough to find someone like him. Someone who was willing to take me in. Surely, nothing was wrong with me. Unfortunately, he passed away from a brain aneurysm. I was hurt, that's for sure. Oshun, as well. I just, to this day, don't think that what we had was true love.

"It's alright," I replied tenderly, "Everything happens for a reason. He loved both of us all that he could. That's what matters, really."

"Indeed," Danica nodded, jotting down notes in her notebook. "Back to the chaos. Could you backtrack for me and tell me when all of this started? The split between the two families, the secrets—"

"Everything unraveled when Lola came back. It was a bloody disaster. A fucking disaster. A lot of fighting between Draco and Lorenzo. Verbal and physical. It was heartbreaking for Lucille, too. She and Lorenzo were close."

"So they don't talk to each other anymore?"

A smirk played on my visage. "My mum tells me they eat dinner together once a year."

Danica's eyes widened. "Even after the secret he kept?"

"Yep," I responded. "Mum calls her crazy. I just think she's in love."

"What?"

I softly chuckled while pouring a glass of wine into my glass. "I'm joking."

"Now that we're here together in person, would you mind telling me what it was like growing up in your family? With Onyx?"

"Of course, I can tell you what it was like. I had a pretty great childhood if you ask me. I grew up with a lot of children. It's like I had a large family there for me at all times. "

I went on about telling her about my childhood. Who I grew up with, what we had for dinner, what the dynamic was like, the bonds I had, the school I went to, the friends I had there, and all of the above.

Looking back at my life, I came to realize that it wasn't all that bad. 

Though it could've been better.

"Your occupation," Danica murmured, almost with a pink undertone to her complexion due to the alcohol, "What is it again?"

"I'm a Therapist. De Loughrey Center in the heart of Manchester."

"Right! Your mother—does she still take care of the bottom level of St. Mungos? I mean, is it still up and running?"

"Yes," I replied, "My twin brother Zenith took over after she no longer could."

"If only I knew what it was like going to Hogwarts. After what you just told me, it seemed like fun. I guess that's the consequence of being a Squib."

"But you have an amazing talent. A passion for writing. You know I've read all your books, right?"

She smiled a bright smile and looked down at her lap. "Oh, stop it. You're just playing with me."

"No, seriously!" I exclaimed with the corners of my mouth lifted. "Your writing is something else. I read your crime book to my bloody daughter when she was only 2 years old. I've got her screaming 'murderer! murderer!' around the house! It drove my husband insane."

Our laughter combined drew attention, though it was more of a positive domino effect. 'Oh, nice. Those people are having a great time. I should have a great time, too'. 

"You read my crime book to Oshun?!" Danica looked at me with her glossy eyes, almost as if she couldn't believe what I was spewing. "Heaven's sake, Amelie."

"Please," I blurted, "just call me Mel."

Danica paused with a smile on her face. "Mel."

I smiled back.

"I'm excited to work with you on this, Mel. I'm sure it'll be great," Danica raised her wine glass up. "We will make a great team."

I, too, raised my glass up and clinked with hers. "I've been wanting to do this for the longest now. I'm blessed to be doing this with my favorite author."

We exchanged smiles before drinking our wine.

"Your mother will be proud, Mel," she grinned. We put our glasses down as I picked up the dessert menu. "So, your baby girl. Oshun? How old is she? I have a son turning 9 next month."

"She's going to be...5? Yes, she'll be 5 in 3 months."

"Does she look more like Benjamin or like you?"

I softly chuckled. "Neither."

"Oh? Why's that?"

"Because Berkshire genetics are really strong. Overpowers mine completely. It's a shame because I'm beautiful. Her father? Not as beautiful as I. I'm just hoping she doesn't grow to be taller than me."

"Berkshire genetics?"

"My Oshun isn't a Miller."

"Now you have to tell me how that happened, Mel."

{~}

And we're back! Please read this author's note! Please please please!

First off, thank you all for being so patient with me. I've been struggling to come up with something to write, and I finally know how I'm going to end Obscene. You will get Oliver's chapter before April 2, and Zeno's ON April 2. I've created a poll on Instagram (you can find my account , it's @yerawizarddood) and people voted that I post the point of views separately rather than together. 

So, where have I been? I've been getting some time alone to find myself and such. I am going to University in August, so you won't hear much from me. I could be lying, though. I still have to work on Kintsugi. 

Obscene isn't ending yet! You'll know when it's over. And it's going to MAKE ME CRY. Wow. 

So, why did I jump to ten years? I didn't find any passion for writing after they found Lola. I didn't find any outlets and I wasn't sure how I was going to continue Obscene. In truth, I had no idea how to continue writing Obscene. To me, it wasn't going anywhere. I believe that this time jump was VERY MUCH needed. It'll all make sense. Each POV in the upcoming chapters will expand on many unspoken things. I won't leave anything empty. 

I will fill in all the potholes, just bear with me.

I'm back and I'm better. I love you. 

-Naomi Wilder