#afdopen

It was a testament to the lateness of the hour that it was dark outside. The longer days stretching towards summer did eventually succumb to darkness. Amelia didn’t mind. The fresh air, cooling with the sun gone down was welcome to Amelia after being inside all day. It seemed like she had been on her feet all day long, and yet she still had chosen to walk a little of the way home. Hands in the pockets of her coat, Amelia smiled to herself at the quietness of the streets. It was nice to have some alone time, when otherwise she was surrounded by coworkers or her family. 

The peace of mind and comfort started to slide when Amelia realized that she could hear another set of footsteps behind her. Whoever it was was almost in step with her, but not quite, making it sound like her steps had the faintest echo. Amelia tensed, hand in her pocket curling around her wand. She pulled an image of home up in her mind, preparing to Apparate if she needed to. She continued on, though, back straight, not breaking her stride. Perhaps she was just imagining things. 

A block later, it was clear that Amelia had been imagining nothing. Wand clenched in her hand, hidden in her pocket, Amelia stopped and turned quickly, giving the other person no chance to hide. “Can I help you?” she asked boldly, with more confidence than she was feeling in her shaky body.