"A latte, please. Extra cream."
"Of course. Will there be anything else?"
She looks up at the somewhat familiar voice, and is surprised at the sight that greets her.
"Theodore Nott?"
"Not...anymore."
His voice is soft, begging her to drop the topic. Her gaze flicks to the nametag on his uniform. Zachary, it reads. She tries to suppress a smile. It is a name very unlike him. But then again the whole thing, is very unlike him, she muses.
"How will you be paying, miss?"
The question breaks her out of her train of thought, as she hands him over the required bills.
When, a few minutes later, when he hands her her drink, she tries to catch his eye again. He looks away, embarrassed. As she leaves, she promises herself that she'll find out why.
She has her chance a few days later, when she catches him just as he is walking out of the shop. She will not admit to herself that she has taken to detouring from her usual route home, more often than usual, in the hopes of seeing him. She most certainly is not curious about what happened to the pompous Slytherin she knew back at Hogwarts.
So now that she has the advantage of surprise, she gathers the courage to ask.
"I didn't choose this," he cuts her off before she can even begin.
"I assumed as much."
"The Ministry-"
"Wanted to throw you to Azkaban. I know. I was at your trial."
She notices his brow furrow in confusion.
"Our parents died in the war."
She takes a deep breath.
"At your parents' hands. The Ministry thought it was appropriate for Parvati and me to be a part of deciding your punishment."
"Oh." He doesn't sound surprised.
"I refused to, after listening to the trial."
His face looks as lost as if someone has cast Confundus on him.
"We were just kids, Theo. No one should have that kind of power, at that age. Especially not after they have just been traumatised by a war. I told them as much."
"Thank you."
She shakes her head. "I did nothing."
"You did more than most of my 'friends'."
"Perhaps you should find better friends, then."
"Perhaps, I will, over coffee."
"Are you asking me to coffee, Mr Nott?"
"I'm offering to prove my skills as a barista, Ms Patil."
"It's a date, then."
Notes: Very rarely do I let myself go back to this older style of writing that I used to have, wherein I heavily depend on dialogue. However, this one felt warranted.