Firewhiskey and Taunts
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
A/N: This is for the 2012 Mew and Mor's Weird Pairings Competition. Note that while this is in third person this is from Augusta's POV and there will be some bias opinion (when it comes to Minerva). Enjoy my first M&MWP Aberforth/Augusta and please read and review!
The slight thrum of the chattering patrons and clings of glass mugs and bottles of alcohol filled Augusta's ears to the brim as she sat in a corner booth with a few of her fellow classmates. She didn't know why she was in a place where the smell of smoke and grime could mercilessly attack her nostrils. The Hogsmeade tavern was not a place where a woman like Augusta should be in. Not when she could be out celebrating the end of N.E.W.T.S. Oh, but she was supposedly doing that Augusta remembered as she heard the grating, rough laugh of a young, obnoxious Gryffindor in front of her.
There was the reason why Augusta wasn't in her comfortable bed or in front of a fireplace-Minerva McGonagall. She was just two years younger than her and the witch thought she was high and mighty. Minerva thought she was the greatest witch, a gift to the Wizarding World and all who didn't agree were foolish to her. Augusta disagreed; in fact, Augusta was her rival. Augusta was the only witch that didn't snivel and cower before the little, self-righteous, stern black haired witch.
So then why was she here in a place beneath her in the company of an atrocious monster? Simple, one of the other girls invited her and Minerva was positively horrified. She even stated that Augusta would probably want to be alone; after all, she was a loner and she probably did horrible on her N.E.W.T.S. like her Charms O.W.L.S. so she probably wanted to sulk. When Minerva spoke about that dreadful blemish on her record, the unspeakable mishap, Augusta had to go. Just to see those green, putrid eyes narrow. Even though Minerva hadn't wanted her to go-because Minerva was friends with all the other Gryffindor girls and she didn't want to show her true colors to them-she didn't say a word when Augusta joined them though those jade eyes that said plenty.
Perhaps it was a little immature to rejoice in Minerva's anger but Augusta did think she deserved a little indulgence from her perfect, or sure to be perfect, scores on her N.E.W.T.S. and it wasn't every day when she could see the anger bubble in Minerva and she had to keep it chained up inside due to her friends and the threat Augusta had over the witch. The threat to spill the secret that the reason she did so well in Transfiguration was because she was absolutely smitten for the professor.
"Oh he's charming." Augusta listened to the shrill voice of yet another hated classmate, Ella Blott or otherwise known as Minerva's sidekick, soon followed by the other girls' agreements, minus Minerva of course. Augusta turned around and followed the girls' eyesight where a rough looking auburn haired man stood behind the counter filling up glass mugs with firewhiskey. Augusta had to admit he had bright, stunning blue eyes that were quite awe inspiring.
"I'm going to talk to him. Wish me luck!" A nameless, unimportant girl, whom was younger than Augusta, spoke to the group and as soon as she left the chatter of easily excited girls bombarded Augusta.
Then just as abruptly as she left she came back with a furious look like a wizard who lost a duel and wanted a rematch. The table fell to a quick, telling silence as she took her spot.
"He didn't even look my way. No matter what I did." She wailed, her blue eyes searching for sympathy. Augusta had none to give; the blonde haired big blue eyed girl always got the guys so this was due to happen eventually.
"You weren't strong enough. You need to be stubborn and persistent. He looks rough and dangerous." Now Augusta if possible would have vomited from the clichéd garbage ("He looks rough and dangerous") the other girl was saying. And Minerva dared to insult her intelligence when there was this dimwit, swooning and gushing. She was a sheep so it was no wonder that know-it-all liked her. She would be easy to manipulate.
"Like Augusta, she's tough," Esmeralda, maybe that was her name, suggested very meekly and suddenly the vultures' attention was all on Augusta.
"Maybe Augusta should try flirting with him; see if she has better luck. She is older too and that might have been why he didn't talk to you." If Augusta could have strangled the twins she would have. She was not going to flirt in a dirty tavern with a barkeep, even if he was cute.
"I would hope she is better at flirting than she is in Charms if she were to go after him," Minerva sneered at Augusta.
"I am terrific in flirting, for your information," Augusta fought back. She was not to be insulted by some pathetic girl who fell for their teacher.
"Then get a kiss from the barkeep. That shouldn't be too hard, right? Since you're so good, after all." Minerva told her and, with the eyes of the other girls on her and the challenge presented to her, Augusta couldn't back down. Augusta wouldn't let her have that satisfaction.
"Fine, that'll be swell." Augusta smirked and walked to the barstools in front of the counter and hopped onto the stools. She briefly glanced around and felt panic suddenly fill her at the unblinking eyes. Augusta never flirted. She wasn't a beauty or anything. Oh, why had she agreed? Her damned pride…
"Hey, can I have a firewhiskey?" Augusta asked. "I'm legal," She added at his raised eyebrow. He studied her for a moment before fixing her drink and laying the mug before her on the counter.
"Thanks. Umm…By the way." He turned around and she could feel a blush latch onto her cheeks, stubbornly not letting go. "You have stunning eyes."
A laugh danced in the air beside her as the barkeep turned to another patron.
"By the way, you have stunning eyes." An older, gruff man with stubble on his chin and dirty rags of clothing mocked her.
Augusta sent a withering and venomous glare in his way, one that made many, including her teachers, flinch, yet the man didn't seem bothered.
"Aberforth, why do you seem to have all the ladies chasing after you tonight?" The grubby man beside her laughed and Augusta could feel her blood boil but she kept her temper reined in.
"Your name is Aberforth?" She confirmed and watched the glare Aberforth threw at the man.
"I'm sorry mate." After the drunk's apology, the counter was quiet except for the sound of glasses hitting the counter, alcohol swishing in the mugs, and the sound of gulps as men downed their beers.
"You don't speak much do you?" Augusta tried again.
"Not much lass." The other man answered and she clenched her jaw. Aberforth didn't even pay her attention.
"Listen, Aberforth, I don't care if you don't like me. I just need you to do me a favor as a patron of this bar and as a decent human being. Can you do that?" Augusta hated to admit it but she was sort of begging right now.
"What on earth do you want from him?"
"Not want; I need him, for my sake, to kiss me." Augusta replied. Aberforth whipped his head around and now she had the auburn haired man's undivided attention. His sapphire orbs trained on her.
"You're serious aren't you?" The man beside her was shocked and now she had the attention of the entire counter. All eyes were on her. Great, this was what had gotten her in trouble in the first place.
"Yes, see there's this horrible, stern, self-righteous, arrogant, bitch of a witch that's at the table with my friends, right? Her name's Minerva and she's two years younger than me. She simply thinks she can walk over everyone because she's so wonderful at magic. No one really challenges her, even our Gryffindor classmates-"
"Including you?"
"I am not a sniveling sheep." Augusta glared at the man before continuing. "I am the one enemy of that witch and we're practically rivals. After all, who likes a know-it-all? And that she-devil has hated me ever since the first day we meet. And now she's challenged me to get a kiss from you since she thinks I am basically the gum at the bottom of her shoe because of one failed O.W.L. and she shoves it in my face every day. Even though, I can threaten to tell Professor Dumbledore about her crush on him. But even with all this she mercilessly humiliates me. I would have told Dumbledore earlier but his office hours are all booked and even I won't say it in front of the whole class-I'm not that mean. So I basically need to show her I can get a man I want while she can just keep on pining all she wants. Plus, I will always be the best at flirting and among teenage girls that's idol status really."
She finally finished breathlessly her tale and looked to see all the men riveted by her tale. She supposed it could be from two things: they either used it as a distraction from their problems or they were drunk enough to want to listen.
Aberforth had raised his eyebrows at the mention of her professor but besides that there was no reaction. It made her nervous.
"So will you kiss me Aberforth? To save me from utter embarrassment?" She sighed and rested her head on her hand and looked up at him through her lashes with her chocolate brown eyes trying last resorts to get him to kiss her. He hadn't even spoken a word to her and here she was trying to pry a kiss from those lips. She dreaded the "no" she expected to come from his mouth.
"Come on Aberforth, when will this ever happen again? Go for it!" The grubby man insisted and a few others nodded their agreement.
Augusta bit the bottom of her pink lips and twirled a stray thick black lock from her face, nervous and anxious. Aberforth seemed to be thinking as he ran a cloth through a mug, cleaning it for future use. Augusta was a proud woman and she hated asking and practically begging but she couldn't kiss him. He had to kiss her and she couldn't control him without the use of an Unforgivable. She was out of options and she most certainly didn't want to see Minerva's triumphant grin.
After a few moments Aberforth said nothing and she sighed. He wasn't going to do it.
"Thanks anyway," She said dejectedly and hopped off the bar stool and kept her face calm and cool as she started walking to her death when a strong hand around her wrist stopped her. She was shocked still to every fiber of her being. Who-?
She was spun around and, before she knew it, there was Aberforth snogging her from across the counter. Their tongues danced and she could hear the sound of cheering from both sides of her and her blush grew deeper as their snog lasted for more than a minute. He was very talented. She felt her knees grow weak, and she loved the taste of firewhiskey and cigarettes in his mouth with peppermint splashed in. When he finally pulled away she was breathless and shocked. A grin crossed his face and he leaned over the bar.
"I think they're pretty shocked. Have fun." He whispered and his voice sounded like velvet with a gravelly twinge to it. His voice was hard to explain but it was amazing.
"Thanks." She smiled and started to walk again before she turned around. "Oh Aberforth!" she called.
He turned around and she smiled. Augusta felt jittery and hyper and that was honestly one of the best kisses she had had.
"My name's Augusta." With those words she left the counter and then rejoined her envious peers. Something useful had come out of this adventure. Minerva was furious, Augusta was ecstatic and she had just kissed Aberforth.