Butterbeer has a taste to it that I can't quite find words to describe . . . its warm and inviting like a pair of wool socks or a velour blanket on a cold winter day. It was now evening in hogsmead village and Harry and I were royally sloshed. We laughed and told stories about the past, better times from when we were both younger, and yet seemingly so much wiser than we had found ourselves at this present time.
Just as we were about to leave a woman approached us; she looked about Harry's age and had flaming red hair and deep brown eyes filled with malice. I automatically realized that this woman was no one to be taken lightly; she looked ready to pounce and kill. "So this is the thanks I get for waiting for you Harry? Three years and you shack up with some . . . some harlot! How old is she anyway, twelve!"
In my drunken stupor I didn't stop to think just what this situation really meant, or how serious it was either. "Now that's more like it! All this oh how old is she!? Shit was starting to get me a little down!" "Shut up you floozy!" Harry stood up shakily and grabbed the woman by the arm to lead her outside when it dawned on me just who this angry woman was.
"Wait a minute . . . you're Ginny Weasley aren't you!" Both Harry and Ginny stopped in their tracks and stared at me in surprise. Ginny worked her way out of Harry's grasp and stalked over to me until we were almost sharing the same breath; for once I was glad to be taller than another woman, I almost had to look down at her. "And just who are you to ask? So you know about all this?"
Drunken haze officially lifted, and at the most opportune time to become sober as a rock. I smirked at her and raised an eyebrow, just another jealous woman, it's not like I hadn't dealt with many of those before. "Who, little old me? I don't know a damn thing about what's going on here other than the fact that you're making a scene in the middle of a public place. Don't look at me like that I recognize you from the books lady. The only reason it took me so long to realize it was you was the fact that I always thought you'd be better looking, such a pity but amusing all the same."
Ginny's face turned about as bright red as her ridiculous hair and she let her mouth hang open as her brain racked for something to say; sick of waiting I brushed past her and faced Harry before I walked out the door "I'm going for a stroll, care to join me?" "Uhmmm yeah why not?" Before we crossed the threshold I stopped in my tracks; Harry looked at me questioningly but I raised my hand to silence him. Without turning around I said in a loud, condescending tone "And Ginny dear put the wand down, I would absolutely HATE to have to hurt you because you were unable to control yourself.
Harry turned around to see her stuffing her wand back into her robes haughtily and I just continued walking. Harry speed walked to catch up with me as I made my way blindly through the cobblestone streets. He put his hand on my shoulder and startled me from my reveries. "Hey I'm really sorry about that I didn't think she would still be so bitter about everything." "What do you mean?"
"Well Ginny and I have kind of a history together as sad as that is." "Oh well duh Harry. I thought you two were the super perfect couple though, what happened to till death do us part?" "Oh we were never married; together for a long time yes, but never married." "Did you have children?" "A little girl, yes. We had the wedding planned for right after she was born but the bitch wound up getting shit tanked drunk and spilled the beans that our little bundle of joy wasn't mine." "Wow, that's terrible." "Yes it was. I cancelled the wedding and kept her secret for her. I guess she's got a job teaching defense against the dark arts now at the school. I didn't think she'd still be so bitter. You've been here five minutes and you're already making enemies Ms. Benson."
"She said that she was waiting for you, what did that mean? Never mind actually, it's none of my business." "No no no don't you worry your pretty little head over it. After all was said and done I told her that I would think about taking her back if she just gave me time to think, it was the only way she would leave me the fuck alone; I guess she took that literally, the stupid cow." I started giggling and noticed we were standing in front of the shrieking shack; the haze of alcohol returning now that a sober state of mind was no longer necessary. "And just what is so funny?"
"Everything's funny when you're drunk Harry. So this is the famed shrieking shack, huh?" "Yup, that it is." "So this is really . . . ?" "Oh yes, and so much more." I walked behind the crumbling building and found a small clearing that must have served as the back yard at one point and time. Besides a couple of brambles it was mainly just long, soft grass that made for a comfortable place to plop down and avoid the awkward jelly legs that were inhibiting very much movement on my part. Harry sat down gracefully next to me and began to play with a loose strand of hair.
Looking into my eyes he whispered "Tell me your deepest secrets." I scooted closer to him until our noses were touching before I responded "Shut up." I toyed with him a little bit before passion overthrew better judgment and Harry and I began to roll around in the overgrown backyard in a war for dominance. The next morning I woke up without so much as a dry mouth; I never was prone to hangovers.
Harry on the other hand looked like shit left to bake in the sun. He groaned as the sun rose into his field of vision and murmured something as he tapped his head twice with his wand. Almost instantly his bloodshot eyes were replaced with clear and glassy ones and his entire demeanor changed back into the hyper, cocky Harry he had been the day before. I raised myself up and tried to drag him off the ground when he pulled me back on top of him and placed a tender kiss on my already bruised lips. "Just where do you think you're going?"
"Back to the inn; in case you hadn't noticed were laying half naked in the wild. Plus you have to pay up on a promise today." "And just what would that be?" like a cat I raised both myself and him and took off running back to the inn; Harry sluggishly followed until he caught up with me. As we parted ways to go back to each of our rooms he turned and called my name.
"Florence just what am I doing today?" "Taking me to find a unicorn of course Harry." I smiled even brighter at the defeated look of laziness on his face. "As you wish my lady." "That's what I thought! Now hurry up I'll meet you downstairs in thirty minutes, and that's being very generous!" All I got was a groan in reply.