"It's going to be a long, dull, boring summer without Remus or Blackie," Ivy announced one morning near the end of June. She stood polishing and re-polishing the bar, and wondering what she could do to make Rosie smile again.
"Your dog gone, too?" Rose asked, glancing up from the table where she was sitting and eating her breakfast.
Ivy blanched, and rubbed madly at an imaginary spot on the bar. "Well..." she floundered. She hadn't meant to bring Blackie up to Rose, afraid she'd ask questions Ivy couldn't answer. "I haven't seen him in a few weeks. I figured that maybe he found somebody else to take care of him."
"He won't find anybody with meatier ham bones."
Ivy grinned. "Ain't that the truth." Her eyes narrowed as she wondered if her old friend was getting enough to eat wherever he'd gone. She had yet to get a letter from him, and she worried.
"I miss Remus," she muttered. Now that he was gone, there was no one with whom to share her thoughts about Sirius Black. She couldn't breath a word about him to Rosie, and there was so much she wanted to say.
"I do too," Rose sighed, pushing her breakfast away. "But there's nothing we can do to bring him back. Can we talk about something else?"
"Alright," Ivy agreed. "But..."
"But what, Ivy?" Rose asked, that heavy sigh issuing forth from her mouth one more time.
"Do you think we'll ever see him again?"
"Of course we will. He promised. And..." Rose flashed a secretive smile that quickly vanished as she stood to her feet.
"And...?" Ivy prodded. "And what?"
"I'm sure he'll be back. He told me he loved me."
Ivy let loose a little scream of delight and rounded the bar to give her friend a squeeze.
"That's wonderful, Rosie," she marveled.
"It's horrible," Rosie replied. "Do you know how hard it is to be separated from the one you love?"
Ivy laughed out loud. "Yeah, I think I do. I was separated from you for almost 20 years, remember?"
Rose managed a laugh at that one. The first she'd mustered since Remus left Hogsmeade.
"So..." Ivy pressed her. "How did it happen? I mean... when did you know that you were in love?"
Rose stared at her friend, but Ivy could tell by her unfocused glaze that she wasn't seeing her surroundings.
"I was watching him for Professor Dumbledore," she started. "Whenever I disappeared from the pub, that's where I was. The Wolfsbane Potion is a new discovery. He can actually control the werewolf part of him when he drinks it. But they wanted to be sure...
"I have an Aminagus form Ivy. I've never told you about it, but when I was younger... I needed something to keep my mind off things."
"Things?" Ivy asked.
Rose smiled, but it was a sad smile, and there was an ache behind her eyes that Ivy'd never noticed before.
"Ivy," she began. "I don't think anybody on this planet knows how much you and your mother meant to me. You were my haven. I never really felt hurt that my father couldn't keep me, because I had Elana. Then you. And when I lost you both... I..."
Ivy reached out to squeeze Rosemerta's hand. She remembered the day her mother had explained to her how they'd come to adopt Rosie. The older girl's mother had been Elana's best friend. But when she'd died in childbirth, and Rose's father had rejected the baby, Elana was quick to take her in.
"He wouldn't even look at her, Ivy," Elana told her sadly. "I stood there with the baby in my arms, only minutes old, and he told me to take her away. He was heartbroken, you see. He kept trying to wake Rosie's mother, and there was blood. Oh, Ivy it was everywhere. He stopped me at the door, and said 'You will call her Rosmerta, for that's what she's done.' It was very, very sad."
"What does it mean, Mum?" Ivy had asked, not understanding. "Rosmerta?"
Elana had looked at Ivy for a long time before she'd answered. "You're a big girl now, Ivy, and I need your promise that'll you'll never tell Rosie. It would make her very sad. Will you swear it?"
Ivy'd nodded most solemnly. Her mother had never asked her to swear to anything before.
"It means red death. Her father blamed her for the death of her mother. But it wasn't the baby's fault. It was just... It happened, and there's no one to blame. Now let's talk about something happy shall we? And don't forget your promise."
Ivy hadn't forgotten. Rose had always been just Rose to her. Big sister, best friend, but never anything as hideous as the cause of someone's death. No... That title had gone to Ivy when Elana died. A lump rose in Ivy's throat, as she turned her attention back to her friend.
"You became an Animagus?" she reminded.
"Yes," Rose smiled. "Professor Dumbledore taught me. That was before he became Headmaster. We chose the form of a merlin. A little hawk. I liked it because of the name. And because I could fly. Professor Dumbledore like it because he could train me to obey him, when I was in bird form. It took a lot of work, but I never felt so free. When he needed someone to watch over Remus, the merlin was perfect. A hawk couldn't control a werewolf, but it could fly to Dumbledore, if anything went wrong.
"So I watched Remus, Ivy. For a long time he didn't even know I was there. I don't think anybody realizes how painful his affliction is. I can only admire Albus all the more for giving him a chance to prove himself. Remus was a great teacher."
She looked at Ivy again, but this time her eyes were clear.
"That's how I fell for Remus Lupin. Watching him struggle against insurmountable odds, and seeing him win. Even if it was only for a little while."
"I'm sorry he had to leave, Rosie."
Rose smiled at Ivy, tears shining unshed in her eyes.
"We're quite a pair, aren't we?" she announced, throwing an arm across Ivy's shoulders. She wiped her nose and picked up the plate she'd used for breakfast.
"There's got to be something we can do to liven up the summer, love. I've been thinking..."
"What?" Ivy pressed. She reached up and brushed a tear off Rosie's cheek.
"Maybe we can add some American dishes to our menu. Like lasagna or... what's that fish stuff they eat over there? Sushi?"
Ivy giggled.
"What?"
"Lasagna's technically Italian. And sushi... I think that's Japanese."
"I don't care, Ivy. I'm dead tired of Monday night Yorkshire pudding, Tuesday night steak-and-kidney pie. We can do better. I'm sure of it."
Ivy gave her hand a squeeze.
"What do they eat in Australia?"
"Deep-fried 'gator tail on a stick," Ivy teased, broadening her vowel sounds to give herself a more pronounced accent.
"I'm joking," she insisted, as Rose gave her look of unbelief.
"Just how many 'gator tails would it take to fill Hagrid's stomach, you reckon?"
Ivy laughed, then got serious. "I did spend some time in the town of New Orleans, in the States. It's a beautiful city. Very magical. They have the most wonderful Cajun food there. Gumbo and jambalaya and red beans and rice. Very spicy, but really, really good."
"Can you remember how to cook it?"
Ivy thought for a minute. "I think so."
"Good," Rose replied. "Then let's experiment."
Arm in arm, they headed toward the kitchen.
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They spent the summer trying to introduce more exotic foods to the pub's menu, and failing miserably. Zack Zonko was their only repeat customer for gumbo, served on Wednesday nights, but accompanied by the old roast beef and vegetables, just in case.
Zack gave his seal of approval to Ivy's cooking, but everyone else only clamored for more of Rosie's tried and true fare. Ivy didn't let that upset her. In truth, she favored Rosie's cooking just like everybody else.
It was Mid-August when they began to hear rumors of a Triwizard Tournament. Hagrid told them with no uncertainty that the competition was coming to Hogwarts during the next school term.
"What's a Triwizard Tournament?" Ivy asked, trying to push the last of that night's jambalaya on the giant. Hagrid stared at Ivy like she'd spoken her question in Japanese.
Taking a spoonful of the stew, he contemplated her as he took a bite.
"Well?" Ivy asked again, but she got no answer this time either, for Hagrid's face had gone beet red, and he began to sputter as one huge hand gripped the bar, and the other felt around for a napkin.
"Ruddy he-"
Ivy snapped to attention and pointed a finger in his direction, totally oblivious to his distress.
"There'll be no cussin' in the Three Broomsticks, Hagrid. Save that kind of talk for the Hog's Head Saloon." She spoke the word 'saloon' with as much distaste as she could muster.
Hagrid's face disappeared behind her proffered napkin. He coughed a bit, then gazed at her from behind it.
"What's that bloody stuff yer tryin' to feed me?" he complained, loud enough that several heads turned in his direction. But the other customers in the pub had already sampled Ivy's culinary delights. They only laughed at Hagrid's discomfort and turned back to their own meals.
"It's called jambalaya," Ivy stated. "And there's nothing wrong with it."
She leaned over the bar until her face was very close to his. "You eat stoat sandwiches, Hagrid. Surely a little bit of this won't kill you."
Hagrid smirked in her direction, took the bowl in both hands and set it ever so gently on her side of the bar. Ivy couldn't help but grin a little.
"I'll take whatever Mr. Honeyduke is havin'."
Ivy bent her knee in a mock curtsey before him, took the bowl of jambalaya, and marched into the kitchen.
"It's official," she told Willa. "Even Hagrid hates my cooking. And I already know that you do. I think we should take these off the menu."
"Madam Rosie tells Willa what to be takin' off the menu," Willa reminded, dishing up a plate full of sausages and fried potatoes for Hagrid. "Not Ivy."
Ivy let out a laugh of unbelief.
"You know, a girl could begin to think she wasn't very well liked around here." She took the plate and headed toward the bar, catching Hagrid's eye. "What with the way I'm treated by the kitchen help. And you..."
"I'm a payin' cust'mer, Ivy," Hagrid teased, taking a huge bite of sausage and giving her an over-exaggerated sigh of satisfaction. "An' the cust'mer's a'ways right."
"Well then maybe this particular customer won't mind when I beat him at cards later." She poked his arm with her index finger. "And maybe you'll tell me what a Triwizard Tournament is."
Hagrid gave her that funny look again, and set down his fork. "I can't believe ya never heard about the Triwizard Tournament, Ivy. Were ya livin' on th' moon?"
"Nearly."
Hagrid studied her for a moment, then wagged his great head in her direction. "Tha' explains a lot."
Ivy stomped her foot in mock outrage, but couldn't deny how glad she was to be able to banter with Hagrid again. She'd missed him sorely, and having him back in her life meant more to Ivy than she could express. She was careful not to be too clingy, or moonstruck, as Rose had called it. She resolved on a nightly basis to broach the subject of her 'condition' with him, but just as nightly, lost her nerve. The fear that her lack of magical ability was what had run him off the first time consumed her, and Ivy'd determined not to lose Hagrid again.
"The Triwizard Tournament is when the three biggest schools a' witchcraft an' wizardry come together in a gran' competition. It'll be Hogwarts champion against that a' Durmstrang an' Bo... Bo... " He struggled with the pronunciation of the third school.
"Beauxbatons," Rose rescued him, rounding the bar with a tray of dirty dishes.
"It'll mean lots of business this year Ivy. That'll be a nice change. We may even have to hire someone to help out." She continued into the kitchen with her load.
"Why don't you just go get us another disrespectful house elf?" Ivy called after her. Turning back to Hagrid, she continued. "We could use more business, though. The whole town's emptied out for the Quidditch World Cup."
"Wouldn'a minded bein' there meself," Hagrid agreed. "The folks from t' other schools'll get 'ere in October. Dumbledore says they'll pick their champions Halloween night."
"And what do 'champions' do?"
"Complete some sorta magical task, a'course. Three of 'em."
"Tasks, or champions?"
"Both," Hagrid informed. "Three champions. Three tasks. The one who does best is th' winner."
"And what do they win?" Ivy ventured one more question.
"They win th' Triwizard Tournament, Ivy. 'T's what we're talkin' 'bout, ain't it?"
She giggled. And Hagrid's face turned red.
"I meant... is there a prize? A trophy? A purse?"
"Yeah, yeah," Hagrid muttered, clearly not as amused with the conversation as Ivy. "One thousand galleons goes t' the winner."
"Who will the Hogwarts champion be?"
"I tole ya, nobody knows that 'til Halloween."
"Oh yes, you mentioned that earlier." Ivy smiled. "It sounds like the ancient Olympics in Greece."
They chatted on in like fashion a while longer, and when the last customers left, Ivy served herself some sausages and sat across the bar from Hagrid to eat them. She told him some stories about those first ancient contests between the Greeks, then the conversation turned to other tales. Ivy still had enough teacher in her to enjoy the conversation, and found that she actually missed the subject of mythology.
"Have you ever heard of the word estonehenge?" Ivy asked, eyes sparkling. Hagrid shook his head while taking another bite of sausage.
"It means 'Dance of The Giants'. It's a very old story. About a powerful boy wizard and his friends, one who happened to be a little giant."
"Little giant?" Hagrid asked, intrigued.
Ivy nodded. "His name was Shim. And his only dream was to be big. To do something big. As big as his heart."
"Did his dream come true?"
"Yes," Ivy told him, grinning. "Yes it did. He began the Dance of the Giants, which destroyed an evil castle and the hold it had on the magical island where they lived. All that was left of that place was a bunch of humongous stones. And later on, the wizard grew up and moved those stones. And called their new place 'Stonehenge'."
"Dance Of The Giants," Hagrid concluded, lost in thought.
Looking back, Ivy would always categorize that night as one of most enjoyable evenings she'd ever spent in Hagrid's company. And although she didn't know it as they made conversation over a tankard of mead and a goblet of gillywater, it would be a very long time before she had the opportunity to chat with him again.
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