CHAPTER THREE A Night Out

Ophelia sat in front of her vanity, running a silver-handled brush through her wavy, chocolate-coloured hair.

Talia knocked at the open door and stepped inside. She was dressed in a Burning Cauldrons t-shirt, with her Gryffindor scarf loosely draped loosely around her shoulders.

"How do I look?" she asked, spinning around as to give the full effect of the outfit.

Ophelia stifled her laughter and nodded her approval. "Very nice."

"Well, I didn't take nearly as long getting ready as Remus did." Talia giggled. "Did you know he tried on four different shirts? Four!"

Ophelia shrugged, "Well, he wants to impress Becca. Apparently he thinks his choice of shirts will affect her opinion of him."

"Well, come on then. They're probably waiting for us." said Talia.

Ophelia grabbed her things and together they went downstairs. Remus was standing in the foyer, patting his hair down in the brass mirror.

The two girls giggled. "You ready, Rem?"

He straightened up at the sound of their voices. "Er, yes..just, making sure my hair was clean.."

"Right. Can we go now?" replied Ophelia, anxiously throwing glances at the sitting room where Noah and Helena were watching the Muggle news on the television.

"We're leaving now." Remus called loudly.

"Have you got your keys?"

Ophelia groaned and shoved the key chain into her bag. "Yes. Good-bye now."

"What time will you be back?" asked Helena.

"Before breakfast. Good night." said Remus, more firmly than his sister.

Once they were outside, a look of panic washed over Talia's face. "How exactly are we supposed to meet them? Do we even know where we're going?"

"We're getting a taxi." said Remus simply.

"What's a taxi?" she asked.

Remus frowned. "Don't exactly know."

"It's a means of transportation for stranded Muggles." explained Ophelia, who out of the three of them had the most knowledge of Muggles, having taken two years of classes. "Like the Knight Bus."

Talia stuck out her wand arm, waiting for a car to magically appear.

Ophelia pushed it down. "It doesn't quite work like that. We have to find one." She began walking towards the street, keeping her eyes peeled for something like the description from the book, "A Wizard's Guide to the Muggle World: Grade Four".

Following a few minutes of standing on a strange corner in an even stranger city, they were relieved to see a taxicab drive by.

Ophelia's hand shot into the air.

"It's almost the same." remarked Talia as the three of them slid into the back seat.

The car smelled of stale cigar smoke, and Remus had to cover his mouth to keep himself from coughing.

"Ou sont vous allont?" the driver asked.

"La Chateau de Entremets." said Ophelia, her French coming back to her with relative ease.

"J'ador fromage." said Talia proudly.

Remus laughed loudly. "Is that all you can say?"

She thought for a moment and nodded. "But I do like cheese."

Ophelia looked out the window at the black streets, her thoughts drifting back to her friends. "I wonder what they're doing?" she muttered to herself.

"Pardon?" replied Remus, snapping out of his own thoughts.

She shook her head. "I was just wondering what they were doing? Do you think about them?"

"Yes, every minute." he said. "It's hard not to. We can write to them when we get home if you'd like."

"Yes, thank you."

When they arrived at the restaurant, Remus pushed some bills into the drivers hand and they got out of the taxi.

Talia looked the derelict building up and down. "This is disgusting!" she cried. "I don't want to eat here."

Ophelia grabbed her arm and pulled her inside. "Come on, in can't be that bad, Tal."

Inside, the industrial lights were dimmed, and the aroma of roasted coffee hung thick in the air.

They immediately spotted their friends; Ian stood on his tiptoes and waved them over to a table in the back. Remus, Ophelia and Talia were introduced to their friends; Jamie, Nigel, Allie and Taylor, and joined them around the crowded booth.

"We already ordered." said Becca, pushing a few glasses towards the new comers. "I hope you like beer."

"Actually," Talia began. "We're not ol--"

Ophelia kicked her beneath the table. "Beer's great." she and Remus said in unison, clinking their glasses and taking a large drink.

"I was just telling Nigel here that Lily wasn't actually a criminal."

Nigel shook his head. "Please Bec, don't remind me about Petunia. I would like to block that from my memory all together."

"I've heard some nasty things about her." admitted Talia.

"Believe me, they're all true."Ian laughed.

"Wow, is this 'take the piss out of Nigel' night?"

"You brought it on yourself." answered Allie, a pretty girl with a long, black braid. "We warned you."

Talia caught Ian staring at her shirt. "What are the Burning Cauldrons?" he asked.

"A band. You've never heard of them?" she said in utter shock.

"Maybe he's never heard them before because he's not from around here." Ophelia muttered quietly to her sister, so as not to raise any more questions.

"They're a small band from our boarding school." she explained quickly.

"We go to a boarding school?" cried Talia as she finished her first beer. "Why didn't any--"

Remus gave her another swift kick.

"So you.. don't.. go to boarding school, then?" Ian frowned.

"No, no, we do. Tal just can't handle her liquor very well." she added, lowering her voice a tad.

Ian nodded in understanding and handed her another drink. "Well, have fun."

After a few minutes, Remus and Becca excused themselves from the table.

"Where are they going?" Ophelia asked.

Jamie shrugged. "To dance?"

"There's a ballroom here?" she replied, her eyes widening in excitement. "We can dan--"

Jamie wiped the tears from his eyes, his body shaking with silent laughter. "N-No, t-there's no ballroom here. A dance floor, but not a ballroom."

"Oh," Ophelia replied disappointedly. "Well.. what kind of music do they play? Is Elton John here? I love Elton John."

"Are you taking the piss?" asked Jamie. She shook her head no. "Wow, you really are from boarding school..."

She ignored this last comment. "So does Elton John sing here? Have you ever heard 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'? That's one of my very favorite songs."

"He's too big to perform at a place like this." he said. "And yes, it is a good song."

Ophelia studied Jamie's face. "You know, you remind me of a friend of mine."

He leaned back in his seat. "Yeah. Is he cool?"

"He likes to think he is." she replied coolly.

Jamie howled with laughter, a bit like Sirius. "That's funny. Would you like another drink?"

She looked over to Talia, who was finishing her second. "Yeah, sure."

Once he had left, Tal slumped against Ophelia's shoulder. "I feel.. funny."

"You don't say?" she giggled. "I think you're drunk."

"Drunk?" Talia repeated. "I think I would know if I was drunk..."

"Just be careful." Ophelia whispered. "If you slip-up and show you're powers, you could land yourself in a cauldron of trouble."

"D-Don't worry," Talia hiccoughed. "I'll be fine."

Jamie returned, carrying two mugs of foamy beer.

"Where I'm from," Ophelia began cautiously, "We have this drink called Butterbeer, and its kind of like this, only less alcoholic."

Jamie made a face. "Butterbeer? That sounds disgusting."

Ophelia drew in a sharp breath. "Butterbeer is anything but disgusting."

He held up his hands, giving in. "Alright, alright. Maybe you'll have to introduce me to it sometime."

She nodded absentmindedly. "Sure."

After a few hours of drinking, Ophelia, Remus and Talia returned to their home and stumbled inside.

Ophelia fell onto her thick bedspread, her head falling beside her owl, Gwaihir. She clumsily pet his soft, silver feathers. "Where have you been?"

He hooted in reply and motioned towards a letter tied to his small, knobby leg.

She untied it and removed the rolled up parchment, immediately recognizing Sirius's scratchy handwriting.

Hullo Phe,

How's your summer? Ours is great.

James turned Pete's hair white, and he hasn't been able to change it back yet. Now he looks like a ghoul.

I hope Helena and Noah aren't giving you too hard of a time, though I know they're probably their cheery selves.

We really wish you all were here to help with our transformations- Talia especially -but we'll write as soon as we complete it.

Best Wishes,

Sirius

Ophelia took out a quill and a scrap of parchment and scribbled down a reply.

Sirius,

Greetings from Paris! We are having a wonderful time.

Tonight, we went to a French pub and pasties shop, where we had beer. Not Butterbeer, mind you, but actual beer!!

Helena is going to be so upset, but for once i don't care!

We met these Muggles who are good looking, even the girls, and I think Remus has taken a fancy to one of them. Her name's Becca and she's an older woman!!!

If you think this letter sounds odd, it may be because I have consumed quite a bit of alcohol tonight. You and James would like it, I'm sure.

Give my love to James and Petey (Tell me again why we stopped calling him that?!)

-Phe

"Take this to Sirius." Ophelia slurred. She gave the letter to Gwaihir and watched as he sailed out of the open window. Once he was out of sight, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.