Life After Hogwarts
Arime Mya Setta
Chapter Sixteen: Pureblood Plotting
A/N: I am so sorry about how long it is taking me to get chapters out. I am just about to start college and my summer has been hectic. Thank you for the continued support and I promise to continue writing whenever I get the chance!
As we enter the restaurant I took the time to look around. It was dimly lit and the entire building was filled with savory fragrances. Overall there was no apparent theme to the restaurant but each individual room was color coordinated differently. The waiting room was a mixture of brown and tan and reminded me of gravy and beef. The next room that we walked through was a combination of dark and light green with a hint of red. We passed a myriad of rooms, each decorated with a different mixture of colors, until we were escorted into a red and black room.
It was a private dining room specifically reserved for Farvington's elite. Here, witches and wizards could play dress up and eat foreign muggle cuisine without having to actually give up their powers for the night. The owner of the restaurant, ironically called the Wand-erful Magic, was a squib that teetered on the fence between his magical customers and his muggle ones.
We were seated in a round booth table decorated with luscious fabrics and colorful pillows. The men (boys in my mind) grabbed the menus and promptly began to order for themselves and their significant other. I leaned against Draco and pretended to whisper seductive things while, in reality, I was telling him what to order. I didn't want to accidentally get a plate of steak tartar or escargot.
The thing that had surprised me the most when I discovered I was a witch was the cuisine. I could understand the different clothing but the differences in food were incredibly surprising since I assumed we (humans) all ate similar food items just arranged differently for each culture.
Witches and Wizards, though, use vegetables and spices made from magical plants. They also get their meat from magical animals. The first time my family went to Diagon Alley we stop to get a quick bite to eat and were dismayed to find that they didn't serve fish and chips. The surprises only grew from there. We were shocked to find that their steak and kidney pie (the only item on the menu we recognized) was made with Biblely meat. Biblelies, I later learned, are farm raised like muggles raise cows but are much more prevalent in wizard England than good beef in muggle England. My parents weren't exactly bubbling with joy after that trip and were quite worried about my digestive system and the effects of wizard sweets on my teeth.
During my first dinner at Hogwarts I was surprised to see a generous mixture of muggle dishes and wizards dishes. Often the house elves will make muggle-like dishes with magical ingredients as a compromise. I completely avoid foods that looked like their original forms (i.e. whole fish or meats with their heads still intact). All throughout my first semester I ate only minimal wizard sweets and often called home for my approved favorites like sugar-free gum, chocolate candy bars and caramel sweets. Of course each delivery came with a new tube of toothpaste, floss and mouthwash. I've since then learned charms to keep my teeth clean and cavity free and have become quite familiar with wizard chocolate and gummies. No worries, I still brush my teeth like a muggle every day.
"Draco, mate, you look a little uncomfortable. Everything all right?" Travis was lounging next to Kayla with his arm draped over her. He looked like a king in his domain. Draco was reclining in an equally elegant stance but Travis was right; he looked uncomfortable and stiff. I scooted closer and slowly drew circles in his palm. I hoped he would relax just a bit from my touch and was instantly confirmed. His head tiled towards me and he gave me a small smile before turning his attention back to the matter on hand. He now looked every bit regal as Travis.
"I must say, Travis, I am not one to mingle among the muggles. It just isn't something I've felt the need to lower myself to." Draco was clearly testing the two men sitting across from him. Earlier, when Draco first told me of the night's plans, I was suspicious and rather confused. Why would a group of the most elitist pureblood actually participate in something so muggle? Draco had quelled my confusion by reminding me that muggle restaurants and activities had become popular among many witches and wizards, regardless of their social status. Draco, it would appear, had not quelled his own suspicions of the four students with superiority complexes.
"Oh, Draco, dear, don't be so pureblood. Mixing with muggles is quite popular with many of our fellow pureblood friends. We must keep up with the trends of our time." Kayla smiled sweetly to emphasize her point but I was beginning to see a pattern.
"I must disagree. I'd rather make trends than follow them." Draco squeezed my hand under the table as if to warn me against being too Gryffindor but I was formulating the plan in my head. I can't help but act superior when I'm playing Harmony.
"Hmm, and yet you enjoyed your time as a muggle in Greece?" Kayla reminded me of a cat with its hairs sticking up. She felt threatened by me. Good.
"Enjoying fine food and good music is perfectly fine, even if it's muggle, as long as it is on someone else's galleon. I personally prefer not to waste my own money on inferior things, though." I prayed that Draco was beginning to see that this was all a test. If things went smoothly we would be able to pass without injury.
"Draco, mate, I do believe you need to watch out for this one. She is quite a ball of pureblood fire." Thomas laughed at Travis' comment and Draco just smirked.
"Her fierce appreciation for fine things and pureblood truths make her the perfect companion for a man like me. Trust me; I am quite capable of handling her." I lightly smacked him on the shoulder and just giggled. I didn't want the men to duel over hurt egos or silly words. I was glad to see the boys back down after my girlish intrusion but I knew we were walking on eggshells, if you don't mind the muggle saying.
"Yes, Draco I do believe I agree you are quite capable. You two are rather pureblood elitists aren't you? Nothing less than the best for two of the oldest names in our society." Travis appeared to be joking back but his eyes glittered with a dash of challenge.
"We both enjoy fine things as Draco has said. I do believe Farvington may have what we look for in education and social status. I do hope we are not wrong to believe you share similar beliefs with us." I was now turning the tables as if they were under inspection. I wanted to root out their prejudices to prove that the Order had not misdiagnosed the situation.
"Yes, my dear fireball, you are correct in assuming we all share a passion for the purity of our society. Those 'fine things' as we've said. Look, our food has arrived. I do hope you are not too offended that we had the orders changed. I'm not quite a fan of muggle cuisine, though you did manage to order some of the finer choices available." I visibly relaxed as the food arrived. I had no idea what I was about to eat but the food proved an easy escape from the tense conversation.
The table was covered in some of the most expensive dishes available in the wizarding world and each looked delicious. Draco later explained what each dish was and how significant each choice was. In such an uptight society choosing the wrong meal may show a weak upbringing or poor taste. Even worse, a wrong substitute makes the wizard look cheap or poor. We were now all standing on equal footings and had confirmed each other's love for a pure society and pureblood cuisine.
Ugh pureblood elitists make me sick.
"This looks delicious. I see that you have fine tastes as well." We began to serve ourselves from the potluck-family style dishes in the middle of table. Luckily, before I could reach to spoon some food onto my plate, Draco waved his wand and put together a plate full of each dish for me. I was very close to embarrassing myself. What good is being a witch if you don't use your magic?
"So, Travis, tell us more about Farvington. How are the other students? What are the dorms like?" Draco was trying to make light conversation to open up our silent company and was fortunate enough to strike a topic they enjoyed talking about: themselves and their school. We spent the better part of an hour discussing (gossiping about) the other students, the professors, the facilities and the local town. We learned that there was an entirely wizarding community on the other side of the lake and then there was the town we were currently in which was a mixture of muggles and witches. Unlike Hogsmeade the wizarding community existed specifically because of the university and was relatively new.
I was fascinated with the prospects of living in a community that mixed so well with muggles. Ignoring the fact that there would be plenty of purebloods, I could tell that the other students would live quite peacefully with muggleborns, half bloods and even muggles or squibs. I was slowly becoming more and more familiar with the idea that Farvington is the school for me.
Of course remembering why I am here in the first place is like a bucket of cold water. The campus was infested with mini-wannabe death eaters. Pshh can't have it all I guess.
It quickly became obvious that the girls were meant to sit there and look pretty while the Men talked. I tried my very best; I swear I did. Eventually I gave in and tried to make small talk with Kayla and Marella. It was worse than speaking to a racing broom.
"So, Kayla, Marella, what are you studying at Farvington?" I sipped my glass of wine slowly since I was planning on driving home. I had a bottle of sobering up potion in my purse (originally planned for Draco) but I didn't want to have to use it before I had the chance to make some more in our kitchen. Kayla looked bored and Marella looked drunk but it was better than sitting silently.
"We're both majoring in Women's studies." I was interested to hear that Farvington would actually have a 'women's studies' major (the wizarding world couldn't get past gender bias any better than blood prejudices).
"Really, what exactly do you study?" I tiptoed around with my questions incase my idea of Women's studies was different from theirs. Of course, it was.
"Well, it's quite an all around study major. We do a little divination, the basic health and beauty charms, simple healing spells, clothing and furniture transfiguration and Herbology classes for our gardens." I wanted to groan when I realized they were simply attending Farvington to be turned into little perfect housewives. It was a waste of money but then again they have plenty to spare.
Now, don't misunderstand me. I strongly believe every woman has the right to choose a career or a home or both. As a woman I will learn how to tend to my home, my body and my children but I never plan to go to school for it. I could tell these girls only go to Farvington so that they can be close enough to their fiancés to prevent them from straying. I guess you have to do something before the wedding.
"Draco, I know that we originally planned to go dancing after this but truthfully, now that we know of your similar distaste for muggle activities, I would much rather return to Farvington. Maybe a game of chess or just a nightcap?" Draco looked at me questioningly and I just nodded. Alcohol does wonders for spies.
Rather than driving home we simply apparated back to the gates of Farvington and then slowly walked to the mansion. The remainder of the evening was quite uneventful. I mostly sat there and attempted to gossip while listening to the boys (or men) but ultimately I was bored and learned nothing new. Once we finally made it back to our rooms Draco and I could only manage a nod and a short good night before getting straight into bed. I think the alcohol and the long-winded conversation made both of us exhausted.
As I laid there in bed I thought about the people I had just spent an evening with. Would I see them again after this trip? Would we be enemies or friends? Will I fight against them or by their side? It is so difficult to sit there with a group of people who you are told are destined to be your enemy and yet are so simple. They aren't good people or even nice but they don't come off as evil either. They are truly misguided and very prejudice but I can't picture them as a murdering torturing group of death eaters. Maybe I should learn to never underestimate my enemy… Or maybe I should help redirect them.