Impossible Love
Chapter Five - Butterbeer and Chocolate
It was the last weekend of September, and Hogsmeade was filled with students and shoppers enjoying the Autumn day. The leaves on the trees surrounding the high street were beginning to turn orange and red and brown, leaving a warm tinge to the horizon. Every so often, a stiff breeze would blow down the high street, loosening them off branches and sending them swirling down to the ground. Light grey with clouds, the sky blocked off the sun and left a distinct chill to the air as if the signs of Winter were already approaching.
Lara swung her shopping bag backwards and forwards in time to their footsteps.
"Thank Merlin my mum agreed to sending me some money for some new jeans," said Lara happily.
Hogsmeade wasn't exactly the fashion capital of the wizarding world, but Lara and Hestia had made the best of it. To replace the ones that no longer fit, Lara had managed to find a pair of high-waisted skinny jeans in a faded black denim, and Hestia bought a cute t-shirt with glittery baby mandrakes on.
"Butterbeer and chocolate?" asked Hestia, nodding towards The Three Broomsticks across the street.
"Oh go on then," said Lara, easily-persuaded.
The girls linked arms and crossed the road to the opposite pavement. They successfully weaved round an elderly couple and narrowly avoided the pavement sign advertising the latest edition of The Daily Prophet: "The Greatest Discovery of Our Time?" with a picture of dark-haired man gesturing with a flourish at the fields behind him.
Pushing the heavy oak door open, Lara and Hestia stepped into the warmth and noise of the pub.
"Grab that table and I'll get the drinks," instructed Hestia, pointing towards a table tucked in the corner of the room underneath the staircase.
Lara made her way across the room, having to stop once to ask an older red-haired man if he'd mind tucking his chair in a little further so she could get past.
She sat in the chair facing the room and surveyed the patrons. It was a mix of older wizards and witches and a few groups of Hogwarts students nursing butterbeers or cherry syrup sodas.
The Three Broomsticks was a whole world away from her local pub back home. The Elephant and Castle was grim by daylight, but once the sun went down, it was where all her Muggle friends went on a Friday and Saturday night. In fact, pushed up against a wall around the back of the pub was where Lara and Rick the mechanic had first kissed. The smell of stale cigarettes and the sounds of Bev from down the road belting out 'Because of You' by Kelly Clarkson on karaoke had set the scene. Lara was a bit drunk on white wine, and Rick a bit too eager with his tongue. She didn't know what half-bloods and pure-bloods got up to during their summer holidays, but somehow, Lara doubted it was that.
"Here you go," Hestia placed a foaming tankard of butterbeer down in front of Lara and a little bowl of chocolates.
"Thanks," replied Lara, popping a sweet into her mouth.
Silence descended as both girls savoured the delicious chocolate. The combination of the warmth of the pub, the chocolate and the butterbeer was perfection after an afternoon of shopping.
"How did your mentor meeting go with McGonagall?" Lara asked.
"Good, yeah," said Hestia. "She reckons with a strong enough application, and Professor Weasley's recommendation, that I could get an internship with the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"Wow that'd be amazing," said Lara. "You think you'd be placed in the Auror Office?"
"Doubt it, but you never know … I could be rubbing shoulders with Harry Potter before too long."
Hestia swung back on her chair, drumming her fingers on the table top. Her blonde hair flicked across her face.
"Harry Potter and Jamie Burke too, I reckon given his connections," laughed Lara.
Hestia scowled at the thought of Lara's remark and brushed the hair from her face.
"Bloody hope not. Anyway, have you heard from Professor Longbottom since the first meeting?"
Lara sighed and held her head in her hands. Her thick waves fell down, obscuring her vision temporarily. Looking across the table, she tried to order her thoughts on the subject of Neville.
"Nope, nothing," said Lara. "He said he'd 'be in touch soon', so that's got to be some time in the near future, I hope."
"And you're sure you didn't stroke his leg or anything weird?"
Lara rolled her eyes at her best friend.
"I wish." I really do.
Leaning back into her chair, Lara took a sip of her butterbeer. The first month of her seventh year at Hogwarts had flown by, but she felt as if the only thing constantly on her mind was when Neville would get back in touch. Incredibly frustrating. Even Jamie's regular digs at her seemed to skim the surface at the minute. Why am I so bothered? He'll get back in touch. He has to – he's my mentor.
"… so I understand why Professor Weasley has set the task. I just wish I could have been given a different topic. I mean Grindelwald was powerful, but times are different now and I'd rather study something more recent."
Lara snapped back to the conversation, realising she'd missed a fair bit of it.
"Hmm?"
"I mean do you think he'd let us switch if we asked him? You take the rise of Grindelwald, and I'll do the First Wizarding War?"
Mentally filling in the missing parts of the conversation, Lara concluded that Hestia was talking about their research assignment for DADA. Professor Weasley issued students with different historical conflicts to research and present their findings to the class at the end of term. Apparently, Hestia didn't like her topic.
"Oh right, I guess we could ask him for a switch, maybe?" answered Lara.
Hestia shook her head and took a swig of butterbeer.
"I don't think it'd be worth it. He'll just say no, so might as well just get on with it."
Lara looked at her closest friend over the table. She looked sheepish, and Lara clocked onto the real reason behind Hestia's desire to switch topics.
"Do you happen to know what topic Professor Weasley gave Akari?" said Lara, raising her eyebrows at Hestia.
Hestia blushed, and avoided eye-contact as she replied.
"Oh erm, same as you I think."
"And could that have anything to do with you wanting to switch topics? The thought of long hours sharing books with her in the Library?"
Lara waited patiently for Hestia's reply, chuckling to herself. Hestia had been single for well over a year since her previous girlfriend, Edith Thomas, a Gryffindor from the year above them, had broken her heart.
"The thought had occurred to me," said Hestia, with a smile.
Lara smiled too at the prospect of Hestia with a girlfriend. Neither of them knew whether Akari was gay, but Lara felt sure she'd witnessed a spark between the two of them when they were duelling in class. A spark beyond the ones that were flying from the violent flurry of spells each girl was sending.
The girls continued to chat, covering topics as far ranging as pros and cons of turning Animagus to the miracles that Muggle straighteners could perform on Lara's hair.
With the door bursting open, Professor Longbottom tumbled into The Three Broomsticks accompanied by a certain famous witch and a handful of leaves blown in with them. They were both laughing as her long knitted scarf had wound its way around his arm like a striped snake.
Lara gasped, and Hestia immediately turned around to see what see was staring at.
"Is that Professor Longbottom and – "
"Hermione Granger," finished Lara with a defeated sigh.
Untangling themselves from her scarf, Neville and Hermione headed towards the stairs and the private sitting rooms upstairs. Hermione's hair was sleeked back into a ponytail, and a few stray curls hung down, framing her face. She looked slightly tired but had a brightness in her eyes that masked it.
Sat in the corner of the room, unnoticed by them, Lara picked up her tankard only to discover it was already empty.
They only had eyes for each other. Of course he didn't see me. This fantasy has to stop.
"Wow, she's shorter than I thought she'd be," said Hestia, interrupting Lara's thoughts.
Blinking, Lara focused on her friend across the table instead of the empty space by the door.
"What?"
"Hermione. I always thought she was taller."
"Well everyone's taller than you, short-arse," quipped Lara.
"Ha bloody ha. I wonder if Ron and Harry are around and we've just missed them?"
"They seemed pretty touchy-feely to me," Lara said.
"Ron and Harry?"
"No, Neville an' 'er," said Lara, in an accent that betrayed her Mancunian roots. Lara's accent only tended to really show itself if she was upset, so Hestia looked concerned as she replied.
"Don't be daft, Lar," said Hestia, affectionately using her lazy nickname for Lara. "She's got a kid now – she's basically set for life with Ron."
"I guess so," said Lara. She tried to shake her feeling of despondency. "Wait until I tell Jamie that we've just seen one third of the Golden Trio. He could have saved himself hours of research on his assignment just by being in that room for a few minutes."
Jamie was one of the lucky few assigned the Second Wizarding War by Professor Weasley to research. Although it had ended 8 years previously, the consequences of the conflict were still being felt across Wizarding Britain as the Ministry sought to rebuilt society and the laws that united them.
Stretching, Lara stood up and reached for her bags.
"Come on, let's head back, eh?" said Lara, buttoning up her coat once more.
Hestia agreed eagerly but made sure they bought more butterbeer to stash in Lara's room for later that evening.
Following the brisk walk from Hogsmeade back to Hogwarts, both girls were flushed as they climbed the last set of steps onto the fifth-floor corridor.
Lara's black ankle boots were lightly splattered with mud. Thinking to herself that she'd need to Scourgify them later, she unbuttoned her burgundy wool coat to fish for the key to her and Jamie's common room.
"Come in for a bit, Hest?" asked Lara with mock puppy dog eyes. "Jamie's always out somewhere, and I'll just end up doing my Ancient Runes homework if you leave me."
"You love Ancient Runes."
"Yes, but I love you more. Come on."
Holding her bags in one hand, Lara turned the key in the lock and pushed open the door.
"6 … 7… 8 …"
Jamie was stood in the centre of the room with his back to the door. Topless, he was lifting weights and grunting with the effort. The sweat glistened down his trapezius outlining each defined muscle. Curling the weights, his biceps bulged displaying their strength. His neck tensed with the effort before he released and lowered his arm once more. The distinctive smell of a man working out and something that was uniquely Jamie filled the room. It was a veritable feast for the senses. Lara's senses anyway – Hestia looked vaguely repulsed by the sight in front of her.
"Bloody Merlin, Burke. Isn't there somewhere else you could be doing that?" challenged Hestia, with her hands on her small hips. "Like, oh I don't know, your room maybe? Anyone would think you were waiting for Lara to come back."
Jamie shot round with a look of surprise on his face. If the view of his back was good, then a sweaty James Burke from the front was something else entirely. Lara's eyes were drawn to his strong chest and downwards: his abdominals, prominent and visible; and a strip of hair that disappeared into the waistband of his shorts.
Well this is awkward…
Forcing herself to look upwards, Lara realised that Jamie was smirking at her, knowing full well that she had just taken a few mental pictures of his body.
"Sorry, ladies," Jamie began, "I didn't think you'd be back at this time."
Lara dropped her bags to the floor.
"Oh we decided to come back and have a drink here," explained Lara with a false calmness.
Jamie bent over, placing his weights on the floor and picking up a towel from the arm of the sofa. Wiping the sweat from his face, he draped the towel across his shoulders and pulled his wand out from his shorts. Effortlessly, he levitated the weights upwards in the direction of his room.
"Well, don't let me stop you, Princess," said Jamie playfully. "I'm going to grab a shower and get out of your way."
With a wink thrown in the direction of the pair of them, Jamie sauntered up the spiral staircase to his room.
"Urgh, you can practically smell the masculinity," said Hestia grimacing.
She pulled out her wand, and delicately flicked, charming a floral scent throughout the common room.
"That's better," she said. "Right, drinks? Although I think I could do with a firewhisky after that display."
In response, Lara passed her a bottle of butterbeer as Hestia took a seat on one of the tartan sofas. Lara followed suit, kicking off her boots and stretching her legs across the seat. She decided that it was time to find out about her friend and the quiet Ravenclaw.
"So … Akari Eto. Spill the details," commanded Lara.
Hestia lobbed a cushion at Lara and laughed.
"Literally nothing to spill … yet," replied Hestia with a mischievous glint in her eye. "Anyway Miss Hepworth, who's caught your eye recently? Cough Head Boy cough."
Hestia waggled her eyebrows dramatically as she delivered the last statement.
"No. Just no," Lara retorted. I can't exactly mention the multiple times your Herbology teacher has featured in my dreams though.
"Anyone then?"
"I've been so busy with this role," said Lara, waving at the common room. "I've not really been thinking about boys. Besides I think I'm done with boys … I want a man."
Now it was Lara's turn for her face to fill with a look that was pure mischief.
"Oh thank Merlin, for a second there I thought you were going to start hitting on me," laughed Hestia.
Not to be deterred by Lara's reluctance, Hestia began listing the positive qualities of the best boys Gryffindor and Ravenclaw had to offer. Lara had long since ruled out the boys from Hufflepuff. Having been out with Cameron MacPhail (Hufflepuff's Keeper) in fifth year, the rest of the boys were more like brothers than potential love interests.
"Honestly, I am more than happy by myself right now. It's much easier."
"Well I know what to get you for Christmas then," stated Hestia. "A cat, so you can fulfil your spinster destiny."
"Piss. Off."
Hestia chuckled and reached for the box of chocolates that they'd purchased earlier. Opening the box, she threw a couple at Lara's head taking her by surprise.
"Oi, less of that," said Lara, brushing chocolate crumbs from her tangled hair.
"With an aim like that, I don't know why I'm not on the Quidditch team," said Hestia, holding her hands upwards in celebration.
"Because you're terrible on a broom, that's why. Where'd they go?"
Lara searched the sofa for the chocolates. She located one down the side of her leg, and the other had managed to go down her top. Typical.
"You seriously need to stop feeding me up," stated Lara. "First apple pie delivered by good old Burkey, and then copious amounts of chocolate. I need zero encouragement as it is."
Hestia had just put a couple of chocolates in her mouth and struggled to respond.
"Mhat mou mean?" muffled Hestia, through the caramel goo. She swallowed before repeating herself. "What do you mean, apple pie?"
Lara swung her legs around and sat upright, smoothing her denim skirt across her thighs.
"You sent Jamie with some apple-pie to cheer me up?"
Hestia's face was filled with confusion.
"No I didn't. Or I haven't done that."
"You did," insisted Lara, leaning forward. "After I found out that I had Nev- Professor Longbottom as my mentor. He said you'd sent him with it."
Hestia eyes widened in disbelief.
"Nope, I'm a good friend, but not that nice."
"But why would he say..." wondered Lara.
"I think you know why, but that's a question you need to ask him."
"Ask who what?" Jamie called down from the top of the stairs.
Shit. How much did he hear?
Freshly showered, Jamie had changed into dark grey sweat pants and Tutshill Tornadoes t-shirt with two crossed beaters' bats across the chest. He made his way slowly downstairs whilst combing his damp hair with his fingers.
"Never you mind, James," said Hestia with a sarcastic tone.
Jamie plonked himself down next to Lara who stiffened in her seat. He reached forwards and grabbed a butterbeer.
"Mind if I – "
"Help yourself," said Lara quickly.
Hestia looked across at the Head Boy and Girl. Jamie swigged the butterbeer and promptly burped, causing Lara to roll her eyes and inch away from him, leaning onto the arm of the sofa.
"So, you're both girls, and I need some advice," stated Jamie.
"How observant of you, Burke," said Lara pleasantly.
"Obviously I have to 'take' you to the Halloween Ball," Jamie said, air-quoting the word take. "But who should be my proper date for later on? I'm thinking either Selene Greengrass from the year below or Aoife Byrne from Gryffindor. Which do you think I'll have a better time with?"
"Urgh, you are revolting, Jamie," said Hestia.
"Why thanks," he replied with an arrogant tone. "I aim to please."
Lara was stunned. He could bring her apple pie when she was feeling down and wasn't such a dickhead about Lara pretending to be a teacher on the train, but then spoke about her like that and other girls like they were prospective notches on his bedpost. Urgh Slytherins.