Gabrielle Weasley had always shivered with fury when her aunt Ginny told her stories about the pureblooded aristocrat bastards who filthied the beautiful corridors of Hogwarts when she went to school. The nasty, conceited, obnoxious Slytherins who teased and tortured poor first years and especially the muggle-borns for their "impurity."
Gaby was usually a very firm believer in equality. And especially, being a Weasley and a pureblood, had no problems with muggle-borns.
But sometimes (and you can't blame this poor child) she rethought her morals as her hypersensitive claustrophobia struck, squeezing through the train, being suffocated by useless students who had nothing more than a pinprick of magical abilities in them.
Of course, Gaby wasn't the superb student like her brother who punished himself by forcing his eyes to plough through the History of Magic book. But Gaby was there for a reason. She was there to play Quidditch, whereas half the people who bustled around her, stepping all over her shoes, sandwiching her, were magically incapable of doing anything.
Finally, she found her compartment, flung the door open and threw herself down on the seat. Her brother and his friend Jimmy resumed their game of chess.
"Is it just me or are there twice the number of little kids in this school than last year?" She grumbled.
"Well of course! We are living in the millennium of a drastic population growth. And population growth means more magic blood. And more magic blood means more students accepted into Hogwarts. And Hogwarts being the school of high and mighty Harry Potter means more students will decide on Hogwarts." Spencer figured
Jimmy nodded in agreement, moving his knight forward. "Just live with it, Gaby. They're all witches and wizards."
"No, no, no, no, no, no, noooo, they are NOT ALL witches and wizards. I swear to God, I bet half of them can't even mutter a single spell."
"Of course not! They haven't learned magic yet." Spencer tactfully eliminated Jimmy's knight from the board.
"Oh, look at you and your pedophilic Prefect love for the newbies."
"Now, now, that's no way to talk to your big brother." Jimmy joked.
"2 MINUTES! 2 GODDAMN MINUTES!" She cried, throwing her shoe with her perfect aim at Jimmy's face.
The two boys laughed as Gaby spread out over two seats and promptly fell asleep despite the rumblings and grumblings of the Hogwarts train below.
OOOOOOOOOOOO
Draco jerked his head up prying his eyes open. He had forgotten how long and incredibly boring the opening ceremonies were. But it felt like hours since he had been sitting there, at the top table now with all the other professors, listening to Professor McGonagall drone on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and oh bother, she never stopped talking. Filch's rules, boundary rules, Quidditch tryouts…
"Professor Malfoy!"
Draco jumped up instinctively at her sharp voice, slamming his hands accidentally on his fork which caused it to catapult into Professor Flitwick's face, knocking the poor man off his chair. The students roared with laughter, but quickly was silenced by one look from Headmistress McGonagall. Draco cleared his throat.
"Professor Malfoy will be taking over the position of Defense against the dark arts position and the Slytherin Head."
"What?!" Draco exclaimed.
Professor McGonagall looked back, with those eyes which haunted his nightmares back in school. "I said, Professor, that you will be taking over the position of Defense against the dark arts position and the Slytherin Head."
"I'm the Slytherin head?" He whispered.
"Yes." She hissed back.
"What happened to Snape?"
"When the Opening Ceremony is over, Mr. Malfoy, you can enchant me with your delightful questions which were already answered two days ago when I very clearly explained the situation here."
"Sorry, Professor." He mumbled, sitting back down.
There was frenzy chattering in the students, mostly squeals from the female students about how handsome the new professor was.
And no matter how much Professor McGonagall tried to exert her authority over the silly girls, the giggling never ceased. Finally, she put her head in her hands.
"Okay. That's enough. Your prefects will lead you to your dormitories."
The Great Hall stood up, the prefects out-yelling each other, leading the pack of first years. Professor McGonagall turned to exit and Draco jogged to catch up with her.
"Professor!"
She turned around and sighed. "What is it, Professor Malfoy?"
"Do you happen to know where the pear is?"
"The pear?"
"You know… tickle the pear …"
McGonagall stared at him blankly. "Do you need to rest at Madame Pomfrey's for a while, Mr. Malfoy?"
"No! The kitchens! How do I get to the kitchens?"
"Ah, the kitchens… you turn…" She suddenly stopped and gaped at him. "You don't know where the kitchens are?"
Draco scratched his head. "No… nobody ever… told me."
And for the first time, ever, Draco heard Professor McGonagall laugh.
"Good night, Mr. Malfoy."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Gaby, I can't believe you're holding Quidditch tryouts on the fourth day of school." Jimmy muttered, shaking his head as Jimmy, Spencer and she walked out to the field after breakfast.
"The faster I get my new team, the faster we can start practice." She declared.
"But everyone's just starting to get adjusted into the school! First and second years probably don't even know how to ride a broom." Spencer interjected.
"Them first years are all you think about, aren't they. Plus, we should weed them out before they even attempt try out." She replied, smiling harshly.
"We're hopeless anyways. You're the only good player we've got and we can't just rely on one player the whole year. There'd be no use looking for anyone." Jimmy grumbled.
Gaby threw him a cold glare. "I don't like to hear that kind of attitude from you, Jimmy."
He remained silent and him and Spencer trudged behind her until they reached the field which they saw was already preoccupied.
"Hey, isn't that Professor…" Jimmy whispered.
"Excuse me, what business do you have on the field?" Gaby asked the man who was lying on the bleachers in sweats and a track jacket. He looked as if he had been running all morning. He remained lying, as if he hadn't heard her.
"Gaby…" Spence whispered, warningly.
"ExCUSE me?" She pushed him again, this time a tad harder.
The man sat up in his seat, squinting at the three of them.
"Good morning?" The man croaked, shielding the sun from his eyes. He had dark, black circles under his eyes and his skin was unnaturally pale.
"Sir, are you okay?" Spencer asked, walking up to help him.
"Spence, you know him?" Gaby demanded.
"He's the new professor. Remember from the Opening Ceremony?"
"No, I don't."
"Well, of course you wouldn't, you were off with your new conquest midway through it." Jimmy said under his breath, receiving a cold glare from Gaby.
"My 'new conquest' has a name, you know. His name is Caleb and he's a Sixth year prefect."
"Ah, he's a bastard. I recommend you break things off with him as soon as possible." The man chirped, rubbing his eyes.
"Excuse me?"
"You're talking of the Hufflepuff prefect, right? Never shows up to meetings. Gives me attitude. Almost like another Diggory except more of an ass."
Gabrielle stood gaping at him. "I… don't even know you!" She turned her head and stalked to the middle of the field where she put her equipment down. Students began filing in, holding their broomsticks eagerly. By the time it was 10, there was about two dozen students warming up on the grass.
Spencer took his seat next to the man. "I'm Spencer Weasley."
Draco looked at him, feeling as if he was staring straight into a teenage mirror image of himself. The blonde hair, the light eyes, the cool, handsome face…
"Yes, you're the Gryffindor prefect. I remember seeing you at the meeting. Never would have guessed you'd be a Weasley, though…"
"I'm sorry on behalf of my sister. She uh… could be a bit feisty at times."
Draco chuckled. "She must take after her…" Ginny Weasley's face flashed in front of him and his heart felt a cold jab as he remembered the smell of her sweet coffee… coffee… he sighed. It had been several days since he had last tasted coffee and each night, until the wee hours of the morning wandered aimlessly around the huge castle, searching and searching for the kitchen. He had thrown a poor 2nd year out of his classroom for hiccupping earlier that day. His emotions were always broiling over the cauldrons these days…
Draco cleared his throat, choking back his unmanly tears. "Your sister, eh? Older?"
"Younger. We're twins."
He sputtered. "Captain? As a fifth year?"
"Nobody's left to take charge. They all graduated last year. She's the best we've got." Spencer said. Draco stayed silent, watching the girl drop almost vertically down from a distance at least 100 feet from the ground and swerve out a mere foot away from the ground with the golden snitch in her hand.
"She has something." Draco muttered, gaping.
"She got it from our aunt. Our parents themselves aren't that great. Gaby can slaughter them in a game in five minutes. But we have some really talented Quidditch blood in our family."
"I've… never seen Quidditch better. She can probably even outfly Potter." Draco grunted the last part.
"She doesn't even like seeking. She can actually play all four positions quite well which makes it easier for her to choose team members but she's the worst at keeping, the most vicious when beating, the best at seeking, but likes chasing the most.
"Do you play?"
"Enough to be able to follow the game with Gaby. I'm not much of a Quidditch player, though."
"So you're a Hermione Granger."
"You know Hermione?"
Draco sighed. "Of course I know Hermione. I know your aunt too. And that Potter and your uncles. Especially that tall annoying one."
"Well, Mr. Malfoy, I have no idea which of my many uncles you speak so kindly of."
"Tell me, Spencer, how does it feel being the only blonde in your family?
"My mother's a blonde! Fleur Delacour."
Draco choked. "The French girl?!"
Spencer frowned. "Yes, how do you know her?"
Draco's ego would not permit himself to tell Spencer about how Draco (and the rest of the male population) was completely infatuated with this enchanting part veela back in their fourth year. "Ah… long story." Clearing his throat, Draco changed the subject to prevent any further humiliations and dents in his ego. "If you don't play quidditch, what do you do?"
"I'm the smart twin. I just do my duties and help out my aunt at her coffeeshop couple times a week…" Spencer trailed off, realizing that he was speaking to a professor.
However, the reaction from Draco was not one that he would expect from another professor once they found out about his… extracurricular activities. Instead of chiding him, Draco snapped his head toward him with large desperate eyes.
"Your aunt's coffeeshop!"
"…Yes… my aunt owns a coffeeshop down at Diagon Alley. Please don't tell Professor McGonagall, I'm not supposed to wander outside of school." Spencer pleaded.
"Good friend, oh, good pal, would you like to share with your dear professor how you manage to sneak out of Hogwarts all the way to your aunt's coffeeshop in Diagon Alley and manage to get back?"
Spencer frowned. "Am I getting detention?"
"You won't if you tell me."
Scratching his head, Spencer spoke hesitantly, leaning closer toward his teacher. "My uncles told me about this secret passageway that will lead straight to the entrance of Diagon Alley. It's on the third floor next to the woman in the purple dress with blue patters. Her place is quite hidden, but professor I must ask, why you must know this."
Trying to conceal his grin, Draco looked forward on to the Quidditch tryouts. They were on keepers, which meant the tryouts were almost over. "I'll tell you a small secret, Spencer, man to man. But I'm a caffeine addict. And I don't know where the kitchens are. And to tell you the truth, Spence, I haven't had coffee in days. I can't even count how many. I think around four but I'm not very sure."
Spencer gaped. "Four days?! How did you do it?!"
"I have no idea! Ever since I was around your age, I haven't been able to live without coffee for more than two days. And trust me, those two days were not very good days for my friends."
"Well, how did you drink your coffee back then? If you didn't know where the kitchens were?"
Draco sighed and put his head into his hands, full of shame. "Well… I… I was young! I didn't know any better! I thought… I actually thought the school coffee was passable.
Spencer could not hold it any longer. "WHAT?! You thought school coffee was… how… how could you think such morbid thoughts?!"
"Listen, before your aunt opened up that bloody coffee shop, any coffee was good."
"Even… don't tell me you fancied Madame Puddifoot's…" Spencer gulped.
Draco sadly nodded, Spencer gasping. "What… what kind of life have you lived?"
Draco rubbed his eyes. "Which is why you must help me."
"Certainly. In fact, Gaby and I were thinking of making a trip after tryouts. Would you like to join us?"
"Absolutely."
"There she comes. Hey Gaby, I invited Professor Malfoy to auntie's place." Spencer said, as Gaby came panting.
"What?"
"Professor's been coffee deprived for four days."
"What?! How's that possible?!" She breathed. "What are we still sitting around here for, then? Merlins I really need an iced caramel macchiato right now."
Spencer and Draco stood up, walking back toward the castle. "How were tryouts? Found your team?"
"Yes, and a pathetic team at that. There was one second year, your favorites, Spencer, and that little bugger outflew everyone else."
"Was he that good?" Spencer asked, impressed.
"No, everyone else just sucked that much. Anyways I'm making the final choices by tomorrow. I'm undecided about the seeker, you see."
"Why don't you just seek?" Draco asked. "I saw you during the mini-game and you fly brilliantly."
"Thank you but if I seek, we'll have the lousiest chasers in the school. I'm stuck between that little second year and Harold, who seeked last year. The second year is better but Harold's more mature. And you know I hate little kids." Gaby added.
"Well, unless the second year is significantly better than Harold, then I suggest you pick Harold because your team would just fall apart with a seeker who's good but nobody can work with." Draco advised, his past years of being the Quidditch captain began coming back to him.
"That's true… Quidditch IS a team game. Turn here." Gaby led the two of them into the third floor and they trekked down the deserted hall and finally found themselves at the portrait of the very pale woman with a bright violet ball gown. Tapping on the very right hand corner, the portrait opened very slightly, enough for them to sneak through. Down the tunnel Draco fell, until he landed quite ungracefully into the front of Diagon Alley.
Once he regained balance, Draco dusted himself off clean and went walking, quite quickly, toward where his legs and his taste buds were magnetically attached to. He bumped into dozens of pissed wizards and witches on the way but he didn't care. Only the humble coffee shop stood in front of him. He threw open the door and jumped onto his stool, the stool he always sat on.
"Welcome back, Mr. Weasley… with a grand entry at that." Ginny smirked, continuing to wipe the mugs.
"Four days, dark, bitter, now." He panted.
Nodding, Ginny turned back toward her espresso machine as the twins came stumbling in.
"Merlins, Professor, you just completely bulldozed through everything here." Spencer remarked, setting his bag down on the couch.
"Never in my life have I seen someone so excited for something, and you know how Michael Jackson Spencer gets when the first years come in." Gaby sniggered, taking a seat next to her brother on the couch. "Hey, auntie." (a/n: don't ask how she knows Michael Jackson. Who doesn't?)
"You guys showed him the passageway?"
"A new record among us addicts, auntie… four days! Imagine that!" I couldn't help but pity the man." Spencer exclaimed, shaking his head in amazement.
Ginny handed Draco the steaming miniature espresso shot mug which he took instantly and downed. Despite the scorching fluid that burned his tongue and the nerve tingling bitterness that stung his eyes, he could taste a delightful caramel flavor hidden beneath the blackness. Ah, Ginny Weasley's espressos were simply the best.
"Thank you." Draco sighed, sitting back in his chair.
"Didn't I tell you about the kitchen?" Ginny asked, taking his cup.
"And I also told you about how I didn't know where the kitchens are."
"Ah, you never found them, huh. Why didn't you just ask?" She asked, a glint in her eye.
Draco scratched his neck. "After McGonagall straight out laughed at my face when I asked, I couldn't gather the guts to do it again."
Ginny threw her head back and cackled. "My niece and nephew will show you."
"I don't mind coming here, though. Coffee always tastes best at its home."
"Well… well, I guess that's right. Just don't let McGonagall catch you or she'll have this passage blocked. And I won't have my free labor slaves to help around anymore." Ginny grinned.
"Now, now, it's our choice to come." Spencer argued.
"Yes dear, and I quite appreciate it. How was the first week of school for you, Mr. Malfoy?"
"Caffeine-free. Did school coffee normally taste that repulsive?"
"I believe so. And it pains me to know that it's my coffee they brew. But then again, right coffee brewed wrong is far worse than wrong coffee brewed right."
"I couldn't agree with you any better." Draco sighed.
"I wouldn't even be able to trust you with my coffee." Ginny teased.
Draco stood up. "Oh, oh, no you did not just say that."
"Yes I did. All I know about your expertise is that you know what the perfect cup of coffee tastes like. How do I know if you can make a perfect cup?"
"And you say that with such modesty."
"Honestly, Malfoy, do you seriously think you can make a cup of coffee like me?"
"Is that a challenge?"
"Only if you say it is."
"You taunt me so, Weasley. All right. I'll make you coffee. And you can see if I truly deserve praise from a goddess of coffee you call yourself." Draco reached for her apron when she snatched it away.
"I can't let you filthy my workplace with your inexperienced hands. My coffee is holy and I can't let a mere commoner like you befoul the sanctuary."
Draco stood for a moment, speechless. He tried thinking of a comeback but his ego had been tarnished too much. Then, he grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the swinging door that stood between the two sides of the counter and dragged her out the door.
"Watch the shop!" Ginny cried behind her as she was yanked out of her own coffee shop by the twins' professor.
They looked blankly toward the door and Spencer slowly stood up.
"I guess… I guess…"
"What the HELL was that?" Gaby pondered loudly, Spencer nodding in agreement.
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Yes, yes, slaughter me, kick me, beat me… I'm sorry! Haha, my old laziness started resurfacing and I was also pretty stuck on this chapter. Writing, rewriting etc. You can kind of tell too, this chapter was way longer and dragged out than it needed to be. But ah well, I was starting to get too sick of rewriting so here you go: ) Hope you guys enjoyed.
Thank you guys so much. So So So much. I know it takes a lot of patience to read my stories because I'm a horrible person and you guys are all so nice and forgiving. And I make all these promises that I never keep. So I won't promise that I'll update soon but I will promise that your reviews will seriously impact the speed in which I write and the content I write. So feel free to leave any ideas you have! I'd really like them and bear with me. : )
One question… would you guys like this story to be like a Draco/Ginny centric story with Spencer and Gaby as side characters or Draco/Ginny focused with Spencer and Gaby as side stories? Because I'm not sure how big of a role the twins should have. I was thinking of maybe having love interests for them as well as "Everyone starts falling in love" but I'm not sure if you guys would like that.
And haha, I can't help giggling when I go online to read some stories and I don't know if it's just me or not but I'm starting to see a lot of coffee related stories and I can't help thinking that maybe I started a fad. It must be coffee story season now. : D
Take care, guys! Thanks for reading!
Review!! tehe