Reunion
Chapter 3: Sweetness on a Spoon
AN: My roommate came up with the title and demands credit for it. She was on the Ben and Jerry's website and Sweetness on a Spoon is the name of the new flavor she created. This being chapter 3, the last of the original chapters, I would like to officially announce my intentions of picking up this story. I would also like to apologize to the readers who left reviews for me and encouraged me to write more. Please consider the rest of this story a thank you for being so helpful and supportive. (I can't believe I started this back in 2001!) Now, on with chapter three!
The trip to the Gryffindor common room the next day was quite enjoyable. The students threw a small party for the alumni. Harry saw some students that were first and second years when he, Hermione, Ron and the twins had returned to complete their schooling after the fall of Voldemort. He spent some time talking strategy with the current Quidditch seeker and captain. Thankfully for Harry, the Weasley twins were the life of the party. Mostly a result of their extraordinarily successful shop and mail-order business selling every banned item a Hogwarts student could ever need or dream of.
Eventually the trio got bored and left the common room. Harry, Ron and Hermione walked out to Hagrid's cottage. Harry knocked on the door which was instantly answered by Hagrid. After being nearly hugged to death they spent some time talking. When Hagrid saw the ring on Hermione's finger he first looked hopefully at Harry, but then Ron spoke up, trying to hide his annoyance, "I'm sorry that 'Mione and I didn't send you a letter, but everything's been so hectic lately."
Hermione added "We haven't decided on a date yet, but we'll send you an invitation when we do," to make sure Hagrid's feelings weren't hurt.
Hagrid smiled, wiping a tear away from his eye. "That's wonderful," he sniffled some more as Hermione handed him a tissue. "Thanks." After that scene Hermione and Ron made a quick escape back to the castle, saying something about plans to meet someone.
"So no girlfriend Harry?"
"No, not at the moment," Harry decided that it would be best not to mention Melinda. It still kind of hurt.
Unluckily for him, Hagrid decided to bring it up, "Oh, I heard something about you being with a girl named Melinda."
Harry sighed, "Yes, it didn't last and now she's with Malfoy." Hagrid did not inquire further and thankfully let the conversation turned to other, much more pleasant things. Hagrid invited Harry to stay for dinner but Harry declined telling Hagrid something about having plans in Hogsmeade. Secretly, Harry was quite hungry and in no mood to choke down Hargrid's cooking.
As Saturday came to a close, Harry found himself wondering into Hogsmeade looking for dinner since he had ran out on Hagrid. This meal and lunch tomorrow were the only unscheduled meals of the weekend and Harry was woefully unprepared. As luck would have it, Harry ran into Neville, literally. Harry had turned a corner only to smack right in to his old friend. Harry grinned, helping Neville pick up his recently purchased items.
"Hi Harry," Neville started, "sorry to run into you like that."
"No problem, its my fault too," Harry replied his grin growing larger, and eyes lighting up with an idea. "Hey, have you had dinner yet? I was thinking about grabbing something to eat at one of the new restaurants."
Neville laughed, "Sounds good, although there might be a wait with so many people here."
"Do you have any suggestions? I haven't been to Hogsmeade since, well, you know. Hogwarts a couple of times, but being here just feels weird."
"Yeah, I understand. Well, if you don't have a specific place in mind we could go to the Centepicure, I heard they have a crazy selection."
"Awesome," Harry was rather pleased with his luck but something was still bugging him. "Neville," he asked as they began walking towards the restaurant.
"Yes?"
"You sound different. I mean - you sound more confident than you used to, but that's not it - there's something else about your voice."
"I was in the States for a while, I guess I picked up some of the accent," Neville laughed as they continued on to their destination.
Centepicure mimicked fashionable muggle restaurants while offering a variety of cuisine from around the world. Not your standard Hogsmeade fair. In fact, many things changed in the tiny town since the fall of Voldemort. Much of the battle had occurred in the town itself, so Hogsmeade was incorrectly known as the place where Voldemort was defeated by Harry Potter. Only Harry and a few close friends knew otherwise.
The fame that the town gained brought new commerce into the area. Business owners who had moved elsewhere out of fear - or closed their businesses altogether - returned. Although Hogsmeade retained the quaint small wizarding town atmosphere, it could no longer be called a small town. Hogmeade had become a bustling, growing city. Thankfully, the older part of Hogsmeade had been preserved as a historical district and a few of the former hangouts remained.
A Lazy Susan sat to the side of their table. All the dishes in the restaurant were appetizer sized and meant to be shared. Once an order was placed, various dishes would appear onto the Lazy Susan within minutes. Harry an Neville had a wonderful time, experiencing none of the previous night's awkwardness.
"Sometimes I miss Hogwarts," Neville admitted as they were nearing the end of their meal.
"Me too. Even when I come back here to visit it seems like there is still something missing."
"Maybe its just childhood?"
"What?"
"Well, maybe there was something truly magical about that time in our lives. Maybe some people find that magic again as they get older," Neville paused as his expression softened, "but I bet you that most people probably don't."
"That's a rather depressing thought. The best time of our lives has already passed us by."
"Or perhaps it'll come again once we're senile," Neville joked, trying to lighten the mood.
Harry and Neville spent some time after dinner exploring the new Hogsmeade. The area was teeming with former Hogwarts students and they couldn't walk more than a few meters before running into someone they knew.
"I guess Hogsmeade weekends must be nightmare to manage now."
"I'm sure they always were," returned Neville with a smirk.
Spotting Seamus and Dean over by the Hog's Head, Harry yelled over to them.
"Actually we were just talking about getting some dessert, want to join us?" Neville shifted from one foot to the other, obviously something about this conversation was awkward for him, but Harry had no clue what it was.
"Sure, have anyplace in mind," Seamus inquired with a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Wendelin's Frozen Afters," Seamus and Dean said simultaneously with mischievous grins.
Harry realized that Wendelin's was not the normal wizarding joint as their waitress came up to them on watermelon inspired muggle roller-skates. To add to the effect, she was clad in a puce poodle skirt and a short plaid lab coat over an indigo chemise. Other waitresses were similarly dressed in a variety of mismatched muggle attire. Harry and Neville stared in shock.
"Do you know what you want or would you like a sweets menu?"
"They'll take two menus," Seamus said with a gesture towards Neville and Harry.
After a few minutes the waitress returned, wand in hand. "Have you decided yet? Or do you need a few more minutes?"
Seamus, apparently overeager to order said "Yes, I'll want a scoop of the Stracciatella Gelargalesis," without consulting the rest of the table.
"I'll take a Sweet Cream Mocha Toffee," Dean paused for a second, thinking, "and a platter of Pyr Petits Fours Glacé for all."
Dean glanced at Neville who resembled his former self with a confused expression on his face. "Erm, uh, Harry you go first."
Slightly unnerved by the menu, Harry picked the most normal looking drink from the menu, "I'll have a hot tea with honey and whiskey please." After getting annoyed glares from Dean and Seamus, Harry selected a dessert that had caught his interest, "and the Tirupati Laddu avec Snitch."
Neville continuing to look confounded, paused a moment before asking, "What do you recommend?"
The waitress smiled cloyingly and suggested the Maderia Cake and Solera Wine Combination. "Uhhh, sure," Neville replied, for it sounded like a safe bet.
All desserts and drinks arrived at once, this being one of the advantages to eating out in the Wizarding world.
At first, the desserts seemed rather ordinary - aside from the snitch that was shaking Harry's dessert around his plate - until Seamus started giggling uncontrollably.
Dean looked somewhat apologetic and attempted to explain, "Its his favorite dessert." Seeing the confused looks upon their faces he continued, "It tickles your throat. Apparently he's rather fond of the sensation." At this remark, Neville turned bright red and decided his dessert was the most interesting thing in the room.
Harry figured the trick to his dessert out early on: hold it down, eat part of it and then catch the snitch right before it flew out. Deciding he'd conquered that minor molehill he reached out for a one of the small pastries in the center of the table. Luckily for Harry, Seamus had stopped laughing long enough to choke out a warning, and Harry yanked his hand back before it nearly caught on fire. All eight of the tiny pastries burst into flames.
"Wait till the fire is gone - then they're safe to eat."
As the fire died down, all four men reached toward the center of the table. With a lopsided grin Dean raised his tiny pastry in salute to their wonderful years at Hogwarts. Harry, Neville and Seamus joined in.
"It is nice not to have to share a room with so many people," Neville commented. Dean and Seamus heartily agreed.
Harry and Neville bade their former roommates a good night as they headed towards the castle. As they reached the magically extended portion of the castle Neville turned to Harry and said, "Thanks for dinner. Lucky to run into each other wasn't it?"
Harry agreed, "Well, I guess I'll see you tomorrow."
"Yes, at the leaving feast. I'll be spending most of morning teaching a Herbology seminar to some of the more advanced students."
"Wow, thats great! Well, good night Neville!"
"'Night Harry," Neville said as he turned to walk to his room.
Normally my notes are not so extensive, but I thought that you might be curious as to the origins of the dessert names. I had way too much fun with this:
-Gelare - to freeze (think Gelato)
-Gargalesis - a type of tickling
-Tirupati Laddu - Indian dessert, very sweet
Anything else I recommend Wikipedia-ing (including the restaurant name if you're at all curious... )
Also, the next chapter should be a little shorter since I'll be covering less "events" even though the plot will be picking up somewhat.