Brad

Shortly after, Brad approached them and said, "Well, people, have you had enough? It's already after four o'clock, soon there will begin to be many more people on the street, it's time for us to get going. What do you think?"

"Great, Brad, we wanted to talk to you about a couple of things," Sev told him.

"Yes, I also wanted to tell you something, but you say it first."

"Have you made a shopping list?"

"Of course, and budget, here you have it," the Beater took it out of his pocket and handed it to him.

"Well, well, I'm not going to control you to that point, Brad," without picking it up. "I have no idea how much we're going to drink or how much things cost. I was just asking because we wanted to make a couple of suggestions."

"Tell me then."

"The first, do not buy wine, it is very expensive."

"You're right, I had already thought about it," said the oldest. "If we buy it, it would have to be of poor quality."

"Ugh... then it's better not to."

"No, better not. Bad wine gives a very bad hangover."

"The second, buy dark beer for those who like it more and for the third years if the butterbeers aren't enough," Sev suggested.

"Very good idea. So we'll do something very easy. The budget there was for wine, for black beer."

"One last thing."

"Tell me."

"I do want to buy wine, but for me, for another party that we are going to have with fewer people," explained Sev. "Four bottles, two of white and two of red. Will this be enough?" taking out of his pocket the wad of bills that Sirius had given him in the morning and passing it to him.

Brad counted the money. "Yes, I guess so. If something is missing we will put it in the budget, we'll buy a little less beer, and if there is any left over I will return it to you. Do you want any special wine?"

"I don't know. Someone who is good."

"You already know that the better it is, the more expensive it is."

"Sure. So, in that case, whatever is enough for," said Sev.

"No, Prince, take mine too, what I was going to spend on beer," said Lorenz, taking out the pounds he had.

"It's not necessary, Lorenz, really."

"Please, let me do it, it's the only thing I can think of that can compensate a little for everything I've done wrong at this very moment."

"Okay," Sev accepted. "Brad, take Lorenz's money."

Brad took it and counted it too.

"Brad," Genevre said. "The best red wine is the Spanish Rioja, and it is cheaper than the French ones. And white, some French or Italian, better Italian, the most expensive one they have will be the best and also cheaper than the French ones."

Wow… Spain again… Sev thought. I'm not going to wait for the war to end to go. Next summer, when I can Apparate.

"Okay, I'll follow your recommendation, I'll buy the best one," Brad said. "For Prince's sake, Prince deserves it."

"Well, well, don't take money out of the budget to buy that for me, huh?" said Sev.

"Prince, you were the one who put in the most magical money."

"But I already explained to you that it wasn't mine."

"And now you've put quite Muggle too," said the Beater.

"It's not mine either."

"It doesn't matter, if you have it in your hands, it must be for a reason, because people have entrusted it to you, and you just said that the wine is not for you, but for another party with friends. How many friends?"

"Three of the bottles for about fifteen people," Sev responded.

"I will buy four or five bottles, plus the extra, five or six, three bottles for fifteen people is very little. Six bottles, three of each. If it isn't enough, changing the wine we were thinking of buying for beer, it will be enough for everyone, beer is cheap."

"Okay, Brad, I'll leave it in your hands."

"Very well, now what I wanted to tell you."

"Tell me."

"We have been thinking about returning to the alley and to school," the oldest began. "You are going to return first with one of the people who have already Apparated back several times, Scarlett, seventh-year Sly. You know her, don't you?"

"Of course."

"I'm sorry for you, Prince, you're barely going to enjoy London today, but any of us can risk being hunted by the Muggle police, not you. They could keep you for several days and you can't miss Hogwarts, not now, everyone would be very worried."

How they take care of me. "Thank you, Brad."

"The rest of us will organize ourselves into pairs of someone who has experience in Apparating and someone who doesn't have much experience or who has never done it outside of school."

"Like me," Genevre said.

"You're coming with me," offered Valerie.

"Brilliant."

"I have never Apparated outside of classes either, I am still a minor," said Lorenz.

"Then I'll look for someone you can go with, Lorenz, don't worry. Any seventh-year from your House, if you want," Brad said.

"Great."

They did the operation, they left the pub again in small groups that followed each other at about ten paces. Sev was in the second, with Valerie, Genevre and Scarlett, behind Brad's, who was with the older ones who were going to enter the store.

They went there, it was on the same street they were on, but on the other side of it and also crossing the one they had exited onto from the alley. The four of them stayed waiting a few steps from the door while the rest of the groups circled the block. When Scarlett and Sev saw Brad and another seventh-grade boy leave, they approached them and quickly transferred the drink from the bags they were carrying to the four backpacks they had.

Returning to the alley, they quickly had to cross two streets, but it was impossible to get lost, and they didn't see the bobbies either. They carried four backpacks, Sev in one of them the bottles of wine, four of Spanish Rioja and three of Italian white from Tuscany and in the rest, beer filled to the brim, in cans, less heavy and bulky and cheaper, but both only beer, not hard liquor, in case the bobbies caught them. They give me maximum protection, how much I love them all, Sev was thinking. I shouldn't have come, I've been a new headache for them.

As soon as they reached the alley, they waited until no one passed through the mouth of the alley and they both Apparated, Scarlett and him, outside the school gate.

"Well, here we are," she said, cheerful and pizpireta. "Operation protect Prince at all costs completed."

They leaned against the wall, so that the next to Apparate would not fall on them, and they unloaded their backpacks.

Indeed they've been thinking about it in the pub, she was sitting at Brad's table. "Thank you very much, Scarlett."

"You could thank me in another way, if you feel like it, of course."

Booff… you'll see… Brad has acted as her pimp… It doesn't matter, let's go ahead, she deserves it. "Come on, what do you want?" spirited too.

"Give me a good snog from those legendary ones of yours," she asked.

How cute. "How little you are satisfied with."

"There is no time for much more, the next couple will arrive soon."

"Yes, there is, if we leave the backpacks here and hide in the vegetation," he proposed.

"Oh, Prince... But it's going to be a big deal, everyone is going to find out."

"Yeah, you're right, then let's go with that snog." He cornered her against the wall and they gave it to each other. There is no rush, the next ones to come are Valerie and Genevre, it doesn't matter if they see us. A couple of minutes passed like this. Wow… it was worth it, she is not pretty at all, but she is a great kisser. I'm going to rub her breasts, I've been wanting to do it to Genevre.

He did it. Mmm… the perfect size, I have yet to do it with her sometime. She separated after a few minutes, turning her face away from him, she was blushing. I have put her at a hundred, and she me.

"Wow, Prince... how have you turn me on... tonight I plan to hunt among the Raves. Rumor has spread at lunch and in the afternoon in the pub that they are very horny."

"Of course, Scarlett, go for it."

"Have I made you horny?"

"Of course you made me, check it out if you want."

She touched him. The Slys don't hold back.

"Wow... how proud I feel," she said.

How cute, she is wonderful. "You kiss great."

"You know, us ugly ones have to work harder."

"You're not ugly at all," Sev disagreed. "You're beautiful on the inside, that's what's important, and you have beautiful eyes and a very clean look, very sincere and authentic."

"You are adorable, Prince. I will never forget these moments."

"Nor I."

Valerie and Genevre arrived.

"Safe, guys," said Valerie, cheerfully.

Sev turned to them, who were also approaching the wall. "Ugh, I never thought that going to London would be so complicated," he said.

"You know," Genevre said. "Police state, tight control of the authorities over the population."

"And when we go out in the summer, will it also be like that?"

"Not at all," said Valerie. "Because we will move through other neighborhoods and areas where many young people go out to have fun at night, populated with taverns. As long as you don't mess it up too much on the street, it's enough."

"Oof… what a relief. Otherwise I didn't like it at all, constant tension."

"Too bad we're going to drink the beer hot," said Genevre.

"Nothing of that. We'll cool it down with a spell I know."

"Wow... great, very cold is how richer it is. Can the temperature be regulated?"

"It can," Sev responded.

"Forty degrees."

"Great."

"By the way, I don't think it's appropriate for you eagles to take the drink home, you're going to start drinking before dinner," said Valerie.

"You are absolutely right," said Genevre, "I think the same. Keep it to yourself then, you are turning out to be more disciplined than us."

"Prince's influence," said Scarlett.

"It occurs to me that we could also Summon ice for strong drinks," said Valerie.

"Of course," said Sev. "What is the ice like that you take with strong drinks?"

"In cubes, so that it melts slowly. I will already do it and you see it, and we'll keep it without melting also with that spell you say, at ten degrees, for example."

"Sure."

"We will also need ice buckets and tongs," said Scarlett.

"What's that?" Sev asked.

"The containers where the ice is kept and the instrument to serve it."

"I'll Summon them too," said Valerie. "I know them."

"I can too, huh?" Scarlett said.

"Very well, then when we get home we'll organize ourselves between the three of us and we'll do everything," said Valerie.

"We'll also ask others for help, to organize everything that needs to be cooled on the table."

"We eagles will have to enter the Dungeon Room to transport the backpacks," said Genevre.

"Of course," said Valerie.

"How nice, to see the window again," she was excited.

"You liked it, don't you, Genevre?" said Sev.

"Indeed, I wished I had been a snake."

"You are half a snake."

"Thank you, that's quite a compliment coming from you," she said.

"Ugh… how angry it makes me that the only thing we are going to lack is music."

"That's no problem. We will dance anyway, without music."

Take hint! "Indeed we are going to dance," he confirmed.

The rest of the couples arrived and organized the entrance to the castle and the rest of the party preparation as they arrived and others contributed new ideas.

Brad and another boy were the last to arrive, it was a real miracle that the bobbies had not stopped any of them, since several couples had crossed them.

When everyone was there, they helped those who were going to jump up the wall, and then those who remained made a human chain perched on the door to pass their backpacks, since they would have had to empty them to pass the drink between the bars.

Finally, they helped those who had jumped the wall to get down and they all headed to the castle, at a good pace because it was already quite late, it was after half past five. Genevre was chatting with Valerie, bonded, Lorenz was distracted with those from his House, so Sev dedicated himself to talking to Brad and telling him all the ideas they had had to finish organizing the party.

He told him, already arriving at the castle, "Very well, Prince, just show me that spell and I'll take care of everything. You just empty your backpacks on the table and go to your bedroom to put away your bottles of wine and relax for a while or do whatever you want. Yesterday you finished your OWLs and you haven't had a break."

"Right, thank you very much, Brad."

He gave Brad the incantation of the refrigerator spell and explained how it worked. They continued chatting until they got home.

"What a useful spell!" exclaimed the Beater.

"Of course, and they don't teach it to us at school. I'll stay with you until you see that it works for you."

"No, Prince, it will work out for sure. I think you still don't know what NEWT I am taking."

"Well no, Brad. I'm sorry I never asked you."

"Charms."

"Oh…"

"I was the best in my year in the subject, since first year," said the oldest.

"Tonight I will introduce you to the best witch at school in Charms, it was she who discovered the spell."

"I already know who she is."

"Oh really?" Sev asked.

"Of course, Lily Evans. She's famous for that too, not just for having been your friend. Flitwick always talks about her in class."

"Oh... not us…"

"Because you are from the same year, so that there is no envy or competition," Brad deduced.

"Oh…"

"Her famous willow wand. Now the man is disappointed because she has not chosen that NEWT."

"Ugh…"

"You're still with her, aren't you?" he lowered his voice so they couldn't be heard. "Don't answer me if you don't want to."

"I am, Brad."

"We all know that at home, huh? And it hasn't been because someone has slipped. And the Raves must know it too, we are not stupid."

"And how did you know, Brad?"

"When we planned the Gryff revenge and you defended her friend. Your best friend, you said, and she didn't leave him and her other housemate."

"Remus and Cecile."

"That's it, when you went to sleep we stayed talking about it," the oldest explained.

"Oh…"

"And since then we have been watching them train, the advanced level that the three of them have, and it was evident that you were in the middle."

"Sure…"

"So if she's coming tonight, take advantage of it to be with her, you won't see her all summer," the seventh-grader advised.

Indeed no one has spoken out, otherwise he would know that we are neighbors. "Yes, I'm going to see her in the summer, Brad, we are neighbors, we already met before coming to Hogwarts."

"Oh... now I understand everything…"

"Sure."

"What five years of ordeal you have gone through," lamented the Beater.

"We have also been very happy in our own way."

"How brave you are, both of you. You should have fallen into Gryff, like her."

"No, Brad, I wasn't then. I have become brave with sticks."

"Like everyone."

"Well yes, like everyone."

"Are there more Gryffs coming besides Black and Lily?" asked the organizer.

"Yes, the three commanders, Remus, Cecile and maybe also Potter."

"No… Potter no…" recriminatory. "Don't fuck me…"

"Sorry, Brad, now I also consider him my friend, and when you meet him you will see that he is not so stupid anymore."

"I know him, Prince, remember, Quidditch," a bit tough. "I have shared a locker room with him for four years. He's unbearable, even when he lost he was still conceited, he took advantage of every opportunity to make fun of others, and even more so after having won the championships in the last two years. You don't know the fight he had with Hippolyta in this year's game, she gave him a good scolding."

No wonder he didn't sign up to come watch the game from the Sly stand, Sev thought.

"Ugh... I screwed up, so…"

"Well yes."

"Booff... I'll explain it to Hippolyta, and if Potter comes tonight I'll make him apologize."

"You're just asking for trouble, Prince, for not consulting us. You had it very easy, you just had to ask Valerie."

"True. But I talked about it before her this afternoon and she didn't say anything to me."

"Oh no?"

"No, but it's okay," said Sev. "I'm sure Hippolyta will understand and Potter will behave as he should. This noon he hugged me while I was still carrying her on my shoulders and she didn't say anything to me at lunch either."

"Maybe she hasn't even realized it," calm down now.

"Maybe not."

They entered the house and went to the window table to unload their backpacks. Hippolyta is not in the Room, Sev realized.

"Well, don't think about it too much," Brad reassured him. "Between more than a hundred people they don't even have to see each other."

"True."

"And if Black has reformed I don't see why Potter can't have done so too."

"Sure, what I'm telling you, Brad. What has happened at school has made them change."

"Now you just need to calm Hippolyta's spirits in case she finds him face to face tonight."

"True."

"In all this, I was asking you how many Gryffs were coming because you should have also warned me about that," said the organizer. "It's not one or two, it's seven or eight more people, probably also eager to party," a bit harsh again. "There was money left over, the beers and your Rioja wine were on sale, that's why we bought four bottles instead of three. We would have bought more beers and at least another bottle of liquor."

"Ugh, I'm sorry."

"Prince, count on the others."

And all for paying attention to Genevre and Lorenz this afternoon, Sev thought. I'm an idiot, once again I've allowed myself to be distracted by the usual. I feel like the night's dance is going to take a fresh wind.

"I'm so sorry, Brad, I have too many things on my mind," defeated.

"Okay, don't worry, I understand," already calm. "I've gotten a little hard."

"If you want, we can bring a couple of bottles of wine, to compensate."

"No, Prince, two bottles of wine for more than a hundred people, no. Either for all or for none."

"Sure…"

"It doesn't matter, when the alcohol runs out, go to bed and that's it. Take what is left over," taking out his wallet.

"No, on top of how I screwed up, don't give me the money back, Brad."

"Yes, I'll give it back to you," Brad got even harder than before. "I don't want it at all, I'm not going to start handing out pennies to everyone who put in money, I don't remember them. You have been the one who has put in the most, you can return it to the person who gave it to you if you want, and otherwise, you can keep it, it will be very well served." He handed him bills and some coins.

Okay, I'll take it, let them exchange it at Gringotts on Thursday to pay Hippolyta's father what I bargained for the books, if it's enough. "It's okay, Brad."

He took it and put it in his pocket.

"Come on, go relax for a while," said the oldest, gentle. "See you here after dinner to carry everything to the Rave house. I'm in charge of spreading the word at the table during dinner so that the whole House helps us and none of us are too loaded. The backpacks will no longer be needed, I have saved all the bags they have given me."

"Great, Brad, very well thought out."

"Sorry for being like that," sad.

"There is nothing to forgive, Brad, it's normal, you've been working hard."

"Yes, but I shouldn't have spoken to you like that, you work much harder for everyone else. Give me a hug, come on, I've left you knackered."

They embraced. Wow… Brad also hugs very well… it relaxes me, I'm going to wait for him to be the one to separate. Sev breathed deeply, trying not to think about anything, just feel.

After a couple of minutes, Brad asked him, "Are you better?"

"Yes much better."

"I would stay hugging you all afternoon, but I have a lot to do, Prince, I'm sorry."

"Alright."

They separated.

"See you after dinner."

"See you."