I do not own Harry Potter, the Wizarding World, or any canon characters.
Side Dishes
10th Course – Girls' Night
Takes place between Courses 173 and 174 of Taste, after the official opening of Hedwig's Hearth and it being open for some time.
Hogsmeade was very quiet for her, almost too quiet.
Chloe had lived in the United Kingdom for months now, having moved over from France when she took the maître d' position at Hedwig's Hearth. She had just left another job due to irrevocable personality differences, not to mention a very physical incident, and had been worried about finding employment in her field. Her Aunt, Apolline, had then told her that she knew someone that was going to need a manager or maître d' for a restaurant and she decided to take the chance.
She had no regrets in taking said position. Despite being a new business and the first one the chef and owner, Harry Potter, ever owned, it was remarkably well run. Business accounts were set up through Gringotts and managed through Doran and Ted Tonks and were incredibly well maintained. Accounts dealing with deliveries and supplies through Greengrass Shipping, Riannon's Rangers, and other suppliers were easy to maintain as well. Everything was paid easily enough and orders came swiftly and completely.
They even got things through Gringotts and from the farms run by Aberforth Dumbledore and Hogwarts, which had surprised her greatly. However, much like the other arrangements, things were done smoothly and much more easily than her experiences in the past between businesses and suppliers.
She really liked the restaurant. The food was delicious and the atmosphere warm and kind. She really liked working with Harry and adored Hedwig. She liked the house elves: Inky, Willie, and Nillie. Henri and Julia were her friends from France so she liked them too, though Henri tried her patience on a good day in his way. Guy was professional and just shy of taciturn, which she did not mind in the slightest. Mirra was pleasant. Felicity was sweet but a trifle much for her and Eddie was pleasant enough but the man never shut up. But he was tolerable. Aberforth was quiet and gruff but not in an unpleasant way. She had interacted a little with Lavender, but the woman was nothing but kind and friendly.
The clientele was a strange mix. The ones that lived in the village were pleasant to deal with and she was putting names to faces, learning who they were. None of them caused any trouble and were friendly. The ones that came from out of the village were ones she was used to from her time in Paris. While some of them were the kind of enthusiastic gourmands that wanted to have a good meal, others ranged from those who had high opinions of themselves to incredibly high opinions of themselves. Some were overbearing and others even more so where entitlement and expectation was a byword for them.
Luckily, Harry trusted her implicitly in dealing with them. It had honestly been very refreshing when he said she could deal with them to the best of her ability. She had the power to deny the rudest of individuals, make accommodations for the best of them, and to treat them as they were treated. For too long she had been bound by unreasonable expectations and the idea that 'the customer was always right' always nettled her.
Things, in all honesty, were very good for her. Her true only complaint was just how different it was living there.
She could have remained in Paris. International travel from the UK and France was not difficult with magic, just taxing. Yet she had been a bit tired of her surroundings at the time and decided to move for the fresh start. She initially lived in a rented flat in Diagon Alley, then a different place in a mostly magical part of London, before deciding to take a small place in Hogsmeade to be beside work.
Paris was a city of lights and unceasing energy. Even at night, when the energy was lowest, it was still a place you can do something or find something to do or see. London had a few places like that, and Diagon Alley had side streets like that too, but it felt different to her.
She admittedly felt a smidge of something. Not quite lonely, but melancholy. She never had a lot of friends growing up. She had a few and was close to some, including her cousins and other Veela, but she was more solitary than gregarious. She could have lived with Julia but Julia had found a place for herself in Muggle London and preferred that and she did like her own space.
Still, in moments of quiet, it felt very strange to her and made her feel vaguely antsy.
The Hearth was closed that day and Chloe sat on her couch in her small place, feeling restless. She wondered if she should do something on her day off. She could go home to visit of course, but that felt like admitting defeat somehow. She felt uneasy about going off somewhere new by herself.
She did not know what to do.
A sound made her turn her head. She reached for the small mirror on her table. When she received it, she was so delighted by it. It was a way to communicate with others through it, a fabulous invention made by the legendary Flamels. Harry had given one to all his staff, save for the elves who did not want one saying they did not care for one. Chloe had been so happy to learn that Fleur and her family would get their own and she would be buying some for her own family back home.
"Allo?" Chloe said, picking it up. She was surprised to see Lavender's image shimmer into view in the mirror.
"Hi Chloe!" Lavender said brightly.
Chloe smiled. It was hard not to smile with Lavender. The woman's pleasant bubbly nature was infectious. "Allo Lavender," she replied warmly.
"Are you doing anything right now?"
"No, I am not," Chloe said slowly.
"Come on over! We're having a girls' night and come join us."
Chloe blinked. "Really? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure! Unless you don't want to of course."
"No! I mean, no, I do. I think. I will come over. Thank you." Chloe got up when the mirror turned back into a regular mirror, showing a vaguely bemused Chloe once more. She changed into more presentable clothing and grabbed a bottle of wine from her cabinet. Drawing a cloak around her, she left her little flat.
Hogsmeade was the largest magical village in the United Kingdom, but it was still small to what she was used to. It did not take much time at all to go from one end to the other and back, not like hours and hours spent walking all over Paris and Lyon and other big cities. In a very short time, she ended up at the home where Lavender and Harry lived. It was a charming cottage that was between Hedwig's Hearth and the Needy Thread. A nice little fence encircled a vibrant garden and the home was warm and inviting.
The door opened after Chloe rang the bell, revealing Lavender. "Hey! Come in!" She pulled Chloe in and took her to the large sitting room.
"Hey there," Parvati greeted, smiling at Chloe. "Glad you could join us."
"Thank you for having me," Chloe said, a trifle shy. She was much more confident and outspoken while working, but in a social setting, she found herself slightly out of her comfort zone. This would be the first time she interacted with Lavender and the others outside of the Hearth save for small trips to the Thread.
The interior of the home was just as warm and charming as the exterior. Pictures adorned the walls and the couches and seats were plush and soft. The air was fresh and had the faint scent of oil and garlic and spices and soy. As she sat, Chloe made a small noise as a grey cat climbed onto her lap and settled there.
"Hey! Be more polite, Beast!" Pansy scolded, walking over from the kitchen with a tray following her.
"Sorry, she's here a lot and takes liberties," Millicent groaned.
"It is fine," Chloe reassured them. "She does not bother me."
"Thank goodness. That's Sunny, my cat/kneazle," Millicent said.
"Nice to meet you," Chloe said, gently petting Sunny who purred happily. "Does she come here often?"
"Whenever I visit and even when I'm not here," Millicent said wryly. "I live on the other side, closer to Hogwarts. So she'll just come over whenever she wants to."
"We wake up with her sometimes," Lavender laughed. "Or find her napping wherever."
"I'm glad though because when I'm on a longer Hunt and Nev's staying at the castle, I don't have to worry about her," Millicent smiled. "And like school, I don't freak out if I can't find her."
"She is either at home, here, visiting the Hearth, or in my place ruining my things," Pansy said dryly.
"Ah, tradition," Lavender said and they all laughed.
The sound of the Floo filled the air and then Padma came walking into the sitting room from an adjacent room, vanishing the soot and ash from her. "Hey everyone," she said smiling. They all greeted her warmly and she took the glass of wine from Parvati. "Oh I needed this."
"The wine, or the girls' night?" Pansy smiled.
"Both," Padma said, draining the glass while they laughed again. "Work's been rough."
"Didn't want to go home first to change?" Parvati asked.
"No, but I could I guess," Padma laughed. "Be right back." She walked out the back door.
"Do all of you live here in Hogsmeade as well?" Chloe asked.
"We do," Pansy nodded. "As well as Luna. Daphne still lives at her family home. As well as Tracey and Hermione and Susan. But they have been thinking of finding a place together soon and will probably move out this way."
"Pads lives next door to me," Parvati said. "We thought about living together but we had that awesome chance to get side-by-side places and decided to do that."
"And I live just a street over," Pansy said. "Luna lives on the other side of the village, closer to the forest. Sue is going to move over when the lease on her current place ends."
"Speaking of, where are they?" Millicent asked.
"Hermione is waiting for Tracey to finish work then coming over together," Lavender said, setting out more things. "Same with Daphne and Sue and Susan. Dora can't come tonight. Luna should be here soon." She smiled as the door opened and Luna walked in. "Speak of the crake."
"Hello everyone," Luna said brightly, taking off her crake hat and hanging it up with her cloak. The Floo flared again and Sue came into the room, followed by Daphne. By the time Padma returned, changed into more comfortable clothing, the last of them arrived. Hedwig flew into the home, barking a greeting to everyone and settled on a pillow on the table beside the couch.
"Dig in everyone!" Lavender said.
"I'm starving," Sue said, filling her plate with small sandwiches and a mound of macaroni and cheese. "Missed lunch and knew we would have food tonight so just waited."
"Same," Padma said, eating hungrily.
"Harry made it all for us before he left," Lavender smiled lovingly. "He knew we were having a girls' night."
"Where is he, by the way?" Daphne asked as she sipped her glass of wine.
"He's in Thalga," Lavender said. "Dee and Chef Diglin asked him to help cook tonight. Big meeting between the StoneHearts and some other clans."
"Oh I hope it goes well," Susan said.
"Is that what you normally wear when you hang out?" Parvati asked Chloe.
"I was unaware of what girls' night entailed," Chloe said. "But this is my usual casual wear, yes."
"Fancy," Parvati said.
"Don't harass her, let her wear what she wants," Padma said, giving her sister a look.
"Just saying!" Parvati protested.
"Do you do this often?" Chloe asked as she nibbled on a bacon sandwich.
"We try to do it at least once every two or three weeks," Lavender said. "Schedules permitting of course. Not all of us can make every time, but we try to hang out like this."
"We come to the restaurant at least once a week though, as you know," Tracey smiled at Chloe.
"Some more often than that," Hermione smiled.
"Depending on the week," Daphne laughed.
"Harry's food is soothing and comforting," Luna nodded. "And seductive."
"Is it really?" Chloe asked as the others laughed merrily.
"An old joke," Pansy smiled. "You of course know Rita, yes? Well we made a joke about how Harry's cooking can convince the strongest of personalities to be more pleasant and Rita is a fine example of that. Which then became a joke about him seducing people with food."
"Do you not find it seductive?" Luna asked.
"Not terribly," Chloe said weakly. "It is delicious and comforting, but I taste no ulterior motive."
"Be nice," Daphne chided gently.
"I'm always nice!" Luna sniffed. "Except when I'm not."
Chloe smiled, relaxing a little. "I have been to a restaurant in Paris that touted a reputation for making foods to seduce others by."
"Not filled with love potions," Susan frowned.
"Thankfully no, well not in that case," Chloe said. "More like food that was to, how you say, enhance the mood and to be amorous."
"Which means what?" Millicent asked.
"Probably seafood, chocolate, things considered to be aphrodisiac in nature," Daphne snorted.
"Funny, chocolate and seafood together would do the opposite for me," Sue laughed.
"How was it? Did it work?" Parvati asked.
"Not really," Chloe said flatly and the others laughed. "I thought it was more of a ploy to charge more for it and to plate things garishly. One of the dishes was two chicken legs with a scallop shell between them."
"Ugh, that's awful!" Pansy retched.
"Not very clever, no," Chloe agreed, relaxing more.
"That's like the opposite of subtle," the Patil twins said together. "And much grosser."
"Oh this is nice," Daphne said, sipping a new glass of wine.
"Chloe brought it," Lavender said. "Thanks again!"
"My pleasure," Chloe smiled.
"How's it been living here instead of France?" Hermione asked.
"It has taken some adjusting," Chloe admitted freely. "But I do not regret it at all. I like this area and really like working for Harry and the Hearth."
"I'm glad you're here," Lavender smiled. "Harry says you make running the place so much better since he can trust you to handle the front. He can focus on the kitchen and other things."
"He is a very good person to work for," Chloe said honestly. "It is wonderful to be trusted to do my job. I was worried he would be overbearing."
"Harry? Nah," Millicent said, waving a hand. "He's good at delegating and trusting."
"We talking about the same Harry?" Tracey asked with a smile. "He does so much on his own."
"But not because he doesn't trust others," Pansy smiled.
"Yeah that's fair," Tracey nodded.
"Oh he told me that awesome thing you did the other day," Lavender said. "When Nott tried to get a reservation."
Daphne shuddered. "My condolences. That entire family is a horror to deal with."
"He thought he could threaten me," Chloe said dismissively. "More important people than him have tried, and ones with more considerable weight. In power, and not in stature."
"Please tell me you said that to him," Pansy said while the others howled with laughter. "He has such an inferiority complex due to his height."
"I might have," Chloe smiled and the expression was sharp. "I assumed as much even though I only saw his head."
"Brilliant!" Tracey said, tapping her glass against Chloe's. "They all suck, so much."
Chloe's smile turned soft. "I am grateful for how kind and friendly you all are," she said quietly. "I have had troubles making friends before."
"So has like half the people in here," Millicent said. "You fit in more than you know."
"You're a part of that half," Pansy scowled.
"I'm a delight," Millicent scowled back.
"A delightful bitch," Pansy retorted. "Don't you try!" She glared at Sunny who glared back.
"When we were in school, things were different," Hermione explained while Sunny jumped at Pansy and Pansy shouted, trying to hide her plate. The others were laughing at the familiar sight to them of Pansy and Sunny fighting. "They," Hermione pointed at the former Slytherins, "were part of a school House that used to be not so friendly, especially with ours." She pointed at herself, Lavender, and Parvati. "Harry was in that House too."
"Ah, I see," Chloe nodded.
"Thankfully we got our heads out of our arses, thanks to Harry," Millicent said cheerfully.
"I have noticed Chef is very kind and very able at making friends," Chloe said, smiling.
"You can call him Harry when you aren't working," Parvati snickered.
"I do not know if I can," Chloe confessed to more laughter. "I think of him as such and it is a title of respect for me."
"Do you call him 'Chef' while at home?" Parvati asked, eyebrows waggling.
"Don't ask a question you don't want the answer to," Lavender said with a very wide smile.
"Ew no, please don't," Padma said, waving her hands. "I don't want to hear it!"
"Neither do I," Pansy laughed, throwing a pillow at Parvati.
"Hey! Why me?!"
"You started the line of questioning!"
The night continued with more chatter and laughter with food and wine flowing freely. Conversations came and went, ever changing. Eventually the Gemcut set came out and some of them began to play with the others watching and them all still chatting and gossiping with one another.
"I cannot remember the last time I had this much fun," Chloe mused softly.
"I'm glad you came over," Lavender said.
Chloe blushed, unaware she said it out loud. "Thank you for inviting me," she said sincerely. "I am glad you did."
"Me too!" Lavender hugged her. "You're one of us and we wanted to get to know you better."
"I am?" Chloe asked, eyes glinting. "You did?"
"Of course!" Pansy looked up from her hand of cards. "You are a regular sight at the Hearth and we wanted to be friends with you as well. Harry speaks very highly of you and it is clear you two have a good friendship and working relationship."
"That does not bother you?" Chloe asked Lavender. "You know what…I am."
"French?" Luna asked and they all laughed at that.
"I do, and it doesn't bother me at all," Lavender smiled. "I trust Harry and I trust you. That's all there is to it."
Chloe felt very warm and happy.
Pansy spun the dial. She looked at the results, seeing diamonds to be valuable and rubies to be invaluable. Then with a triumphant expression, she spread her cards on the table. "See them and weep! Fool's luck, invaluable gems!"
"You lucky bitch!" Millicent complained, putting her cards down.
"How do you keep doing that?!" Daphne cried.
"Admit I am better than all of you," Pansy said smugly, gathering the chips and making an organized pile of them.
"Never!" Millicent cried. "Get her Sunny!"
"My chips!" Pansy shrieked when Sunny gleefully barreled into her once neat and organized pile, scattering them everywhere. "Hedwig! Help me!"
"Arg! No fair!" Millicent sputtered as Hedwig flapped into the fray, slamming her pillow into Millicent's face with a happy bark.
"Is it always like this?" Chloe asked, laughing merrily with the others.
"Usually!" Lavender laughed.
-0-
As Chloe laid down in her bed, hours later, she fell asleep easily. The silence around her was soft and comfortable while her ears still rang pleasantly of shared laughter and happy noises.
-0-0-0-
poka - Hedwig is so witty and sassy and gremliny. She's the best.
Hands Off MY Wolfie - Yup, she was flying super fast so she needed the extra snacks to keep up the calories. Thanks for reading.
odonnellzoo99 - Glad you thought so too because that's going to be a running joke and theme. Hedwig saying that because she means it and knows it's impact is one of the best things.
TheSphynx - Hedwig reacts very well to situations.
alix33 - The harness is one of my favorite things that I thought up of. Very handy and practical.
Lucy Elizabeth Dawson - She has a very good perspective of things and her opinions and thoughts are infinitely valuable and entertaining.
HoneyBear84 - Thank you.
Shroudy9 - I have no idea who or what you are referring to, I'm afraid.