Lemon Grass and Sleep

THREE BROOMSTICKS AND FOUR IDIOTS

Hogsmeade held bittersweet memories for me. The distractions of shopping for school supplies and being surrounded by magic was a special type of naive I missed. As if putting bad memories out of my mind would reverse them, instead rewriting them took precedence.

Passing Olivander's was a real treat for me as I remembered the sparkles that flooded the shop as I found my wand. As if it was reliving the memory with me, I almost felt it hum in my pocket against my leg.

"I'm starving," Glinda groaned from beside me, the twins turned their heads slightly at her remark.

"Girls eat?" Fred asked incredulously, "Can't be."

"My delusion is broken, how can I go on?" George played along.

"How about the Three Broomsticks?" I asked, slowing to a stop as the twins moved off to the side to talk.

"Mm, it's kind of bland," she complained.

"You're just a bit too posh," Fred countered. "Nothing can beat a warm glass of butterbeer in winter, right Soot?"

"R-Right," I was caught off-guard by him asking me. Usually he'd go to George for back up.

"Well," Glinda looked between the three of us, realizing she was entirely outnumbered, "If you insist..."

"As I do," Fred triumphantly replied.

The gaggle of us continued in our little huddled group, all of us complaining when a particularly cold gust of wind tried to blow us over.

"We had to go when it was snowing?" I whined to Glinda quietly, so Fred wouldn't hear me complain.

The sight of the Three Broomsticks peaking between the buildings filled me with relief as it grew nearer and nearer. Just the thought of a crackling fire warmed me up from the inside out.

"Get on with it," Glinda grunted, suddenly pushing forward and shoving the twins to walk faster.

They let out surprised laughs as their feet stumbled to keep up with the new pace Glinda had set, and I straggled behind with a small smile on my face.

It felt like I finally had friends, not like I didn't have any before. Of course, I had always had Glinda, but she was pretty much a given. Nobody else wanted to hang out with Glinda, just like how nobody else particularly wanted to hang out with me.

And yet here were these two goofballs, who were popular and had their pick of friends, accompanying us through Hogsmeade just to eat and walk around. Surely, they had more important things to do, more interesting people to see, and yet...here they were.

George walked ahead and pulled the door open, "M'ladies," he bowed exaggeratedly as he held it open.

"Thank you good sir," Fred giggled, covering his mouth with his hand daintily and curtsying before walking in. Glinda and I made sure to roll our eyes hard enough that George could see.

"Ah, that feels good," I breathed out, pulling my scarf from my face and letting the heat soak into me.

"Right it does," Fred murmured, glancing down at me for a moment.

"I'm all soggy," Glinda whined, jiggling her coat around on her small frame, "Let's sit down so I can take this off."

"Yes ma'am," George chimed in, "Allow me to take your coat."

She rolled her eyes, but I could tell he was growing on her. With an annoyed smile she gracefully allowed him to slide her coat off and hang it over his arm.

"Let's sit over here, this booth is my favorite," Fred walked away from the group, weaving us through tables and around other customers until we approached a booth that was pretty much hidden until you were standing right beside it.