All Good Things

Chapter 5 - Hot and Cold

Victoria had awoken that morning feeling as if she hadn't slept at all. She had been up most of the night trying to decipher her emerging feelings for the petite woman she had left at the inn the night before. Her mind had run until her body had finally succumbed to sleep, blood running hot from all the alcohol she had drank. If she were being completely honest with herself, she hadn't let herself get close enough to anyone to feel like this since... well, since her short-lived romance with one Sebastian Sallow.

He had betrayed her trust and broken her heart. While their friendship had mostly recovered, due in part to Ominis putting the chocolate haired man on a short leash and Natty acting as a buffer between the two, the knowledge that he had manipulated her feelings for him for his own benefit had done irreparable damage to the way she saw potential romantic partners.

The first person she had ever had the misfortune to have feelings for, and he had twisted it to suit his purposes. So she had guarded her heart closely, had barred herself from any and all advances until recently. She had had a strict code during her last two years at Hogwarts, and that rule had bled out into her adult life. She was open to sleeping together, but anything more than that was strictly off limits.

And on top of it all, she was now realizing all of those 'friendly' outings she and Poppy had gone on may have appeared otherwise to the small Hufflepuff. She had gone on many such outings with other friends, such as Natty and Amit, and had never perceived any romantic undertones. But had she misread Poppy's intentions all those times?

Victoria pushed herself up and off the bed, her long legs draping over the side before her feet hit the cold wood planks beneath her. Her arms raised high above her head, stretching and pulling the taut muscles in her back. She had completely slept through breakfast, and judging by the height of the sun in the sky, lunch would be approaching soon.

She made her way into the bathroom, rolling her shoulders as she looked at herself in the mirror. A hot bath sounded like just the thing to get her going before she had to meet Poppy. She wrapped her curls up into a cap before turning on the tap, fingers dancing under the water while she waited for the steam to begin rising. Hopefully, the heat would soothe her frayed nerves along with her muscles.

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Victoria debated bringing something along for Poppy in the event the former Hufflepuff had skipped lunch. The tea house had a wonderful selection of sandwiches and treats, and she knew the woman well enough to know she had a penchant for skipping meals when she got too excited. She decided to at the very least bring her a pastry or two. At best, Poppy had already eaten and would keep them as a snack while they were there.

The white paper bag was clutched in her hand when she stepped out into the alley, peeking around to make sure there were no muggles present before apparating to The Leaky Cauldron. She always had hated the twist that came with the near instantaneous transportation. It always left her with slightly swimming vision and feeling a bit nauseous. But walking in the summer heat wasn't a part of her agenda for the day.

Her hand lurched out to press firmly against the wall of the inn and pub, giving her something sturdy to hold onto while she blinked her vision back into focus. She stepped tentatively toward the door, her legs still feeling a bit wobbly.

Victoria was grateful when Poppy stepped out onto the pavement, her boots emitting a soft thud as her feet hit the hard surface. She watched as Poppy checked herself before examining her surroundings, brown eyes lighting up when they found her leaned against the building.

"Oh wonderful, you made it." Poppy's eyes flitted slowly over Victoria's outfit before making their way back up, her hair swaying as she tilted her head every so slightly to the side. "That outfit is very reminiscent of the ones you wore on our adventures." Her gaze snapped up, a small smile gracing her lips, her eyes holding a look Tori couldn't quite discern.