A Story of a Short Ending | T.R

Chapter 5 - Spices and Lemons

The smell of different herbs and spices hit their noses as Evander and Alden walked into a small potion shop. The shelves were full of different bottles with liquids varying from clear to colours they both rarely saw. Alden recognised many of them as he had experience in making almost every single one of those himself, they were standard healing potions, some of those with added ingredients to focus on specific kinds of injuries.

Alden eyed the shelves to inspect potions of mysterious colours, some he had heard of, some he was seeing for the first time. Walking along the shelves, he picked up one of the small vials, the golden flakes swirling inside the liquid, he looked at the shelf but couldn't see the name or the purpose written for it.

"You touch it, you buy it, pretty boy." he heard a voice coming from his left, and he turned around to see a young woman standing behind the desk. He looked her up and down, the vial almost slipping out of his hand as he focused his attention on her. Travers was nowhere to be seen, as Alden put the vial back, a curious look on his face. Did she talk like this to everyone who came into the shop? Her shop he assumed, considering her thoughtful expression and her eyes that watched his hands on the vials, making sure he didn't break a single one.

It wasn't a surprise that he was successful with witches, his good looks often won him attention and he didn't complain about it. He watched her from where he stood in between the shelves, as he caught sight of the ingredients laid out on her working table. He quickly put together that she was making a healing potion, the simplest of those existing.

"Did you know if you add a little less Wormwood and double the amount of Dittany, it will double the amount of stamina the drinker will replenish?" He gave her his best smile, receiving an unimpressed look back.

"It's less Dragon liver and double the Wormwood. I know my potions." She tilted her head, taking him in. Her eyes slid over his form as if she was trying to figure him out. She caught him trying to test her and she surely didn't appreciate when her abilities were questioned, especially by arrogantly looking men who expected everyone to drop dead at their feet after one flash of their smile.

"Got me there." He smiled, his arms crossed over his chest. Now he understood she called him a pretty boy not as a compliment.

"Are you here to test my knowledge or buy something? I can help you with both of those, but one of them will cost you more than the other." He was smart enough to know she didn't mean Galleons.

"A business trip." The smile didn't leave his face, he eyed her once more. She was beautiful, her dark hair accentuating her eyes, a rare form of beauty he beheld in front of him. He never saw her before, which wasn't much of a surprise considering he was visiting the village for the first time. Even if she went to Hogwarts he wouldn't know her, his years at Durmstrang made him a stranger to people in this region, and his childhood and teenage years were spent in a land far away from here.

Before she could reply to him, Travers emerged from the door that Alden could only assume led to the room in the back of the little store. He was followed by a younger-looking girl who looked approximately the same age as Travers himself and Alden made a quick conclusion it was the girl Evander told him about, the one they needed.

"Emma, I will return tomorrow to finish the rest of the potions. Something came up." the young girl gave the other one a heads up, before gesturing for Travers to follow her outside, the man obeying as they both went to leave the small room of the shop.

Alden turned to the woman at the table who had already gone back to brewing the healing potion for one of her clients he assumed. "Emma, huh?" He wouldn't be against staying in the shop for a little longer, to find out more about this woman who perked his interest. It was a great feeling to talk to someone on his level of intelligence, the baboons in the Manor weren't anywhere close and it bored him to tears.