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07. blissful avoidance.
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"You're avoiding me."
Ivy sat at a table at the Three Broomsticks. Sitting across from her was Lily Evans, and Alice Fortescue. Sitting across from her was Dorcas, who had dragged her out of their dorm, claiming that she wanted Ivy to meet some people that she was sure the fifth year would like. Ivy had been quite reluctant, but she remembers the promise she made to herself; she would branch out this year.
The sixth year girls were very kind to her, even going as far as to buy her a butter beer upon hearing she'd never drank it before. To say Alice was completely beneath herself with shock, would be an understatement.
Alice was the one to run up to bar and order a butter beer for Ivy. She was bouncing on her feet, looking back at the table with a wide smile and giving a thumbs up.
Lily looked away from Alice and towards Ivy. She playfully rolled her eyes, "She's quite enthusiastic about her butter beer."
Ivy gave her a small smile and picked at a splint piece of wood from the table with her finger nail. "Hm, I couldn't tell."
No more hiding and avoiding.
Unless the avoiding came to Regulus Black.
Speaking of the devil, the boy stopped in front of their table. His hands were clasped in front of him with the black sleeves of his long sleeve shirt almost a little too long for his already lanky arms. He looked upon Ivy with an unidentifiable look in his eye that had Ivy looking away until he spoke.
"You're avoiding me."
At once, Alice appeared behind him with four butter beers sitting atop a wooden tray that seemed to be handcrafted. Her smile dimmed only slightly as she set the drinks on the table. She gave each of the girls their drinks and looked at the boy who was very much out of place at their table.
"Are you joining us?" She kindly asked.
"No."
Ivy looked up from the wood table and ignored his presence. She ignored the burning sensation of his eyes against her face. She ignored the fall of his hands as he tucked them into his pockets— a nervous fidget he does. One that she'd been able to pick up on over the course of their friendship.
The three other girls looked between Regulus and Ivy, feeling extremely awkward. Dorcas cleared her throat and chugged down her butter beer. Lily fiddled with the ribbon in her hair, reverting her eyes to the window beside them. And Alice continued to smile a reassuring grin to Ivy.
And then came Marlene McKinnon. She barreled past the boy, accidentally shoving him to the side as she slid into the seat next to Dorcas. Reaching for Dorcas's drink, she took a swig and smacked her lips.
