Mischief S.B.

01

–V–

My feet were slamming against the pavement, one foot after the other as my arms moved to the same rhythm. My heart was beating so fast I could hear the sound of the rushing blood in my ears. The same as my chest as it heaved up and down with each struggling breath I tried to take, it started to hurt as it wasn't used to this type of intense sprinting. I wasn't focused on any of the people passing by as my eyes just saw a straight path home.

To recap how I got to this point, I had been in the little wizarding town nearby trying to enjoy what was left of the summer holiday as school was soon approaching.

I had stood at the entrance to a pub that I frequented many times throughout the years and especially this summer. Illuminations read the twinkling sign above the entrance. A family friend of ours worked here so I never had to pay, although that doesn't mean I didn't leave a few galleons lying in my spot when I left.

As I walked through the door, my dirty shoes scuffing upon entering, the bell above myself rung signaling my arrival. The blonde barmaid behind the counter turned her head from the glass cup she was polishing to look at me. "Miss Montgomery is that you?!" She had exclaimed, her tone laced with sarcasm as she perked up, a teasing smile graced her face. "Mrs. Mullins! I didn't know you would be here?" I had replied with a raise of my arms feigning surprise. She put the glass down and threw the white rag over her shoulder as I took the barstool seat in front of her. "What'll it be today missy? Butterbeer? Laughing lemonade? or A Pink Twilight?" She had asked.

I raised my eyebrows and stared up at the ceiling with a squint as I had thought about my drink order. "Well I don't particularly feel like seeing stars right now, so not a Pink Twilight. I'm gonna have loads of Butterbeer during hogsmeade trips this year, so Laughing Lemonade it is then." I thought aloud, finishing with a polite smile. "One Laughing Lemonade coming right up Val!" She then exclaimed with a slam of her palms against the table, before moving to prepare my desired drink.

Cheryl Mullins was ten years older than me and had married young. Her husband Dennis Mullins worked in the Aurors department at the ministry with mine and James's parents. Cheryl also grew up around here and had inherited her family home after her parents divorced and moved away. She had dirty blonde hair and a hard stare. After graduating from Hogwarts Cheryl chose to take up a job at Illuminations as a barmaid in her spare time because she loved the town and its people. Dennis hadn't pushed or prodded her to get a ministry job like his because they didn't need the extra money if she had gotten one anyways. Her shifts at Illuminations were purely for her own enjoyment.

Cheryl placed a coaster on the counter before placing the bright yellow drink down. "Here you are then Val, one Laughing Lemonade." I leaned down towards the drink, my ear almost touching the rim as I could hear the faint bubblings of laughter emanating from it. "You know, even though I'm pureblood, magic will never cease to amaze me." I sighed out happily as I wrapped my hand around the cup. Even through the glass I could feel the warmth and joy that reverberated outwardly from it. Taking the cup to my lips and sipping the cold drink I could feel the joy trying to burst out of me with every refreshing gulp.

"Magic is certainly amazing. I'll forever be grateful I grew up a witch rather than a muggle that's for sure. They'll never know the simple pleasures ranging from a magical drink to a niffler," She had sighed out resting against the bar with her chin in one hand. Her other hand reached over to the sweets resting in a bowl on the bar top and popped one in her mouth. "So, tell me, when are the rowdy boys getting back from vacation?"

She was talking about James Potter and Sirius Black. Fleamont and Euphemia, James' parents, had taken them to a private wizarding island not yet discovered by muggles where they could sit on sandy beaches for a whole month. The island was too far from here for a simple owl to reach so I just had to wait until they were back to hear of their escapades. "Any day now I suppose, I've kind of lost track since they left, but I know it's going to be soon. I'm bloody jealous they got to go to Wantomé. Flying obstacle courses, beaches, AND not to mention most of the professional Quidditch players go on vacation there. So not fair." I responded back as I rested my elbows on the table while I put my hands on my head through my strands of hair.