cherry wine ( remus lupin )

5.8 ; blowing smoke

Hogsmeade was coming around the corner. This time, she went to Hogsmeade with Clara and Amos Diggory—someone she didn't hang out with outside the castle grounds. Not knowing how awkward it might be. Remus seemed distant to her, so she didn't even think about going to Hogsmeade with the boys. 

She knew it was a time coming so it didn't affect her the way she thought it was. The fall air was fuming around them, and it was the happiest that Arabella thought she would be. When the leaves fall something spanned blooming in her mind. Autumn would forever be the most beautiful season for her. 

She was crossing her arms and shivering because of the wind embracing her full body. "Heard they're opening a new shop," Amos told the girls. The barren cold had distracted her from the conversation that he was having. 

"Sorry, you're so right." She apologized putting her hands into the pockets of her jacket. "But also I need a warm butterbeer. So mind if we start going?" Searching the two of them. 

Amos put his hand out telling her to guide the way. Which Arabella had done without thinking about anything else. When they had all truly made it to the ground of Hogsmeade, everything was decorated in the fall leaves that were falling among the ground. Scattering in hues of red, burnt orange, and beautiful yellow upon the concrete. 

While walking she saw people who were her friends saying 'hi' to them but not stopping to have a conversation. Even seeing Mary, and Marlene talking about something outside of Honeydukes. 

Arabella was holding her butterbeer inside a take-out cup to keep her warm. Since there was no coffee shops inside of Hogsmeade. "What's the new shop they are opening?" Furrowing her eyebrows Clare looked around trying to see if there was a line gathering somewhere. But the only place that seemed to be getting longer was Madam Puddigoot's Tea Shop. 

"Dogweed and Deathcap," Amos informed them. "Something with Herbology, Sprout asked Dumbledore if he could put something together." 

"Maybe I should start coming to you for my Hogwarts, daily news instead of the prophet." Arabella had joked, taking another sip of the butterbeer. Amos didn't seem to laugh for a second not understanding what she was saying. "It was a joke." 

"I'm aware." Nodding his head with a cheeky smile. 

Amos knew how to take a joke; he made many himself. But the question that everyone didn't know how to answer was. Were they just laughing because he was semi-attractive or was he one of the funniest people on the Hogwarts campus and no one truly knew? Arabella was one of the people trying to figure that out. Knowing that Amos was an attractive man, but waiting for the comedy to hit her the same way. 

Noticing that there was a weird tension between the two of them. Clare had furrowed her eyebrows and cleared her throat. "What about sweets, that always makes people feel better." 

Clare had let Amos walk in front of the two of them with Arabella minding her business. "What was that?" Genually confused. 

"I'm trying to get along with Amos Diggory. Didn't exactly find me funny did he?" Questioning if she was truly funny in the first place or if was it just people laughing since she was a nice person. "He seems like a nice person to hang out with, so I'm going to do so until I drop dead of boredom. It doesn't seem like a lot to ask for?" 

"Bella." 

"Kidding." Smiling a little bit and opening the door to Honeydukes. 

Arabella pushed open the door to Honeydukes, and a small bell chimed overhead, signalling her arrival. The moment she stepped inside, she was enveloped by the rich, sugary scent of freshly made fudge, mingling with the tangy aroma of sherbet lemons and the faint, fruity scent of jelly slugs. The warmth of the shop was a welcome contrast to the crisp air outside, and she felt instantly at home, surrounded by the comforting hum of chatter and the rustle of paper bags.