brewing hatred (d.m)

Sweet Moments at Honeydukes

The air in Hogsmeade was crisp and fresh as the group made their way down the cobbled street, laughing and chatting animatedly. It was the first Hogsmeade visit of the year, and everyone was in high spirits after settling back into school life. Pansy, Theo, Daphne, Blaise, Draco, and Ariana strolled together, taking in the festive atmosphere of the village.

Ariana walked beside Draco, their hands occasionally brushing against each other, sending little sparks up her arm. He glanced down at her, a soft smirk playing on his lips.

"Do you think they have new stock at Honeydukes?" Theo asked, his eyes lighting up at the thought of sweets.

"We're about to find out," Draco replied, steering the group toward the brightly colored shop that always smelled like sugar and excitement.

As they stepped inside Honeydukes, the warmth and smell of chocolate enveloped them. Shelves lined with endless rows of treats, from Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans to Chocolate Frogs, gleamed in the soft light.

"Oh, I need to get some Fizzing Whizbees!" Pansy exclaimed, darting to one side of the shop. The others quickly dispersed to pick out their favorite candies.

Ariana wandered off, her eyes catching on a display of Sugar Quills. She picked one up, examining the delicate swirls of sugar at the tip.

"I always liked those," came Draco's voice from behind her. She turned to see him standing closer than she expected, his hand reaching out to take one of the quills from the shelf. "Used to sneak them in class when I was bored."

Ariana smiled, her heart doing a little flip at the casualness of his tone. "Seems fitting. Always the rebel, aren't you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Coming from the girl who hexed Andrew in the Great Hall last month?"

Ariana laughed, shrugging playfully. "He deserved it."

Draco's smirk deepened, and he glanced at the selection of sweets. "Come on, let's grab something for ourselves."

They moved together through the shop, pausing to admire different treats. Ariana's eyes landed on a display of Peppermint Toads, and she grinned.

"These remind me of the Christmas parties our parents used to throw," she said, lifting one of the boxes.

"Yeah," Draco said, his tone softer now, "back when we were too young to understand half of what was going on around us."

Ariana glanced up at him, their eyes meeting. There was a brief, shared understanding between them—a sense of how much they had both grown since those innocent days.

Draco reached for a small bag of Chocolate Frogs, tossing it into the basket. "I'll get these, too. A bit of nostalgia."

They continued to browse for a few more minutes, before Draco suddenly turned to her, his face more serious now. "Wait here."

Ariana frowned but watched as he strode to the counter and whispered something to the shopkeeper. After a few moments, the shopkeeper handed Draco a small, intricately wrapped parcel, which Draco slipped into his pocket before rejoining her.

"What was that?" she asked, curious.

"Nothing you need to know right now," Draco said with a teasing glint in his eye, causing Ariana to narrow her eyes in mock suspicion.

They rejoined the group, who were still gathering various sweets. Theo had a basket nearly overflowing with treats, while Pansy and Daphne were debating the merits of Sugar Mice versus Fudge Flies.

"Are we ready?" Blaise asked, eyeing Theo's basket with mild disbelief.

"I think so," Ariana replied, feeling a warmth in her chest as she glanced at Draco. There was something about the way he had looked at her earlier, something that made her feel...seen.

As they all exited Honeydukes, Theo and Blaise immediately started bickering about where to go next, while Pansy and Daphne rolled their eyes, already tired of the boys' antics. Ariana felt Draco's hand brush hers again, this time lingering longer. She glanced up at him, and he offered a small, secretive smile before slipping his hand into hers.

Ariana's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she squeezed his hand lightly, returning the gesture.

"You'll find out soon enough," Draco whispered, referring to the mysterious parcel he'd pocketed earlier.

They caught up with the others, laughter echoing around them as they wandered through Hogsmeade, but all Ariana could think about was the warmth of Draco's hand in hers and the promise of whatever was to come.