Entwined

Fire Whisky And Requests

            Neville slipped out of Hogwarts, his black cloak billowing around him. His spirits were low and his eyes never left the ground, and hadn’t since a week ago, when he and Jazzmyn had shared a…moment together.

The road leading to Hogsmead was full of leaves which rustled at his feet as he hurried towards the village, growing more and more confused by the minuet. It had only been a week since he had seen Harry and Ron, but it felt like a life time. The Three Broomsticks was practically empty as he entered. The warm glow of candles and the smell of butterbeer; fire whisky and something undistinguishable made him relax slightly.

He ordered a butterbeer and sat at a corner booth, resting his elbows on the table and knocking back the sweet drink. He wished he was the kind of person who could hold his liquor, but he wasn’t.

“Hey Neville, heard from Hanna?” the new bartender asked, his smile friendly, but that somehow bugged Neville even more.

“No, I haven’t. Not since she left me to go to Africawith a friggen dragon trainer!” the guy was probably just out of school, and wondering about his former boss, but that didn’t make the hurt in Neville’s chest go away. He lost his first real love, and now that he finds a girl that is more magical and amazing than any other, he messes it all up by kissing her.

“So-sorry,” the guy’s face fell “Can I get you anything?”

“Yeah,” Ron said, coming up behind him, a smile on his freckled face “Three glasses of fire whisky, Harold, would be great.” He sat down across from Neville and his face softened “You look like you need a bit of a pick me up.”

“Yeah Neville, what’s up? You look like…well, crap.” Harry said, sitting on the other side of him.

“Thanks,” Neville said gloomily.

“Aw, don’t be like that Neville. Now out with it, why’d you ask us to meet you here? Are you in trouble, ‘because I swear if you need someone to help with your class it’s the last thing on earth-”

He shook his head “I-I need your help, but not about my class. It’s about…well, a…girl.”

Harry and Ron’s eyes widened and they exchanged looks. Ron leaned his forearms on the table and stared Neville in the eye “Please don’t tell me you knocked up one of the teachers-or even worse, a student.”

Harry slapped Ron in the back of the head and leaned back in his chair, laughing. “Ron, I highly doubt any of the teachers at Hogwarts are that young.”

“Or desperate!” Ron laughed.

“Actually,” Neville stared gloomily into his whisky “There are.”

Ron nearly choked on his fire whisky “You slept with McGonagall, didn’t you!”

This time, it was Harry and Neville who choked “That’s just disgusting, Ron, I mean really. That woman was bordering on ancient when we were just twinkles in our mothers eyes.” He shot his best friend a disgusted glance then turned his attention back at Neville “So Longbottom, who’s the girl and what did she do to make you all…gloomy like.”