an 80's revival

- 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔫𝔢

𝔧𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔢'𝔰 𝔤𝔦𝔯𝔩
— 𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔬𝔫𝔢 —
𝔞𝔲𝔤𝔲𝔰𝔱 1991

———————

"jessie is a friend. yeah,
i know jessie
is a good friend of mine."

———————

THE VOICE OF Eveline Thorpe rang loud through Diagon Alley. "Grandpa, you have to keep up!" Clay Thorpe huffed as he sped up, catching up to the younger girl. "Clearly you don't remember how old I am." Clay wipes his forehead as he walks, breathing heavily. "You're not old, Grandpa. How many times do I have to remind you?" Vanessa Thorpe winks at her grandfather.

"Funny, kiddo." Clay ruffles Vanessa's hair as Eveline stops in her tracks. "Nessa, is this where I get my wand?" Eveline cranes her neck up toward her older sister. "Yeah, munchkin. Let's go in, okay?" Eveline squeals, grabbing a hand from her sister and grandfather, before running into the shop.

"Woah." A look of awe washes over Eveline's face. Vanessa steps up to the front desk looking around, "Mr. Ollivander?" A ladder suddenly shoots out from one of the shelves, Ollivander leaning on it. "Why, Miss Thorpe! Back so soon?" The older man walks towards the trio, smiling ear to ear, as he hears the American accent.

"My sister is here for her wand." Vanessa puts a hand on Eveline's back, pushing her forward slightly. "Ah, yes. I have a feeling we will be trying quite a few wands this afternoon." As Ollivander scurries back to the shelves, Clay gets a chance to sit back and look at his granddaughters.

He had been taking care of them for around five years now. It was terrible, what happened, their parents murdered in cold blood. He felt it was their fault they were killed, his son and daughter-in-law. He had taken a job in England many years back, leaving the rest of their family back in America. Once he had gotten to be a little older, Julia and Richard moved with their two children to be closer to Clay.

They had only been there for a year before a crazy lady broke into the house, screaming about "muggles" and the "dark lord". Any witch or wizard would understand what she spoke of, seeing as the family was non-magical. She cursed Julia and Richard, leaving them dead on the floor before promising Vanessa she would be back for her and her sister one day.

Vanessa managed to get her sister, six years old at the time, and ten herself, into another room so she could call the police. The most important people in her life were taken from her that day, and they were replaced with flashes of green, thuds to the floor, and very real threats.

The girls, now in the custody of their grandfather, found out that the woman had been placed in a maximum-security prison, never to walk free again, and that gave them a little comfort. They didn't find out about the Wizarding World until Vanessa received her Hogwarts letter, however.

"Oh, no. Absolutely not!" Ollivander grabs the wand from Eveline's hand, disappearing back between the shelves. "Let us see if you are like your sister." Vanessa's ears perk up. "Twelve and one-quarter inches, Cherry wood, and a Veela hair." Vanessa smiles when Ollivander recites her wand from memory. "But for you, little one, we'll try twelve inches."

Eveline holds her hand out for the wand, Ollivander gently placing it in her hand. A glow seems to appear around Eveline, similar to what happened to Vanessa when she first had her wand. "Yes, I think this is the one."

"This is amazing! You picked the perfect one, Mr. Ollivander!" Eveline smiles brightly. "No, my dear. The wand chooses the witch." Clay pays for the wand and the trio step out of the wand shop, meandering in a random direction.

"What do you two say we get some ice cream?" Florean Fortescue's ice cream shop shines brightly on their left. "You two go ahead. I'm going to get some broom polish." Vanessa waves them forward, walking to Quality Quidditch Supplies. The girl had been kicking herself all summer for forgetting to restock at Hogsmeade.

Stepping into the shop, any stresses hanging over her wash away, sending a good vibe throughout her. "Hello, dear, how are you?" The woman at the front desk grins at her. "Very good, yourself?" Vanessa catches movement out of the corner of her eye. "Doing just fine. If you need anything, let me know." Vanessa nods at the woman and steps further into the shop, heading in the direction of the movement she saw.

She turns a corner, walking into an aisle where she sees a friend of hers. "Ollie!" Hearing the girl's voice, Oliver Wood turns around. "Vanessa, he- oof!" She pulls him into her, wrapping her arms around him.

"You didn't write all summer." Vanessa pouts as she pulls away from Oliver. The boy flushes, "I'm sorry, I was pretty busy is all." Lie. He wasn't busy. Quite the opposite, actually. He just felt he couldn't talk to the girl because of what- or who- happened halfway through the previous school year. You know, the thing that is basically breaking his heart into a million little-

"Vanessa? What are you doing here?" The vision that was Jessie Stark found its way two the pair. The tall, blonde, and handsome seventh-year Gryffindor that all the girls seemed to have a crush on. Jessie wraps his arms around Vanessa's waist, planting a kiss on her lips. Oliver turns his head away from the couple, closing his eyes.

"I came looking for some broom polish but I found Oliver instead." Vanessa offers a small smile to Oliver, noticing how tense he had gotten. "Good to see you, mate. Thought you said in your letter that you'd be coming tomorrow?" Jessie looks at his friend, making Oliver swallow nervously. Vanessa furrows her eyebrows.

So he wrote to Jessie all summer and not me, then lied about why he didn't?

"Change of plans, I guess." His Scottish accent wavers as he speaks. He knew he had been caught by Vanessa. "Well, it was good to see you anyway. How about we get you that broom polish?" Jessie turns to Vanessa and she nods her head quickly. "See you, Ollie."

All Oliver can do is raise a hand as a goodbye. He wasn't always like this, you see. He didn't really mind when they first started dating. Vanessa has always been there for him and Jessie good friend of his, so he was glad to see them happy. That was until Vanessa nearly stopped hanging out with him to spend time with Jessie and his- at the time- sixth-year friends.

After a month or so of that things changed pretty quickly. Oliver had been in worse moods when Jessie was around and he was usually quick to leave conversations about or with Vanessa. The reason was quite simple really.

Oliver realized he was maybe, a little bit- okay a lotta bit- in love with Vanessa.