There was a trip to Hogsmeade a week later, and the excitement sizzled like electricity in the air around me. I quietly admitted to Lila that I was a little anxious myself – a fact which she found extremely amusing. Students from different years and Houses blended in together, and without their robes, I couldn’t tell whether I should smile or glare at them. It didn’t matter, though, because Aiden, Jack, Lila, and I were quickly on our way. The air was thin and cold, and a light layer of snow was all that separated us from the street and the warm comfort of The Three Broomsticks. We eagerly pressed on, Lila leading us inside.
“I didn’t think it would be this empty,” she observed in a reserved tone. Lila lived for the hustle-and-bustle, busy sort of environment. She loved being the center of attention. “Maybe we should try Honeydukes? I was hoping we could find somewhere…warmer.”
“Get a Firewhisky,” Jack said in a raw, blatant tone. Jack was one for the obvious, a trait which I had recognized in his great-grandfather.
“Well, excuse me,” Lila snapped. “I only drink water. It’s a part of my new diet.”
“No wonder you’re cold,” Jack observed.
“No, I’m cold because nobody’s around!”
“How are people supposed to make you warm?”
“Hello! If you multiply the rate of body heat by the number of bodies and factor in the size of the building…It obviously works.”
Jack and Lila continued bickering back and forth while Aiden and I observed, eyebrows cocked and amused faces plastered on. We ordered our drinks (and water for Lila) and sat, discussing our classes and professors. We tried to avoid discussing politics, the most popular topic of students in our year. The issues at hand had become more evident, and there had been a clear difference of opinion that had almost turned into a rivalry – a gaping hole in the House Unity that was left from the immortal Gryffindor-Slytherin rift. One side – primarily Slytherins and Ravenclaws – believed that under certain circumstances, the Unforgivable Curses could be acceptable if used sparingly. They believed a Dementor’s Kiss was a more severe punishment for prisoners in Azkaban than a little shout of “Crucio!” here and there. The other side, made up of Gryffindors (excluding me) and Hufflepuffs, believed that to legalize the Unforgivables would be to thrust the magical world into the Lord Voldemort-era, or worse, the Dark Ages.
Frankly, I disagreed with both sides, or rather, remained neutral. While neither side had actually seen the Dark Ages, I had lived in them, and they weren’t so bad for my family. That could be, however, because of the vital role we played in them.
Aiden’s voice interrupted my musings. “What do you think, Kher-Bear?” he asked, using his irritating nickname for me. “Should we go to Honeydukes?”
“I was actually thinking about stopping at Gladrags to grab new school robes,” I said.
“I’ll come with you while Jack and Lila go to Honeydukes,” he said, throwing the pair a complementary gag. The pair ran on a love/hate relationship; currently, it appeared that they were ready to suck each other’s faces off. We left.
Walking through Hogsmeade was interesting when Aiden was by my side. He pointed out things I had never seen before: how there were bird tracks in the light snow that had blown underneath the protective cover of hanging eaves, how the man selling candy was counting change wrong and gaining a few extra Knuts in the transaction, how the ice in the windows made pictures…And I started noticing things myself, like how Aiden spoke with his hands when he was passionate about something, how he grabbed my arm for emphasis, how the snow made his cheeks deliciously pink…or was it the vigor of his loud speech that gave him colour? I couldn’t tell.
“Just drink it in,” he said, holding my arm and forcing me to stop. He inhaled deeply, face heavenward, eyes closing. “You can’t get air like that just anywhere.”
“You’re going to choke on snow,” I observed mildly, smiling.
“You know what? You’re right. Let’s go.” His eyes were elsewhere now, slightly distracted. He grabbed my arm again as he hurried past Gladrags, deaf to my confused, half-formed sentences and right into Madame Puddifoot’s.
“Aiden, no-…We can’t go in the-…Stop!” Every protest was silenced by the shoving crowd around us. Only when we were in the comfort of the cozy tea shop could I fully form a sentence. Unfortunately, I was amused by that time. “It’s so tacky,” I said laughingly.
“Well I figured we’d just stop to get a quick drink,” Aiden said conversationally, apparently ignorant to the fact that we had just downed a pint of Butterbeer each.
“All right,” I said suspiciously, figuring I’d humor him and play along.
We sat down in one of the little booths and I ordered water. I wasn’t thirsty, but Aiden seemed to silently protest and ordered me a tea instead.
Aiden, of course, talked for the next half hour, and I just sat by silently and watched him. I didn’t know exactly what he was talking about, but he made it terribly fascinating. I then discovered that I could like Aiden…sort of.
*
“And promise me you’ll come back?”
“It’s only Christmas Break,” I laughed. It was a few days later, and we were back in Hogsmeade, but we were at the train station this time.
“You never know with you,” Jack grinned, glancing at Aiden.
“It’s true,” Lila said. She was also getting on the train behind me.
“Sure,” I grinned and slid onto the train, grabbing my own compartment and waving as the train pulled away. I leaned back and fell asleep quickly. I was almost home.