#eshie

“Suck on that, Forbes!” God he was an insufferable little shit, they were only one lap into Mario Kart, and already he was trash talking. Georgie had invited August around for dinner, which they did most weeks; but with Ezra running late, they’d decided to dine out when he arrived home. Of course, the Gryffindor had sighted the game and now here they were, elbowing each other, knocking at the others controller, and throwing general shade. “Shut up, November, I swear I’ll– Yes!” Grinning her finger slammed down on the release button, a mischievous grin upon her face that grew ever bigger at August’s shriek. His fingers slammed down harder on the A button, as though somehow it might increase his speed, but the shrill ring of the countdown to his doom continued to sound, before at long last it exploded, his character flipped high in the air, as her own flew past the destruction, not even pausing as she waved. “You, blue shelled me!” He whined, eyes narrowed as his car finally stopped spinning. “Forbes, you messed with the wrong toad!” “You’re Yoshi!” She corrected with a snort, heavily judging of his mistake, and she was sure she saw August pause and lean closer to the screen as if to check, though almost at once her straightened, tossing Georgie a dirty look.“Shut up!” He hissed, lifting his nose in the air snottily, before vowing cold and just revenge, and without another word the pair hastily threw herself back into the game, but somehow she knew what was to come.For all the effort Georgie had put in to throwing August off his game, she couldn’t understand how two short minutes later he was passing the finish line in first place, his controller above his head as he crowed his victory, laughing harder when she passed the finish line almost thirty seconds later… in tenth place! Groaning, Georgie steeled herself for the inevitable. 

“You know, it’s okay to cry.” There it was, his shining moment for which Georgie was sure she’d hear no end, not for the entire evening, and then the rest of their lives. “Would you like my shoulder? A tissue? Maybe so–” “I hate you.” Georgie laughed, punching August lazily in the shoulder as she flopped back onto the sofa, August following suit, his arm wrapping around her shoulder to draw her closer. “What’s my prize, because I have a suggestion–” “You can’t have, Ezra.” August always had suggestions, more often than not surrounding Ezra and his rear, and whilst she was a fan of that topic more than anyone, and yes, whilst she flew the flag and championed that ass; she didn’t exactly want to share it with anyone. Though, if she had to share Ezra with someone it would undoubtedly have been with August. “Just for a day?” He was smirking, eyes bright, excitable, like the big kid he was, but, Merlin, was he was predictable, not that she could blame him, because as men went, August had excellent taste, and really Georgie wasn’t sure there was any prize was better than a day with Ezra… except maybe– “The night?” August interjected, making Georgie snort, the noise catching in her throat. She was really beginning to think that her friend had somehow developed a form of telepathy, because it was uncanny sometimes how in tune their lines of thought were. “August Caverly!” She admonished, poking his side with surprising strength, the man groaning whilst attempting to tickle her relentlessly. Squealing, Georgie had bucked, her legs flying up in an attempt to kick August away, but he was used to this by now, and one arm was already in place, shoving her legs beneath his armpit, before reaching for her sides once more, a triumphant smile stretching his lips, as he hummed, not at all deterred by her flailing form. “St-stop!” She called, breathless and pleading, as she pushed at her friends hands, who after a moment of careful deliberation removed them  in a most merciful manner, allowing Georgie to regain her breath before… “Okay, an hour with Ezra?” Flopping onto his tummy, feet dangling over the edge of the sofa, August batted his lashes, eyes wide and innocent, though Georgie seriously doubted anyone of sound mind would have innocent intentions with only an hour of Ezra’s time. “Done.” She chirped, already laughing when keys began to jangle and the front door opened. August’s look of innocent dropped, a dirty smile appearing in its place as Ezra entered the room. Immediately the former Hufflepuff narrowed his eyes, hovering at the door as he assessed the pair of them and the room with a sweeping glance. “Did he beat you at you Mario Kart, again?” Ezra asked, the corner of his mouth twitching, and Georgie could do nothing but force her eyes away from him. “Goddamn, Georgie… fine, fine… come on August. I’m taking you to dinner.”

“I just want this.” She was begging now, really begging, her finger wrapped around a photo frame that she couldn’t bare to look at right now, but she would, in the days to come she’d stare at that flickering image and try to work out just how things had gone so terrible wrong, so quickly. Tears streamed silently down her face, and despite trying, she still couldn’t seem to get her breathing right, but that was fitting she supposed, when everything had gone so wrong. “What don’t you want, Esha? You really came back here for a picture?” Jamie’s voice wasn’t nearly as sharp as it could have been, even now he was holding back, even now she imagined that he wished to make her smile. Still, he wouldn’t, not while he still believed she’d betrayed him, and despite her protests, her promises that she never could, he refused to believe her. For a while, Esha had debated offering to take veritaserum, to prove that nothing had happened with Dallas, that they were just good friends and nothing more but… what relationship would that be, where Jamie didn’t trust her word? Where she had to take a potion any time he doubted her. It made her heart ache, the whole thing, and she wondered how Jamie couldn’t see right now, that she loved the very bones of him. Biting her lip, Esha’s fingers ghosted across the pane of glass, eyes shut tight. How could he stand to breathe? It felt like hell in her chest, and each word they exchange tasted like a prolonged goodbye. “Nothing happened between us. I… I know what it looked like, but you know me, Jamie.” And he did, he knew her better than most, and he’d known her for so long, but she knew him too, knew him better perhaps than he thought she did. She’d felt this coming for a while, but she hadn’t thought it would go down quite like this, and perhaps she’d hoped it wouldn’t hurt as bad for having expected it, but it was all too convenient. “You love her, don’t you?” No part of what she said felt like a question, and how could it when she knew the answer. Esha’s hand clutched tighter at the photo, a wave of hurt hitting her again. “Kipp and I… we’re not–” Words seemed to fail him, and Esha was sure she could see guilt in his eyes. “I love, you.” Jamie insisted, and yes of course he did, Esha believed that with everything she was; but he loved Kipp too; perhaps even more. “I know, but that’s not enough anymore, is it?” Her voice was giving out, they’d been talking for hours, and they shouldn’t have drawn it out so long, both knowing how it would end. Slowly, Esha set the photo down on the table, exhaling gently as she dropped her eyes to the picture frame. Six short months earlier she’d posed for that picture, Jamie’s arms around her waist, his face practically split in two with how wide his grin was. A moment later he’d pressed his face into her neck, and she was giggling, struggling to brandish her left hand at the camera, but it was plain to see from the way the jewel caught the light, just what it was they were celebrating. Dropping her eyes to her hand, Esha tugged the ring free, placing it down gently upon the table, and then stepped back, reaching for her bag and coat. She couldn’t see Jamie, no, she was carefully avoiding his eyes altogether, but she sensed the sudden panic in him, the abruptness of what had just happened, still he said nothing, hovering on the edge of her vision, and it took everything to swallow the lump in her throat as she made for the door. “Esha!” Already Jamie was crossing the distance between them with ease, but already she was shaking her head, though he paid her no mind, his fingers brushing away the tears that still dampened her cheeks. “We can fix this. You and me forever, remember?” Smiling at the memory, Esha leaned momentarily into his touch, turning only to press a kiss to his palm, “we should have to remember, it should just be.” She explained, taking a step back, the space between them feeling so much greater than it really was. It felt like not so long ago she’d walked through the door, and now she was turning to leave once more. For good. “The.. the photo?” Jamie tried, his voice shaking now, and Esha wondered whether he wanted to draw this moment out as long as she did, too, because she doubted either of them would have the strength to stand seeing each other for a long while; still she didn’t stop, her feet not daring to pause for fear she’d never drum up the courage to leave Jamie, and so without turning she called back to him. “I’ll come back for it.” When she remembered how to smile without him, then maybe she would.

Kara had filled in the competition in the back of Witch Weekly mostly as a joke, neither one of them expected to win, and as such, when Georgie was contacted three months later and informed that a car would be along to collect them the very next evening, she had mostly certainly forgotten about it; which had in turn led to a most awkward conversation. Apparating across London to the Studio her sister owned, half scaring, Kara to death in the process; Georgie had laughingly explained that they’d won the two VIP tickets to watch–  "Scamander and the Creatures?“ Kara echoed in disbelief, snorting and rolling her eyes. Leafing through the magazine, Georgie grinned. "Yeah? I’ve heard their good,” at least according to the reporter they were, and well if they weren’t, at least the band wasn’t half bad to look at. Particularly the front man. “So you’ll come?” “A wizarding concert? Like I’d miss that!” Fastforward twenty-four hours and Georgie had been forever glad Kara had decided it would be simply hilarious to enter the competition. “So he’s, Scamander, I’m guessing?” Kara’s voice was barely a whisper above the screaming crowd, and Georgie had chuckled, dancing a little closer to Kara, to avoid the bodies pushing against her. “I uh, think his name is Ezra Bucket or something… Scamander is a reference to–” The lights suddenly dropping, and a hush drawing over the crowd, silenced quickly the words on her lips, though Kara still looked eager for explanation. Shrugging she leaned in once more. “Uh nevermind, I’ll tell you later.” The concert seemed to pass by in a blur, even with an encore and requests, though neither Kara nor Georgie got to stay for the last song. No, instead they were descended on, being dragged from the crowd by two men in black shirts, with ’CREW,’ emblazoned right across their chest. Kara arched a perfect brow, ready to unleash hell at being manhandled, but one desperately pleading look from Georgie seemed to leash the beast, and so Kara sighed, allowing herself, and Georgie to be pulled backstage, and then through a series of corridors; twisting and turning before being pushed with finality, into a warm yellow-lit room, already filled with people. Shuffling in, Kara quickly made a beeline for a comfortable couch, throwing her likely aching feet up on to the table just in front. Georgie heaved a sigh, running a hand through her hair. Everything somehow already seemed to be in full swing; drinks and music and more food than Georgie thought had ever lined the tables at Hogwarts, and that was fine, except it was daunting with all the familiar famous faces, dotted about the room. Kara was so at ease, and Georgie envied that, though she didn’t really have a single idea who anyone was, which was rather amusing, and evidenced when a moment later, a cackle to her right stilled the room. Georgie instinctively flinched, groaning at once, could Kara have any less chill? Turning she found her slouched beside the female drummer, a raven-headed woman, who looked glad of Kara’s company despite her nervous laughter. All in all, Georgie had been counting on Kara to kind of stick by her side, not just for the company, but that she wasn’t actually all that sure, you could bring muggles to wizarding concerts. With a half a mind to walk over and steal her mother back, Georgie was seconds away from doing so, when a greeting, friendly and light, drew her to a stop. Turning to face the direction from which it came, Georgie was most surprised to find Ezra Bucket, with a happy, but arguably tired smile on his face. His gaze seemed to linger and it seemed to Georgie that she’d quite suddenly, and at the least opportune time, forgotten how one responded to a hello, and so hesitantly she waved, offering back what she hoped was a smile of her own.They stood in companionable silence for a few moments, Ezra turning to pour himself a drink, and god she really needed to try if she was going to make it through this evening. She’d been having such fun before, why couldn’t she now? A joke. Tell him a joke! From the furthest corner of her mind, a suggestion which drew a frown and made her bite her bottom lip. “I didn’t know you could sing.” Ezra Beckett raised an eyebrow, lip quirked in amused questioning, and Georgie felt like a dick. A dick of monumental proportions. Why was that the first thing she’d thought to say?! “Sorry, it was a joke… a bad joke. I don’t know why I thought… Sorry.” Reaching for a dragon puff, Georgie without hesitation stuffed her mouth. She could get through the rest of the evening like this, ensuring her mouth was well and truly busy at every given moment and maybe then she wouldn’t get herself kicked out. Georgie was sure that would work alongside another thousand apologies, when suddenly Ezra Beckett was laughing, head tossed back, eyes alight with humour, staring at Georgie like she’d just won comic of the year. “What’s your name, again?” He asked, when his laughter had quelled enough to speak. His gaze now averted, Georgie watched as Ezra poured two small glasses of black death, before handing her one, nodding once more as if to encourage her to answer his question, but it was slightly difficult when people around the room seemed to be nudging each other, and staring in their direction. “I uh, Georgie Forbes. I won the tickets, my mum came with m-” Words catching in her throat, Georgie’s eyes widened, finding Kara now straddling the drummers lap, mouth locked in a heated kiss. “Merlin, give me strength.” “Looks like your mother’s having a good time, Rom will take good care of her. Come on!” He was laughing again, mouth drawn up in a cheeky grin as he tugged her over to a couch of their own, his hand resting in hers. “So tell me, do you and your mother normally cause a stir like this? What do you do, I bet it’s something as bizarre and strange as yourself.” He was fixing her with that look, smoldering, like she was the only person he could see; eyes dark and impenetrable and so easy to sink beneath. And she was, sinking, closer and closer, until his face was a fraction from hers. His eyes flickered to her mouth and hovered for a moment, before she finally brought them together, heated breaths mingling as Ezra drew her into him for for a fraction of a second before they both separated, to the sound of hoots and hollers. “Sorry.” She muttered sheepishly, as Ezra reached to push the hair from her face, a smirk on his own. “You say that a lot, do you actually mean it?” He asked, eyebrows raised once more. “Not really.” “Excellent.” He grinned, leaning forward once more to steal her lips, and if it was only for tonight, at least it would be something to remember.

They were in the middle of nowhere, and if Georgie had to hazard a guess, she would have said the Welsh valleys. The rolling hilltops and bleating sheep had only been her second clue. The rich stench of manure had been her first; still it was fair to say that the Order had come a long way in the last three years. They’d had to after all. Georgie could still remember the day it had happened, fifth year, off home for the summer, her head resting on Ezra’s shoulder, knees drawn up on her seat as they drew up at the station. Years later there was still no indication of how they’d managed to steal onto the train, or of how they’d hidden themselves, but it was plain sick that they’d waited. Watched and listened in to the sound of chatter and laughter of the soon to be dead, just to watch them fall in front of their loved ones. They’d sent a clear message. Muggle is might. Ezra had dragged her away, gunshots still ringing, and had dropped down into the tracks, dragging Georgie with him. Somehow he’d cast an invisibility charm upon them, and later she was suitably impressed he’d been able to, with one hand pressed against her mouth to stem her screams, and the other tight around her waist. In the aftermath, when the dust had settled and the screaming had turned into strangled sobs, eyes turned to their lawmakers, their protectors, but no one had been prepared, not even the Order. Their eyes had been on the pure of blood, and now that same blood was spattered against the brickwork, mixing with the red of the Hogwarts Express. That was the day the Muggleborns fought back, and it was also the day that Georgie had lost Kara. Not a day had been the same since. Two years down the line, the magical world was in chaos, a pureblood resistance rising up to crack against the muggleborn, but they were no match. Too long they’d taken for granted the knowledge the muggle world had to offer, and now it was being used against them, and if things didn’t change, what future would they be left with. So, muggleborn or not she’d signed up for the Order, Ezra rolling his eyes, but dutifully signing up with her, and now here they were, some obscure safe house, in the heart of nowhere. Wales. They were definitely in Wales. “You can’t protect me.” She’d not asked him too, and fuck if he died… She couldn’t even bare to think about it, to be the cause of another death. Georgie Forbes didn’t need protecting, she was strong and smart, and useful. Why did the world look at her like she needed to be protected. “I’m not standing here to protect you. I’m here because…” “Let me guess, because Kara wouldn’t want this for me, and you feel it’s your duty to look after me.“ She was no one’s responsibility, and Kara was dead. She’d never forget the sight of her sist- her mother, as she soon learned; dead on the floor, blonde hair sticky and congealed with her own blood. Georgie hadn’t thought it possible for a human to make a noise like she had. It had been as though her chest had been ripped open, and she’d wailed, the noise low in her gut, her entire body alive with pain as she’d cradled Kush’s head, pleading with her to open her eyes. "No. Because I love you-” Shaking her head, Georgie frowned, but Ezra hadn’t even paused for breath as he continued to explain hurriedly just why he was signing up for something he didn’t even believe it. “-and I know you have to do this, and if I can accept that, you need to accept that I’m going to be right there with you.” By the time Ezra was almost through, realisation of his confession seemed to have dawned upon him, and Georgie was 420% sure she could see the smallest spattering on a blush against his cheeks. “Did you just say that you lo–” She was smug as anything, a grin upon her face, in spite of not getting the entirety of her sentence out. “Oh, shut up.” Ezra retorted quickly. “Shutting up.” She nodded in amusement, though she jabbed him in the arm with her elbow anyway. “Me too.”

God, ties were the worst. Maybe it was his fault for never learning, but he’d rather pin the blame at the moment on Lydia, who had very firmly told him he’d better wear a tie for the wedding, because they were at least 69% better-looking on him than bow-ties. He smiled at the thought, amused by her reasoning. He couldn’t be annoyed with her for this if he tried. The fact the wedding was tomorrow too… it made it entirely too difficult to be even a little put off by her. 

The doorbell rang and Ezra sighed, undoing the measly knot he’d done. Maybe he’d have to call Hayden or Mandy to help him out, or maybe just let someone do it tomorrow when it was actually necessary. Still, he sort of wanted to be able to prove that he was capable of something so simple…

Hurrying over to the door, he opened it with the tie still in his hand, and met a pair of blue eyes he hadn’t been expecting to see ever again. They flickered from his face, to his tie, and then back again and the pause was so long that Ezra tensed. Then she suddenly moved, her hand gripping the back of his neck as she forced him down to her height and pressed her lips firmly to his. It was instinctive for him to sink into it, even if only for a moment, because god there had been a time where he’d worshipped the way her lips moved against his. And the way her touch sent lightning through his veins was entirely too familiar even with how long it had been. 

Still though, he pulled back, pushing against her shoulder and forcing her back. They separated, each with a gasp, and she looked up at him looking more alive than he’d ever seen her. And he felt it too, he was suddenly vibrating with her energy, maybe even his combined…

“Georgie, what the fuck are you doing?”

“Stopping this–”

“I’m getting married tomorrow!”

“I can’t let you do that.”

Disbelief hit him, and he wasn’t about to make it subtle, because anger accompanied it. “Are you fucking with me? You actually have the nerve to show up here after four years of nothing?”  

“I made a mistake, Ez,” she said suddenly, and the word caught him off-guard for just a moment. She shook her head, lazy curls bouncing against her jacket. She’d cut her hair… it looked like it had just grown out of a pixie cut, because it was a bob now. He was only drawn to her hair though, because the sight of it reminded him how much he used to love braiding it, even though he’d long since stopped regarding it as theirs. He braided Lydia’s hair everyday, and he no longer saw it as a mistake.

“A mistake,” he echoed, bitterly. “Right. You disappearing after I gave you time to think, no trace of you left to find, that was a mistake? You not reaching out to me for four years, do you mean that mistake? You cutting off every way to find you, were you referring to that mistake?”

“All of it,” she answered, her voice cracking, and she looked down swiftly. “I lost myself, Ez… I didn’t know what I was doing.”

“Yeah, well, you lost me too,” he tacked on coldly. “You can’t stop me from marrying her, much like I obviously couldn’t stop you from leaving. You have no right.” At least Ezra had come back to her months after he’d made his series of mistakes, but she had taken years, and now it was a different matter entirely. “Go, Georgie.”

“Let me tie that,” she interrupted him, ignoring his command. She seized the tie before he could protest, throwing it over his head and by then he could only sit still, because there was a finality about the way she wove it all into place. When she pushed the knot up toward his throat, it was slower, and her fingers hesitated before pulling back again. “Who’s going to tie it for you tomorrow?”

“Not you.” The stab of hurt from her was immediately apparently, and he felt a little guilty for the cruel quip. “Just go.” He stepped back into his house, but she didn’t move. 

“Ezra Beckett, I love you. I really, truly, completely do.”

“Then your mistake was loving me.” 

And the door closed between them.

It was raining, hard, and Ezra was shivering from how cold it was. Still, it was 2038, and history had long since outlawed smoking in public places so he tolerated it, lingering beneath the overhang of the bar he’d been in all night. He was about ready to leave anyway; after this cigarette he’d be off for the night, walking home. He was lucky he lived close, he didn’t think he could wait long enough after drinking to be able to apparate home. 

The door to the apartment next door suddenly banged open and a girl stumbled out, maybe his age, slamming it behind her and running her hands through her hair in clear frustration. Half a second later, he felt a mixture of anger and general upsetness hit him. He watched her curiously, assessing her. He was good at this sort of thing, figuring people out. From the emotions he was getting, it was obvious she’d just had a fight of some sort, with someone she loved–probably a boyfriend. And when she turned, raking her damp hair out of her eyes again, he could see the fight had gotten physical.

And he also recognized her.

“Georgie Forbes,” he called, lowering his cigarette. She turned again at the sound of her name, eyeing him until he decided to brave the rain. Jogging out from his little shelter, he hurried into the overhang of the apartment building. Her blue eyes regarded him warily, and she let her hair fall past her shoulder again, half-shielding her face. The part that was marked. 

“Do I know you?” she asked.

“Maybe,” he said, vaguely at first, then elaborated, “I went to Hogwarts with you. I was in the year above you, in Ravenclaw. I wouldn’t expect you to remember me though, I kept to myself quite a bit.”

“Oh,” she said suddenly, and recognition sparked in her. “Ezra. Ezra Heart, right?” He nodded in confirmation. “I remember you. You lied, you never kept to yourself. You had that big group of friends…” She smiled a tiny smile, looking down.

“I wouldn’t say they were friends,” he disagreed. They were convenient, and useful, but they weren’t friends. Ezra didn’t have many of those. “What’s going on, Georgie?” he asked significantly, after a moment of quiet. 

She looked at him sharply, as if wondering how he had the right to ask that. He probably didn’t, not at all, but Ezra had always been curious about people, and his mother had always told him he should use his gift not just to ‘weasel out people’s life stories,’ but also to help them in some manner. 

Still, she surprised him a little by answering. “My boyfriend kicked me out. Broke up with me. Yelled at me.”

“Hit you,” Ezra finished, earning a dark look from her. 

“Yeah…” she said quietly, tucking her dark hair behind her ear. “I should probably call a friend, but it’s late.” She was right, it was just past 3am, and only the drunk and lonely would still be up at this hour. But then there was Ezra. 

“Come home with me,” he suggested.

“…What?”

“I live a couple blocks down. If you’ve got nowhere to go, I’ve got an extra bedroom you can crash in for the night.”

Suspicion colored her emotions, and he didn’t blame her in the slightest. “Why? You hardly know me, you’ve got no reason to help me.”

He shrugged. “I guess so. But my mother told me I should help people more often.”

“Do you do everything your mother tells you?” she challenged.

“Most things, or I get smacked upside the head.”

She chuckled a bit, shaking her head. She was quiet for another moment, and Ezra put out his cigarette as he waited. “Yeah, okay,” she said suddenly. “Just for tonight.” A smirk lifted her lips. “No offense, but I’m pretty sure I could kick your ass if you ended up being bad news.”

“I’d thank you for it,” he returned with a small grin. “C’mon then, you won’t have to be cold and wet for long.” He moved past her, jogging across the street in the rain. Georgie caught up to him, ducking underneath the next building’s overhang. “How do you take your tea? I can tell you’re a tea person.”

There was finally a genuine smile in her voice when she responded, “English Breakfast tea, with milk. And hot enough to almost burn my tongue.”

“There’s a secret way to Hogsmeade, I’ve known about it since my first year, c’mon…” 

Jamie gestured for Esha to follow him quickly, making his way up the grand staircase. She hurried to catch up to him at his side, and Jamie tried not to be distracted by the way her long hair swished about, making up about 73% of her overall gracefulness. He seriously couldn’t imagine a time where he wasn’t entirely distracted by everything that she was.

“You’re looking at me like that again,” she informed him, her lips twitching, threatening a smile as he’d come to find.

“Looking at you like what?” he asked innocently. 

“Don’t make me say it aloud.”

Jamie grinned, refusing to finish her sentence too. He had an idea of how he must look at her. Like she was the only person in this entire castle. Dang, Holden would want to wring his neck for being so embarrassingly cheesy, but only god could help him when it came to Esha Johal.

Soon enough they were on the third floor, and Jamie circled the One-Eyed Witch statue until he stood by the hump. Esha watched curiously as he pulled out his wand, tapping the statue and muttering, “Dissendium.” At once, the hump opened to reveal a hole, the beginning of the passageway to Hogsmeade.

“Ladies first,” he said, grinning with charm. Esha looked to be suppressing a smile again as she swept back her hair, climbing deftly onto the hump and peering down.

“Are you sure this is the way? What if we get trapped?” she asked, looking at him with a hint of anxiety.

“Well…” He’d used this passage before, but who knew when it might collapse. “There are worse people to be trapped with, right?”

Esha looked away at that, her shoulders bouncing, before she promptly dropped into the hump, disappearing briefly from sight. Jamie crawled in after her, landing with a huff at the tunnel beneath. The hump above them closed, and they were surrounded by darkness. 

Ah, to be in a moderately long, underground tunnel that happened to get narrow sometimes, with Esha Johal… Jamie was more grateful than he would ever admit, that her parents hadn’t signed her off to go to Hogsmeade.

“Your parents… didn’t you get your permission slip signed from them?” asked Esha, as if reading his mind. “Poppy is at Hogsmeade right now, she told me this morning.”

“Maybe they signed hers and not mine,” Jamie offered. “I get in trouble a lot.” In truth, they hadn’t even had to think twice about signing their permission slips (they were grateful they hadn’t received word Jamie had snuck out, which he found hilarious), but he didn’t want to make Esha feel bad, or lonely, that she was just about the only third year that wasn’t allowed to go to Hogsmeade. He could pretend, and they might get escape trips like this all the time.

The journey was shorter than Jamie remembered, but maybe that was because he was having far more fun than he supposed he should be having. He hurried on ahead as he saw the sliver of light, undoubtedly from Honeydukes. “It’s right ahead!” he announced eagerly, pressing forward and heading up the tiny set of stairs that led to the stone tile of Honeydukes. Lifting it carefully, he swept his eyes around the basement of the shop warily, making sure no one was around.

“Looks like it’s all clear,” he said, shoving the tile aside. He stepped down a bit, intending to let Esha go first if she liked, but when he did, his lips were suddenly pressing against her face–more specifically, pressing against her lips. For a moment they were both very still, and all Jamie could think about was how soft her lips were, exactly as he’d imagined them. But in the next moment, they both leaned away and Jamie half-stumbled, half-climbed down the stairs again. He really hadn’t expected her to be so close, but–

“It wasn’t supposed to happen like that,” he blurted out. Merlin knew he’d been daydreaming about kissing her ever since the start of this year, but this wasn’t what he’d wanted at all–he hadn’t wanted it to be an accident. 

Esha was looking down, only half her face visible from the light from Honeydukes. But a smile had curved her lips, and a light laugh left them as she looked him in the eye again. “And how would you have wanted it to happen then?”

“Something way more romantic. I wanted you to be impressed and really swept off your feet. I wanted to make you laugh when I did it.”

“I am laughing,” she pointed out, and she was right; her shoulders were bouncing again, a full grin adorning her face, pink dappling her cheeks. She stepped up the stairs beside him again, and his fingers tingled just before her own brushed them. Warmth flowed through his whole body, and he had to bite his lip to keep from smiling too much like a total loser. 

She squeezed gently, and then swooped up, lifting herself into the basement of the shop. “Are you coming?”

Jamie slid into the dark for just another moment, doing a stupid little jig that every single one of his friends would probably defriend him for, and his sister would undoubtedly disown him for, but he couldn’t help it. “…Yeah, I’m coming.”

God, it was so weird. Over six years ago, he’d thought he could never see anyone else in the light that he saw Esha. Jamie had only been eleven though, when he’d set his sights on her, and literally it had been love at first sight. Actually, it was infatuation, as he knew now. It was strange to be standing in front of her now and not have his heart react in her presence, or make him want to fidget, or brainstorm ways to make her smile. And there were days when he missed it, but he knew love better now.

He knew he was in love now, and it wasn’t with Esha Johal. 

She’d gotten even more unbelievably gorgeous than his thirteen-year-old self would have ever dared to imagine; Jamie at least couldn’t deny that she was still on deity-level beauty. Even when she looked sad and wistful like this.

“It’s not goodbye though, not really,” he said eventually. It felt like it though. He had a strange feeling about it. “I’ll still see you around. We can catch up sometimes! Have coffee, get drinks, karaoke…” He grinned.

Her lips twitched a bit, but her eyes didn’t show it. She looked like she ached. “Actually… it is sort of a goodbye.” She scuffed her shoe against the floor, looking down. “I’m moving out of the country, I’ll be going to a school in Egypt for my mastery and, er… I might be staying there…”

“What?” he protested, his heart leaping in his throat suddenly. Okay, he could deal with graduating, he could deal with the idea of only seeing her once every month or so. He could deal with her being an every-once-in-a-while presence in his life, but he didn’t know if he could handle this. This was his first love, leaving the country for another much too far away, and Jamie knew he shouldn’t be possessive of her presence after all this time, but he couldn’t help the sudden panic. “But–you can’t! Your family is here, all your friends, and you’ve got so many recommendations from your professors, and you’ve said you got offers from the Ministry, to work once the holidays begin, and–”

“Jamie,” she interrupted, looking him in the eye seriously. “Please don’t argue. I made this decision months ago, I’ve only just now gotten around to telling you. My other friends know. My professors know. I’ve rejected the offers. I’m all set to leave.”

“And I’m the last to know?” he asked despairingly. 

She pursed her lips for a moment. “You’re not the only one who treasures smiles so much.”

That struck something with him, a heavy chord that just made everything in him sink. God, he’d fought so much for her smile. And he’d taken it for granted sometimes, but he’d loved it all the same. But she… all along, she’d loved his laughter too. 

She offered him one last smile. It wasn’t by far the best smile he’d ever seen on her, but it was the one he’d remember the most clearly.

Kara had been surprised when she received word from Georgie that she was the one in France instead of her. She’d been in Ireland for a couple days when the owl arrived, claiming Georgie was in France for work, and that she’d like to see her for coffee if she had the time. Considering Kara was on vacation, she definitely had the time.

And so she’d gone. Ever since Georgie had found out a few years ago that she was her mother, she went to great lengths to be a proper one. And that meant going the extra mile, as far as she was concerned. She had done plenty for Georgie as her sister, but she would still be making up for years lost as her mother for probably the rest of her life.

Arriving though, was the best. Georgie rushed up to her, throwing her arms around her neck, and Kara happily snugged into her for a moment, forever thanking god that Georgie had found it in her to go back to how things had always been with them. 

“So! I’m working with the Charms professor at Beauxbatons,” Georgie explained as they walked toward a cafe Kara had looked up on her phone. “I have been for the past week, developing new spells and touching up old ones, that sort of thing…” This talk was pretty much Greek to Kara, and she really wished she knew more about the technicals of magic. Though, she suspected, Ezra probably didn’t have much more of a clue what she was talking about when it came to sorting out charms formulas either. “…but the Headmistress wanted to meet with me for coffee too, just to assess me and that sort of thing. And I’m taking you… because I can, I suppose, but I think you two would get along.”

Kara laughed. “You think I, a normal traveling translator, would get along with the Headmistress of an entire magical school?”

“I just get the feeling,” said Georgie vaguely, but she was smiling in a way that had Kara a little suspicious. They headed into the cafe, sitting themselves down after ordering, and Kara had barely warmed her hands around the mug of her tea before a shadow fell over the table, and Georgie stood up to greet her.

“Romilly, hello,” she said, shaking her hand rather formally, before turning to Kara. “This is my mum, Kara Forbes. And Kush, this is Romilly Calixe.”

She was far younger than Kara had expected, and they were easily about the same age. Romilly carried herself tall though, confident, with her dark brown hair curled over her shoulder and a curved smile on her face. “Pleasure to meet you, Kara.”

“It’s uh… all mine,” said Kara after a moment, struggling to keep her cool together. Okay, this woman was all sorts of hot but she wasn’t going to dare betray that, especially since she was an actual Headmistress…

Romilly pulled up a chair and Georgie suddenly proclaimed the need for biscuits, standing up swiftly and moving toward the counter. Romilly planted her elbow on the table, eyeing Kara with a smile. 

“You’re young to be a mother to Georgie,” she observed.

“You’re young to be a Headmistress of an esteemed school,” Kara countered. 

Romilly’s smile widened. “I suppose that makes us accomplished, successful people?” she offered. Her finger traced the rim of her mug before she lifted it to her lips, taking a sip, still watching Kara with an air of innocence. 

Georgie returned, glancing between them, and Kara almost at once knew what was up. Was she really trying to set them up? Was she really doing this? Kara tried her hardest to throw shade at her daughter as discreetly as possible with her glare, but she was pretty sure Romilly caught it, and Georgie just pretended she hadn’t noticed. 

She and Romilly picked up a discussion on Georgie’s work history, and though her focus seemed to be on the young witch, she kept glancing at Kara with an amused smile, continuing her dance of the mug’s rim with her fingertips, and licking her lips after she took sips from it in a way Kara felt was deliberate. Or maybe she was just losing her observant touch.

The meeting seemed to be quite through though when Georgie got up again, to go to the bathroom, and as soon as she did Romilly turned back to Kara. Her eyes whisked down once, slowly making their way back to her face and Kara watched with scrutiny. 

“Do you prefer private places like this, or a more social atmosphere?” she asked suddenly, and Kara shook her head, half-amused.

“What are you doing?” Kara inquired finally. 

“I’m flirting with you.” The answer was so straight-forward, said in such an ‘Isn’t it obvious?’ tone that Kara felt embarrassed she hadn’t picked up on it at once. “I’m curious about you.”

So was she. Especially now that the woman was laying it down on the table, she was dying to know exactly what was going through Romilly’s mind right now. Who decided they liked someone so quickly? Her. Me. 

“I think Georgie thinks we’re a good match,” added Romilly slyly, and Kara all but face-palmed as she looked up at the girl crossing through the room again toward them. The smile on her lips, it was so obvious by now, she looked thoroughly smug.