Early Winter, 2022
Frank Longbottom sat alone, at a back table, in The Three Broomsticks. Normally he’d have been sitting with two friends, but they both had dates. Frank didn’t mind though, he was happy for them, really. Besides, he wasn’t the dating type anyway. At least, that’s what he was telling himself as he stared into the cup of Butterbeer he’d been nursing.
“Poor Frank,” Rose commented. She and Avery were sitting across the room, indulging in more Butterbeer than they probably should have.
“Who?” Avery questioned, though she didn’t seem particularly interested. Rose nodded her head toward the boy in the back and Avery turned to look, then back again. “The professor's kid?”
“Kid? He’s less than a year younger than us.”
Avery shrugged. “So why is he poor, again?”
“He’s got it bad for my cousin, and she’s in Madam Puddifoot’s with someone else.” Avery turned around again, and looked a little harder than the last time. She took in his mop of hair, the jaw line, and the broad shoulders that he’d one day grow into.
“You know, he’s actually not that bad,” she mused.
“What?”
“A little cute, even.” Avery turned back and downed the rest of her drink.
“Avery, what are you doing?” Rose asked, trying to keep her voice down. Avery stood and smiled down at her.
“Helping the poor boy out, of course.” She turned on her heels and all but strutted towards Frank.
He looked up as she grew nearer and furrowed his brow in confusion. He was even more befuddled when she pulled out the chair next to him and sat down. She rested her elbow on the table, and her chin on her hand.
“Hello,” she greeted.
“Um,” he swallowed, “hi…?”
Avery put her arm down and folded it with her other one, then leaned in just a little closer. “I don’t think we’ve ever formally met. I’m Avery Nott.”
“I - I know.” Avery smiled and bit her lip a little. She was having a little too much fun with this. “What are you...doing - here?”
“You just looked so lonely over here and I thought, surely a boy as cute as him shouldn’t be lonely, so decided to come and sit with you.”
Frank tried to inch away, but she only kept inching toward him. “I’m fine, actually. Really.”
Avery ignored his last comment and pulled her dark hair over to one shoulder. “D’you want to go to Madam Puddifoot’s with me? I could really use a nice cup of tea.”
Frank looked from Avery, to Rose sitting across the room, then back to Avery. “Did Rose put you up to this? Because I -”
“Merlin’s pants, boy. You really are hopeless.” Avery relaxed in her poster and stopped leaning towards him. “Look, all she did was inform me of you predicament. It was even in passing, really, and I just thought; you’re a friend of her’s, she’s a friend of mine, why not help you out.”
“But I -”
“Now, as I understand it, your girl -”
“She’s not mine.”
“- is over in the tea shop with some bloke -”
“Not exactly...”
“- and you don’t know what to do about it.”
“I mean, I wasn’t going to do anything -”
“Which is exactly why I’m here. You’ll never win her over just by sitting here moping!”
“She’s not a-a prize-”
“Now come on,” Avery grabbed him by the wrist, then pulled him up and towards the door. “If there’s one thing a girl wants it’s a boy she can’t have.”
“I - I don’t think that’s accurate,” Frank tried to protest, but she had a death grip on him. She pulled him out of the building and down the street. They turned onto a side street and were faced with mostly pink facade of Madam Puddifoot’s Tea Shop.
“Avery, stop - please.” Frank yanked his hand away.
“Oh come on, Longbottom. If she sees us together, she might get a little jealous.” Avery ran a hand down his arm, but he pulled away.
“I don’t want to make her jealous!” Frank’s sudden assertiveness startled Avery. “Jealousy’s not a fun feeling, why would I want to make her feel it?” He ran his hands through his hair. “Look, if she doesn’t see me, then she -” he stopped abruptly, his words caught in his throat. He sighed and finished his sentence calmly, “Then she just doesn’t see me.”
For the first time since their encounter started, Avery had actually heard him. She tilted her head to the side and looked at him. What she saw was a kid with more wisdom than he should have had and with the patience to wait for the girl he loved. She saw a kid who would one day soon grow into a good man. She smiled, a softer and more genuine smile than the times before.
Frank looked to his left and into the window. She was sitting against the far wall, giggling. His gaze followed her form down to her arm, then to her hand; resting on top of it was someone else's.
Avery touched his arm, it was friendlier and more gentle than the time before. “Hey,” she said softly. He looked back at her. “She will see you, one day.” Frank smiled down at her.
“You think?”
Avery chuckled and linked her arm with his. “Oh, Honey, I don’t think she’ll have a choice.”
