#tetl

Summer was dying, it was a slow death this year, each day just incrementally colder than the last until Katie was forced to put on a jacket during her days in the courtyard. Her runs by the Black Lake forced her into leggings and waking up was a study in warming charms on her blankets.

How she loathed when the heat of summer ended, it was bittersweet in its own way. To come to Hogwarts during her least favorite seasons and still be happy about it. 

But Katie couldn’t stop the seasons from changing and she wouldn’t want to either. Because it meant sneaking hot chocolate from the kitchens and trips to Hogsmeade Village on weekends.

Which was exactly where she was now, Eva had ditched her for the clothing shoppe, no amount of wrangling could get Katie to step foot in there since Eva spent nearly 150 galleons on a pair of spelled combat boots. Though the Gryffindor had to admit that being able to Spiderman up walls was great even if they got confiscated before the day was out. Her friends were split off for dates, and others staying up at the Castle to study. Probably what she ought to be doing since she hadn’t so much as cracked a book for her Transfiguration course and it was nearing the end of September now. 

So Katie hoofed it alone down to the Three Broomsticks, shoving past a few third years lined up at the door, no doubt trying to think of ways to wheedle someone to buy them Firewhiskey. 

Then she stumbled right into someone in a strong attempt to avoid being mowed by the Hufflepuff Quidditch team’s second string, loud and boisterous as ever. She didn’t need to get her feet lifted as if she was in the put for a Butterbeer. 

“Shit I’m sorry--” Katie reached a hand out to steady the figure, but then snatched it away as if it burned, and her cheeks flashed red. “I-- ahh didn’t look where I was going.”

Cassidy was shaking her head, red curls falling around her cheeks. Her lips were parting to say something but Katie was busy trying to remind herself how to breath.

“--llo? Katie?”

“Oh yeah, Hi. Sorry, I’m spacing today spent too much time doing Potions again, I’m just gonna--” she pointed her fingers towards the bar, where already the third years had jostled between the Hawkins kids. 

“Oh ok--” just corner of her mouth lifted and it made Katie want to press her up against the wall and see how it felt against her own lips. To run her fingers through her hair, feel how the curls twirled under her fingers. 

“Y-yea...” Katie turned, shoulders bunched with anticipation, and watched as Cassidy went off to join some of the other Ravenclaws. Olivia was giving her an unimpressed look, but the Gryffindor didn’t have the heart to correct her from across the room with a rude gesture. Katie shoved two of the weepy 3rd years from a chair and smooshed herself right between Helle and Glaucus, the werewolves playing some game with spelled marbles and had rigged up some plates as ramps. 

“Moonin’ again are ya Thorne,” Glaucus flicked the gold marble, “look at you, fuckin’ pathetic acting this way over a girl. Just talk to her like fuckin’ normal Moon knows you can talk the ear off anything and you’ve even charmed the damn poltergeist.” Helle growled when the marble hit her nose and threw it back at him.

“Glock is right, you’re a dumbass for that one Thorne, she wants you to talk to her.”

“Fuck off can’t I drink it peace.”

“You’re the one that dropped your skinny ass on the stool, shoulda known better than to come for us for anything but bulling. Or should we go grab Whitting to knock some sense into your airless head.” Helle wrinkled her nose, she loathed her roommate, to be expected from someone who refused to look past all of Whitting’s barbs. 

“I don’t need her to bully me either,” cause Eva was always yelling at her to get her shit together, or at the very least find ‘Someone truly more presentable and possibly worthly of your status, as low as you are’ which really was the highest of compliments one could probably get from her. 

“So what are you gonna do, give yourself a sugar rush from the Butterbeers and terrorize Flitwick again?”

It didn’t sound like a bad idea, but as Katie turned her head to spare a glance at Cassidy their eyes met, both widening comically and the teenager turned so fast that she knocked a plate to the ground.

Madame Rosemerta never needed an excuse to throw Katie out, and so Katie was already jumping off the stool when the women turned her gaze. She didn’t run but damn if she didn’t speedwalk with the howls of various classmates around her. It was theorized that only Madame Rosemerta could make Katie cow, in truth she was terrified of that woman’s wooden spoon and the power it wielded. Surely it had to be a wand, there was no reason it should move so fast to smack teenagers wandering fingers. 

Pushing past Cassidy’s table she stopped, even as the Bar Owner was already calling her back to pay for damages.

Olivia raised a brow, Rei was already snorting, Faith looked mildly interested but her entire focus was on Cassidy and Katie gulped, hoping it wasn’t audible.

“I-- uh...”

“Spit it out there Thorne,” Rei drawled, “before Madame comes and nabs your ass.”

“YoulookreallyprettytodayCassidyhaveaniceday.” came out in a sort of jarbled mess, her heart thumping against her thin chest, redness reaching up to her ears and expanding across the bridge of her nose, summer freckles already fading. But before Cassidy could answer or even have a second to formulate a reply, Katie was running from the pub and didn’t dare slow down until she reached the path.

So much for Gryffindor's courage. Jesus fuck.

Evangeline was already there, looking more than unimpressed and laden with bags, fancy french labels in gold embossed. 

“So, did you talk to her?”

“Hey, you know how you threaten to kill me sometimes?”

“Of course--”

“Could you, like right now?”

Eva’s pitying smile only served the purpose for Katie to groan and shuffled up the path, mocking barbs thrown at her back.