Taste of Youth

Chase didn’t bug me about my family after I told him about my father. What he did do was buy me massive amount of candy, he did after my many protests buy me a load of Muggle coffee flavored hard candies. I made him promise to help me eat the load and got him to try the coffee candies which he wouldn’t stop stealing from me. After he’d eaten at least twenty on our way to the Three Broomsticks I smacked him.

“Stop eating all of my favorite candy!”

“M’sorry, they’re really good though!” Chase laughed rolling another one in his mouth.

“No more.” I pointed a finger at him, “I forbid you from having any more coffee candies.”

“Oh yeah,” He raised his eyebrows at me grinning, “how is that going to be reinforced huh?”

I skipped so I was in front of him grinning from ear to ear, “Let’s just hope you don’t have to find out.”

With that I turned away to the open door of the Three Broomsticks and in to the blast of chatter that was inside. Chase was laughing when he followed me in and we hurried to a tiny empty table at the very back of the pub. It was so loud my ears started ringing while I tugged trying to loosen the Hufflepuff scarf around my neck. Chase mouthed “Here” moving so he was between me and the crowd that seemed to be slamming into him constantly and undid the scarf in a few motions. As I thanked him the crowd moved to accommodate a few more people someone slamming Chase into me.

“Sorry.” His voice sounded in my ear as he pulled back waving away the persons apologies.

When he stopped talking to him Chase turned back to me making a drinking motion with his hand and pointing at the bar. I nodded quickly and sat down heaving one of the candy bags onto the table. Tugging out one of the blue boxes of coffee hard candies and popping one of them in my mouth. They really were my favorites, Leon was the one who have me my first one back when I was eight or so at a candy shop his ex-girlfriend owned. Chase nearly tumbled into the table drinks in hand halfway through my candy.

“Sorry, lines massive.”

“I don’t mind. Butterbeer?”

He nodded, “I forgot to ask before I went to get them, sorry.”

“You stop apologizing. I’ve never had Butterbeer before, is it good?”

“Yeah, it’s good. Not if you want to get a buzz though.” He laughed, “How am I doing here?”

“What do you mean?”

Chase waved his hand, “At this whole date thing. I was never very good at, well this.”

“Oh this is a date?” I smiled cheekily at him and laughed at the face he made, “You’re doing just fine, but don’t trust me. I’ve never done this before.”

“You? You’ve never been on a date before?”

I groaned and put my head in my hands, “Why does everyone always say that?”

“Okay okay, I’m sorry. It’s just not something that’s expected for someone so gorgeous.”

My face must have been a brilliant shade of red, “I didn’t have much time for dating or live in a place to pick up guys that hadn’t already been incarcerated. Sorry to disappoint.”

“It’s okay, I think I can get over it.” He smiled his ears still pink, “Like the Butterbeer?”

“Mmm, it’s sweet.” I titled the mug toward him, “You must have had a lot of cavities as a kid.”

“That is the privilege of being a child with at least one wizard parent. Potions can cure many things as I am sure you know.”

“That is just wrong!” I threw my hands up laughing, “It’s a wonder why Muggles are the largest body of people on the planet.”

“It really is.” He chuckled.

We kept talking like that about nothing that completely mattered laughing. The pub and inn had started to clear out the more responsible people headed out early. It wasn’t until Sirius slammed his chair down at the table next to us that I noticed the sixth year Gryffindor’s had even come in. Lily sent me an apologetic look and hissed something at James who put his hands up desperately making a stubble motion to Sirius. Chase gave them a polite nod and turned back to me trying to pull a Licorice Wand from one of my many bags. I reached over and opened the package setting it between us taking one for myself. I made a bow with the candy rope and reached across the table attaching it to Chase’s hair.

We were laughing at that me still halfway across the table when the glasses exploded. I shrieked throwing myself back into my chair as the glass next to my elbow burst. Chase jerked back as well the licorice falling from his hair. The remaining people yet out shouts as the glasses burst and the people near the windows ducked under tables to avoid the glass flying at them. My wand was out immediately and the glass froze midair. My elbow was bleeding pretty badly and I got up checking on the people around.

“Anyone need a Healer’s attention?” I called out and started to hurry over to the people who raised their hands.

Sirius’ glass was still in tact and he glanced up when I walked by looking embarrassed for a second. I didn’t say anything but caught the way Lily was staring at his glass and tapped her shoulder on my way out placing a finger to my mouth and shaking my head. She opted for giving him a look and anything else she did was lost as I was bombarded with people claiming the need for immediate medical attention. I herded them the best I could recruiting Chase’s help and dealt with the more serious lacerations first before moving on to fixing others scrapes.

It was hard work with so many people still inside even though the majority had gone away. It was hard enough to make me feel a little light headed when I’d finished but I ignored it and helped the others put the windows and glasses back together. No one really complained about it and no one ever said anything about Sirius loosing control. Chase came over and touched my elbow looking concerned.

“That looks like it hurts, you should stop.” He murmured into my ear touching my torn sleeve.

“It’s okay, just a scrape really.”

“There’s a small pool next to our table, Luce. It’s not just a scrape.”

I tilted my head narrowing my eyes as his shoulder pressed into my back, “Now you decide to observant?”

“I’ve always been observant when it comes to you.” He whispered into my ear close enough for me to feel his lips against the shell of it.

I whipped my head around to look at him but he was already moving back toward our tiny table. I narrowed my eyes at his back and turned back to the task at hand. Ten minutes later Chase’s voice was still in my head repeating those words and I could not escape the feeling of something on my ear. Every time Chase past he brushed me and complained about my still bleeding elbow.