Gebo

:gift:

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AT FIRST GLANCE, like everything about Hogsmeade, the outside of the Flour Dust gave off an aura of normalcy. It was old stone, and had a huge purple and white striped awning overhanging a large window. The display was filled with glistening pastries, towering cakes, and eclectic cupcakes. But the sign above the window was something else. Something other worldly.

It was neon, and showed a rolling pin rolling out a pad of dough, but then Blue blinked, and the image changed. The dough had become a piece of bread, fresh curls of steam rising off it and she couldn't figure out how it had happened other than magic.

A bell trilled as Rose peeled back the door. Blue entered behind her and was immediately taken by the sweetness scenting the air with sugar. The walls were a soft lavender, the floor a checkboard Blue had most often seen in diners going for that nostalgic-look, and a huge, almost wall to wall display case separated customers from the back. It was a nice enough place with flower centerpieces on the few tables in the space, but what was making Blue's eyes bulge out of her head, were the desserts. 

Some flew. Others breathed smoke and fire. Two enormous dragon cakes nested in the rafters, their frosted eyes glaring at Blue and her companions. In the display case, crème puffs shaped like cauldrons with rusted bottoms bubbled creamy custards. Angel-shaped shortbreads rested on clouds of soft meringue. There were ginger snaps, a ginger and molasses cookie with an impressive set of teeth. As Blue bent over to get a better look at them, one jumped off the tray and lunged at her, teeth bared. She stepped away, situating herself behind Rose and Xen.

"Look," said Rose, pointing at the end of the case. "They have a Muggle variety pack."

Blue shuffled over and sure enough, there were a plethora of muggle offerings: black and white brownies, chocolate chip cookies, sugar cookies shaped like brooms, cauldrons, and witch's hats,, glistening pear tartlets, and chocolate truffles filled with a whiskey caramel.

Xen sidled up to the girls, looping a piece of hair around her finger. "They're out of lace wands." She frowned.

Blue looked up from the case. "What's that?"

"Oh," said a woman sauntering out of a door. She was squat, her skin the color of espresso, her long, black braids gathered at her neck and held back by a tie. Kind brown eyes swept over each of them, taking in the new customers. "Lace cookies," she continued, setting down a tray of ginger snaps. They snarled and growled as she placed them in the display case next to the others. After muttering, "get along," to the cookies, she returned her attention to the kids. "Rolled like wands and filled with either cookie butter or a coffee mascarpone cream."

"They shoot different colored jams depending on what spell you mutter," added James. He clamped a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Ask Albus. He got a face full of lime curd, when Rose accidentally said—"

"Shut it—" snapped Rose, doing a great impression of one of the ginger snaps.

"Don't," pleaded Albus, his voice barely above a whisper. His cheeks were red, and he was fiddling with the hem of his sweater, his eyes glued to the ground. James chuckled.

The woman smiled, and turned her attention back to the three girls. "I think we have some in the back, Xen." 

At this, her face brightened immediately. 

"Cookie butter," the older woman's nose wrinkled, "and lime curd, right?"

Xen nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Grizzle."

She smiled, and clapped her hands on the countertop. Her fingers were sprinkled with flour, chocolate shoved under her nails. "And what about your parents? I've got some butterbeer custards in the back, fresh out of the oven. And we're trying out a new recipe I think your Mum ought to love." She leaned over, like she was telling them all a secret. "Black pepper sandwich cookies with a blackberry mint jam. Guaranteed to whiten your teeth."

"Sounds delicious," said Xen, while Rose scrunched her nose and stuck out her tongue. Blue supposed such a thing could taste good, especially at the hands of witch bakers. 

"And Potters," both boys turned to face her. "We've got more Quidditch truffle sets in." She grinned. "Varying levels of heat."

"Do the snitches fly?" asked James.

"Of course they do," said another voice, short and cross. This one was absent the hospitality of Mrs. Grizzle's. A taller woman waddled out of the door, sugar coating her cheeks and forehead, her hair an afro, kept close to her scalp. Dark green eyes scrutinized the lot of them.

"Maddie, why are you wasting your time on this lot? Students never have galleons."

"Imelda, dear," said the other woman soothingly. She went up to her, and stroked her cheek, wiping the sugar away, "think about when they're older. If we treat them well now, they'll be—"

"Repeat customers," said Imelda, and Blue could swear gold coins danced in her eyes.

"Besides," Maddie raised up on her toes and gave the taller woman a quick kiss on the cheek. "I've already made some sales. Lace wands, a Quidditch truffle set—"

"Two," James corrected. He shrugged as they all turned to look at him. "What? I hate sharing."

Maddie continued on. "two Quidditch truffle sets, and I'm guessing, a dozen ginger snaps for Trevor?"

Blue nudged Rose. "Who's trevor?"

"The lake monster." Pushing Blue forward, she addressed the women. "This is Blue, Mrs and Mrs Grizzle. She's McGonagall's gofer. Needs to put the order in for this year's Oozie Boozies."

Blue raised her arm and gave the women a tentative wave. Maddie smiled, while Imelda scowled. "I was wondering what happed to Minerva's order this year." She harrumphed, and wiped her hands on her apron before snatching McGonagall's list from Blue's hand. "Better late than never, I guess."

"What's this year's selection?" inquired James, a mischievous glint in his eye.

"Nothing you'll be able to charm, Potter," Imelda spat. "I make sure all our desserts are prank-proof."

James frowned and his entire demeanor seemed to deflate.

"Chocolate sponge filled with raspberry and champagne sauce," recited Maddie. "Vanilla sponge filled with Firewhiskey caramel."

James seemed to re-inflate at those words.

"Non-alcoholic for the likes of you," Imelda reminded him. The older witch was doing a very good job at maintaining James expectations and grounding them when they threatened to fly off into space.

"What are oozie boozies?" asked Blue. She knew little about baking, and even less when it came to British baking, save for what she saw on streaming services. And she knew nothing when it came to magical baking.

Luckily, the kind woman, Maddie, was the one that responded. "Oh dear, do you not know?"

Blue shook her head.

"She's new."

"And," James said, hand cupped around his mouth, as he propped an elbow next to the register. Imelda was quick to shoo him away. "A M-U-G-G-L-E."

Maddie's eyes lit up, and she jogged toward Blue, snatching up her hands in her own. "How lovely." She gave Blue's hand a good, hard shake. "I lived in the Muggle world for a time. The US. Spain. France. Before settling back down in Britain. Parents were magical, me," she shrugged, "not so much. I'm a squib." Taking Blue by the shoulder, she led her to the counter. "Oozie Boozies are a shop specialty we serve for Halloween. They're lava cakes, with different fillings, all colored green, that ooze out of them. They're enchanted so they scream when you cut them. Big hit with Hogwarts students."

"That sounds," Blue thought about a cake rattling off a blood-curdling scream, and had to swallow back her horror, "unsavory," she finished and Maddie chuckled.

"You haven't been in the Wizarding World for long, huh?"

"A little over a week."

She gave Blue a squeeze. "You'll get used to it." She moved around the case, and took out a chocolate chip cookie, and held it out to her. "On the house." James eyes followed Blue's every move as she took the cookie and gave it a bit. "Don't worry. It doesn't bite."

"It's good." Blue said, before taking another bite. "And it makes me feel...calm."

"Baking's a comforting hobby, both for the baker and the eater." Imelda snorted. Maddie leaned in and whispered, "you'll have to excuse my wife. She likes to parade around as a grouch potato, but in reality, she's the sweetest witch around."

The other woman turned on her heel, and shuffled toward the back door, muttering something about payback, before disappearing behind the rubber partitions.

"Come on," said Maddie, heading toward the register. "Let me get you rung up. The train back to Hogwarts ought to be leaving soon." 

So they were rung up. James had three ribbon tied boxes levitating behind him – two Quidditch truffle sets, and a box of ginger snaps for Trevor. The cookies had been stunned for easier transport. Xen carried her purchases – the black pepper and blackberry jam sandwich cookies and a half-dozen lace wands enchanted for optimal freshness.

According to Mrs. Grizzle, a box of their baked goods could last a decade, if the enchantments were applied after every use. Scorpius left the store empty-handed, and as they all made to leave, Mrs. Grizzle, who insisted everyone call her Maddie, caught Blue's arm and held her back.

Smiling, she thrust a box into Blue's arms. Her eyes widened, as she stared at the lavender box and its lemon-yellow ribbon. "But I don't have—"

"It's our Muggle sampler, on the house," Maddie said, leaning in. "I know how hard it can be to fit in, especially in the Wizarding World. Those," she pointed at the plastic window that gave a clear look at the brownies and cookies inside, "ought to make you feel more at home. And I'm sure you're wizarding friends wouldn't mind if you shared."

Blue's fingers grazed the box's corner. "James seemed particularly interested in the chocolate chip cookies," she said, finally, remembering how he'd practically drooled while she ate the cookie Maddie had given her.

"And," Mrs. Grizzle's eyes twinkled, "you might want to save a brownie for young Mr. Malfoy."

"He likes brownies?"

She shook her head. "Wouldn't admit it, afraid it might look bad considering the family he comes from, but his mum, lovely woman, she's always ordering a dozen around his birthday. I think they're his favorite and I'm sure he wouldn't turn one down if such a lovely girl like you offered."

Blue smiled, thanked Maddie for her time, and for the free treats, and then headed out into the street. James had hung back, his boxes hovering at his back, his gaze watching as the others headed toward the station. Rose seemed angered about something, her lagging behind the others and casting glances over her shoulders every third step.

Thinking she needed to hurry, Blue jumped down from the sidewalk, and started jogging toward the platform. But a hand caught on her shirt, pulling her back. She stumbled, dirt kicked up around her. James meandered to her front, staring at her with unblinking attention. 

Blue shuffled her feet, her fingers tugging on the hem of her shirt, stretching it out, something her mom used to yell at her for doing, because it always made her outfits lose shape. But then Blue had learned to embrace the oversized look, and it never seemed to matter how stretched out her clothes got. There was no one to yell at her about it anymore. 

A breeze carried the sugary scent of the bakery up their nostrils, while overhead, a smattering of stars sparkled. A wizard in dark grey robes came traipsing out of Gladrags, two boxes of socks, hovering at his back. "Listen," James said, moving aside to let the wizard pass. "I need to—"

"To what?"

The wizard, catching sight of them, flashed a gap-tooth grin and mumbled, "Lover's quarrel, how quaint."

Both of their faces erupted in flames quicker than matchsticks drenched in gasoline.

"We're not—" Blue scrambled to correct the wizard, but both he and his socks had disappeared down an alley.

Left alone with James and not capable of looking him in the eyes without bursting, Blue turned her attention skyward. A full moon and a handful of stars shone overhead.

"Look," said James, his voice unsteady, "shoving all that aside, I need to—" Sighing, he placed his hands on Blue's shoulders, and spun her around. "This is bloody tough enough without you ignoring me."

She shook her head. "I absolutely wasn't ignoring you. I was looking at the sky. See?" She pointed at the Owl post's roof. "That cluster of stars there? That's—"

"I'm sorry," James said. His eyes were surprisingly sincere behind his glasses. "I didn't think about what might happen to you—"

She kicked at the ground.

"Sorry," he added, slipping a hand in his back pocket. "Guess me and Malfoy got some things to work out."

"Seems like it."

Another beat of silence. Another spiced breeze blew between them. "Here." James thrust a white paper bag her way.

She blinked again, not understanding how James's movements could have grown so awkward and stunted in the last few hours.

"Chocolate chip cookies," he continued, looking in the direction of the pub. Laughter and light splashed onto the ground, each time a patron hobbled into the street. "The boring, non-biting kind."

"You mean—"

"Yep," he massaged the back of his neck, and grumbled, "Sugar. Flour. Chocolate. Butter. Total muggle cookies. No magic whatsoever."

"Why?"

His gaze flew to her face. "Why?" His shoulders stiffened. "Because you seemed to like them. I mean," he leaned in, his eyes, gleaming, "you still have a bit of chocolate on your cheek."

Mortified, Blue reached up and rubbed at her face.

James broke into a laugh. "Kidding," he said, and Blue felt her blood boil, but then, she felt the weight of the bag, and of James's kindness and she thought she'd let him get away with it, just this once.

"Thank you."

The slightest smile ghosted across his face. "You're welcome, Turner." He motioned in the direction of the train station. "Let's say we get back to Hogwarts, before McGonagall transfigures us into birds for being tardy."

Blue's eyebrows rose as she fell in step beside James. They strolled casually through the emptied Hogsmeade street, Blue more relaxed than she ever thought possible while being in the older boy's presence. "Would she really do that?"

"Yep," he nodded. "Have you ever eaten worms?" She shook her head. "It's bloody foul, and the taste doesn't leave your mouth for weeks. And then you get these urges - to preen yourself, you know? Even though you don't have a beak or feathers anymore. And suddenly, all eyes are on you and the Great Hall erupts into laughter and McGonagall blames you for all the hysteria."

"Sound as though you speak from experience." Blue closed her jacket around herself, the chilled night air cutting through her.

"Maybe." James shot her a crooked smile, and, after a long look, removed his jersey and tossed it over Blue's head. "If you're cold, say so."

She yanked it off her head, feeding the fabric between her fingers. It was soft and faded and smelled like wood polish and pine. She tried to give it back, but he walked faster, determined to make her accept his gesture. Finally, she pulled the jersey over her head, the residual heat from James's body blunting the cold. "Thank you."

"You thank me too much, Turner." He grinned and she returned it.

"I promise not to do it so much in the future."

James smirked deviously. "I'm notorious for getting girls to break their promises."

"Well, I promise not to be one of those girls." 

He nodded, his gaze as warm as a fire, when he looked down at her. "You're already not like those girls, Turner. I promise you that." 

She chuckled. "Why?" A gentle breeze whipped her hair into her eyes and prompted her to hug herself, "because I'm a Muggle who hears songs?"

 "That and--" He grew serious as he climbed the steps onto the station, one hand extended Blue's way. She glanced at him, backlit by lamplight, a dazzling smile on his face. For the first time, he seemed genuinely relaxed. "-- you see me." 

Blue had been stunned into silence. By the sincerity of his voice, the intensity in his eyes. Leaning forward, he grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the platform, a chuckle bursting from his throat. As she brushed past him, his breath caressed her neck, his darkly honeyed voice filling her head. "Now, don't go falling in love with me." 

She wrenched free of his touch, heat rushing to her cheeks. Throwing her arms defensively over her chest, she spat, "N-n-never!" 

James erupted at Blue's awkward response. "Come on," he said between outbursts of laughter, "if I keep you out too long, Rosie's going to hex me." 

Blue nodded, mindful to keep a safe distance between herself and James, the fire he had caused, one she was incapable of quelling. And so it was, blushing and flustered, her first trip to Hogsmeade came to an end, the journey not so bad, all things considered.