| Details for For the Love of Brunch |
| Summary: | Oscar, Erica and Violet enjoy breakfast together at the Leaky Cauldron |
| Date: | July 3rd, 1941 |
| Location: | The Leaky Cauldron, Diagon Alley |
| Related: | — |
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The Leaky Cauldron
Stepping into the Leaky Cauldron is a bit like standing in two places at once. As the doorway between Muggle and Wizarding London, this establishment strives to maintain a cheerful air of welcome and conviviality. Wooden surfaces are clean, brass is polished to a bright shine, and the smell of great food and even better beverages wafts through from the kitchen and behind the bar. The owners of this wizarding establishment have clearly gone to great lengths to create a hallowed neutral meeting place where politics are kept polite and fights are not permitted. However, despite all the enlightened neutrality, the technology and substance here is all Wizarding. There are floating candles and lanterns, wizarding beverages, wizarding food. There's a table or two of wizard's chess and an enchanted dart board up against the far wall that alternates colours and even shifts the bull's eye around.
Oscar is standing up at the bar, placing a rather lengthy order. He yawns massively into his fist. "Blood pudding to start," he says. "Fried tomatoes, bacon, sausages, potatoes, more bacon, some coffee.. and double the sausages too." He beams at the woman behind the counter, seeming to stand straighter today than usual — making him the largest person in the room, grown or not.
Turning away, missing the woman's returned smile, he carries his coffee to a corner table and eases himself down. Hum-hum-hum. His guitar-case rests against the table, and his best riding broom is propped up alongside that. "You got the..half-blood blues.." He croons it under his breath, smiling lopsidedly at really nothing in particular.
"Hiya!" There's no fuss or fanfare over the arrival of Erica. She just seems to materialise by the boy's shoulder and takes a seat opposite him without needing an invitation. With her blonde locks in loose finger-waves about her shoulders and a frankly adorable tea dress of baby blue and lace, she looks as pristine as ever, particularly against the rather drab backdrop of the Leaky Cauldron. Settling a prim little handbag off to one side atop the table, she crosses her legs at the knee and eyes the silverware. Force of habit. It looks clean enough, though. "Ready for a shopping spree, then?"
Raising her brown eyes to Oscar's far darker ones, the girl smiles cheerfully - a world away from the tearful mess of the end of term. Ahh, the difference it makes, being out of the path of Slyhterin bullies! "I'd like to get a new maintenance kit.."
Oscar half-rises to his feet as Erica drops into the chair across from him, smiling hugely at the sight of her. He drops back down once she's seated. "You look amazing, Erica. You're… you're glowing." Words usually reserved for pregnant moms, and therefore possibly entirely wrong in the circumstances, but they do apply. Erica really does seem so radiantly happy to be free of Hogwarts and Antonin.
"I'm always ready for a shopping spree with you," he adds cheerfully. Oscar just can't seem to turn off the flirt, even if he tries. "I need to pick up a Bludger, if I can afford it. I'm training this kid Lissie, and it'd really help to have a proper tool.." He trails off as his food is set before him. On three different plates.
The little blonde blushes a rosy pink at the compliment, though she's well enough used to the Beater's charismatic habits not to take them very seriously anymore. Besides.. according to rumour, she and Mateo Lovegood finally made things 'official'. Whatever that means. "My dad said he might be able to buy me a new broom by the time term starts again. Though, I told him to wait and see if I actually make Seeker, first. In the meantime, the old one could do with a good polish." Well, that's just highly unlikely. More accurate is probably that the young miss has just already used up all the wax and oil from her last kit.
"Lissie? Don't think I know her… is she planning to tr-.." Trailing off, Erica regards the buffet laid out between she and the taller Hufflepuff with wide eyes. "Merlin's Beard, Oscar. Bit peckish, are we?" Her laughter is a pleasant thing, a sound not often heard when she's at school, and freely offered as she reaches to steal a stray piece of bacon. With a fork. Because manners.
There's a familiar grind of stone on stone as the doorway from Diagon Alley opens in the back of the Cauldron, and in steps a young witch, apparently dressed in her Sunday Best robes. Violet's hair is brushed to gleaming, held back by a ribbon matching the purple swirls of the robe's fabric, and her shoes scuff lightly on the floor as she steps into the establishment. She looks around, blinking her eyes to adjust to the change in light, standing to the side and squinting for a minute.
"I'm always hungry lately," answers Oscar. It's half a complaint, half a reply. He's already devouring his blood pudding, skewering it with his fork and just nibbling his way through it. He pauses to swallow and to say, "You eat bacon with a fork? Really?" But the ribbing is perfectly friendly, and has the tone of a long-standing joke.
More seriously, he adds "You're going to make Seeker. Even if you weren't the best Seeker we have, there's no way Mateo or I would let you miss the chance." He swallows a mouthful of potatoes. "Your broom is immaculate, Erica. But I owe you some new cleaning solution, and I've been working on something.." A pause as he leans down to shuffle through his pack. "Where'd I put it? Oh. Oh! Did I leave it at home?" Honest distress. And then, "Here it is!" He produces a glass spray bottle and proudly mounts it atop the table.
And at that moment, the door opens and Oscar turns to look, his smile broadening. "Hey, it's Violet. See? Violet Urquart, from Ravenclaw." He half-rises again. "Hey, Violet!" And then, under his breath to Erica, "She has dishy eyes."
"Well, I don't want grease on my fingers, do I!" Honestly, dooesn't he know her but at all? Popping the speared morsel into her mouth, though, Erica chews with great satisfaction and even a sigh of pleasure to accompany. Fresh-cooked bacon on a Sunday morning. Can't beat it.
Arching a brow, Erica offers a genial smile for the compliment to her broom because yes.. it is immaculate. But the mention of cleaning and such snares her attention even more thoroughly, and she watches Oscar curiously as he rummages in his backpack. What could it be? Is there some new product out that she hasn't heard of? Because.. that would be a first. When the surprise is revealed, however, to be a perfectly normal spray bottle, all expression initially drains from the blonde's features.
She stares at it mutely for a long moment.
And then she's grinning, broadly, across at the boy. "Aww, Oz.. you didn't have to do that.." With his attention briefly drawn away, she picks up the spritzer and turns it over gently in her hands, still smiling awfully warmly. Gosh, easy pleased, isn't she? Prompted, though, she follows his gaze toward thhe hesitant newcomer, brightening a touch and waving toward the other Fifth Year, invitingly. Plenty room at this corner table for more!
Surprised to hear her name, but thankfully with her eyes adjusted to the lower light, Violet looks around. Her beaming smile pops onto her face as she spies two fellow students! The wave of invitation brings the Ravenclaw over to the pair. "Hallo! Braw day, don't ya think?" She knows Erica better than Oscar, having shared classes, but the greeting is equally to both. The spread on the table is eyed cheerfully. "Not half hungry, are ya? Do they have food left? I was thinking of getting something while Mum's shoppin'." Her joking is easy and light, and she sways slightly as she looks down at the sitting housemates.
"Well. It may not work as well as the other one, but I tried my hardest. I've been working on it since I promised you…" Oscar looks a little nervous now, squinting at the spray bottle. "The first one I tried ate the finish off my da's dining table. He wasn't half angry. But this one should be milder." He goes back to eating, slicing into that fried tomato and sending a seed sprinting across his plate.
With his mouth full, he tells Violet, "Haffaseat." And then he smiles, grinning up at her, his head canted slightly to one side. He swallows. "It's a braw day indeed." Oscar is, possibly, the only male who can mimic an accent without sounding like a git. The burr brings a smile to his face, warm, but slightly distant. He goes back to eating, humming in the back of his throat.
Nodding agreeably in regard to the pleasant day it's turning out to be, outside, Erica remains otherwise quiet to listen to the tale of woe from her housemate; unable to suppress a chuckle by the end. "Oh no! Well, I'll certainly try it out. Just err… maybe not on anything valuable, to begin with, hm?" A moment's pause and she adds, far more softly, "..thank you." The warm glance if full of genuine appreciation for the gesture.
Wow, Oscar. Way to one-up a girl's boyfriend. Smooth.
Shifting her gaze to Violet, still cradling the new bottle in her lap, the petite blonde echoes the invitation, rather more properly. "Yes, do have a seat, Violet! Not shopping for anything fun, today? We're off to the Quidditch shop after breakfast."
"Ta!" Violet chirps brightly to the invitations, and she sidles around to plop down by Erica. "New cleanin' potion?" she asks with a nod to the treasured spray bottle in the other girl's lap. Yes, Erica is very well known for her cleaning ways. A server bounces by almost immediately, and Violet requests a bacon buttie and cup of pumpkin juice before her attention is back on the Hufflepuffs. "Mum's in getting new robes fitted; sent me down here so I wouldn't die of boredom," she says cheerily. "What're lookin' t'find in the Quidditch shop then?"
"I know how important it was," Oscar replies softly, reaching over to pat Erica's forearm with his free hand. And then, the moment passing, back to eating. Snarf. He seems to inhale the half-rasher of bacon. If his intent was to one-up poor Mateo Lovegood, it doesn't show. It's one of those rare moments where Oscar is more successful by simply…being himself.
He turns his attention to Violet, offering a winning smile. "You're not a big robes shopper, then? My mother is obsessed with clothes. Whenever Da gives her a few extra pounds, she goes down to Harrod's and spends the whole day.." A revealing comment, showing his half-blood heritage. And then he answers the question. "I'm after a Bludger, myself. Erica thinks she needs to polish her broom until it disappears in a bright gleam of perfection."
"Yes.. and new bottle." Erica lowers her eyes to the gift with that smile still lingering. "..a horrible Slytherin smashed mine. Same one that tried to wreck Oz's guitar." The recollection shadows her expression for a moment, as she looks up and across at the older boy. Wait, hang on. He said something nice about Violet's eyes. The blonde sweeps her gaze that way, rather blatantly examining the Ravenclaw's features. "Oh. You do have nice eyes." Way to drop him in it. But it's entirely innocent, going by that returned smile.
Looking up at the server before she bounces off again, Erica quietly orders a cup of tea and some eggy bread, then busies herself carefully stowing away the bottle in her prim little handbag, leaving it again to one side atop the table. But now she props her elbows and steeples her fingers, content to observe the interaction between the other two and nodding in assent when Oscar answers for the both of them. There's nothing wrong with liking things done nicely!
Violet gives the other girl's gift and appreciative once over. Even if she herself only sees a spray bottle, she does nothing to demean it in the eyes of Erica. Speaking of, the girl's comment has Violet blinking again, as it comes rather out of left field. "Ta! That's such a lovely thing t'say." Genuinely pleased, having no clue that it originated as an aside from Oscar, Violet smoothes her robes and looks across to the boy. "I'm fair surprised it's not done already," she grins with a lean and a gentle nudge against Erica's shoulder. "Goin' t'be practisin' over the summer then? Will ya be goin' t'Quidditch camp as well?" Probably a very silly question.
"I've been practicing almost every day, with cricket balls. But it'll be ever-so-much easier with a real Bludger. And I've been saving what my da's been paying me, except for one night out in Hogsmeade." Oscar goes a deep brick color as Erica pays a compliment to Violet's eyes, shooting her a reproachful look. But, oh, see, he gets away with it scot-free! Relaxing, the large Hufflepuff finishes off the very last of his sausages and begins to stack his plates.
He looks over at Erica, head tilting for a moment. When he speaks, his voice has a stern note to it that's rarely heard. Almost a growl. From the gentle giant, it's more than surprising. "Antonin Dolohov will get what he deserves for what he did." And then, just as quickly, the anger dissipates. "But not today. Eat up, slow-poke. We need to get you some polish!"
"Well, at least I don't use mine to actually sweep." counters the blonde, though she takes the teasing from both of her companions in good humour, chuckling softly. Yes, yes, let's all make fun of the one who likes things clean! Won't be that when their robes are all grubby and they can't see through their fingerprinty spectacles!
Nodding at Violet cheerfully, she ignores that look from Oscar in favour of answering. "Absolutely. If Dad can manage without me for a week. Admittedly he's less busy now, what with the price of petrol.." And then she, too, halts herself, momentarily meeting the boy's glance in a splitsecond of Half-blood solidarity. It's the exact moment he starts growling and muttering about that Slytherin boy, too. She reaches one of her hands across to squeeze his forearm with her fingers, smiling a little in reassurance. "Don't let him spoil such a nice day.." Oh, then he goes and ruins it. "I'm not slow, they haven't even brought.."
As if on cue, the server returns, precariously balancing both her and Violet's plates before setting them down before the girls. "Oh. Erm, thanks. Thank you." Brilliant timing.
A light frown darkens Violet's face as she picks up finally on talk of a mean Slytherin boy. Although, that's not exactly a new conversation from many fronts. "I think I've seen him," she offers. "Sulky lookin' sort." Still, in their highly infrequent interactions, she's been as pleasant to him as she's been to anyone, even Slytherins. "It's a shame them can't just get along with others." She's a pureblood and you don't see her getting all judgy mcjudgerson on those that aren't. But, that's why she's not in Slytherin house. The unpleasant side of the conversation is flagged away with a wave of Violet's hand that almost upsets the plates the server brings. "He's no mat…. oh! Beg pardon!" Her hands are tucked away immediately, before they can do real damage, until the plates and cups are set safely on the table. There's an embarrassed flush in her cheeks, and she reaches (once it's safe) for her sandwich.
"I'm sorry, Erica. I shouldn't tease you so much." Oscar does look sorry, particularly when Erica's hand leaves his forearm. Just for a moment, his features are perfectly puppy-dog, begging for forgiveness. And then he says, quietly, "You're coming to Quidditch Camp. Your da'll want you to come." Certainty in his voice.
After another look to Erica, he turns toward Violet and his features light up in an amused grin as he watches her try not to knock plates to the floor. To the server, he says "More coffee, ma'am? Ta." He leans back in his seat contentedly, smiling from one girl to another. Really, the big lad couldn't have planned this day better. "He does look sulky, doesn't he? Like he ate an earwax-flavored Bean."
Violet's chagrin only lasts a moment, the distraction of conversation immediately clearing it from her mind. "Or grass," she suggests, citing her own least favourite flavour. There's a soft giggle, but she does add. "Still, it'd be nice to see that lot actually smiling without meanin' someone harm sometime. Best just to steer clear." She herself has no problem doing that, being mostly somewhere there's water and no bullies. And her blood heritage does garner her beneath their note. If they don't have a reason to bully and you aren't a Slytherin, it's safe to think you just don't exist to them.
Oscar sips his fresh coffee, smiling down at the tabletop for a long moment. There's some rather pleasant image surfing behind his eyes, riding there on the surface. Perhaps he's imagining Antonin after having eaten handfuls of grass. "It'd be nice, but I've given up hope. Anyway! What're your plans for the summer, Violet? Coming to Quidditch Camp? It's going to be excellent." He grins again, his good humor consuming the whole of his face. It's hard for Oscar to be downcast for long, it seems. "We're really going to show people what Hufflepuff can do. Oh. And er, Ravenclaw. Of course."
"If you didn't tease me, Oscar Foxhall, we'd never converse." Erica doesn't seem put out by this. He's used to teasing and she's used to being the butt of jokes. Just the way te world works, innit? "But yes, I'm really hoping he'll let me go." There's a flicker of real excitement, beneath her attempts at more mature poise. Quidditch! Yay!
Picking up her cutlery, the blonde begins delicately cutting her eggy bread into next, bite-sized squares, snickering quietly as the others discuss the sad state of Dolohov's face. "Like a bulldog chewing a wasp, my dad would say." Sprinkling a little salt and pepper over her breakfast, she gets stuck in about it, chewing for a good minute or so before offering another cheery response. Sunshine and sweeties, this pair, aren't they? "I do try to stay out of his way.. maybe he'll have eased up after the holidays. I think he was mostly mad about me and Oscar sticking up for each other. Slytherins don't quite seem to grasp the concept." Smiling around her next mouthful, she nods in vehement agreement with Oscar. Go, Hufflepuff! And er, Ravenclaw.
It's easy for Violet to put the Slytherin meanness out of mind, not being so much a victim of it, and she's at once caught by the enthusiasm of the other two for Quidditch camp. Except, "Oh no, not Quidditch camp for me. I'll be off t'Creature Camp later this summer." Of course, the mere thought of it makes her eyes shine with excitement. "But it should be brilliant fun, I've heard tales of those that went last year, an' th'year before that. All sorts of games an' all, innit?" She reaches out, much less delicately than Erica, and wraps her hands around her bacon buttie, taking a large, satisfying bite from it.
"All sorts of games. Pickpocketing, and Quod, and drills for Beaters like me, and things exploding, and.. Oh, it's amazing. You really ought to come, Violet! Creature camp will always be there!" Oscar beams over at the Scottish girl, admiring her healthy attitude toward food. Not like some he could mention, who must first dissect their meals before eating.
He grins over at Erica. "And Erica's going to be the first-ever Seeker to win every single task. Every. Single. one." He really does seem to beam sunshine and rainbows, doesn't he? "I hear there's even going to be talent scouts there. Hey, did you two hear about Brody Iolar? He made Puddlemere United!"
Nodding, nodding. Erica's head is at risk of bobbling off if she's not careful. But it's the best answer she can give, whilst chewing. A lady does not speak with her mouth full! Also, fair's fair. Swallowing, pausing to let Oscar answer first, the girl then offers her own enquiry. After all, they've been gabbing away non-stop about their own affairs long enough.
"What exactly does Creature Camp entail, then?" Noting Violet's obvious warmth for the topic, the blonde smiles encouragingly. It's really not her area of expertise, and she quite prudently avoided taking the elective class. Dirt. Smell. Ooze. Ugh. No, thank you. But if Urquart finds it interesting, it's only polite to ask her about it! "I can't imagine there's quite such a focus on games, there. More intellectual, is it?"
Flitting a look across the table at Oscar, Erica grins slightly. "Oh, no pressure then. Thanks for that." Waving a speared piece of bread at him with her fork in gentle 'finger-wagging' reproach, she then pops it into her mouth and chews.. and nods again when her friend mentions the recent graduate. Lucky boy.
Violet is only too happy to agree with Oscar on his assessment of Erica's future camp achievements. "Will there be trophies? We'll have t'see ya with all of them, Erica, maybe get a nice photograph. I b'lieve Missus Moody's husband takes photographs for th'paper, maybe he'll be there t'take snaps of everyone. That'd be lovely t'have t'remember the camp." She's a Ravenclaw, of course she knows things about the Hogwarts librarians.
The Urquart does mind her manners enough to not talk with her mouth full, although she does tend to indicate, sometimes alarmingly, with the sandwich in her hand. "Creature Camp is brilliant. We get t'spend time takin' care of th'animals on the Fawley Farm an' all. Land animals," she adds, which is a treat for her since most of her job at home is taking care of water animals. She loves them to pieces, but it's nice to learn about other animals as well. "Ranger Fawley always has puffskeins around, they're so cute and fluffy."
"Puffskeins are fun to play with," concedes Oscar. Seeing Violet's excitement — and perhaps picking up on Erica's cue — he presses the question with a smile. "I dunno much about creatures, though. I mean, just what I learned in class. What other sorts of creatures are you going to be working with? Do you get to work with, like, hippogriffs and all that?"
He drains his coffee, slurping rather indelicately and wiping his chin with the back of his hand. "And with kneazles? I do love kneazles." Of course he does. "But not knuts. They, er. Don't like me very much." Half-breed and all that. "They keep biting me." Absently reaching down, he rubs at his calf.
"And no, Erica. No pressure at all. Because you're going to do it without even trying." He has such faith, or seems to. Leaning back in his seat, threading his hands across his stomach, he says "And I'm going to trounce all the other Beaters, of course."
Forgetting her manners a bit, Violet isn't quite finished with her most recent bite, but she's too excited to notice at the questions. "I don't think there'll be a hippogriff this year," she states. Then remembers to swallow, and does so with a gulp. "But there will be a winged horse, and some time with the merpeople in Black Lake." So it's not all land animals. "You're much better with plants," is noted at Oscar. Being one with a black thumb herself, she's noticed Oscar's gift with plants, completely contrary to her own skills. "I'm not much of a Quidditch player, at any rate, but I'll look forward to all the stories that come back t'school."
"Well, it's in the family, innit?" A typical Hufflepuff, Oscar tries to dismiss his talent quickly, blushing a bit at the compliment. "Merpeople, eh?" Safer subject — sticking to things that don't much affect him. "I hear that they've got a wicked temper on them. How do they live down in the Lake, do you think? Isn't it.. well, isn't it cold?" He shrugs his shoulders helplessly, clearly out of his depth. "Hey, when you're down there, though, could you keep an eye out for any interesting plants?"
Haha, she made him blush. Erica observes this with wry amusement as she glances up and between the pair, for the moment still intent upon finishing her breakfast. There's shopping to be done, after all! She reaches for her milky tea, taking a contented sip now that it's suitably cooled.
Violet's head bobbles in an enthusiastic nod, knowing full well of talents that run in families. "Och," comes out lightly, "They're not so bad if ya ken how t'deal with 'em. It's fair cold down there, but they never seem t'notice it. Like fishes, in some ways." Although if they were to hear her make the comparison, it's likely their temper would come to the fore. She grins at the request the boy makes, "Might not be th'best if I were t'touch 'em, they'd all up an' die. But I'll look an' let ya know." Another huge bite of her sandwich is taken, before a glance over to Erica, so dainty and proper, and she wishes it'd been a more respectable bite. Ah well, she shrugs mentally, not everyone is brought into the world bein' proper, but maybe she'll learn a bit from the Hufflepuff girl in time.
"It's not so hard, really, Violet. Just make sure you take them up by the roots so they can be replanted. And make sure you remember to fetch some of the Lake water with them. And some of the soil they're found in." Oscar smiles easily, looking over at Erica as she finishes her meal, then back at Violet at the huge bite. "You two're perfect for each other." He smirks hugely, reaching up to rake dark hair off his forehead. "Hey, if you two are about finished, we ought to really get to the Quidditch Supply Store. There's gonna be a lot of kids in there today." He loads 'kids' down with all the scorn of a boy who wants to be a man.