a light lunch

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy sat down at the house table and smiled at the few people that were there before her. She didn't have much of an appetite which bothered her greatly as she always loved her food, it was ever since this ridiculous mess with Bruin that she had simply been too distracted to bother with it. She reached across and took a baguette and slicing it open proceeded to fill it with tuna and red onions and cheese. She poured herself a drink of water and tucked in with relish as if she had missed food so terribly much. About to take another bite, an owl flew overhead. Not wanting to get close to her but needing to deliver its letter. Eventually the owl simply dropped it and flew off again.

Andy caught it just as it was about to land into a bowl of mayonaisse. 'Nice drop' she muttered as she opened it, recognising the writing immediately. She felt bad as the last time she had seen Essie, she had simply sent her on her way. Andy had not even written to her since, the thought of writing anything relating to Patrick had just been too much. She leaned her elbows on the table reading the letter.

 

[Esmerelda Smickett]

My Darling child,

I am sorry for not writing to you sooner to see how you have been coping. Harrison has filled me in of course but I so wish I was able to be there for you myself. I have spent most of the past few months back and forth to Ireland and at the ministry for magic.

There is an investigation into your uncles death. I needed to be the one to tell you. A small piece appeared in one of the papers but when the ministry are finished with it, there will be fierce write ups I'd imagine. Especially back in Ireland and England. The muggle newspapers back in Cork carried an obituary but that was all.

Please come back to The Gables for Christmas, Harrison will be there as well so it will be a nice gathering. I think you should, please don't stay at the school. I would love to have you home.

My love
Essie

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy read until her eyes almost burned a hole in the parchment, luckily for her she had no lazer beams that could shoot out of her eyeballs. She had gone right off the delicious baguette that was infront of her. So they had done an autopsy, Andy was reading up every single medical book magical and muggle that she could get her hands on. There were quite a few chapters dedicated to the subject and part had emphasised that in mysterious or unexplained deaths, the hospital always carried out an autopsy. She wondered if Esmerelda now knew the cause of her uncles death, she knew for certain that she didn't want to know herself. Not just yet, maybe someday when it all wasn't still so fresh and painful.

Bruin had thankfully been distracting her thoughts from going back constantly to Patrick but now she couldn't help herself. She did not mind the sadness that flowed over her, it was necessary she knew that now. If the ministry were looking into his death though, that could only mean that someone had killed him. That he hadn't died naturally or had an accident. Wondering how her family back in Ireland were handling it all, Andy rolled up the parchment and stared into the glass of water in front of her.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries was passing the Gryffindor table when he spotted Andromeda with a smile he sat down beside her.
"You are never going to believe what Harrison wrote and told me?" he grinned, he seriously couldn't believe their friend sometimes. Shaking his head he stretched his long legs out into the aisle and leaned his elbows back onto the table looking all relaxed though the studying for his OWLs had him up most nights.
"He says he is going to be gay now. You've blown him out, will have nothing to do with him that way so he's going to try his hand at boys and I'm to watch out apparently or Violet is anyway" he laughed at how daft Harrison had sounded but Aries had expected something from his bestfriend regarding Andy. He certainly didn't expect this turn of events though. The boy had discovered Andy was no longer the skinny tomboy they had all mucked about with, treated as one of the boys and thought of as their kid sister. Harrison had been blown away by her transformation into the young woman beside him but Andy had nicely put him in his place, reassuring Harrison that he was always going to be 'her big brother'. He could still see the look of horror on Harrisons face. Turning to look now at Andy he noticed she was awfully quiet.
"What's up kiddo?"

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Aries was like a member of the family or Esmerelda's family anyhow so Andy passed him the parchment.
"He was killed, I guess when I go back at Christmas she'll give me all the details then I don't know. I don't think I want to know" she sighed and turned about in the seat so she was facing away from the table as Aries was. Stretching her own long limbs out infront of her Andy gazed up and down the great hall. Was it really nearly three months since she had shut herself up in here to trash the place? An image of herself crying and Bruin holding her flashed into her mind. Of her muttering to her uncle not to leave her but Bruin answering her instead. Andy gasped, why were these images haunting her now?

She turned to Aries grateful that he had given her a change of subject.
"Harrison is going to be gay? What does that mean?" Andy's world was sheltered enough at the best of time growing up and though she was extensively travelled now, she was still very innocent and niave on lots of things.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries leaned across and nudged her sympathetically. He felt bad for her, he really did. If anyone could use one of those felix felicise potions it was Andy. Wondering what his chances were of successfully brewing one outside of class, Aries thought it was worth a consideration. He decided to write to Harrison to see if he could make an attempt his end.
Once he had read the parchment, he passed it back to her.
"Well there's an investigation into it so at least you'll be able to find closure with that" he hoped that was the right thing to say and smiled at her question.
"You don't get out much at all do you? It means that a boy likes a boy or a girl likes a girl instead of a boy liking a girl and vice versa. You seriously don't know this stuff?"

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy thought about what Aries said about closure and wondered if anyone really ever got that when a loved one died. Maybe they did, she didn't know. She smiled at him though not being able to say anything else on the matter.
When he told her about what being gay was she frowned. She couldn't recall ever knowing any boy to like another boy that way or a girl to like a girl that way. It sounded strange and totally new to her and yet it so obviously wasn't new at all.
"So Harrison wants to like boys now? Because of me?" this sounded utterly daft in her opinion, "He doesn't even really like me like that, he just thinks he does. It's more momentary lust on his part, he'll get over it but I'd warn Violet alright just incase".

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries laughed and nudged her playfully.
"He was pretty besotted by you at the Brightstone weekend, he really wasn't expecting" Aries waved a hand up and down her, frowning a little trying to get the right words out.
"I think he's the type who'll experiment with either side until he finds one he's comfortable with. You just knocked him for six is all and don't you worry, Violet has nothing to be worried about. Especially from Harrison".

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy shook her head smiling.
"Can I ask you something Aries? something kind of personal I guess" she eyed him specutively, the relationship between herself and Aries had blossomed since his arrival here. She also saw him now as a friend, not as close as herself and Harrison but that was only to be expected really.
But Harrison wasn't here and Aries was and she wasn't talking to Brian anymore so she couldn't ask him. The only other boys she knew were her other class mates but she didn't think talking to them about heart to heart stuff would really be appreciated.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries should have been weary straight away but simply shrugged and nodded his head.
"Sure fire away" he smiled, girls didn't often if ever to be exact ask him something of the like. He knew they had become really good friends but still all the same hoped it wasn't really personal.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy groaned this was a bit embarressing but she needed to ask and she seriously couldn't think of anyone else, she most certyainly couldn't pester Alex with another doze of herself, so Aries was her only option.
"Can you dance?" she asked him, "I don't mean jumping about like a lunatic but real dancing like the Wizarding waltz, the Thestral two step, the Hippogrif Hop, the Sienna slide.."
She looked at him hopefully.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries wasn't sure what exactly she had been about to ask him but if he could dance certainly hadn't been it. He looked at her quizzically wondering if someone had asked her to the Yule Ball or something, he wouldn't be surprised in the slightest.
"Sure I can, dance class 101 back at Durm" he grinned at her, "I have naturally dancing feet. Why? Don't tell me you can't dance?"
He swivelled around on the bench to look at her, she always gave the air that she could do just about anything or maybe he simply presumed she could.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy looked ready to clobber him for a moment but thought better of it, instead she simply stuck her tongue out instead.
"I can dance sort of just not any of the formal dances. Would you teach me?" she smiled and batted her eyelashes unconvincingly at him then settled for blackmail in case that didn't work, "I'll tell Harrison you're giving up Violet for him".

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries laughed and nudged her playfully.
"You don't have to resort to those type of tactics, of course I'll teach you. When do you want to start?" he thought he'd better say something to Violet about this just incase she came across himself and Andy arm in arm or cheek to cheek. She trusted him of course but if the gossip magazine got wind of the two of them dancing, who knew how they would blow it out of proportion.

 

[Andromeda Fiorelli]

Andy leaped up from the table utterly grateful, she flung her arms about Aries and gave him a quick peck on the forehead.
"You are brilliant, thank you. Violet is so lucky to have you. Really" she grinned releasing him "How about next week, same time but we can use the North Tower. The heat will have stopped people from using it anyway. Thanks Aries. I've gotta run now but thank you so much."

She was beaming from ear to ear now as she waved to him before running off with her letter in her hand.

 

[Aries Centauri]

Aries stood up and made his way over to the Ravenclaw table at last. Smiling at having done his good deed for the day.