Where it almost began

Andrew sat at the Three Broomsticks by himself. He held a mug filled with butterbeer inside, the contents bubbling softly as it continued to stay warm. He wasn't in the greatest of all moods at that moment and wondered why he came out here in the first place. This should've been the last place he wanted to go to, yet here he was.

He toke a drink of the butterbeer, enjoying the warm contents that moved its way down into his stomach. Now he remembered. Whenever he was down or something, he always came here or to Honeydukes for a butterbeer. Once again, Honeydukes was closed, so he decided to come here and purchase a few to keep himself awake.

He had not spoke with Nerissa in a while. In fact, they had not spoken for a long time. She wanted to leave for new places to help get her mind off things and he wanted to stay in England in order to complete his studies at Hogwarts. So he stayed while she left him behind.

He toke another drink, this time longer, and set the mug onto the table. He wasn't sad or anything, but rather just lost in his thoughts. He thought that he and Nerissa would be together for a long time, and suddenly it was over just like that. In just one decision. He toke one more drink, noticing that the mug was almost empty now.

Hogwarts, what place was better? And how could it not be amazing? It was her home now! Sure, she lived with Sophia, but was that really home? It was where she lived for a spell, before she went back and found her own apartment, and she knew she needed to soon. But right now, she was enjoying Hogsmeade, she had been staying here for quite some time, living under the shadow of the magnificent castle she called home, well almost her home, what she wouldn't give to continue living there, even after graduation, it would be nice, being able to call Hogwarts her true home.

It was nice out, but Chase was cold, she got cold easily, especially in the clothes she wore, short shorts and a tank top usually, only today she wore a black leather jacket over her tank top. She hadn't worn it for a while, and she liked how it felt on her arms, so she had worn it today. Good thing too, she was always cold, and got tired of borrowing other people's jackets.. especially if they were boy's jackets, and the boy she was borrowing it from, was taken by someone else. Walking into the Three Broomsticks she glanced around, and not seeing anyone she went to the counter and got a butterbeer.

Spinning around she looked around again, this time taking in faces, but not seeing anyone, she started towards a table in the corner. Making her way towards the corner, she knocked into a goblin on the way over there, and apologizing profusely, she backed up, right into Andrew's table. "Oh!" She squeaked again, and spun around. "I'm sorry! Oh! Andrew! Hey! I didn't see that you were here! Mind if I join you!" She said, glancing behind at the trail of unhappy people she had left behind. "I'm kinda clumsy today.." She said sitting heavily in the seat across from him. "What's wrong? You look upset!" She said examining his face carefully, as though it could reveal all hidden things.

Andrew began tapping his foot silently when he was starting to get bored sitting by himself. He hadn't even heard Chase enter the small pub until she knocked into his table, nearly throwing his mug off to the floor where it would meet its doom. He was about ready to chew the persons face off for doing such a thing but noticed that it was Chase.

Chase. He had forgotten about her. He remembered the past few days ago when he had kissed her and regretted it because he was dating Nerissa. Now there was nothing holding him back now, but would want to at least let her know. "It's alright," he said in his regular voice, which seemed to be lacking the fun and happiness that was usually contained inside.

He looked back at Chase with his regular face when she asked what was wrong. He pushed his butterbeer near to the center of the table, in case anything were to happen, and then spoke in a soft voice. "Well my girlfriend and I broke up," he said keeping his voice to pretty much the average speaking voice yet a little softer so others couldn't hear. "she broke up with me after I refused to leave London with her. So we just drifted apart until we both said that it wouldn't work out. So now I'm as free as a bird"

Chase watched him carefully, and when he said he has broken up with his girlfriend, two things happened at the same time that left her head dizzy. First, her heart soared, right into her throat, and she could have sang right there and then, danced with delight and happiness. But then the second thing happened, her stomach plummeted to her feet. A dark dreadful sensation. He was hurt, and sad, and lonely, and single.... Chase reached out, and almost knocking his glass over, but managing to catch it quickly, she blushed hard, and put her hand on top of his. "Why did she want to leave London?" She asked tilting her head to the side, staring at him. "I mean.. a while back you guys were so very much together, there wasn't even a hint of you guys breaking up.. oh no! Did she find out? I swear I didn't tell a soul!" She said her hand, that had been on his, flew up to her mouth and she stared at him, her fingers touching her lips.

"I'm so sorry Andrew.. I wish I could help you out somehow.." She said softly, biting her lip, her heart was lost in endless soaring, now she couldn't feel bad for flirting with him.. and maybe.. maybe there were more kisses involved for her, another stroll along the beach, but this time at sunset, and more of a romantic stroll, not a run for your life, fall, and hurt herself on the sand again. She looked at him carefully and then looked around for the waitress. "Another butterbeer please." She said, and in a matter of minutes, the lady was back with a steaming mug of butterbeer. She pushed it across the table to Andrew. "You look like you need a little happiness right now.." She said leaning forward and smiling at him. "But this time you have to tell me the truth, what do you taste?" She asked smiling.

Chase had always figured, if you were sad, think of something else, it usually helped her, so if she distracted herself enough, any sad situation didn't seem as sad as before. Of course, she had gone into a depression spiral after her family had been murdered, but she had managed to smile again, and here she was a few weeks later, smiling and happy, sitting across from Andrew, trying to make HIM feel better. It made her heart go down a little bit from the soaring sensation, and she smiled at him, resting her elbows on the table and cupping her face in her hands.

Andrew raised an eyebrow slightly as she began to talk. She seemed to be elated by the news, something that he had expected from the moment he saw her. He figured that now he could be something more with Chase...something that had not bothered him but made him think since the incident back at the beach. It was as if he were put into a trance back when they were there, and it felt good.

"No she didn't find out," he said softly looking into her eyes, his facial expressions still teh same, but his skin seemed to glow a little bit brighter now after seeing her expressions go from normal to practically fluttering now. It made him feel a bit better actually. "She left because of what Ne'Os had done to her. She wanted to get away from the problems, everything. So I let her go. And that was that."

Almost before he could finisht he sentence, he had a new mug of butterbeer in front of him. He blinked a couple of times as he listened to Chase, almost wondering what she was thinking. He nodded, and grabbed the handle of the cup and toke a short sip of the drink. After a moment of seeing many different images, he set the cup back down and put his head on his left hand, using it like a headrest.

"I see," he began thinking heavily about it "quidditch, my friends, the beach...and you." He had always thought that him and her could go well together if they were to ever date. After all, they had a lot in common that most people didn't have with Andrew. Now that other relationships were out of the way, maybe now he could try to find something with Chase. And see how far it went.

Chase could feel her heart pounding now. He was drinking the butterbeer, and thinking hard, and then he spoke, and her heart leaped into her throat again, only this time a bit unpleasantly. Quidditch.. his friends.. the beach? And.. Her whole face turned deep red and she looked up at him. Okay, no, no Chase! He is still grieving his last girlfriend! You don't want to be a rebound do you! No I didn't think so! So get your head out of the clouds, and get the hell out of there! You don't need him, you don't need him.. Why did her mind always have to yell at her? That's all it ever did, you don't need him, stop it, right now leave his presence, he's rebounding, don't take it seriously. But then the image of them on the beach together, that hadn't been a rebound, in fact, he had still been happily with his girlfriend during that, and hadn't even realized what had happened.

She glanced at him carefully, and looked back down at her hands. "Hey Andrew.." She said suddenly, glancing up at him. "Think there are any more mutant bears waiting up by the Shrieking Shack? I was thinking about going and tackling a few of them by myself.. ya know.. entertainment purposes..." She said making this up as she went along. He liked Danger, he liked adventure, she knew this from MANY different experiences, and she smiled slightly, pulling out her wand and twirling it in her fingers happily. "Wanna come along?" She batted her eyelashes at him. "Might get your mind off of.. your problems, I always find that helps me.. if you just, distract yourself thoroughly enough... the problems disappear, it's like, real pain, ya know? Hit your head, and then get really immersed in something, and then, the pain is gone, and you forgot you hit your head.." She said glancing at him. "If there are no bears.. wanna.. wanna.." She faltered, what else was there to do up by the Shrieking Shack?

"wanna sneak into the Shrieking Shack with me?!" She asked her eyes wide, her smile big. What was WRONG With her! Trying to get him to come with her by tempting him with dangerous and difficult tasks, tasks she wouldn't have DARED to do before, but now she was trying to get him to play along, trying to get him to see that she was right there, in front of him, everything he could ever want. At least, that's what she hoped she was. Though, he probably actually hated her, thought she was stupid, disgusting, a mark upon his life. But.. he had said.. the beach... and her, she had made him happy, and her heart soared again, her cheeks going pink.

Andrew almost regretted saying what he had said. What if she thought that he was some sort of freak or something like that? She would probably just go 'oh' and then get up and leave him to his butterbeer. That was probably what was going to happen and wondered if he deserved it or not. But she did. She actually looked flustered for a second and blinked, wondering if he had said something right.

Then his thoughts finally kicked in as she said that she wanted to go hunt the bears? Obviously that was something the Chase he knew wouldn't say. He was confused for a moment, maybe even a little concerned at the fact she would go and risk her life, just to make him feel better. When she started on her last words, his eyes became wide and large.

She wanted to sneak into the Shrieking Shack. That was the key that unlocked the final thought in his brain. She wanted to be up there alone with him. He smiled and nodded saying "Sure, I'd love to." Now he knew he still had a chance with her. Something he hadn't had before and now have the chance of grabbing. If he had to, he would grab with all his might. "Want to head there now?" he asked, wondering if that was a useless question to ask or not.

"hmm..." Chase ran her finger along a knot in the wood of the table, her face stuck in a phase of red so deep she had a hard time believing it would ever come off again. He wanted to go up with her! Her mind was racing. Would this work out? He was a year younger, but, only a year... her heart was fluttering in her chest, and she pretended to think deeply. "Nah," She said suddenly her eyes alight as she looked up at him. She stretched in a leisurely way, and smiled at him, flicking some of her hair out of her face. "You just got your butterbeer, and I just got my butterbeer, lets finish these first, I want to feel the happiness in me." She said laughing softly and taking a drink, the froth on the top sticking to her upper lip.

Wiping her mouth she looked up at him and then stuck her tongue out at him. "So why are you in Hogsmeade anyway? I mean, it's kind of an unusual place to go after well.. what happened." She said trying not to be to blunt, and failing pretty miserably. She tapped her fingers on the table to a beat only she could hear in her head, and smiled at him lightly, a strand of hair falling into her face but she didn't bother to move it. She bit her lower lip and took another drink of her butterbeer, taking to big of a gulp she coughed and put her arm over her mouth to prevent any from flying at him. That would be just great, finally realize a guy she really liked was single, only to spray him with butterbeer. Luckily her arm prevented it from hitting him or the table, and she quickly grabbed a napkin and wiped off her arm, her face scarlet. "To big of a drink..." She muttered keeping her eyes lowered. Now he probably thought she was gross and would never want to see her again. She kept her eyes lowered afraid to look at him.

Andrew felt a little disappointment when she deined heading up there for the moment. He slowed down his process of thought in order to get a firm hold onto reality. The signs were there after all. He figured that she would be inviting Andrew up to the Shrieking Shack to just be alone and maybe discuss something about going out. Yet she probably just wanted to go and see it after all. She always did think that someone should try to refurbish the place, so it was probably just that.

Yet Andrew tried to keep his hopes high. Without even realising it, he began to drink his butterbeer, nearly chugging it down in the first gukp until he felt his throat begin to burn intensly from the heat. He set the mug down back onto the table, with a small thud the mug nearly drained. He panicked slightly when he saw that the contents had almost been emptied and wondered if it was causing any problems for Chase at that moment. If he seemed to anxious to head up there, it might scare her off.

He flinched back a little when he heard Chase cough after drinking her butterbeer. Most people couldn't handle drinking 1 whole cup of Butterbeer and Andrew and Chase seemed to be included. It was good, but trying to finish it off whole would probably burn his stomach inside and out. "Are you alright," he said smiling brightly and chuckling a bit. Whywas she in such a hurry to finish off her drink? Perhaps she had the same thoughts as Andrew, which made him a little nervous.

"Well," he said calmly shrugging his arms "I always go to Honeydukes to get some butterbeer, but it was closed again due to recent events. This was the only place that was open that sold butterbeers." He wondered what event could have put off Honeydukes for an entire day. It was probably putting them out of business now, since no profits had been gained for a while now.

Andrew then toke one last drink, finishing off his butterbeer before he knew it. He still thought he was drinking some more of it even after the last drop had fallen into his mouth. Realising the embaressing situation, he quickly set his cup back down onto the table and smiled.

How was it that they both seemed to be coughing at the same time. Chase giggled, was he hurrying through his drink as much as she was? Her mind was racing, did he like her like that? Her lips started to tingle, and she knew the answer, but she was to afraid of getting disappointed to actually think that he might. She smiled lightly and glanced into her mug. It was nearly empty.. nearly, she wasn't like him, gulping it down and being done in less then two minutes. Her face burned as she quickly finished her drink and glanced at him, her tongue burning from the hot liquid. She sat in her seat for a long moment before glancing at him, and then laughing, trying to cover the awkward silence.

"Come on! Lets go!" She said, and threw down some coins on the table for tip, barely paying attention to what the coins were, she smiled at him, and grabbed his hand. Jumping to her feet, she knocked her chair over with a loud crash. "Sorry!" She yelped and let go of his hand, bending over to pick it up quickly. She had no coordination at all these days! None! Not with Andrew around.. she felt so light on her feet though, as she picked up the chair and pushed it back to where it was supposed to go. She was blushing hard when she looked back at Andrew.. "Okay, Now we go!" She said laughing and, again grabbing his hand, she weaved her way through the tables to the door. Well.. attempted to weave, attempted to look cool, but she kept bumping into the chairs she passed, and once knocked off a witches hat. "Sorry, sorry so sorry!" She apologized over and over, until they hit the door and she pushed through it to the open air beyond.

She looked back at Andrew and giggled slightly. "I think they might be glad we are leaving.."She said peeking through the door to see the line of destruction she had caused on the way to the door. "Heh.. I just can't seem to walk in a straight line today.." She said biting her bottom lip and looking around at Andrew. "Not that I usually can, but normally I can at least cover up stuff easily as though I meant to do it, I just.. wow.." She said and spun in a small circle. "It's nice out today, Come on!" She said happily, grabbing his hand again, and grinning up at him. "Lets go see the Shrieking Shack!" She said with a light giggle before letting go of his hand and bouncing along the street, pointing at things and giggling and chatting happily the entire way there.