Butterbeer and Interesting Conversations

Hogsmeade was buzzing with life and Jenifer had taken the opportunity to flit through the masses and do some light shopping. By the time she'd gotten her shopping done most of the students were starting to head back up to the school and she didn’t blame them – it wasn’t the warmest of days. Jen wrapped her coat tighter around herself as she left the Quill Shop and looked around Hogsmeade to find a place to warm up. She knew that the pub would be the ideal place and she definitely wasn’t prepared to walk all the way down to the Hogs Head. So instead, Jen walked up to the Three Broomsticks which was just up the road and equally as warm.

Jen opened the door of the Three Broomsticks and walked over to a table. She tucked her purchases under the table and pulled her coat off. She was wearing a simple grey jumper with a white shirt beneath it and some jeans but oddly enough she looked good – the casual look suited her. Jen put her coat on the back of her chair and walked up to the bar, taking a few galleons out of her pocket as she went. Jen stopped and waited to be served. “Um... a Butterbeer please.” She said to the barmaid.

It had been a long time sinse Jamie had been to Hogsmede. There had been other visiting dates but Jamie had chosen not to go for Hogsmede had become dull over the years. It was the same thing every time and honestly she was tired of that. This was a time for new changes and coming back to Hogsmede on a regular basis. Jamie's clock was pulled tightly around her Hogwarts Ravenclaw robes. Unhappily she exited Honeydokes. All of these children. It reminded her too painfully of where her future lay.

Jamie made her way down the street staring strait ahead to the Three Broomsticks, her goal. With a sigh Jamie indulged herself in the heat of the pub. The contrast was high from the frided street outside and she was greatful for the break from the wind. Most tables were full of happy Hogwarts students who Jamie had no disire to join. Sliding off her cloak she sat alone at the bar. A few seats down on the left there was a pretty woman and many more seats to the right was a fat man. After the bartender was done serving the pretty woman her butterbeer Jamie signaled him over. "One butterbeer" she said. Butterbeer was one thing she trurly loved about Hogsmede.

The Three Broomsticks wasn’t a place that Jen wanted to be but she didn’t complain if there was something warm waiting for her on the bar. She gave the barmaid the amount required for the Butterbeer and she made sure to give the young woman a tip. Jen rubbed her arms, trying to get rid of the goose-bumps and picked up her pitcher of Butterbeer before looking around to survey her surroundings and see who was taking refuge in the bar.

She noticed that most of the people there were Hogwarts students – another reason for requesting the Hogs Head instead of the pub that most Hogwarts students preferred. It seemed as if a few other people didn’t have the courage to go down to the Hogs Head either. A gaggle of women were sat in one of the booths, surrounding glasses of wine and pouring over bridal magazines. Jen bit her lip and managed to narrow her eyes at them. She was envious but she wasn’t going to voice her thoughts to anyone – not even the overweight man a few stools down who just looked as if he needed a friend.

Jen turned and saw a young girl, probably in her seventh year, sitting a few stools away. She was in Ravenclaw – that much was obvious seeing as the robes displayed the fact. She looked troubled though and quite fatigued. Jen smiled a little, knowing that she felt the same in her N.E.W.T year. “Enjoying your years at Hogwarts?” Jen asked the girl. “I was in Ravenclaw myself and being in the house that produced geniuses really didn’t reassure anyone that they’d pass their N.E.W.T’s. Most people were panicking. Is it the same now?”

Jamie smiled when the woman talked to her. Jamie was not used to having people come up to her and make conversation. "Pretty much, all of the 7th years are running all over the place and studinging constantly. I'll take them next year. I'm betting that will be my punishment for laughing now" Jamie had gotten pretty good grades in her OWL's, only failing one class, Potions. She was not quite sure why the subject boggled her, I mean it was no more practical than Transfiguration, but she had not gotten a D in that subject. Jamie figured the D had been deserved. Having your potion blow up half way through was never a good sign. "You were in Ravenclaw?" she asked figuring that was a good topic to talk about. Somthing they shared. It would be a good thing for Jamie to talk to people, and this seemed to be a good chance.

Jen nodded once in a while, acknowledging and remembering aspects of her last year. She hated all of the panicking girls that were forever pouring over books. By March around that time she was finding books everywhere – under pillows, in the bathroom, in enlarged shoes. It had gotten to the point of Jen taking refuge in the Room of Requirement and by the time she went back her bed was covered with hardbacks that held text on every subject in the Hogwarts curriculum. It was one of the main reasons why she hated books and studying so much. But there was a method to her madness in some respect. She wasn’t taking any time out to study what she needed but had miraculously pulled through with either an ‘O’ or an ‘E’ in all of her subjects. Fairly shocking, really.

“I was in Ravenclaw, yes. Although I think the hat should have put me in Slytherin. There is only so much studying you can take. Just watch out for the compulsive studiers because it will get to the point where you’ll want to either burn their books and their notes just to see them cry or throw the stuff out of the window. I found the first more entertaining.” She smirked and shook her head at some of the horrible things she did to some of the girls in her dorm. She thought it was funny, though.

Jamie had never been a mean person but the way the 5th and 7th year students acted Jen's suggestion of burning books seemed like an amazing idea. "I know what you mean" Jamie said laughing. She was suprised that this woman was a Slythirin wanna-be. Jamie had never had much respect for Slythirins. THey seemed to be just a bit, cruel. But after she had met Albus Jamie was not so sure this was always the case. "Really, Slythirin?" Jamie asked putting just a tone of interest. "I never really knew where I wanted to be in my first year. My Mum was in Slythirin and my Pa was in Ravenclaw but they never really told me anything about the houses. When I went in I was neutral. I didn't have many friends from the wizarding world before Hogwarts so when the only friend I had made on the train ended up in Gryffindor and me in Ravenclaw wasn't exactly what I wanted." Jamie paused, thinking. "For a while I wanted to be Gryffindor to be with my friend After a while I started really loving Ravenclaw and have not wanted to be anywhere since." JAmie left out the part that she had, had a fase about a year ago when she first met James that she had wanted, again, to be in Gryffindor. That wound bring up the topic of James and her.. situation.

Jen took a sip of Butterbeer and listened to the girl. She raised an eyebrow and smiled a little before nodding. “Yes, Slytherin. The hat even suggested it but I turned him down, opting to go elsewhere. At the time I thought it was a good idea but Ravenclaw house was awfully boring.” She didn’t make many friends in her house, she found them all to be petty and awkward which was why she decided to stick with her brother when he finally came. She could have spoke with some of her cousins but she wasn’t going to lower herself to that at the time. She also doubted if she’d do it now as well. “Everyone has an idea, but maybe it’s not the best one. I don’t think I really got on with my house as well as I could have. To be blunt, they bored me and they were worse than Hufflepuffs.” Jen shrugged. “I’m sure it has all changed now, yes?”