hufflepuff lunch Who: Erica Bones and Sara Vaisey Where: a restaurant When: lunchtime What: Old roommates chat Rating: PG
Erica Bones wasn't quite sure what to make of being an adult sometimes. There were nice things about it, like freedom and no classes and all that, and then there the parts that sucked like not having Hogwarts house elves (or her parents) to make all your meals and having to either fork out or make them yourself. (Or making Chloe do it, but Erica would not treat her roommate like a maid - she was better than that!). Today was a forking out day as she shared lunch with another old Hogwarts roomie - Sara. It was funny in a way how once you weren't living with people anymore, you had to make an actual effort to see them, and Erica wasn't sure she liked that. Maybe it was a sign she worked too much. It didn't seem like some of the others she'd gone to school with were having trouble keeping in touch.
"So, bought any new inks lately?" Erica teased her friend as she sipped on her coffee.
Sara agreed that keeping in touch with friends was much harder now that they'd left Hogwarts. When she was younger, she'd wondered how her parents would bump into people on the street and explain that they were friends from when they were in Hogwarts when Sara had never met them before. She'd thought once you'd made friends with someone at school, they'd stay your friend forever, but apparently a lot more effort had to go into keeping friends when you didn't see them everyday. Which was why she was making the effort to keep in contact with at least her former housemates.
"A few," Sara admitted sheepishly. "Scrivenshafts are selling special, christmassy sort of ones and I couldn't resist." Thank Merlin for employee discounts or she'd be even more perpetually broke than she already was! "What about you? How's work?"
"It's okay," Erica said honestly, "I just...I feel like I'm better than being a gofer and bartending sometimes, but then there are people who need to do those jobs and maybe they all think they're better than it, too, and it's not like I have a calling or anything...ugh, listen to me getting philosophical." She made a face, pausing as a waitress came over to take their orders.
"I just worry that I'm not better than I think," she admitted when they were free again, "It seems like so many people who left school with us found their calling - Ace, Jay, Gavin...where's my calling?"
"I think you're definitely better than being a gofer and a bartender," Sara said earnestly. "But you're right, someone has to do them, it just sucks that at the moment it's you." She wasn't really sure what else Erica might like to do though so she didn't know what to suggest. "At least you're making money until you find your calling," she pointed out. "It's better than doing nothing and I'm sure you'll figure out what you want to do eventually."
"I hope so!" Erica agreed, "In the meanwhile, at least I'm saving for that car. And when I get it I'm going to drive all over the island." Wales, Scotland, England - it maybe wasn't as exciting as that Italy road trip her friends had taken over the summer, but it sounded like freedom in its own way - going where she wanted when she wanted and being able to see what she wanted to see without worrying about what anyone else wanted.
"So how is it living up in Hogsmeade?" she asked, "That's a real motley crew you have living in that one house."
"That sounds exciting!" Sara said. She wasn't a huge fan of driving, but travelling always sounded really cool. "Then maybe while you're driving, you'll work out what you want to do. Or you'll decide to become someone who drives people around and shows them all the sites!" Sara was looking forward to when she was able to travel around to look at more plants. Everyone she knew seemed to enjoy travel.
"It's pretty good," Sara answered. "It would be cool to be living with all of you, but I can't complain." She nodded at Erica's comment about them being a motley crew. "That definitely keeps things interesting. But, for the most part, they're all easy enough to get along with and I enjoy living with them. How's Glinda's Garden?"
"Chloe and I got a cat," was Erica's reply, "Well, really, Chloe and Gavin got a kitten but it lives with me. I hadn't realised they were serious enough to get to the 'buying pets together stage'. Who knew?" It had been a while since Erica had had a serious relationship, but even then, it hadn't been that serious. As far as she was concerned, getting a pet was sort of like having kids-lite. You didn't do it on a whim unless you were really committed, "Think they'll be the first ones from our class married?" she mused.
"Cute!" Sara replied. "Do you like the kitten?" She didn't think everyone in the house would agree if she suggested getting a cat, or else she might have thought about it. Cats seemed like good pets to have. Sara wasn't even sure they were allowed animals at the house though, so it was easier to just not have one. "Maybe I'll come over and meet it sometime." She supposed Erica was right about getting a cat together being serious. Cats lived a long time and were a big responsibility and if they broke up there'd be the issue of who kept it and did the other one get visiting rights if they wanted, and things like that. "I guess they've been dating for a while now," Sara pointed out. "But it is still a big commitment." She pondered Erica's question about Gavin and Chloe getting married. "They could be," she answered. "James and Beth have been together longer but I can see Chloe and Gavin getting married first."
"His name is Sir George," Erica added, "He is pretty cute, I have to admit." The thought of people she went to school with getting married did give her a bit of a shiver. She was only eighteen - and so were most of the class of 2023 (except the ones who'd already turned nineteen), and it seemed too young to settle down with one person. Maybe if she met the right person she'd feel differently, but it still seemed a waste of her youth.
Great, she was already a cynic.
"I can see Gavin popping the question before James," Erica said, "And Chloe agreeing faster. Not that I'm actually privy to the inner workings of their relationships."
"I can't say I know much about the inner workings of their relationship either," Sara said. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see." She didn't really think any of her friends would be getting married too soon, they had just graduated a few months ago so she figured it'd be at least a year or two before anyone was married, but then again, maybe not. She didn't know.
"Anything else interesting happening with everyone else?" Sara asked. She felt like sometimes she missed out on what was happening because she didn't live over there.
"Not as far as I know," Erica said, "But then, I work too much. They could be running an illegal smuggling ring or something and I'd be unaware of it," she shrugged. But then, this was also the girl who was unaware of the fact that there were actually Secret Societies, and in fact, that the girl sitting across from her was in one, so it was probably easier to pull stuff over Erica's eyes than she'd ever like to admit.
"Are you going to go back to Hogwarts to see the musical?" she asked, "Victoria's playing the midwife - I'm excited to see her!"
"We should ask them about their illegal smuggling ring and see what they say," Sara teased. "Tell them we're onto them and we want in or else we'll tell the Hit Wizards or whoever about them." Sara didn't think not knowing about the societies meant that Erica was easy to trick or anything. If she hadn't been in one herself, she would have never believed it either!
"I might," Sara said thoughtfully. "I hadn't really thought about it but it would be good to see." She'd always enjoyed the things the Drama Club put on! "If you're going and want company, I'm happy to come."
"Ahaha, yes, let's!" Erica said with a grin, "The look of confusion on their faces will be worth it if nothing else. And on the off chance they are running a smuggling ring, we could even earn ourselves a few galleons.
"I'm definitely going," she asserted, "I'd be a bad big sister if I didn't go to see Vic. It would be even more fun with a friend if you're interested. I don't really know much about the story," despite her Muggle education, she'd somehow missed more than the main plot, "But I'm sure it'll be good!"
It was a good thing that their friends probably wouldn't be too put off by being asked if they had a smuggling ring. Sara wouldn't be surprised if some of them went along with the joke, even if they didn't get why she and Erica were asking. "Earning a few galleons would be nice! I sort of wish they were now," she joked, grinning back at Erica.
"I don't know anything about the story," Sara admitted. Her knowledge about muggle things was pretty limited and she'd never done muggle studies. "But I don't think you have to know a story to enjoy watching it. What happens will just be more of a surprise!"
"We could always start one," Erica suggested, not that she knew the first thing about starting smuggling rings. And she probably did want to stay on the good side of the law.
"Spoiler-free! That's the best way to be," she agreed, "It'll be fun and I just know Vic'll be great."
At that point, the food arrived, and Erica, being quite hungry, took a large bite.
Sara laughed at this suggestion. "Sure, we could," she agreed. "Probably not the best idea though!" She had no idea how someone would start a smuggling ring either. It seemed like it'd be hard work!
"It will be fun," Sara agreed, as she started to eat her food. "And it'll be nice to visit the castle again." Not being at school everyday was still a weird thing, even if it got more and more normal every day.
"I suppose we should be lawful women and earn our money the hard way," Erica grinned, "And be glad we're getting paid for our work unlike all the ickles still at Hogwarts."