Let's Blame Magic

Chapter Fourteen

  Out in the streets, a cool winter breeze blew through Ariella's hair. She placed her hands in pockets and waited outside until Oliver paid the tab for their round at the Three Broomsticks. Once he walked outside, he smiled as he saw Ariella arranging her scarf so it can cover the bottom half of her face.

   "Cold?" Oliver smiled as he fixed the end of his sleeves.

  She looked up to see his smiling face; he moved his hands to fix the collar of his jacket. She gave a laugh and a slight nod of the head. He chuckled and shook his head before he looked out towards the street of Hogsmeade. He placed his hands in his pockets and took a step forward; he looked over his shoulder and smiled at Ariella.

   "So, where do you want to go?"

   "It doesn't matter. How about we just go for a walk?" She suggested before she buried her face in her scarf.

   "Anywhere is fine with me." He said.

  They took a stroll through Hogsmeade and spent the moment getting to know each other. They found out each other's favorites, how their first year at Hogwarts went and anything else they wanted to share with each other, but Ariella didn't go into detail when it came to her family. As they spent the day getting to know each other, when Oliver brought up his graduation this year, she suddenly forgot that he was a Seventh year.

   "So, what do you plan to do after Hogwarts?" Ariella asked as they were walking down the path to the Shrieking Shack.

   "Quidditch, I already got accepted to Puddlemere; I'm first string." He said proudly as he looked at Ariella.

   "That's amazing!" She congratulated him and placed a hand on his arm.

   "A little hard work and you'll go far in life." He said as if it wasn't a big deal.

  She laughed at his tone of modest. As they were near the Shrieking Shack, they passed by a boarded up shop with boarded up windows. They noticed Fred and George standing outside as they mumbled to each other.

   "Flashy is better, right?" Fred asked George, or was it the other way around?

   "Not too gaudy" George replied.

   "Or tacky, I don't want anything tacky, Georgie." Fred confirmed each other's identity.

   "Something," George looked over at his brother and a smile appeared on both of their faces, "wicked!" They said in unisons.

  Oliver asked if it was okay if they walk over to say "Hi." They walked over and greeted them with smiles.

   "Hey guys, are you still planning to open your joke shop?" Oliver asked as he leaned in closer towards the Twins.

  They nodded and Ariella took a step back and saw the how big the store was. She slowly put the puzzle together and realized,

   "You're opening up your store here?" She said impressed.

   "Yep, we're almost halfway there. We just have to sell more of these products and in about a few years, we'll make it." Fred said as he opened a box filled with a bunch of labeled bottles and boxes.

   "Cool, what does this do?" Oliver picked up a bottle and suddenly, a pink mist filled the air.

  Fred and George laughed once it was in the air, they weren't mad that Oliver just wasted one of their products. Ariella was drawn to the mist yet she was worried that something would happen to the four of them as they were mindlessly standing underneath it.

   "There's something in the air." Oliver said pointing out the obvious as he laughed and held the empty bottle in his hands

   "Love." They said in unisons.