Bedknobs and Broomsticks [HP fanfic; BNB Book 1]

Hogsmeade

Mid-October, 1977

"So I heard Evan's upset that you aren't taking him to the Slug Club party."

Emilie glanced up from the package of Exploding Quills she had been examining. She made brief eye contact with her friend, dropped the quills back onto their place on the shelf, and moved on to the next gaudy display. "Yeah, but the two of us haven't exactly been speaking lately, so I'm not too worried about it. Why are you bringing this up?"

Her friend quickly interested herself in a rack of Shrinking Hats. "So, you wouldn't care if someone else asked him?"

"Don't tell me Snook the Snogger's already got her claws in him," Emilie said. "Honestly, you'd think he was the second coming of Christ the way she worships him, and you know, he's not even that good looking or that good in bed. I'm telling you, Lottie, if Marcia Snook thinks--"

"Em, I asked him to the Slug Club party," her friend said, interrupting Emilie.

"Oh." Emilie deflated a bit, her tirade evidently misdirected. "Oh," she said again, "well, I hope you have a good time. But, really, watch out for Marcia. She's been trying to get her hands on Rosier since third year. Now," she dropped the trinket she'd pulled from the shelf and clapped her hands together, "we need to get you something to wear to the party. You are not wearing that set of yellow robes again."

Lottie allowed her hand to be grabbed and Emilie to lead her from Zonko's across the street to Gladrags. The bell over the door jingled as the girls entered, and they greeted the shopkeeper before veering to the left to browse the witches' section.

After a quarter of an hour, Lottie had selected a couple of sets of new robes to try (one a bright turquoise embellished with a gaudy pink, the other a more subdued lavender lined with silver), and had retreated to a changing room, leaving Emilie browsing the racks for something for herself.

The Slytherin girl glanced up as she heard the bell over the door jingle, and she made brief eye contact with Geoffrey Mansfield as he walked in. She quickly looked away, but couldn't stop herself from glancing back up to see that not only had he not looked away, but he was actually making his way toward her. Her mouth was half open to tell him to go away when another voice cut across the shop.

"Geoff, where are you going? That's the witches' side!" Lily Evans appeared seemingly from nowhere and grabbed his arm, pulling him back towards the wizards' robes. She caught sight of Emilie and hastily redoubled her efforts to redirect the lanky redheaded wizard beside her. "Look, attacking every Slytherin you see isn't going to impress this mystery date of yours, Geoff. I know you want to pull off the tough guy thing, but let's start with getting you to look the part first, okay?"

Lottie walked up beside Emilie once they had left and scoffed. "I thought Evans was into that Potter boy, not the Ginger Giant," she said. "What do you think of this one, Em? Too bright?"

"Emilie watched as her friend twirled, the hem of the turquoise robes flaring out. "It's a bit much. Try the purple one."

The afternoon wore on, the two Slytherin girls trying dress after dress, until they had each selected one to their taste. As they were paying, Emilie saw Lily trying to coax Mansfield into trying a set of robes that were a particularly violent shade of chartreuse.

"Did you see the color of those robes Evans was trying to put on Mansfield?" Lottie asked as they made their way into the Three Broomsticks and seated themselves at a table. "I can't imagine the look on his date's face when he walks in wearing those. Who's he going with, anyway? He's not in the Slug Club."