The Marauders - Order of the Phoenix Part Three

A Perfectly Pleated Corner

Fortesque's was in the midst of their mid-afternoon lull, but the dining room was still bustling. It always was with five boys living just upstairs to fill in the gaps between customers. Especially when four of those five boys were jostling to steal attention away from the fifth, who was trying at going over some quidditch theory with his personal trainer, with whom all five boys had a particular fascination.

James laughed as Eli Odair reenacted portions of a muggle variation of quidditch that they'd played, while Michael Odair snuck onto the seat next to James and tried to watch what Oliver and James were talking about, eager to find out all the more about the game that he now knew he would one day get to play on a real broomstick like his older brother. Kevin and Nate were also interested in what James and Oliver were talking about, though they were also quite jealous because their broomsticks hadn't lifted off the ground the way Michael's had and Jasper had a suspicion that perhaps at least Kevin was trying to distract James off the topic of proper quidditch so that Jasper kept going over and clearing out the boys so James and Oliver could stay focused.

"Eli, heres a strawberry for Yertle," Jasper called, holding out a dish with cut up strawberry bits for the youngest boy.

Eli rushed to a table in the corner to feed the fruit to his turtle and Jasper was relieved when Nate followed, eager to help present the snacks to the pet.

"Kevin, why don't you come help me with the flavor of the week? Let's think up something really original, 'ey?" Jasper called and Kevin hesitated, then dragged himself away to the back room with Jasper. Michael, Jasper decided, wasn't a menace, so he left the last boy to stay kneeling beside James and Oliver as they talked over technique.

Jasper had just got Kevin going on coming up with ideas for new flavors when the bells from the gate for the outdoor seating jangled and Jasper excused himself to go see to the customers. He passed Michael, Oliver, and James's table, their head down over a play James was talking the boys through, and out onto the patio. He chuckled - it was Remus, Sirius, and Bradley Scamander, Remus setting the suitcase full of creatures on the fourth seat at the table they'd taken up. Bradley was talking animatedly as Jasper approached.

"Hullo!" Jasper said, stepping up to the table with a grin, "Out and about, are we?"

"Yes, having a bit of a day wandering about and this one wanted some ice cream so of course we had to make a stopper by our favorite shop," Remus said, smiling up at Jasper.

"Do you have mint?" Bradley asked, looking up.

Jasper nodded, "We do indeed - Peppermint Twistie."

"YUM!" Bradley declared.

Jasper laughed, taking out his order slips and jotting down the order for the Peppermint Twist. "Double Chocolate Fudge for Remus, yeah?"

"Always," Remus replied.

"And that leaves the wild card. What do you want, Sirius?"

Sirius thought a moment, then, "Let me see... You always have new flavors..."

"I have a few new ones," Jasper nodded. "I have the Black Current Lime Stripe, and a Pistachio with Mini Freddos with a Fudge Ripple that we're calling Frog Pond Scoop. That one's made up by Nate just yesterday, as new as it gets."

"That sounds just disgusting enough that I must have it," Sirius declared.

"One Frog Pond Scoop coming up." Jasper jotted that down, "Be right back." He grinned and ducked away into the shop. He'd just gotten back behind the counter when the door opened again and Sirius came sidling up to the counter. "What's the matter, change your mind?"