Heart on Fire(Seamus Finnigan and Watty Awards 2013 Finalist!)

Chapter 2

A/N I'm sorry if none this is how British people talk. Seeing how I am from the middle of America and the closest I have ever been to England is the Atlantic Ocean, I am not down with the British/Irish/whatever lingo.

~

"Lavender?" Seamus said looking up at her, but instantly regretted it because he realized that this was definitely not his dead girlfriend.

"Uh.... no, I'm Ailsa!" The girl laughed. Her laughed flowed throughout the room which annoyed Seamus because he liked it when the Cauldron was quiet. Ailsa had long blond hair that flowed down to her waist. Her odd lilac eyes stood out the most though.

"Oh, thought you were someone else." Seamus whispered.

"Can I get three shots of firewhiskey mixed with that new brand, what's it called... Dragon Tears! That's it. I want that too." Ailsa said proudly. Seamus knew Dragon Tears too well. Ever since it was released to the public it had been his prime choice for late night drinks.

Seamus eyed her. "Aren't you a little young to be drinking Dragon Tears? It's awfully strong. And isn't it a little early to be drinking that much?"

"I'm old enough! And I'm celebrating! So I have every right to drink!" She said proudly.

Seamus shrugged and started pouring the drinks into tiny shot glasses. "What are you celebrating?" He said as he handed her the drinks. She downed them within seconds.

"I just completed my 65h year at Hogwarts! Middle of my class!" She said as she dug through her purse to find some money.

"Wait... you just finished 5th year? You are definitely way too young to be drinking all this. I could get fired for this!" Seamus said as he took the glasses away from her, but the liquid was already gone.

"Oh gosh! I got you! You actually thought I was 16? Man, that's sad. I'm actually 19." Ailsa joked.

Seamus did not laugh at the joke. "Are you going to pay me?"

"Geez, sorry Mr. Grumpypants! Here you go, 3,4,5, and 6 sickles! I added another one as a tip. Because I am oh so kind." Ailsa smiled. Seamus didn't grin at all. "Do you ever smile?"

"I thought you were going now."

"I take that as a no."  She sighed. "I'll be back after work!"

"Joy." Muttered Seamus. 

"Toodaloo!" Her voice called and then she was gone.

Even though he tried not to think about it, Seamus was kind of looking forward to seeing that quirky girl later.

~

 Ailsa walked down Diagon Alley to Flouish and Blotts where she worked part-time(the other as a coffee girl at the Ministry). She thought about her encounter with the bartender. Even though he never said his name, she knew exactly who he was. Seamus Finnigan. The boy who set the bridge on fire.

Even though she had been there to witness the burning, she had read all about it in The Battle of Hogwarts.  She had often heard about Seamus blowing up things in school she had never exactly gotten the chance to meet him seeing how she was 3 years younger and was in Slytherin.

She walked in the back entrance of Flourish and Botts and put her apron on. She arrived 15 minutes late, which really wasn't a big deal, because she always came in late and no one cared about it much anymore.

"Ailsa! Come on! There are about 30 Hogwarts students out there trying to get their books and someone decided to put The Monster Book of Monsters back on the list!" One of Ailsa's coworkers, Nathanial called from the front. 

Ailsa skipped to the front of the store and saw all the children gazing at the cage of books trying to eat each other. While it was a fun sight to see, it wasn't that grand trying to get them out, and sadly she was one of the few who had that wonderful job. 

"Okay, who all needs one of these?" She called as she stood up on a stool to get the student's attention. 18 kids raised their hands. "Bloody hell, okay, well Nathanial can you help me?" 

The boy shook his head and ran to help a nonexistent customer. All of her other coworkers seemed to be gone too. She sighed and started putting on gloves and picked up a large pair of tweezers. Ailsa closed her eyes and started to reach down to get one. Before she even had a hold of one, three had already bitten her. When she finally caught one she chose a young, blond boy to give it too.

"Okay get in line everybody!" She yelled and they all formed into a scraggly line.

By the time she had finished getting 6 books out, she had already gotten 13 bites, 26 scratches, and one book had decided that her pinky was a delicious chew toy. 

"How about you just use magic?" A tall ginger girl called from the back. 

"Thank you Captain Obvious, but we aren't aloud to use magic while we work unless it's for an emergency." Ailsa said.

The girl sighed. "It's been an hour. I think it's an emergency."

Ailsa looked around to make sure her boss wasn't looking, then got out her wand and whispered. "Accio Monster Book." She kept repeating this until the ginger girl, who was also the last, got her book. Ailsa turned around to go to the back to nurse her pinky back to health but instead was nose to nose with her manager, Adamaris.

"What do you think you were doing?" Adamaris bellowed.

Ailsa's shoulders slumped. "Using magic."

"Why?"

"Because some idiot decided to use The Monster Book of Monster's as part of their curriculum, and I had to get 18 of them out, and I was getting badly injured so I decided to accio the books out so I won't risk losing any more of my fingers." She said quickly then took a big breath.

"You know you aren't suppose to use magic Ailsa. Isn't this the 4th time this month?" Adamaris said.

"No... It's the 6th." 

"I know your old boss wouldn't have cared about this, but I'm not him. I'm sorry Ailsa but I'm going to have to let you go. You always show up late for work, you don't do what you're told, and sometimes you mouth off to the customers. Please go get your stuff and leave, you'll receive your final paycheck by mail in a couple days." 

With tears flowing from her eyes, Ailsa looked around the room and said, "Well fine! Be that way! I'll go work for that other book shop! THEY HAVE CHEAPER PRICES!" Then she ran from the store.

~~~~

Okay, sorry to kind of leave you at a sort of cliff hanger, but I promise it will be better next time. So what do you thiiiink? I know it was kind of crappy, but oh well. Gotta deal! 

I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow in the city and I have to swallow this pill cam, and it will look at my inards and see if I have Crohn's(which I'm pretty sure I do, but oh well). So I have to be on this all clear liquid diet for the day. AND IT SUCKS! I am hungry!

Anywaysss have fun reading! And I'll post soon!

~

Kate