The Kind Hufflepuff

Chapter 57: Licorice Wands

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The Kind Hufflepuff - Year Three

Chapter Fifty- Seven: Licorice Wands

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The highly anticipated Hogsmeade trip admittedly did not excite Cali as much as it excited the rest of the school. The older years were coupled off, taking the rare opportunity for such a trip as a chance to have a first date with somebody that matched up with their romantic desires. John had been sulking about this trip for weeks now, constantly complaining about the fact that his girlfriend was a year younger than him and wouldn't be able to go. Cali and Greta had tried to reassure him that he wouldn't be alone at the Hogsmeade trip but he had been quick to point out that eventually the two of them will be going on dates and leaving him all alone.

Cali had personally been fed up with the complaints, blocking out everything he was saying for the most part. Even as they rode on the carriages, he was whining about how much he wished that Daisy had joined them and that it was going to be so boring without her there. "Dear Merlin, we bloody get it!" Greta raged at the boy, who had been failing, as much as Cali had been, at being patient. "You wish Daisy was here, you think she would bloody enjoy going to Hogsmeade!" Greta ranted, "But you agreed to date the bloody girl, you knew she was a year younger than us! You knew this would happen, so please for Merlin's sake just shut up and enjoy it."

"Cali, are you going to say anything to her?" John demanded out of the girl.

"No," Cali shook her head, "She's right."

"Have I really been that bad?" John asked meekly causing the two girls to giggle.

"You've been more of a headache than the other girls our year," Greta informed him.

"Why have they been so awful?" Cali and Greta shared a glance, thinking back to the period drama that had erupted this morning within the girl's dormitory and sighed in unison.

"Puberty," they informed him.

John wanted to ask more questions but chose not to do so, instead watching as we moved into Hogsmeade Village and gasped, which confused Cali greatly. For Cali, the Hogsmeade Village was nothing particularly special. It was a small village mainly featuring a series of shops and cottages. The streets were cobblestone with Christmas trees that lined it, making it seem almost like the perfect Christmas village during the season. But Cali often forgot that her own experiences with certain magical things did not align with John or Greta's, both of which did not grow up in a wizarding town and was often mesmerized or perplexed by various things that they had not seen previously. 

The carriages came to a stop just at the entrance, and Greta squealed as she dragged the two off of the train, taking out her polaroid camera and quickly snapping a shot of the three of them smiling awkwardly in front of the Hogsmeade sign. "Oh! My camera works here!" Greta cheered, smiling brightly after looking at the picture for a few moments.

"Well, of course it does," Cali rolled her eyes. "Technology being forbidden at Hogwarts is simply a Hogwarts thing," Cali explained shortly as she took a quick glance at the photo. "Though, there is something wrong with this photo," Cali mumbled, her eyebrows knitting together.

"What do you mean?" John asked, grabbing the photo from Greta. "What's wrong with it?"

"It doesn't move," Cali shrugged causing John and Greta to laugh in response. "What?" Cali asked, not understanding why they are laughing.

"Cali, muggle photos don't move," Greta explained.

"Merlin, maybe we all should have taken Muggle Studies," John laughed.

"Whatever," Cali snapped, rolling her eyes. "Where are we going?"

"I'd like to check out the candy shop," Greta announced, "Somebody mentioned that they have some peculiar wizarding candies that not even the trolley has."

Cali nodded slowly, shrugging as they began to head towards the sweets shop. "Is there anything in particular you're in search for? I quite like Honeydukes Chocolate, their vegan bar is amazing." As they walked through the candy shop, Cali was immediately confronted with the strong scent of chocolate and cotton candy, an interesting blend that only ever seemed to work here. 

"I don't know what I'm searching for," Greta admitted as she began walking through the aisles slowly. She had picked up a few products to inspect them a bit more closely, like blood flavored lollipops and mice pops. She spent a particular amount of time around the sugared butterfly wings until she noticed that Cali was cringing at the idea of her friend eating them. Cali, herself, had grabbed quite a bit of sugar quills and honeydukes chocolate. She had walked around the shop aimlessly for a few minutes until she ran into Sirius Black alongside his friends.

"Hi Sirius," Cali greeted quietly.

"Hello," he was short with her, his voice clipped as he looked around.

"You know I'm sorry, right?" Cali whispered. "I've apologized a handful of times. I wasn't thinking about the fact that I charmed you, just about how much I wanted Regulus to be happy. He really values your existence, he wants you to be proud of him," Cali rambled for a moment as Sirius sighed, hugging the girl.

"I know," Sirius whispered into her ear. "You care about him, you're loyal to him," Sirius shrugged. "We're friends too, I know you would do the same thing to him if it was me instead."

"I would," Cali confirmed.

"For that, I love you deeply. As a friend, of course," Sirius' cheeks reddened for a moment.

"I love you as a friend as well," Cali giggled. "Say, do you know what his favorite candy is?"

"Licorice wands," Sirius replied immediately, "I was going to buy him some as well. Send it to him pretending to be mum," Sirius laughed for a moment, rubbing the back of his head.

"You still can, if you'd like," Cali offered causing Sirius to shake his head.

"No, it's fine. Less money I'm spending anyways," Sirius laughed before James dragged the boy away to choose the best chocolate for Remus who couldn't come that day as he was visiting his ailing mother. 

"Wish Remus the best for me," Cali called out to him before turning to Greta, "Let's buy some stuff and get going?"

"Yes, that sounds right," Greta confirmed as John waited by the front door.

"Where to next?" John asked the group.

"Let's get some butterbeer," Cali announced.