MISSED CALLS ➡︎ TEDDY LUPIN [2] ✓

cvi. THE THREE BROOMSTICKS

just saying ur welcome in advance

Avalon stood in front of the door to the Three Broomsticks for a rather embarrassing amount of time, staring at the door handle and trying to muster up the courage to go in.

It's just Teddy, she thought to herself as she finally pulled the door open and went inside. It's just Teddy. You know him. You've known him for most of your life. Nothing can be worse than that phone call. You can do this.

She found him sitting at one of the more secluded booths off to the side of the main dining room, away from most of the other occupied tables in the tavern. He had two mugs of Butterbeer in front of him, the one closest to him slightly more empty than the other.

He was on his phone, typing away, but when he looked up and saw her approaching, he set his phone down, screen side up, on the table, and he gave her a wide smile that made her weak in the knees.

"Hey, Ava." He said, getting up from his seat to wrap his arms around her.

He smelled good, just like he always had—spearmint and some sort of soap, a clean and boyish scent.

They held onto each other for just a beat too long, and Avalon was the first to pull away, face reddening more and more by the second.

"So, uh...how've you been?" She asked upon sitting down across from him, trying to break the ice between them.

He laughed, leaning back in his chair. "I've been good. Your dad's got me working all the time, but he pays me well, so I can't be too mad." He replied. "But what about you? Tell me about you. What've you been up to?"

She watched as he took a sip of his drink, long fingers wrapped around the glass.

Avalon shrugged. "Not much, honestly. Between quidditch and school, I haven't had time for much else. I've been hanging out with Arthur a bit more, though, which has surprised everyone I've told."

"I'm shocked you've had time to see him, y'know, with being a rising quidditch star and beating up random people." He teased, and he propped his chin on his hand, watching for her reaction.

She blushed more than she already had, rolling her eyes. "Oh, sod off, Teddy. I'm just saying I haven't, I dunno, picked up a new hobby. Other than beating up girls who're homophobic towards my family, of course."

It appeared that he hadn't heard the real reason why she'd attacked Megan, for his eyebrows raised towards his hairline, and his jaw went slack.

"Oh, wow. She was always rather quiet whenever I was around her—didn't know she had it in her to say something like that to your face." Teddy said, clearly displeased with his former teammate's behavior.

She shrugged once more and took her first sip of Butterbeer. "Well, she won't be running her mouth again, that's for sure." She said in response.

A comfortable, familiar silence fell over the two of them as they sipped from their drinks and simply enjoyed each other's company for the first time in what felt like ages. It was nice to be around each other again, that was something they could both agree on.

When they had both finished their drinks, a waitress came by and took the empty glasses, replacing them with fresh mugs of warm Butterbeer.

"So, um, I actually—"

"There was something I—"

They both spoke at the same time, cutting each other off, and Avalon looked down at the table, blushing.

"You can go first." Teddy said kindly, and he gave her a warm smile that settled her nerves.

She took a deep breath. "Well, first of all, I just wanted to apologize for how I ended things. I made a rash decision, and I've been beating myself up about it ever since. Honestly, it was a mistake." She told him.

His eyebrows shot up, and for a moment he looked like his heart fell out of his ass. "You think it was a mistake?"

"What, you don't?" She said, false confidence taking over. "I mean, neither of us wanted it, and since then I've pretty much gotten my life together—I've got my spot on the Harpies, I'm top of my class."

A hesitant grin began to take place on his face. "So... what are you saying?"

"If you're not sick of me, we could try again. Only if you want to, though."

He was out of his seat in an instant, and he plopped down next to her with his hands gripping hers, as if she'd slip away the moment he let go. He didn't dare pinch himself, even though he felt like he had to be dreaming.

"You're serious?"

"Dead serious."

They stared at each other for a moment, both questioning if this was really, truly happening. The world seemed to stop around them, like nothing else around them mattered. As if they were the only people in the Three Broomsticks, maybe even in the whole world.

And suddenly, his lips were on hers, and their breakup seemed so far in the past that neither of them could remember it. It was just the two of them, alone in what had been a crowded tavern. They were alone in the world then, just them, kissing, making things right between them.