Florean Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlour

[JadieLou]

You walk up the main street of Diagon Alley. Ahead you can see several brightly coloured umbrellas on top of tables outside a shop. As you walk closer, you can see people sitting at the tables eating ice cream. You walk closer still. The sight of ice cream is making you hungry. You walk into the bright shop and breathe in deep. The sweet smell emanating from the many flavours of ice cream in the cabinets are intoxicating. The multitude of colours swirl across your vision. You see others sitting inside, eating the same delicious ice cream. Florean Fortescue himself walks up to you and says, ”Can I help you?”

[isabellapeters]

Bella walked into Floreans and set her bags down, this was the one bad thing about buying everyone's Christmas presents at once. There were just so many bags. Walking up to the counter she smiled. "Hello Mr. Fortescue, could I have two scoops of cookie and cauldron cakes please." It was her favourite ice cream and she never could go to Diagon Alley without having some.

[Aidan Fischer]

Aidan and Zach strolled into the ice cream shop. They weren't that desperate for ice cream, but they figured it would be a good place to meet other students, and maybe get to know some of them before they started Hogwarts in January.

There was a girl ahead of them, buying an ice cream. It looked like she was about their age, and as she turned from the counter, they saw the Hogwarts Crest on her robe. The twins exchanged glances, and went into action.

Aidan smiled at her. "Is that cookies and cauldron cakes ice cream? That's amazing - that's my favourite flavour!"

At the same moment, Zach moved to her other side and said, "Looks like you've got your hands full - would you like some help with those bags?" As he bent to pick up the bags at her feet, he said, "I'm Zach Fischer, by the way."

"And I'm Aidan Fischer - we'll be transferring to Hogwarts in January. We'll be Sixth Years, Ravenclaw." He pulled out a chair for her at one of the empty tables.

[isabellapeters]

Bella smiled as her ice cream was handed to her and then turned to find one very cute guy standing in front of her smiling. She took a quick glance around the shop and realised he was talking to her. "Yeah it is, I love cookies and cauldron cakes. It's probably the best flavour Florean serves, but that could just be me."

As she heard another voice by her side she turned seeing almost the exact same person that was infront of her. "Um yes please," she said realising she wouldn't be able to hold them with the ice cream in her hands. "Nice to meet you both." Okay they are both definitely cute. No stop, you have Sam, remember.

"I'm Isabella Peters, but everyone calls me Bella" she told them both, realsing they were both twins. "Oh wow, you'll be in the same year and house as me then. I'm the 6th year Ravenclaw prefect." She sat down on the seat that Aiden had pulled out and smiled. "Thanks. So which shops have you been to so far?" She still had a few more gifts to get, so possibly they could go round together.

[Aidan Fischer]

"Bella - isn't that Italian for 'beautiful'?" Zach said. He met her eyes and smiled. "It suits you!"

"We only went into the Quidditch store - we were both on our house team at Durmstrang. Hey, if you're in Ravenclaw, maybe you know if there are any open positions on the house team? We played Chaser, but Zach's a pretty good Beater, too." Aidan glanced at his twin. They were both good players, but Zach was far more serious about it than he was. "Anyway, we still have all our text books and school supplies to buy."

"Maybe you could tell us the best stores to visit for our supplies," Zach suggested. "We've lived abroad for the past ten years, so we don't really know Diagon Alley."

[isabellapeters]

Bella blushed and nodded, "Yeah my mother's Italian and I go there most summer holidays." She smiled back at Zach and said, "Thanks." Why was it that everyone who said that to her was really cute themselves?

When she heard that both boys were on their old house team, she assumed that they were both probably pretty good. "Well tryouts haven't happened yet. They're going to be next term, so you guys have a good shot of making it. Only two positions have been secured, the captain is our seeker, and he's amazing," she said, complimenting Sam although amazing didn't quite cover it. "And I've got one of the three Chaser spots, so if you two make it, we'd be playing together." The idea of playing Quidditch with both guys made her smile.

"Well how about I tell you which ones sell which stuff, you guys can decide which ones you need to go to and then I can show you where they are," Bella suggested. "If you don't know Diagon Alley, it's really easy to get lost, and since you'll need to go into Knockturn Alley for books, you could easily get sidetracked down there as well."

[Aidan Fischer]

"We'll definitely try out, then," Zach said. "I have a feeling the three of us would make a great team." And not just at Quidditch, he thought, his gaze becoming slightly speculative. At her next suggestion, he said "Sounds like a plan to me." He looked over at his twin for confirmation.

Aidan nodded. "When you've finished your ice-cream, of course. There's no rush, we've got all day. We're staying close by, at the Leaky Cauldron. Dad's transfer was very sudden, so we don't even have a house yet." He smiled at Bella again, thinking that if she was an example of a Hogwarts girl, he and Zach would be very busy next term... "So what's Hogwarts like? Strict? Do you get much chance to get out during term? Durmstrang was in the middle of nowhere, so there was no sneaking out to go to the pub or meet friends, or anything. I hear there's a village close to Hogwarts though - is that right?"

[isabellapeters]

"I agree. Heck we could even beat Slytherin," Bella said nodding. If they made the team though, she was going to have to get her feelings sorted. There was no way she could play properly if she fancied both her fellow chasers and was going out with Sam. Her mind wandered for a moment before a drip of ice cream fell onto her finger.

Bella smiled and quickly licked the ice cream on her finger and began eating it. She couldn't believe she had forgotten her favourite ice cream. "Oh well if your dad plans on being here for a long time, maybe you'll get a house in one of the wizarding communities near here." She thought for a moment, wondering which side she should tell and then decided on the better half first. "It's not that bad. There are some strict teachers, but there are also some really kind ones. We have Hogsmede visits every now and then, that's the village that you heard about." She laughed at the thought of sneaking out and nodded, "Oh I've snuck out to Diagon Alley once before and haven't gotten caught although I'm sure Kildara, that's the headmistress, knew that I had gone."

[Aidan Fischer]

"Slytherin? We had a few transfers from Slytherin at Durmstrang. They were pretty good players." Aidan watched as Bella licked her finger, and began to eat her icecream. The action was just a little distracting, and Aidan was silent for a moment, watching her, so it was Zach who replied to her next comments.

"The anti-apparition spell at Durmstrang had a big range, so even when we got our apparition licenses, it would have meant a long walk to get anywhere. Things were pretty strict there - and cold! No fires except for potions. Most of the teachers there are strict. Though we had a lucky break last term, we got a new astronomy professor who was very easy-going. The one before him - what a dragon! She liked to pile on the homework, and I can't remember her ever saying anything without being sarcastic!" He grinned, and said to Aidan, "Remember that time she caught us in the observatory out of hours...?"

Aiden snapped out of his momentary daze, and said, "Yeah! I thought she was going to have us flogged!" He grinned at Bella. "We'd got a couple of new students with us - all very innocent, we were just giving them a hand with their astronomy homework - and the Professor landed on us - literally! First she screeched at us as an owl, then she transformed and repeated the comments as a human. Myself, I think the owl was her less intimidating form! Astronomy class was always a little awkward after that..." He grinned again. "We almost dropped astronomy, but then we heard she'd left, so we signed up to take it at NEWT level after all."

[isabellapeters]

"Yeah well for the past 5 years Slytherins has won the house cup," Bella explained as she caught Aiden watching her. She wasn't surprised that Durmstrang had had transfers from Slytherin, after the war lots of students had been sent there. But then again some had moved to Slytherin, such as.. "Hey do either of you know a boy called Sebastian?" she asked, as she finished a mouthful of her ice cream.

"Well Hogwarts has an apparation spell, but once you get outside the grounds you can apparate anywhere," Bella explained. "And it's not that far to Hogwarts. I can't believe you have your licenses already! I can't get mine until I'm 17 on May 30th." She looked really interested as Zach mentioned a horrible Astronomy professor. "Well you'll be happy to know that during the winter there are fires in every classroom and the common rooms and dorm rooms have heat as well. And I'm glad to hear you got a new professor, although now that you've moved it's a bit pointless." The teacher that they described sounded familiar, but then again, lots of teachers were mean and sarcastic.

Hearing Aiden's voice again, Bella smiled, it was nicer when both of them were explaining things. "Oh gosh did she actually flog you?" she asked. That would never be allowed at Hogwarts and she was thankful for that; her skin wouldn't look good with flog marks on it. "Well that's innocent enough, what else would you be doing with them?" she smirked as she answered her own question in her head. "Wait a minute...you're old professor was an owl in her animagus form!" She had just finished her ice cream thankfully, otherwise it could've fallen on her outfit. "I hate to say it you two, but you shouldn't have signed on to take it even if it does mean you're in one of my lessons. Professor Blackthorn now teaches at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry unfortunately."

[Aidan Fischer]

"You mean Sebastian Morter? If he's at Hogwarts now, I'm betting he's a Slytherin! He was a year ahead of us - poor guy was pretty screwed up. I think he had a rough family life." As he spoke, Zach picked up a napkin and reached over to wipe a drip of ice cream from Bella's chin, smiling at her as he did so.

"Yeah, we've got our apparition licenses - we were 17 on September 1st. If we'd been born a day earlier, we'd already be in our last year at school." Aidan laughed as he went on, "No, flogging isn't allowed at Durmstrang any more. Though I think it was almost reinstated that night." Aidan was about to ask what other subjects Bella was taking when she dropped her bombshell. He and Zach exchanged horrified looks. "Professor Blackthorn is teaching at Hogwarts now?"

For a moment Zach looked as shocked as his twin. Then he shrugged, and grinned. "I suppose we'll just have to suffer together. What other NEWTs are you taking, Bella?"

[isabellapeters]

"Yeah Sebastian Morter and you're right, he is a Slytherin," Bella said. "And he's still a year ahead of you two, cause he's a year ahead of me. He seems to be doing better though, he met a friend of mine and they seem to be doing great." She stopped for a moment as Zach wiped a bit of ice cream off of her chin. "I never could eat ice cream without getting a bit messy."

She nodded, "That makes sense. Though I'm somewhat glad you weren't born a day earlier, cause it means I get to have some other friends in my year." Flogging was horrible in her books, and she made a note to keep an eye on the Astronomy professor just incase she did try to flog someone at Hogwarts. "Um yeah, and she hasn't gotten any nicer since then either, unless you somehow have a real interest in the subject."

"Trust me when I say, the rest of us have already suffered. She made us clean up the owlery without magic, when we didn't do our homework," Bella said unfortunately remembering the state of her clothes and hair when she had finally finished that chore. "I'm taking everything I think. All but Ancient Runes anyways. I took it for my OWLs but I didn't understand it so I dropped it." She looked between both of them before asking, "So what are you guys taking?"

[Aidan Fischer]

Zach laughed. "I'm interested in Astronomy, but after she caught us defiling - uh, I mean, studying in her observatory, she kind of had a grudge against me anyway! She made you clean the owlery? Now that's just mean! Anyway, we're both taking Ancient Runes, and I'm doing Potions, but not Arithmancy - that's Aidan's subject. Oh, and astronomy of course, and Charms and DADA... let me see... Transfiguration..."

"Potions and Arithmancy are the only subjects we're not both in. I like Potions, but I caused so many explosions that no-one in their right mind will let me take it at NEWT level," Aidan explained. "Hey, if you don't have a lab partner, maybe you could take on Zach... oh, do you take Herbology?"

Zach shuddered. "Herbology is interesting as a subject, but it's so boring the way it's taught in most schools. I'm only taking it because the knowledge is useful for Potions. I'm thinking I want to find some kind of career in Potions - anything but teaching it, that is!" He gave Bella his charming smile again. "What are you planning to do when you leave school?"

[isabellapeters]

Bella laughed as Zach mentioned defiling the observatory. "As long as I'm not with you if you do it at Hogwarts feel free to cause as much damage as you want," she told them both. "Oh and don't tell anyone I told you that. I really like my prefect badge." She shuddered as she heard Ancient Runes, it was the one thing she didn't like. "Oh well in Transfiguration we're learning to become Animagi, and in Arithmancy we're just learning more about numbers."

She shook her head as she heard Aiden blew things up. "Yeah Professor Pettigrew would hate you so much if you blew stuff up in her classroom. She got really mad when my friend Andrew caused a miniature explosion once." Thinking for a moment she nodded, "I think I could take Zach on. I did have a partner but she's hasn't been here for a while." It was alright cause Sam had already been paired with Kelly and since it wasn't going further than partners it shoud be fine.

"Well we haven't really had a big Herbology lesson but you're right, it's definitely useful for Potions." She returned Zach's smile with a small one of her own and then thought for a moment. "Well I want to do something in the ministry, possibly an auror," she decided eventually. "But I'm not fully sure. Right are we ready to go shopping for more stuff?"

[Aidan Fischer]

"Well, it wasn't so much actual damage as using it for something she considered inappropriate. Though considering what she was getting up to with High Master Stoljaroff, you'd have thought she'd be more understanding."

"Those were just rumours, Zach," Aidan said, mock-reprovingly. "No-one actually caught them at it..."

Zach laughed. "So fair-minded," he scoffed. "Of course, you kind of fancied her yourself, didn't you? I never did understand that."

Aidan actually blushed faintly, but replied, "She's a woman with spirit! And I changed my mind after she nearly clawed our eyes out! I'm just glad her animagus form is an owl, not an eagle! Anyway, you've got the lab partnership settled. We can go shopping now. And we are at your disposal for bag-carrying duties!" He picked up some of Bella's bags, leaving the rest to Zach, and as they moved towards the door, he said, "You want to be an Auror? That's what our father does. We've heard some pretty wild tales about some of his assignments..."