Chapter Text
“I would really like someone to try it.”
Garreth offers up the metal Butterbeer mug filled with his latest brew towards his fellow Gryffindor peers, each of them looking at the mug with disgust and disdain as they part ways from the ginger.
Garreth however, considering his reputation with his amateur brews, wasn’t too offended.
“Brewed it myself,” Garreth set the mug down on the desk behind him as he spots the face of an unfamiliar Gryffindor approach.
He had fair skin with a face full of freckles and a rather large, oddly patterned scar on his left cheek, brown hair neatly groomed into a side part, similar to the way Sebastian styles his hair, and piercing navy blue eyes slightly shielded behind round glasses with silver frames and thick strips of tape wrapped around the bridge, possibly to keep the two lenses together. Garreth also had about 15 centimeters more than him.
It’s one of the new fifth years! The one that was sorted into Gryffindor, which took Garreth longer to realize it than he would’ve liked to admit.
“Hello! You’re the new fifth year! Pleased to meet you, I’m Garreth Weasley.”
“Pleased to meet you Garreth, I’m Raymond. Raymond Sweeney,” The new fifth year replied.
“I saw you on the Express earlier, no offense to them, but I’m glad you took the Express instead of the carriage with Professor Fig and the new Hufflepuff.” Garreth mentioned.
“I overheard what happened, I hope those two are alright…a dragon attacking a carriage midair? That’s unheard of.” Raymond said, sticking his hands into the pockets of his trousers.
“I do too, they seemed alright on the outside, but I don’t wish to cross any boundaries with either of them.”
Garreth chucked a bit and shook his head, “sorry, I’m rambling. Again, very glad you’re here.”
“Thank you Garreth, so am I.” Raymond replied with a small smile, which quickly turned to a curious upturn of the corner of his lips, “are you related to Professor Weasley?”
“I am, she’s my aunt.”
“Does having your aunt here make things difficult?”
“More than you’d think, most people assume I can’t get into trouble or given detention, but they’re wrong…” Garreth rolled his eyes a bit, folding his arms, “Aunt Matilda tends to treat me as if I’m a first year…keeps too close an eye on me, its all a bit suffocating to be honest.” He clears his throat and rests his arms back at his sides, “still, she means well, and she’s an incredibly powerful witch, she’ll have your back!”
Raymond’s eyes glanced towards the mug on the desk behind Garreth, his head tilting to the side out of curiosity, “are you having Butterbeer? For breakfast?”
Raymond’s little head tilt reminded Garreth of a small, inquisitive puppy. Garreth couldn’t help but smile a little at the similarities.
Quickly remembering that Raymond asked him a question, Garreth blinked out of his trance.
“Hm? Oh, no, I’ve been perfecting a recipe I came up with over the summer.” Garreth glanced behind him into the Butterbeer mug, “I’m almost there, based on some reactions it may need a bit more work.”
“Seems you enjoy brewing,” Raymond placed a hand on his hip, “might I assume you have a talent for potions of all sorts?”
“Well, as I see it there’s no difference fundamentally, between brewing a modification to Butterbeer, and a Wigginweld potion. Though..I’m not sure Professor Sharp would make the connection, he doesn’t appreciate my…creativity as much as you might think.”
“May I try it?”
Garreth blinked, taken aback, “what?”
“Your brew, may I try it?”
The question made Garreth blink again in surprise, “wh—really—?”
Raymond shrugs, “why not, you got me curious, and who knows, maybe I could assist.”
Garreth’s lips instinctively curled into a gleeful smile, “I can see some of that Gryffindor courage starting to peek through,” he quipped jokingly as he reached for the Butterbeer mug, handing it to Raymond, who took it with a smile and a firm grasp.
“But in all seriousness, take a small sip,” Garreth added, his tone weary, “I left my last brew unattended for a mere moment, someone downed more than half the mug thinking it was Butterbeer and floated all the way to the farthest corner of the ceiling. Took nearly half an hour to get the poor bloke down.”
Raymond shielded his mouth with the back of his hand, making a hollow attempt to hide a laugh.
Garreth leaned forward, closer to Raymond, “it happened last year, and it was rather funny,” the Weasley muttered under his breath, only loud enough so the new fifth year could hear.
Raymond stifled a laugh through his nose before standing up straight, “alright, stop making me laugh or you’ll be wearing your brew.”
Garreth held his hands up jokingly, “as you wish.”
Raymond playfully scoffed and rolled his eyes, bringing the rim of the mug up to his lips and gingerly tilting it back, letting the liquid enter his mouth through a small part in his lips.
Upon first contact, the new student’s eyes widened before immediately crinkling shut. He pulled the mug away, his lips sucking into his mouth and his entire face crumpling as if he just took a shot of straight unsweetened lemon juice.
Raymond didn’t even have the time to verbalize his thoughts before the brew started to take effect. Just like the previous year, the brew removed all of the weight from Raymond’s body, lifting him up into the air like a leaf against the wind.
Thinking quick, Garreth grabbed Raymond’s forearm, straining a bit as he uses all of his weight to pluck the new student from the air and back down to the floor.
The Weasley regained a firm grip on Raymond, this time his hands secured on Raymond’s shoulders once the boy’s soles touched the ground, keeping him in place.
The new fifth year looked into the mug still in his hands inquisitively, his expression still contorted with the sour-lemon face, but slightly less aggressive than it was upon first sip.
“So—” Raymond began to speak, only to be interrupted by a hiccup, “a few things.”
Garreth was expecting Raymond to be upset, annoyed, or even angry. Granted, that’s just what he’s used too when it comes to his custom brews. But to his surprise, when Raymond spoke, his tone was balanced, smooth, and even calm.
“I’m listening…” Garreth replied, giving Raymond the opportunity to speak his case.
Raymond cleared the remainder of the brew out of his throat before continuing, “first of all, given the fact that I couldn’t feel the floor underneath my feet for a moment, I’m guessing that there wasn’t that much of alteration to your recipe.”
Raymond’s navy blue eyes shifted from the inside of the mug up to meet Garreth’s emerald greens, peeking from the top of his frames, waiting for a confirmation or correction from the Weasley.
Garreth blinked and flushed a little in surprise, “w…well, yes—I didn’t have much time to revise it over the summer—”
“Which brings me to my second point, this tastes extraordinarily bitter, which I’m assuming is not the intention,” Raymond paused to push up his glasses, “how anyone thought this was Butterbeer is wildly beyond me,” he continued, his tone expressing his pure and utter disbelief while also poking fun at the last victim to Garreth’s experimental brew.
Garreth couldn’t help but guffaw, Raymond joined in on the chortle, watching in real time the Weasley get punched in the face with realization. The two Gryffindor’s mirth perfectly blended together in loud peals of harmonious laughter.
“That—wasn’t even that funny—” Raymond managed to gasp between fits of laughter, leaning forward and resting his forehead against Garreth’s shoulder.
“I just can’t believe it took me a year to realize—” Garreth responded, bringing his middle and ring finger up to his eye to wipe away the tears of joy threatening to spill over his lids.
Raymond took a deep breath, removing his head from Garreth’s shoulder to compose himself, looking up at the ginger, “alright alright—thirdly, could I get a copy of your recipe?”
Garreth’s laughter trickled out almost immediately after the question registered in his brain, “you want a copy-?”
His cheeks flushed a little. Out of what?
Embarrassment? Flattery? Infatuation?
“Both of my parents are well versed in potions and potion making. If you don’t mind giving me a basic idea of what you want your brew to be, as well as a copy of what you have so far and what you’ve tried, I can send it to them in my next Owl and have them give a few pointers.”
Garreth couldn’t help but marvel at the boy looking up at him, looking at those irises that are an impeccable and splendid shade of blue.
He almost didn’t hear the question again, blinking and shaking his head a tad to snap himself out of the trance that Raymond keeps putting him in.
“Yes of course—!” Garreth quickly said, his lips curling into a wide smile, “I would love some help! I’ll give you a copy when I have the chance.”
Raymond’s expression immediately beamed, a wide, excited grin reaching his lips, “brilliant!”
Admiring Raymond once more, Garreth spotted the new student’s particularly sharp canine teeth through the gleeful grin.
Before the Weasley could question him, a student near the Common Room entrance shouted out;
“New Fifth Year? Professor Weasley would like to speak with you at the entrance.”
Raymond turned his head towards the voice in a quick acknowledgment that he heard before turning back to look up at Garreth.
“I’ll see you soon?”
Garreth nods, “yes, of course.”
Raymond’s eyes glanced to his sides, a small smile appearing on his lips, “I think the brew’s effects have worn off.”
“Sorry?”
Raymond chuckled, “you can let go of my shoulders now?”
Garreth’s eyes glanced to Raymond’s shoulders, which he still had a firm grasp on. His eyes widened and his cheeks turned about as red as his House colour.
“Merlin—! My deepest apologies-!” Garreth quickly said, immediately releasing his hold onto Raymond’s shoulders.
The new student simply just laughed, creating a fluttering sensation in Garreth’s abdomen, “no no it’s quite alright.” He handed the mug off to Garreth, who absentmindedly took it in both hands, “talk to you soon.”
The ginger simply smiled and nodded, giving a small “mhm—” in acknowledgment before Raymond turned around and sauntered off to the Common Room entrance.
Garreth swiftly put the mug back on the desk behind him and took a seat on the sofa beside it.
He places his chilled palms over his now burning cheeks, practically feeling the steam waft off of them upon contact.
What was this? What was happening to him?
He’s never been that awkward around anyone before, let alone a new student.
Was he charmed? Did Raymond put a charm on him?
No that can’t be, he doesn’t know any spells yet…
Garreth took a deep breath and ran his palms over his warm face in a pitiful attempt to cool it off.
His classmates should know what’s going on with him, perhaps he should ask Amit.