[The Three Broomsticks Inn] - Paper Boats - [Freya & Geri]

After quickly donning his grey, woollen coat, Arick pushed through the doors of Crust and Crumbs into the frigid air. He shivered, cursed his clothing choice of a t-shirt and jeans, and began to swiftly walk towards the Three Broomsticks. He was excited to see Freya. It was always a pleasure to meet with his younger sister, and they hadn't caught up in some time. Her birthday was also coming up, and in Arick's excitement of planning his move to France, he had forgotten to buy her a gift, so he would use this opportunity to ascertain what kind of present she would like. More importantly, however, Arick wanted to interrogate Freya on a much more crucial topic. He suspected she had a boyfriend.

Just before Arick left the bakery for his lunch break, he had overheard a Gryffindor girl mention that Freya had been spending much of her time in Hogsmeade with an ex-student. Arick didn't consider himself particularly nosy, but he couldn't let the opportunity of hearing more about Freya's potential suitor pass him by. So, with some subtle interrogation, and a free Sonny Boy, the student willingly shared a few details. He was the same age as Freya, and had been Gryffindor, but he was no longer attending the school, and apparently he has some chest tattoos, or so the girl had heard. Arick didn't like that.

He pondered the interesting emotional sensation of feeling both suspicious of the boy and overprotective of Freya, as well as giddy and bubbling with excitement at the prospect of sharing this information with the rest of his family. His brief moment of introspection, however, was cut short when he spotted the looming entrance to the inn. The wind began to pick up, cutting at Arick's exposed skin, so he pulled his coat around him tighter and hurried onwards, snow crunching under his boots as he whisked along. He burst through the entrance, and his senses were flooded with the familiar sights and smells of the old inn. His skin was washed in warmth and he threw his coat onto the rack beside the door before he marched towards the bar. He ordered two butterbeers and threw four sickles onto the counter. When the beverages arrived, he snatched the mugs up impatiently and began his search for his sister.

After scouring the inn, Arick confirmed Freya had yet to arrive, so he sat at a small, round table and sipped anxiously at his drink. He also had not yet told Freya that he was moving to France, and he was worried about her reaction. Would she be happy for him? Would she be upset? Arick supposed it didn't matter, not yet. He was going to spend this time grilling Freya, not the other way around.

There were too many Tricketts.

It was a serious problem. How was Freya supposed to stay on top of it all? How was she supposed to remember who her second cousin Alf was dating, or how many sons Kelda had had now? Freya barely had time to keep up to date on what was happening in her own immediate family, and a bunch of them were practically her neighbours. Too many Tricketts, she thought again, hurrying through Hogsmeade as she clutched her coat more tightly around her shoulders. She thought keeping track and keeping close to all of her friends was hard sometimes, but when it came to her family it was another game entirely. Her biggest problem was that she loved them all so much. All she wanted was to stay close and involved in everyone’s lives, and it was difficult when the list of people was longer than she could count. The girl reflected on all of this as she pushed the heavy wooden door to the bar open with one hand.

The bustling atmosphere of the three broomsticks was a welcome one indeed. Freya loved being around people, and as a sixth year in Hogsmeade on a weekend, the girl felt like she knew most of the people here. A quiet pang reminded her that Kerr was not here this weekend - he was busy - but she tried to shut that one out. She was excited to see the youngest of her many older siblings. Arick had, at one point, been her closest friend. He was closest to her in age, and that had meant something when she was a little kid and all of their siblings were heading off to Hogwarts one by one. Finally being let in on the grand, exclusive club that was the wizarding school was something she’d relished, but she’d been alone again after only a few years. She missed him whenever they were apart for a while.

The blonde spotted her brother’s back ahead and she made her way over to him. “Rick-rick!” she called loudly, bouncing the last few steps towards her brother and throwing her arms around his shoulders from behind. “I missed you!” she squeaked into his shoulder blade, before bounding around to take the seat opposite him. A beaming smile had made its way onto her face and she couldn’t seem to shake it. “How are you?” she gushed, “How’s life? Can you imagine that I’ll be an adult in less than a week? Me! An adult!” Freya gushed happily, waving an enthusiastic hand around to express her thoughts more emphatically. “I’m going to take my test as soon as I can. Apparition, here I come!” The blonde laughed at the idea, filled with an immediate, bubbly excitement.

A wave of happiness overcame Arick as he heard his sister's voice over the noise of the inn. Beautiful Freya. He moved to stand and turn, but before he could even lift himself off his seat, Freya had buried herself into his back. This caused a smile to spread across his face. She was clearly excited to see him, which pleased Arick. He guessed her joyousness was also partly due to her swiftly approaching birthday, a celebration in which he knew Freya always revelled.

Arick was incredibly proud of his sister, but the idea of her being an adult also made him a little uncomfortable. Freya had always shown good judgement, but he still felt incredibly protective of her, and was disturbed by the notion that the law was ready to give her free reign of her life. It was just giving more power to the voice in his head which insisted that Freya was capable of making her own decisions and that he didn't need to police her actions. He pushed those questionable feelings aside and allowed himself to settle back into the comfortable role of a tutelary older brother. “I'm so happy for you, Freya,” he responded. “17! I cannot believe how much you have grown up, not to mention that you're so close to graduation. Ready to spend the rest of your years working for Geri?” he winked, and laughed. He doubted that she would end up at the bakery if it wasn't part of her plan; she was too clever for that.

Arick picked up his mug and took a large swig of butterbeer. Being swept up by Freya's excitement, he had nearly forgotten to answer her first questions. He placed the mug back on the table and smiled at her. “I'm good. Really good. I've actually got some exciting news!” He realised that Freya was going to be the first of his family members that would learn about his decision to move to France. He also recognised that he probably should have told Geri before now and made a mental note to let him know when he returned from his break. The former Gryffindor was bursting to interrogate his sister about her “friend,” but he was saving the topic as ammunition just in case she was angry that he hadn't told her about the move sooner.

He realised that he had been scowling at Freya as he mused, so he moulded his face back into a smile. Arick still needed an idea for a birthday present, so he would try and weasel some out of her. He decided not to be too straight-forward though, as he didn't want her to think that he didn't have a clue what to get her for her birthday. “But before we talk about me, I need some help. I've got a friend who's birthday is coming up soon, and she has some similar interests to you. What kind of presents would you suggest?” Arick leaned back in his chair and smirked to himself. He nailed it.

Freya wrinkled her nose at her brother’s comment about working in the bakery. She didn’t have anything against any of her cousins working there, but she couldn’t imagine finally leaving school only to move in right next door and start working there instead. Ugh. “I still have a full year left, remember?” She gave her big brother a playful push. She wasn’t looking forward to Finn leaving school at the end of this school year, but there was something appealing about being among the oldest at Hogwarts. She and her friends had joked about ruling the school before, but it felt almost real now.

A smile spread across Freya’s lips as he mentioned her upcoming birthday. “How old are they turning?” she teased, a bright, beaming smile now in full force in his direction. The girl had leant forward without noticing it, the look of delight completely unshielded in her expression. “Geri bought me a firebolt last year,” she reminded him cheekily. “So you’ll have to go all out if you want to one up him.” The blonde laughed, knowing full well that Arick didn’t have hundreds of galleons to spare, and that he would be aware that her comment was lighthearted. “I don’t know, I’ll be happy with anything.” Freya smiled at her brother, knowing that he would know her words to be true. “Pick me some sunflowers,” she added lightly.

The girl shifted in her seat, realising for the first time so far that her brother had already gotten her a mug of butterbeer. Freya took a moment to tie her curls back in a messy bun before she removed her gloves (many of her friends thought they were an excess this late in winter, but they were all crazy) and took a long, deep sip. She relished the warmth of this place. “Tell me about your news!” she demanded playfully, setting her cup back down and wiping her mouth with her hands.

Freya hadn’t believed him for a moment. Arick’s smirk grew into a smile, and he reached across the table and touched her hand playfully, laughing. “Alright, alright. Of course it’s for you,” he chuckled. “It’s just that seventeen is such an important birthday. I really want my present to leave a lasting impression.” He knew that Freya would be truly happy with anything, but that didn’t reduce the desire for his present to stand out to the young Gryffindor. Arick couldn’t stand the thought of disappointing her. He took another gulp of his butterbeer and posed thoughtfully so Freya would know he was serious about her gift.

Arick’s impersonation was interrupted shortly after it began by Freya’s interest in his yet-to-be-revealed move to France. He gulped. It was time to face the music; he had fretted over this moment for weeks. Arick was very fond of his sister, and he was afraid his decision to relocate overseas would upset her. They often enjoyed their time together even though she was still attending Hogwarts. His moving date was approaching quickly, however, and he couldn’t put it off any longer. “Freya,” he began, placing his mug back on the table and looked intensely into his sister’s eyes. He decided this moment called for extended eye contact. “I have something to admit. I have been putting off  telling you this for a while, mostly because I didn’t want to hurt you, but it just can’t wait any longer.” He paused and sighed deeply. “I’m moving to Paris.”

Arick squeezed his eyes shut and waited for her reaction. Surely she would cry, wail, for the loss of her brother. He knew it would be horrible; Freya, after all, held him in the highest regard. He only hoped that her pain would be reduced with the knowledge that France was only a short broom flight away. For now, he was have to confront Freya’s crushing sadness.

“I’m excited,” Freya commented simply. She couldn’t wait to be able to do magic outside of school. Finally. “But you know I’d be happy with anything.” A light sigh of contentment left the girl’s lips after another sip of her drink. Maybe she could apparate from Hogsmeade to wherever Kerr lived and they could hang out sometimes? Arick was being weird, and Freya didn’t know why. She raised her eyebrows as he started talking, trying to guess internally at what he was going to tell her. The longer he put it off (was the dramatic sigh really necessary?) the more her concern grew.

“Paris?!” She demanded, her eyebrows coming together quickly and a small downturn appearing at one side of her lips. “You’re moving to Paris?” If he was tricking her, then he was doing a good job. To be fair, she was pretty easy to trick. The blonde leant forward, a few loose curls dangling on the table as she did so. “What for? I mean… I’m excited for you, but why Paris?” Freya cocked her head to the side curiously, her pout smoothing somewhat. Thoughts raced through her head. Why France? Squinting her eyes suspiciously, she moved a little closer to him. “Are you running off with some French girl?” she asked.

Arick smoothed his hair back with one hand and drank deeply from his mug, all the while observing his sister’s reaction. She was, understandably, suspicious of her older brother. He briefly entertained the idea of telling her that he was running away with a girl (the fantasy appealed to him) but he knew he couldn’t lie to her. “No, no. No French girls. At least, not yet.” Arick giggled and elbowed Freya. “My life here isn’t going anywhere. When I left school, I thought I would work at the bakery while I furthered my duelling career. but that hasn’t happened at all. I think I need a change of scene.”

Arick returned the mug to the table and smiled. “I have good news, though,” he continued. “I applied for the Bojkov sporting scholarship and I’m going to use that money to apply to a duelling school in Paris. I don’t know where yet, but a couple of friends have told me they are really prestigious. I just the thing I need to get started.” He let out a sigh, quite relieved that he had told Freya. He hadn’t realised how guilty keeping it a secret from her was making him feel. Arick hoped she would be happy for him; he was sure she would be.

No French girl. Huh. "But you haven't actually gotten the scholarship yet?" she asked, clarifying. It was so typical of her older brother to be impulsve and reckless like this. She liked it. It was easy to romanticise impulsiveness and she'd always admired him. Still, she wondered if he'd considered everything... "Have you told Mum yet?" The blonde leant back, lessening the pressure on her brother and assuming a know-it-all type role, with her arms crossed against her chest and her eyebrows raised skeptically. "She's going to flip." Their parents were fairly easy going, but neither Ebony nor Alberich Trickett would approve of their children moving off to other countries with no job or plans to back them up.

"Have you looked at when the terms start?" Despite herself, and her words of warning, Freya couldn't help but let a little genuine curiosity seep into her tone. Her gaze was unfocussed for a moment as she wondered what she'd be doing if she got some kind of scholarship to go somewhere. Would she study? volunteer somewhere? Find a job? Freya had a few friends who knew exactly what they were going to be doing after school, and the whole thing made her so uncomfortable because she had absolutely no idea.

Arick clasped the back of his head with his left hand and grinned sheepishly. “Well, I haven’t really got the scholarship yet,” he laughed, trying to downplay his sister’s concerns. “But I’m a total shoe-in! I’ve already gone through a few rounds, and none of the other chumps even measured up.” Arick wasn’t lying about that, either. He felt he had proven himself in the first two rounds, especially in his mock duel against the giant Russian manservant guy. That didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous about the upcoming third round, but he couldn’t let his sister know he was not one hundred percent confident. “Yeah, I haven’t told Mum yet either, so I’d appreciate it if you kept it a secret. Just for a little bit. I’ll get around to telling her pretty soon.” He flashed another grin.

“Uh, not really. They’d be similar to ours here, right?” Arick briefly wondered if he was a little underprepared for the move, but decided his thoughts were better utilised imagining his awesome professional future dueling career. “I figured it didn’t really matter when the terms start, I’m still going to move there as soon as possible.” The move couldn’t come fast enough for the young man. He was ready for his career to begin.

“Oh Merlin, Arick! She’s going to kill you!” Freya had known what the answer to that question was going to be way before he’d spoken. His expressive face had given him away. She laughed despite herself, shaking her head in amused disapproval. Running away to France was romantic, but their mother would not appreciate being the last to know about her youngest son’s plans. “Who else knows about this? Does Geri know? Does everyone know?” Freya would be upset if she was the last.

With a huff, she shifted her weight in her seat, reaching for her cup before she realised it was empty. The girl tilted her head to the side curiously, imagining going to school in a foreign country. “Are you going to learn French?” she asked. “And probably? I wouldn’t know.” Freya shrugged, a sunny, optimistic smile gracing her face as she did so. All disapproval was lost as she imagined visiting him in Paris.  Arick would be able to do it. If anyone could do it, he could. The blonde got the impression that her youngest big brother tended to just go with the flow and work things out. It seemed to be working for him so far and she had faith in him.

Arick shrugged and moulded his face into an uncaring pout. "Mum will be okay. Dad too. We've gone through the 'you can't stop me' fight a few times now. I mean, Mum really did not want me to duel professionally." Of course, Ebony had really been protesting his participation in illegal dueling rings, but that was besides the point. It was technically a career move. "Do you really think I would tell anyone else before I told you?" he replied. "It's like you don't know me at all." Arick was closer to Freya than any of his siblings; he felt like it would be traitorous to not tell her first.

Arick noted that the conversation was going much less dramatically than he had first expected. He was relieved that Freya wasn't upset, but he would have enjoyed a bit more of a dramatic reaction. To answer Freya's question, he said "I guess I'll probably pick some French up. It'll certainly be useful at the academy." He noticed that both his and his sister's mugs were empty. "Anyway, let me refill that drink. And when I get back, I've got some questions for you." Arick stood up from his chair, grabbed the two mugs, and began towards the bar, grinning. He felt a little bad that he was about to interrogate Freya after how well she had taken her news, but he believed it truly was his duty to antagonise her like the good brother he his.

Lunch breaks at Crust and Crubs often ran on shifts. Geri had let Arick go first while he and another stayed at the Bakery. However, it was turning out to be a rather slow business day. Which was odd considering Valentine's day was just around the corner. Most of the sweets he had baked were still on display, so there was no need for him to be baking more in the back like he usually does. Which was why when his youngest sister Freya walked by the store, Geri knew he had to take this opportunity to talk to her. Well more like badgering her with questions about this so called boy that she was seeing.

Yes he knew about him, just not who he was or what he looked like. Not that it mattered to Geri because the fact was that Freya was dating a boy and didn't even bother telling him. Of course he knew why she wouldn't bring it up. Geri was a bit...overprotective to say the least. No person who dated one of his siblings or a cousin got away without being interrogated by him. Was he scary? Merlin he hoped so. He was a teenage boy once, he knew what it was like having all of those ranging hormones inside him. Which was why he was even more so protective over his younger Trickett family members.

Deciding to take his lunch break early, Geri informed his employee to hold down fort and if she needed help to send his dog - who was resting right outside in the back. The thirty year old than grabbed his jacket and headed out the door. His eyes scanned Hogsmeade, thinking of where Freya would be heading. Deciding to take a gamble, Geri headed for The Three Broomsticks. Maybe she was meeting this guy she was seeing there? Oh how wonderful it would be to run into them on "accident" and start his series of questions. Already he was running through his head of the things he would ask and say to both of them as he stepped inside the pub.

Luckily for Freya she was all alone.

Walking over to her, Geri slipped his hands over her eyes and smiled widely. "Guess who?"

“Hey Geri!” Freya beamed at her oldest brother, hopping out of her seat to give him a big hug. “Do you have lunch free?” she asked brightly. The blonde hadn’t been visiting as much as she used to – there was so much to do nowadays. Freya didn’t come into Hogsmeade every weekend, and she’d been spending every few weekends with Kerr, since it was the only time that she got to see him. There was always Quidditch to worry about too, especially since it was Finn’s last year at school. Freya was training harder than ever.

She doubted that she’d ever been more fit than right now, and it was strange to think that, a couple of years ago, she’d barely exercised and only ate cake and pastries and delicious things. To be fair, the latter hadn’t really changed. She still ate a lot of sweets and pastries and delicious oily things when she could, but nowadays she didn’t put on any weight and she’d lost her mid-teen chubbiness. “Arick’s just gone to get drinks,” she informed her brother with a bright smile. The blonde quickly pulled a third chair to the table she and Arick had been sitting at, gesturing for him to take it as she took her one.

Looking back over at his sister, Arick was surprised to see Geri hugging her. Business must have been pretty slow for Geri to leave the shop, but it would be nice to spend lunch with him regardless. “Actually, could we make that three?” Arick asked the bartender, placing another two sickles on the counter. He grabbed the drinks, thanked his server and wandered back to the table. “So, the boss decided to join us for lunch?” Arick said with a grin as he divided the drinks amongst them and sat down. “It’s not too slow at the shop, is it?”

Arick was over talking about his move to France, especially now that Geri was there. He would have to find a better way to break the news that his oldest brother was going to lose his best and brightest worker. At the moment, there was something much more interesting the three Tricketts had to discuss now. “So, Freya,” he began, unable to stop his mischievous smirk from evolving into a full blown beam. “What’s been going on with you? Anything new going on in your life?” He just couldn’t help himself; he got just a little bit too much glee out of provoking his sister.

Geri hugged Freya back, his muscular arms gently wrapping around her small frame. "I do and I thought I would come by and see you." With his sister being busy with school and Geri having his hands full at the bakery, there was hardly any time to spend with each other. The thirty year old didn't like that, especially since they were so close to each other during the school months. He was a man who enjoyed being close to his family, even if some of them annoyed him at times. Sitting down at the chair Freya pulled him for him, Geri leaned back and looked over as Arick came in their direction.

Oh good she wasn't alone. Perhaps this would be a good time to bring up his inquiring question to her. "Thank you Arick," taking the drink that his brother gave him Geri down a quarter of it before leaning back in his chair. "Too slow for my liking. It should be much busier given Valentines is just around the corner." Of course it'll pick up soon and he'll be so busy he won't have time to spend it with family. As Arick talked, Geri turned his gaze intently to his little sister and gave her a small smile. "Yes Freya, we don't get to hear about your life anymore. You've gotten so busy you haven't even stopped by the store to say hi." Putting on a frown for a dramatic effect, Geri wondered in the back of his mind if Arick had heard about this new guy as well.

If so things were going to get interesting.