Seeing his little sister again had to be one of the greater parts of his mandatory vacation. Rosalie had been just as bubbly and excitable as usual, though she'd grown at least two more inches since last summer. The last time they'd seen each other had been nearly a year ago when she came to Greece for ISS. He'd been adamant that her summer school was time was to be spent studying, not playing. It was a rare opportunity he'd wished he'd had when he was in Hogwarts. Naturally, he was ignored and called a nerd before she ran off. She came back immediately to give him a big hug.
Not much changed after this interaction. After two hours of laughing in a small bistro on a corner street, Rosalie had decided she'd spent enough time with her nerdy big brother and Hayden dutifully gave her some space. He watched from the window as she went to meet up with a group of Hogwarts students. Some of them Hayden could pick out. Ravenclaw blues mingled with her Gryffindor crimsons for a brief second before they all ran off. Hayden shook his head and paid the bill (always more than he'd expected, thanks to Rosalie's healthy appetite, but he'd gladly pay double seeing how much she was eating period) before setting out.
Now alone, Hayden wandered through the streets of Hogsmeade with little to do. St. Mungo's didn't need him back for at least a week (though that was still up for debate on his end. He could go back in less than a week, if he played his cards right) and he suspected Jon was at work (doing work was up for debate). He meandered through the village, letting it soak in that his life was here now and not on the shores of the Mediterranean. It was while being lost in his head that he found himself at the doorstep of Honeydukes. His footsteps had taken the lead and it was clear that he was aching for something familiar and friendly.
Smile spreading across his features, he stepped into the store. He was immediately greeted by the scent of sugar and pumpkin with a hint of cinnamon roasting in the air, mingled with cotton candy. He dodged around a few Hogwarts students who were eager to get their sweet treat fix before having to go back to the castle. But it wasn't the goodies he was focused on. By the counter, he saw a brush of familiar ginger hair, just as warm and vibrant as the pumpkins. He grinned and made his way over, a light in his steps at seeing an old friend.
Upon approaching, he leaned against the counter and chuckled. "Trick or Treat, Honey Bea?"
[
@Honey Bea Flume ]
