TERM 7 - A dream of ice cream - Florean Fortescue's - Hunter, Victoria, Lyn

After hours of shopping for school supplies for the next term, Victoria was exhausted. Her mother had dragged her through every shop there is, picking out unnecessary books and robes for her to buy. Probably because she wanted to spent more time with her daughter while she still can. Being away from each other for such a long time was difficult for both of them. So Victoria agreed to try on every robe and carry every extra book her mother picked out without a fuss. She might be annoying at times, but she was still her mother. 

When they were done, Victoria and her mother split up. Victoria went directly to her favorite place in Diagon Alley, the Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, while her mother went to the apothecary for some herbs. In her mind, there was nothing better to do after a long and exhausting day than to gorge on ice cream until she was sick.

Walking into the shop, she found her way through the crowded room to a young girl who greeted her with a smile. "Hello, there. What flavor would you like?", she asked as Victoria's eyes scanned the large selection of ice creams. There was everything from chocolate, vanilla, butter beer, pistachio and other strange flavors that Victoria has never heard of. After staring at the rainbow of colors in front of her, she had finally made up her mind. "Raspberry and vanilla for me please", she asked.

Finally, the VanDerbergs were back at Diagon Alley for the second time. Only this time, they weren't only shopping for Hunter's school supplies, but for Lyra and Lyn's as well, because only a few weeks earlier the twins had learned that they were going to attend Hogwarts, too! They'd already visited a few shops and gotten some of their school books, but as they passed the ice cream parlor on their way toward Eyelops, Hunter couldn't help but suggest that they stop for ice cream! After all, who could pass up the multitude of flavors that wizard ice cream shops offered!

"I'm going to get some ice cream," he announced, slowing to a halt. "Anyone else want some?" Of course, all of his siblings wanted ice cream - who wouldn't. "Just don't get me anything too bizarre, Houdini," Jack said to Hunter, grinning. "No promises!" Hunter responded. "Lyn, come with me and help me carry everything," he said, grabbing his sister's arm and pulling her along with him toward the ice cream parlor. "We'll meet you guys at Eyelops after!" Hunter called over his shoulder to his family.

Hunter pushed open the door and held it for Lyn before approaching the counter. "What flavor do you want?" he asked his sister, his eyes eagerly scanning the hundreds of flavors behind the counter. How was he even supposed to pick? He was examining the grass flavored ice cream when he heard a girl beside him ask for Rasberry and Vanilla. Glancing over, he realized that he recognized the girl as Victoria, from the train ride back from Hogwarts! "Raspberry and Vanilla," Hunter grinned. "That's a bit boring considering the options, isn't it?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Victoria flinched before turning around. She smiled when she saw that it was only Hunter, the boy she had met on the train express, mocking her choice of ice cream. "Honestly, I might consider picking something else if the other flavors didn't sound so... horrifically strange. I mean what does candyfloss, english sausage or mango chilli even taste like? Or perhaps black pepper and earwax? Sounds delightful", she said sarcastically with a smirk.

 Even though she did not like to admit it, when it came to food and new flavors Victoria was a complete coward. She could barely get used to the new food here in England and it took her a few weeks to do so. But stepping out of her comfort zone and trying new and bizarre flavors in her ice cream? No way. 

"Call me a scaredy cat if you wish, but some flavors are just not meant to be eaten by humans. Including that one", she said pointing to a ice cream box that had a sign that said 'Dirt' above it and chuckling. "See my point? I think Vanilla and Raspberry is quite fine", she said with a victorious smile, certain that everyone thinks like her. After all, why would anyone want to try anything else? "But what are you getting?", she asked curiously. "Have you ever tried any of the weird ones? I just don't know who buys them". But by the look of the crowd in the shop and the already half empty boxes of ice cream, the probable answer was everyone but her.

"I've tried some of them. There's so many, it's impossible to try them all. They're a bit strange, I suppose," Hunter said, shrugging. "But honestly, how do you know what... oh, I don't know... paint tastes like if you've never tried it?" he asked her with a grin, pointing at the tub labeled paint through the glass counter. "And honestly, what better way to try something paint flavored than to try paint flavored ice cream?" Hunter subconsciously glanced to his side to keep an eye on his sister, and saw her a few feet away browsing some other ice cream flavors. Hunter looked a little more thoroughly himself - he still had to decide what ice cream he actually wanted. And it wasn't paint.

Catching the attention of the person behind the counter, Hunter rambled off his order. "I think I'll have... oh, how about brown sugar and toast?" he asked brightly, proud of himself for coming up with such a combination. He grinned as his ice cream was scooped and handed to him. "Thanks!" he said happily, pushing a few knuts across the counter in return. "See?" Hunter said to Victoria, tasting his ice cream. "You can be adventurous and avoid the disgusting flavors if you really want to. Brown sugar and toast are unusual, but still incredibly delicious!"

Speaking of disgusting flavors, Hunter still needed to get an ice cream for Jack. And Lyra, but he'd let Lyn pick Lyra's ice cream out. They'd probably get something pink. Or something girly like flower ice cream. But Hunter had to pick out just the right one for Jack. He didn't want it to be so bad that his brother wouldn't eat it... but Jack ate just about anything, so that wasn't hard. As long as he avoided earwax and acid, Jack would probably finish whatever he got him. "I also need a bacon and toffee," Hunter said. "For my brother," Hunter explained to Victoria, grinning mischievously. "Lucky for him, I'm taking it easy on him this time. I was thinking of getting him cough medicine flavored ice cream, but since I'm such a nice brother I changed my mind." Jack would do the same to him, so Hunter didn't feel the slightest bit bad.

Victoria cringed and pressed her lips tightly at the thought of paint flavored ice cream. "Well isn't eating that the same as dipping your tongue in a large gar of wall paint? Neither seem like something I would want to do. I would rather stick to something edible, I think", she said laughing. But when Hunter decided his order, she had to admit that she was a little impressed. It did seem a lot more exciting that her boring vanilla and raspberry ice cream, and yet the flavors he chose didn't make Victoria want to vomit which was definitely a step up. "Well...brown sugar doesn't sound bad at all", she admitted with a smile. Perhaps the next time she orders, she will listen to Hunter's advice and be more adventurous.

But then Hunter ordered another ice cream, this one for his brother. "He's a big fan of bacon I presume?", she grinned. "Next time get him the dirt flavored ice cream and just say it's dark chocolate. I did that to my younger cousins all the time when I was a kid. Trust me, the expression on their face makes it totally worth it." Victoria was always getting into trouble for playing pranks on her little cousins and tricking them in any possible way she could.

"So what bring you to Diagon Alley? Are you shopping for the next term? I've just finished buying all the books I need. Well that and a dozen more that my mother shoved into my hands that is", she said with a chuckle. "But I did hear that Hogwarts might allow a second pet next year. Do you think it's true? I would really want to buy a Puffskein, but I'm not sure if they would let me bring it to Hogwarts. I do already have my cat. And I'm not quite sure if the cat wouldn't try to eat the Puffskein."

"It's sort of like that, I suppose," Hunter laughed when she explained what she thought of the paint flavored ice cream. "Except it's ice cream, which makes it better, and much more socially acceptable!" Obviously. "For example, if you ever did want to know what paint tastes like, but didn't want to be an outcast for life for actually licking real paint, that's where paint flavored ice cream can really come in handy, see?" Hunter didn't point out that he wasn't very keen to try the paint ice cream himself - of course he would if he was dared to, or something.

Hunter grinned when Victoria said that his ice cream didn't sound too bad. "That's because it's not! It's good!" Hunter told her, taking a lick of his ice cream. As the flavors hit his tongue, he was instantly satisfied with his choice. "Oh yeah, Jack loves bacon - though I don't think he'll expect it in an ice cream... Lyn loves bacon, too, don't you Lyn?" Hunter teased loud enough for Lyn to hear from where she was still browsing flavors. "She's vegetarian," Hunter explained to Victoria under his breath. He grinned when she suggested the dirt-chocolate trick. "That's brilliant! If I didn't already pay for this, I'd do that. Oh well, next time."

"Yeah, just getting supplies for school," Hunter said casually, leaning against the counter and taking another bite of his ice cream. "Lyn and Lyra - my sisters - got Hogwarts letters this summer as well, so we're shopping for them, too. It was a bit surprising that they're going to Hogwarts, since my family is all muggle, but they'll love it." Hunter listened to Victoria's question about being able to have two pets, but didn't answer it because he focused on something else she had said instead. "What's a puffskein?"

Victoria laughed at his surprisingly reasonable explanation of why the strange flavors of the ice cream are not only helpful to all of mankind, but also a brilliant idea. "I can tell that you have put some thought into this", she said with a chuckle. "But I have to say that you have convinced me. Next time I might just try something crazy. But knowing me, it probably won't be too adventurous but hey it's a step in the right direction", Victoria said with a smile, admitting to Hunter that he does indeed have a valid point.

"Hey Lyn!", she greeted her with a big smile and a wave of her hand. Listening to the next conversation between Hunter and Lyn, her lips parted slightly out of shock. "A vegetarian?", asked Victoria with a voice of disbelief. "Truly? So... she does not eat meet? At all? How terrible, poor girl", said Victoria with a genuine sadness for Lyn. In her country, meet was such a large part of people's diets that she couldn't imagine having a meal without at least chicken or fish. She had never met a vegetarian herself, although she was sure Brasil had a small number of them as well. But to her it seemed like such a waste of good food. Beef and bacon were too delicious for her to ever consider giving them up. "Is she allergic?"

"Oh, well it was sort of similar for me too. My mother is a muggle, so we couldn't really know for sure until the letter came. But tell them I hope they have fun in their first year, and of course congratulations", Victoria said offering a smile. But when she mentioned her next possible pet choice, she just couldn't believe that Hunter did not know what she was talking about. "Oh you haven't seen them before? You must! They are the strangest and most lovable thing you will ever see. They come in all colors too, so you can just pick whichever you would want. In all honesty, they look like big fluffy rats. But a more pleasant version of that, of course. I do already own a cat, but I'm definitely sneaking in another pet into Hogwarts if I can find a way to not get caught in the process" she admitted with a smirk.

"Better than nothing!" Hunter responded with a grin when she said she might try to be a little more adventurous next time. Victoria seemed slightly amazed at Lyn's weird vegetarianisms. "None at all," Hunter said, shaking his head. "Neither of the twins do." Hunter laughed when she asked if they were allergic to it. "No, not at all. We live on a farm, and they like to name all of the animals," he explained. "Every time I eat a piece of bacon, I get a lecture about how I'm eating Toby, or Aiden or whoever else." Hunter resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the stupidity of it.

"I'll be lucky if they don't embarrass me every second they're there," Hunter pointed out, though he really didn't mind the twins joining him at Hogwarts. He got along well with his family, and it would be nice to have them around sometimes. "I feel bad for my brother though. He'll be stuck at home by himself all term." Jack was a muggle, of course.

Then, Victoria was going on about Puffskeins. Honestly, from her description, they didn't sound like something that Hunter would be remotely interested in. "Sounds like a girl pet," Hunter told her. But he grinned when she said she'd like to sneak another pet into the school. Sounded like something he'd do, it that pet wasn't some fuzzy bunny-like creature. "Well, I wish you luck with that," he said, laughing a bit. "I think I'd like to get an owl, myself! I'd bring my dog from home if I could, but unfortunately, dogs aren't on the approved list of animals."

Victoria laughed or chuckled when Hunter spoke about his sisters' eating habits. She never really gave much thought about if she should be eating meet or not, but perhaps her views would change if she lived on a farm instead in the city. "Well to be honest, I'm not sure I could eat anything anything that has a name either. I would probably become a vegetarian as well if I spent enough time with your sisters", she chuckled.

"It must be nice to have such a big family though. Although I can see how having sisters would be a lot of work - especially if you are the kind of brother that is rather protective. I have an older brother as well, but he is... well in a phase where he doesn't really care about anything", she said with a shrug. Victoria was kind of use to her family falling apart. With her parents constant arguments and divorce trials, her brother's erratic behavior was last on her list of concerns.

"I suppose it sort of is a girl's pet...", she admitted with a smirk. She could hardly imagine any boy walking around the common room with a pink, fluffy Puffskein in his hands. He would end up being the target of jokes and pranks for the entire semester. "Thanks, you're the only one who didn't tell me I was insane for even thinking of the idea. But how hard would it be really? To sneak something into the castle that could easily fit in my pocket. And if they do find it...well I could just say that I found it in the woods. Or perhaps not", she said laughing, realizing how silly that sounded. "How big is your dog exactly?" she asked curiously.