Fic Challenge #116 (Love Potion #9): The Four Bestsellers of Foxglove Bakery
Title: The Four Bestsellers of Foxglove Bakery
Summary: or: How Isabel and Theodore, Her Gay Best Friend, Found Love. Potion-infused cupcakes may or may not have played a part.
Characters/Pairings: Isabel Moon/Zacharias Smith, Theodore Nott/Draco Malfoy
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: G
Word Count: 1008
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
i. Summer
"You're mad," Theodore Nott told Isabel Moon late one lazy afternoon. The sun was just about to set and from Foxglove's storefront it looked as though its burnt orange rays were melting into Brighton's watery horizon.
"Because I make sense?" Isabel asked. She picked up a single cupcake, fresh from the oven. With her pastry bag she frosted flowery script onto its mound, forming her letters with the ease and expertise of someone who has piped more letters than she has used quill and paper to write. "Here."
Theodore ♥ Draco, it said.
"You are mad," Theodore repeated, but Isabel didn't miss the faint flush on his cheeks. He grabbed the cupcake, his palm covering her delicately frosted words, and glanced furtively around the shop.
"Maybe I should give you some Ease instead?" Isabel offered. "Calm down, Teddy, there's no one around."
"I don't need Nerve," Theodore muttered under his breath. "Don't need to ask him anything. We're friends. End of story."
Isabel rolled her eyes. "You've got to be blind if you think you're fooling anyone. There's no harm in asking."
"You don't understand--" Theodore started to say, but just then the door opened and a customer walked in.
"Welcome to Foxglove Bakery, how may I--" Isabel's words caught in her throat when she saw who it was. Bronze skin, broad shoulders, sun-dappled curls of golden hair, eyes even bluer than Teddy's were.
Theodore cleared his throat. "How may we help you?" he asked, even though he didn't actually work for Foxglove.
There was a long, uncomfortable pause, made thicker and more palpable by the humid summer air.
"I guess."
ii. Fall
Zacharias Smith's trainer--he still refused to call Boot his therapist--had told him physical recovery from an injury was half a mental battle. Obviously Zacharias had thought it rubbish, but he'd gone to Foxglove anyway.
"Here's a half-dozen box of Cheer," Isabel said, adding 100% more dazzle to her smile. "Oh, and I've added a seventh cupcake for you."
"Really?" Zacharias asked, blinking in surprise.
"It's a new flavor; will you let me know what you think?" Isabel didn't want to let on that it was Hope. Zacharias was a very proud man. She's surprised he'd even decided to continue getting her cupcakes--she had no doubt the daily walk from his flat to her shop was excruciating on his knees. She'd wondered if she could offer to deliver the cupcakes regularly instead, but Theodore had told her not to even bring it up.
Zacharias gave her a nod. He looked around Foxglove; it was mid-afternoon on a weekday. There was barely anyone inside. "Actually, could I have a drink too? Italian soda, maybe?"
"Of course," she said. "On the house."
Zacharias smiled. It was a rare sight, and Isabel preened with pride. "Do you want to join me?" he asked. "If you're not too busy."
It wasn't likely that more people would come in later--Quidditch season just started and people usually opted for pubs and pitches instead of tiny bakeries by the pier, but that didn't seem to her like something she should bring up. "Not at all," she said instead.
iii. Winter
"Isabel Moon," Draco Malfoy growled when he stalked in, the fury of the howling winds and the frozen air following his entrance. Isabel sighed in dismay as his boots left muddy puddles of melting snow in her newly-mopped floor. "That was not Ease!"
"It wasn't? I'm fairly certain that's what I Owled you today."
Draco glared but Isabel remained unruffled. Draco glared at her almost every other day. "The effects," he said, wetting his lips with a slip of pink tongue, "were not as I expected."
"Oh?" Isabel studied the pattern of paisley on her favorite apron. "I suppose I may have mixed it up with one of the other batches I made this morning."
"You suppose you mixed it up?"
"What effects did you experience?" Isabel asked.
"That's none of your business," Draco said abruptly. The thing with pale men like him, Isabel found, is they color so easily under scrutiny. His ears, in particular, turned a shocking scarlet.
"It's my cupcakes that are the matter, I should think it is indeed my business," Isabel said. "Plus, if you were adversely affected--"
"It was nothing adverse," he said. "I just, ah--I hadn't been alone when it--when the cupcake was eaten."
"Oh dear," Isabel murmured. Theodore had told her just last night he was going to have breakfast with Draco. "I didn't give you Desire, did I?"
It was a terrible mistake to have made. Just absolutely terrible.
iv. Spring
"You didn't put anything in mine, did you?" He could barely get the words out; Zacharias' mouth was full of chocolate and fudge.
Isabel elbowed him in the ribs. "Manners. And anyway, why would I do that?" she asked.
"I'm irresistible," he said through a mouthful of cake.
"Not right now you're not," she replied, laughing when he placed a hand to his heart and feigned heartbreak.
"Did they ever find out?" he asked.
They were sitting at the end of the pier, bare feet dangling over the edge of its wooden dock. The beach was still mostly empty this time of the year. Isabel had a shawl around her shoulders and a half-eaten cupcake in her hand. She carefully peeled the liner away, bit into the vanilla bean thoughtfully. "Probably."
"Hey Iz."
"Hm?"
"Are you sure there's nothing in this?"
Isabel turned to face Zacharias. "No. Why?"
"I'm feeling something of an overwhelming kind of--"
"Of?"
"--need to kiss you right now."
"Oh."
"Could I?"
Isabel leaned towards him, pressed her lips to his. "Yes," she murmured against the kiss. "You may."
"What flavor is that, do you think?"
"Affection?"
Zacharias cupped her face and kissed her again. "It's rather strong."
"Pity that's plain chocolate you're eating," she said. "Maybe I'm irresistible."
Evyclaw//34 points + 5 for challenge = 39pts for Ravenclaw!
Summary: or: How Isabel and Theodore, Her Gay Best Friend, Found Love. Potion-infused cupcakes may or may not have played a part.
Characters/Pairings: Isabel Moon/Zacharias Smith, Theodore Nott/Draco Malfoy
Genre: Romance
Rating/Warnings: G
Word Count: 1008
Can the Order post to Tumblr?: Sure
i. Summer
"You're mad," Theodore Nott told Isabel Moon late one lazy afternoon. The sun was just about to set and from Foxglove's storefront it looked as though its burnt orange rays were melting into Brighton's watery horizon.
"Because I make sense?" Isabel asked. She picked up a single cupcake, fresh from the oven. With her pastry bag she frosted flowery script onto its mound, forming her letters with the ease and expertise of someone who has piped more letters than she has used quill and paper to write. "Here."
Theodore ♥ Draco, it said.
"You are mad," Theodore repeated, but Isabel didn't miss the faint flush on his cheeks. He grabbed the cupcake, his palm covering her delicately frosted words, and glanced furtively around the shop.
"Maybe I should give you some Ease instead?" Isabel offered. "Calm down, Teddy, there's no one around."
"I don't need Nerve," Theodore muttered under his breath. "Don't need to ask him anything. We're friends. End of story."
Isabel rolled her eyes. "You've got to be blind if you think you're fooling anyone. There's no harm in asking."
"You don't understand--" Theodore started to say, but just then the door opened and a customer walked in.
"Welcome to Foxglove Bakery, how may I--" Isabel's words caught in her throat when she saw who it was. Bronze skin, broad shoulders, sun-dappled curls of golden hair, eyes even bluer than Teddy's were.
Theodore cleared his throat. "How may we help you?" he asked, even though he didn't actually work for Foxglove.
There was a long, uncomfortable pause, made thicker and more palpable by the humid summer air.
"I guess."
ii. Fall
Zacharias Smith's trainer--he still refused to call Boot his therapist--had told him physical recovery from an injury was half a mental battle. Obviously Zacharias had thought it rubbish, but he'd gone to Foxglove anyway.
"Here's a half-dozen box of Cheer," Isabel said, adding 100% more dazzle to her smile. "Oh, and I've added a seventh cupcake for you."
"Really?" Zacharias asked, blinking in surprise.
"It's a new flavor; will you let me know what you think?" Isabel didn't want to let on that it was Hope. Zacharias was a very proud man. She's surprised he'd even decided to continue getting her cupcakes--she had no doubt the daily walk from his flat to her shop was excruciating on his knees. She'd wondered if she could offer to deliver the cupcakes regularly instead, but Theodore had told her not to even bring it up.
Zacharias gave her a nod. He looked around Foxglove; it was mid-afternoon on a weekday. There was barely anyone inside. "Actually, could I have a drink too? Italian soda, maybe?"
"Of course," she said. "On the house."
Zacharias smiled. It was a rare sight, and Isabel preened with pride. "Do you want to join me?" he asked. "If you're not too busy."
It wasn't likely that more people would come in later--Quidditch season just started and people usually opted for pubs and pitches instead of tiny bakeries by the pier, but that didn't seem to her like something she should bring up. "Not at all," she said instead.
iii. Winter
"Isabel Moon," Draco Malfoy growled when he stalked in, the fury of the howling winds and the frozen air following his entrance. Isabel sighed in dismay as his boots left muddy puddles of melting snow in her newly-mopped floor. "That was not Ease!"
"It wasn't? I'm fairly certain that's what I Owled you today."
Draco glared but Isabel remained unruffled. Draco glared at her almost every other day. "The effects," he said, wetting his lips with a slip of pink tongue, "were not as I expected."
"Oh?" Isabel studied the pattern of paisley on her favorite apron. "I suppose I may have mixed it up with one of the other batches I made this morning."
"You suppose you mixed it up?"
"What effects did you experience?" Isabel asked.
"That's none of your business," Draco said abruptly. The thing with pale men like him, Isabel found, is they color so easily under scrutiny. His ears, in particular, turned a shocking scarlet.
"It's my cupcakes that are the matter, I should think it is indeed my business," Isabel said. "Plus, if you were adversely affected--"
"It was nothing adverse," he said. "I just, ah--I hadn't been alone when it--when the cupcake was eaten."
"Oh dear," Isabel murmured. Theodore had told her just last night he was going to have breakfast with Draco. "I didn't give you Desire, did I?"
It was a terrible mistake to have made. Just absolutely terrible.
iv. Spring
"You didn't put anything in mine, did you?" He could barely get the words out; Zacharias' mouth was full of chocolate and fudge.
Isabel elbowed him in the ribs. "Manners. And anyway, why would I do that?" she asked.
"I'm irresistible," he said through a mouthful of cake.
"Not right now you're not," she replied, laughing when he placed a hand to his heart and feigned heartbreak.
"Did they ever find out?" he asked.
They were sitting at the end of the pier, bare feet dangling over the edge of its wooden dock. The beach was still mostly empty this time of the year. Isabel had a shawl around her shoulders and a half-eaten cupcake in her hand. She carefully peeled the liner away, bit into the vanilla bean thoughtfully. "Probably."
"Hey Iz."
"Hm?"
"Are you sure there's nothing in this?"
Isabel turned to face Zacharias. "No. Why?"
"I'm feeling something of an overwhelming kind of--"
"Of?"
"--need to kiss you right now."
"Oh."
"Could I?"
Isabel leaned towards him, pressed her lips to his. "Yes," she murmured against the kiss. "You may."
"What flavor is that, do you think?"
"Affection?"
Zacharias cupped her face and kissed her again. "It's rather strong."
"Pity that's plain chocolate you're eating," she said. "Maybe I'm irresistible."
Evyclaw//34 points + 5 for challenge = 39pts for Ravenclaw!