Work Text:
Madeline stood in front of a tapestry, admiring the details. Despite this being her second year at Hogwarts, and second year in the world of all things magic, she still hadn’t gotten used to the subjects of the artwork moving around. She watched out of the corner of her eye as two students passed through the hallway behind her. People were still a bit wary around her. Especially the younger students. They tended to either whisper about her, rather loudly, or eye her silently. This group had been chatting when they rounded the corner, but when they saw her, their conversation died. She sighed when they headed down the stairs, their footsteps fading away, and as Barnabas the Barmy took a troll’s club to the head, again, she began to pace the corridor.
The Room of Requirement had been a place to learn, study, and practice magic in her fifth year, as well as rescue and raise beasts. This year, it was more of a reprieve. There were so many fewer responsibilities on her plate now, but she still felt so overwhelmed most of the time. It felt as if poachers or militant goblins were going to ambush her at any moment. She shook her head, clearing her mind, and paced the corridor again. I need a place where I can relax, I need a place where I can relax, I need a place where I can relax. She smiled as the familiar door took form, and pushing the door open, she stepped into the room.
She leaned back against the door, shutting it firmly behind her, and sighed a breath of relief. A warm, caramel smell greeted her first. She looked up, taking in the small, crowded room. It was filled with rows of haphazardly placed potions stations, shelves of ingredients, and assorted potted plants. “Really room? This is the place for me to relax?”
A head of copper curls popped up from behind a desk, startled. “Maddy?”
“Oh! Garreth? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to intrude on your room. I was just looking for a place to unwind.” She turned around to leave. “I’ll just leave you to your studies then.”
“No! I mean- I mean you can stay, if you want to. There’s a real comfy chair, just over there.” He pointed to the side of the room, where a large, plush red chair stood against a wall.
“Are you sure? I don’t want to disturb your work.”
“I’m sure! Come in, stay a while.” Garreth grinned at her as he finally stood up, dusting off his apron. Madeline loved seeing him smile. It always felt so sincere, and comforting. He was one of the few people who smiled at her genuinely. He had never been uncomfortable or intimidated by her or her Ancient Magic. And she swore his eyes sparkled when he smiled. It was beautiful. She worked her way around the cauldrons, desks, and various plants, and sat down in the chair. She sank into the plush fabric, and it was as if it molded itself around her body. She sighed and leaned her head back, closing her eyes.
“It’s nice, isn’t it? It’s my favorite chair”
“Hmm, it’s so comfortable. Thanks, Gar,” she hummed contentedly.
“Here, I’ll hang up your scarf for you.”
Madeline opened her eyes to see Garreth standing in front of her, his hand outstretched. “Ah, thank you, but- the castle’s been so cold today. I just can’t seem to warm up. I’ve been cold ever since I got out of bed.” She chuckled, playing with the ends of her scarf.
Garreth's eyes lit up, the gears turning in his brain. “Hey! That’s great!” He practically skipped over to where his bag sat on the floor by a desk and began digging through it. The clink of bottles was muffled only by the loose parchment she could hear rustling around as he searched for something. “I mean- it’s not great that you’re cold, it’s just, I’ve been working on a drink that has a warming potion in it! Aha!” He stood, a small vial in his hand, and found an empty cauldron.
“You have? Honestly, something warm to drink sounds absolutely lovely right now.”
“Really? You want to try it?”
“You know I’m always happy to help with your experiments. I trust you”
Madeline watched as he set up a small cauldron. Surely the pink that tinged his cheeks now was from the heat rising from the low flame. Garreth uncorked the vial and tipped it, adding the light golden liquid to the other ingredients. She pulled her feet up onto the chair and closed her eyes again. The sounds of Garreth working nearby were nearly meditative- quiet chopping and stirring. He worked methodically, gently. She thought that potions were more of an art than a science for him. She hadn’t realized she had started to doze off until Garreth’s voice above her woke her.
“Here, it’s ready,” he said softly. “I wasn’t sure if I should wake you, or let you sleep…” He trailed off. She looked up at him. A gentle pink still painted his freckled cheeks, his bright curls were vibrant and bouncy, the way they always were when he was working. She supposed it was from the steam.
“Uhh, if you don’t want it now, that’s ok. I shouldn’t have woken you. Sorry.”
Madeline blinked, and rubbed one eye. “No, sorry, I do want it. Thank you.” She took the steaming mug from him. Their hands brushed as he passed it to her, turning it so she could grasp the handle. Garreth cleared his throat and took a step back, rubbing the back of his neck. She lifted the mug toward her face with both hands, feeling the warmth seeping into her fingers, and breathed in the steam.
“Mmm, it smells like ginger root.”
“Yeah!” It was always easy to get Garreth excited about his creations. Madeline watched his eyes crinkle up as he smiled. “It’s supposed to be like a ginger beer, only it’ll keep you warm! Although I’m not certain how long it’ll last. I- I hope it helps though! And I hope it’s good,” he added with a laugh.
Madeline took a cautious sip. Although she was always glad to help Garreth test his inventions, they weren’t all winners. But this one-
“Wow, Garreth! It’s good!” She took a deep drink this time, savoring the sharp ginger flavor, and the warmth that began filling her chest. “It’s really good!”
“Really? That’s so great! I was afraid it would be too much, or that you would be able to taste the ashwinder egg.” He kept talking as he turned back to his station to ladle himself a cup, but Madeline stopped hearing his individual words. She cupped the drink in her hands and smiled. The Room had been right, this really was a great place to relax.