Lily and Pandora followed behind Antonio and Bellatrix through the streets of Hogsmeade.
And as they walked, they began to realise that agreeing to go for drinks with them might have been a mistake.
"We should not have agreed to this," Lily whispered to her friend.
Her face wore an awkward expression, and her movements were stiff and uneasy. The reason?
Walking behind Antonio, they were now the centre of attention and the stares which Antonio had been receiving in the streets of Hogsmeade.
Pandora nodded in agreement. She should have anticipated this.
Antonio and Bellatrix were famous figures, albeit for different reasons, and being seen with them was bound to draw eyes.
That alone would not have been a problem if not for one crucial detail.
Antonio had recently risen in fame for killing two Death Eaters. Two days earlier. And at the moment, he was still under investigation, with his case yet to be heard in the Wizengamot.
'Would the people around them see them as accomplices to a criminal?' Pandora wondered in her mind.
But now that they had accepted the invitation, backing out was not really an option.
Even though he had appeared to be an easy going person, offending Antonio Olario was not something they would want to risk. Powerful wizards were more often than not eccentric figures.
They could only hope the conversation would be short and that they would return to Hogwarts soon.
Finally, the group of four reached a small inn. It was not a famous spot and was tucked away in a rather secluded corner of Hogsmeade. Aside from them, only three other customers were present. The group took their seats at a table by the window.
"Two Butterbeers and two Firewhiskeys," Antonio told the middle aged bartender, who had been openly gaping at them.
"Right away," the bartender said, snapping out of his daze and scrambling to fulfil the order, though not before casting one last curious glance at Antonio.
Though both Lily and Pandora were over seventeen and legally permitted to drink alcohol, Antonio chose to order Butterbeer, a non alcoholic drink, for them. If they wanted Firewhiskey, they could ask for it themselves.
"Miss Evans," Antonio said after a brief silence, "when I used your name, I never imagined it would cause you so much trouble. I only mentioned you to make a point about Muggle born witches and wizards. I did not realize it would spark such a reaction from the Slytherins."
"It is fine," Lily mumbled. "I know you did not mean any harm."
Antonio offered a small smile.
"So, how are you coping with it?" he asked. "Have they been much trouble?"
"Or have you already proven my point?" he added with a teasing grin.
Lily blushed slightly before answering. "They have caused a little trouble but none of them have been able to beat me."
There was a hint of certain pride in her voice.
Pandora scoffed playfully. "Beat you? No one has even come close. I would not over extend if I say that with little more training, you could have taken all your challengers in one go. All 7 of them."
Antonio raised an eyebrow in interest. It seemed Lily really was a gifted witch. The words he had said off handedly might have been truer than he realized.
By then, the bartender had returned with their order, placing four glasses on the table. Each of them took their glass and sipped.
Bellatrix, who had mostly remained silent until now, was growing more intrigued with each passing moment.
Was the girl really that skilled or had the standards of pure bloods deteriorated so much? she wondered in her mind.
"Incredible, I must say," Antonio remarked.
Lily was just about to reply when a sudden commotion erupted near the entrance of the inn. Moments later, four boys rushed in.
Their footsteps were hurried, and they were all panting for breath. One of them immediately locked eyes on Lily.
Tall. Raven black hair. Wild and untamed. Glasses perched on his nose.
Antonio did not need long to guess who this boy was. James Potter.
"Lily!" he all but shouted. "Why are you here?"
Antonio's eyes shifted towards Lily who too snarled in response. "Cannot you see?"
James didn't respond to Lily. His eyes were locked onto Antonio as he swiftly drew his wand from within his robes and pointed it straight at him.
"What did you do to her? Why is she here? What do you want from her?" he demanded, his voice sharp with anger and was almost laced with hatred.
Antonio was nearly taken aback by the intensity in James's tone.
Was inviting Lily for a drink enough to provoke such a reaction? Even so, he remained composed and answered politely. "Mr. Potter, I do not understand what you are trying to say."
"Miss Evans is here of her own accord," he added, his gaze steady and fixed on the Potter heir.
"As if we would believe a murderer like you," James growled.
"Potter," Bellatrix snapped, her fury unmistakable. "Mind your words. Just because the four of you have your wands out does not mean you can say anything you please."
"It would not take me more than a moment to put all four of you in your place."
"Oh?" another voice chimed in, one of James's companions, who stepped forward with his wand now raised toward Antonio as well.
It was Sirius Black. Antonio recognized him immediately and also noted how Sirius had not even acknowledged Bellatrix, his own cousin.
Antonio was genuinely puzzled. He did not understand the hostility from either James or Sirius.
"Are both of you supporters of the Death Eaters?" he asked evenly. "Yes, I killed someone but I did it in self defence. They were scum… criminals of the society. Did I not do the right thing?"
"They were scum," James said with a scoff. "But what does that make you? You could have defended yourself without killing them. You could have subdued them but instead, you chose to take a life."
"Does not that make you scum too?" He growled.
"Oh," Antonio murmured, a realization dawning on him. So that was it. They were walking the path of the Light Lord. Dumbledore. Preacher of kindness, empathy, and second chances. Even for Death Eaters.
"Well," Antonio said, his voice now sharp. "I do not care what do you think about me."
"As for Miss. Evans," he continued. "She is here on her accord. I merely extended an invitation to her. She is free to leave whenever she wills."
"And," his voice dropped to a dangerously low degree, "I do not have much patience with people who have their wand pointed at my face."
"So, shove it where you pulled it from otherwise, I would not mind doing it."
James was about to say something more when another person entered the room. A witch. A powerful one. Minerva McGonagall.
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