15 Feb 1895 - Chocolate Expo, Hogsmeade Hall

Anyone who knew Gus knew how much of a sweet tooth he had; it had stemmed from when he was a child, sampling all the sweets his dad brought home from his adventures and had never really gone away as he got older. So of course when he heard about the Chocolate Expo just a stone’s throw away from Hogwarts, he had to go, and it felt like the perfect excuse to leave the castle walls for a few hours. Of course he’d had to invite Winnie, just in case her medical training came in handy when he died from happiness, seeing all the sweets in one location.

“Charlotte likes fruit-filled chocolates, while Julian likes anything sticky and chewy,” Gus found himself explaining to Winnie, because of course the children Sophia left behind were always on his mind now, just like Soph herself was. God did he miss her. Their first Valentine’s Day would have been yesterday, and all he could do was leave flowers on her grave. Gus exhaled instead of frowning. “So I have to make sure I buy something to send back to them.” They deserved a treat. They deserved all the treats.

Gus adjusted the bag slung over his shoulder, already making plans to bring home a selection of sweets; he had to restock his desk drawer, after all. “But we should sample everything first, to make sure we buy the best ones, right?”

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To see Gus so invested on going to something was a breath of fresh air. Win worried about him, had purposefully put herself more firmly into his life because of it. After her last couple of very tiresome days, she thought she could use the treat too. It would be good for the both of them.

"Noted," something fruity and she assumed something with maybe some caramel. "I can take them tomorrow or the day after and check in if you want." She was trying to do her best to be supportive in an extra auntie sort of way, just there for some comfort and she was good with babies. "Samples are part of the deal," she mused. "And thanks for my entrance fee." She might not have been able to swing it otherwise. Win didn't have a lot of superfluous money kicking around most of the time. It was nice that samples were included, otherwise she would just be torturing herself. Winnie had perfected her hot chocolate by sample after all.

"Should we just go around the room or do you see something you want to start with?" She would follow his lead.

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Gus appreciated Winnie checking on the children; having them was never in the cards for him, at least not until Sophia came along. It helped that he was the godfather to both of them, and well… no one had questioned where the baby had come from, and at this point he doubted anyone would. As far as anyone was concerned, Cillian was his. What a messy situation. He was making it work as well as he possibly could.

He closed his eyes briefly before he turned toward Winnie, a small smile on his lips. “Thanks, I’d appreciate that.” It was nice to have someone to check on them, although he was considering a move back to Hogsmeade this summer. Gus loved living in Ireland, loved the freedom and being so close to the beach away from so many people, but Sophia’s memories lingered there, and it would be easier for everyone if he didn’t stay in the castle. That was a decision for later, though. He nodded at her thanks.

”Well,” He mused, taking a quick look around, “We could be logical and start at the beginning, but I think that sounds interesting.” Gus tipped his head toward one of the signs near the back - Chocolate Wheel of Fate!! It looked more like a carnival game than something that should be at a chocolate expo, although Gus was interested to see what kind of chocolate sample he might land on – he had missed out on the change candies someone was selling in Hogsmeade earlier (not that he wanted to be unknowingly experimented on), so it only felt fair to try his luck at something a little more sanctioned.

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Win met his smile with a warm one of her own. She wasn't quiet sure what to do for Gus most of the time, aside from be there and be present, but unless he asked that was all she could figure out. She didn't want to push or put herself where she wasn't wanted, even if she knew he was struggling. It was easy to forget, when he was smiling like a child, surrounded by one of his favorite things in the entire world. Gus' youthful exuberance was always something Winnie had enjoyed about him, even as they got older.

"Where else could we possibly start?" She chuckled looking curiously at the wheel. Who knew what it had in store, but could it really be all that bad if all of the prizes were some kind of sweets? She tugged him gently towards it, looking at the options. Nope, no bad prizes at all. "You go first." She insisted, looking at him expectantly, smile turning a little more sly.

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Gus gave Winnie’s hand a small squeeze as they made their way over toward the wheel. He couldn’t help but feel extra thankful that she was here with him, even if today was a bit easier than others. Maybe it was because Winnie was here with him, and he wasn’t trapped with his own remorse.

Shaking his head to dislodge the thoughts, Gus waited for the woman next to the wheel to wave them forward, telling them to give it a go. He gave the wheel a confident spin, watching as the words spun into a blur of color until they were unreadable. It slowed down, and Gus leaned forward as he tried to decide which one he wanted to land on – chameleon caramels sounded interesting, as did butterbeer fudge. However, when it finally stopped, the little marker landed on Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans.

The woman was happy to hang him a little paper bag filled with a random mix of jelly beans.. Gus eyed it warily, knowing full well that “every flavor” could mean anything from toffee to troll bogies. “Your turn,” Gus said as he glanced at Winnie.

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Winnie watched in amusement as Gus spun and wound up with a treat that wasn't chocolate. That had her chuckling. She took her turn, heaving the wheel into motion, to wind up with a little selection of four different flavors. She was intrigued, but would save it for later. They had so many other things to try first!

"Alright, now I would like to try that chocolate dipping station." Chocolate-covered strawberries were one of her absolute favorites and if they were out for tasting, she was going to take advantage. "You might have to roll me out of here later." Winnie joked, though was only half-kidding. She was delighted to see strawberries and other fruits available for dipping, as well as different kinds of chocolate. She gathered a little plate and dipped her first strawberry in, taking an indulgent bite. "Oh, that is heavenly." She sighed. "I could live off of these if I was allowed to." It wouldn't be the best of diets, but she would be happy if nothing else.

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Of course Gus was a bit envious that Winnie got something chocolate related, although the thought of how jelly beans tasted dipped in chocolate did cross his mind. That was going to have to wait though, as Gus nodded and followed Winnie over to the chocolate dipping station; he wasn’t picky about what into into the chocolate, as he had a tendency to ensure it was coated with so much of the goodness that he couldn’t taste what was beneath it.

He was reaching for a plate to gather some fruit, pausing only to say, “Well, if you do need to be rolled out of here, I’m charging you, and it can only be paid in sweets,” although his grin showed that he was only kidding. If one of them was going to be rolled out of here, it was definitely going to be Gus. He went for the pineapple first, dipping it under the chocolate just as Winnie took her first bite.

His reaction was similar, a deep sigh sounding from him as he instantly popped another piece into his mouth. He chewed it slowly, savoring the taste. At least Gus has the decency to chew and swallow before he spoke. “Let’s just live here, underneath the station.” Didn’t that sound nice, taking a break from life? “No work, no classes, just chocolate dipped fruit for their rest of our lives. Maybe we can even try chocolate dipped vegetables so we can be somewhat healthy.”

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"You're a terrible influence." Winnie laughed. "I hope hot cocoa would suffice for payment." Hers was his favorite after all. She had to wonder if she could contest Mr. Honeyduke's for best in town. She would rather not test the theory, considering she was pretty sure Gus and Mr. Honeyduke were also friends, so she would hate the put him in the middle. "But I could get used to that, just make a little home right under the table." Real life for her wasn't so bad, just a little lonely; she knew Gus could use an escape more than she could.

"I would not go so far as to cover vegetables in chocolate. I want to enjoy it and if I die fat and happy, then so be it." Winnie laughed again as she selected a nice little slice of orange to dip into the fountain. "Besides, fruit is healthy-ish." Probably not in huge quantities and certainly not smothered in chocolate, but close enough. A little indulgence every now and then was enough for her. She couldn't afford much otherwise and tended to spend her extra money on Anne and Ned or treating herself to a nice bottle of gin every now and then.

"Do you see anything else you're dying to try?" In a few minutes, after she got her fill here.

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The corner of his lips quipped into an amused smile. “Your cocoa is the best, so of course I’d take it as payment.” Though he’d probably put on a lot of pounds if that was the case, and he really didn’t want to have to be rolled everywhere he went. (Although Gus was sure someone he knew had a magic carpet he could just ride around on.) As tempting as it was to just hide somewhere because real life sucked right now, he had children who were relying on him; Gus couldn’t leave them when they’d already lost both of their parents.

A small laugh bubbled out of him, and he nodded in agreement, even if he was wondering what broccoli might taste like with some dark chocolate dripping down the side of it. “If I die from sweets, then my epitaph better have the words entirely full of truffles somewhere.” Gus nudged her with his hip, taking a few more pieces to eat before he got his fill.

“Madame Bellamy’s Drinking Chocolates,” Gus said without thinking about it, if only because they had to see how it compared to Winnie’s that he was so fond of. He made his way over to the booth that was just a couple more tables up. There were a few flavors to choose from, but he went with the tasting cup filled with Spiced Aztec-inspired cocoa with chili and vanilla – which he instantly made a face at.

“Oh.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “That is… that is something.”

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Winnie chuckled. She wasn't so sure he cocoa compared to Honeyduke's but, she would happily take the praise. She really only made it for Gus these days anyway. Sometimes if she and Emilia were having a night in, or during the holidays when the children were home, but other than that, it was rare. She took the opportunity to stuff a few more chocolate-covered strawberries into her mouth, thinking she might splurge on a half-dozen to take home with her, before following Gus to the next stop.

She let him have the first taste, laughing at his response. "Spicy? I might like it." She typically liked a good amount of spices in her food, but didn't often get them. Food around Hogsmeade and London was often bland and she wasn't always a fan. "I'll try the gingerbread one." She asked of the woman behind the table. It was probably a safer option. "Oh, that is lovely," just a little hint of the cookie spices on the back of her tongue. "Want to trade?" She wouldn't mind trying the chili one and he might like this better. "I should experiment with flavors in mine." She mused, wondering how he would take that.

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“You know,” Gus started, reaching out to take the gingerbread from her in response to her question before handing her the one he currently had, “I think you’d make an excellent spice alchemist.” He had no idea what that would entail, but it couldn’t be all bad, right? He loved the classic flavors, of course he did, but Gus also enjoyed when Quin made fun new ones to try, like a peppermint frog, or that orange fudge he’d made a few summers ago.

He chuckled softly. “I’d love to see you experiment.” If only because it probably meant he got to be the test subject and Gus was never going to turn down free sweets. He took a sip of the gingerbread cocoa, making a pleased humming noise as he glanced at Winnie. “See, this? This is the perfect level of excitement. Just enough spice to make it interesting, but not enough to set your eyebrows on fire.”

If she experimented with spices Gus would provide her with all the notes.

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"I'll keep it in mind," she chuckled. "You know, for all my free time." There wasn't much, which was good. Winnie was a better human when she was busy. She didn't do boredom well, didn't really have the patience for it and she didn't have much of a personal life these days to balance it out. It was fine, she was managing, but it could be better.

"Come on, let's go find something else to try." They could wander with their cocoa and eat their way through the exhibition and it would be a lovely afternoon. Just what she needed, even if all she managed to do was distract Gus for a couple hours. They both probably needed it more than they would let on.

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